The Times-Picayune 12-16-2025

Former Navy base

finallyset forrebirth

Afteryears of decayand falsestarts, $166M financingpackage unlocksaffordablehousing,techspace andriverfrontpotential

BY ANTHONYMcAULEY Staff writer

After more than 15 years of false starts and neighborhoodfrustration, the hulking former Naval Support Activity complex in Bywater is finally poised to transform from adeteriorating eyesore into amajor affordable housing and technology hub.

Construction on thefirst phase ofthe redevelopment —a $166 million project known as NSAEast Apartments —isexpected to begin in lateJanuary now that financinghas been secured, according to Brian Gibbs, theNew Orleans-based developerwho is leading the project. Aformal groundbreaking is planned for the endofnext month.

Once underway, the project will mark one of the most complex and ambitious rehabilitationefforts in New Orleans in years,converting alongblightedmilitary property overlooking the Mississippi River into 294 housing units for roughly 800residents, along with 37,000 square feet of retail space.

Thefirst phase of the project also includes a$50 million new technology startup incubator complex, and Gibbs hasplans fora$100 millioninnovation center and nearbygreen space devel-

Permanentgates

RENDERING PROVIDED By METROSTUDIO FORBRIAN GIBBS DEVELOPMENT

Theformer NavalSupport Activity NewOrleans base will officially seephase one of its conversion startinJanuary, withconstruction of 294 affordable apartment units and 37,000 square feet of retail space completed over the nexttwo years.

opmentinthe second phase.

“Wewill nothave to ask people to suspend disbelief anymore; theyare finally going to seecontractors at work,” said Gibbs,who took over the project last summerafter itsoriginal developer, Joe Jaeger,was killed in a car accident. “Wehope thatwill buy

us some credibility with the neighborhood, withrenters, potential businesses for theretail space —all the stakeholders.” For Gibbs andcity officials, the closing of the financing package has

ä See BASE, page 4A

Sonof RobReiner arrested in killings

Filmmaker, wife found fatallystabbed at home

By The Associated Press/Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES Rob Reiner,the son of acomedy giant who became one himself as one of the preeminent filmmakers of his generation with movies such as “The Princess Bride,” “When Harry Met Sally …” and “This Is Spinal Tap,” has died. He was 78. Reiner and his wife,Michele Singer Reiner,70, were found fatally stabbed Sunday at their homeinthe Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday arrested the Reiners’ 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner,and booked him on suspicion of killing his parents. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officersresponded to the Reiner home about 3:40 p.m.Sunday.Detectives from theRobbery-Homicide Division “worked throughout the night” and took Nick Reiner into custody

Family friends toldThe Los Angeles Times that Rob and Nick Reiner got into an argument Saturdayevening at aparty at ConanO’Brien’s home andthatmanypeople noticed Nick acting strangely at the party Nick Reiner, who hadstruggled with addiction foryears, wasliving in aguesthouse on his parents’ property,family friends told the Times,and his mother had become increasingly concerned about his mental health in recent weeks.

The family friends,who did not want to be identified because of the nature of the crime, said the Reiners’ daughter found her parents Sunday afternoon.

Nick Reinerwas takenintocustodyat 9:15 p.m. Sundayand booked at 5:04 a.m. Monday,jail records show.Heisbeing held on $4 million bail. Rob Reiner hada five-decade-longfilm

ä See REINER, page 5A

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

New Orleans officials are weighing aplan to install permanent gates along Bourbon Street, ameasure they say will prevent arepeat of the deadly Jan. 1 vehicle-ramming attack that exposed serious gapsin the city’shomeland security measures. Public safety leaders presented the idea to New Orleans City Council members

on Thursday,nearly ayear after Shamsud-Din Jabbar plowed down and killed 14 peopleon thefamousstrip Should the city move ahead with the plan, it would remedy akey flaw first discovered in its homeland security operation several years ago, butthatJabbar’s assault showcased to the world. Eighteen gates would be installed along Bourbon Street from Canal to St.Ann

ä See GATES, page 7A

demonstrates the mechanism to lock the barricades in place on

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Federal authorities arrested asuspect over theweekend near Lafayette who they accuse of being in an extremist group and planning aNew Year’sEve attack, officials said Monday

The FBI director,Kash Patel, on social media said the Louisianaarrestee was part of a“radical subgroup” of the Turtle Island Liberation Front, apro-Palestinian

“anti-government” organization, prosecutors said. Federal officialsalsoannouncedMondaythe arrests of four alleged members of the group in Los Angeles who are accused of hatching their own bombing plot on the West Coast. TheLouisianasuspect was “planning aseparate violent attack,” Patel said, without naming the person on social media. It is unclear whether

ä See FBI, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The 20-acre former Navy base on the Mississippi River in the Bywater neighborhood has been closed since 2009.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER NewOrleans Police DepartmentOfficer Justin Robert Fabre

BourbonStreet in October

Army names 2 Guard members killed in Syria

WASHINGTON The two Iowa National Guard members killed in a weekend attack in Syria that the U.S. military blamed on the Islamic State group were identified Monday and remembered as dedicated soldiers

The U.S. Army named them as Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown. Iowa Gov Kim Reynolds ordered all flags in Iowa to fly at half-staff in their honor, saying that, “We are grateful for their service and deeply mourn their loss.”

The Pentagon’s chief spokesman, Sean Parnell, has said a U.S. civilian working as an interpreter also was killed Three other Guard members were wounded in the attack, the Iowa National Guard said Monday, with two of them in stable condition and the other in good condition.

The attack was a major test for the rapprochement between the United States and Syria since the ouster of autocratic leader Bashar Assad a year ago, coming as the U.S. military is expanding its cooperation with Syrian security forces

Pope denounces ‘antisemitic violence’

ROME Pope Leo XIV on Monday denounced the “antisemitic violence” behind the Sydney Hanukkah massacre as he prayed for the victims and the “gift of peace and fraternity” this holiday season.

Leo also issued a strong antiabortion message during an audience with the donors of the Vatican’s Christmas decorations, which he said were a sign of “faith and hope.”

“We pray for those who suffer from war and violence, in particular today I want to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist attack in Syndey against the Jewish community

“Enough of these forms of antisemitic violence!” he said. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts.”

At least 15 people died in the attack on Sydney’s Bondi Beach, where hundreds had gathered for a “Chanukah by the Sea” event celebrating the start of the Jewish festival.

‘General Hospital’ star Anthony Geary dies

Anthony Geary, who rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s as half the daytime TV super couple Luke and Laura on “General Hospital,” has died. He was 78.

Geary

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Anthony Geary whose portrayal of Luke Spencer helped define General Hospital and daytime television,” ABC said in a statement confirming his death Geary died Sunday in Amsterdam of complications from a surgical procedure three days prior

“The entire ‘General Hospital’ family is heartbroken over the news of Tony Geary’s passing,” Frank Valentini, executive producer of the ABC show said in a statement Monday “Tony was a brilliant actor and set the bar that we continue to strive for.”

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Geary earned eight Daytime Emmy awards as Luke Spencer after joining the soap in 1978. Luke’s pairing with Genie Francis’ Laura Webber Baldwin (as she was known at the time) propelled the two onto magazine covers and into the cultural mainstream

The 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura was a pop culture phenom done in two parts, drawing guest appearances that included Elizabeth Taylor A record 30 million viewers watched.

An article Saturday on changes to wetlands regulation misstated the title of Mark Davis. He is the director of Tulane University’s Center for Environmental Law The Times-Picayune regrets the error CORRECTION

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROBERT F BUKATy

Brown University shooter sought

Authorities resume search as questions swirl about campus security

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI and LEAH WILLINGHAM Associated Press

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Authorities knocked on doors and scoured yards Monday in search of any video or other evidence that might lead them to the Brown University gunman, whose face was covered or not visible in footage captured before and after the weekend attack that killed two students and wounded nine others.

Officials released three new videos of the man they believe carried out Saturday’s attack that show him wearing a mask and a dark two-tone jacket. Although his face wasn’t visible, the footage from about two hours before the shooting provided the clearest images yet of the suspect.

The FBI said the man is about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with a stocky build. The agency offered a $50,000 reward for information leading to the identification, arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

“We’re asking for the public’s assistance,” Providence’s police chief, Col Oscar Perez, said at a news conference, urging people who might recognize the suspect to call a tip line.

Police renewed their search after releasing a person of interest Sunday once they determined the evidence pointed elsewhere. Meanwhile, details began to emerge about the students who were shot.

The lockdown order for the Ivy League school was lifted Sunday after authorities said they had detained the person of interest. But hopes for a quick resolution were dashed when they announced hours later that they had released him.

The abrupt change of direction marked a setback in the investigation as questions swirl about campus security, the apparent lack of school video evidence and whether the focus on the person of interest gave the attacker more time to escape.

Colin Moussette, who has friends at Brown and is considering enrolling next fall, said while visiting the campus Monday that he felt uneasy knowing the suspect hadn’t been caught

“How someone got away, like in the middle of the day is, to me, not only heartbreaking but very concerning,” he said.

“How they got access to the building is concerning.”

Before Monday’s news conference, police released a second video showing someone dressed in black walking along a city street minutes after the shooting The video — like one released the day of the shooting — didn’t show the suspect’s face.

In a neighborhood near the university, a line of officers scraped their feet through a snow-covered yard looking for evidence. Meanwhile, agents identifying themselves as U.S. marshals asked locals if they had security cameras.

Attorney General Peter Neronha, who said Sunday that there weren’t many cameras where the attack happened, said Monday that investigators were “making steady progress.”

Law enforcement on Monday appeared to still be performing basic of investigative tasks, including tracing the suspect’s movements in the minutes after the attack and searching for evidence near the crime scene.

“I was really glad to see that they were doing something,” said Katherine Baima, who lives in the area. “This is the first time any of us in my building, as far as I know, had heard from anyone We hadn’t gotten alerts and we were really surprised that there hadn’t been anyone searching, let alone knocking on doors, on the first night.”

The shooting happened in an auditorium-style classroom where students in a study group were preparing for an upcoming exam.

Ella Cook, a 19-year-old sophomore who was vice president of the Brown College Republicans and beloved in her church in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the students killed, according to her pastor at home.

In announcing her death Sunday, the Rev R. Craig Smalley described Cook as “an incredible grounded, faithful, bright light” who encouraged and “lifted up those around her.”

“Ella was known for her bold, brave, and kind heart as she served her chapter and her fellow classmates,” Martin Bertao, the president of the club, said in a message posted on X.

The other student who was killed was MukhammadAziz Umurzokov, an 18-year-old freshman majoring in biochemistry and neuroscience He was helping a friend at a review session for an economics final when he was shot, his sister said.

Crews use sandbags to shore up levee breach near Seattle

BY MANUEL VALDES and CLAIRE RUSH

Associated Press

TUKWILA, Wash.

— Crews used sandbags to shore up an earthen levee south of Seattle on Monday after a small section of it failed following a week of heavy rains, prompting an evacuation order covering parts of three suburbs, an official said.

The evacuation order from King County in Washington state was sent to about 1,100 homes and businesses east of the Green River in parts of Kent, Renton and Tukwila, said Brendan McCluskey, the county’s emergency management director The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning that initially covered nearly 47,000 people, but was reduced within a few hours to an area covering 7,000 people.

No one was injured, McCluskey said.

Authorities in Renton and Tukwila said Monday afternoon the flooding was confined to small, industrial areas and that no residents were being evacuated.

The spokesperson for the city of Renton, Laura Pettitt said the breach was minimal and was being addressed by

sandbagging, including the use of large bags, about 3 feet tall and filled with about a ton of sand.

“What we understand is that the area is being managed and the breach has been controlled,” she said. “However, that’s not to say that there wouldn’t be future impact with any changing situation.”

The levee breach followed days of heavy rain and flooding that inundated communities, forced the evacuations of tens of thousands of people and prompted scores of rescues throughout western Washington state.

The failure occurred on the Briscoe Desimone levee adjacent to the Green River in an area where officials had been concerned about a possible breach, John Taylor, director of the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, told a news conference Monday

With high water levels in the past week, workers began installing a “seepage blanket” — a permeable material that can remove water from a cut slope — in an effort to reduce the flood risk, and crews were present Monday when the breach occurred.

CALIFORNIA

Officials: 4 accused of plotting New Year’s Eve attacks

BY JULIE WATSON and CHRISTOPHER WEBER Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Federal authorities said Monday that they foiled a plot to bomb multiple sites of two U.S. companies on New Year’s Eve in Southern California after arresting members of an extremist anti-capitalist and anti-government group. The four suspects were arrested Friday in the Mojave Desert east of Los Angeles as they were rehearsing their plot, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said during a news conference. Officials showed reporters surveillance aerial footage of the suspects moving a large black object in the desert to a table. Officials said they were able to make the arrests before the suspects assembled a functional explosive device.

In the criminal complaint, the four suspects named are Audrey Illeene Carroll, 30; Zachary Aaron Page, 32; Dante Gaffield, 24; and Tina Lai, 41. They are all from the Los Angeles area, Essayli said. Officials did not describe a motive but said they are members of an offshoot of a group dubbed the Turtle Island Liberation Front. The group calls for decolonization, tribal sovereignty and “the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism,” according to the criminal complaint. The term “Turtle Island” is used by some Indigenous peoples to describe North America in a way that reflects its existence outside

of the colonial boundaries put in place by the U.S. and Canada. It comes from Indigenous creation stories where the continent was formed on the back of a giant turtle.

Officials also found “Free Palestine” flyers at the desert campsite where the suspects were working with the bomb-making materials.

The charges against each suspect include conspiracy and possession of a destructive device. Essayli said additional charges were expected in coming weeks. It wasn’t immediately clear if the suspects had attorneys, and The Associated Press was unable to reach family members. AP also sent Turtle Island Liberation Front’s social media accounts messages asking for comment but did not get a response.

Essayli said Carroll last month created a detailed plan to bomb five or more business locations across Southern California on New Year’s Eve. He declined to name the companies but described them as “Amazon-type” logistical centers. “Carroll’s bomb plot was explicit,” Essayli said “It included step-by-step instructions to build IEDs... and listed multiple targets across Orange County and Los Angeles.”

The plan included planting backpacks filled with complex pipe bombs that were set to be detonated simultaneously at midnight on New Year’s Eve at five locations, according to officials and the criminal complaint.

Members of the FBI Evidence Response Team search for evidence Monday near the campus of Brown University in Providence, R.I.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

Photos of suspects of a terror plot are shown on a screen Monday during a news conference in Los Angeles.

Australian leaders promisetotighten gunlaws

Push comesafter at least15killed in Hanukkah massacre

BY CHARLOTTE GRAHAMMCLAY, RODMCGUIRK and KRISTEN GELINEAU Associated Press

SYDNEY Australian leaders promised on Monday to immediately overhaul alreadytough gun control laws after amass shooting targeted a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’sBondi Beach. At least 15 people died in the attack, which has fueled criticism that authorities are not doing enough to combat a surge in antisemitic crimes.

Among the new measures proposed would be alimit on the number of guns someone can own and areview of licenses held over time. Those and other actions would represent asignificant update to the landmark national firearms agreement, which virtually banned rapid-firerifles after agunman killed35 people in Tasmania in 1996, galvanizing the country into action.

“The government is prepared to take whatever action is necessary.Included in that is the need for tougher gun laws,” Prime Minister

Anthony Albanesesaid

The violence erupted at the endofasummerday when thousands had flocked to Bondi Beach,anicon of Australia’s cultural life. They included hundreds gathered for the Chanukahbythe Sea event celebrating the start of theJewishfestival with food, face painting and apetting zoo. Albanese called the massacre an actofantisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the nation.

Police shot the two suspected gunmen, afather andson.

The 50-year-oldfather died at the scene. His 24-year-old sonremained in acomain hospital on Monday, Albanese said.Police won’treveal their names.

HealthofficialssaidTuesday that 25 peoplewere still being treatedinhospitals,10 of them in critical condition.

Those receiving care include children.

Also among themisaman whowas capturedonvideo appearing to tackleand disarm one apparent assailant, before pointing the man’s weaponat him, then setting the gun on the ground.

The man was identified by Home AffairsMinister Tony Burke asAhmedalAhmed.

The 42-year-old fruit shop owner andfather of two was shot in the shoulder Al Ahmed, an Australian citizen whomigrated from

Syria in 2006, underwent surgery on Monday,his family said. Al Ahmed’sparents who moved to Australia in recent months,said their son had abackground in the Syrian securityforces

“My sonhas always been brave. He helps people. He’s likethat,” hismother,Malakeh HasanalAhmed,told Australian Broadcasting Corp.throughaninterpreter Albaneseconfirmed that Australia’smain domestic spyagency,the Australian Security Intelligence Organization, hadinvestigated the youngersuspected gunman for six months in 2019.

The ABC reported that the agency hadexaminedthe son’s ties to aSydney-based Islamic Stategroup cell. Albanese did notdescribe the associates,but said theagency was interestedinthem ratherthan theson.

“He wasexaminedonthe basis of being associated with othersand the assessmentwas made that there was no indication of any ongoing threat or threat of him engaging in violence,” Albanese said.

The horroratAustralia’s most popular beachwas the deadliest shooting in almost threedecades sincethe 1996

Port Arthur massacre. The removal of rapid-firerifles has markedly reduced the death tolls from such acts of violence since then.

Albanese’sproposals to limit the number of guns someone can own andreview licenseswereannounced after the authorities revealed that the older suspected gunmanhad held agun license for adecade and amassed his six guns legally Leadersofthe federaland state governments on Mondayalso proposedrestricting gun ownership to Australian citizens, ameasure that would have excluded the

older suspect, whocame to Australia in 1998 on astudent visa and becameapermanent resident after marrying alocal woman. Officials wouldn’tconfirm what country he had migrated from.

His son, who doesn’t have a gun license, is an Australianborn citizen.

The government leaders also proposed the “additional use of criminal intelligence” in deciding who waseligible foragun license. That could mean the son’ssuspicious associatescould disqualify the father from owning agun.

Chris Minns,premierof New South Wales where Sydneyisthe state capital, said his state’sgun laws would change, but he could not yet detail how

“Ifyou’renot afarmer, you’re notinvolvedinagriculture,why do youneed these massive weapons that put thepublic in dangerand make life dangerous and difficult forNew South Wales Police?” Minns asked.

Among those hospitalized aretwo policeofficers. Those killedincludeda 10-year-old girl, arabbi andaHolocaust survivor

While none of thedead or wounded have been formally namedbythe authorities, the identitiesofthose killed,who ranged in age from 10 to 87, began to emerge in news reports Monday

Officials: U.S. hasagreedtogiveUkraine security guarantees

BY STEFANIE DAZIO and AAMER MADHANI Associated Press

BERLIN The U.S. has agreed to provide unspecified security guarantees to Ukraine as part of apeace deal to end Russia’snearly four-year war,and more talks are likely this weekend, U.S. officials said Monday following the latest discussions with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Berlin. The officials said talks with President DonaldTrump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and JaredKushner,led to narrowing differences on se-

curity guarantees that Kyiv said mustbeprovided, as well as on Moscow’sdemand that Ukraine concede land in the Donbasregion in the country’s east Trump dialed into adinner Monday evening with negotiators andEuropean leaders, andmore talks are expected this weekend in Miami or elsewhere in the United States,according to the U.S. officials, who spoke on conditionof anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly by the White House “I think we’re closernow thanwehave been, ever,”

Trumptold reportersat an unrelated White House event. He added, “We’re having tremendous support from European leaders. They want to get it ended, also.”

The U.S. officials said the offer of security guarantees won’tbeonthe table “forever.” Theysaidthe Trump administration plans to put forwardthe agreement on guarantees for Senateapproval, although they didn’t specify whether it would be ratifiedlike atreaty, which needsthe chamber’stwothirdsapproval. In astatement, European

leaders in Berlin saidthey andthe U.S. committed to work together to provide “robust security guarantees,”including aEuropean-led“multinational force Ukraine” supported by the U.S. They saidthe force’swork would include “operating inside Ukraine” as well as assisting in rebuilding Ukraine’sforces, securingits skies and supporting safer seas. They said Ukrainian forces should remain at

apeacetimelevel of 800,000. Witkoff and Kushner were accompanied by U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, whoheads NATO’s military operations and the U.S. European Command, as talks honed in on the particulars of what the U.S. officials described as an “Article 5-like” security agreement. Article Five in theNATOtreaty is the collective defense clause statingthatanattack on one memberisanattack on all.

The U.S. side presented the

Ukrainians adocument that spelled out in greater specificityaspects of theproposed U.S. security guarantees something that Ukrainianofficials said was missing from earlieriterations of the U.S. peace proposal, according to U.S. officials. German ChancellorFriedrich Merzcalled it a“truly far-reaching, substantial agreement that we did not have before,namelythat both Europe and the U.S. are jointly prepared to do this.”

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON Brian Walshe was found guilty Monday of firstdegree murder in the grisly death of his wife, whom he was accused of killing and dismemberingnearly three years ago while he awaited sentencing in an art fraud case relating to the saleof two fake Andy Warhol paintings.

Ana Walshe, areal estate agentwho immigrated from Serbia, was last seenearly Jan. 1, 2023, after aNew Year’sEve dinner at the couple’shome.

There was no reaction in the courtroom or from Walshe as the verdict was

read. Walshe,who faces life in state prison without parole, is scheduled tobe sentenced Wednesday.He was handcuffed andshackled before being ledout of the courtroom.Last month, Walshe pleadguilty to lesser charges of misleading police and illegally disposing ofher body

“It’snot about winning or losing. It’sabout getting the right answer and this was therightanswer,”Norfolk CountyDistrictAttorney Michael Morrissey toldreporters outside court. “We don’tlook at casesaswins or losses. We lookatgetting justicefor someone, so let’snot lose sight of that fact.”

Morrissey said his office

had heard from AnaWalshe’s sister, whotoldthem“justice had been served.”

Prosecutors leanedheavily on digital evidence in presenting their caseagainst BrianWalshe, includingonline searches such as “dismembermentand bestways to dispose of abody,” “how longbeforeabodystarts to smell” and “hacksaw best tool to dismember” that were found on devices connected to him.

Investigators also found searches on aMacbook that included“howlongfor someone missing to inherit,” “how long missing to be dead,”and “can you throw away body parts,”prosecutors told the jury

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMARK BAKER

Awoman kneels and prays Monday at amemorial to shooting victims of Sunday’s deadly attack on aHanukkah celebrationoutsidethe Bondi PavilionatSydney’sBondiBeach.

turned into atest case for whether NewOrleans can still assemblethe dense web of public and private funding that’sneeded toredevelop large-scaleobsoleteorpublicly owned sites —particularly those including affordable housing

The milestone comes as Gibbs, who had little experience in affordable housing before NSA, has found himself apartner in several pubic-private projects thattogether would provide affordable or workforce housing forthousands of residents.

It is an opportunetime: Mayorelect Helena Moreno has putplans to partner with the private sector on New Orleans’ vast undeveloped realestate portfolio at thecenter of hereconomic development policy

Asitefrozenintime

Located at the intersection of Dauphine Street and Poland Avenue,the 20-acre former Navy complex hasalayered history stretching back more than acentury,having served various militaryfunctions before the Navyofficially closed the facility in 2009. Thefederalgovernmenttransferred the property to thecity in 2013, and expectationswere high that its riverfront location would make it acatalyst for the Bywater’scontinued revival.

But little progress was made. And over time, the massivebuildings became graffiti-strewn and increasingly derelict, attracting squatters and criminal activity thatspilled intosurrounding streets.

Neighbors complained as the site —like the Plaza Tower,Lindy Boggs Medical Center,Charity Hospital and other New Orleans eyesores —became synonymous with neglect.

“We’ve been waiting avery long time for something to happen,” saidJohn Guarnieri, president of the Bywater Neighborhood Association, who added that neighborswere forcedtowatch it deteriorateinto acrime hub,where thieves would chop up stolen bikes and break down stolen metalwith welding torches.

Jaeger,areal estate developer who was instrumental in revivingthe WarehouseDistrictinthe 1990s, initially secured along-term lease for the site in 2017. At the time, the plan envisioned luxury, market-rate apartmentscapitalizing on the property’sMississippi River views and proximity to downtown.

But financing proved elusive.

Avision reshaped

The sheerscale of the property its historic designation, environmental issues and the economics of renovating aging military build-

ings made apurely market-rate approach unworkable.Over time, theproject, which in total has a cost of $300 million, was restructured around affordablehousing. It now relies on acomplicated mix of tax credits and other federal, state and local subsidies.

Gibbs, whofounded Brian Gibbs Development in 1997, contrasts theNSA East Apartments with other simpler projectshehas worked on, including the acclaimed conversion of the historic Alden Mills knitting factory at 511Marigny St. into 47 luxury apartments and the Paladar511 restaurant.

That project, developed in partnership with buildingowner Julian Doerr Mutter,ofDoerr Furniture, largely involved lining up historic taxcredits andconventionalfinancing.

NSA East, by contrast, required what Gibbs described during an

interview at his office at the top of theRegions Bank building as “institutional choreography.”

To illustrate the point, he pulled outadense organizational chart that maps the federal, state and local agencies involved, alongside private-sector specialists needed to convert grants andtax credits into construction capital.

Private lenders thenhad to step in to bridge timinggaps and financeeverything from fixesto roads andplumbing, along with professional servicesfromlawyers and accountants.

“It becamevery clear that there was no other way to make this work,”Gibbs said.

In the spring, Gibbs struck a deal withLincoln Avenue Communities, anational affordable housingdeveloper andmanager with the requisite affordablehousing expertise,tocome in as a50-50

partner and assume leadership of the project once financing was completed.

Even then, new hurdles emerged.

At onepoint, federal housing officials demandedthat something be done about thethirdderelictbuildingonthe sitebeforetenants could move intothe first phase.

“They said it couldn’tbeleft looking like something from ‘Escape from New York,’”Gibbs said, referencing John Carpenter’s1981 dystopian urban film

Thatrequirementprompted

City Council members Freddie King, whose districtincludesthe site, andLesli Harris, alongtime advocate for affordablehousing, to push for additionalcityfundingtostabilize and remediate the structure.

Late in the process, Lincoln Avenue also opted to relocate thepool andcabana area to the rooftop to fully realize Jaeger’svision of “affordable luxury.” That decision triggereda last-minute dash to revise architectural plans and secure updated city permits.

Deep tech in Bywater

Adding to the project’scomplexity is a$50 million facility for Brooklyn, New York-based Newlab,anincubatorfocusedonengineering and“deep technology.”

TheNewlab building, whichwill be constructed as part of thefirst phase of theproject, is being funded by acoalition that includes the state, the city, Shell Oil, LSUand Greater New Orleans Inc.

Theincubator will focus on areas such as energy efficiency,carbon management and port infrastructure —fields closely tied to Louisiana’sindustrial base.

Gibbs said he hopes Newlab’s presence will help the project’s

secondphase getoff the ground. Theplanistochannel the rental income he will get from thefacility to help finance the $100 million conversion of athird building into acenterfor the kinds of companies Newlab is designed to support.

“That’swhere this starts to become areal ecosystem,” he said. Greenspace,a larger vision

Gibbs has also begun preliminary discussions withthe U.S. ArmyCorps of Engineers and the Audubon Nature Institute about improving the Corps-owned green space across from the site, an area known informally as “The End of theWorld,”where theIndustrialCanal meets the Mississippi River The idea would be to landscape andenhance that spaceand link it via agreen corridor to Crescent Park, just afew hundredyards upriver on Chartres Street. The Audubon Institute would manage it, and its CEO,Michael Sawaya, said he backs the idea if the costs are covered.

The cost, Gibbs said, would be “a rounding error” on the price tag forthe project’ssecond phase, butitcould be transformative.It would also align withcivic leaders’ desirefor acontinuous, publicly accessible riverfront from the Industrial Canaltothe emerging River District.

“It would completely change howpeople experience this area,” he said. “Itturns it intoadestination.”

Alessoninwhatittakes

For Jeff Schwartz, who heads the city’sOffice of Economic Development, theNSA East Apartments illustrates both what is possible —and whysomany major sites in New Orleans remain stalled. Schwartz hasbeeninvolved with the project since its earliest days and participated in weekly progress meetings for years. He is also workingwithGibbs andpartners on other large-scaleefforts, including the multibillion-dollar River District.

Gibbs is also aminority partner with Lincoln Avenue on aproposal to convert the long-vacant Plaza Tower into 325 affordable housing units forelderly residents. Schwartz points to those projects alongside others, like Lindy Boggs andthe formerSix Flags site in New Orleans East, and sees acommon thread.

“Yes, the city owns alot of vacant andblightedproperty,” Schwartz said. “But none of them are going to be like what Brian didat511 Marigny

“Most of the deals are going to be hairy,complicated,messy projects where you have to getgreat partners to thetable andcreatespace for good things to happen —and they’re going to take years.”

Email Anthony McAuley tmcauley@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

The federal governmenttransferred the former Navy propertytoNew Orleans in 2013, butlittle progress has been made in redeveloping it.

PROVIDED RENDERING NewlabNew Orleans is a$50 million‘innovation hub’ that’sslated

career and had become aleading political voice in Hollywood. Michele Reiner wasa photographer andproducer Reiner grew up thinking his father,Carl Reiner,didn’tunderstandhim or findhim funny. But theyounger Reiner would in many ways follow in his father’sfootsteps, working both in front and behind the camera.

After starting out as awriter for “The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,” Rob Reiner’sbreakthrough came when he was, at age 23, cast in Norman Lear’s“All in the Family” as Archie Bunker’sliberal sonin-law, Michael “Meathead” Stivic.

As adirector,Reiner helmed astring of hits including “When Harry Met Sally ...” “ThePrincess Bride” and “This Is Spinal Tap.” His work took adramatic turn whenhedirected “Stand by Me,” the 1986 adaptation of aStephen King novella.

Reiner was nominated for an Academy Award for 1992’s“AFew Good Men,” which starred Jack Nicholson and TomCruise, though themovie lost to Clint Eastwood’s western “Unforgiven.”

For the next four decades, Reiner,awarmand gregarious presence on screen and an outspoken liberal advocate off it, remained aconstant fixture in Hollywood Theproduction companyhecofounded, Castle Rock Entertainment, launched an enviable string of hits, including“Seinfeld” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” By theturnofthe century, itssuccess rate had fallen considerably but Reiner revivedit, and this fall released the long-in-coming sequel “Spinal TapII: The End Continues.”

All the while, Reiner was one of thefilm industry’smost passionate Democrat activists, regularly hosting fundraisers and campaigning forliberal issues. He was co-founder of the AmericanFoundation for Equal Rights, which challenged in courtCalifornia’sban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8. He also

FBI

Continued from page1A

that attack was planned for California,Louisiana or elsewhere.

Officials have not identified any signs of coordination between the suspects in Louisiana and Los Angeles.

Aspokesperson forthe FBI’s New Orleans Field Office confirmed agents had arrested a“subject” Saturday in the investigation in New Iberia. The spokesperson referred additional questions to

chaired the campaign for Prop10, aCaliforniainitiative to fund early childhood development services with atax on tobacco products. And Reinerwas an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump. “Beneathall of the stories he produced was adeep belief in the goodnessofpeople—and alifelong commitment to putting that belief into action,” former President Barack Obama saidinastatement

Reiner enlisted help in theeffort from Steven Spielberg, Robin Williams andhis ownfather,comedy legend Carl Reiner

Personal life

Reiner wasmarried to Penny Marshall, star of “Laverne &Shirley,” from1971 to1981.

After their divorce, Reiner,at alunch with Nora Ephron, suggested acomedyabout dating. In writingwhat became “When Harry Met Sally…”Ephron and Reiner charteda relationship between aman and awoman (played

the U.S. Attorney’sOffice for the Western District of Louisiana. Vicki Chance, aspokesperson for the Western District Prosecutor’s Office, said charges had been filed against the suspect but that they remained under seal.

Localand federalofficials have not namedthe suspect.

In anews conference Monday describing the foiled plot in Los Angeles, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli,ofthe Central District of California,saidthe suspect in New Iberia had “threatened” agents servingasearch warrant.

“The person arrested in Louisiana

in the film by Billy Crystaland MegRyan) over thecourse of 12 years.

Alongthe way, themovie’s ending changed, as did some of the film’sindelible moments. The famous line,“I’llhavewhatshe’s having,”said after witnessing Ryan’s fake orgasmatKatz’sDelicatessen, was asuggestion by Crystal —delivered by none other than Reiner’smother,Estelle. The movie’shappy ending also hadsome real-life basis. Reiner met Michele Singer, aphotographer,onthe set of “When Harry Met Sally …” In 1989, they were wed. They had three children together: Nick, Jake and Romy Michele Reiner began producing filmsoverthe past decade, including“Shockand Awe,”“Albert Brooks: Defending My Life” and “Spinal TapII: The End Continues,”all directed by her husband. She alsoproduced “God &Country,” alook at Christian nationalism in the U.S

is notdirectlytiedto(the Los Angeles)incident,but he is amember of this group,”Essayli said. “When theyexecuted asearch warrant out there,heposed agreat threat to the agents. He threatened the agents, and so that’s why he’sunder arrest.”

The arrest marks thesecond in just over twomonthsinthe greater Lafayetteareaofpeople accused of participating in terror plots. The Justice Departmentin mid-October announced the arrest of aGazaman accused of participating in the Hamas-ledOct.7 attack on Israel,thentravelingtothe U.S. on an illegal visa.

Troubled son’spast

In interviews, Nick Reiner has describedcycling in andout of rehab centers and experiencing bouts of homelessness as ateenager By 2015, he hadgotten clean working with his father on “Being Charlie,” asemi-autobiographical film about addiction and recovery.Rob Reiner directed and Nick Reiner co-wrote the film about a successful actor with political ambitions and ason addictedtodrugs.

At the time of the premiere, The LosAngeles Times reported that RobReiner and his wife, at their worst moments, “wonderedifthere was an end in sight, and whether it would be the tragic one that avoice in the back of their heads kept telling themwas coming.” Rob Reiner hassaid the filming brought up tough memories.

“Itwas very,veryhardgoing through it the first time, with these painful and difficult highs and lows,” he said. “And thenmaking

The man accused in that case, Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub al-Muhtadi, was living in Lafayette at the time of his arrest, officials said. Saturday’sarrest in New Iberia also comes just under ayear after an attacker inspired by the Islamic State terror group drove apickup truck down Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’sDay,killing 14 people. Few details were available Mondayabout theplotPatel said FBI agents had foiled in Louisiana. In acomplaintfiledagainst the four suspects in Los Angeles federal court and unsealed on

the movie dredged it all up again.”

But he said the process of making the movie wastherapeutic, allowing them to workthrough a lot of past trauma and develop a closer relationship.

Celebrityreaction

Artistsand sports figurestook to social media to share griefand memoriesafter thedeathsofRob and Michele Reiner

Producer,singerand actor Rita Wilson posted on Instagram that it was“impossible to reconcile the tragedyoftheir deathswiththe beauty they offered the world.”

Actor John Cusack, who starred in the RobReiner-directed film “The Sure Thing,”posted on Xthat he was“shocked” by the death of “a great man.”

Author Stephen King said he was “horrified and saddened.” “Misery” wasalso adapted into amovie directed by Rob Reiner “Rest in peace, Rob. Youalways stood by me,” King said.

Politicalreaction

Trump, in apost on his social media network, said the Reinerswerekilled“reportedly due to theangerhecausedothers through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction witha mind crippling disease knownas TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.”

He said Rob Reiner “was known to have drivenpeople CRAZY by his raging obsession of President Donald J. Trump, with his obvious paranoia reaching new heights as theTrump Administration surpassedall goalsand expectations of greatness.”

The president did not mention his personal connection to Rob Reiner’swife, who was aphotographer.Peter Osnos, the original publisher of “The Art of the Deal,” confirmed Monday that Michele Reinertook the cover image of Trump’s1987 bestseller

U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie, of Kentucky,posted on Xthat regardless of how one felt about Rob Reiner,“this is inappropriate and disrespectful discourse abouta man who was just brutally murdered.”

Monday,anFBI agent described communicating with confidential informants and staking out the alleged plotters’ movements before swooping in to arrest themata makeshift bomb-testing site they had constructed in the desert. The investigation “crossed the entire country,” Akil Davis, FBI assistant director in chargeofthe bureau’s Los Angeles FieldOffice, said in Monday’snews conference. The arrest in Louisiana came“in support of this investigation,” Davis said. Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By RICHARD SHOTWELL

Rob Reiner,from left, Michele Singer Reiner,RomyReiner,Nick Reiner,Maria Gilfillan and JakeReiner arrive at thepremiereof‘Spinal TapII: The End Continues’ on Sept.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. stocks drift ahead of Tuesday’s jobs report

NEW YORK Wall Street drifted through a quiet day of trading on Monday, ahead of economic reports this week that could drive where interest rates go.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.2%, though the majority of stocks within the index rose. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 41 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%.

Helping to keep indexes in check were stocks in the artificial-intelligence industry, which were mixed following last week’s scary swings Nvidia, the chip company that’s become the face of the AI boom, added 0.7%. It was one of the strongest forces pushing upward on the S&P 500 after dropping 4.1% last week

But Oracle sank another 2.7% following its 12.7% tumble last week, which was its worst in more than seven years. Broadcom fell 5.6%. AI stocks have been shaky on worries that the billions of dollars flowing into chips and data centers may not produce a big-enough payoff to make it worth it. The doubts are causing cracks for the industry, whose earlier surges was the main driver for the U.S. market’s rally to records

On Tuesday will come the jobs report for November, and economists expect it to show employers added 40,000 more jobs than they cut during the month. Thursday will bring an update on the inflation, and economists expect it to show U.S. consumers paid prices that were 3.1% higher in November than a year before.

Ford scraps F-150 Lightning amid losses

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. is pivoting away from its onceambitious electric vehicle plans amid financial losses and waning consumer demand for the vehicles in lieu of investment in more efficient gasoline-engines and hybrid EVs, the company said Monday The Detroit-based automaker which has poured billions of dollars into electrification along with most of its industry peers, said it will no longer make the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, instead opting for an extended range version of the vehicle. Ford will also introduce some manufacturing changes; its Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center — part of the BlueOval City campus and once the future of Ford’s EVs and batteries is being renamed the Tennessee Truck Plant and will produce new affordable gas-powered trucks instead. Ford’s Ohio Assembly Plant will produce a new gas and hybrid van

The company has lost $13 billion on EVs since 2023 and said it expects to take a $19.5 billion hit largely in the fourth quarter due to the EV business.

Airbnb fined $75M by Spain for tourist rentals

MADRID Spain’s government has fined Airbnb $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals, officials said Monday. The move is the latest government action in Spain against short-term rental companies such as Airbnb and Booking. com as the country grapples with a housing affordability problem, particularly in city centers.

The consumer rights ministry said the rentals didn’t include license numbers — a requirement in many regions in Spain — or listed license numbers that didn’t match what authorities had. Other had incorrect information about hosts, it said.

Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court. The company said it was working with Spanish authorities to comply with a new national registration system for short-term rentals, and that more than 70,000 listings on the platform had added a registration number since January Spain’s leftist government and many Spaniards across the political spectrum see shortterm rental companies as bearing responsibility for driving up housing costs.

said. “Whether you come in or not, we want to make sure that we’re spreading that holiday joy.”

BY MAE ANDERSON AP business writer

NEW YORK The Ah Louis Store in San Luis Obispo, California, turns into a winter wonderland every holiday season.

Green garlands, giant nutcrack-

ers, baubles and bows go up in early November on the historic downtown building that houses the gift shop. Inside, customers can choose from over 500 different types of ornaments and a variety of holiday gift baskets.

But Butler says she and her twin sister-business partner had to work harder this year to turn browsers into buyers and to make a profit. Many of the decorations and stocking stuffers they sell are made overseas and either did not arrive or got more expensive when President Donald Trump imposed unusually high taxes on imported goods, she said.

In response, the sisters focused their selection on more profitable items like nutcrackers and gift baskets. They’ve also noticed customers cutting back, selecting a $100 gift basket over the $150 version, or buying one ornament instead of several, Butler said.

Due to a service outage, the usual listings were not available. They will return tomorrow

cautious spending this year,” she said.

Along with the unpredictable tariffs, stubborn inflation and weak hiring have shaken consumer confidence in the U.S. economy The vast majority of U.S. adults say they’ve noticed higher than usual prices for groceries, electricity and holiday gifts in recent months, according to a December poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

“We really just make it a magical spot,”

co-owner Emily Butler

“We’re definitely seeing more

A Gallup index that summarizes Americans’ assessments of current economic conditions fell to a 17-month low in November Consumers also indicated less enthusiasm for spending money on holiday gifts; their estimated gift budgets decreased $229 between October and November, the largest drop Gallup has recorded at that point

of the holiday shopping season. The survey was conducted in November, partially during the government shutdown, which might have tempered spending plans. However the worst-case impact on consumer prices that many economists foresaw from the Trump administration’s tariff policies hasn’t materialized. Some products have been affected more than others. Game and toys were particularly susceptible to tariff-related price increases since the majority of the ones sold in the U.S. are made in China, according to industry trade group The Toy Association. The tariff rate the Trump administration imposed on Chinese goods became a rollercoaster that started at an additional 10%, peaked at 145% and ended up at 47%.

High-end car sales sink in China as its economy slows

BY CHAN HO-HIM AP business writer

HONG KONG Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models, often sold at big discounts, catering to their taste for fancy electronics and comfort

That is bad news for European carmakers like Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz and BMW that have long dominated the upper reaches of the world’s largest auto market.

A prolonged property downturn in China has left many consumers with little appetite for big purchases. Meanwhile, the well-to-do are becoming increasingly shy about publicly displaying their wealth, said Paul Gong, UBS head of China Automotive Industry Research

Many car buyers have been swayed by a $2,830 trade-in subsidy offered by the Chinese government for purchasing electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles People tended to purchase cheaper, entry-level cars where the discount will count more and those cars are mostly Chinese made, Gong said.

“Slowing economic growth is one key driver behind weaker demand for premium cars,” said Claire Yuan, director of corporate ratings for China autos at S&P Global Ratings, referring to a segment that typically counts car brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW

The market share of premium car sales in China, usually priced above $42,400, more than doubled between 2017 and 2023 to about 15% of total sales, S&P said.

That trend is now reversing. The share of premium car sales fell to 14% in 2024 and to 13% in the first nine months of 2025, S&P said.

Chinese automakers take a bigger bite

While luxury auto sales have slowed, Chinese manufacturers, including electric vehicle maker BYD, have become more aggressive than many Western brands in technological innovation, frequently rolling out new electric vehicles and hybrids at cheaper prices, including premium vehicles, analysts said.

“Their (Chinese carmakers’) products are more competitive and more affordable even in the premium segment,” Yuan said. “That’s why these foreign brands are gradually losing momentum.”

The Chinese brands’ share of passenger car sales climbed to almost 70% in the first 11 months of this year, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. It

reported Thursday that German brands held a 12% share, Japanese brands around 10% and U.S. brands nearly 6%.

BYD already has overtaken Volkswagen as the biggest car seller in China in recent years. BYD is so far the best-selling car brand this year in China for “new energy vehicles,” which include electric vehicles and hybrids, according to the China Passenger Car Association BYD had cut prices of its electric and plug-in hybrid models by up to 34%, putting pressure on major rivals like Geely and Leapmotor

Mercedes-Benz’s sales by units in China fell 27% from a year earlier in the JulySeptember quarter, according to its latest earning report. The number of BMWs and its subsidiary-brand Minis sold in China dropped 11.2% year-on-year in the first nine months of 2025. Porsche and Aston Martin also cited pressure from weaker demand in China. Italian luxury carmaker Ferrari reported a 13% year-on-year drop in car shipments to

mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan in January-September. It was the only region where sales declined during that time.

Ola Källenius, CEO of Mercedes-Benz, told investors in late October that “hypercompetition in China is not going away anytime soon.”

The “market situation in the premium and luxury segment in China remained tense,” the carmaker said.

Used luxury cars going for cheaper

The downturn in interest in luxury vehicles is hitting dealerships hard.

Li Yi, a salesperson in charge of secondhand cars at a Beijing Porsche center, said a 2024 Panamera 2.9T with a mileage of about 12,400 miles was priced at $134,300. The previous owner bought it for about $198,454.

“It’s mainly due to the sluggish economic situation,” Li said. “(It’s) not only Porsche. Benz, BMW, Bentley and Rolls-Royce all face the same situation.” Porsche and Bentley are part of the Volkswagen group.

UPS ripped off seasonal workers with unfair pay practices, suit alleges

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK UPS stole tens of millions of dollars in pay from seasonal workers who help the shipping giant deliver packages during the busy holiday season, forcing some to clock in well after their shifts started and deducting pay for lunch breaks they never took, New York Attorney General Letitia James alleged in a lawsuit Monday Filed in state court in Manhattan, the lawsuit accuses UPS of “repeatedly and persistently” failing to properly compensate driver helpers, who assist with deliveries,

and seasonal support drivers, who use their own vehicles to make deliveries.

James estimated that in the past six years, UPS has deprived tens of thousands of seasonal workers of wages totaling about $45 million. The lawsuit seeks back pay and penalties, plus a court order requiring UPS to end off-the-clock work and change its timekeeping and payroll practices.

The company, known for its brown trucks and uniforms, delivered an average of 22.4 million packages a day and =brought in $91.1 billion in revenue last year according to its website.

“We oftentimes don’t think of these workers when we’re opening up our gifts for the holidays,” James said at a news conference announcing the lawsuit. “And these individuals are struggling each and every day to make ends meet.”

In a statement, Georgia-based UPS said it was aware of the lawsuit, “takes all accusations of wrongdoing seriously and denies the unfounded allegation of intentionally underpaying UPS employees.”

“We offer industry-leading pay and benefits to our more than 26,000 employees in New York and we remain committed to fol-

lowing all applicable laws,” the statement said. James, a Democrat, said she started investigating UPS in 2023 after an employee union, Teamsters Local 804, raised concerns about the company’s treatment of seasonal workers. Those workers are employed on a temporary basis from October to January Josh Pomeranz, the union’s director of operations, said that while there isn’t evidence that the company’s top management was involved in, aware of or condoning alleged wage theft, “these are just certain practices that you have to actively ignore, not to see it happening.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDy WONG Chinese demand for foreign luxury cars is waning as customers opt for more affordable Chinese brand models.

LSUrestructuring angers Shreveport lawmakers

They seethreat to medicalschool

BY HALEYMILLER Staff writer

Just how big of achange is the restructuring at LSU?

System President Wade Rousse has said it amounts to title changes to “push the LSU system to new heights.” But, for institutions not in Baton Rouge or New Orleans, some fear it means aloss of independence and funding in an increasingly centralized system.

Shreveport Sens. Thomas Pressly,aRepublican, and Sam Jenkins, aDemocrat, condemned arecent reorganization at LSU that removed the position of chancellor from LSU Health Shreveport and renamed the head of thehealth sciencesuniversity“senior vice chancellor.”

“It’sincredibly disappointing that LSU chose to take away the Chancellor position of theHealth Sciences Center in Shreveport withoutany conversation at all with the community,elected officials, business leaders, and even their own students and faculty about doing so,” Pressly said in a Monday news release.

Under leadership changes approvedbythe LSU BoardofSupervisors last week, the senior vice chancellornow reports to Executive Vice President James Dalton, who is also the chancellor of the flagship campusin Baton Rouge. Leaders at the LSUAgCen-

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

StateSen. Thomas Pressly,R-Shreveport,has condemned arecent reorganization at LSU that removed the positionofchancellor from LSU HealthShreveport.

ter, LSUHealthNew Orleansand thePennington Biomedical Center have also been named senior vice chancellors placed under Dalton.

Previously, those jobs all reported to thepresident, whowas in charge of both thesystemand theflagship campus. The Boardof Supervisors last month split the job into two, with Rousse as system president and Dalton as Baton Rouge campuschancellor

“My understanding from the administration is that the goal is to enhance theabilityfor the LSU system to getmoreresearch dollars, being grants and other opportunities,” Pressly saidinanin-

terview.“The question is how will that be divided up? Will LSU Baton Rouge get thefirst dibs at that?”

LSU spokesperson Todd Woodward said theamendments to the organizational charthave been the plan“right from the beginning,” and that thecomposition andcompensation for the jobs are not changing.

“Thiswas an acknowledgment that one persontrying to do two jobs at the same time needed to change,” Woodwardsaid, adding that thesystem’s bylawssay a chancellor cannot report toachancellor.“The title andthe reporting structure are all that is changed.”

The title revisions allow LSU to report itsaggregate research numbers, according to Woodward.

“Wehave been focused on growing ourresearch enterprise at LSU andtobeinthat gameweneed all theresearch dollars to roll up into onearea,” Woodwardwrote. “I would add they are reporting to an amazing Chancellor.”

Thesenators calledthe reorganization an “abrupt decision” that endangers leadership autonomy at LSUHealth Shreveport. The new structure raises concerns aboutpotentially being sidelined in favorofthe BatonRougecampus and LSUHealth NewOrleans, they said.

LSU Health Shreveport generates $600 million in direct economic impact on the Shreveport region and$3billion overallinnorth Louisiana, according to its website.

“If anything were to happen to the Health Sciences Center in Shreveport, it would be catastrophic for our region,”Pressly said.

The senators said the move clashes with the Louisiana Legislature’sintent when it created LSU HealthShreveport as an autonomous entity.They said it recalls past administrations’ favoring of institutions in Baton Rouge and New Orleans.

“Inthe past, we sawLSU disproportionately send resources and fundingtothe maincampus in BatonRouge and the Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, while LSU’s institutions in Shreveport and elsewhereinthe state didn’treceive their fair share,” Jenkins said in the release. “While we’ve made

tremendous progress sincethen, it’s safetosay that we will always be vigilant, because the mission of this campus is too critical not to be atop priority for our region.”

Woodward said LSU legal counsel does not believe the system is statutorilyrequired to maintain thepositionofchancelloratLSU Health Shreveport.

In response to questioning at the LSU Board of Supervisors meeting on Thursday,Rousse disagreed with Pressly’scharacterization of the restructuring as a“seismic shift.” He insisted the changes are necessary forLSU to realize itsambitions forrobuststateand federalfunding andrecognition as aTop 50 research university “Shifts in titles and clear lines of reporting should not be viewed as threats,” Rousse said at the meeting. “They should be viewed as opportunities.”

Rousse and Dalton will meet withthe senatorsonWednesday about the future of LSU Health Shreveport, Pressly said.

Astatement Monday from LSU Health Shreveport saidthe institutionisconfident in its“position and relevancewithin theLSU System.”

“It has always been the goal, no matter structure or title, to help LSU becomeaTop 50 Research University,and this new organization alone moves us up 18 spaces in that ranking,” spokesperson Lisa Babin wrote in an email. “Welook forward to and anticipate further communication from LSU leadership as to the implementation of the newly announced structure and its statewide impact.

streets, at acost of $1.5 million. The gates, which wouldbe attached permanently to the ground and swing open and closed, would replace the 32 large steel barriers that have closed off the same intersections nightly since shortly after the New Year’s Day attack.

The existing barriersare not mounted into the street and areattimes shoved aside by Bourbon Street visitors. They area“temporary solution to apermanent problem,” New Orleans Police Department’s8th District Capt. Samuel Palumbo told members of the council’sGovernmental Affairs committee.

“They are not meant to be utilized in the fashion they are,” he said.

The gates, which come from Florida-based TCP Security Solutions, would be able to withstand vehicle crashes at up to 40 mph, compared with the temporary barriers, which can only withstand acrashofup to around 10 mph, Palumbo said.

Officials with Mayor LaToya Cantrell’soutgoing administration selected the barriers, and at the meeting, they praised the idea.

“These gates are very low maintenance,” said John Thomas, Cantrell’sdirector of public safety and homeland security. “Wewent with

something that is easy,that is functional and that will last along time.”

CouncilPresidentJPMorrell said he would likely support theplan but thecouncil is unlikely to approve acontract with TCP at its Dec. 18 meeting, as Cantrell’steam requested.

“For acontract of this magnitude, considering what we’re responding to, Ithink prudencesayswe should allow the newadministration .tohave the ability to weigh in,” said Morrell.

Aspokesperson for Mayor-elect Helena Moreno, who will take office in mid-January,declined to comment on theproposal and said Moreno’stransition team is still reviewing public safety issues.

The need to strengthen barriers on BourbonStreet against vehicleshas been discussed by New Orleans officials for years, especially after thedeadly truck attack in Nice, France,in 2016. Though the cityhad amechanical wedge on Bourbon Street the night of Jabbar’sattack thatwas designed to stop traffic,the wedge wasn’t deployed, and portable bollards the city purchased to frustratesimilar plow downs were also absentfrom thestreet

The gates being proposed now are similar to those suggested earlier this year by consultingfirm Teneo,which was commissioned by New Orleans Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick in the wake of the attack to producerecommendations to help the city

prevent asimilar attack in thefuture.

Evenifofficialsmoveforward withthe plan, other debates about how to secure the street remain unsettled. Officialsappear to have takennoactiononTeneo’s recommendation toclose thestreetentirely to cars, for example, after residents andbusiness owners in the French Quarter raised concernsabout accessingtheir homes and businesses.

Though Moreno’sadministrationplans to furlough employees,cut departments and make other changes to closewhatwould be a $222 millionbudgetdeficit next year,the gatecontract would be paid for with proceeds from municipal bonds the city has already sold, according to apresentation from Thomas,Palumbo, New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Director Collin Arnold and other leaders.

In comparison, thecityhas spent nearly $160,000 since Marchtorentthe existing barriersfrom TCP Security Solutions.

Under the proposal, the city would install 18 gates, or twoper intersection. Right now,police each night standup32temporarybarriers, or four per intersection, as the barriers are shorter than thegates will be. That is time-consuming, Palumbo said.

“Not only does it make it less work to do,there’sless pointsthat can be messed with. by abad actor,” Palumbo said. What’smore, thegates

black metal with decorative detailing —“fit much more with the dynamics and scenery of the French Quarter,” Palumbo said.

TheCantrelladministration is also exploring whether to install gatesonJacksonSquareand Frenchmen Street,atacostof$700,000.

The administration is not asking the council to vote on that part of the proposal and hasnot proposeda funding source.

The gates would takeat

least 22 weeks to be fabricated and installed after the city orders them. That meansthat even if the council signed off on the purchase next week, the gates wouldn’tbereadyfor use until early summer,when fewertourists frequent Bourbon Street, city officials said. The city is negotiating anotherrentalagreementto continue using the temporary barriers through August, at acost of $210,800.

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Diggingup Shreveport’s past

Within minutes of walking into Shreveport’sSpring Street Museum, Iknew Ihad metsomeone who loved his work. Marty Loschen, the museum’s curator, didn’thave to say it —his passion for local history showed in the way he moved through the spaceand what he couldn’twait to show me.

The museum, located at 525 N. Spring St. in Shreveport, is housed in an old bank building, completed in 1866. When Iopened one of the display drawers to find dozens of coins, buttons, rings, beltbuckles, Louisiana chauffeurtags and more, Isaid, “This drawerlooks like someone is ametal detectorist.”

With that one line, Imadeaconnection with Loschen, who spends much of his free time metaldetecting —looking for artifacts that, piece by piece, tell abit more of Shreveport’sstory

I, too, love metal detecting, but I usually go with friendswho know much more than Idoand are able to direct me to one Louisiana cane field or another

“Trips to Egypt are cool, but that never tripped my trigger,” he said. “Local history is more personal. Youcan see it. Youcan touch it. In my case, Ican dig it.” Treasure in theprivy pit

Unlike my metal detecting friends, Loschen has averydifferent target. He loves to dig in what’scalled “privy pits” —asin, placeswhere

ä See RISHER, page 2B

Family divided over struggling school

Future of city-run Leah Chaseindoubt afterone year

BYMARIE FAZIO Staff writer

The family of beloved New Orleans chef and civic icon Leah Chase is split over the futureof the struggling public school that bears her name as the Orleans Parish School Board debateswhether to pour more money into the school or close it down. In recent letters to NOLAPublic Schools officials, Chase’sdescendants have come down on opposite sides of the debate over thefuture of the Leah Chase School —New Orleans’ first traditional public school in nearly two decades. Since opening in August 2024, the arts-focused school has struggled with low enrollment,a growing budget deficit and poor academic outcomes, earning aDrating from the state last month.

Chase’sdaughter StellaChase Reese called on district leaders to keep the school open, arguing that it could become a“model for education” with more resources and time.

“Closing or converting after just one year of operationsends a

Moreno eyes permitsoverhaul

Mayor-elect: Office’s dysfunctionbiggest barrier forbusinesses

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

Mayor-elect Helena Moreno

saidincoming Chief AdministrativeOfficer Joe Giarrusso’stop priority will be to reform the city’s DepartmentofSafetyand Permits, describing its dysfunction asthe biggest barrier for businessestrying to open in New Orleans.

Speaking beforethe New Orleans Chamber of Commerceon Friday,Moreno, who takes office Jan.12, saidthe public should start to see changes in how City Hall issuespermits andlicenses within thefirst three months of her administration but cautioned that acomplete overhaul of the department will take at leasta year “It isn’tjust quick little fixes hereand there.Weneed awhole revamp of Safety and Permits,” Moreno said.

The city’s process forissuing permits and licenses has long beena point of frustration for businesses and residents, with complaintsofbureaucraticdelays leading to longlag times for approvals.

The New OrleansChamber earlierthis year hiredMarket DynamicsResearch Group Inc. to better understand thechallenges businesses face when applying for or renewing permits and licenses. Of the 236 business leaders surveyed, 40% said thatobtaining apermitisthe most challenging aspect of running theirbusiness, ranking it as moreonerous than the city’spoor infrastructure,

Quickand cold

Grocer to take over HomeGoodslocation

BY BOBWARREN Staff writer

Trader Joe’splans to open a store in Mandeville in thecoming months,bringing yetanother big change to the northshore’sevolvinggrocery landscape.

Mandeville Mayor ClayMadden announcedthe plansina Facebook post, noting that he and other elected officials often hear from constituents who for years have

pushed forthe popular chainto open astore in St.Tammany Parish. Madden said the company had recently filed for city permits for the store.

It is planned for an empty storefront that was most recently a HomeGoodslocation in the Pontchartrain Square shopping center along thebusyU.S.190 commercial corridor through the city

“Yes, the rumors are true,” Madden said in the post. “It is happening. How about that?” Aspokesperson for Trader Joe’s, Nakia Rohde, confirmed that the company was coming to Mandev-

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

StatePolice troopers have arrested twoofthree drivers involved in athree-vehicle crash in St. John the Baptist Parish in Augustthatclaimed the lives of onecouple andseriously injured six other people,including three children. Anastasia Gordon, 19, of Vacherie, was booked Friday on two

counts of negligent homicide, four counts of negligent injuring, driving without alicense and othertraffic-related charges, according to Trooper Jacob Pucheu, aspokesperson forState Police Troop B. Gordon is accusedofcausing the deaths of Bobby Isaac,62, of Luling, and Roxanne Thompson, 59, of Des Allemands. Aseconddriver,CherylFleming, 58, of LaPlace, was arrested Dec. 10 and booked on three counts of negligent injuring, reckless operation of avehicle and three counts of

STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Despiteclear skies and sunshine, acyclist riding in Metairie bracesagainst biting temperatures during acold snap across south Louisiana on Monday.

according to areport released in September

The department, which is charged with administering andenforcing the city’szoningand building code ordinances, has been the subject of multiple outsidereviews, audits andinvestigations in recent years aimed at rooting out corruption and improving efficiency In 2023, atask forceconvened by District CCity Council member Freddie King released a17-page report with recommendationsfor how to address permitting woes, though little action was taken. In areport published last year,the Matrix Consulting Group said the city’spermitting office was “in aperpetual state of poor performance and poor accountability that far exceeds that

RISHER

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old outhouses used to stand.

“That’swhere people dropped things,” he said.

Back then, rarely didthey go looking for the thingsthey dropped in the privy Loschen, who earned adegree in archaeology at LSU in Shreveport, says old outhouses are treasure troves of items lost to time where, at least in one case,he’s found literal treasure.

As he was climbing out of what acentury earlier had been an outhouse hole, he was pulling himself up using abrick nearthe surface. The brick came loose and revealed $10,000 worth of silver.Asexciting as striking gold can be, if the afternoon Ispent with Loschenisan indication, he gets excited about buttons, buckles, old coins and letter openers, too.

“I love unearthing things that haven’tbeen seen by anyone else in 150 years —it’sathrill. It really is,” he said. He told me about metal detecting on the site of along-ago Shreveport brothel wherehe and friends found “an unusualnumber of buttons.” He said at firstthey laughed, envisioning buttons popping off clothing.

“Well, come to find out, about a yearlater,wefound out that one of the madams was aseamstress,” he said with achuckle.

Metal detecting dominated the first 30 minutes of my visit to the

TRADER JOE’S

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ille but had little other information available.

Bryan Pigeon, of Nations Real EstateServices, whichoperates the shopping center,said Trader Joe’swill lease 25,000 square feet of space.

“We’re excited about it,”Pigeon said. “Everybody’sbeenwantinga Trader Joe’sand we’re getting one.” Pigeon said he thought the store might open sometime by mid-2026.

Trader Joe’s, based in California, opened astore in Metairie in 2016 and aNew Orleanslocation inAu-

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troubling message about ourprioritiesasacommunity and whose schools are given grace andwhose are not,” wrote Chase Reese,who taught at the public school that previously occupied the building that now houses the Leah Chase School. Her letter wassigned by 14 other familymembers.

But Leah Chase’sgrandsonTravisChase urged district officials to close the school. Travis Chase, who has served on two charter school boards, called the Leah Chase School “doomed from the start” due to its financial and academic challenges.

“It is time to move beyond nostalgia forwhatusedtobeand focus on what all parents would want, and that is agreat school for their child,” he wrote in the letter, which was also signed by Travis Chase’sbrother and mother

The divide within the Chase family mirrors the larger debate over the school, with someNew Orleans School Board and community memberssayingitshould be givena chancetoturnaround while other board members and business leaders say it is financially irresponsibletokeepthe struggling school afloat.

The SchoolBoard is likely to decide at ameeting this week whether to close or keeprunning the school.

of other cities.” And in April, the councilapproveda resolution authored by Moreno, whoiscurrently serving as council vice president, directing the City Planning Commission to conduct it’s own review Moreno said Fridaythat she has aplan in mind for making improvements but wasn’tready to unveil it just yet. She said “newer and bettertechnology” needs to be put in place, butsaiditwilltaketimeto trainthe City Hall workforce on the new system. She also said she will try to learn from other jurisdictions and has previouslypointed to Jefferson Parish, where Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng earlier this year launched atask force to explore solutions

The 2026 budget the council approved earlierthis month, which Moreno hadaheavy hand in crafting, includes $150 million in spending cutsbut a16% increase to the Department of Safety and Permits

Spring Street Museum,located in one of Shreveport’soldestbuildings, but we eventually moved on to some of the museum’sstories about Shreveport’searliestinhabitants and leaders, including LarkenEdwards (1790-1841)

Shreveport’s firstmayor

Ownedbythe LSU Shreveport Foundation, LSUShistory students work in themuseum and go on archaeological hunts to uncover artifacts. The museum’s three storiesinclude abasement, accessible onlybya trapdoor,where Loschen’soffices are. Upstairs, there are more displays and a room used for meetings.

“Shreveport’s history has been based onthe river, of course,” Loschensaid. “Itshistory is just like anyother river town —the Wild West.”

Then he paused and toldmethat there was astoryupstairs about Shreveport’s first mayor that he thought Imight be interested in learning more about.

He was correct.

Shreveport’sfirst mayor,John O. Sewall, was electedtothe office in 1839,a time whenShreveport was on theedge ofthe Wild West. After adispute with the town’s first sheriff, Alexander Sterrett, about an invoicediscrepancy,the twoagreed to duel. Sewall killed the sheriff, accounts say,inbroad daylight.

The next year,hegot in another dueland things didn’t end his way Shreveport’sfirst mayor died at the age of 34.

It’seasy to forget, walking the

gust. It hasanother NewOrleans store in the works and has operated aBaton Rouge location since 2013.

TheMandeville store would be the popular chain’sfirst northshore location and comes as the grocery business in St. TammanyParishis undergoingbig shifts.

Twoformer Winn-Dixie stores in Slidell were recently transformed into Aldi locations, part of Aldi’s ambitious expansion plans that will add 800 newstores across the U.S Meanwhile, Rouses Markets recentlyannouncedthatitwould purchase 10 Winn-Dixie locations across the metro regionthatwould become Rouses stores. Stores in Mandeville and Covington were among the 10 Winn-Dixie stores

Locallegend

LeahChase,who diedin2019 at age96, was arenowned chef at Dooky Chase’s,anOrleans Avenue institutionthat opened its doors in 1941. Alongtimepatron of the arts, Chasealsosupportedthe Civil Rights Movement by feeding activists and allowing them to use the restaurant as ameeting space. In 2021, amidaneffort to renameschools that bore thenames of racist historical figures, district officials changed the name of the Marquis de Lafayette school building on South Carrollton Avenue to the Leah Chase School.The building underwent a$7million renovation that included anew sign and a mural on the second-floor hallway of Chase smiling Chase Reese, who said she serves as aspokesperson for the family,taught at LafayetteSchool when it was atraditional public school. It later became acharter school called Lafayette Academy In 2023, then-NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Avis Williamsdecided toshutdownthe F-rated charter school.Whenno charter operators offered to take over theschool, theSchoolBoard decided to run it directly.Williams said last year thata conversation with Chase Reese convinced her that the district neededtorun the school.

Travis Chase argues that having abuilding named after Leah Chase would be an adequate honor for hisgrandmother even if the build-

budget.

Giarrusso, who also spoke at Friday’sevent and is in the final stretchofhis termasthe District Acouncil member,saidhewants to make sure that City Hall provides the same levelofservice to homeowners and big businesses alike and also to makethe process more predictable.

Moreno has yet to announce her pick to lead the Department of Safety and Permits. In astatement Monday,ToddRagusa,a spokesperson for Moreno’stransition, saidthe transitionhad received a“strong pool of applications, conducted multiple interviews,and is moving quickly to identify adirector who will advance the mayor-elect’svision for amore responsive andeffectivedepartment.”

MorenoonFriday also shared her ownstory of permitting woes. She said her husband had trouble getting an electrical permitwhen they

were renovating their home, and the back-and-forth that followed between City Hall andEntergy New Orleans led to delays that required them to spend an extra month in a rentalproperty

City Council President JP Morrell, whoalso spoke at Friday’s event, said the decisionmorethan adecadeago to create a“onestop shop” at CityHall with the City Planning Commission, Historic DistrictLandmarksCommission, Safety and Permits Department andVieux Carre Commission all on thesame floor was a“complete failure.”

“Putting abunchoffaileddepartmentsinone spot does notmake them successful,” Morrell said, adding that there needstobeashift toward better customer at service at City Hall,where departments arefiguring out howtoget something done instead of saying it can’t be done

Marty Loschen, curator at the Spring Street Museum in downtown Shreveport,looks through old Sanborne maps that help document the city’shistory.

streetsofmoderntowns and cities, thatbeneathour feet are layers of lives —some celebrated, some forgotten, details lostdown old outhouseholes. Before Ileft the Spring Street Museum, Ithought again about those drawersfull of buttons and buckles, the coins and rings that once belonged to people who never

Rouses purchased. Madden’sTrader Joe’spost has been viewed 211,000 timesand prompted more than 860 comments.

“OMGIT’S TRUE! IT’S A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE,”one woman posted.

“It’sall the online requests from the Mandeville Mamas!” another person wrote. Madden, in his video, said thetime framehasn’tbeendisclosed andthat there aremany things over which the city has no control. But, he added, thecitywill do allitcan to help clear the way Madden also said there are plans to refurbish the Pontchartrain Square parking lot. Pigeon also said he is looking fora tenant to lease

inghouseda differentschool. He added in atext message on Sunday that Leah Chasenever wanted anythingtobenamed after her Chase Reese,who is Travis Chase’saunt,says the family would like to see Leah Chasehonored with aschool, not simply a building.

“Leah Chase’sname hasnever stood for symbolism alone, it representsservice, access, dignity, excellence, and deep accountability to theNew Orleans community,” Chase Reese wrote. “Reducing her legacy to abuilding name while removing public stewardship fundamentally misunderstands who she was and what she stood for.”

Chase Reesesaid in an interview that the family agreed to allow NOLA Public Schools to use her mother’sname after Williams and district officials gave acompelling presentation about atraditional public school rich in artsprogramming.

“My mother was adetermined personwho fought forwhatshe wanted,” she said. “Wedon’t want to abandon the plan.”

In February, the Edgar“Dooky” and Leah Chase Foundation donated $6,000 for books for theschool’s library Asked about the Chasefamily’s opposing letters, Chase Reesesaid they speak to the family’spassion about education.

Opposing views

Some School Board members, including Leila JacobsEames,

CRASH

child passenger restraint regulations, State Police said.

Isaac’sfamilyand friendssaid they have waited almost four months to see someone held accountable forthe deadly wreck.

“Wewon’tbefully satisfied until we can fully see justice for him,” said Isaac’sdaughter Kizzy Chisley,46.

The crash occurred Aug. 17 near the intersection of Airline Highway and East 22ndStreet, State Police said.

Isaac andThompson were in aHonda Ridgeline pickup truck headed northbound in the left lane of Airline Highwayabout 7:15 p.m

Gordon, driving aNissan Altima, was also traveling north on Airline, but she was in the twowaycontinuousturning lane,according to State Police.

Gordon is accused of veering from the turning lane into the left lane of Airline Highway, crashing into Isaac and Thompson’svehicle, State Police said. The impact spun the couple’s truckaround, sendingitinto southbound traffic and the path of Fleming’soncoming Hyundai Elantra, State Police said. Fleming crashed intothe truck.

Isaac andThompson were taken to ahospital where Thompson succumbed to herinjuries later that day,authorities said. Isaac remained hospitalized until his death on Sept. 4. Fleming and three children who hadbeen riding in hervehicle were seriously injured according to State Police. Fleming’sthree negligent injuring counts stem from the fact that the children werenot properly restrained in the vehicle, Pucheu said.

Fleming also wasdriving at morethan 30 mphover the posted 55 mph speed limit, leading to the reckless driving charge, according to State Police. Gordon anda passengerinher vehicle were also injured.

imagined they’d be on display in a museum. Iappreciate the way history doesn’talwaysannounceitself withmonuments or markers. Sometimes it’sjust something small thatslippedout of apocket, fell intothe wrong placeand waited for someone like Loschen, who knows where to look.

andother longtime criticsofthe charter system have said families want anoncharter option andthat Leah Chase should be giventime to thrive. Others, including business leaders, education nonprofit New Schools for New Orleans and longtime charter supporter Leslie Jacobs, say the district should be downsizing to reflect population decline andthe moneyused to subsidizethe under-enrolled Leah Chase School should be spread amongthe district’sother schools.

Travis Chase’sDec. 11 letter to NOLA Public Schools Superintendent Fateama Fulmore is also signed by Trevor Chase and Alva Chase, their mother and wife of thelate Edgar“Dooky” Chase III.

Travis Chase was afounding boardmember of Rooted School, acharterhigh school in NewOrleans, and served on theboard of New Beginnings School Foundation, anow-defunct charter school operator. In his letter,henoted the inherent challenge in the district running asingle school, which doesnot have its own sports teams andrelies on outside organizationstoprovide arts programs.

“Families understandably will not sendtheir children to aD-rated school thatlacks the basic features they expect to provide for theirkidsthatshapes theentire child’seducation,” he wrote, “like STEM, arts, andathletics.”

He argued that it “sets adangerous precedenttoallow thecity’s only direct-run school to receive concessions andsupport that

Isaac’sfamily on Monday said Gordon’scareless driving robbed them of amuch beloved father,grandfather, brotherand uncle.

“He was the spokesperson for our family.Anything that went wrong, if anybody needed help, he wasour advocate,”Chisley said.

Isaacwas born in NewOrleans and raised in North Raceland,the middle childoffive sisters and four brothers, Chisley said. Most of the large extended familystill live on Paul Fredrick Street in Luling.

Isaac was aheavy machine operator who drove cranes. He also loved boxing, according to Jolie Aucoin, 20,another of Isaac’sdaughters.

“Thatwas his favorite sport,” Aucoin said. “He taught me how to box.”

Singing was another of Isaac’s hobbies. Gospel music washis favorite genre. Isaac is survived by four children and two grandchildren.

“He lovedspending time with his grandkids, his sisters, hisbrothers, hisfamily and friends,” Chisley said.

charterschools—who areheldto strictaccountabilityand payfor thesame services from thesame authorizer—donot receive.“

On the otherhand, Chase Reese argued that the challenges faced by theLeahChase School arenot unique to the district-run school.

“Todeclarefailure after ashort operational window, especially in apost-pandemic landscape marked by system-wide enrollment shifts, leadership transitions, andstaffing challenges, is premature and inequitable,” Chase Reese wrote. “Further, framing enrollment decline and transitionalgrowing pains as justification for disinvestment overlooks the responsibility of the districtand broader ecosystem to support, not abandon, aschool bearing such cultural and civic significance.”

TheOrleansParishSchool Board will meet at 1p.m.Tuesday and 5:30 p.m. Thursday and areexpected to discuss the Leah Chase School. The school will also host acommunity meeting at 6p.m.Monday.

STAFFPHOTO By JANRISHER

FloridaSt . SharpRd.

Ben-Dov, Lisa

Cochran, Curtis

Favrot,Kathleen

Loubiere, Emily

Magee, Doris

Plaisance, Therrel

NewOrleans

Boyd Family

Plaisance, Therrel

DW Rhodes

Magee, Doris

Gertrude Geddes

Cochran, Curtis

Lake Lawn Metairie

Loubiere, Emily

Obituaries

Ben-Dov, Lisa Rackle

Lisa Rackle Ben-Dov, Virginia Philanthropist, Conservationist and ardent animal lover, dies unexpectedly at 80

Lisa Rackle Ben-Dov, whose life spanned adistinguished professional career in New York with a deeply rooted philanthropic presence in Virginia's hunt country, diedunexpectedly on December 7, 2025, only months after defying cancer.

Born in Atlanta on March 21, 1945, to Eugene Emile Rackle and Mabel Claire Moody Rackle, Lisa grew up in Metairie, asuburb of New Orleans. She graduated from St. Martin's Protestant Episcopal School in 1962 and went on to earna Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University.

Drawn to the possibility and pace of New York City, Lisa arrived there in the early 1970s where she joined Continental Grain Company as asecretary. It was amodeststart at a sprawling, privately held global commodities firm. But she rose steadily and after working in nearlyevery role withinher department, she became corporatevice president of insurance, overseeing the company's extensive international property and casualty program.

In the early 80's in NY, Lisa was introduced by her best friend to the man who would later become her husband. Zohar Ben-Dov, an Israeli emigre who came to the United States in search of the American Dream. He was drawn to her strength, independence, opinionated charm and impeccable Southern manners. They were married in an intimate ceremony at the River Cafe. This cemented theirspirited andirreverent 40-year love affair.

Equestrian pursuits soon reshaped their lives. Zohar's interest in fox hunting inspired Lisa to learn to ride at Claremont StablesinNYand soon they were foxhunting together upstate. Lisa and Zoharbecameenamored with the sport and in1986, the couple purchased Kinross Farm, 500 acres in Middleburg, Va. where they became active in the renowned Virginia Hunts. Kinrossbecame known as aworld-class training and hunting facility. Lisa embraced the sport with fervor, grace and humor and as aformer huntsman and close friend said "My God! She was so elegant on a horse" and tough as hell. As Lisa once wrote, "In 38 years, Ihad never hada broken bone, but from thenonitwas an annual occurrence."

Legendary for her hospitality and warmth, Lisa brought people together with herno-frills straightforwardness and graciousness. Since 1989 Zohar and Lisa have hosted their annual hunt breakfast. Honoring her New Orleans upbringing, Lisa served stiff drinks, Jambalaya and crawfish along with ham bi i b ddi

banana pudding and horse shaped cookies.

Lisa and Zohar then entered theworld of Americansteeplechase racing with amarked sense ofpurpose and aspiration. FromKinross, they bred and racedhorsesthat wouldwin many of the sport's most demanding challenges, including the Virginia Gold Cup, Iroquois at Nashville,and the Colonial Cup at Camden. Their greatest triumph came in 2024, whentheir horse Blackhall captured the storied MarylandHunt Cup. At the time, Lisa watched the replay from home: "I was stillnervous even thoughI knewwehad won,"she said. "This is the onetohave. It's our heart's desire, really."

Lisa's first stop at every race was to visit her horse and the racingteam, spoiling them with food, drinks and sweets. Ever superstitious, at race time, Lisa averted hergaze, insisting instead on aplaybyplay.

The Ben-Dov'sdonated the land for the Middleburg Humane Foundation'snew facility, which opened in 2019and whereLisa servedasa founding boardmember. Later,she established the Irving Endowment Fund in honor of their favoritedog thus ensuring its long-term sustainability. Many rescue dogs foundtheir permanent home at Kinross, wherethey livedunder her doting care.

Lisa dedicated herlifeto the welfareofanimals large and smalland to uplifting those in need. Her philanthropy touched nearly every cornerofthe Middleburgcommunity. Among the many organizations she served: APlace to Be musictherapy program, Seven Loavesfood pantry, MiddleburgFISH, and the Windy Hill Foundation, to which the Ben-Dov's gave both land and funding to provideaffordablehousing to the community.Lisa held board roles at the Middleburg Community Center and the Middleburg TennisClubwhere shewas known for her fierce lefthandedcross-court forehand. She also served as vice president ofthe LuminescenceFoundation, supporting conservation efforts of endangered wildlife,notably the mountaingorillas of Uganda, Rwanda,and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lisa's most enduring legacy may lieinthe quiet often unseen benevolence sheextendedtoindividualsand families navigating hardship. Sheprovided collegetuition, financial support, mentorship, and moreover, companionship to those she touched. Lisa opened her home freely, especiallyduring holidays, which she cherished, to extended family and to those who wouldhaveotherwise spent them alone

When asked to reflect on her life at arecent high school reunion, Lisa turned to aquote: "Lifeisnot a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in awellpreserved body, but rathertoskid in broadside, thoroughlyfed up,totally worn out and loudly proclaiming, 'Wow, what aride!'" What aride indeed.

Lisa is survivedbyher beloved husband Zohar herloving stepdaughters Tamar and Ariella Ben-Dov, treasuredbrother Eugene Emile RackleJr. and his wifeKaren, hercherished goddaughterMichal Duvdevani Mesika and her husband Avi, her dear godson SpencerBryan and goddaughterOlivia Muss, eight adoring grandchildren, and herbeloved rescuedog Max.She will be missed by countless othersinher community and beyond.

Acelebrationofher life willbeheldinthe Spring In lieuofflowers, contributionsmay be made in her honortothe Middleburg Humane Foundation, PO Box 684 Marshall, Va. 20116.

parted hisearthly home on Thursday,December4, 2025. In hisearly years, Curtis played thetrumpet andstudied under the tutelage of well-knownmu‐sicians, Willie Teeand Earl Turbinton. He wasa gradu‐ateofWalterL.Cohen c/o 1968 where he participated in themarchingbandand Booker T. WashingtonHigh School band.Curtisthen enlisted in theUnited States CoastGuard (USCG) where he also played in pa‐radesnationwiderepre‐sentingthe USCG.Asa greatswimmer, he swam in many waters during his tourswiththe USCG,rescu‐ingmany. Afterserving toursinAlaska, Alameda, California,and Elizabeth City,North Carolina,Curtis washonorably discharged as aSeaman. In 2009 he also accomplishedpublish‐inghis book TheBlack House. Curtis is theloving brotherofDeborah CochranFalls,Perry Wayne, Tyrone Michael, Ronald Anthony, andRe‐naylda Lynn Cochran. He is also survived by his beloved firstcousinKim Walker,and ahostof nieces,nephews,cousins familyand friends. He was preceded in deathbyhis parentsGeorgeLuther Cochranand BurdellRan‐dolphCochran,his grand‐parentsMildred R. Taylor, Carrie LeeCochran Brack, BurnellRandolphand HenryCochran,greatgrandmotherClara Foster Randolph,auntsInezRan‐dolphDorest, ShirleyRan‐dolphMiller,Dorothy Ran‐dolphWarren, OdellBrack Nelson andAllie P. Brack, uncles Herman L.,MurlL George A.,and Alex Cochran, as well as Cleve‐land andCalvinBrack.Rel‐atives andfriends of the familyare invitedtoattend theCelebration of Life Ser‐vice on Wednesday, De‐cember 17,2025at Gertrude Geddes Willis Fu‐neralHome, 2120 Jackson Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70113 at 11:00a.m.Visita‐tion from 10:00a.m.until 11:00 a.m. Rev. LeonardM Parker,Jr.,Officiating. In‐termentSoutheast LouisianaVeteran Ceme‐tery,34888 Grantham Col‐lege Road,Slidell, LA 70460. Youmay sign theguest book on http://www.ger trudegeddeswillis.com. Gertrude GeddesWillisFu‐neralHome, Inc. in charge (504)522-2525.

grammarian, she lovedthe English language, and her grandchildrencan attest that no grammatical errors ever gotpasther.

The family extendstheir heartfelt gratitude to those who lovingly cared for Toots over many years: JaneGuevara, Becky Daniels, Rosalia Santana, SidRoussell, Linda Clayton, and Dr. Charles Smith. They supported her faithfullythrough sickness, health, and hair emergencies and were asourceof constant comfort and friendship.

Afuneralmass will be said on Thursday, December 18 at 11:00 AM at HolyNameofJesus Catholic Church, with visitation preceding at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, donations in Toots' memory may be madetothe Academy of theSacred Heart,LePetit Théâtre du Vieux Carré, or thecharity of one's choice

Aboveall,Toots loved her community,her faith, and her family.She willbe remembered for her warmth, her generosity of spirit, and theenduring legacy of love she leaves behind

December 11th, 2025 at 33 years old. Emily was born on October 21, 1992 in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was under thelovingcare of her parentsand alongside her sisters Mollyand Savannah that Emily developed thecuriosity and unmistakable humorthatshe wouldhone forthe rest of her life

www.justicelouisiana.org. To view andsignthe online guestbook, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.co m.

Magee, Doris

With sadnessweshare thepassing of Doris Magee, on December 1, 2025. Please visitwww.rho desfuneral.comtoview serviceinformation,sign online guestbook,send flowers andshare condo‐lences

TherrelPlaisance,a belovedresidentofNew Orleans, Louisiana, passed away peacefully on Friday December 6, 2025, at the ageof86. He wasbornon July 2, 1939. Therrelwas a proudgraduateofXavier PreparatoryHighSchool, Classof1957, andreceived hisearly educationatCor‐pusChristi Catholic School Followinghighschool,he honorablyservedhis coun‐tryasa military veteranin theU.S.Army. Therrelwas adedicated entrepreneur who ownedand operated LTDEnterprises alongside hisbrothers. Outsideofhis business, he wasa longstanding andfaithfulmem‐berofWorld Changers Church International. Ther‐Favrot,Kathleen Gibbons'Kay'

Kathleen"Kay" Gibbons Favrot, age89, affectionately known to allas "Toots",diedpeacefully at home on December13, 2025.

Born in NewOrleans on July17, 1936, Toots was a lifelong daughter of the city she lovedsodearly She graduated fromthe Academy of theSacred Heart and laterattended MaryvilleCollege of the SacredHeart in St. Louis, Missouri, an education that shaped her enduring devotiontofaith, service, and community.

She was preceded in death by her parents, KathleenLoker Gibbons and John FrancisGibbons, Jr., her brothers John Francis GibbonsIII and David Cartan Loker Gibbons, and by her beloved husband,Henri Mortimer "Tim" Favrot, Jr

Tootsissurvivedbyher four children: James Favrot (Sheila), Kathleen Favrot Van Horn (Charlie) SemmesFavrot (Catherine), and Caroline FavrotTrube (John), twelve grandchildren, seven great -grandchildren, and many belovednieces and nephews, all of whom she adored

Awoman of deep faith and boundless generosity, Tootswas devoted to the Academy of theSacred Heart,servingfor many years on itsboard and in numerous volunteerroles. Her support of Sacred Heart and of countlessindividualsand charitable organizations was enthusiastic,selfless, and unwavering. Her generosity truly knewnobounds.

Christmas was Toots' favoritetime of year. She was aheartyand generous gift giverand arelentless gift list requester, finding immense joy in delighting others and ensuring every lovedone felt remembered and celebrated.Anexpert

EmilyattendedMount Carmel Academy,where she fostered aformative art practice and further cultivated her indelible sense of humor. After graduating in 2011, Emily followedher passion for all things culinary first at the famedPizzeria Mozza in LosAngeles, before returning (motivated at least a little by missing thefamily dog, Louie)tostepintothe role of sous chef at Shaya in NewOrleans. Her lifelong affectionfor the craftsmanship and culture of Japan, which she would visitmany times, informed her laterworkwithin the small team at therespected Coutelier Knife Shop. Drivenbya generous spirit and deep social empathy, Emily returnedto school, first to completean undergraduatedegree in Psychology at the University of NewOrleans (Class of 2024), and then to completeher Master's degree in Social Work (MSW) at Tulane University with a special interest in prison reform and restorative justice. She recentlycompleted an internship in client advocacy at theOrleans Public Defenders office and spent many years volunteering for thevital New Orleans harm reduction network Trystereo Her creativityand humor shone through in everything she did. Atalented ceramicist,she created many treasured pieces underthe playful moniker Shitty Pots. On weekends, she couldoften be found at thefarmers market, camping in matching overalls,orhaving an allstar breakfast at Waffle House with her loving partner Josh Kleinpeter. Amatinee movie, afamily pasta dinner, and finding an obscure knickknack would bring her immense joy, not to mentionany and all animal interactions.

Emily'slife willbeforever remembered by her parents, Max and Victoria Loubiere,her oldersister Molly Loubiere (Jordan Mcguire), her twin sister Savannah Loubiere,her long term partner Josh Kleinpeter, her cat Merkin, and her dogLouieaswell as avastcircle of family friends, and community memberswho revered her singular spirit. Acelebration of Emily's life will be held on Thursday,December 18th at LakeLawn Metairie Funeral Home. Visitation begins at 10 AM until the chapel serviceat12noon. In lieu of flowers,the family requests donations be madeinmemory of Emily to Innocence and Justice Louisiana(formerly Innocence Project New Orleans), acause that was near to her heart,at

relwas knownfor hislove of hishometown, often sharingfondmemoriesof pickingpecansafter church on St.Bernard Av‐enue,the excitement of the 7thWardDerby race,and enjoying thevibrant music sceneatvarious places around thecity. He was adored andloved by all who knew himfor hiskind spirit andunwaveringde‐votion to hiscommunity He wasprecededindeath by hisdevoted wife,Helen Plaisance, andhis twochil‐dren,Jodie andJason Plai‐sance, as well as hisloving parents, Anitaand Lionel PlaisanceSr, andbrothers, Donald andLionelPlai‐sance. Therrelissurvived by hissister, Marlene Ceasar,and ahostofcher‐ishedniecesand nephews who will foreverholdhis memory in theirhearts. FinalArrangements: The familyhas chosen to forego funeral, wake,or repass services.Friends andfamilyare invitedto sharetheir heartfeltsenti‐ments, memories,and con‐dolences on theBoydFam‐ilyFuneral Home's website. In lieu of flowers, thefam‐ilyrequeststhatdonations be made to theHighest Good Foundation.Guest‐book Online:www.anewtra ditionbegins.com (504)2820600. Linear BrooksBoyd andDonavin D. Boyd Own‐ers/FuneralDirectors

Loubiere,EmilyMichelle

Emily MichelleLoubiere, daughter of Max Loubiere and VictoriaJohnston Loubiere,diedon

Plaisance, Therrel

Cochran, Curtis Randolph 'Sweet Pea'

Curtis Randolph "Sweet Pea" Cochran, age75was born on October18, 1950, in NewOrleans,LA, de‐

OUR VIEWS

Proceed with cautionas wetlands protections rolled back

We cannot say we do notunderstandthe concerns of developers seekingtobuild on or near federally protectedwetlands. Therules for permitting have been onerous for many decades now.But aproposed ruletoreduce thenumber of acres considered as protected by thefederal government comes with itsown setofconcerns. The Environmental Protection Agencyand the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are seeking to update regulations so that only wetlands witha “continuous surface connection”towatersthat are “relatively permanent” are subject to federal oversight. In Louisiana, that meansthatwhile construction on our coastal wetlandswould still be under strict rules, millions of inland acres that arehome to estuaries and vital ecosystems could potentiallyface fewer obstaclestodevelopment At atime when housing affordability is a watchword on everyone’slips, we understand the need for clearer rules that don’t deter developersfrom building where it’s needed. Butwe would like to issue awordofcaution amid the push to undo decades of wetlandsprotection

The proposed rule comes after the 2023 Supreme Court ruling in U.S.inSackettv.Environmental Protection Agency,acasewhich sought to define what are “waters of the United States” protected under theClean WaterAct. EPAAdministratorLee Zeldin hasa point when he says that the term has been usedtoo broadly to include some areasfar from the coast. But to us, that doesn’tmean many of theseareas don’tdeserve any protection.It nowfalls to the states to ensurethat regulations areinplace to make sure that what needsprotectingremains protected. In Louisiana, theNational Resources Defense Council estimates thatroughly half, or 3.9 million acres, of Louisiana wetlands could lose federal protection under the new rule. And millions of dollars that developersare required to spend to mitigate harmful effects to wetlands could go away

Another area of concern is that thenew rule excludes interstatewaters from automatic federal jurisdiction unlesstheymeet other criteria in the law.Aswewell know in Louisiana, water follows its own boundaries, and what happens farawayfromuscan affect ourwater quality and flood risk.

That’swhy we would urge thestate to join with others to implement common-senseprotectionsfor wetlands that allow for development within reason. But it appears instead thatitis rushing headlong into this brave newworld Last session, with Act 105, Louisiana became one of thestates that limited thedefinitionof wetlandsinaccordancewiththe Sackett decision but ahead of new EPArules. It is alsonot encouraging that anew report bythe Environmental Integrity Project shows that the state has slashed funding to itsDepartmentof Environmental Quality by 26%overthe past 15 years and has reducedstaffing by nearly a quarter Act in haste, repent at leisure, theold saying goes.But if we destroy ourwetlands, it will be future generations paying the penance.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

OPINION

S&WBcrewdisplayed camaraderie, efficiency

Teamwork is like agood joke: It’s all about the delivery Far too often,wehear comments about the work ethic of Sewerage & Water Boardcrews where someare working, while others are idly standing by.Ifeel compelled to share my recent experience withcrew592 of zone 8, consisting of Sidney,Jason, Tyrek, Cordell and Steve, also known as “Poody’sBoys.” Ihave no idea who Poody is or how they earned that name. They arrived at 9p.m., raring to go to replace abusted underground water pipe. These men wereobviously experienced and worked like awell-oiled machine. It was clear each knew exactly what needed to be done and worked in tandem to complete the job in about an hour

What madethe experience interesting and surprisingly comical was how they interacted with each other They consistently clowned at one another.Despite the clowning, it didn’tinterfere withtheir attention to detail or efficiency in completing thetask. No one got angry; it was apparent that no one’sfeelings were hurt as they laughed at each other, eventually leading to me laughing with and at them. They turned alate-night stressful situation into arelaxing one, so gentlemen,aka “Poody’sBoys,” Ijust want to say thanks. Y’all delivered and are symbolic of the spirit of the people of Naw’lins and an asset to theS&WB.

MARVIN TRUDEAU NewOrleans

Take aviation safety over lake seriously

The discovery of apparent plane debris in LakePontchartrain is morethan just another tragic incident near LakefrontAirport —it’s areminder of the urgent need to strengthen our local aviation safety protocols.

Small aircraft travel is common in the New Orleans area, yet we continue to see preventable emergencies unfold over our waterways. The fact that the Cessna lost contact with air traffic controllers before vanishing raises serious questionsabout equipment reliability, pilot support and the timeliness of search-and-rescue responses.

While theCoast Guard and Wildlife &Fisheries crews deserve recognition for their swift action, we

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

In regards to Audubon Zoo andattractions proposing to nearly double their prices, comparing rates in cities like Cincinnati and St.Louis is not fair

shouldn’twait for another crisis to reevaluatehow we monitor flights over the lake. Whether it’srequiring upgraded tracking technology enforcing more rigorous maintenance checks or improving communication infrastructure around the airport, change is overdue. Every minutecounts when an aircraft goes silent —and every life on board depends on asystem that works flawlessly New Orleanscan’tafford to treat these incidents as isolated events. We owe it to pilots, passengers and thecommunity to strengthen safety standards before thenext emergency occurs.

QUINTIN BAUMAN NewOrleans

Anyperson from this area knows we are thesecond-lowest-paid workers in the U.S. It’sa poor workingclass city and state. So, comparing apples to apples, that increase would have been unreasonable and unrealistic. In fact,residents are so cash-strapped in this city,they should offer huge discountdays or $10 aperson days occasionally so that everyone, not just the wealthy, cancome to their attractions. Then again, maybe the high and mighty do not want us peons in their facilities

BOBBY BRETTEL River Ridge

Sometime back, Iwas called aBlue Dog Democrat in reference to people who would vote forablue dog before voting for aRepublican. Having said that, it has become clearer every day that we must take notice of our elected politicians.

The GOP has given President Donald Trump the role of dictator; House Speaker Mike Johnson thinks he should have the title of God. It would notbe asurprise if he totes aTrump Bible Lying Clay Higgins says he has evidence of government agents dressedas Trump supporters on buses to storm the capital on Jan. 6. He said on TV that he had the evidence (two white buses full), and he would show it soon. Nothing. Steve Scalise is still standing in the back row,trying not to be seen. In Trump’ssecond term,they voted with their silence as Trump set out to destroy the good values we were founded on, that made us the beacon the rest of the world likes to be —like fair play and law and order From starving children around the globe to the blackmailing of colleges, to the dismantling of the U.S. to the betrayal of our friends, his goal is to be king of the world and with the assistance of Louisiana politicians’ “go along just to get along” approach, he has almost done it. Letting children starve while the food we bought rots in warehousesisthe Trump way to be a big man. He is the biggest con manof our time, and our officials make it easy for him. Any blue dog would be better than an orange con man.

The politicians need to remember whatLiz Cheney said: “There will come aday whenDonald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.”

CARL CRAIN Baton Rouge

Twointeresting front-page headlines recently.From Nov.26: “Abraham named to CDCpost …tobesecond in command.” As Louisiana’sSurgeon General, he has come under scrutiny forending massvaccinations in our state. Looking back at the headline that sameweek, “Flu levels in Louisiana highest in the nation,” makes it hard to believe Abraham will actually “Help makeAmerica healthy again.”

KEN MUSICK Baton Rouge

Astark lesson aboutwar powers

Warisgovernment’sgravest undertaking, but defining war is difficult, declaring it is rare, and makingconstitutional values and procedures pertinent to it is problematic. This has been made more so, and more urgent, by the untethering of the modern presidency from restraintsother than the occupant’s constitutional conscience.

During the Revolutionary Warand until the Constitution’s ratificationin1788, the national government had no distinct executive branch. The Articles of Confederation’sweakness,and knowledge that George Washington would be thefirst and office-defining president, resulted in Article II’sinherent permissiveness regarding expansions of presidential power In “The President Who Would Not Be King: Executive Power Under the Constitution,” Michael W. McConnell, Stanford law professor andformer federal judge, writes that Article Ivests in Congress legislative powers “herein granted” and enumerated.Article II simply assumes the presidentshall exercise all powers executiveinnature Those powers were negligible in 1789, when theexecutive bureaucracy was smallerthan Congress.Today,executive power is everywhere.

George Will

1942 (against German allies Bulgaria, Hungary,Romania), many wars ago. Congress has, however,passed authorizations for uses of military force. Citing decisions of selfrestraint by presidentsWashington (dealing with Native American tribes), John Adams (theQuasi-War withFrance) and Thomas Jefferson (the Barbary War),McConnell concludes that an originalist understanding of war powers is that “congressional authorization is required before thePresident mayemploy the armed forces in offensive military operations that constitute acts of war.”

Beyond occasional, optional and broad authorizations for the use of military force, Congress nowadays chooses to tolerate avast area of presidential “prerogative,”asJohn Locke defined it: the“power to act according to discretion”and “without theprescription of thelaw.”

Secrecyincollege sports mega-deals makestaxpayers thelosers

The Constitutional Convention changed Congress’s power from “to make war” to “to declare war,” thereby expanding presidential war power.The Convention worriedthat ifthe power to “make” war belonged to Congress (which often was out of session), the president could not repel suddenattacks. Also,the power to declare war was already almostanullity: Most wars then (and since) were declaredby beginning them —waging warbefore, or rather than, declaring war. In Federalist 25,Alexander Hamilton noted that “the ceremony”offormally declaring war “has of late fallen into disuse.” Congress has not declared warsince

More recently,however,the Justice Department’sOffice of Legal Counsel has, McConnell says, “repeatedly” said that amilitary operation that is not“sufficiently”extensive in “nature, scope,and duration”does not constitute “war” requiring congressional approval. “This interpretation,” McConnell tartly notes, “slips theconstraints of founding-era understanding based on objectivequestions of the law of nations, and substitutes aGoldilocks-like question about ‘sufficient’extent ” In the Founding era, Congress could control thepresident by not raising an army or maintaining anavy.(State militiaswere much larger than the national military.) Today,presidentswield huge permanent armed services, and have no “practical need” (McConnell’s carefulphrase)toseek Congress’s permission to employ them. McConnell notes, however,that Congress’sappropriation power is “almost unlimited,” and was wielded to end U.S. involvement in Vietnam. In “Imperial from theBeginning: The Constitution of the Original Executive,” University of Virginia Law School professor Saikrishna Bangalore Prakash says“whatever militarydiscretion Congress chooses not to exercise, it must leave for the president.”

The lesson is stark. Do not expect the Constitution’slanguage and structure to impede what decades of presidential practices have madenormal: presidentsdoing what they choose regarding warmaking. The current president has pushed prerogative to absurdity (e.g defining war as somethingwaged by suspected drug smugglers).In domestic affairs (e.g., abogus “emergency” justifying tariffs;anexecutive order amending the 14th Amendment regarding birthright citizenship),the Constitution probably soon will restrain him Regarding warmaking, however, theConstitution, Congress and norms are cobwebs inadequate for lassoing a presidential locomotive.

So, voters arelearning theConstitution’s limited abilitytomitigate the consequences of their choices. Neither thelanguage of the law (constitutional or other), nor what are now shadows of norms, can substitute for what is indispensable: an occupant of the presidency whose constitutional conscience causes him or her to distinguish the proper from themerely possible.

Given what the foreword of McConnell’sbook calls today’swidespread sense of “constitutional degradation,” it might seem quaint to speak of apresident’sconstitutional conscience. In a few years, however,there can again be presidential self-restraint grounded in personal humility,and in uncodified principles —moral and prudential —requiring decent respect from the decent

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Pregnancyresourcecenters

help women; they don’t‘torture’ them

No matter how you cut it, trying to shut down pregnancy resource centers is not agood look. Yetgovernment officials in some blue states are targeting such centers, claiming they lure pregnant women who think they’re entering an abortion clinic and then, presumably, talk them into keeping their babies. What fresh hell is this?

The future of college sports, even at public universities, is asecret.

Or rather,anever-growing collection of secrets.

That’sthe waythings are headed these days, judging by recent events at Louisiana’sflagship university in Baton Rouge.

On Dec.11, LSU and footwear giant Nike jointly announced a 10-year extension of their longrunning partnership. The new deal will run through 2036 and include a Name,Image, Likeness component that will see money going directly to athletes under aprogram Nike terms “Blue Ribbon Elite.” It also will keep LSU athletes adorned with the swoosh for the next decade.

Presumably,this new deal will be worth more than the several millionper year Nike hasbeen paying to LSU under the current arrangement. Isay presumably because we don’tknow how muchthe deal is worth. LSU’sprevious contracts with Nike have been considered public records and provided as part of records requests. They have also been published on the LSU Sports website.

But not this one. When this newspaperaskedfor acopy of the new deal, areporter was told the university did not have it, and that the Tiger Athletic Foundation was the custodian of the records.

So, Nike’snew deal is not with LSU perse, but rather with TAF, which, of course, is aprivate entity that does not fall under the public records laws.

Nevermind that the release announcing the deal described it as between “Tiger Athleticsand Nike,” and included astatement attributedto Verge Ausberry,LSU’sathletic director.Inother words, apublic entity,LSU Athletics, announced by apublic employee, Ausberry

But it’snot public.

This is just the latest in what has been, foryears now,anexpansion of secrecy around howpublic university athletics work. The tail is wagging the uh, Tiger And university officials are more thanhappy to be wagged, it appears.

In another example, check LSU’snew arena project, which seems to be picking up steamagain after along period of silence in the wake of the indictment of the developer’sfounder. (He was pardoned this month by President Donald Trump.) The entire evaluation of potential developers washandled by TAF, behind closed doors and in secret. The list was whittled down from at least six to two, whose names were released, including Oak View Group, the eventual winner.

All questions on that were directed to TAF, too Or look at the advertising on the field in Death Valley.That deal is with TAF, and notthe school. TAFisliterally renting space on public land with officials’ consent.

Kathleen Parker

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said in 2022 that pro-baby centers shouldn’tbeallowed to “torture apregnant person” and introduced legislation to “crack down” on them.New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani has said he would protect the city against “false or deceptive” information from pregnancyresourcecenters. AndNew Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, aDemocrat, issued asubpoena against First Choice Women’s Resource Centers Inc., demanding 10 years of confidential internal records, including donor,volunteer and staff information, without cause or evidence of wrongdoing.Indeed, such centers have been offering life-affirming support to expectant mothers and families fordecades.

First Choice shot back with alegal challenge that was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court. Plaintiffs’ lawyers said the centers should be able to defend their constitutional rights in federal court when state officials target them because of theirbeliefs. Although the case was strictly procedural,the rulingcould have wideranging implications for nonprofits facing government intimidation, as the American Civil Liberties Union argued in an amicus brief. Cutting through the pettifoggery,itseems that the New Jersey attorney general wants to thwart donor support through exposure and implied threats of contempt. Wherever one stands on thereversal of Roe v. Wade, one can’tpossibly think it’swrong to help women who want to carry their babies to term but lack support and resources. If it’sthe faith-based motivation of providers that rankles, then you might want to

STAFF PHOTO By BLAKE PATERSON

The nonprofitCommunityCenter for Life, Inc. operatesthe Pregnancy and Family ResourceCenter in Gretna

brush up on religious liberty andthe Constitution.Some argue that the centers are legal but unethical. In the American Medical Association’sJournal of Ethics, two doctors write: “Although crisispregnancycenters enjoy First Amendment rights protections, their propagation of misinformation shouldberegarded as an ethical violation that undermineswomen’s health.”

Theauthors contendthatwhile seeming to be medicalcenters, the pregnancy resourcecenters are not subject to the licensure requirements and credentialing oversight of medical facilities. Not so.Any facilityperformingmedical procedureswould face appropriate laws and oversight. While these legalmaneuvers have kept lawyers, doctors, nurses and laymen busy defending their mission to help women andbabies, the war on thecountry’sroughly 2,600pregnancy centers has become violent. Accordingtoatally by the Family Research Council, more than100 of these centers, pro-lifeorganizationsand churches were attackedwith arson,firebombingand vandalism after theMay 2022 leak of theruling that reversed Roe v. Wade. Jane’sRevenge,a pro-choiceactivistgroup, claimedresponsibility for more than adozen of those incidents. Whatever compelspeople to donate timeormoney to help the less fortunatewhen they’re most vulnerable should be reasonfor celebration, not punishment. If apregnant woman seeking an abortionwanders intoa

pro-life clinic,itisn’tasthough she’ll be tackled, shackled intoabirthing chairand forced to recitethe Nicene Creed. She can leave. Instead,such “misguided” women more often find helpful staff members, in many cases anurse,doctor,radiologist or sonographerwhose mission isn’ttomisinform but to help women in distress make informed decisions.

Most of thecenters offer long- and short-term support to mother andchild and, in some cases, the father.Alot of these young women are unmarriedand saythey’d have their babies if they hadfamily or other support. Many pregnancyresourcecenters offerjust that —diapers, formula,babyclothes, strollers, cribs, as wellasreferralsto other services. Some even provide job trainingand housing.

So,what’sthe beef?The answer should be obvious. If the government will no longer support Planned Parenthood through reimbursements —more than abilliondollars in payments from 2019 to 2022 across theorganization’s affiliates fromMedicare,Medicaid andthe Children’sHealth Insurance Program —thenpregnancy centers, whichare nonprofit and largely but not solely subsidizedbyprivate donors, shouldn’tbeallowed to exist. Some centers nowreceive state and federal funds, as wellastax creditsfor donations in states such as Missouri.

Criticssee thecenters as the next frontierinthe war on abortion,a conservative Christian movementtoreplace abortion clinics.

This seems lessa hostile takeover than an adaptation to newcircumstances, filling avoid that’snot been addressed. If feminism hastaught us anything, it is that women have agency.Itseems preposterous that someone as smart as thesenator fromMassachusetts would assume that apregnant woman can’t read signs or makephone calls to figure outwhere she wants to go.Who thesedays says that womencan’tthink for themselves? Only thepurveyors of choice,itseems.

Email Kathleen Parker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Or look at how revenue share funds, whichare paid to athletes, are doled out. LSU is paying more than $20 millionaspart of the plan.

That money comes into apublic university and is paid out by apublic university to athletes. But LSU officials declined to reveal how muchisgoing to individual players.

It’sworth noting that every other public university in the state also declined to say. And that schools like Tulane and Loyola are private, so not subject to the same public records laws. This is not just aLouisiana problem: Public universities in other states are also working to keep thatinformation secret.

This is just the way things are done now. Secrecy and backroom deals are necessary,theytell us, for LSU to remain competitive for revenue,top coaches and players. The Alabamas, Ohio States and Clemsons are also in on this moneyed arms race.

YetifLSU is such astrong brand and the business opportunities are so good, then why is transparency such an insurmountable hurdle?

The state has public bid laws and the like on the books for areason: Public entities are ownedby the taxpayers. And the taxpayers deserve to know how business is being conducted on their behalf. All of this should enrage regular,taxpaying Louisiana residents. LSU is shifting more of its athletics business to aprivate entity to avoid public scrutiny.Because with scrutiny comesaccountability,the type that should stretch farther than the results on the scoreboard.

I’m sure there are fans who disagree,and as long as the Tigers, Cajuns or Bulldogs win, they’re fine with the secrecy I’m not one of them.Ibelieve in knowing what my government is doing. And running more and more dealings through foundations is nothing more than an end run around the good government rules the state has in place. Because whenitdoesn’tgowell on the field —as eventually will happen—the secrecyisgoing to ensure that those truly responsible escape public accountability Then, the real losers are us.

EmailFaimon A. RobertsIII at froberts@ theadvocate.com.

Faimon Roberts

Some frost, possibly widespread, is likely thismorning after freezing or below freezing temperatures for several hours last night.So, after acoldand breezy Monday, temperatures will starttorebound today. Expect amostly sunnytopartlycloudyand chilly daywithalight breeze. Temperatures this afternoon will rise to the upper 50s to low60s,approaching the low 70s by Wednesday. There is less than a10% chance of raintoday as windsare easterly at 5 to 10 mph.Rain chances will be around 30% by Thursday

SPORTS

Clearerreceptions

Growth of Tulane WRsfuels hope in OleMissrematch

BY GUERRYSMITH

Contributing writer

The most damning statistics in agame chock-full of them were Tulane’smeager 104yardspassing on 10-of-29 completions in its 45-10 mauling at Ole MissinSeptember

Grounded from the start, the Green Wave never gave itselfachance as the score got out of handquickly “Our rhythm and timing in the throw game wasn’tgreat atthatpoint,” Tulane coach JonSumrall said. “Wewere alittle out of sync, and then on top of that the Ole Miss secondarysortofchoked our guys out alittle bit. We didn’tcreate enough separation. We havetodoabetter job. Those negligible numbers also are amajor reason for hopeinthe CollegeFootball Playoff rematch Saturday at Vaught HemingwayStadium (2:30 p.m., TNT).It is hard to imagineTulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff producing anything close to his nightmarish 5-of-17 passing performance(before gettingbenched) from the first meeting considering how much his

Tulane wide receiver ZycarlLewis, right, celebrates withteammates after scoring a touchdown against East Carolinaatyulman Stadium on

wide receivers have improved since then. Even withoutinjured senior BryceBohanon, Tulanegoes sixdeep at theposition. Retzlaff’s top five targets all averagebe-

tween 13.2 and15.7 yards percatch. Another wideout, Garrett Mmahat, became

Saints defensiveend Chase young sacks CarolinaPanthers

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

James Borregoisn’t afraidto switch things up alittlebit

So when Zion Williamson made his sooner-than-expected return from an injury Sunday, Borrego decided to rollwiththe lineup he’d been using andbring Williamson off of thebench

The decision paid off as thePelicansdefeated theChicagoBulls 114-104 at the United Center in Chicago.

Williamson, who missed the previous five games with aright hip adductor strain, finished with18 points, sixrebounds andtwo assists in his return.

Saints winning7games

no longer crazytalk

If Ihad told you six weeksago thatthe NewOrleans Saints had achance to go 7-10 this season, you probably would have suggested I get drug tested. The Saints had just suffered a beatdown against the Los Angeles Rams that left them withjustone win in theirfirst nine games. The Saints hadn’tstarted a season that bad since 1980, eight years before their first-year coach

Kellen Moore evenwas born. Fast-forward six weeks and things have changed. A7-10 record is well within reach for the Saints, fresh off backto-back wins overthe toptwo teams in the NFC South.

One week after knocking off the Tampa BayBuccaneers, the Saints followed it upwith acomebackvictory over the Carolina Panthers to leavethose two teams

Bryce young at the Caesars Superdome on Sunday Rod Walker ä See WALKER, page 4C ä Jets at Saints, NOON SUNDAy,CBS

Whatprompted Borrego to bring Williamson off of the bench?

“Just the minutes,”Borrego said. “Obviously,he’scoming back off injury.The No. 1thing for Zis to keep him healthyand keep him on thefloor.That’smyNo. 1thing. Howwedoit, we’re trying to figurethatout. If it’s adifferentrotation,he’sfine withthat. I’m fine with that. We’regoing to figure this out.”

It was the first time in Williamson’scareer that he didn’tstart. Borrego’sstarting five Sunday was Jeremiah Fears, Trey Murphy,HerbJones,SaddiqBey and Derik Queen. It was the third straight game andfourth timethis season the Pelicans have started that lineup.

In the waning days leading to Christmas(no, Ihaven’tfinished my shopping), most of the spotlight on LSU athletics continues to be on the football program and its future under new coach Lane Kiffin. But some of that light is justifiably starting to shine on the LSU basketball programs, about whom two thoughts cometomind:

1. The LSU women’s team has talent, depth and, of course, superior coaching. But does it have what it takes to break through the Elite Eight level of the past two seasons and return to the Final Four?

2. The LSU menclearly are improved over last season. But do they have what it takes to get back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 and secure Matt McMahon’sjob for another season?

First, let’stalk about the women’s team, which improved to 11-0 on Saturday in New Orleans with an 87-61 victory against Louisiana Tech. It’sevidence of how good of ateam Kim Mulkey’s Tigers are that they could turn in a somewhat lackluster performance in terms of scoring (their lowest total yet this season) and perimeter defense yet still easily roll past aLady Techsters team picked to win Conference USA. Despite having only one Quad 1win so far —a93-77 victory at 4-6 Duke, which is still No. 38 in the NET despite its record —LSU is No. 4inthe NET itself. This with astrength of schedule that ranks only 289th nationally,per WarrenNolan.com.

The Tigers’ other numbers are staggering. The only team in the nation averaging more than 100 points per game —LSU is at 109.3 ppg, Oklahoma is second at 94.2 —the Tigers are also first nationally in field goal percentage (55.6%), margin of victory (53.1 ppg) and even 3-point percentage (42.6%). Those aren’tnumbers likely to take asignificant hit as LSU is sure to roll into Southeastern Conference play 14-0 with home wins at 11 a.m.Tuesday over Morgan State (0-10), Sunday against Texas-Arlington (5-5) and Dec. 28 against Alabama State (3-6).

“Coach JB communicated with me early in the day,” Williamson said. “It was agameplan that allowedmetoclose thegame. My body is used to playing certain minutes of aquarter.Hewalked me through it. Ididn’thave aproblem with it because it allowedme to close the game.” Williamson played 26 minutes and37seconds.Hescored seven points in thefourthquarter when the Pels outscored the Bulls 38-29 to pull away for just their second two-game winning streak of the season. “Basedonthe minutesrestriction or whatever we are looking

ä Rockets at Pelicans, 7P.M.THURSDAy WVUE

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LAURENCE KESTERSON

Tulane wide receiver Shazz Preston leaps past Templedefensiveback Jaylen Castleberry while running for atouchdown during a game earlier this season in Philadelphia.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Oct. 9.

Scott Rabalais

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Pelicans forward ZionWilliamson scores against the MemphisGrizzlies during agame at the Smoothie KingCenter on Nov. 26.

Undefeated UConn keeps top spot

LSU moves to 11-0 and stays at No. 5 in the AP poll

BY DOUG FEINBERG Associated Press

UConn went to California and blew out USC to keep its undefeated season intact and maintain its hold on the top spot in The Associated Press Top 25 women’s basketball poll released Monday.

The Huskies received 24 firstplace votes from a 32-member national media panel. UConn has now been ranked 646 weeks in the poll to tie Stanford for third most in the 50-year history of the poll, trailing only Tennessee (801 appearances) and Texas (649)

The second-ranked Longhorns

garnered the other eight firstplace ballots. South Carolina, UCLA and LSU remained the next three teams in the poll.

Michigan was sixth with Maryland seventh. Oklahoma flipped places with TCU to move up to eighth after beating rival Oklahoma State last week. Iowa State rounded out the top 10. The Cyclones beat rival Iowa 74-69 last week. The Hawkeyes remained 11th

Louisville made the biggest jump this week, climbing six spots to No. 16 after an overtime victory over then-No. 12 North Carolina on Sunday The Tar Heels fell six places to 18th.

In and out

Princeton moved into the poll at No. 25 as the Tigers earned a ranking at least once in four of the past five seasons. Carla Beru-

be’s squad has only lost once this season (Maryland). The Tigers replaced Oklahoma State, which fell out.

Conference supremacy

The Big Ten once again had nine teams in the poll while the Southeastern Conference was next with eight. The Big 12 and ACC each had three The Big East and Ivy each have one ranked team.

Games of the week

The second annual women’s Champions Classic will take place in New York on Saturday with No. 17 Tennessee playing No. 16 Louisville in the opener and topranked UConn facing No. 11 Iowa in the second game of the doubleheader The women’s doubleheader started last season. These two games are the only ones between ranked teams this week.

Arizona, Michigan stay 1-2 in rankings

Wildcats receive 42 of 61 first-place votes

By The Associated Press

No. 1 Arizona and No. 2 Michigan remained locked in place atop The Associated Press men’s college basketball poll released Monday while No 15 Nebraska jumped to its highest Top 25 ranking in nearly 35 years

The Wildcats had 42 of 61 firstplace votes to hold the top spot while the Wolverines received 15 to keep the teams at 1-2 for a second consecutive week. The Wildcats (9-0) rallied from a halftime deficit Saturday to claim a 21-point win against then-No. 12 Alabama in the Crimson Tide’s home state, adding to a list of victories against ranked opponents that includes reigning national champion Florida, at UConn and Auburn The Wolverines (10-0) have won their past seven games by at least 18 points, a run that includes romps against Auburn (102-72) and Gonzaga (101-61). And Michigan sits atop analytics rankings by KenPom, Evan Miyakawa and Bart Torvik.

LSU (9-1), which defeated SMU (9-2) on Saturday 89-77 at the Smoothie King Center, continued to receive votes in the poll for the third straight week.

The top tier

The top 10 was largely unchanged, with No. 7 Gonzaga and No. 8 Houston swapping spots from last week the only new wrin-

and hits a 3-point

kle. No. 3 Duke (three) and No. 4 Iowa State (one) were the only other teams to earn first-place votes. UConn and Purdue were next after the Cyclones, and Michigan State and BYU rounded out the top 10.

Rising The Cornhuskers (11-0) had the week’s biggest jump of eight spots after Saturday’s win at thenNo. 13 Illinois on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer Nebraska has not been ranked this high since it was No. 11 in March 1991 for the final poll of that season. Nebraska had been ranked just 15 times in more than three decades since, then jumped in at No. 23 last week. No 14 Arkansas climbed three spots after beating then-No. 16

Texas Tech over the weekend, while No 12 North Carolina, No. 13 Vanderbilt and No. 17 Kansas each rose two spots. In all, seven teams moved up from last week.

Sliding

The now-No. 18 Illini and 23rdranked Florida had the week’s biggest slides, with each falling five spots. Alabama fell four spots after losing to Arizona and Texas Tech slid three, joining Houston as the week’s five teams to drop. Comings and goings

Georgia was the lone new addition to the poll, moving in at No. 25 to replace UCLA. This marks the third time the Bulldogs have been ranked since the 2002-03 season, the others coming in January 2011 (No. 24) and last January (No. 23).

Conference watch

The Southeastern Conference has the most ranked teams with seven, though none higher than Vanderbilt at No. 13. The Big 12 was next with six ranked teams, including four in the top 10 and two in the top five, followed by the Big Ten with five and the Atlantic Coast Conference with four Each of those three leagues have at least three teams ranked

than anyone in the SEC.

The Big

Scheffler wins 4th straight PGA Player of the Year

Scottie Scheffler earned another comparison with Tiger Woods on Monday joining him as the only players to win PGA Tour Player of the Year at least four times in a row

Scheffler made an easy case to pick up another Jack Nicklaus Award. His tour-leading six victories were twice as many as anyone else and included two majors, the PGA Championship and the British Open, to leave him on the cusp of a career Grand Slam.

He became the first player since Woods in 2000 to lead the PGA Tour with the lowest scoring average in each of the four rounds and had 15 consecutive tournaments in the top 10 to end his remarkable season.

Scheffler was on the ballot with Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood and Ben Griffin.

Pavia apologizes for rant after losing Heisman vote

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia apologized on Sunday night for his comments after finishing second in Heisman votes behind Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The competition wasn’t particularly close. The Indiana quarterback earned 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes. Pavia was next with 1,435.

After the ceremony Pavia reposted an Instagram story of himself and his offensive line captioned “F-ALL THE VOTERS, BUT.....FAMILY FOR LIFE.” He also reposted comments from Skip Bayless on social media, stating the Vanderbilt QB should’ve won the award and seemingly throwing a jab at Mendoza’s six-minute acceptance speech.

Oft-injured Florida QB Lagway entering portal

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is entering the transfer portal. Lagway announced his intentions on social media Monday, saying “I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of such an incredible program here at the University of Florida.”

The oft-injured Lagway completed 63% of his passes this season for 2,264 yards, with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. He also ran for 136 yards and a score. He missed most of the offseason program while recovering from core-muscle surgery, a sore throwing arm and a strained calf. The Gators fired coach Billy Napier in October and hired Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, who will go in a different direction at the QB position.

Former South Carolina QB Taneyhill dies at 52

Steve Taneyhill, a record-setting quarterback for the South Carolina Gamecocks best known for his distinct long-flowing mullet and his home run swing after touchdown passes, has died. He was 52. The South Carolina athletic department confirmed Monday through a close friend of Taneyhill’s that he died overnight in his sleep. No cause of death was provided.

Taneyhill led South Carolina to its first bowl win in program history as a junior in 1994, defeating West Virginia in the Carquest Bowl.

Taneyhill, from Altoona, Pennsylvania, set school career records with 753 completions and 62 passing TDs and was second with 8,782 passing yards and seventh with a 60.5 completion percentage.

Sabalenka repeats as WTA Player of the Year

Aryna Sabalenka won her second consecutive WTA Tour Player of the Year award on Monday, getting nearly 80% of the vote from a media panel after winning the U.S. Open, reaching the finals of two other Grand Slam tournaments and closing the season ranked No. 1. Sabalenka joined Serena Williams and Iga Swiatek as back-toback winners of the honor over the past 25 years.

Sabalenka, a 27-year-old from Belarus, led women’s tennis in match victories (going 63-12), titles (four) and finals reached (nine) in 2025 and set a tour record by earning $15 million in prize money She spent the entire year at No. 1. At the majors, Sabalenka was the runner-up to Madison Keys at the Australian Open

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ETHAN SWOPE

UConn guard KK Arnold drives the ball against Southern California during the second half of a game Saturday in Los Angeles The Huskies stayed at No. 1 in the AP Top 25 rankings this week.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VASHA HUNT Arizona guard Brayden Burries shoots

LSU women’s 3 areas to watch before SEC play

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The 16 games that will determine the LSU women’s basketball team’s NCAA Tournament seeding are right around the corner But first, the No. 5 Tigers (11-0) must play three more nonconference contests that should each shake out like most of the first 11 did.

LSU scored at least 100 points in each of the first eight games it played, setting an NCAA record in the process, and picked up a come-from-behind road win over Duke. The Tigers lead the nation in several offensive categories, and they’ve won seven matchups by at least 50 points.

The caveat is that the Tigers have played one of the country’s lightest schedules Things will get more difficult for LSU starting Jan. 1 against No. 12 Kentucky

The Wildcats are one of eight SEC teams ranked in the latest edition of The Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Here are three things to watch for in the Tigers’ last three nonconference games. The first is a meeting with Morgan State that will tip off at 11 a.m. Tuesday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center (SEC Network+).

Defense

LSU is one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the nation. The Tigers solidified that standing on Dec. 4, when they became only the second team to score at least 90 points against the Blue Devils across the last six seasons.

But is LSU also one of the coun-

PELICANS

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at right now this could be a good combination for us,” Borrego said “I thought he was fantastic. He came in and gave us great energy

RABALAIS

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But the tests will come quickly enough. LSU opens SEC play New Year’s Day at home against 11-1 Kentucky, followed by road trips to currently unbeaten (but also fairly untested) Vanderbilt and Georgia. Then comes the season’s first major showdown: Jan 11 against No. 2-ranked Texas in the first half of a home-and-home series this season. The backcourt of Flau’jae Johnson, Mikayla Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley (who still comes off the bench) may be the nation’s best. And not even the greatest Mulkey teams at LSU or Baylor could likely match this team’s depth, with seven players currently scoring in double figures. Can LSU match up inside with 6-foot-5 Kate Koval, the transfer from Notre Dame, freshmen ZaKiyah Johnson and Grace Knox, and senior Amiya Joyner against the SEC’s most bruising teams?

Knicks and Spurs to meet in Tuesday’s NBA Cup final for trophy

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP basketball writer

LAS VEGAS The NBA Cup final doesn’t count. New York will enter with an 18-7 record. San Antonio will enter with an 18-7 record. And when Tuesday night’s game between the Knicks and Spurs is over, those records will be unchanged. But the game will have plenty of meaning. The teams are sure of that.

A trophy, some bragging rights and a ton of money will be at stake when the Knicks and Spurs play in the NBA Cup title game. It’ll be the first time those franchises have met with a trophy on the line since San Antonio topped New York in the 1999 NBA Finals.

“It’s a high-stakes game that both teams are going to be very invested in winning,” Spurs star Victor Wembanyama said. “It just shows that we are preparing and we will pass the next step for more significant games in the playoffs. This is a complicated explanation, but it’s as simple as that: As competitors, we want to win every game, and this one brings something new on the table, so we want to win it even more.”

ä Knicks vs. Spurs. 7:30 P.M.TUESDAy, PRIME

to the next championship if we can win this one. I think this is a great start for us to understand the standards needed to win at a high level, at a championship level.”

Every NBA Cup game counts in the standings except the final. The NBA regular season is 82 games long and the league — in the Cup era — gives each club an 80-game schedule over the summer, with two more games to be filled in depending on how they perform during the group stage of the tournament.

For the Spurs and Knicks, those two extra games were the Cup quarterfinals and semifinals. This would be an 83rd game, so the league decided when it added the tournament that the Cup final wouldn’t count in the official records or stats for that season.

It won’t change the way the teams play

“You treat it like a regular game,” Brunson said.

ä Morgan St. at LSU. 11 A.M.

TUESDAy SECN+

try’s best defensive teams?

Coach Kim Mulkey is still trying to answer that question. She’s been emphasizing the need to see the Tigers improve on that end of the floor ever since they played Duke.

The Blue Devils have faced four ranked teams — No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 UCLA, No. 5 LSU and No. 15 Baylor — and their best offensive showing in those games came against the Tigers. That night, they scored 77 points on 50% shooting, becoming just the third Mulkey-era LSU regularseason nonconference opponent to convert at least half of its shots.

“We’re not naïve to think that we’re a great team right now,” Mulkey said last Thursday

According to Her Hoop Stats, LSU is allowing 70.4 points per 100 possessions — the seventh-best mark in the country. But it’s played only one game against a team with one of the nation’s top 50 scoring averages (Louisiana Tech).

“You’re not a great team, in my opinion,” Mulkey said, “until you dominate on the defensive end. And you may never dominate in our league but you’ve got a lot of great teams you’re gonna have to guard in our league, and I’ll hold my remarks until I see us against those great teams in the SEC.”

Frontcourt rotation

Mulkey is still tinkering with her frontcourt rotation

On Saturday against Louisiana Tech, she tested out her fourth different combination of front-line post players this season Freshman

He had sustained energy throughout the game and it gave him the ability to close in a way that wasn’t condensed or rushed He was able to close in a way that had some fluidity to it, and he came in ready to go to close the fourth.”

Williamson was diagnosed with the adductor strain on Dec. 2. Ac-

Grace Knox started at the 4, sophomore Notre Dame transfer Kate Koval started at the 5 and ZaKiyah Johnson came off the bench for the first time this season. Johnson started each of LSU’s first 10 games — one alongside Knox, four next to Amiya Joyner and five next to Koval.

“All four of them are starters in my eyes,” Mulkey said, “but I can’t start all four of them. Every game, it could be a different combination They produce. They’re coachable. They bring different things to the floor.”

In the next three games, look to see whether Mulkey sticks with one starting lineup. If she does, it could be a sign that she’s settled on a rotation for SEC play If she doesn’t, then she may have some more experimenting to do before Kentucky comes to town.

Gilbert’s status

Kailyn Gilbert starred in LSU’s first few SEC games last season, but it’s unclear whether she’ll rejoin the Tigers in time for this year’s slate of league contests Gilbert, a senior guard, last played on Nov 17 in LSU’s win over Tulane. Mulkey said she stepped away from the team because she was “dealing with family issues.”

Gilbert is an off-the-dribble shot creator who took on more ballhandling duties in the first five games of this season than she did last year Her absence, if it extends into January, could free up more minutes for freshman guards Bella Hines and Divine Bourrage.

cording to an ESPN report at the time, Williamson would miss “an extended amount of time” and would be re-evaluated in three weeks. But Williamson returned in just 12 days.

“Injuries suck,” Williamson said.

“There’s no other way to put it. Rehabbing is not fun, either But over

How will LSU’s high-octane offense perform against Texas’ suffocating defense or South Carolina’s waves of players? Mulkey publicly has said she likes this team, whose chemistry and lack of off-the-court drama has been a huge upside. But it will take the SEC gauntlet for us to know whether this is a team that

It will be the end of the third in-season event: The Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana in Year 1 when it was part of what was simply called the In-Season Tournament, and Milwaukee beat Oklahoma City last year after the rebranding to the NBA Cup. At stake: $318,560 per player with a standard contract on the winning team — they’ve secured $212,373 each from the Cup bonus pool by getting to the final and the winners’ share jumps to $530,933 apiece.

“You’re not winning or gaining anything in your record, but you’re going out there and competing,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said “You’re playing for more than just yourself. You’re playing for your team, your organization and your city There’s a lot at stake besides the record. You go out there and compete no matter what.”

Added Spurs guard De’Aaron Fox: “People like money It is what it is. That’s life.”

The financial payoff is one thing. There’s another payoff that could come this spring for the Spurs and Knicks.

The four previous Cup finalists — the Lakers and Pacers, then the Thunder and Bucks all went to the playoffs after playing for this trophy, with the Pacers making the East finals in 2024 and the Thunder winning the title last season.

“No matter if it’s the Cup, NBA Finals, winning any game, when you get that feeling of winning, it’s addictive,” Knicks forward Karl-Anthony Towns said “Obviously, I want us to have that mindset where we’re addicted

the summer, me putting in that work on my body allows me — if something does happen it’s not anything that keeps me out a super long time. I’m able to rehab it not just faster but at a more efficient rate.”

The Pelicans (5-22) return to action Thursday when they host

can hang a national championship banner next to the one obtained in 2023. No one is expecting or asking the LSU men’s squad to reach the Final Four, something that has become the annual goal of the women’s Tigers. Just get back in the NCAA Tournament and see where things go from there is the men’s mission. The LSU men similarly were untested by their nonconference slate until the past two games. The first test resulted in a failing grade, as the Tigers took an 82-58 thumping on Dec. 7 from Texas Tech in Fort Worth, Texas. But LSU rebounded strongly for its first Quad 1 win on Saturday, turning back SMU 89-77 at the Smoothie King Center The Tigers certainly have a huge loss to overcome after forward Jalen Reed went down with an Achilles tendon injury late last month. But the stellar play of point guard Dedan Thomas — he had an impressive double-double with 16 points and 12 assists against SMU — as well as for-

Wembanyama will likely remain on some sort of minutes restriction; he played 21 minutes off the bench on Saturday night in San Antonio’s 111-109 win over Oklahoma City, his first game back after missing 12 with a strained left calf

The Spurs came into Monday still deciding whether to start Wembanyama against the Knicks.

“When it comes to a guy like Wemby, because at his size and his skillset, nine times out of 10 he’s going to miss because he misses,” Knicks coach Mike Brown said. “But we have some pretty good defenders with length, and hopefully they can, at the point of attack, try to make it as difficult as possible with him, knowing that they have help behind them.”

The Knicks and Spurs both got to the Cup final with 5-1 records in the tournament; they each were 3-1 in group play, then went on the road for quarterfinal wins (New York over Toronto, San Antonio over the Lakers) before New York topped Orlando and San Antonio beat the Thunder in Saturday’s semifinals in Las Vegas.

And now, a game that means nothing. Or everything, depending on perspective.

“I think we go into (Tuesday) trying to win the NBA Cup, and that’s the approach,” Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said. “Our guys are really, really excited to be here. They’ve been excited since the start of it. I think we’ve seen our group really embrace the Cup. We’ve earned the right to be here, and I think we’re going to attack the game and be really fired up to try to go win it.”

the Houston Rockets. It’s unclear whether Williamson will continue to come off of the bench.

“Whatever this team needs me to do to win, I’m going to do it,” he said.

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

ward Marquel Sutton (he had 23 points and 12 rebounds against the Mustangs) looks like it could carry LSU far The 9-1 Tigers are outrebounding opponents by 8.6 boards per game, though their assist-to-turnover ratio (1.42 per game, 90th nationally) could bear some improving. As for LSU’s NCAA hopes, it’s definitely hopeful. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi had the Tigers in his first four out of the field of 68 last week, though a website called HoopsHQ.com on Monday had them as a regional No. 9 seed. DRatings.com has LSU as a No. 11 seed, and that was before the SMU win.

The point being, McMahon’s Tigers are clearly worthy of NCAA conversation. The SEC also is not quite as fierce as last year, giving LSU a chance at more upward mobility As with the women, we’ll start to learn a lot more when the Tigers open SEC play Jan. 3 at Texas A&M.

Email Scott Rabalais at srabalais@theadvocate.com

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU guard Dedan Thomas pivots with three SMU players near him during the first half at the Smoothie King Center on Saturday.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

LSU forward Grace Knox, left, and Louisiana Tech guard Paris Bradley collide during the second half of a game Saturday at the Smoothie King Center LSU has three more nonconference games left.

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

Fourth RB Estime comesupbig forSaints

BY LUKE JOHNSON and ZACH EWING Staff writers

While the New OrleansSaints have avoided major injury losses this season, they found themselves in atough spot Sunday afternoon in the Caesars Superdome.

Their regular starting running back, Alvin Kamara,was inactive because of knee and ankle injuries. His primary backup, Kendre Miller, was lost for the season in October. Promising rookie Devin Neal had done an admirable job filling in, but he injuredhis hamstring in the second quarter againstthe Carolina Panthers. With the game on the linelatein the fourth quarter,itwas option No. 4who came through with two of the biggest plays of thegame. AudricEstime joinedthe Saints in mid-October shortly afterMiller’s injury.The 2024 fifth-rounderout of Notre Dame was on his third team of the season, having spent training camp with theDenver Broncos and most of the 2025 season on theEagles practice squad

With less than aminute remaining in atie game, backedupnear their own goal line, the Saints called his number on awell-timed, well-executed screen pass.

“It was atricky situation,”coach Kellen Moore said. “They hadtwo timeouts, second down …Ifelt like we really needed some positive yards there.”

TylerShough dumped it off to Estime near the right tackle, and the second-year back ran for 19 yards to give New Orlens somelife.

On thevery next play,Shough found Estime over the middle of the field for a9-yard gain on a check-down pass. Those 28 combined yards represented nearly half of the yards gainedonthe

game-winning drive.

While Estime finished withpedestrian rushing numbers, gaining 11 yards on three carries, his 39 yards receiving were essentialin the winningeffort. The 227-pounder appreciated thechance toshow he’s more than just abruising runner.

“I like to show that I’m athreedown back and Ican play in any style of offense as needed,” Estime said.“I’mdefinitely abruising back, but Idon’tlike to limit myself and say that’sthe only thing

that is apart of my game.”

Shough ROY?

After leading theSaints to three victories in their past five games, Shough is starting to garner some national attention.

Themosttangibleway of measuring that?His NFL Offensive Rookieofthe Year odds, whichimproved by leaps and bounds after he passed for 272 yards on Sunday in a20-17 victory over theCarolina Panthersatthe Superdome.

Shough was listed with 250-1

Burrow to play meaningless gamesfor first time in career

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

Joe Burrow will takepartin late-season games with nothing at stake for the first time since he startedplaying organized football. It will be up to CincinnatiBengals ownership, director of player personnel Duke Tobin and coach Zac Taylor to ensure this is the final lost season with Burrow as their quarterback. Cincinnati (4-10) was eliminated from the playoffs with its 24-0 losstothe Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.The Bengals reachedthe Super Bowl after the 2021 season and the AFC championship game ayear later,but they haven’tbeen to the postseason since. For his part, Burrow is trying to put on abrave face, saying he has “a lot of confidence”inthe front office and coaching staff to turn things around.

Burrow’s body language and comments at his news conferences will face scrutiny over the next three games, especially after the six-year veteran acknowledged on his 29th birthday last Wednesday that this season and recent years have taken atoll “It was probably as disinterested I’ve ever seen Joe Burrow look,” ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky said on “Get Up” Monday morning. “Just did not look engaged in football. He just came across as, ‘I don’twant to be here.’ Andobviously,the play yesterday was just bad.” Taylor said Monday that he expectsBurrowtoplaythe final three games. Cincinnati is at Miami on Sunday before hosting Ari-

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deadlockedatop the division with 7-7 records.

The Saints have been eliminated from the playoffs but are doing their part to eliminate everyone else they can.

“If we can’tgo(to the playoffs), I’mgoing to scoot overonthis couch,” Saints defensive end Cam Jordan said. “Come sit beside us. Whereweare as ateam, we are trying to be everybody’sworst nightmare right now.”

There was atime when theonly nightmare was the way the Saints’ season was unfolding. But the schedule lightened up a

zona and Cleveland. If Cincinnatihopes to endthe year on an upswing, Burrow will need to play better.Hemissed nine gamesbecause of aturf-toe injury butdeliveredhopewhen he returned andled theBengalstoa 32-14 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Thanksgiving night. Buthis performancehas dipped over thepastfive quarters, with four interceptions—including two that were returned for touchdowns.

Cincinnatiled 21-18goinginto the fourthquarter on Dec.7 at Buffalo, but Burrow threwtwo picks, one of which wasreturned 63 yards forago-ahead TD by Christian Benford.

On Sunday,the Bengals entered Baltimoreterritoryfour times but didn’tscore —inpart because Burrowthrew apick-six in thered zone.

Burrow’stone and the team’s

bit, the defense hit itsstride and Tyler Shough put on hisSuperman cape to get things turned around.

TheSaintsare 3-2since that trip to L.A.and have threevery winnablegames remaining. They host theNew York Jets(3-11) on Sunday,then endthe season with tripstoNashville to face the Tennessee Titans (2-12) and the finale against theAtlantaFalcons (5-9).

Ateam just afew weeks removed from being in the conversationfor having the No. 1overalldraftpick is all of asudden in striking distance of winning two more games than it did last season.

Aseven-win season wouldbe 21/2 wins more than most everyone from Vegasoddsmakers to me

record have invited comparisons to 2010, when theBengals were projected tobeaplayoff team but finished 4-12. That ended up being the last strawfor Carson Palmer, who demanded atrade after the season.

The Bengals haven’tbeen built for sustained success. Even when they made the playoffs six times between 2009-15, they lost in the first round.The 2021-22 postseason runs marked thefirst time the franchisewon playoff games in consecutive seasons.

Given their history,the organization now faces acritical assessment. Owner Mike Brown needs to look beyond the upcoming offseason to decide whether Tobin and Taylor can orchestrateanother turnaround. With afranchise quarterback,two star receivers under contract and ample salary caproom forupgrades,Cincinnati is positioned for changes.

hadpredicted. The over/under on wins was 41/2 when theseason began.

Thattop-five draft pick isn’t quite as important nowthatthe Saints seem to have found their quarterback of thefuture.Shough is 3-3sincetaking over as the starter “How you finish (a season)is always really important,” Moore said last week. “Forindividuals and for the team collectively,we are creating habits. We are creating habitsevery day,and we are creating an environment to be areally successful program. Youdothat by winning football games ultimately.That’swhat culture is all about.”

Credit to Moore and theveteran leadership on theteam for

tween a4%and 5% chance of him winning the award whenit’sannounced during Super Bowlweek. Still, it’snotable movement for the second-round draftpickwho didn’tsee meaningful action until the second half of aWeek 8game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 26, and didn’tstart a game until the next week against the Los Angeles Rams.

Sincethen, Shoughhas helped the Saints sweep the Panthers and defeat the TampaBay Buccaneers on the road. He has completed 66.7% of hispasses for 1,484 yards, six touchdowns andfive interceptions, and also has run for 138 yards and two TDs. Behind Henderson (+190 at FanDuel), the othertop contenders are Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (+270), Buccaneers wide receiver EmekaEgbuka (+310),New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart (+430) and Indianapolis Colts tight end Tyler Warren (+2200).

Jets makemove

odds before the game, an extreme long-shot number that implied a0.4% chance he would win the award.

Butafterward, his odds have improved more than tenfold. They’re as low as 18-1atFanDuel Sportsbook, 22-1 at Caesars Sportsbook, and25-1atDraftKings andBetMGM.

Shoughisstill nowherenear the favorite —that status belongs to New England Patriots running back TreVeyon Henderson —and the newodds still imply only be-

The New York Jets will have a newdefensive play-callerwhen theyvisit the Saints on Sunday Jets head coach Aaron Glenn announced Monday that he’d fired defensive coordinator Steve Wilks afterNew York’s48-20 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Chris Harris will take over the role.

The loss dropped the Jets to 30th in the NFLinscoring defense. New York hasallowedat least 30 points in six games this season,tiedfor the fourth most in the league Through 14 games, the Jets remarkably have not recorded a single interception. They are the first team in theSuper Bowlera to notrecord at leastone interceptionthrough the first 14 games of aseason

Commanders shut down QB Danielsfor season

The Associated Press

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels will be shut down for the rest of theseason, starting with Saturday’sgame againstthe reigning SuperBowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

“We’re going to sit him for the final three games,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said Monday duringavideoconference with reporters, calling the decision “part medical and part team.”

The Commanders (4-10) have been eliminated from playoffcontention Danielsappeared in only seven games thisseason, missingtime because of asprainedleftknee, ahurtright hamstring and, most recently,adislocated leftelbow Daniels sat out Sunday’s29-21 victoryatthe NewYorkGiants, whichended Washington’seightgamelosing streak.

Lastseason, Daniels appeared in all20games theCommanders played, including a12-5 regular season and arun to the NFC title game. He earned AP NFL Offensive Rookie of theYear honors afterbeing the No. 2draft pick.

“Webelieve this decision allows him to take advantage of the next fewweeks. He wants to practice and he will practice,” Quinn said. “Weall know the best way to grow is during the games …but there’s plentyofways forhim to learn.”

This season,the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner at LSU owns acompletion rate of 60.6% with1,262 yards, eight touchdowns andthree interceptions. His passer rating slid from 100.1 to 88.1.Heran for 278 yards with twoscores.

keeping the ship afloat after the rocky start. Defensive end Chase Young, whowas so instrumental in Sunday’swin, recalls the words linebacker Demario Davis gave to the team afew weeks ago.

“How are you going to respond when everything isn’tgoing your way?” Davis asked his teammates. Well, they responded with apair of wins.

“I feel like if you look at our team, regardless, we never stop fighting,”Young said.

The Saints now have achance to endthe season on afive-game winning streak. That would have sounded outlandish afew weeks ago. The last time the Saints won even fourgames in arow within a season was in 2020, Sean Payton’s

CHIEFS

QB Mahomes tears ACL:InKansas City,Missouri, PatrickMahomes will geta secondopiniononhis torn left ACL before having surgery,Chiefscoach Andy Reid said Monday,and it remains unclear whether the two-time MVP quarterback could be available by the start of next season.

Mahomes tore the knee ligament when he was spun to the ground while trying to keep Kansas City’s postseason hopes alive late in a1613 loss to the Chargers on Sunday The Chiefs were eliminated from playoff contention forthe first timeinadecade.

Mahomes will see Dr.Dan Cooper,ahighly regarded orthopedist and the team physician of the Dallas Cowboys, before the procedure to repair the ligament. The visit is to confirm what will be done

PACKERS

Parsons’ seasonisover:InGreen Bay,Wisconsin, an MRI confirmed Green Bay star pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his leftACL that will end his season, aperson with knowledge of thetestresultstold The Associated Press on Monday The noncontact injury occurred Sunday during the third quarter of Green Bay’s34-26 loss at Denver which snapped the Packers’ fourgamewinning streak and knocked themout of first place in the NFC North.The Packers (9-4-1) visit the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears (10-4) on Saturday Parsons, 26, had 121/2 sacks in 14 games this year,becoming the first player to have at least 12 sacksin each of his first five seasons since the league startedmeasuring it as an official statistic in 1982.

last year

“It’slike what I’ve been saying all season,” Jordan said. “Weare a resilient team. Youdon’tsee anybody’shead down.”

Ateam that had nothing to play for afew weeks ago somehow found something to play for anyway: pride.

“We’re hitting stride,” Jordan said. “But we needed to hit strides alittle bit earlier.Wedon’t have any agenda now.Now our agenda is to wreck other people’s agenda.”

The Saints did that the past two games with apair of surprise wins.

Going 7-10 would be an even bigger surprise, especially considering where the Saints were six weeks ago.

Notebook

STAFFPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints running backAudric Estimeruns the ball during agameagainst the Panthers on Sundayatthe Caesars Superdome.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF DEAN

Bengals quarterbackJoe Burrow leavesthe field after aloss to the Ravens on Sunday in Cincinnati.

name was announced during a watch party for the College

Sumrall to donate $100,000 to Tulane’s NIL initiative

BY GUERRY SMITH

Contributing writer

Regardless of what happens Saturday in the College Football Playoff against Ole Miss, coach Jon Sumrall is leaving Tulane with a substantial parting gift on his way to the University of Florida.

On Monday morning the school announced Sumrall and his family made a $100,000 contribution to the Green Wave Talent Fund to support his successor, Will Hall After practice at Yulman Stadium, Sumrall explained his motivation

“My wife and I back two months ago made the decision to do this,” he said. “I was doing this if I stayed, and when I decided to be the coach at a different school, one of the things we talked about was, ‘hey we still want to do this.’”

The Green Wave Talent Fund is a Tulane athletics initiative to expand name, image and likeness opportunities for Tulane athletes, which the university bills as a critical component in ensuring on-field success while empowering Green Wave coaches to recruit and compete at the highest level.

Sumrall added he had made one condition that had been met for his donation: pick a coach he approved of as his replacement. Last Monday, Tulane promoted Hall, whom Sumrall hired as passing game coordinator before spring practice, to succeed him.

“If they had hired some schmuck, I probably wouldn’t have kept doing it, but they hired Will Hall, who I have great respect for,” Sumrall said. “I’ve coached against Will a long time. I want to see him have continued success.”

Sumrall’s exit from Tulane is an almost total contrast to Lane Kiffin’s from Ole Miss ahead of the teams’ playoff game. The Rebels’ administration barred Kiffin from

TULANE

Continued from page 1C

the sixth to lead the team in receiving yards against North Texas in the American championship game.

Shazz Preston (38 catches, 598 yards), Anthony Brown-Stephens (35 catches, 466 yards), Omari Hayes (35 catches, 463 yards) Bohanon (31 catches, 417 yards) and Zycarl Lewis (23 catches, 322 yards) have taken turns making plays. Tre Shackelford (12 catches, 184 yards) and Mmahat (nice catches, 106 yards), who missed nine games with a foot injury, also could be significant factors against the Rebels.

In eight regular-season games versus American Conference opponents, Retzlaff threw for 2,139 yards (267.4 per game average) The wideouts — who range from the 5-foot-10, 160-pound Lewis to the 6-foot, 206-pound Preston — accounted for 133 catches and 1,940 yards during that span.

“How that first game ended up adds a little fuel to the fire,” Preston said. “Nobody on our team wants to feel that way again. We are coming in with a growth mindset, and I feel like it’s going to be a different outcome. We’ve adjusted and have a stronger chance to dominate this defense this goaround.”

Instead of weakness against strength, the Wave sees the matchup on the perimeter as strength against strength this time. Ole

continuing to coach, and multiple players responded to Kiffin’s post on X that they had wanted him to return by disagreeing with his assessment.

Sumrall has received nothing but support from his players. He made it clear Monday how important a friendly exit was to him.

“This place the university the city — has meant the world to me and my family,” he said. “It always will For us, the fact we’re not going to be here next year doesn’t change that we’re Tulane fans.

We’re New Orleanians in a lot of ways. When you leave a place, how you leave it matters just as much as how you enter it I want to leave on good terms. I want to be able to come back in 20 years and celebrate this team that’s won a championship already together and not be like the way you walked out of the building was questionable I want to see Tulane get better after I leave.”

Worst of the best?

If Tulane already felt disrespected by all of the commentators saying Group of Five conference teams did not deserve their spots in the CFP, ESPN writer Bill Connelly provided more ammunition on Monday when he ranked the Wave dead last among 64 all-time playoff teams.

James Madison, the other Group of Five school in this year’s playoff, was four spots above Tulane.

“That’s crazy,” quarterback Jake Retzlaff said when told of the ranking.

Connelly relies heavily on his own SP+ ranking, an efficiencybased formula that has been unkind to Tulane all year because of its blowout losses to Ole Miss and Texas-San Antonio and up-anddown play in several of its victories. He has the Wave 42nd among

Miss ranks 27th nationally in pass efficiency defense, limiting opponents to 56.4% completions (third-best total in the SEC) and 182.6 yards passing per game (also third) despite not placing a single defensive back on the coaches’ first, second or third teams.

The key for the Wave will be a better start. Hayes dropped a third-down pass that would have moved the chains on Tulane’s first possession in September, One series later, Lewis could not hold on to another third-down throw when he got popped by safety Sage Ryan, a former LSU player

The tone was set for a brutal day Retzlaff did not complete his second pass until the final play of the first half.

“On third downs, we have to be better than we were the last game,” Retzlaff said. “That came with a couple incompletions that I could have thrown a better ball and the receivers maybe should have made the catch, but that’s done. It’s flushed from the system, and we’re a lot more aligned than we’ve ever been.”

Only Bohanon had a 100-yard game (101 against Memphis), but Preston came close with 95 on three catches against Duke and 96 on five receptions against Temple in addition to two more games with 85-plus yards Brown-Stephens had nine grabs for 98 yards against Charlotte. Hayes caught four passes for 89 yards against Tulsa.

“Since Week 4, we have far more weapons than what the coaches expected,” Preston said. “One game

Big Ten puts 10 on AP All-America first team

BY ERIC OLSON Associated Press

Four players from Ohio State are among 10 first-team picks from the Big Ten Conference on The Associated Press AllAmerica team released Monday, a group headed by repeat selection Caleb Downs of the Buckeyes and AP Player of the Year Fernando Mendoza of Indiana.

LSU senior cornerback Mansoor Delane was named to the first-team defense.

The AP has named an AllAmerica team every year since 1925, and Notre Dame’s two firstteam picks this season increased its all-time lead to 87.

Downs, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, has made the first team each of his two seasons at Ohio State after landing on the second team as a freshman at Alabama in 2023. He is one of 12 players on the 27-man first team who did not start their careers at their

current school. Downs is joined on the first team by fellow Buckeyes players Jeremiah Smith Kayden McDonald and Arvell Reese. Mendoza, who won the Heisman Trophy, led the top-ranked Hoosiers to a 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff after transferring from California. He has thrown a nation-leading 33 touchdowns and is the catalyst of one of the most productive offenses in the country A total of 18 schools are represented on the first team, including seven of the 12 in the CFP Iowa has had at least one firstteam player for seven straight years and in 10 of the past 12. This is the fourth year in a row Miami, Notre Dame and Ohio State have had at least one. Punter Cole Maynard gave Western Kentucky its first firstteam pick. Defensive lineman Landon Robinson is Navy’s first since 1975 and kicker Kansei Matsuzawa is Hawaii’s first since 1986.

AP ALL-AMERICA TEAMS

FBS teams in 2025, trailing three conference opponents it beat No. 21 North Texas, No. 34 Memphis and No. 40 East Carolina.

James Madison is 24th. Ole Miss is seventh.

Back to normal

When Tulane faced Ole Miss in September normal left guard Shadre Hurst started at left tackle, replacing an injured Derrick Graham, and redshirt freshman Elijah Baker made his first career start at left guard in place of Hurst. Graham, whom Sumrall considers first-team All-American Conference caliber has started every other game. Baker went back to being a reserve.

“Shadre knows this as well as we all know this — he’s not a tackle,” Tulane offensive coordinator Joe Craddock said. “They went and played their best, but early in the season we were moving people around and now we feel like we have our five. The continuity up front has been a big difference the last couple weeks.”

Tulane has started the same five offensive linemen — Graham, Hurst, center Jack Hollifield, right guard Jordan Hall and right tackle Reese Baker — for the past eight games.

“We know our matchups,” Hurst said “We’re back 100 percent, so we’re definitely highly confident.”

Lagniappe

Sumrall said Tulane would practice at the Shrine on Airline near the Saints’ practice facility on Tuesday and Wednesday to get used to grass. The Wave has only field turf available on campus.

Vaught Hemingway Stadium has a grass field. Tulane and Ole Miss did not practice Sunday, complying with the NCAA rule that requires one off day in a game week.

(East Carolina), we had a pass to all of the receivers in our room (eight), and that just goes to show you how much talent we have. Whoever has the hot hand, that’s who we are going to ride.”

Preston, a St. James product who spent two fruitless years at Alabama before transferring to Tulane in 2024, has provided the most spectacular moments. He redirected a deflection to himself in the end zone for the winning score in the final minute against Army. He had 65- and 69-yard touchdowns against Memphis and Temple on opening-series post patterns.

Maybe more than anyone, he is burning to atone for a quiet threecatch, 35-yard September day in Oxford. He credited his hardearned chemistry with Retzlaff, who arrived in late July, for his burgeoning explosiveness.

“When Jake came, I was the first person to have a throwing session with him as soon as he touched down on campus,” he said. “We were out on the field throwing routes just to get started on the bond early That’s what pros do.”

Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who was the defensive coordinator for the first meeting, defi nitely has noticed the difference.

“They are skilled on the perimeter,” he said. “They look a lot more comfortable in the offense. They are playing at a high level. This is not Week 4 Tulane. They are scoring a lot of points and doing a lot of things really well We are going to have to be focused.”

defense

rusher — David Bailey, Texas Tech, senior, 6-3, 250, Irvine, California Edge rusher — Cashius Howell, Texas A&M, senior, 6-2, 248, Kansas City, Missouri. Interior lineman — Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, junior, 6-3,

State, junior, 6-4, 243, Cleveland.

Linebacker — CJ Allen, Georgia, junior, 6-1, 235, Barnesville, Georgia

Cornerback — Leonard Moore, Notre Dame, sophomore, 6-2, 195, Round Rock, Texas

Cornerback — Mansoor Delane, LSU, senior, 6-0, 190, Silver Spring, Maryland

Safety — Caleb Downs, Ohio State, junior, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia.

Safety — Bishop Fitzgerald, Southern California, senior, 5-11, 205, Woodbridge, Virginia.

Defensive back — Jakari Foster, Louisiana Tech, senior, 6-0, 211, Piedmont, Alabama.

Punter — Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky, senior, 6-1, 180, Mooresville, North Carolina.

Second-team offense

Wide receiver — Carnell Tate, Ohio State, junior, 6-3, 195, Chicago.

Wide receiver — Malachi Toney, Miami, freshman, 5-11, 188, Liberty City, Florida.

Wide receiver — Danny Scudero, San Jose State, sophomore, 5-9, 174, San Jose, California

Tackle — Kadyn Proctor, Alabama, junior, 6-7, 366, Des Moines, Iowa

Tackle — Carter Smith, Indiana, junior, 6-5, 313, Powell, Ohio.

Guard — Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, junior, 6-4, 323, Graham, Washington.

Guard — Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M, graduate, 6-5, 325, Dallas.

Center – Jake Slaughter, Florida, senior, 6-4, 303, Sparr, Florida

Tight end — Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon, junior, 6-3, 245, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Quarterback — Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt, graduate, 6-0, 207, Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Running back — Emmett Johnson, Nebraska, junior, 5-11, 200, Minneapolis.

Running back — Kewan Lacy, Mississippi, sophomore, 5-11, 210, Dallas.

Kicker — Tate Sandell, Oklahoma, junior, 5-9, 182, Port Neches, Texas.

All-purpose — Wayne Knight, James Madison, junior, 5-7, 190, Smyrna, Delaware

Second-team defense

Edge rusher — Rueben Bain Jr., Miami, junior, 6-3, 270, Miami.

Edge rusher — John Henry Daley, Utah, sophomore, 6-4, 255, Alpine, Utah.

Interior lineman — A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech, junior, 6-3, 300, Houston.

Interior lineman — Peter Woods, Clemson, junior, 6-3, 310, Alabaster, Alabama

Linebacker — Sonny Styles, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 243, Pickerington, Ohio.

Linebacker — Anthony Hill, Texas, junior, 6-3, 238, Denton, Texas.

Linebacker — Red Murdock, Buffalo, graduate, 6-1, 240, Petersburg, Virginia

Cornerback — D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana, junior, 5-9, 173, Miami.

Cornerback — Chris Johnson, San Diego State, senior, 6-0, 195, Eastvale, California.

Safety — Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, junior, 6-0, 205, Westfield, Indiana.

Safety — Louis Moore, Indiana, senior, 5-11, 200, Mesquite, Texas.

Defensive back — Hezekiah Masses, California, senior, 6-1, 185, Deerfield Beach, Florida

Punter — Brett Thorson, Georgia, senior, 6-2, 235, Melbourne, Australia.

Third-team offense

Wide receiver — Eric McAlister, TCU, senior, 6-3, 205, Azle, Texas

Wide receiver — Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee, junior, 6-5, 200, Midland, Texas.

Wide receiver — Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State, junior, 6-2, 200, Allen, Texas.

Tackle — Keagen Trost, Missouri, graduate, 6-4, 316, Kankakee, Illinois.

Tackle — Brian Parker II, Duke, junior, 6-5, 305, Cincinnati.

Guard — Keylan Rutledge, Georgia Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Royston, Georgia.

Guard — Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati, sophomore, 6-3, 320, Dayton, Ohio.

Center — Iapani Laloulu, Oregon, junior, 6-2, 329, Honolulu.

Tight end — Michael Trigg, Baylor, senior, 6-4, 240, Tampa, Florida

Quarterback — Julian Sayin, Ohio State, redshirt freshman, 6-1, 208, Carlsbad, California.

Running back — Cam Cook, Jacksonville State, junior, 5-11, 200, Round Rock, Texas.

Running back — Kaytron Allen, Penn State, senior, 5-11, 219, Norfolk, Virginia.

Kicker — Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech, junior, 6-1, 205, Kennedale, Texas.

All-purpose — Jadarian Price, Notre Dame, junior, 5-11, 210, Denison, Texas.

Third-team defense

Edge rusher — Caden Curry, Ohio State, senior, 6-3, 260, Greenwood, Indiana.

Edge rusher — Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan, senior, 6-3, 250, New York

Interior lineman — Tyrique Tucker, Indiana, junior, 6-0, 302, Norfolk, Virginia.

Interior lineman — Lee Hunter, Texas Tech, senior, 6-4, 330, Mobile, Alabama

Linebacker — Aiden Fisher, Indiana, senior, 6-1, 231, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

Linebacker — Caden Fordham, North Carolina State, graduate, 6-1, 230, Ponte Vedra, Florida.

Linebacker — Owen Long, Colorado State, sophomore, 6-2, 230, Whittier, California

Cornerback — Avieon Terrell, Clemson, junior, 5-11, 180, Atlanta.

Cornerback — Treydan Stukes, Arizona, senior, 6-2, 200, Litchfield Park, Arizona

Safety — Michael Taaffe, Texas, senior, 6-0, 189, Austin, Texas.

Safety — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, senior, 6-2, 202, Tampa, Florida

Defensive back — Bray Hubbard, Alabama, junior, 6-2, 213, Ocean Springs, Mississippi.

Punter — Ryan Eckley, Michigan State, junior, 6-2, 207, Lithia, Florida

Reports: Ole Miss to hire former LSU GM Thomas

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

Former LSU general manager

Austin Thomas is expected to return to Ole Miss in a similar role, according to multiple reports

Monday

Thomas

Thomas reportedly will be named the Ole Miss general manager and president of football operations. He was not retained as the LSU general manager after the hiring of new head coach Lane Kiffin, making his future uncertain at LSU.

Kiffin brought general manager Billy Glasscock with him from Ole Miss. Glasscock has been Kiffin’s general manager since 2024, when Thomas left Ole Miss for his third stint at LSU. Although Thomas has worked for Kiffin at three different schools, including two years at Ole Miss, multiple sources said Thomas’ departure to LSU frayed their relationship at the time. One of the first people in col-

lege football to be named a general manager almost a decade ago, Thomas is considered by some to be one of the top executives in the sport. He received a threeyear, $2.5 million contract extension earlier this year at LSU. LSU brought back Thomas ahead of the 2024 season as it reshaped the football front office. He was instrumental in the formation of the roster this year, when LSU signed 247Sports’ No.1 transfer portal class after an NIL fundraising push. Thomas worked closely with former LSU athletic director Scott Woodward, who was ousted in late October a few days after LSU fired Brian Kelly Thomas referred to Woodward as a mentor Kiffin already has brought several Ole Miss personnel staff members with him. LSU finalized terms last week with director of player personnel Mike Williams and director of recruiting Dwike Wilson.

Ole Miss last week hired LSU assistant general manager Kelvin Bolden for a similar role. He previously worked with Thomas for two years at Ole Miss before coming to LSU this summer

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

Coach Jon Sumrall shakes hands and celebrates after Tulane’s

Football Playoff on Dec. 7 at yulman Stadium

BY LINDSEYBAHRand JAKE COYLE AP film writers

The bean countersmight sayotherwise, but 2025 wasa good year formovies.

Filmmakers working in and out of thestudio system managedtomake bold, personal, wildlyimaginative andsingular works. Some of them even broke through to themainstream— how extraordinary that “Sinners”is among the highest earningofthe year in North America, alongside all those “safe” sequels,reboots and known brands?Most, however,are more likely destined for cult classic status. Hollywood as we knowitisun-

dergoing seismicchanges,with yetanother studio, Warner Bros., staring down apossible merger This an industry that’salways underthreat, though,and always seems to figure something out If anything, 2025 was also ayear in which audiences showed that they still cravethe theatricalexperience, whether it was to shout “chicken jockey” at the screen or,despiteall logic and polling otherwise, help “KPop Demon Hunters” unofficiallytop thebox office chartstwo monthsafter hitting Netflix.

More thanafew greats were woefully underseen as well. But in ayear which also sawthe deaths of cinema icons like DavidLynch, Robert Redford, Diane

Keaton and Gene Hackman, it’s good to remember that box office andawards are just temporary measurements. The filmsare the things that last. Here areThe Associated Press’ Film WritersLindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle’spicks for the best movies of 2025:

Lindsey Bahr’stop movies

1. “One Battle AfterAnother”

Fest poster design takesanight ride in an Uptown NewOrleans streetcar

BYDOUG MacCASH Staff writer

This year’sNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival poster depicts New Orleans’ No. 1son Louis Armstrong at the helm of the St. Charles streetcar, celebrating what would be his 125th birthday year The immortal jazz maestro is accompanied by contemporary greatsTromboneShorty,Jon Batisteand brassbandstalwarts Benny Jones and the late “Uncle” Lionel. The streetcar is centered in an absolutely symmetrical composition, dominatedbya sooth-

ing, twilit, green hue The poster is amasterpiece of subtlety.ArtistPaul Rogers hasprovided asilky slide to the landofdreamy dreams for sure, avisit to awonderful world, you might say And his fourth Jazz Fest poster —heproduced posterdesigns in 2002, 2004 and2016 too—will certainly be appreciated by most souvenir print purchasers. Undeniably, Rogers’ Jazz Fest 2026 poster is utterlyexcellentincomposition, color and style. It will be ahandsome addition to any shotgun house

Paul Thomas Anderson took us on ride of the year with“One Battle AfterAnother,” whichis so manythings —aclever farce, afrenetic thrill ride, apoignant drama about single parenting, a buddy comedy— it’snearly impossible to describecompellingly or coherently.The performances are excellent from lead to smallest supporting character,the vision is ambitious andsingular, andthe payoff is agreat time anda reminderofanexperience that can only really happen at the movies. (Intheaters)

2. “IfIHad Legs I’dKickYou” Mary Bronstein turned her owndomestic nightmare into a raw andsurrealcinematic expression of maternal exhaustion andmadness in “IfIHad Legs I’dKick You.” Anchored by an utterly fearless performancefrom Rose Byrne, Bronstein’sfilm is an

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Music lovers whoattend the New Orleans Jazz &HeritageFestivalin 2026 will be treated to thesounds andflavorsofJamaica at theCulturalExchangePavilion, an effort to support the island nation followingHurricane Melissa’sdevastating blow in October “Entitled One Love Jamaica, this special presentation celebrates Jamaica’svibrant music, rich cultural traditions, and indomitable spirit in thewake

Teyana Taylor stars in ‘One Battle After Another.’

Timothée Chalamet stars in ‘Marty Supreme.

Daniel Craig stars in ‘Wake Up Dead Man: AKnivesOut Mystery.

PROVIDED IMAGE FROM THENEW ORLEANS JAZZ &HERITAGE FESTIVAL Jazz Fest 2026 poster designby Paul Rogers

Let’sstopasking‘Whyaren’tyou drinking?’

Dear Miss Manners: How does one handle being offered alcohol when you choose not to drink?

Igot aDUI twoyears ago, and Iwill NEVER drink and drive ever again. I’ve been in numerous situations where I’ve declineda kind offer of a drink, but have been pestered as to why

Out for ahappy hour with co-workers, Iwilljust drink water,but Ioften get asked, “So, why aren’t you drinking?” InitiallyI just shrugged it off, but after awhile, Ihad to make up an excuse, so I lied that it would interfere with my medication. Oops —now I’m

asked what kindofmeds I’m on!

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

With extended family,Iget the same inquiry.I just makeup some excuse: Idon’tfeel like it, Ihave ahangover I’m goingout tomorrow, whatever Iwon’t even have one drink —and have found it quite rudeofpeople to question why.There are so many potential reasons whypeople choose not to drink! Ifeel like Ihave to explain myself, and Iam sick of it. How doIproperly address this issue?

Gentle reader: Not byexplaining yourself—nor bymaking up excuses. Thequestion is not only

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 16, the 350th day of 2025. There are 15 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On Dec. 16, 1773, the Boston TeaParty took place as American colonists boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and dumped more than 300 chests of tea overboardto protesttea taxes. Also on this date: In 1907, 16 U.S. Navy battleships, which came to be known as the “Great White Fleet,”set sail from Hampton Roads, Virginia, on a14-month, round-the-world voyage to demonstrate American sea power In 1944, the World War II Battle of the Bulge began as German forces launched asurprise attack against Allied forces through the Ardennes Forest in Belgium and Luxembourg.

In 1960, 134 people were killed when aUnited Air Lines DC-8 and aTWA Super Constellation collided over New York City In 2000, President-elect George W. Bush nominated Colin Powell to become secretary of state;Powell was confirmed by the Senate and became the first

African-American to hold the position. In 2020, aFrench court convicted 14 people accused of beingaccomplices in the 2015 Islamic State terror attacks in Paris against the satirical Charlie Hebdo newspaper and akosher supermarket.The attacks, claimed jointly by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida, left 17 peopledead along with three gunmen. In 2024, a15-year-old student opened fire at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin,killing afellow studentand ateacher.The shooter also died. Today’sbirthdays: Artist Edward Ruschais88. Actor Liv Ullmann is 87. CBS news correspondentLesley Stahl is 84. Pop singer Benny Andersson(ABBA) is 79. Rock singer-musician Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) is 76. Actor Benjamin Bratt is 62. Filmmaker James Mangold is 62. Actor-comedian JB Smoove is 60. Actor Miranda Otto is 58. AstrophysicistAdam Reiss is 56. Actor Krysten Ritter is 44. Singer-songwriter GabyMoreno is 44. Actor Theo James is 41. Actor AnnaPopplewell is 37.Actor Stephan Jamesis 32. Pop singer Zara Larsson is 28.

INVISION/AP FILE PHOTO By JACK PLUNKETT

Koffee performs at Austin CityLimits Liveatthe Moody Theater during the 2023 SouthbySouthwest Music Festival.

JAMAICA

Continued from page1D

offer acurated selection of goods crafted by artists affected by Hurricane Melissa, including banjos, rumba boxes, Ludiboards, straw baskets, colorful dancehall-style signs and intricate lacework. And, of course, festivalgoers will have the chance to feast on authentic Jamaican cuisine and aspecially craftedsignature cocktail —details yet to be determined —atthe Cultural Exchange Food Standnear the pavilion.

While the U.S. and Louisi-

POSTER

Continued from page1D

or restaurant decor

intrusive but silly,asitpresumes thatalcohol is such astaple of life that aspecial exemption is needed. Butasyou keep socializing with people who believe otherwise, Miss Manners suggeststhat you treat this as the opening of atwosided conversation. It is always tactfultoshow an interest in the other person. So you could say, with apleasant show of interest, “What about you? Tell me —why do you drink?”

Dear Miss Manners: Iwould like to know if it’s proper for one person to hand another person abirthday card/Christmas card personally —not one attached to agift. It seemstomethat acard should be

MOVIES

Continuedfrom page1D

exposed nerve come to life, existentialdread manifested. Plus Conan O’Brien and A$AP Rocky.(Available for digital rental)

3. “Marty Supreme”

Great filmmakers can make anything exciting, like, say,the adventures of abroketable tennis player, andtrueSOB MartyMauser, in mid-century New York. Josh Safdie and his cowriter and editor Ronald Bronstein (Mary’shusband) built an enormously entertaining, white-knuckle spectacle of ambitionand egogiving us the defining Timothée Chalametperformance we’ve been waiting for.(In theaters Dec. 25)

4. “Sentimental Value”

The ghosts of the past andthingsunsaidlinger in cracks and floorboardsof the quiet home at theheart of Joachim Trier’slatest, a textured andmature portrait of family,grief, forgivenessand theloneliness of alifeinthe arts.Witha moving turn from Stellan Skarsgård as an acclaimed filmmaker trying to reconnect withthe daughters he cast aside for his career,it’s also surprisingly funny in itsdeft exploration of how difficultitcan be to express love to those who matter most, even forartists.(In theaters)

5. “The NakedGun”

Finally,a greatstudio comedy and in the most unlikely of packages: Aself-consciouslyshameless reboot/ sequel/remake thatstands on itsown through Akiva Schaffer’stotal commitment to absolute silliness. Only “Hamnet” elicited more tears. (Streaming on Paramount+)

6. “Sinners”

ana madeitout ofthe 2025 Atlantic hurricaneseason largely unscathed, Jamaica faced amuch different fate. Packing Category 5 winds of185 mph, Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean island on Oct.28asone of the most powerful stormsinhistory, killing atleast 45 people and displacingthousands No strangerstosuch natural disasters, many Louisianans jumpedintoaction to help Jamaica following the storm, deploying members of theUnitedCajun Navy and hosting relieffundraisers.Jazz Festorganizers said they standinsolidarity with residentsofthe island in their time of need.

But one could argue that anighttime Uptown streetcar ride is the opposite of the sweaty,bubbling, blaring, springtime,musical blowout we so love. The design was unveiled Thursday along with the full musical line-up. Posters are $89 to $1,250. Available in advance from art4now.com.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate com.

sent in themail. I’m ahairdresser,and it surprises me howoften aclient will hand me abirthdayorChristmas card. These cards do not include money,but arejust “good wishes.”

It makes me feel uncomfortable and almost seemsthat I’mnot worth astamp. Could you please tell me if this is proper and in good taste?Has it always been?

Gentlereader: Always? How far back do you want to go? It was once considered better to have mail delivered by hand, from your footman,than to use the postal service. ButMiss Manners would not exactly call it moreproper or in

better taste, because it used the samecrass standard that you do: How much did the sender spend to get it to you? And maintaining afootman cost considerably more than astamp. Isn’tthat amean waytojudge good wishes? But even if you do, surely apersonal delivery is worth morethan astamp—ora footman.

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

right guy? (In theaters)

9. “The VoiceofHind Rajab”

Kaouther Ben Hania also confronted modern atrocities usingthe language of cinematic storytelling, and the real audio of ayoung girl’scall for help, in “The VoiceofHind Rajab,” ashatteringdocument of theIsrael-Hamas war,set entirely inside the dispatch center of the Palestine Red Crescent Societyrescue service. (In theaters Dec. 17)

10.“Urchin,”“The Chronology of Water” and “Don’t Let’sGotothe Dogs Tonight”

it’salso about how unstoppable Teyana Tayloris. (In theaters)

2. “NoOther Choice”

In Park Chan-wook’s masterful, midnight-black comedy,anewly out-of-work man (Lee Byung-hun) decides his best option to get aleg up on similarly qualified job applicants is to kill them, one by one. It’saningenious narrative (from Donald E. Westlake’s1997 novel, previously adapted by Costa-Gavras) that Park extrapolates in increasingly profound ways. Park, the Korean director of “Oldboy” and“Decision to Leave,” remains at the height of his diabolical powers. (In theaters Dec.25)

3. “ItWas Just an Accident”

traversesthe country’s dark countryside serving women while enduring oppressive vilification.The pitiless plight of Nina,who absorbs and carriesall the pain around her, will stay with me for avery long time. (Not yet available fordigital rental)

7. “Sinners”

Swaggering big-screen genre mashups like this don’tcomealong too often. Hollywood is desperate for more of them.Itshould start with whateverRyanCoogler wants. (Streaming on HBO Max)

8. “SecretMall

Apartment”

Another deeply personal, go-for-broke film that(in this case) only Ryan Coogler could have made, “Sinners” is the bluesy,vampire, gangster musicalwenever knew we needed. Vibrantly filmed and told, withanextraordinary ensemble cast (and two Michael B. Jordans), itssurface pleasures aloneare worth celebrating, but every frame is also imbuedwith history andsymbolism addinguptoone of themost profound and original thrillers to grace our movie screens. (Streaming on HBO Max)

7. “Sound of Falling”

Pastand present also blur in Mascha Schilinski’s hauntingand ethereal second feature.It’sboth disorienting andtransfixing in tellingthe storiesof four young women, in four differenttimes, on the same North German farm, somehow bothcoming-ofageand ghost story at once. (Wide releaseintheaters Jan. 16)

8. “ItWas Just an Accident”

Tense,devastating and even adarklyfunny,Iranian filmmakerJafar Panahi sets up an enthrallingmoral conundrum in his first film sincehis own imprisonment. Whatdoes justice look like after imprisonment and torture?What should they do to the man who did it? How can they be sure they even have the

Three wonderful films this year came from familiar faces,all making their featuredebuts.Harris Dickinson channeled thesocial realismofKen Loach and Mike Leightotell acompassionatebut clear-eyedstory aboutthe cycles of homelessness in “Urchin.” Kristen Stewart provedtobe as bold behind the camera as she is in front of it with “The Chronology of Water,” an utterly electric andalive memorypiece of trauma and inspiration.And Embeth Davidtz, drawingonher own experience, confronted a thorny story about the Rhodesian bush war fearlessly and with grace. (“Urchin” is available to rent or buy

“The Chronology of Water” is in select theaters this week, expanding in January. “Don’t Let’sGotothe Dogs Tonight” is available to rent or buy.)

Also: “Hedda,” “MyFather’sShadow,” “The Secret Agent,” “The Testament of AnnLee,” “Blue Moon,” “The Ballad of Wallis Island,”“The Mastermind,” “2000 Meters toAndriivka,” “Splitsville,”“Sorry,Baby,” “Presence,” “On Becoming a Guinea Fowl.”

Jake Coyle’stop movies

1. “One Battle After Another”

For amovie that feels so enthrallingly of themoment, Paul Thomas Anderson’slatestiscuriouslyout of time. The echoes of the Black Panther and Weather Underground movements seem to belong to another era. YetAnderson’sscruffy opus makesits ownhistory andits own resistance. Key Ithink, is that both theforces of oppressionand counterculture in the film are lost in rituals and code words. It’s about finding your own grammar of struggle.And

Jafar Panahi has made a lot of great films, many of them in extraordinary circumstances. All of them, despite the hardships they document and exist in, are also playful andentertaining. So see his latest not just because it’sanimportant Iranian film, shot through withpainand fury,and made by oneofthe most courageousfilmmakers on the planet, but because it’s gripping and funny and human.(In theaters)

4. “Marty Supreme”

The annals of great New York movies have anew one. Josh Safdie’spicaresque pingpong epic,starring Timothée Chalamet as atireless striver, is the giddiest, most breathless movie of the year And I’mnot just saying that in the hope that aChalametinduced table tennis resurgence displacespickleball. (Intheaters Dec. 25)

5. “WakeUpDeadMan:A Knives OutMystery”

Underestimate Rian Johnson’swhodunits at your peril. The latest chapter in the endlessly entertaining adventures of Benoit Blanc maybethe bestof thebunch.It’scertainly themost moving one. And it’s gotJosh O’Connor, who put his stamp on the movie year in ahandful of standout performances —most especially this and in Kelly Reichardt’sflawless portrait of averyflawed man, “The Mastermind.” (In theaters; on Netflix Dec. 12)

6. “April” Easily the mosthaunting movie of the year.Georgian filmmaker DeaKulumbegashvili’ssecond film is about asolitary obstetrician, Nina (an extraordinary Ia Sukhitashvili), who

The hook of this gemof adocumentary is agoofy one: In 2003,eight young Rhode Islanders built and often lived in ahidden space within aProvidencemall foryears. But when director Jeremy Workman digs intothe stranger-than-fiction story,hereveals much more than aprank, uncovering something thoughtful and inspiring about art and commerce and community (Available fordigital rental)

9. “BlueMoon”

What extraordinarily good company Ethan Hawke’s Lorenz Hart is in Richard Linklater’sdelightful and melancholy chamber drama, one of two excellent films in 2025 from thedirector, along with theFrenchNew Wave ode “Nouvelle Vague.” From thefirst monologue at Sardi’sthe night hisformersongwriting partner, Richard Rodgers, is opening “Oklahoma!,” Hart’swit is warming to thesoul. I’d have sat by the bar with him (as “Blue Moon”makes you feel you’re doing) for hours more. (In theaters)

10.“Afternoons of Solitude

Albert Serra’sdocumentary close-up of bullfighting makes no overt judgment of the Spanish corridas. Instead, it stays rigorously trainedonone bullfighter, Andrés Roca Rey,and the bulls he faces in the ring. It comes close to apurely cinematic experience. In tight compositions, Serra documents apersisting ritual andthe sheerspectacleof theblood sport.(Available fordigital rental)

Also:“Caught by the Tides,”“OneofThemDays,” “Eephus,” “My Father’s Shadow,” “The Testament of Ann Lee,” “Cloud,”“Sentimental Value,” “On BecomingaGuineaFowl,”“Bugonia,” “Sorry,Baby”

PROVIDED IMAGE FROM WARNER BROS.PICTURES

Michael B. Jordan, foreground from left, plays adouble rolealongside Omar Benson Miller in ascene from ‘Sinners.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Direct your energy wisely. How you use your strengths and skills will be a testament to who you are and what you can do. Focus, dedication and timing will play a role in what you achieve.

CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan 19) Put yourself in the driver's seat and head in a direction that satisfies your needs. Network, socialize and share what inspires you with forward-thinking people.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb 19) A change will spark your imagination and point you in a creative direction. Put thoughts and plans on paper, and consider how to take advantage of any subsidies or offers that could apply to you.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) A commitment and personal lifestyle adjustments require attention You can count on your heart and emotions to kick in and reflect what's best for you. Embrace change, and opportunity will unfold.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) You can learn by doing something repeatedly. Set your sights on what you enjoy doing and focus on how you can utilize your skills to bring in extra cash.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Don't hold back; work quietly behind the scenes until you complete your mission. Push to tie up loose ends so you can start to enjoy the festive season. Keep tabs on money spent and owed.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) A change of plans will be costly if you don't act fast. Discipline will be necessary when shop-

ping for unnecessary items or gifts. Set a budget that offers peace of mind, and avoid the stress of debt.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Keep your emotions out of any financial decisions you make. You can't buy love, but you can use kindness and hands-on help to draw others into your circle. A confident, polished presentation will open doors.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Letting your emotions take charge will lead to trouble. Focus on how you look, feel and present yourself to your associates. Choose health over indulgent temptations and peace over chaos.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) A change of scenery will adjust your perspective. Don't let what others do alarm you. Choose to head in a direction that offers an agenda to follow, and you will achieve what you aspire to do. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Talks will give you the lowdown regarding any change or gamble you consider. Be aware of timelines and year-end deadlines. Speak up, follow through and enjoy the ride.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Go easy when personal situations that arise. Be ready to back away from anyone trying to get something for nothing from you. When in doubt, say no.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

toDAy's CLuE: y EQuALs Z

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe samenumber onlyonce. The difficulty level of thesudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

If you have not been playing the game long and would like to check that you have basic declarer play down pat, buy “Declarer Play at Bridge: AQuizbook” by Barbara Seagram and DavidBird (Master Point Press).

The book starts with suit contracts. There are four pages of basic instruction, then40quiz questionsinwhich the reader is shownthe dummy and declarer’shand(“singledummy,”asitiscalled) and asked to choose aline of play. Each answer also includes auseful point to remember.

Next, thereare sixpages about notrump contracts, followed by 20 singledummy problems. There arefewer examples because no-trump contracts are muchlesscomplicated than suit contracts.

In this example from the book, how shouldSouth play in six hearts?West leads thespade jack

Yes,South’s jump to slamisa tad optimistic.But the play’sthe thing.

Southhas two losers: one diamond and one club. He has only 11 winners: two spades, six hearts, two diamonds and one club. He mustestablishdummy’s clubsuit.Butifitissplitting4-2,thatwill require three dummy entries. Luckily, there are three: the heartking, heart 10 and diamond king.

After taking the first trick, cash the club ace and play another club. Suppose

East wins and shifts to thediamond queen. South wins withhis ace, cashes theheart ace, plays aheart to dummy’s 10, ruffs aclub, leads aheart to the king, ruffsanother club,plays adiamond to dummy’s king, and happily discards a minor-suit loseronthe club jack, which is now awinner ©2025 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

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

toDAy’s WoRD ALIMony: AL-ih-mo-nee: An allowance paid to one spouse by another after divorce.

Average mark19words

Timelimit 25 minutes

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —nIGHtLy

Can you find 22 or morewords in ALIMONY? nigh

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

ken ken

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

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

WiShinG Well

HErE is a

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

the$500,000 limitation provided that thecon‐tractamountdoesnot exceed tenpercent of policyholders’ surplusas showninthe latest A.M. Best’s KeyRatingGuide nor fifteen percentof policyholder’s surplusas shownbysurety’smost recent financial state‐ments filedwiththe LouisianaDepartmentof Insurance. TheBond shallbesignedbythe surety’s agentorattor‐ney-in-fact. APRE-BID CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD Wednesday January 7 2026 1:30PM Tiger ParkEastLot (SoutheastCorner) Skip Bertman Drive Baton Rouge LA70803 Bids shallbeaccepted from Contractorswho arelicensedunder LA R.S. 37:2150-2163 forthe classification of ME‐CHANICAL.Bidderisre‐quired to comply with provisions andrequire‐mentsofLAR.S.38:2212 (A)(1)(c).Nobid maybe withdrawnfor aperiodof thirty (30) days after re‐ceiptofbids, except under theprovisionsof LA.R.S.38:2214. TheOwner reserves the righttorejectany andall bids forjustcause.Inac‐cordance with La.R.S 38:2212 (A)(1)(b), thepro‐visionsand requirements of this Section,those stated in theadvertise‐ment forbids, andthose required on thebid form shallnot be considered as informalitiesand shall notbewaivedbyany public entity When this projectis fi‐nanced either partially or entirely with StateBonds or federalfunds,the awardofthisContractis contingent upon the granting of linesof credit,the sale of bonds by theBondCommission or the commitment of federalfunds. TheUni‐versityshall incurno obligationtothe Con‐tractoruntil theContract BetweenOwnerand Con‐tractorisfully executed

AD RUNDATES: December 16 and23, 2025 January6,2026 170086-dec16-23-jan6-3t $203.37

concerning theIFB may be obtained December 9, 2025, from theRTA’s Pro‐cureware websiteat https://norta procureware.com/home Youwillberequiredto firstregisteronthisweb‐site.The IFBcan also be obtained at Regional TransitAuthority’s web‐site at http://www.norta com

Anyquestions or further informationconcerning this IFBmust be submit‐tedthrough https:// norta.procureware.com/ home Only writtenques‐tionssubmitted through Procurewaresiteshall be considered official web‐site under IFB2025-046. Responding to IFB:Bids shallbesubmitted throughthe RTA’sPro‐cureware websiteonor before 2:00 P.M.,Tuesday, January6,2026. ABid Opening will be held in theRTA Board Room locatedat2817 CanalStreet,New Or‐leans, LA 70119, on Tues‐day, January6,2026, at 2:00 PM.Any questions or furtherinformation concerning theIFB may be submittedVia https:// norta.procureware.com/ home RTAinaccordancewith 49 Code of FederalRegu‐lations(CFR) Part 26 has an obligationtoensure nondiscriminationofDis‐advantaged Business En‐terprises(DBEs)and to comply with allfederal stateand localregula‐tionsrelativetoutiliza‐tion of DBEs on publicly funded projects.The RTA is committed to utiliza‐tion of DBEs on allfeder‐ally funded projects to‐ward attainment of the agency's established overallgoalof32% No DBEgoalhas been es‐tablishedfor this project as thereare no subcon‐tracting opportunitieson this project. Notice to allofferorsis hereby provided that in accordance with allap‐plicable federal, state andlocal laws theRTA will ensure that DBEs are afforded full opportunity to submit offers andre‐sponsestothissolicita‐tion andtoparticipate in anycontractconsum‐matedpursuanttothis advertisement.

ments.

TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum.Notethatyou wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITYCODE(s): 962-58, 925-04 and925-28 Formoreinformation aboutthisevent,goto www.nola.govand click on “BRASS SupplierPor‐tal” under“BIDS &CON‐TRACTS”. Once on the SupplierPortal, search “OpenEvents. Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesSimmons,Jr. ChiefProcurement Officer

AdvertisingDates: December 9, 16 and23, 2025 NOCP 8814 169690-dec9-16-23-3t $143.67

p p bidder/respondent is called particularly to the requirements forcondi‐tionsofemploymentto be observed andmini‐mumwagerates to be paid under theContract (Davis-Bacon Act),Sec‐tion 3(LowIncomeResi‐dent Participation) of the Housingand UrbanDe‐velopmentAct of 1968, Section109 (Non-Dis‐crimination) of theHous‐ingand Community De‐velopmentAct of 1974, Section503 (Non-Dis‐criminationAgainst Em‐ployees with Disabilities) andSection 504(NonDiscrimination Against IndividualswithDisabili‐ties)ofthe Rehabilitation Actof1973, Segregated Facilities,Executive Order11246, andall ap‐plicable laws andregula‐tionsofthe Federalgov‐ernmentand Stateof Louisianaand bonding andinsurance require‐ments.

TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion

TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum.Notethatyou wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 962-58, 925-04 and925-28 Formoreinformation aboutthisevent,goto www.nola.govand click on “BRASS SupplierPor‐tal” under “BIDS& CON‐TRACTS”. Once on the SupplierPortal, search “OpenEvents. Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesSimmons,Jr. ChiefProcurement Officer AdvertisingDates: December 9, 16 and23,

g paid under theContract (Davis-Bacon Act),Sec‐tion 3(LowIncomeResi‐dent Participation) of the Housingand UrbanDe‐velopmentAct of 1968 Section109 (Non-Dis‐crimination) of theHous‐ingand Community De‐velopmentAct of 1974, Section503 (Non-Dis‐criminationAgainst Em‐ployees with Disabilities) andSection 504 (NonDiscrimination Against IndividualswithDisabili‐ties)ofthe Rehabilitation Actof1973, Segregated Facilities,Executive Order11246, andall ap‐plicable laws andregula‐tionsofthe Federalgov‐ernmentand Stateof Louisianaand bonding andinsurance require‐ments. TheCityofNew Orleans strongly encourages mi‐nority-ownedand women-ownedbusi‐nesses, socially andeco‐nomicallydisadvantaged businesses andsmall businesses to respondto this solicitation,orto participateinsubcon‐tracting opportunities pursuant to this solicita‐tion TheBureauofPurchas‐ingusescommodity codestonotifysuppliers of therelease of asourc‐ingevent andsubse‐quentmodificationsvia addendum.Notethatyou wouldreceive thosenoti‐ficationsifyou selected thefollowing commodity code(s) before there‐leaseofthe sourcing event: COMMODITY CODE(s): 906, 925-28, 925-58 and 925 Formoreinformation aboutthisevent,goto www.nola.govand click on “BRASS SupplierPor‐tal” under “BIDS& CON‐TRACTS”. Once on the SupplierPortal, search “OpenEvents. Thankyou foryourinter‐estindoing business with theCityofNew Or‐leans. JamesSimmons,Jr. ChiefProcurement Officer AdvertisingDates: December 9, 16 and23, 2025 NOCP 8813 169687-dec9-16-23-3t $144.69

C. Burrell, Administrator of theSuccessionofMor‐risBurrell, Jr is applying forauthority to sell at privatesale, on termsof ELEVEN THOUSAND AND 10/100 ($11,000.00) DOL‐LARS under asale, the immovableproperty ownedbyThe Succes‐sion of MorrisBurrell, Jr describedbelow ACERTAIN LOTOF GROUND,situatedinthe City of NewOrleans,in whatisknown as GEN‐TILLYPARKPLACE in the THIRDDISTRICT, andas delineated on asurvey made by B.S. Daniel,Civil Engineer,dated May14, 1912, andwhich property is situated in that portion of theThird District knownasGentillyBoule‐vard,to-wit: LOT6 of SQUARE 5, bounded by Jasmine Street,VioletStreet Elaine Street,and Mid‐lothianStreet,Lot 6mea‐sures30feet fronton Elaine Street by adepth of 110feet between equaland parallel lines. Theimprovements thereonbearthe Munici‐palNo. 52392 Elaine Street,New Orleans, LA 70126. AND ACERTAIN LOTOF GROUND,situatedin the City of NewOrleans,in whatisknown as GEN‐TILLYPARKPLACE in the THIRDDISTRICT, andas delineated on asurvey made by B.S. Daniel,Civil Engineer,dated May14, 1912, andwhich property is situated in that portion of theThird District knownasGentillyBoule‐vard,to-wit: LOT29ofSQUARE5 bounded by Jasmine Street,VioletStreet Elaine Street,and Mid‐lothianStreet,Lot 29 measures 30 feet front on Midlothian Street by a depth of 110 feet be‐tween equaland parallel lines. Theimprovements thereonbearthe Munici‐palNo. 52407 Midlothan Street,New Orleans, LA 70126. Beingthe same property acquired by Joan Russell from TheSuccessionof Reverend MorrisBurrell, Sr by Judgment of Pos‐sessiondated December 7, 2006, registered under CIN334868, Orleans Parish,LA. Beingfurther acquired by Reverend MorrisBurrell, Sr AlvinPeter Burrell, andMorrisBurrell, Jr from TheSuccessionof Desmonia Melvina