The Acadiana Advocate 01-08-2026

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T h u r s d ay, J a n u a ry 8, 2026

ICE officer kills Minneapolis driver

Federal officials say shooting was act of self-defense Mayor calls incident reckless and unnecessary

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State to give voter data to Justice Department La. to comply with request for registration information

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana is turning over detailed voter registration data to the U.S. Department of Justice, including voters’ full names, birthdays, home addresses, driver’s license numbers and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.

Dozens of other states have resisted requests from the Justice Department to share that information and are now facing federal lawsuits for refusing to do so.

Secretary of State Nancy Landry said Monday during a talk with the Baton Rouge Press Club that lawyers from her office reviewed the DOJ’s request and decided the law required Louisiana to comply.

“We, after a careful analysis, decided that we had to comply with it,” she said. “We’re working with their IT folks to get it in the right format to share that with them.”

Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s civil rights division, which enforces federal voting-rights laws, sent Landry a letter in early September requesting a copy of Louisiana’s statewide voter registration list.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By TOM BAKER

ä See VOTER, page 5A

A bullet hole can be seen in the windshield of the victim’s car as law enforcement officers work the scene of a shooting involving an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on Wednesday in Minneapolis.

BY TIM SULLIVAN and GIOVANNA DELL’ORTO

Ex-Youngsville chief fined for ethics violations

Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a Minneapolis driver on Wednesday during the Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdown on a major American city — a shooting that federal officials said was an act of self-defense but that the mayor described as reckless and unnecessary.

The 37-year-old woman was shot in the head in front of a family member in a snowy residential neighborhood south of downtown Minneapolis, just a few blocks from some of the oldest immigrant markets and about a mile from where George Floyd was killed by police in 2020.

Her killing after 9:30 a.m. was recorded on video by witnesses, and the shooting quickly drew a crowd of hundreds of angry protesters. By evening, hundreds were there for a vigil to mourn the death and urge the public to resist immigration enforcers.

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

Protesters gather near the scene of Wednesday’s shooting.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, while visiting Texas, described the incident as an “act of domestic terrorism” carried out against ICE officers by a woman who “attempted to run them over and rammed them with her vehicle.

An officer of ours acted quickly and defensively, shot, to protect himself and the people around him.”

In a social media post, President Donald Trump made similar accusations against the woman and defended ICE’s work.

Hours later, at an evening news conference in Minnesota, Noem didn’t back down, claiming the woman was part of a “mob of agitators.”

ä See ICE, page 5A

Former Youngsville Police Chief Rickey Boudreaux was fined by the Louisiana Board of Ethics after being found guilty of two allegations connected with an incident involving a former City Council member crashing into a parked car.

The board ruled that Boudreaux used his position as chief of police to compel and coerce two officers not to conduct a mandatory field Boudreaux sobriety test on Kayla Menard Reaux, a council member who crashed into a car on Palfrey Parkway in November 2022.

Boudreaux also facilitated a payment from the

ä See ETHICS, page 5A

Foundation transforming northside one affordable home at a time

BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

As a part of the mission of the Never To Late Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting low-income individuals and communities, more affordable homes are coming to the northside of Lafayette.

The first home is already under construction on Harmony Street, marking the beginning of what founder Dominique Mouton describes as a long-term investment in neighborhoods that have historically been underserved. Additional homes are planned as funding allows, including a recently approved project at 248 Short St., which is expected to begin later this year.

For Mouton, a Lafayette resident, one thing was most important when designing each home: a front

WEATHER HIGH 79 LOW 64 PAGE 6A

porch. Aside from its Victorian architectural detail, the front porch is a symbol of connection for Mouton.

“The porch brings people to the front of the home,” he said. “That’s where conversations happen, where neighbors look out for each other. That’s how it used to be.”

Growing up on Lafayette’s northside, he remembers families gathering outside, children playing in front yards and neighbors watching out for one another. “We want people outside again, not isolated in the back of the house,” he said. “That’s how community is built.”

The Lafayette City Council approved an ordinance allowing the adjudicated Short Street property to be donated to the nonprofit. Under the agreement, the foundation will demolish the existing structure

PROVIDED PHOTO

From left, Jeremiah Batiste, Fredrick Louis and Dominque Mouton sit on ä See FOUNDATION, page 5A the porch of the Never To Late Foundation’s first reconstructed home.

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U.S. suspends all aid to Somalia’s government

WASHINGTON — The State Department said Wednesday that it has suspended all U.S. assistance to Somalia’s federal government over allegations that Somali officials destroyed an Americanfunded warehouse belonging to the World Food Program and seized 76 metric tons of food aid intended for impoverished civilians.

“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for waste, theft, and diversion of life-saving assistance,” the department said in a statement.

The suspension comes as the Trump administration has ratcheted up criticism of Somali refugees and migrants in the United States, including over well-publicized fraud allegations involving child care centers in Minnesota. It has slapped significant restrictions on Somalis wanting to come to the U.S. and made it difficult for those already in the United States to stay.

It was not immediately clear how much assistance would be affected by the suspension because the Trump administration has slashed foreign aid expenditures, dismantled the U.S. Agency for International Development and not released new country-by-country data.

The U.S. had provided $770 million in assistance for projects in Somalia during the last year of the Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration, but only a fraction of that went directly to the government.

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Trump wants $1.5T defense budget

BY AAMER MADHANI and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Wednesday proposed setting U.S. military spending at $1.5 trillion in 2027, citing “troubled and dangerous times.”

Trump called for the massive surge in spending days after he ordered a U.S. military operation to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and spirit him out of the country to face drug trafficking charges in the United States. U.S. forces continue to mass in the Caribbean Sea. The 2026 military budget is set at $901 billion.

“This will allow us to build the ‘Dream Military’ that we have long been entitled to and, more importantly, that will keep us SAFE and SECURE, regardless of foe,” Trump said in a posting on Truth Social announcing his proposal.

The military just received a large boost of some $175 billion in the GOP’s “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending reductions that Trump signed into law last year.

Insisting on more funding for the Pentagon is almost certain to run into resistance from Democrats who work to maintain parity between changes in defense and nondefense spending. But it’s also sure to draw objections from the GOP’s deficit hawks who have pushed back against larger military spending.

But Trump said he feels comfortable surging spending on the military because of increased revenue created by his administration through tariffs imposed on friends and foes around the globe since his return to office.

The U.S. government collected gross revenues of $288.5 billion last year from tariffs and other excise taxes, up from $98.3 billion in

2024, according to the Bipartisan Policy Center. That’s a meaningful increase in revenues from taxing imports. But it’s not enough to cover the various promises made

by Trump, who has said the tariffs can also cover dividends to taxpayers, pay down the national debt and, now, cover increased spending on the military.

Trump on Wednesday also threatened to cut off Pentagon purchases from Raytheon, one of the biggest U.S. defense contractors, if the company did not end the practice of stock buybacks and invest more profits into building out its weapons manufacturing capacity.

Trump in recent months has repeatedly complained that defense companies have been woefully behind on deliveries of critical weaponry, yet continue to mete out dividends and stock buybacks to investors and offering eye-popping salaries to top executives.

“Either Raytheon steps up, and

DeSantis calls for special session on Fla. redistricting

BY MIKE SCHNEIDER and DAVID FISCHER Associated Press

Detroit records fewest homicides in decades DETROIT — Murders in Detroit continue to tumble as the city recorded its lowest number of criminal homicides since at least the early- to mid-1960s.

For all of 2025, 165 homicides were committed in the Motor City, Police Chief Todd Bettison told reporters Wednesday.

That is 38 fewer than the 203 reported for 2024, which the city said then was the lowest since 188 were committed in 1965.

Detroit had 252 homicides in 2023, 309 homicides in 2022 and 308 homicides in 2021.

The city also reported Wednesday that other violent crime also was down last year. Nonfatal shootings dropped from 603 in 2024 to 447 in 2025. Carjackings plummeted from 142 to 77 over that period, while robberies dipped from 1,209 to 953. Sexual assaults and auto vehicle thefts also were down.

It is a trend seen in many other U.S. cities. Violent crime in the United States fell 4.5% in 2024, according to an FBI report, which also showed an 8% drop in property crime from the year before.

The FBI statistics released in August showed murder and nonnegligent manslaughter in the U.S. in 2024 fell nearly 15% from a year earlier.

House farm bill action delayed until February WASHINGTON — The House Agriculture Committee will delay farm bill action until February after the unexpected death of Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif., and the hospitalization of Rep. Jim Baird, R-Ind. Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Pa., had said before the recess that the committee would mark up the farm bill in January. But on Tuesday he said that plan needed to change because the GOP would be short two members on the panel.

“Well, unfortunately, we now have a vacancy on the committee with Mr. LaMalfa, his death today,” Thompson said Tuesday, adding that Baird’s hospitalization added additional uncertainty.

LaMalfa, a fourth-generation rice farmer from Northern California known for his focus on agriculture and forestry policies, died Tuesday at age 65.

Baird was injured in a car crash, and his office said in a statement on social media that he “is expected to make a full recovery, and he is extraordinarily grateful for everyone’s prayers during this time.” His son Brian posted on Facebook that Baird was released from the hospital late Tuesday, and his wife is still hospitalized but expected to make a full recovery.

starts investing in more upfront Investment like Plants and Equipment, or they will no longer be doing business with Department of War,” Trump said on social media.

“Also, if Raytheon wants further business with the United States Government, under no circumstances will they be allowed to do any additional Stock Buybacks, where they have spent Tens of Billions of Dollars, until they are able to get their act together.”

The company is responsible for making some of the military’s most widely used and notable missiles, including the Tomahawk cruise missile, the shoulder-launched Javelin and Stinger missiles, and the Sidewinder air-to-air missile.

Raytheon also owns Pratt and Whitney, a company that is responsible for manufacturing a host of jet engines that power aircraft for all the military branches, including the newest F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAE C. HONG

Ted Koerner, whose home was reduced to ash in the 2025 wildfires, stands on the porch of his newly rebuilt home, alongside his dog Daisy Mae, in Altadena, Calif.

Man and his old dog are home at last after L.A. fire

For nearly a year, Koerner raced He emptied retirement fund against time to rebuild his home. He liq‘to build at record speed’ uidated most of his retirement holdings

BY ALEX VEIGA Associated Press

ALTADENA, Calif. — It is a sight Ted Koerner feared he might never see again after his house burned down: His treasured golden retriever, Daisy Mae, playing in his backyard, under the shade of his 175-year-old Heritage Oak. A year ago, as the wind-swept Eaton Fire moved in, Koerner fled with then 12-year-old Daisy Mae, grabbing a couple pairs of sweats, long-sleeved shirts, a pillow and two pictures of the dog. He drove away as the flames were at the end of his street in Altadena.

Koerner and Daisy Mae spent the first weeks in a hotel with hundreds of others after the Eaton and Palisades fires destroyed thousands of homes and killed 31 people. They went on walks, the hardened ash crunching beneath his feet and her paws. “Those first few weeks were beyond devastating,” he said.

His biggest fear was losing Daisy Mae before he could get through a daunting and costly rebuilding process. Koerner has lived alone with the 75-pound, snowwhite dog for 12 years. He takes her with him to restaurants — even five-star steakhouses — without a leash.

so he could afford to hire contractors quickly while he waited for his mortgage servicing company to release his insurance payout.

He gave the builder enough money “to build at record speed, because I need to get home with my dog before she passes,” he recalled telling his mortgage servicing company early on. “Because if she passes, I don’t want to come here. And this is a very, very, very special dog.”

The first time Koerner brought Daisy Mae after construction started, the house was framed, with a roof and openings for windows and doors.

“She walked right over to where the front door was supposed to be, went right in the house, walked around the house, walked over to what was the master bedroom sliding door, which was a great big opening, just like it would have been, and sat down and got a big smile on her face and went, ‘OK, the house is still here,’ ” he said.

Shortly before Thanksgiving, his home was among the first to be rebuilt of the thousands destroyed in the Los Angeles area wildfires a year ago. Construction took just over four months.

“I went into the house and cried a lot,” Koerner said. “It still has that effect. I’m actually home with my dog.”

White House completes plan to curb environmental law

BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has finalized a plan to roll back regulations implementing a landmark environmental law that the White House says needlessly delays federal approvals for energy and infrastructure projects.

The action Wednesday by the White House Council on Environmental Quality rescinds regulations related to the National Environmental Policy Act, which requires federal agencies to consider a project’s possible environmental impacts before it is approved.

Katherine Scarlett, who leads the council, said in a statement that the directive will “slash needless layering of bureaucratic burden and restore common sense to the environmental review and permitting process.”

Under Trump, she added, “NEPA’s regulatory reign of terror has ended.”

The action comes as Congress considers legislation intended to speed up permitting reviews for new energy and infrastructure projects and limit judicial review under that law.

Republicans and many Democrats believe the 56-year-old law has become mired in red tape that routinely results in yearslong delays for major projects. The law requires detailed analysis for such projects and allows for public comments before approvals are issued.

A bill approved by the Republican-controlled House would place statutory limits on environmental reviews, broaden the scope of actions that do not require review and set clear deadlines. It also would limit who can bring legal challenges and legal remedies that courts can impose.

Democrats agree the permitting process has become unwieldy, but say the House bill undercuts public input and participation while overly restricting judicial review.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday he plans to call a special session in April for the Republicandominated legislature to draw new congressional districts, joining a redistricting arms race among states that have redrawn districts mid-decade.

Even though Florida’s 2026 legislative session starts next week, DeSantis said he wanted to wait for a possible ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court on a key provision of the Voting Rights Act. The ruling in Louisiana v. Callais could determine whether Section 2, a part of the Voting Rights Act that bars discrimination in voting systems, is constitutional. The governor said “at least one or two” districts in Florida could be affected by the high court’s ruling.

“I don’t think it’s a question of if they’re going to rule. It’s a question of

what the scope is going to be,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Steinhatchee, Florida. “So, we’re getting out ahead of that.”

Currently, 20 of Florida’s 28 congressional seats are held by Republicans.

Congressional districts in Florida that are redrawn to favor Republicans could carry big consequences for President Donald Trump’s plan to reshape congressional districts in GOP-led states, which could give Republicans a shot at winning additional seats in the midterm elections and retaining control of the closely divided U.S. House.

In 2010, more than 60% of Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment prohibiting the drawing of district boundaries to unfairly favor one political party in a process known as gerrymandering. The Florida Supreme Court, however, last July upheld a congressional map pushed by DeSantis that critics said violated the “Fair Districts” amendment.

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What U.S. could do with Venezuela’s oil lll

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ

a nation with vast oil reserves.

Associated Press

NEW YORK — Venezuela’s oil industry has been in the spotlight since President Donald Trump used military force to capture the country’s leader, President Nicolás Maduro.

In the days that followed, Trump said the U.S. would run Venezuela and tap its oil reserves. He said Venezuela stole U.S. oil, a reference to former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s move decades ago to nationalize hundreds of foreign-owned assets, including those owned by American oil companies.

Trump floated a plan for those companies to return and rebuild Venezuela’s beleaguered oil industry. He later announced Venezuela would provide 30 to 50 million barrels of oil to the U.S., and Venezuelan state-owned oil company PDVSA said it is in negotiations with the U.S. government for the sale of crude oil.

The administration also “selectively” removed sanctions to enable the shipping and sale of Venezuelan oil to markets worldwide, saying the proceeds would settle in U.S.-controlled accounts and be disbursed to the American and Venezuelan populations, according to the Energy Department.

The moves may be part of a longterm strategy to gain a foothold in

ezuela isn’t critically needed. But the International Energy Agency Interest in vast oil reserves estimates that under current poliVenezuela has one of the largest cies approximately 25 million baroil reserves in the world, and some rels per day of new oil supply projenergy analysts predict there ects will be needed by 2035 to keep won’t be enough oil to meet global markets in balance. demand in coming years.

The South American nation has Possible help for U.S. refineries an estimated 303 billion barrels The oil in Venezuela is heavy, of crude oil in the ground, which sour crude, which is what refineris about 17% of the world’s supply, ies on the U.S. Gulf Coast process, according to the U.S. Energy Infor- and there are only a handful of mation Administration. Unlike oth- countries that produce it. By coner parts of the world, where geolo- trast, most oil produced in the U.S. gists have to search for untapped is light, sweet crude. If Venezuelan oil, the reserves under Venezu- oil flows freely, it could potentially ela’s soil are largely mapped and reduce the price of oil and gasoline.

American refineries could benknown, experts say. But because of dilapidated infrastructure, the efit financially from processing country only produces about 1% more crude oil, and it could inof the world’s oil. crease the availability of diesel “Venezuela has enormous re- and jet fuel, said Kevin Book, serves,” said Claudio Galimberti, managing director of ClearView global market analysis director Energy Partners.

“There seem to be two objecand chief economist at Rystad Energy. “If you ask any oil company tives. The first is to overall lower around the world, go to their ex- energy prices by adding to global ploration team, their geologists, supply, and second is to produce and ask them where is oil going to more of the heavy, sour crude that come from in the 2030s and 2040s, is currently in short supply relatheir answer is a rather scary, ‘We tive to other grades,” Book said. don’t know.’ So there is going to be More Venezuelan crude wouldn’t a problem of finding oil in the next necessarily help U.S. oil producfew years.” ers, though, because having more In the short term, the global oil on the market can lower oil supply of oil exceeds demand, so prices, discouraging production increased production from Ven- and making it harder for those

companies to remain profitable.

Options for U.S. oil companies After Chavez nationalized hundreds of private businesses and foreign-owned assets in 2007, including oil projects run by Exxon Mobil and ConocoPhillips, international arbitration panels ordered Venezuela to repay billions of dollars to both companies, but the debts have yet to be collected.

In theory, if sanctions were lifted and Venezuela was under new leadership, major oil companies could invest in infrastructure and profit from the sale of oil.

Trump said he thinks Venezuela’s decimated oil industry could be rebuilt in less than 18 months with U.S. support. He envisions major oil companies returning to Venezuela to make those investments and profit from its oil industry.

But given the unrest and decades of badly damaged infrastructure, it’s unlikely to top the list of places oil companies would choose to invest, experts said.

Companies also need assurance that assets won’t be taken again by a future government, said Daniel Sternoff, senior fellow at Columbia University’s Center on Global Energy Policy.

“You need to start with basic political stability before you’re going to have companies that are

interested in making those kinds of investments,” Sternoff said.

“We have more questions than answers over what the government of Venezuela will be.”

A ConocoPhillips spokesman said the company is monitoring developments in Venezuela and their potential implications for global energy supply and stability.

Exxon Mobil did not respond to a request for comment.

Production hurdles Infrastructure and equipment that the oil industry needs to maintain and increase production has been damaged in recent years.

“There was a lot of chaos and looting, and so therefore there’s a tremendous amount of damage to the surface equipment for producing oil all around the country,” said Amy Myers Jaffe, director of the Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab at New York University.

Rystad Energy estimates it would take $54 billion of oil and gas investment over the next 15 years to keep Venezuela’s oil production flat at around 1.1 million barrels per day, and that with additional investment over two to three years an additional 300,000 barrels per day could be added. Going beyond 1.4 million barrels per day would require an additional $8 billion to $9 billion per year, the group said.

Venezuela’s military buries soldiers killed in U.S. operation

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO Associated Press

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela’s military held a mass funeral in the country’s capital on Wednesday as it began to bury dozens of soldiers slain during the United States’ weekend operation to capture former President Nicolás Maduro.

Men carried wooden caskets cloaked in the Venezuelan flag past rows of uniformed officers. Singing echoed out from a nearby church in Caracas and music from a military orchestra ceremony echoed over the cemetery, while ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX throngs of family members and soldiers A military officer comforts Ramona Palma, the mother of marched behind a row of caskets.

Venezuelan soldier Cesar Garcia, who was killed in a U.S. As the caskets were lowered into the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, ground, gunfire from a military ceremony echoed out over the state-owned after Garcia’s wake Wednesday in Caracas, Venezuela.

graveyard in a low-income neighborhood in the city’s south side. Earlier in the day, families cried and embraced next to the caskets during a wake.

“Thank you for letting them embrace a military career,” Rafael Murillo, a commander in the military, said to families surrounding him.

Before the ceremony, armed National Guard members patrolled some areas while families of the killed soldiers finished paperwork required for the burials.

At least 24 Venezuelan security officers were killed in the dead-of-night U.S. military operation over the weekend to capture Maduro and spirit him to the United States to face drug charges, according to Venezuela’s military.

Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab said “dozens” of officers

and civilians were killed and that prosecutors would investigate the deaths in what he described as a “war crime.” He didn’t specify if the estimate was specifically referring to Venezuelans.

Cuba’s government on Sunday announced that 32 Cuban military and police officers working in Venezuela had died in the operation, prompting two days of mourning on the Caribbean island.

“Their spilled blood does not cry out for vengeance, but for justice and strength,” the Venezuelan military wrote in an Instagram post on Monday.

“It reaffirms our unwavering oath not to rest until we rescue our legitimate President, completely dismantle the terrorist groups operating from abroad, and ensure that events such as these never again sully our sovereign soil.”

Rubio plans to meet with Danish officials next week on Greenland

BY STEFANIE DAZIO and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he plans to meet with Danish officials next week after the Trump administration doubled down on its intention to take over Greenland, the strategic Arctic island that is a self-governing territory of Denmark.

Since the capture of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, President Donald Trump has revived his argument that the United States needs to control the world’s largest island to ensure its own security in the face of rising threats from China and Russia in the Arctic.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen and his Greenland counterpart, Vivian Motzfeldt, had requested a meeting with Rubio, according to a statement posted Tuesday to Greenland’s government website. Previous requests for a meeting were not successful, the statement said.

Rubio told a select group of U.S. lawmakers that it was the Republican administration’s intention to eventually purchase Greenland, as opposed to using military force.

The remarks, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, were made in a classified briefing Monday evening on Capitol Hill, according to a person with knowledge of his comments who was granted anonymity because it was a private discussion.

On Wednesday, Rubio told reporters in Washington that Trump has been talking about acquiring Greenland since his first term.

“That’s always been the president’s intent from the very beginning,” Rubio said.

“He’s not the first U.S. president that has examined or looked at how we could ac-

quire Greenland.”

The leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom joined Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen in issuing a statement this week reaffirming that the mineral-rich island, which guards the Arctic and North Atlantic approaches to North America, “belongs to its people.” Frederiksen warned that a U.S. takeover would amount to the end of NATO. “The Nordics do not lightly make statements like this,” Maria Martisiute, a defense analyst at the European Policy Centre think tank, told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “But it is Trump whose very bombastic language bordering on direct threats and intimidation is threatening the fact to another ally by saying, ‘I will control or annex the territory.’ ” Rubio, who was on Capitol Hill for a classified briefing Wednesday with the entire U.S. Senate and House, did not directly answer reporters’ questions about whether the administration was willing to risk the NATO alliance by potentially moving ahead with a military option regarding Greenland.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that using the military to acquire Greenland was an option, though she told reporters Wednesday that “the president’s first option always has been diplomacy.”

Some Republican senators said they saw strategic value in Greenland, but they stopped short of supporting military action to acquire it.

Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, cochairs of the bipartisan Senate NATO Observer Group, said the U.S. needs to honor its treaty obligations to Denmark.

Thomas Crosbie, an associate professor of military operations at the Royal Danish Defense College, said an American takeover would not help Washington’s national security.

“The United States will gain no advantage if its flag is flying in Nuuk versus the Greenlandic flag,” he told the AP. “There’s no benefits to them because they already enjoy all of the advantages they want. If there’s any specific security access that they want to improve American security, they’ll be given it as a matter of course, as a trusted ally. So this has nothing to do with improving national security for the United States.”

Denmark’s parliament approved a bill in June to allow U.S. military bases on Danish soil.

It widened a previous military agreement, made in 2023 with the Biden administration, in which U.S. troops had broad access to Danish air bases in the Scandinavian country.

Denmark’s foreign minister has said that Denmark would be able to terminate the agreement if the U.S. tries to annex all or part of Greenland.

In the event of military action, the U.S. Department of Defense operates the remote Pituffik Space Base, in northwestern Greenland, and the troops there could be mobilized.

Crosbie said he believes the U.S. would not seek to hurt the local population or engage with Danish troops.

“They don’t need to bring any firepower. They don’t need to bring anybody,” Crosbie said Wednesday.

“They could just direct the military personnel currently there to drive to the center of Nuuk and just say, ‘This is America now,’ right? And that would lead to the same response as if they flew in 500 or 1,000 people.”

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4A ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Immigration policies, lower fertility rate cut population estimates

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and MIKE SCHNEIDER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. population is projected to grow by 15 million in 30 years, a smaller estimate than in previous years, due to President Donald Trump’s hard-line immigration policies and an expected lower fertility rate, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday.

The nonpartisan budget office projected that the U.S. population will grow from 349 million people this year to 364 million people in 30 years, a 2.2% smaller gain than it had predicted in 2025. In September, the office issued a revised demographics report that showed Trump’s plans for mass deportations and other strict immigration measures would result in roughly 320,000 people removed from the United States over the next 10 years.

The country’s total population is projected to stop growing in 2056 and remain roughly the same size as in the previous year, the CBO said. But without immigration, the population would begin to shrink in 2030 as deaths start to exceed births, making immigrants an increasingly important source of population growth, according to the report.

Even if the limits on immigration and increased deportations end with the Trump administration in three years, “it’s still a demographic shock,” said William Frey, a demographer at the centrist Brook-

ings Institution.

Social Security and Medicare, which are already buckling under an aging population, will be under increasing pressure with even fewer than expected people in the labor force paying taxes. By the end of the decade, all of the nation’s baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, will be over age 65.

With fewer immigrants in the labor force and projections for U.S. fertility rates showing a long-term decline below replacement levels, “that reduces the number of kids who are going to be born in that four-year period” of the second Trump administration, Frey said.

The latest numbers come as Trump has pushed for the largest mass deportation campaign in history. The CBO’s numbers account for the success of those efforts in the first year of his second term in office.

When it comes to estimating the nation’s population and future growth, immigration is always the wild card because it varies much more year to year than the number of births and deaths. Immigration has fueled U.S. population growth this decade because of an aging population and fertility lower than the replacement rate.

For a generation to replace itself in the absence of immigration, the fertility rate needs to be 2.1 births per woman. But it was expected to be 1.58 in 2026 and is projected to drop to 1.53 in 2036 where it will remain over the next two decades.

Nick Reiner’s lawyer quits

BY JAMES QUEALLY and RICHARD WINTON Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES — Famed defense attorney Alan Jackson stepped down Wednesday as counsel for Nick Reiner, who is awaiting trial in the murder of his parents, beloved Hollywood couple Rob and Michele Reiner.

“We feel that we have no choice at this juncture, but to ask to be relieved,” Jackson told L.A. County Superior Court Judge Theresa McGonigle.

The Los Angeles County public defender’s office stepped in to represent Reiner on two counts of murder in the December stabbing deaths of his parents inside their Brentwood home.

Reiner’s arraignment was postponed until Feb. 23 based on the change of counsel. His new attorney is Deputy Public Defender Kimberly Greene.

The brief hearing played out before a packed courtroom filled by a crush of media and members of the public who came to observe Reiner’s second appearance in court.

Authorities allege Reiner fatally stabbed his 78-yearold father and 70-year-old mother sometime in the early morning hours at their Brentwood home on Dec. 14. Their bodies were

discovered in the master bedroom by their daughter roughly 12 hours later, and Nick Reiner was arrested that night in South L.A. by Los Angeles police.

Nick Reiner’s struggles with mental health and addiction issues are long documented. He has spoken on podcasts about hard drug use and destroying his parents’ guest house while “totally spun out on uppers.” He was living in the guest house at the time of the murders.

Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor who is not involved in the Reiner case, said following the change of counsel from Jackson on Wednesday: “Either Nick can’t pay him or they disagreed on strategy. It would be a seven-figure retainer and he doesn’t have the money. If so, why would he be living in his parents’ guest house?”

Michael Goldstein, another prominent L.A. defense attorney, said: “It would be unfair to try and figure out what happened here but it is entirely possible a conflict arose between the client and Jackson.”

Police have not disclosed a motive in the killings, though family friends told the Times that Rob and Nick Reiner got into an argument at a holiday party at the home of talk show host Conan O’Brien hours before the attack.

Calif. loses $160M for delaying revocation of 17,000 CDLs

BY JOSH FUNK

AP transportation writer California will lose an additional $160 million for delaying the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses for immigrants, federal transportation officials announced Wednesday.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy already withheld $40 million in federal funding because he said California isn’t enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers.

The state notified these drivers in the fall that they would lose their licenses

after a federal audit found problems that included licenses for truckers and bus drivers that remained valid long after an immigrant’s visa expired. More than one-quarter of the small sample of California licenses that investigators reviewed were unlawful.

But then last week California said it would delay those revocations until March after immigrant groups sued the state because of concerns that some groups were being unfairly targeted. Duffy said the state was supposed to revoke those licenses by Monday.

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Public Notices

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐ cally at https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in the of‐ fice of the Purchasing Di‐ vision at the Lafayette Consolidated Govern‐ ment Building, located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, Louisiana, until 11:00 am Central Time on the 3rd day of February, 2026 for the following: 2026 Electric Stock Mate‐ rial and will, shortly there‐ after, be opened and read aloud in the Office of Purchasing located at 705 West University Av‐ enue, Lafayette, LA. Bids received after the above specified time for open‐ ing shall not be consid‐ ered and shall be re‐ turned unopened to the sender. Bidders may at‐ tend the bid opening in person, but are highly encouraged to virtually join the bid openings via Zoom using the following link: https://us02web. zoom.us/j/84609035561? pwd=e75LihqevQeFf5d 3gUeGFLebzN2v8B.1.

In accordance with Louisiana RS 38:2212 electronic Bids may be submitted on Vendor Ac‐ cess (https://lafayettecs dgovla.tylerportico.com/ va/vendor-access/ registration).Official Bid Documents are available on Vendor Access (https://lafayettecsdgov la.tylerportico.com/va/ vendor-access/ registration). For ques‐ tions related to the elec‐ tronic bidding process, please call Morgan Broussard at 337-2918263. Bidders may re‐ quest the electronic bid package from Morgan Broussard at mcbrous‐ sard@lafayettela.gov.

Vendors submitting bids electronically are re‐ quired to provide the same documents as bid‐ ders submitting through the mail as soon as avail‐ able. Only a bid bond, certified check or cashier’s check shall be submitted as the bid se‐ curity. Electronic copies of both the front and back of the check or bid bond shall be included with the electronic bid.

Bids must be signed in accordance with LRS Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ porate Resolution or Cer‐ tificate of Authority au‐ thorizing the person signing the bid is re‐ quired to be submitted with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ versity Avenue, Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2918263 (Attn: Morgan Broussard). Bidding doc‐ uments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list of approved bonding companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the quotation form provided with the speci‐ fications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid documents.

The Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bid f j i

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Public Notices Bids/Proposals g j y bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ dated Government strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements let by the Lafayette Con‐ solidated Government for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in which disadvantaged business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling (337) 291-8410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 01-08-26, 1-11-26 DPR 1003525 172890-JAN 8-11-2T $98.26

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

SHERIFF'S SALE 21ST MORTGAGE CORPO‐ RATION Versus No. 20255956 LAKIESHA R. FELIX 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITHOUT*** ap‐ praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***JANUARY 21, 2026***, the following described property, to wit: 2021 SOUTHERN ENERGY TRU MH 16 X 76 MOBILE HOME BEARING SERIAL NUMBER SRB039332AL MUNICIPAL AD‐ DRESS:3201 KALISTE SA‐ LOOM ROAD, LOT 242, LAFAYETTE, LA 70508 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARKT. GARBER, SHERIFF $27.90 SHERIFF'S SALE HOME BANK, N.A. Versus No. 20240735 RICHARD RILEY MONTGOMERY AND LORIN BARRA MONTGOMERY 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITH*** appraise‐ ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***,the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND, TOGETHER WITH ALL IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON, AND ALL THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTENANCES AND ADVANTAGES THERE‐ UNTO BELONGING AND ALL APPURTENANCES THEREOF, BEING KNOW AND DESIGNATED AS LOT TEN (10) OF WOODLAKE SUBDIVISION, A SUBDIVI‐ SION OF THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA, ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY COMEAUX ENGINEERING & CONSULTING DATED SEPTEMBER 24, 1997, AT‐ TACHED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 97- 44726 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, AND MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING DESCRIBED WITH REFER‐ ENCE THERETO AS HAV‐ ING A FRONTAGE OF 78 FEET ON WOODLAKE LANE, SOUTHWESTERLY

BY LOT 9 OF SAID SUBDI‐ VISION, NORTHEASTERLY

BY LOT 11 OF SAID SUBDI‐ VISION, AND NORTH‐ WESTERLY BY JAMES KELLY AND CHRISTOPHER DALY AND HAVING SUCH OTHER DIMENSIONS, BOUNDARIES AND MEA‐ SUREMENTS AS MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY. SAID PROPERTY BEARS A MUNICIPAL ADDRESS OF

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

104 WOODLAKE LAFAYETTE, LA 6367.

LANE, 70508-

ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $37.33 SHERIFF'S SALE PENNYMAC LOAN SER‐ VICES, LLC Versus No. 20251811 CHRISTINE PUT‐ NAL 15TH JUDICAL DISTRICT COURT ---- PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITHOUT*** ap‐ praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***, the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND, TOGETHER WITH ALL IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON, SITU‐ ATED IN THE TOWN OF CARENCRO, PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, COMPRISING .363 AR‐ PENTS, BEING IRREGULAR IN SHAPE, MEASURING 75 FEET FRONT ON BERNARD STREET BY SUCH OTHER METES AND BOUNDS AS ARE SHOWN ON PLAT OF SURVEY THEREOF PRE‐ PARED BY FRED L. COLOMB, SURVEYOR, OF DATE JULY 3, 1978, AT‐ TACHED TO THAT CER‐ TAIN ACT RECORDED UNDER FILE NUMBER 1978-208089 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH CLERK OF COURT, WHICH PLAT OF SURVEY IS MADE A PART HEREOF

BY REFERENCE THERETO. LESS AND EXCEPT: ONE (1) CERTAIN TRACT(S) OR PARCEL(S) OF LAND, TOGETHER WITH ALL THE IMPROVE‐ MENTS SITUATED THEREON, AND ALL OF THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIV‐ ILEGES, SERVITUDES AND ADVANTAGES THERE‐ UNTO BELONGING OR IN ANYWISE APPERTAINING, SITUATED IN SECTION(S) 119, TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH, RANGE 4 EAST, SOUTH‐ WEST LAND DISTRICT, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, IDENTIFIED AS PARCEL NO(S). 4-6 AS SHOWN ON SHEET NO(S).

4 OF THE PROPERTY MAP FOR STATE PROJECT NO. 828-44-0013, F.A.P. NO. STP-2800(501), LA 182 - I49 (CARENCRO), ROUTE LA 726, LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, PRE‐ PARED BY LYLES L. BUR‐ DEN, PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR, DATED NOVEMBER 1, 2000, SAID MAP BEING ATTACHED TO THAT CERTAIN ACT RECORDED UNDER FILE NUMBER 2002-42053 AND MADE A PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE THERETO, AND BEING MORE PAR‐ TICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: PARCEL NO. 4-6: FROM A POINT ON THE CENTER‐ LINE OF STATE PROJECT NO. 828-44-0013, AT STA‐ TION 0+573.733, PRO‐ CEEDS S03°06’34"W A DISTANCE OF 6.428 ME‐ TERS TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING; THENCE PRO‐ CEED S79°57’00"E A DIS‐ TANCE OF 22.997 METERS TO A POINT AND CORNER; THENCE PROCEEDS S14°51’01"W A DISTANCE OF 5.108 METERS TO A POINT AND CORNER; THENCE PROCEED ALONG A CURVE TO THE RIGHT HAVING A RADIUS OF 1286.500 METERS, WHOSE LENGTH IS 21.845 METERS AND WHOSE CHORD LENGTH IS 21.945 METERS AND BEARS N80°03’07"W TO A POINT AND CORNER; THENCE PROCEED N03°06’4"E A DISTANCE OF 5.167 METERS TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. ALL OF WHICH COM‐ PRISES PARCEL 4-6 AS SHOWN ON SHEET 4 OF THE RIGHT OF WAY PLANS OF STATE PROJECT NO. 828-44-0013, AND CONTAINS AN AREA OF 115.51 SQUARE METERS OR 0.0116 HECTARES OR 1243.3 SQUARE FEET OR 0.029 ACRES. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 606 VETERANS DRIVE, CAREN‐ CRO, LA 70520 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS

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Public Notices Sheriff Sales y g that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITH*** appraise‐ ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***,the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND. TOGETHER WITH ALL IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON, AND ALL THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, AND APPURTENANCES ADVANTAGES THERE‐ UNTO BELONGING AND ALL APPURTENANCES THEREOF, BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT THIRTY-EIGHT (38) OF CAJUN ESTATES, A SUBDI‐ VISION OF THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY GERALD G. REAUX DATED SEPTEMBER 4, 1976, AT‐ TACHED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 77-4532 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, AND MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING DESCRIBED WITH REFER‐ ENCE THERETO AS HAV‐ ING A FRONTAGE OF 162.40 FEET, MORE OR LESS, ON BAKER STREET AND IS BOUNDED WEST‐ ERLY BY BAKER STREET, NORTHERLY BY LOT 110 OF SAID SUBDIVISION, SOUTHERLY BY MAL‐ COMBE STREET AND EASTERLY BY AN OXIDA‐ TION POND, AND HAVING SUCH OTHER DIMEN‐ SIONS, BOUNDARIES AND MEASUREMENTS AS ARE MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY; SUBJECT TO RESTRIC‐ TIONS, SERVITUDES, RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND OUTSTANDING MINERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AF‐ FECTING THE PROPERTY. MUNICIPAL ADDRESS: 112 BAKER STREET, BROUS‐ SARD, LA 70518 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $37.55 SHERIFF'S SALE ST. LANDRY BANK AND TRUST COMPANY Versus No. 20251812 JOSEPH AND JUANITA ENTERPRISES, LLC 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of AMENDED SEIZURE AND SALE issued in the here‐ inabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITHOUT*** ap‐ praisement, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***,the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: THAT CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL BUILD‐ INGS AND IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON AND THEREUNTO BELONGING, SITUATED IN LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, BEING KNOWN AND DES‐ IGNATED AS LOT ONE (1) OF CARENCRO VILLAGE A COMMERCIAL DEVEL‐ OPMENT (l.090 ACRES), LOCATED IN SECTION 1 &

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Public Notices Sheriff Sales

Public Notices Sheriff Sales

132, TOWNSHIP 8 SOUTH & 9 SOUTH, RANGE 4 EAST, TOGETHER WITH THE SERVITUDE OF AC‐ CESS DESIGNATED AS "PROPOSED 28 FOOT RIGHT OF PASSAGE", WITH FURTHER DIMEN‐ SIONS, SHAPE, FORN, LO‐ CATION AND CONFIGURA‐ TION AS SHOWN ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SUR‐ VEY, DATED JULY 21, 2010, PREPARED BY RONKARTZOESTRIECHER, AND AT‐ TACEED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 2010-30712 OF THE RECORDS OF THE LAFAYETTE PARISH CLERK OF COURT. TOGETHER WITH THE SALE OF THE LAND, THE SERVITUDE OF ACCESS AND RIGHT-OF-WAY, TO‐ GETHER WITH THE NONEXCLUSIVE RIGHT TO PARK OVER THAT POR‐ TION OF SAID SURVEY BY RONKARTZOESTRIECHER, DATED MAY 26, 2010, DESIG‐ NATED AS THE PROPOSED 28 FOOT RIGHT OF PAS‐ SAGE AKO EXISTING CON‐ CRETE PARKING. THE SAID RIGHT-OF-WAYS ARE GIVEN WITH THE CONDI‐ TION THAT THE OWNERS, LESSEES AND OCCUPIERS OF LOTS 1, 2 AND 3 OF THE SAID SURVEY SHALL AT NO TIME OBSTRUCT THE COMMON DRIVEWAY OR PREVENT ACCESS OR PERFORM ANY ACT WHICH IN ANY WAY IN‐ TERFERES WITH THE USE OF THE ACCESS WAY AND/OR PARKING AREAS

BY THE OCCUPANTS OF THE RESPECTIVE PROP‐ ERTIES. THE MUNICIPAL ADDRESS OF THE SUBJECT PROP‐ ERTY IS 210 W. GLORIA SWITCH ROAD, CAREN‐ CRO, LA, 70520.

ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $42.48 SHERIFF'S SALE UNITED WHOLESALE MORTGAGE, LLC Versus No. 20253493 JITENDRA PATEL AKA JITENDRA C. PATEL 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of SEIZURE AND SALE is‐ sued in the hereinabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITH*** appraise‐ ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***,the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: ONE (1) CERTAIN LOT OR PARCEL OF GROUND, TO‐ GETHER WITH ALL THE BUILDINGS AND IM‐ PROVEMENTS THEREON, SITUATED IN THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, IN THAT SUB‐ DIVISION KNOWN AS CHEMET PARK AND BEING DESIGNATED ON THE OF‐ FICIAL PLAN OF SAID SUBDIVISION, ON FILE AND OF RECORD IN THE OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF RECORDER OF SAID PARISH AND STATE, AS LOT NUMBER THIRTYTHREE (33), SAID SUBDI‐ VISION, SAID LOT HAVING SUCH SIZE, SHAPE AND DIMENSIONS AND BEING SUBJECT TO SUCH SERVI‐ TUDES AS ARE SHOWN ON SAID MAP; SUBJECT TO RESTRICTIONS, SERVI‐ TUDES, RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND OUTSTANDING MIN‐ ERAL RIGHTS OF RECORD AFFECTING THE PROP‐ ERTY. MUNICIPAL AD‐

DRESS: 107 CHEMET ROAD, YOUNGSVILLE, LA 70592 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2: 00 P. M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $33.69 SHERIFF'S SALE WILMINGTON SAVINGS FUND SOCIETY, FSB, AS TRUSTEE OF QUERCUS MORTGAGE INVESTMENT TRUST Versus No. 20235743 JASON WOODS AND CASMERE WILSON WOODS, (A/K/A CASMERE WOODS) 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given that by virtue of a writ of AMENDED SEIZURE AND SALE issued in the here‐ inabove entitled and numbered cause I have seized and taken into my possession and will offer for sale and sell for cash, ***WITH*** appraise‐ ment, to the last and highest bidder, at public auction, at the LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ ERNMENT BUILDING, 1010 LAFAYETTE STREET, 2ND FLOOR in Lafayette, Louisiana, between the legal sale hours com‐ mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***FEBRU‐ ARY 11, 2026***,the fol‐ lowing described prop‐ erty, to wit: THAT CERTAIN PARCEL OF GROUND, TOGETHER WITH ALL IMPROVE‐ MENTS THEREON, AND ALL THE RIGHTS, WAYS, PRIVILEGES, SERVITUDES, APPURTENANCES AND ADVANTAGES THERE‐ UNTO BELONGING AND ALL APPURTENANCES THEREOF, BEING KNOWN AND DESIGNATED AS LOT FIFTY-ONE (51) OF SOUTHFIELD SUBDIVI‐ SION, A SUBDIVISION OF THE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, ON THAT CERTAIN PLAT OF SURVEY PREPARED BY COMEAUX ENGINEERING & CONSULTING DATED NOVEMBER 17, 2011, AT‐ TACHED TO THAT ACT RECORDED UNDER ENTRY NO. 12-649 OF THE RECORDS OF LAFAYETTE PARISH, LOUISIANA, AND MADE PART HEREOF BY REFERENCE, AND BEING DESCRIBED WITH REFER‐ ENCE THERETO AS HAV‐ ING A FRONTAGE ON NEWSHIRE DRIVE AND IS BOUNDED WEST BY NEW‐ SHIRE DRIVE, EAST BY LOT 54, NORTH BY LOT 50, AND SOUTH BY LOT 52 AND HAVING SUCH OTHER DIMENSIONS, BOUNDARIES AND MEA‐ SUREMENTS AS ARE MORE FULLY SHOWN ON SAID PLAT OF SURVEY. WHICH HAS THE AD‐ DRESS OF 102 NEWSHIRE DRIVE, BROUSSARD, LA 70518 ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTY AT SHERIFF'S SALE IS GIVEN UNTIL 2:00 P.M. ON SALE DAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNT BY CERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF'S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $37.55

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PUBLISH ON: JANUARY 8, 2026 & FEBRUARY 5, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐ IFF’S OFFICE MARK T. GARBER, SHERIFF $49.76 SHERIFF'S SALE PLANET HOME LENDING, LLC Versus No. 20257118 JOSEPH LORMAND 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT---PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATE OF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given h b i f i f

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ICE

Continued from page 1A She said the veteran officer who fired his gun had been rammed and dragged by an anti-ICE motorist in June.

“Any loss of life is a tragedy, and I think all of us can agree that in this situation, it was preventable,” Noem said, adding that the FBI would investigate.

But Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey blasted Noem’s version of what happened as “garbage” and criticized the federal deployment of more than 2,000 officers to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul as part of the immigration crackdown.

“What they are doing is not to provide safety in America. What they are doing is causing chaos and distrust,” Frey said, calling on the immigration agents to leave. “They’re ripping families apart. They’re sowing chaos on our streets, and in this case, quite literally killing people.”

“They are already trying to spin this as an action of self-defense.

Having seen the video myself, I wanna tell everybody directly, that is bull****,” the mayor said.

Frey said he had a message for ICE: “Get the f*** out of Minneapolis.”

Videos taken by bystanders with different vantage points and posted to social media show an officer approaching an SUV stopped across the middle of the road, demanding the driver open the door and grabbing the handle. The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of the vehicle pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots into the vehicle at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.

It was not clear from the videos if the vehicle made contact with the officer. The SUV then sped into two cars parked on a curb nearby before crashing to a stop. Witnesses screamed obscenities, expressing shock at what they’d seen. After the shooting, emergency medical technicians tried to administer aid

FOUNDATION Continued from page 1A

and construct a new single-family home on the site. The goal is to create more than 30 homes for people in the community that bring a sense of ownership instead of renting.

“This isn’t just about building a structure,” Mouton said. “It’s about creating stability, pride and a sense of belonging for families who may have never thought homeownership was possible.”

VOTER

Continued from page 1A The voter data has to include each registrant’s full name, date of birth, residential address and driver’s license number or the last four digits of a Social Security number, the letter says.

The Secretary of State’s Office in late September responded with voter registration data that is already available to the public to purchase. That list included voters’ full names, home and mailing addresses and phone numbers as well as age, race, sex and party affiliation — but not any part of Social Security numbers

ETHICS

Continued from page 1A motorist in exchange for the officers’ cooperation, the board ruled. He was fined $100 for each violation.

According to testimony provided to the Ethics Board, Boudreaux arrived at the scene after Reaux, who was returning from Boudreaux’s house when the accident occurred, called him. Boudreaux had showed up separately from two Youngsville officers assigned to respond to the accident.

When one of the officers asked her if she had been drinking, Reaux initially responded “No. Yes. Possibly,” before later saying she had not.

Reaux did not undergo a

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By ELLEN SCHMIDT

U.S. Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino joins federal agents at the scene of a shooting in Minneapolis on Wednesday.

The Twin Cities have been on edge since DHS announced Tuesday that it had launched the operation, which is at least partly tied to allegations of fraud involving Somali residents. Noem confirmed Wednesday that DHS had deployed more than 2,000 officers to the area and said they had already made “hundreds and hundreds” of arrests.

A large throng of protesters gathered at the scene after the shooting, where they vented their anger at the local and federal officers who were there, including Gregory Bovino, a senior U.S. Customs and Border Patrol official who has been the face of crackdowns in Los Angeles, Chicago and elsewhere.

A Minneapolis police officer stands guard while emergency medical a scene that hearkened back technicians administer aid to a person who was shot by an Immigration toInthe Los Angeles and Chicago and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis on Wednesday. crackdowns, bystanders heckled the officers, chanting “Shame! of immigration enforcement op- Shame! Shame!” and “ICE out of to the woman.

“She was driving away and they erations in major cities under the Minnesota,” and blew whistles that killed her,” said resident Lynette Trump administration. The death have become ubiquitous during Reini-Grandell, who was outdoors of the Minneapolis driver, whose the operations. recording video on her phone. name wasn’t immediately reThe shooting marked a dramatic leased, was at least the fifth linked Governor calls for calm escalation of the latest in a series to immigration crackdowns.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said

While the city has donated land, Mouton said much of the construction happening now, including the Harmony Street home, is being funded directly out of pocket by him and his partner, Jeremiah Batiste, with support from community members and volunteers. He said they chose to move forward without waiting on large-scale funding to show what’s possible when the community invests in itself.

As part of the city’s donation requirements, future homeowners must complete financial literacy and home maintenance courses before qualifying for one of the

homes.

“We want people to succeed long-term,” Mouton said. “Teaching someone how to budget, manage credit and take care of a home helps prevent people from falling back into the same cycle.”

Batiste, the founder of Keys to Life Foundation, said many families lack access to guidance on achieving homeownership. “The desire to do better is there,” Batiste said. “What’s missing for a lot of people is understanding where to start. These programs help lay out the steps.”

Batiste’s nonprofit also focuses on developing and selling afford-

or driver’s license numbers.

Landry said Monday Justice Department officials weren’t satisfied with the voter list containing publicly available information.

The office is preparing to comply with the request “in short order,” a spokesperson for Landry said Monday.

Dhillon in her September letter said the Justice Department needs the voter data to determine if Louisiana is complying with federal requirements for proper maintenance of voter registration lists.

She cited three federal laws as grounds for collecting Louisiana voters’ personal information: the Civil Rights Act of 1960, the National Voter Registration

Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002.

Over the past several months, the Justice Department has been trying to collect detailed voter information from dozens of states across the country, with varied success.

Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee have agreed to “voluntarily provide their full registration lists,” according to a December news release from the Justice Department.

But dozens of other states and jurisdictions have pushed back on the request for detailed voter data, prompting the DOJ to file at least 22 lawsuits, according to that news release.

After the Justice Depart-

sobriety test, and no citation was issued. The crash left both cars undrivable.

In a hearing last June, Boudreaux insisted that he was not present on the scene to influence the responding officers and did not give any direct orders. The two officers, however, claimed that their failure to issue a field sobriety test or a traffic citation came at his direction.

Reaux resigned her position on the Youngsville City Council after a video of the incident surfaced four months later.

Boudreaux was also cited for facilitating payment to the officers from Reaux in the form of $10 gift cards to a coffee shop after the incident. The officers tried to decline them, but the police chief intervened and distributed them to the offi-

cers, who later gave them to citizens during traffic stops.

Louisiana statute states that “no public servant or other person shall give, pay, loan, transfer, or deliver or offer to give, pay, loan, transfer, or deliver, directly or indirectly, to any public servant or other person anything of economic value.”

Boudreaux claimed they were not in exchange for favorable treatment but rather as a token of apology from Reaux, who mocked the officers and gave them a fake phone number.

Boudreaux resigned in 2023 before running an unsuccessful campaign to be reelected in 2024 despite being disqualified due to state law that prohibits a candidate from running in a special election triggered by his resignation.

able, owner-occupied homes for low- and moderate-income households in Lafayette Parish. The two organizations connected after realizing they shared similar goals for the northside.

“We both want to see this area thrive again,” Batiste said. “That starts with stable housing and giving people the tools to keep it.”

Construction itself is also designed to be a community effort.

Fredrick Louis, on-site volunteer at the Harmony Street home, said the Never To Late Foundation involves local residents in the building process, giving younger workers hands-on experience and

ment sued Colorado last month, Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat, said, “We will not hand over Coloradans’ sensitive voting information to Donald Trump. He does not have a legal right to the information.”

The federal law enforcement agency sued Georgia after that state provided only some voter data, though not all.

“Hardworking Georgians can rest easy knowing this data was shared strictly in accordance with state law that protect voters’ priva-

he’s prepared to deploy the National Guard if necessary. He said a family member of the driver was there to witness the killing, which he described as “predictable” and “avoidable.” He also said like many, he was outraged by the shooting, but he called on people to keep protests peaceful.

“They want a show. We can’t give it to them. We cannot,” the governor said during a news conference.

“If you protest and express your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully, as you always do. We can’t give them what they want.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara briefly described the shooting to reporters but, unlike federal officials, gave no indication that the driver was trying to harm anyone.

“This woman was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue. ... At some point a federal law enforcement officer approached her on foot and the vehicle began to drive off,” the chief said. “At least two shots were fired.

The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway.”

There were calls on social media to prosecute the officer who shot the driver. Commissioner Bob Jacobson of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety said state authorities would investigate the shooting with federal authorities.

“Keep in mind that this is an investigation that is also in its infancy. So any speculation about what has happened would be just that,” Jacobson told reporters.

The shooting happened in the district of Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, who called it “state violence,” not law enforcement.

For nearly a year, migrant rights advocates and neighborhood activists across the Twin Cities have been preparing to mobilize in the event of an immigration enforcement surge. From houses of worship to mobile home parks, they have set up very active online networks, scanned license plates for possible federal vehicles and bought whistles and other noisemaking devices to alert neighborhoods of any enforcement presence.

allowing future homeowners to understand how their homes are built and maintained.

“The goal is to foster community,” Louis said. “We want affordable living for the elderly, but we also want to give the younger generation opportunities to work, learn skills and be part of something positive.”

The first homes are expected to be completed within months, with additional buildings following in phases as more properties are secured, according to Mouton.

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

cy,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, a Republican, said in a statement.

In lawsuits, the Justice Department has argued the Civil Rights Act of 1960 gives the U.S. attorney “sweeping power” to request and review states’ voting registration records.

Some states are arguing providing sensitive voter data to the Justice Department violates privacy laws.

“The central issue in the Justice Department’s demands and lawsuits is what,

if any, information federal voting laws require states to disclose to the federal government despite state laws designed to protect voters’ sensitive personal information,” explains a recent paper by Derek Clinger, senior counsel at the State Democracy Research Initiative at the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Based on existing court precedent, there is not a clear answer to this question, Clinger wrote.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Is New Iberia the Padookie Capital of the World?

And what’s a padookie?

has the answers to all your questions!

Submit your questions today! or email: curiouslouisiana@theadvocate.com

6A ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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ALMANAC

AIR QUALITY

LAFAyETTE THROUGH 5 P.M. WEDNESDAy

YESTERDAY

TEMPERATURE

High/low Normal high/low Record high Record low

MODERATE

76°/64° 62°/43° 81° in 1894 17° in 1924

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

READING 52

TODAY

PRECIPITATION

GOOD

24 hours through 5 p.m. Wed. 0.00” Month to date (normal) Trace (1.35”) year to date (normal) Trace (1.35”)

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

SUN AND MOON Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

SOURCE: AIRNOW.GOV

LAST

7:05 a.m.

5:24 p.m.

11:07 p.m.

10:39 a.m.

JAN 10

NEW

FIRST

FULL

JAN 18

JAN 25

FEB 1

THE NATION AND WORLD Today City

LOUISIANA FORECAST

RIVER STAGES MISSISSIPPI

Monroe 77/67

Shreveport 78/67

Jackson 78/67

Longview 77/64

Many 77/65

Hattiesburg 77/68

Alexandria 79/67

Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO

Cairo COMITE

Near Olive

Baton Rouge 81/70 Beaumont 80/67

Port Arthur 78/67

Lafayette

AMITE

Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent

New Orleans 79/68

Lake Charles 78/66

TICKFAW

Montpelier Holden

Houma 80/70

ATCHAFALAYA

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

TIDES HIGH

First FT. LOW

Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) 10:27a 0.2 Shell Beach 5:13a 0.7 South Point, Marsh Island 6:55a 0.8 Cypremort Point 8:46a 0.4 Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) 12:08a 0.4 Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) 7:41p 0.3 Wine Island 1:16a 0.5

FT.

8:41p 0.0 1:55p 0.0 12:57a 0.6 4:50a 0.3 10:07a 0.0 8:07a 0.0 11:09a 0.0

HIGH

Second FT. LOW

----9:31p 0.5 8:38p 1.0 10:41p 0.7 7:33p 0.2 ----8:41p 0.2

FT.

--------11:48a 0.0 3:34p 0.0 -------------

Forecasts and graphics, except KATC forecasts, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

-2.50 14.90 17.80 6.30 3.80 2.21 2.60

-0.12 +0.27 +0.30 +0.20 -0.20 +0.02 -0.09

40

11.54

-1.41

19

-1.43

none

18 29 8

-0.99 10.08 1.66

none -0.01 +0.02

13 15

1.60 0.78

-0.01 -0.02

47 34 29 20 12 6

6.08 3.95 3.71 2.81 2.50 1.71

+0.20 +0.08 -0.06 +0.14 +0.10 -0.38

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

The World Amsterdam Bangkok Barcelona Berlin Brussels Cairo Dublin Frankfurt Havana Hong Kong Jerusalem

Friday

Hi

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

City

80 46 80 -33 82 56 68 82 71

60 30 51 -42 65 37 63 70 65

c s sh pc s pc c s c

73 46 71 -13 83 53 69 82 71

45 41 40 -20 68 35 52 71 60

t r pc pc pc s r s t

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

38 84 58 27 39 79 40 35 85 66 66

33 65 50 20 35 59 33 33 64 54 49

c s pc pc r pc sn c s s pc

39 83 62 25 42 68 39 43 86 66 51

31 66 45 16 32 55 31 33 62 57 46

sn pc pc sn sn pc s r s pc r

Kuwait City London Madrid Mexico City Montreal Moscow New Delhi Paris Rome Stockholm Tokyo

Hi

Today

Friday

Lo

W

Hi

Lo

W

79 81 54 59 52 63 66 65 80

68 61 36 41 47 48 47 44 65

pc pc pc sh pc pc r s pc

77 82 58 61 64 71 55 66 80

66 61 50 41 41 61 39 44 64

t pc r s r c c s s

72 44 45 75 36 21 59 49 50 32 52

43 35 40 45 29 11 42 42 40 21 37

s i c pc pc c pc r pc c s

74 41 53 75 42 12 61 45 60 26 50

55 34 37 45 26 12 43 36 45 12 37

pc c pc pc r sn pc r c pc s

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

-10

-0s

0s

10s 20s 30s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 100s 110s

SOLUNAR TABLE The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

Today Fri. Sat. Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed.

Major

Minor

3:22a 9:33a 4:08a 10:18a 4:50a 11:01a 5:31a 11:42a 6:12a 12:23p 6:54a 12:42a 7:37a 1:24a

Major

Minor

3:43p 9:54p 4:28p 10:39p 5:11p 11:21p 5:53p ---6:35p ---7:17p 1:06p 8:01p 1:49p

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

Pope convenes cardinals and asks their priorities Latin Mass won’t be on agenda

the church and revolutionized Catholic relations with Jews and people of other faiths. At the time and in the decades since, though, its reforms crystalized the divisions between traditionalist, conservative Catholics and the more progressive wing of the church that are still alive today.

BY NICOLE WINFIELD

Associated Press

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday opened a new phase of his pontificate by gathering the world’s cardinals to Rome and asking them to advise him on key priorities for the next two years. They responded by indicating continuity with Pope Francis’ key aims of making the church more missionary and responsive to the needs of ordinary faithful.

Some 170 red-capped cardinals, or around two-thirds of the total College of Cardinals, trickled into the Vatican’s audience hall for the opening session of the twoday meeting, known as a consistory, the first of Leo’s papacy.

In his opening remarks, Leo asked them to share what they considered to be the priorities that should guide him and the Holy See for the next year or two. He originally offered four agenda items but then asked the cardinals to pick just two.

Significantly, the cardinals chose not to focus on questions about the liturgy and the divisive question about the old Latin Mass.

Calling College of Cardinals

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

Pope Leo XIV is handed a package of Peeps marshmallow candy as he meets faithful at the end of his weekly general audience Wednesday in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican.

“This day and a half together will point the way for our path ahead,” Leo said.

Earlier in the day Leo had given the strongest signal yet about the direction of his still-young pontificate, calling for the full implementation of the reforms of Vatican II, the 1960s meetings that modernized and revolutionized the Catholic Church and remain a source of debate today.

Leo told his weekly gen-

eral audience that for the foreseeable future, he would devote his weekly catechism lessons to a rereading of key Vatican II documents.

“Therefore, while we hear the call not to let its prophecy fade, and to continue to seek ways and means to implement its insights, it will be important to get to know it again closely, and to do so not through hearsay or interpretations that have been given, but by rereading

its documents and reflecting on their content,” he said.

Citing all the popes from Vatican II forward who spoke about its importance, Leo said: “Indeed, it is the magisterium that still constitutes the guiding star of the church’s journey today.”

Among other things, Vatican II allowed for use of the vernacular rather than Latin for Mass. It called for greater participation of lay faithful in the life of

Leo’s first few months as pope were dominated by fulfilling the intense 2025 Holy Year obligations of celebrating special Jubilee audiences and Masses and wrapping up the outstanding matters of Francis’ pontificate.

He called the consistory of cardinals to begin the day after he closed out the Jubilee, suggesting that he saw its conclusion as the opportunity to unofficially launch his pontificate and look ahead to his own agenda.

It was a significant gesture, since Francis had relied not on consistories or the College of Cardinals as a whole to help him govern, but rather a small, handpicked group of nine cardinals who met every few months at the Vatican.

Cardinals complained that they had been sidelined during Francis’ 12-year pontificate, and Leo obliged by bringing them together.

A Francis-style agenda

Originally, the official agenda included four topics: a discussion of two of Francis’ key reform documents: his inaugural statement on the missionary nature of the church issued at the start of his pontificate, and the 2022 document that reformed the Vatican bureaucracy. Also on the original agenda was Francis’ call for the church to be more “synodal,” or responsive to the needs of rank-and-file Catholics, and a discussion of the liturgy.

At the start of the meeting Wednesday, Leo asked the cardinals to choose two of the four to focus on. The majority decided to focus on the issues of the missionary and synodal church rather than the liturgy or Vatican reform, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said.

The liturgy question had been expected to refer to divisions within the church over the celebration of the old Latin Mass. The ancient liturgy became a source of division in the church in some parts of the world after Francis greatly restricted it.

While the majority of cardinals chose not to make it one of the two main themes of discussion for Thursday, individual cardinals are free to speak about it, Bruni said.

House takes step toward extending Affordable Care Act subsidies

BY KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO

the issue, they said doing nothing was not an option as many of their Associated Press constituents faced soaring health insurance premiums beginning WASHINGTON — Overpowering this month.

Nine Republicans joined DemoSpeaker Mike Johnson, a bipartisan coalition in the House voted crats to advance the measure.

Wednesday to push forward a measure that would revive an en- Republicans go around leaders hanced pandemic-era subsidy that If ultimately successful in the lowered health insurance costs for House this week, the voting would roughly 22 million people, but that show there is bipartisan support had expired last month. for a proposed three-year extenThe tally of 221-205 was a key sion of the tax credits that are test before passage of the bill, available for those who buy insurwhich is expected Thursday. And ance through the Affordable Care it came about because four GOP Act, also known as Obamacare. centrist lawmakers joined with The action of forcing a vote has Democrats in signing a so-called been an affront to Johnson and discharge petition to force the GOP leaders, who essentially lost vote. After last year’s govern- control of their House majority as ment shutdown failed to resolve the renegade lawmakers joined

Democrats for the workaround.

But the Senate is under no requirement to take up the bill.

Instead, a small group of members from both parties is working on an alternative plan that could find support in both chambers and become law. One proposal would be to shorten the extension of the subsidy to two years and make changes to the program.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said any plan passing muster in the Senate will need to have income limits to ensure that it’s focused on those who most need the help and that beneficiaries would have to at least pay a nominal amount for their coverage.

That way, he said, “insurance companies can’t game the system and auto-enroll people.” Finally,

Thune said there would need to be some expansion of health savings accounts, which allow people to save money and withdraw it taxfree as long as the money is spent on qualified medical expenses.

Democrats pressing the issue It’s unclear whether the negotiations will yield a bill that the Senate will take up. Democrats are making clear that the higher health insurance costs many Americans are facing will be a political centerpiece of their efforts to retake the majority in the House and Senate in the fall elections.

Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who led his party’s effort to push the health care issue forward, particularly challenged Republicans in competitive con-

gressional districts to join if they really wanted to prevent steep premium increases for their constituents. Before Wednesday’s vote, he called on colleagues to “address the health care crisis in this country and make sure that tens of millions of people have the ability to go see a doctor when they need one.”

Johnson, R-Benton, had discussed allowing more politically vulnerable GOP lawmakers a chance to vote on bills that would temporarily extend the subsidies while also adding changes such as income caps for beneficiaries. But after days of discussions, the leadership sided with the more conservative wing of the party’s conference, which has assailed the subsidies as propping up a failed program.

METRO

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

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T h u r s d ay, J a n u a ry 8, 2026

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La. child dies from flu; cases rise Infections growing across country

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

The state Health Department on Wednesday confirmed one death of a Louisiana child from influenza so far this season as the U.S. experiences one of its most severe flu outbreaks in years.

No additional details about the

year, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. child were provided by the LouisiLast year, there were 289 pediana Department of Health, which atric flu deaths nationally, with tracks flu-related deaths in the four in Louisiana. Flu season typistate and updates them in an online cally begins in October and runs dashboard each week. Health offi- through April.

Influenza-like activity nationcials said the respiratory database is expected to be updated Friday to wide has reached levels not seen reflect the confirmed death. since 1997, according to the CDC. Nationally, nine pediatric deaths Louisiana was an early hot spot have been reported so far this this season and continues to be

classified at “very high” activity levels.

Nearly 1 in 7 emergency room visits in Louisiana right now is for flu-like symptoms — almost twice the national rate — which is higher than the state has typically seen at this point in recent years, according to state data. The highest number of visits were from children under the age of 4.

At Manning Family Children’s in New Orleans, the state’s larg-

est children’s hospital, the flu test positivity rate was approximately 24% this week, or about 1 in 4.

“We’re also seeing an aboveaverage number of patients with severe flu who require hospitalization,” said Dr. John Schieffelin, a pediatric infectious disease expert. “It’s definitely been a really, really bad flu season.”

Children admitted for flu

ä See FLU, page 4B

Rice Palace closing after 30 years

Owners express gratitude to loyal restaurant customers

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

One Acadiana restaurant started off the new year with an announcement that stunned longtime customers.

According to a post published to the Rice Palace Facebook page on Dec. 31, owners Chee Chee and L.J. Gielen, of Crowley, have decided to close the popular roadside restaurant after 30 years in business.

Located at 2015 N. Cherokee Drive off Interstate 10 in Crowley, the Rice Palace Restaurant attracted diners from around the country with highly rated Cajun food and a relaxed atmosphere with an attached casino, convenience store and trucker’s lounge.

The post said, “We thank you for supporting the Rice Palace Restaurant for the last 30 years. The decision to close the restaurant was not an easy one, but it was the right one. We are eager to see what the future holds. Chee Chee & L.J. Gielen.”

According to the business, Rice Palace Restaurant gift cards can be redeemed inside the casino

ä See RESTAURANT, page 4B

GARDEN PARTY

ABOVE: Bruno Sagrera digs in the native pocket prairie garden during the monthly market at the Freetown Community Garden on Sunday. Volunteers planted a native pocket prairie and there was a Cajun/zydeco jam while residents could shop for local nutritious groceries and get their hands in the soil. RIGHT: Musicians jam during the monthly market on Sunday.

STAFF PHOTOS

By BRAD KEMP

Drive-thru crawfish sales spot planned The Cajun Table branching out

BY JOANNA BROWN

Staff writer

Acadiana, get ready for a new pick-up-and-go crawfish spot.

The Cajun Table is preparing to open a drive-thru-only location called Boil and Go at 6974 Johnston St., Lafayette. Situated between Lafayette and Maurice, the location is closer to the Suire family’s crawfish ponds — and it will enable people to pick up crawfish without waiting on orders at the main restaurant, according to Lauren Suire.

“There will be no inside dining, no fryer — just our delicious crawfish and boiled sides,” said Suire, who co-owns The Cajun Table with her husband, crawfish farmer Sean Suire.

Sean Suire, a Vermilion Parish native, opened The Cajun Table at 4510 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy. in 2017 following the success of his

ä See DRIVE-THRU, page 4B

OPINION

2B ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/opinions

OUR VIEWS

Let the internet, not state government, chase chemtrail conspiracies Though Abraham Lincoln famously extolled the virtues of government of the people, by the people and for the people, we can only surmise that our 16th president did not mean to include conspiracy theorists among that number. However, Louisiana has decided that yes, it is altogether fitting and proper to involve state government in tracking the ravings of unhinged minds.

For the blessedly ignorant, there is a sliver of humanity that has somehow come to believe that the condensation trails left by airplanes in the sky are in reality dangerous chemicals that are being purposely rained down on an unsuspecting populace. These so-called “chemtrails” have been the root of conspiracies for decades, with corners of the internet abuzz with strange sightings in the sky.

What the internet cares about is far above our poor power to add or detract. But we do have an interest in what our state agencies are tasked with doing. And thanks to a bill passed by the Legislature last summer, the state Department of Environmental Quality is now required to keep a record of complaints about chemtrails, complaints that, as you might suspect, are based on little concrete evidence.

No matter that atmospheric scientists for years have explained what those white lines that appear behind airplanes are. No matter that the Environmental Protection Agency under President Donald Trump has published pages and pages online debunking the existence of chemtrails. The state is now spending valuable time and resources to give credence to a delusion that should have long ago died in vain — but is instead being promoted by some state legislators who are encouraging their constituents to file complaints.

“Our skies belong to We the People, not to corporations, contractors, or agencies experimenting with our weather. Let’s document, report, and demand transparency,” state Sen. Valerie Hodges. R-Denham Springs, wrote on Facebook.

None of this should be surprising as we are living in deeply unserious times — even as we face deeply serious problems in our communities, our state, our nation and our world. Let us not forget that the DEQ is the agency that is supposed to regulate our petrochemical industry and make sure our water and air is clean.

Even if the law requires only that DEQ log complaints, not do anything to act on them, we can’t imagine that’s a good use of its time.

We can only hope the world will little note nor long remember what Louisiana has done here. We fear, though, that if our forefathers are watching, they might be wondering what is this nation they brought forth twelve score and 10 years ago.

YOUR VIEWS

Story of Acadians has little in common with illegal immigration

“Hakeem Jeffries makes a speech in a few days in NYC, I cannot allow this terrorist to live.”

These are the words of one of the mass-pardoned, Christopher Moynihan. On Jan. 6, 2021, he stormed our Capitol as part of a mob, which then brutalized Capitol Police officers like Brian Sicknick. The next day, the United States Capitol Police released this statement: “At approximately 9:30 p.m. this evening (January 7, 2021), U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick passed away due to injuries sustained while on-duty.”

After securing his pardon, Moynihan also secured his assault rifle. We know this not because Rep. Jeffries was shot, but because an AK-47 was mentioned in the emergency arrest order.

Moynihan, as billionaires know, is one well-armed voter veto of over 1,500 pardoned. Many others, as they know, have since reclaimed the guns they brought. It has been less than a year.

Their silence is their statement.

They may tell billionaire lies again when we can return to the rule of law. There may be talk of economic chaos from men who made tariffs with a ChatGPT prompt. They may redefine “justice” as their second round of slow-walked trials. Yet they themselves know that this time, their pockets smell of gunsmoke.

One way or the other, this time will not come again.

Long before the gunman cast his shadow on our ballots, President Ronald Reagan recounted the story of a woman wounded in El Salvador.

Moynihan would have been wise to read it.

After hurting her badly, the guerrillas warned her that if she cast her vote, she would be killed when she returned. She was in line at the polls.

“You can kill me,” she had answered, “You can kill my family, kill my neighbors, but you can’t kill us all.”

MORGAN LANDRY Pierre Part

CF Industries couldn’t be a better corporate citizen In regards to the letter concerning CF Industries and the Donaldsonville/ Ascension Parish area, I cannot help but wonder if Karaleigh Loya has ever set foot in Donaldsonville. To state that CF does little for this community is an outright lie. Industry always brings risks, but risk-reward comes into play.

As an activist in this community, it is easy to defend CF. I am not sure how much more they could do to help

many organizations. They are one of the largest employers in Ascension Parish. While I would like to see more of their employees live on the west bank, many do, and I would panic if something happened to CF. Frankly, I hope they make $3.27 billion next year for our community and their shareholders.

SONNY GRAUGNARD owner, Graugnard, Inc., appliance stores

Rabalais is wrong; there was nothing nice about Kiffin’s treatment of Ole Miss

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identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’s city of residence.

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

The Jan. 6 rioters aren’t going away; they’re getting bolder

This was before Louisiana became part of the United States in 1803, and before the United States was founded.

It was the Queen of France, who was the sister of the King of Spain, who asked the king to allow the Acadians to go to Louisiana.

She did so because the Acadian exiles were unwanted in Nova Scotia, unwanted on Prince Edward Island and basically faced hostility in France.

The king of Spain did give permission for the Acadians to enter Louisiana, and we were welcomed with open arms. But we did not come here illegally, as some people presume. I thought that needed clarification.

It seems, or at least appears to be, that the bulk of the population is on the side of immigrants entering the state illegally. I do believe that some appear to think that the Acadian ancestors came in the same way. That is far from the truth.

The Acadian ancestors did not come directly to Louisiana after being thrown out of Acadia (now known as Nova Scotia) and Ile St. Jean (now known as Prince Edward Island).

In fact, our ancestors were sent off on five ships directly to France. The book, “The Talbots and The Mystery of Marie Louise Talbot,” explains the expulsion in detail.

It is quite natural for people to be confused about the details. Louisiana was under Spanish rule at the time.

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Scott Rabalais is entitled to his opinions, no matter how dumb they are at times. His recent column suggesting that all the departing Ole Miss coaches should stop coaching just days before the Fiesta Bowl takes the cake.

What Rabalais carefully omits is the context of how we got here. First, Kiffin played handsy with Auburn for a year, creating uncertainty and chaos at Ole Miss.

There’s also plenty of speculation that he started flirting with LSU the weekend of Oct. 5 in the Superdome at the Saints-Giants game smack-dab in the middle of the college football season.

Like a 16-year-old trying to decide which color iPhone cover to buy, he held the Sword of Damocles over his Ole Miss football team for the major-

ity of this season, only to depart just as Ole Miss was on the cusp of the playoffs.

“Letting” his assistant coaches continue to coach at Ole Miss was the ultimate act of arrogance, because Kiffin never believed Ole Miss could continue to win without him. Oops!

He underestimated his team (again).

Where I grew up, a gentleman’s word is his bond. Of course, the word “gentleman” really isn’t applicable here.

We all know that.

Let the coaches coach while Kiffin watches women’s basketball with Kim Mulkey.

LSU poached a rival’s coach. Show some dignity. They need to sit this one out.

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ARNESSA GARRETT STEPHANIE GRACE WILL SUTTON QUIN HILLYER FAIMON ROBERTS

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● 3B

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COMMENTARY As Cassidy negotiates health care, Trump could save day U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana may be poised to pull a health care rabbit from his legislative hat, to the whole country’s benefit. President Donald Trump, though, may hold the magic wand.

To understand what is happening in congressional health policy negotiations requires a bit of reading invisible ink, but that doesn’t mean the writing isn’t there, ready for revelation. So, here goes: Quin As chairman of the Hillyer Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and as a policy wonk who has pushed the only major framework for a health care bill that seems viable for bipartisan support, the Republican Cassidy early this week was in heavy negotiations among a group of about 12 Republican, Democratic and independent senators. The next morning, Trump told House Republicans that their party must be “flexible” on language similar to the Hyde Amendment, a federal law banning federal funds from being used for abortions (except in the case of rape, incest or threat to the life of the mother).

The invisible ink says this: The only reason Trump would focus on Hyde is if senators are within range of agreement on everything else. That “else” is likely to include three key provisions central to ones in Cassidy’s original proposal: 1) the ability for patients to use larger, “Silver Plan”-level subsidies for less expensive “Bronze Plans;” 2) an option for patients to convert some of the money thus saved into personal, tax-free health savings accounts; and 3) the restoration of something called “cost-saving reduction payments,” which was an original feature of Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA) but which expired in 2017.

For now, though, let’s set aside any more detailed discussions of those three elements, other than to emphasize the admirably substantive nature of what may be a developing consensus. The key thing is that if Trump suddenly is talking about Hyde language, that means it, not the other substance, is probably the remaining stumbling block.

Almost all Republicans want Hyde protections explicitly added to any new law dealing with Obamacare subsidies, while almost all Democrats refuse

the spirit if it was called the Trump Cathedral.

Some are suggesting Dulles International Airport might be renamed for Trump. How many recall Dwight Eisenhower’s secretary of state? Nothing wrong with an “upgrade,” except as in so many of these it would be a downgrade.

Then there is the name of the city itself. Since Trump claims credit (and with some justification) for lowering incidents of crime, he might be honored by erasing the “C” which stands for Columbia and labeling the capital Washington, “DT”.

He’s already renamed the Institute of Peace, honoring himself for all the wars he says he has ended. It’s now called the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.

Why stop with these? The moon could be named after Trump. Moon is such a dull name. Then there are some of the planets. Trump Uranus might work, if that doesn’t sound redundant.

In 1964, the year after President Kennedy’s assassination, Congress passed legislation naming the building as a memorial to him. Some Democrats are saying Congress should approve any name change. They are right, but Trump presses on in what could result in a fait accompli.

Axios calls Congress “The worst good-paying job in America.” The Atlantic headlines, “House Republicans Aren’t Having Any Fun.” And USA Today reports: “Why quitting is all the rage in DC.” Departures from Congress are running at a record pace. Already 46 House members — 26 Republicans and 20 Democrats — have announced they’re not running again, and more retirements are expected.

There are many underlying reasons for this trend, but for Republicans, one powerful political reality is accelerating their exodus: In 20 of the last 22 midterm elections, Steve president’s party has lost Roberts the ground. Since Republicans hold a slight majority in the House, they are likely to lose control in the next Congress, and serving in the minority is a lot less rewarding that running the place.

The discontent and disillusionment pervading Capitol Hill has been building for a long time, however. Rep. Michael McCaul, a senior Republican from Texas, explained his decision to leave on CNN: “The level of partisanship, rancor, vitriolic debate, demonizing the other side of the aisle, not willing to work across the aisle to get good things done for the American people, and just the overall toxic environment.”

Similar feelings were expressed by Ken Buck, a Colorado Republican who quit Congress in 2024: “I think this place is dysfunctional,” he said.

“Instead of having decorum, instead of operating in a professional manner, this place has just devolved into this bickering and nonsense and not really doing the job for the American people.”

“It’s historic to be there,” another lawmaker told CNN. “But boy, they suck a lot of the life out of you sometimes. For some people, it’s like, what am I doing this for?”

This dismay has been badly aggravated by a new breed of member that former GOP speaker John Boehner dubbed “legislative terrorists.”

They are performers, not legislators, who thrive on combat, not compromise, and are adept at exploiting social media to elevate their profile.

Another former speaker, Paul Ryan, argues: “You have a few nihilists who are not interested in seeing their team succeed, but building a brand for themselves. ... It makes the place ungovernable.”

Don Bacon of Nebraska, a self-described oldfashioned Ronald Reagan Republican, said he’s retiring because he feels “stuck in the middle” with “crazies on the right and crazies on the left.”

This growing polarization means that deliberation and negotiation, the core of the legislative process, has virtually disappeared. Individual lawmakers are faced with bills crafted by their leaders and told to approve or reject them. Unity is demanded. Dissent is denounced.

“One of the reasons people are leaving is that it’s demoralizing to be a rubber stamp,” Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky told USA Today.

“We’re losing people who actually want to govern,” added former Rep. Tom Reed of New York, a centrist who retired in 2022. “This town no longer values bipartisanship — it sees it as betrayal.”

Trump did not start this banishment of bipartisanship, but he has clearly embraced it. His One Big Beautiful Bill passed the House last May with not a single Democrat vote, while all but two Republicans supported it.

In fact, Trump has not just discarded Democrats, but fellow Republicans as well. Many of his executive actions — closing departments, firing workers, withholding funds — have usurped powers traditionally exercised by Congress.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Georgia Republican who is quitting Congress next month, told The New York Times that Speaker Mike Johnson “is not our leader. ... He is literally 100% under direct orders from the White House. And many, many Republicans are so furious about that, but they’re cowards.”

“There is a lot of frustration among our members with the effectiveness, or lack thereof, of the House,” Rep. Kevin Kiley of California told USA Today. “If you’re someone who ran for Congress to accomplish X, Y or Z, and it’s becoming more difficult to do those things, does that impact people’s decisions to stay? I’m sure it will.”

Extreme polarization and the toxic environment have ignited serious concerns about safety, which only grew after the murder of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Inspired

by Trump, partisans see their rivals not just as wrong but as evil, and Greene cited threats to her family as one reason for leaving Congress.

Rep. Tom Burchett of Tennessee told Axios that safety concerns were contributing to the exodus and admitted, “It takes a toll on people.”

Congress has been deteriorating into dysfunction for years now. And the members who are fleeing in force prove that the decline is steadily getting worse.

Email Cal Thomas at tcaeditorstribpub.com.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ALLISON ROBBERT

Senate Health Education Labor and Pensions Committee Chair Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, listens during an Oct. 9 hearing. Cassidy has proposed an avenue to address the extension of an expiring tax credit that will double, on average, health care policy prices for more than 20 million Americans. to accept any new language. Trump seems to be telling Republicans on Capitol Hill that they must compromise somehow on either the existence or the wording of Hyde language.

Trump, though, has the power in his own hands.

Here’s how: The ACA contained provisions (in 42 USC 18023) requiring that every state which operates its own Obamacare “exchange” must make available at least one health plan that doesn’t pay for abortions (in other words, is Hyde-compliant). My understanding is that there are about a dozen states which right now essentially are flouting that existing requirement and other states that make it very difficult for exchange applicants to find such a plan.

Trump could offer pro-life Republicans a big win if he announces a concerted effort to enforce, against the dozen-plus states, those ignored Hyde provisions in existing law. His administration also could promulgate a rule requiring a prominent display, on state Obamacare portals, of the availability of the Hyde-friendly plan or plans.

As Obamacare already has that Hyde-friendly language, the key win

for Republicans should be not to reiterate it but to enforce it. Meanwhile, anti-Hyde Amendment Democrats would not be asked to vote on a new law re-stating Hyde provisions, so they could support the emerging, Cassidy-led compromise on the rest of the bill’s merits.

Voila! If Trump acts like that, within existing law, nobody on Capitol Hill would lose a new, abortion-related fight.

Meanwhile, if Cassidy’s framework is enacted into law, millions of Americans could secure relief from the sudden spike in health care premium costs resulting from the expiration of COVID-era subsidies, but the added cost to the federal government over time would be either nonexistent or far less than that of directly renewing the subsidies.

How that all would work can be the subject of another column. To get there, though, Trump must and can, on his own authority, take the abortion calculus out of the current equation.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

The ‘Trump’-Kennedy Center could be just the beginning Last month, I attended the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with my wife and two friends to listen to a wonderful performance of Handel’s “Messiah.”

The Kennedy Center has been among the few places in Washington (sports arenas are another) where one can get through a day or evening without the confrontational and corrosive political language Cal that has infected the city.

Thomas Not anymore.

President Trump, with the approval of a board he appointed, has added his name to the building.

Henceforth, or until a future president and board will remove it (one can only hope), the place will be labeled, if not called by everyone, the Trump Kennedy Center.

I recall the first performance in what has become Washington’s main cultural attraction. It was on Sept. 8, 1971 and the world premiere of Leonard Bernstein’s “Mass,” a work commissioned

by Jacqueline Kennedy. The Kennedys did more to bring high-brow culture to Washington than any other president and first lady. President Trump has brought nothing, not even close, that can match their contributions.

During the day we visited, workers were already drilling the additional name into the outside of the building.

The Kennedy Center website has been re-labeled “Trump Kennedy Center.”

There is talk around town that Trump has only begun to add his name to other buildings. One prospect he is reportedly eyeing is the soon-to-be finished Washington Commanders (formerly “Redskins”) football stadium. I got to thinking about other places where Trump might affix his name.

Since the president has frequently suggested — as have some of his followers — that he is the greatest president ever, how about a new name for the city’s most famous obelisk: The Trump Washington Monument?

Then there are the memorials to Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. Trump Lincoln and Trump Jefferson might appeal to him, although the first sounds like a car model and the second like a character in the late Norman Lear’s TV show “The Jeffersons.”

The FBI Building named after J. Edgar Hoover could be easily changed at little expense. The “J” just has to have “D” and “T” drilled into it. It would instantly become the “DJT Hoover Building.”

Then there is the Department of Justice building named after Robert F. Kennedy. Trump Kennedy sounds like a presidential ticket.

For the spiritually minded, Washington’s magnificent National Cathedral is a natural. While Trump doesn’t attend church, his “worshippers” might feel

Why legislators are leaving

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More New Orleans City Hall employees laid off Wednesday that they City continues to on have so far identified about of those positions. weather budget crisis 20“It’s not what I ever hope

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

New Orleans City Hall staffers learned their fates Tuesday as Mayor-elect Helena Moreno’s incoming administration sent notices announcing layoffs as part of her plans to curtail spending to rectify the city’s ongoing budget crisis.

Emails and phone calls from Moreno’s transition team went out to dozens of workers Tuesday afternoon letting them know whether they’d continue in their current roles ahead of Moreno’s Jan. 12 inauguration, a blow that blindsided some and left questions around unspent federal grants and unfinished projects.

The move, which cuts 36 unclassified positions, is part of Moreno’s overarching spending plan for 2026 that’s expected to save the city about $27 million. Her transition team is also working to cut 62 probationary status employees, or those who have worked for the city for less than a year. Moreno said

$222 million budget deficit this year inherited from Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration. Her plan includes nearly $150 milfor. I’ve tried to do everything possible during the lion in spending cuts, one budget process with my day per pay period furtransition team to try to loughs for some workers Moreno prevent this, but unfortuand a hiring freeze across nately, it just became impossible,” 134 vacant positions.

It also calls for consolidating she said at a Wednesday City Council meeting to discuss city finances. some positions under single leadership roles, such as with the creSpending plans ation of a new deputy mayor of Of the 36 eliminated positions, health and human services who 31 were under the purview of the will oversee youth and family Mayor’s Office and a handful were programs that previously fell uncut from the finance, law and chief der the mayor’s purview. Moreno administrative offices, according selected Dr. Jennifer Avegno, the to Moreno’s transition team. city’s health director, for that posiThe layoffs aim to streamline tion.

City Hall operations and improve Layoff notices first went out last coordination across departments, month to 13 staffers from the Maysaid Todd Ragusa, a spokesperson or’s Office of Youth and Families for the transition. and the Office of Criminal Justice “These types of staffing deci- Coordination. Many others resions are common when new ad- ceived pink slips on Tuesday, and ministrations take office,” he said. fretted over their next steps.

“Heavy emphasis was placed on employees with multiple skill sets Program management who can help with a number of city “It’s a huge blow for our office functions.” and the city. We have federal funds Moreno announced the plans in that have been in jeopardy, and November to avoid a projected we’ve been trying to make sure we

Le Pavillon hotel in N.O. sold to investor group Property’s value estimated to be around $43M

BY ANTHONY McAULEY Staff writer

An investor group led by New Orleans businessman Bobby Guidry and Florida developer David Bansmer has purchased Le Pavillon New Orleans, a Tribute Portfolio hotel, along with an adjacent corner lot at Poydras and Carroll streets.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed, though industry sources had previously valued the 226-room property at roughly $43 million, or about $190,000 per key — a figure roughly one-third below what Ashford Hospitality Trust paid for the hotel in 2015.

The transaction, facilitated by Tampa-based hospitality advisory firm The Plasencia Group, marks the latest high-profile local acquisition in the city’s hospitality sector.

“This acquisition continues to show our belief in the strength of the New Orleans hospitality market, as our hotel portfolio in the city is now nearing 1,000 rooms,” Guidry said in a statement. “New Orleans offers an unrivaled appeal to visitors across the demand spectrum, from conventiongoers to business travelers to vacationers.”

Guidry — best known for expanding his family’s offshore vessel company, Harvey Gulf International Marine, and later moving into commercial real-estate ventures — has spent the past two decades developing hotels in New Orleans and beyond. He and Bansmer previously built the 19-story Marriott Residence Inn on St. Charles Avenue, and a 235-room TownPlace/SpringHill Suites complex near Disney World in Orlando.

A century of history Le Pavillon, nicknamed “The Belle of New Orleans,” first opened in 1907 as the New Denechaud Hotel. Designed by the architectural firm Toledano & Wogan, it was among the city’s most modern buildings of its era, featuring New Orleans’ first hydraulic elevator, electric lighting and 217 guest rooms. By 1913, it was rebranded as the Hotel DeSoto and quickly became a hub of downtown social life. Its penthouse served as the home of WDSU, the city’s first radio station, from 1928 to 1948, further cementing its place in local history.

In the 1970s, the property was transformed and rebranded as Le Pavillon, adopting the ornate European-style décor for which it is now known, including

don’t lose those funds,” said Chris Lang, circular economy manager within the Office of Resilience and Sustainability who was terminated Tuesday.

Nearly half the staffers in that office have been let go, including department head Greg Nichols, who said he was blindsided by the move. Nichols said while most department head positions across City Hall had been advertised weeks prior, Tuesday’s news came as a surprise that conflicted with previous conversations he had with Moreno’s transition team.

“They were positive and said they wanted to uplift our work in the next administration,” he said.

Part of that work includes managing a $50 million federal climate pollution reduction grant awarded to the city in 2024. The funds, spread across seven projects, are aimed at everything from making city-owned buildings more energy-efficient to boosting the city’s dwindling tree canopy.

“There’s no one to manage those programs now. This isn’t just a personnel decision. It’s how are we going to keep this work moving forward?” Nichols said.

Moreno in an interview Wednes-

FLU

day said grant management could be handled by a single employee.

“Once again, it’s efficiency. This is about lessening bloat and creating the right level of efficiencies and getting the right people in the right places to get the job done,” she said.

Logan Atkinson Burke, executive director of the Alliance for Affordable Energy, said she was alarmed by the department’s gutting.

“The Office of Resilience and Sustainability has successfully raised outside funding to do the hard work of protecting New Orleans’ long-term viability, and it’s shameful to think that tens of millions of dollars that would otherwise be invested in homes and businesses in our city are now in question,” she said.

Aimee McCarron, the incoming District A City Council member who will chair the council’s Climate Committee after she is sworn in next week, said she will call a committee meeting to discuss the impact of the layoffs on Nichols’ office.

Staff writers Sophie Kasakove and Blake Paterson contributed to this report.

and children over the age of 6 months get a flu shot to prevent hospitalization.

“Fifty percent of flu deaths in pediatrics in a given year are in absolutely healthy children, and we know that getting the flu shot is very protective against severe outcomes,” Anderson said.

The death comes amid a major shift in federal vaccine policy. Federal health officials recently announced they will no longer recommend the influenza vaccine as a routine immunization for all children, along with rotavirus, RSV, hepatitis A and B, meningococcal and COVID-19.

Though the CDC releases recommendations, it is up to states to decide to imple-

ment those recommendations. LDH said it will be following the CDC recommendations.

In Louisiana, former Surgeon General Dr. Ralph Abraham — now the second in command at the CDC — ended long-standing mass vaccination efforts last year, including drivethrough flu vaccination events.

Federal data shows that 29.1% of Louisiana children have received a flu vaccine this season compared to 42.5% nationally. It is the lowest percentage of immunized children in the state in recent reporting years.

ers, LJ & Chee Chee would always come up and ask if we were enjoying our Continued from page 1B food, and thanked us every time for going. A legenduntil 1 p.m. Friday. ary restaurant with owners One commenter, Alicia that cared. It will truly be LeBlanc Morgan, wrote on missed.” the post: “Hate to hear this.

The Gielen family are longWe enjoyed every Sunday time Crowley business ownthere with our family. Own- ers and were responsible for

restoring The Grand Opera House, a historic attraction in Crowley’s downtown that once hosted celebrities like Babe Ruth and Clark Gable.

Continued from page 1B typically need either help breathing, which is usually treated with oxygen or breathing treatments, or they have a complication such as bacterial pneumonia, a skin infection or necrotizing encephalitis, said Dr. Margot Anderson, a pediatric infectious disease specialist and assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Tulane University.

A “huge influx” of patients with influenza are seeking ER care, Anderson said. Flu season will be continuing for at least a couple more months, said Anderson, who recommended adults

Email Emily Woodruff at ewoodruff@theadvocate. com.

STAFF PHOTO By ENAN CHEDIAK

An investor group led by Bobby Guidry bought the historic Le Pavillon New Orleans hotel in a high-profile acquisition. marble floors, hand-carved mahogany furnishings and Czechoslovakian chandeliers. The hotel joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 and later became part of Historic Hotels of America in 1994.

Over the decades, ownership shifted several times.

Brothers Property Corporation, a Florida-based subsidiary of American Financial Group, acquired the hotel in 1989 and retained it until 2015, when Dallas-based Ashford Hospitality Trust purchased the property for $62.5 million. Ashford invested an additional $19 million in renovations and, in late 2024, repositioned the hotel as a Marriott Tribute Portfolio property, modernizing guest rooms and meeting spaces while preserving its historic charm.

A growing local presence Guidry and Bansmer are not new to New Orleans hospitality. In May 2024, the pair acquired the dualbranded Marriott Courtyard/SpringHill Suites complex in the Warehouse District for $73 million, a 410-room property near the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Their portfolio also includes the 19-story Marriott Residence Inn on St. Charles Avenue and a 235-room TownPlace/SpringHill Suites near Orlando, Florida.

Bansmer said the Le Pavillon acquisition reflects continued optimism about the city’s long-term hospitality prospects. The sale, finalized this month, signals that New Orleans’ historic hotels remain attractive to valuedriven buyers even amid softer market conditions.

A weak market The sale of Le Pavillon comes at a time of nationwide cooling in hotel investment. According to CoStar, U.S. hotel transaction volume fell about 33% in the third quarter of 2025 to $4.3 billion, the lowest quarterly total in nearly two years.

Average pricing for hotel assets has dropped to roughly $177,000 per key, down from

above $200,000 in 2022.

New Orleans has not been immune to these trends.

The sale price for Le Pavillon, about one-third below its previous sale, mirrors broader market softness.

A similar pattern was seen earlier in 2025 when the Hilton New Orleans Hotel on St. Charles Avenue changed hands at a notable discount relative to its prior purchase price. Similarly, the Virgin Hotel, built just four years ago at a cost of about $80 million, is on the market for around $44 million currently. Other New Orleans hotels, including more than a dozen owned by the late developer Joe Jaeger and marketed by Plasencia Group, are up for sale.

Still, local industry observers see opportunity in the current environment.

Len Wormser, a hotel broker with Hospitality Real Estate Counselors, said that the downturn has encouraged the return of local ownership after nearly two decades dominated by out-of-town corporations.

“There’s been a noticeable rise in local investors looking to buy hotels, with prices down about 30% across the board,” he noted. “That shift is a positive for the city’s long-term market stability.”

New Orleans remains appealing for its mix of leisure and business travel and its historic attractions, Guidry and Bansmer said in their statement on the sale. The city’s convention calendar and cultural attractions continue to draw demand, even as metrics such as average daily rates and revenue per available room have softened, they noted.

Le Pavillon’s location on Poydras Street, the city’s prime corporate corridor, provides easy access to downtown offices, convention venues and tourist attractions. With its grandiose lobby, award-winning restaurant and bar, and ornately furnished guestrooms, the hotel continues to represent both New Orleans’ storied past and its contemporary hospitality offerings, the statement noted.

RESTAURANT

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

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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

LSU looking to improve rebounding

|

T h u r s d ay, J a n u a ry 8, 2026

1Cn

We’re excited about Tyler, but we have to remember that he hasn’t had 17 starts yet.

So we’re going to go into next season with these high expectations ... but we also have to temper that by the fact that he’s a second-year quarterback.”

MICKEy LOOKMIS, Saints general manager

Tigers taking former star Reese’s approach

BY REED DARCEY

Staff writer

On Tuesday afternoon, Bob Starkey was in the LSU women’s basketball team’s locker room when he decided to take out his phone and snap a photo he’d later post to Instagram.

Starkey wanted people to see the t-shirts.

They were black. A pink ä LSU at silhouette of Angel ReGeorgia 5:30 P.M. ese was printed down the middle, surrounded THURSDAy, SECN+ by a big, bold white text that summarized her penchant for grabbing rebounds: “Anything that comes off that board,” the shirts read, “it’s mine.”

The shirts greeted the players after practice Tuesday. Starkey, LSU’s associate head coach, hoped they’d underscore the urgency of a message he, Kim Mulkey and the rest of the coaching staff are sending to the Tigers.

They need to grab more rebounds. All of them.

“We have to do some self-reflection,” Mulkey said Sunday after a loss to Vanderbilt. “Put a mirror in front of your face individually and go, ‘What did I do that contributed to that loss when it was a five-point game or a possession game?’ We just gotta keep getting better.”

And it starts with rebounding. The No. 12 Tigers (14-2, 0-2 SEC) did a better job of cleaning the glass against the No. 7 Commodores

ä See LSU, page 3C

STAFF PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis, left, and coach Kellen Moore speak during a news conference at the team’s headquarters on Wednesday in Metairie.

MOVING FORWARD Saints enter offseason ready to build around QB Shough

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP

UL guard De’vion Lavergne has developed more consistency over the past month heading into Thursday’s game against ULM.

Cajuns focused on closing games after losing leads

Mickey Loomis repeatedly said that he wasn’t surprised by Tyler Shough’s rookie season. The New Orleans Saints drafted the quarterback with the 40th overall pick for a reason, the general manager said.

But even Loomis was willing to acknowledge that there were times when he went “whoa” over Shough’s play in 2025. “(He) probably progressed a little faster than we expected,” Loomis said.

That progression has led the Saints’ brass to the same conclusion that appeared increasingly obvious over the

Former Ole Miss manager agrees to three-year, $3 million deal with Tigers

Staff writer

ä See CAJUNS, page 3C

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

LSU football makes Glasscock one of nation’s highest-paid GMs

BY KEVIN FOOTE

It was the most encouraging game of the season for the UL Ragin’ Cajuns.

Now coach Quannas White hopes his team can duplicate its 76-62 road win over ULMonroe when the Warhawks make the return trip to the Cajundome ä ULM at for a 7:30 p.m. contest UL 7:30 P.M. Thursday.

“Let’s hope nothing THURSDAy, ESPN+ changes,” White laughed.

UL-Monroe enters the game 3-13 overall and 0-4 in Sun Belt play, while the Cajuns are 3-13 and 1-3 after two home losses in games they led late both nights.

“Losing those two at home, it was just tough,” White said. “Any good coach never gets over losses. It’s frustrating. You’ve got to turn the page and figure out a way to win these next two. Winning at home is extremely important.”

back half of the year: They’ve found their guy.

In a joint season-ending press conference, Loomis and coach Kellen Moore backed Shough as a core player for New Orleans to build around. Moore said the Saints “feel great” with Shough as their quarterback for 2026, while Loomis later added they were “obviously pleased” with his emergence. The Saints finished 6-11 but went 5-4 after Shough took over the starting job and played well enough to insert himself into conversations for Offensive Rookie of the Year.

The next steps for the franchise will be to determine how exactly to surround Shough with the right pieces.

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

PROVIDED PHOTO By OLE MISS ATHLETICS

Former Ole Miss general manager Billy Glasscock will earn $1 million per year, which would have made him the secondhighest-paid general manager in college football this past year.

LSU and general manager Billy Glasscock agreed to a three-year, $3 million deal that makes him one of the highestpaid general managers in the country after he followed head coach Lane Kiffin from Ole Miss, according to a copy of his term sheet obtained Wednesday by The Advocate through a public records request.

Glasscock will earn $1 million per year, which would have made him the secondhighest-paid general manager in college football this past year. North Carolina general manager Mike Lombardi earned $1.51 million this past year, according to USA Today.

The second-highest-paid general manager was Ohio State’s Mark Pantoni at

$900,000 per year. Southern Cal, a private school, is also reportedly believed to have paid Chad Bowden around seven figures.

The deal marked a significant pay bump for Glasscock, who reportedly made $425,000 this past year at Ole Miss. Former LSU general manager Austin Thomas earned $800,000, according to a copy of his deal. After not being retained on Kiffin’s staff, Thomas became the Ole Miss general manager.

Glasscock joined Kiffin’s staff at Ole Miss in 2024 after Thomas left to become the general manager at LSU. Glasscock was previously the director of player personnel at Texas and NC State. He came with other new LSU assistants on a private plane to Baton Rouge the day that Kiffin left Ole Miss.

Glasscock is now a key figure as LSU works on its transfer portal class.

LSU also agreed to terms with defensive line coach Sterling Lucas and special

ä See GM, page 3C

2C ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 5:30 p.m. Northwestern at Michigan St. BTN 6 p.m.

Liberty at Louisiana Tech CBSSN 7:30 p.m. Rutgers at Illinois BTN 8 p.m.

MTSU at UTEP CBSSN 9:30 p.m. Ohio St. at Oregon BTN

10 p.m. San Francisco at LMU CBSSN 10:30 p.m. Santa Clara at Gonzaga ESPN2 WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL 7 p.m.

Creighton at Marquette TRUTV COLLEGE FOOTBALL 6:30 p.m. Miami vs. Ole Miss ESPN FIGURE SKATING 5 p.m.

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Ole Miss thriving in NIL era No. 6 Rebels to face No. 10 Miami in Fiesta Bowl

BY DAVID BRANDT Associated Press

Keith Carter had a premium vantage point at the Sugar Bowl for arguably the biggest moment in Mississippi’s college football history, standing directly behind the goalposts as Lucas Carneiro’s 47-yard field goal split the uprights.

The Ole Miss athletic director scooped up the football and tucked it under both arms, hugging it tight like a fullback as he ran through the end zone in jubilation.

The 49-year-old Carter — who played basketball for the Rebels in the late 1990s — didn’t play a snap in Ole Miss’ 39-34 victory over Georgia in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. But in some ways, he might be the most important person for a football program that hasn’t acheived this much success since the early 1960s.

He is also the man working to keep Ole Miss on top.

“We want to go win the whole thing this year, obviously,” Carter said. “But our hope is to be right back here next year and be a program that’s an every-year CFP contender with a chance to win national championships.”

Such talk would have sounded crazy less than a decade ago when Ole Miss was mostly an afterthought in the SEC, dealing with the fallout of an NCAA investigation into rules violations and a messy breakup with then-coach Hugh Freeze.

But as the No. 6 seed Rebels prepare to face No. 10 Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Thursday with a spot in the national championship game on the line, it doesn’t feel nearly as far-fetched.

Thanks to a group of behind-thescenes people that includes Carter and Walker Jones — who leads the Ole Miss NIL collective — the Rebels have thrived in the pay-for-play era, building a fundraising behemoth that’s given them resources to build a roster that includes quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, running back Kewan Lacy and a defense stacked with NFL-caliber talent.

Chambliss recently committed to return to the Rebels next season pending NCAA approval. He said Ole Miss has all of the resources it needs to compete at the highest level.

“I feel like college football’s changed throughout the years,”

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ty Simpson declared for the NFL draft on Wednesday, leaving Alabama after one season as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Simpson could be one of the top quarterbacks drafted in April. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is seen as the likely No. 1 selection.

“I’ll cherish all of it as I take the next step for preparing for the NFL draft,” Simpson said in a video posted on social media.

Simpson said he was tempted to take an easier path while he spent three seasons waiting for his turn after being recruited by Nick Saban. Simpson said “you just are Alabama or you’re not.”

He cracked a rib in Alabama’s 38-3 loss in the Rose Bowl to topranked Indiana and Mendoza.

Bills place DT Phillips on IR; sign CB Jackson

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATHEW HINTON

Ole Miss wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling leaps over Georgia defensive back Adrian Maddox during the Sugar Bowl last Thursday at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

Chambliss said. “NIL changed that. The transfer portal changed that. The college football playoff changed that. I feel like Ole Miss, being in the SEC, the best conference in the nation, you’re going to get guys. You’re going to get good guys and coaches want to coach there. Ole Miss has done a good job transitioning with how college football is transitioning itself.”

Jones played football for the Rebels in the 1990s before a business career that included more than a decade with Under Armour. He came back to Ole Miss in 2022 to lead The Grove Collective, which is the athletic department’s fundraising arm.

Carter and Jones have known each other since their days playing Ole Miss sports and that connection was crucial.

“I always talk about the trust Keith had in me to come back in this capacity during a very confusing and complex time,” Jones said. “That probably wasn’t easy.

I credit our history together and the experience of being studentathletes together.”

The Rebels were quick to adapt to the NIL era under coach Lane Kiffin, who iprovided the recruiting. Carter and Jones provided the money and a juggernaut was born.

Now Kiffin is gone — headed to LSU after an awkward breakup — but the money remains. Jones has cultivated a group of roughly

ä Miami vs. Ole Miss. 6:30 P.M.

THURSDAy, ESPN.

7,000 donors in The Grove Collective who range from millionaries to college students. It’s all impressive for a school that has a large following, but not the same kind of massive alumni base of schools like Ohio State or Texas.

“We may not have a T. Boone Pickens or a Phil Knight,” Carter said, referring to the well-heeled donors for Oklahoma State and Oregon. “But when you put us all together collectively, pull the rope in the same direction and people give not only what they can, but maybe even a little above what they should, we’ve been able to be really good.”

Ole Miss’ staying power has been evident over the past 12 months after last year’s disappointing ending to the season. The Rebels spent a boatload of money in 2024 for a roster that included quarterback Jaxson Dart, but they went 9-3 in the regular season and didn’t make the playoff.

Jones and Carter weren’t deterred and the donations kept pouring into the program. One year later, they’re exactly where they want to be. Even losing Kiffin hasn’t stopped the momentum; Carter quickly promoted Pete Golding and the Rebels keep chugging along.

“You’ve seen this before in sports,” Carter said. “There’s a team with all the expectations and you fall a little short. Then the very next year, you look up, and there’s a team that’s maybe not as heralded or doesn’t have as much preseason hype. But the pieces fit perfectly, the locker room is right, all these intangible things happen and it’s the best team in school history.”

It’s all new territory for an Ole Miss program that hasn’t been a powerhouse since the 1950s and ‘60s, back before integration. The Rebels claim three national championships in football, though none since 1962.

There were a few good moments in the ensuing decades: Eli Manning was the team’s quarterback during a few heady years in the early 2000s, the Rebels won the Cotton Bowl in 2008 and Freeze had it rolling for a few years in the mid2010s before NCAA troubles arose.

All those flashes of national relavance faded quickly.

Now because of Carter, Jones and a whole lot of cash, this version of Ole Miss might stick around for a while. Carter is soaking in the moment.

“It’s not just for me,” Carter said.

“I’m the one who gets recognized and is the one out in front, but there are so many people who deserve this. I’m so happy for our fans, the ones who have been through some ups and downs.”

LSU men need to ‘bounce back’ after loss LSU’s poor start proves costly in loss to South Carolina

ä LSU at Venderbilt. 12 P.M. SATURDAy, SECN.

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Matt McMahon shook his head side to side, seemingly as confused as many onlookers.

“I thought our preparation was good,” the LSU basketball coach said.

Before LSU dropped its home game to South Carolina on Tuesday, players prepared in a manner that met McMahon’s standard.

The day after his team’s threepoint defeat at Texas A&M, the group prioritized film study of its next opponent. Players were then “dialed in” at Monday’s on-court practice. Shoot around on Tuesday was productive and “high energy.”

Despite all that, LSU was unprepared in its 78-68 loss to South Carolina at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. The Tigers didn’t have the injured Dedan Thomas, who leads the Southeastern Conference with 7.1 assists.

LSU (12-3, 0-2 SEC) had its most uninspiring start to a game this season, trailing 24-5 after about six minutes and 50-25 at halftime.

“For whatever reason, I didn’t have them ready to go. Start the game down, whatever it was, 10-0, 15 to 3. I think they made their first nine or 10 shots. Our first three

Alabama QB Simpson declares for NFL draft

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard PJ Carter pressures South Carolina guard Myles Stute during Tuesday’s game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. stops we got, we turned the ball over when we did get the rebound.

So it’s just hard in this league to overcome that type of slow start, and we paid for it tonight.”

LSU trailed by as many as 28 points. No player made more than one field goal in the first half. South

Carolina (10-5, 1-1), on the other hand, made its first nine shots and 10 of 13 from 3-point range at that point. For the third time this season, the team gave up a hot 3-point shooting start to the opponent. The other times were in a close win against Prairie View and a loss to

Texas Tech.

Pablo Tamba, who had 10 points, was asked what was wrong with LSU’s defense early.

“It was a mental approach to the game,” the graduate student transfer from UC Davis said.

“We should have come out in the first half with a more aggressive mentality and defend better.

We’ve struggled before when it comes to making teams miss 3s, and it happened again. I think it was clearly our mental approach to the game.”

McMahon said his team never made South Carolina uncomfortable in the first half. While LSU battled back in the second half to come within six points with six minutes remaining, it didn’t play well enough to fully make up for its poor start.

The team doesn’t know when it’ll have Thomas, who McMahon said is still day-to-day with a lower leg injury. It knows that with or without him, it has to avoid a horrendous start again if it wants to pull off an upset against No. 11 Vanderbilt on the road at noon Saturday.

“We have to bounce back,” LSU guard Max Mackinnon said.

“We have Vanderbilt coming up.

We know that’s a good team. We have to watch film, bounce back and learn from our mistakes.”

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Buffalo Bills are down another defensive tackle for the playoffs after placing Jordan Phillips on injured reserve on Wednesday.

The team did not disclose the nature of Phillips’ injury, though he missed two games with an ankle issue before returning to play 18 defensive snaps in a season-ending 35-8 win over the New York Jets on Sunday. The 33-year-old Phillips is an 11th-year player who was considering retirement before signing with Buffalo for a fourth stint last summer.

The Bills filled Phillips’ roster spot by signing cornerback Dane Jackson off the practice squad.

Buffalo also signed quarterback Shane Buechele and cornerback Daryl Porter Jr. to the practice squad.

Heat guarantee final $1.7M of Rozier’s contract

MIAMI — The Miami Heat did not waive Terry Rozier before a Wednesday afternoon deadline, keeping the embattled point guard who faces federal gamblingrelated charges on their roster in an indication that they may try to trade him.

That decision comes at a cost for Miami: Not waiving Rozier guarantees the remaining $1.7 million of his salary for this season, which means the full $26.6 million will count against the Heat’s salary cap. Rozier is not receiving any of his salary while on leave because of his October arrest by federal authorities.

Miami has about $1.6 million in salary cap space. The Heat had to make the roster decision by 5 p.m.

Wednesday.

UNLV lands ex-Auburn QB Arnold from transfer portal

LAS VEGAS — Dan Mullen doesn’t know if he has a prototypical quarterback.

He likes tough guys. Those with versatile skills. Those who are great leaders.

And thinks he has found another in Jackson Arnold.

UNLV’s football team has its quarterback out of the transfer portal. The Rebels signed Arnold, a former Oklahoma and Auburn signal-caller.

“I’m really excited,” said Mullen, who in his first season as UNLV coach led the Rebels to a 10-4 record and Frisco Bowl appearance. “He was a guy last year who we paid really close attention to. When I got hired here, he was at the top of our list and ended up going to Auburn.

Chevron Championship moving LPGA’s first major

HOUSTON — The Chevron Championship is moving the LPGA’s first major of the year to Memorial Park, just four weeks after Houston’s public course hosts the Houston Open on the PGA Tour.

The Chevron had been played at The Club at Carlton Woods, a Jack Nicklaus suburban club about 40 miles north of Houston, since relocating in 2023. The move to Memorial Park was to bring the tournament closer to Chevron’s headquarters and to downtown Houston.

Tom Doak redesigned Memorial Park, and it returned to hosting the Houston Open in 2020, first in the fall portion of the PGA Tour and then moving to the spring in 2024.

The Houston Open is March 2629. The Chevron Championship will be played April 23-26.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● 3C

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LSU

Continued from page 1C than they did in their SEC opener against No. 6 Kentucky, but they’re hoping to turn in a more complete performance on the boards when they go on the road to face Georgia at 5:30 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+).

Crashing the boards is important for LSU. It’s how the Tigers finish off defensive possessions and ignite their dangerous transition offense.

But, for the first time since 2022, LSU does not have one — or two — of the best rebounders in the history of women’s college basketball to help it grab missed shots. Both Reese and Aneesah Morrow have now moved on, and the Tigers are struggling to replace their production on the boards as a result.

“We’re gonna have to do it as a group,” Mulkey said in November. “We’re not gonna have that one dominant rebounder like we’ve had.”

LSU finished each of Mulkey’s first four seasons in charge as one of the SEC’s three best rebounding teams. Reese and Morrow were two of the largest reasons why. Those two stars are responsible for a whopping 37% of all the boards the Tigers grabbed across the previous three years.

Mulkey did not have either Reese or Morrow in her first season at LSU. But the Tigers still pulled down 29.6 defensive rebounds and 12.7 offensive rebounds per game against their league competition that year — enough for them to finish with the SEC’s third-highest rebounding average.

It’s early, but this LSU team ranks eighth among SEC teams in rebounding — one of the reasons why it’s also playing at the second-slowest pace in the conference, according to Her Hoop Stats.

The 17 offensive boards the Tigers allowed Kentucky to grab are tied for the most they’ve given up to any opponent they’ve played over the last five seasons.

The five boards they let Vanderbilt pull off the offensive glass in the fourth quarter of their loss on

Sunday led to four second-chance buckets. Those shots then turned the game in the Commodores’ favor.

Star junior guard Mikaylah Williams leads the Tigers in rebounding through two SEC matchups.

She’s averaging eight boards per game.

LSU’s two transfer post players — 6-foot-5 sophomore Kate Koval and 6-2 senior Amiya Joyner — are averaging only 11 rebounds combined.

In SEC play last season, Morrow pulled down 13.1 boards per game by herself.

“I can tell (LSU’s young players) whatever I want,” Williams said, “but they can see it for themselves. They can see what not rebounding does. We don’t end up winning.”

Koval grabbed only two misses against Kentucky, but she corralled 10 against Vanderbilt — a career-high for a conference game. Before the season, Mulkey said LSU was helping her learn how to rebound “out of her area” so she can track down misses even when she doesn’t have ideal positioning.

“That’s something that I’ve really focused on,” Koval said in November, “starting this summer. I feel like I watch a lot of film to see the positioning I need to be in to get those boards.”

If LSU doesn’t continue to improve on the glass, then it could wind up with the worst five-game start to league play of Mulkey’s career. She’s never had a team — at either Baylor or LSU — drop more than three of its first five conference matchups.

Because the Tigers started 0-2, they’ll now need to win two of their next three games to avoid sliding to 1-4. LSU will first play on the road against Georgia, then return home to face No. 2 Texas before going back on the road to take on No. 5 Oklahoma.

“These first five games are as tough a bunch of games in a row that I think I’ve ever coached in,” Mulkey said, “and we know what we face.”

Hence the urgency with which LSU hopes to address its rebounding issues.

And the t-shirts it used to drive home the point.

On LSU’s QB search and red alerts for basketball teams Notes on a fresh golf scorecard for 2026 (eraser required) … … What is sure to be a huge transfer portal class for LSU is starting to fill up. The most recent additions (as of Wednesday afternoon) were former Florida wide receiver Eugene “Tre” Wilson, a player with a lot of injuries on his resume but a Scott lot of upside, and Rabalais ex-Gators punter Hayden Craig.

Wilson made a cameo appearance courtside Tuesday night at the LSU-South Carolina game (more on that later) with LSU coach Lane Kiffin, his son Knox, Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks and, the big enchilada, Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt. Amid the ever-changing currents of the transfer portal and (literally) mega-million NIL deals, Leavitt went from looking like a near lock for LSU to leaving Baton Rouge for a visit to Tennessee. Now a new name is on the radar of the “Portal King”: Washington quarterback Demond Williams.

Both Leavitt and Williams are top-flight prospects that could help LSU’s offense immensely in 2026. But this being LSU football, naturally there are obstacles. Leavitt is coming off surgery for a Lisfranc injury in his foot that he underwent in early November. The recovery time will likely prohibit Leavitt from taking part in spring practice wherever he plays, a big problem if it’s LSU with newcomers and returning players trying to get on the same page of the Kiffin/Charlie Weis Jr. offense.

If it’s Williams, there is the little matter of a $4 million contract he signed with Washington (I still can’t believe we’re talking about college football), a contract Washington wants to hold him to. There is a chance that this could end up being a litmus test for college/player contracts and wind up in court, which, of course, is a process that could easily carry on past the 2026 season.

There is danger for LSU that it could come up empty in its pursuit of Leavitt, Williams or some other top-shelf prospect.

That’s a major concern for the Tigers, though after the Trini-

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

From left, Eugene Wilson, Sam Leavitt and LSU football coach Lane Kiffin watch as LSU basketball hosts South Carolina on Tuesday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. dad Chambliss Experiment at Ole Miss, I’m just about willing to believe that Kiffin and Weis could go into their laboratory and build a starting quarterback out of spare parts.

I remained convinced that LSU will still come up with a talented quarterback, but again, it probably needs two. Garrett Nussmeier is gone and so is Michael Van Buren, who has committed to USF. It just adds to the anxiety of an already nervous time for LSU, as we wait to see if Kiffin can build a playoff-contending team in his first season in Tigertown. … Back to the LSU men’s basketball team, which lost 78-68 at the aforementioned home game Tuesday night to South Carolina.

The Tigers are now 12-3 and 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play, both SEC games it must be said without star point guard Dedan Thomas.

Cut the Tigers some slack there, but the Gamecocks are not a good basketball team. But once again, LSU got shredded from 3-point range (South Carolina shot 57.1%) and didn’t do a great job of stopping drives to the basket either, as forward Elijah Strong poured in 30 points.

Watching LSU lose, I had a similar feeling to watching LSU’s football loss to Vanderbilt in October and what that meant for Brian Kelly’s tenure. I think this 0-2 start, this loss, marks an inflection point for fourth-year coach Matt McMahon, a nosedive that will be difficult, if not impossible, for him to pull out

For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

be approved when the LSU board of supervisors next meets in FebContinued from page 1C ruary.

Lucas, who was hired away from South Carolina, agreed to teams coordinator Joe Houston. a two-year deal that will pay him All three deals were reached in $925,000 next year and $975,000 in mid-December, according to the 2027.

Houston has a two-year deal term sheets. They are expected to

worth $700,000 per year before potential incentives. Houston worked with Florida’s special teams units for two years after spending four seasons as a special teams assistant with the New England Patriots. He signed former Florida punter Hayden Craig at LSU on Wednesday.

GM

of. There’s still a lot of season left, but in short, it’s hard to see him surviving what currently looks like another losing season in SEC play. … Hate to say Kim Mulkey’s women’s basketball team faces a must-win Thursday at Georgia (5:30 p.m., SECNetwork+), but it’s close. Those Tigers are also 0-2 in the league (14-2 overall) after narrow losses to Kentucky and Vanderbilt, the first 0-2 conference start for Mulkey at LSU or Baylor. An ankle injury that may hamper Flau’jae Johnson isn’t helping.

For these Tigers, the season is far from over, and nationally, folks don’t figure the sky is falling for LSU. They are still No. 12 in the AP poll and ESPN bracketologist Charlie Crème still has LSU as a No. 3 NCAA Tournament seed.

But Mulkey publicly questioning her team’s toughness after the Vandy loss, a team she has said often that she likes and thinks is talented, is flashing a red light.

That’s a weighty charge for any coach to make. Knowing Mulkey, she is probably trying to send a message to a team that she thinks is underachieving and can certainly be salvaged.

Still, if not a must-win, this is a mighty important one at Georgia. Change needs to come for LSU and soon with No. 2 Texas visiting Baton Rouge on Sunday.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU forward Kate Koval looks to pass the ball after a Kentucky turnover in the fourth quarter on Jan. 1 at the PMAC.

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

CAJUNS

Continued from page 1C

who has had an eight-assist game since then.

“I feel like just me being aggressive, getting to the paint is going to collapse the defense and get all my teammates open shots,” Lavergne said. “So I feel like that’s going to be very important down the stretch — just building on that. I feel like attacking the basket for us will be very important because we’ve got guys that can get in the paint.”

The win in Monroe also produced the best game of the season from Todd Jones with nine points and eight rebounds.

“He’s improving,” White said of Jones. “I hang my hat on player development. Todd Jones is a sophomore. He was just a freshman last year, so his best basketball is ahead of him. He’s got a bright future. He just needs to continue on that trajectory.”

Dorian Finister and Jaxon Olvera also had good games in Monroe. Finister had 15 points and three boards, while Olvera added 17 points and four rebounds.

Since the first game, the Warhawks had lost to Kansas State 94-85, Southern Miss 87-73 and Texas State 85-79.

ULM has lost six games in a row and is 0-7 on the road this season.

“When you’ve played a team already, you’ve got to be ready for the adjustments they’re going to make,” White said. “We’ve got to be committed to the game plan.”

In that first meeting, the Cajuns shot 51.9% from the field behind 10 3-pointers. That kind of shooting allowed UL to overcome yet another game where the opponents shot a lot more free throws.

The Warhawks were 26-of-33 at the line, compared to UL making 10 of its 21 tries.

UL’s hot shooting also allowed the Cajuns to overcome ULM, posting four double-digit scorers, led by Krystian Lewis with 16 points and five rebounds.

The Cajuns continue to try to limit the tendency to foul.

“There’s not many games where we didn’t foul and put the other team on the free throw line a lot,” White said. “You just have to recognize it and teach it and focus on it every day in practice, and we’ve done that.”

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the first game was that it began a recent trend of good play from De’Vion Lavergne, who had a career-high 16 points and eight rebounds in the win.

“He’s getting more comfortable,” White said of Lavergne’s progress. “He’s starting to play with really great confidence. You can see it in the last couple of games. It’s not just with points.

He’s doing a better job at running the point. He’s getting some experience and that’s helped him.”

That began a hot streak for the Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ former North Central standout, theadvocate.com.

The Saints are in the beginning stages of reviewing their most recent campaign but are set to enter the season only a projected $20 million over the salary cap — far less than the last few years. While New Orleans still needs to become compliant by the beginning of the new league year in March, Loomis said the lesser burden gives the Saints flexibility to be aggressive if they decide that’s the right direction to take.

But the general manager cautioned patience.

Even with Shough’s breakout, Loomis said the Saints still have to be careful in how they build their roster.

“We’re excited about Tyler, but we have to remember that he hasn’t had 17 starts yet,” Loomis said. “So we’re going to go into next season with these high expectations — and there’s nothing wrong with that — but we also have to temper that by the fact that he’s a second-year quarterback with less than a full season to start.

“We got to keep that in mind as we go forward, that there’s building blocks here and we cannot skip any steps.”

Still, Loomis acknowledged the advantages of building around a quarterback on his rookie contract. There’s “leeway” that allows teams to manage their resources differently because of the lower cap hit, Loomis said. And Loomis said he believes Shough’s play will “attract” free agents, similar to the boost the team received shortly af-

ter signing Drew Brees in 2006.

From a salary cap perspective, Loomis said he sees the Saints in good shape. He said being closer to cap compliance changes the “volume” of what the team must do from a restructure standpoint; the Saints often reorganize contracts to lower cap hits and create salary cap space.

“It’ll be the lightest work that Khai (Harley) has to do over the last few years,” Loomis said, referring to the Saints’ cap guru.

Loomis said the Saints would take a “judicious” approach in free agency, though he acknowledged they would have some “different opportunities” compared to previous years.

Among the other items for the Saints to address this offseason are determining whether to bring back veterans such as Demario Davis and Cam Jordan, extending wide receiver Chris Olave’s contract, and seeing whether Moore needs to make any changes to his coaching staff.

Moore endorsed the group Wednesday, telling reporters that he has a “really good staff” and would have to “stay ready for different adjustments,” such as opportunities for promotions elsewhere.

“We’ll go through that whole process,” Moore said.

Loomis praised Moore for how he navigated a challenging first season. He noted how the team’s plans changed after Derek Carr unexpectedly retired in May, forcing them to embrace a rebuild and lean into getting younger.

Loomis, for instance, said replacing Carr with another veteran wasn’t feasible since the options the Saints would realistically want

to bring in to compete were “pretty much all gone” by the time the situation settled.

So, the Saints went with their young quarterback room. Moore’s first year featured a quarterback competition between Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough, and while Rattler initially won the job, Moore and Loomis agreed that sitting Shough was important for his development. Loomis said he left the decision up to Moore.

“We didn’t win games enough, but he gave us a lot of really good opportunities,” Moore said of Rattler, who went 1-7 as a starter in 2025. Then Tyler just had a really good vision and plan to get better.”

“Obviously, I like the way that it turned out,” Loomis said.

Now, the plan is to build around Shough. The Saints hold the eighth pick in the draft, a spot in which Loomis said he feels like New Orleans can truly take the best player available.

What a difference a year makes.

At this time last year, Loomis had to find a new coach and prepare for the possibility of finding a quarterback of the future. The Saints appear to have hit on both aspects, hiring Moore and drafting Shough.

Loomis said having those questions answered makes this offseason “easier,” but added there’s still plenty left to accomplish.

“We don’t just want to win the division,” Loomis said. “We don’t want to be an 8-8, or 8-9, winning team in the division. We want to win the division, be dominant and have a chance to make a run in the playoffs. That’s what our goal is going to be.”

Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

4C ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

lll

Teurlings claims sixth straight David Thibodaux leans on defense to beat Southside win with victory over Southside Bulldogs get ‘quality’ Dwyer scores both goals for No. 1 Rebels

victory over Sharks

BY ERIC NARCISSE Staff writer

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

There is unfinished business for the Teurlings Catholic soccer team.

The Rebels, top ranked in LHSAA’s Division II power rankings, won their sixth straight game by defeating Southside 2-1 in a nondistrict match at home on Tuesday.

Teurlings got both goals from senior Carson Dwyer, who is taking an even-keeled approach to the season.

“Obviously it’s pretty good to be on top (of the power ratings), but at the end of the year, records don’t matter,” said Dwyer, who notched his 12th and 13th goals of the season. “It’s just about if you can finish the season with a state championship, and last year we fell short.”

The Rebels (13-2-1), who lost as the No. 1 seed to Holy Cross in last year’s championship, took a 1-0 lead on Dwyer’s penalty kick in stoppage time in the first half.

“There was a really good ball delivered to Eden Schlabach, who had his feet set for a header when a defender pushed him in the back,” Rebels coach Stephen Devine said of the penalty that set up the goal

by Dwyer, who ripped the ball into the upper right-hand corner of the net.

In the second half, sophomore Ashton Babineaux made a short pass from the left wing to Dwyer, who took a touch and again found his sweet spot from about 15-20 yards out.

“We’re really fortunate to have him in our program,” Devine said of Dwyer. “He’s a great kid, on and off the field.”

Sophomore goalkeeper Braiden Pastor, who pitched a shutout until the final minutes, made a diving and a leaping save in the second half and has limited opponents to one-or-fewer goals in all but three games.

“That was easily one of the

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Teurlings Catholic’s Eden Schlabach protects the ball from Southside’s Izak Suarez during Tuesday’s game. best saves I’ve seen from him,” Devine said. “Sometimes you need that. He’s a really good young keeper.”

While the Rebels lost five seniors (three starters) from last year’s team, Devine has seven returning players that are familiar with his expectations, including three-year starter and team captain Logan Boudreaux, a firstteam all-district kicker from the football team.

“It’s been fun to see the seniors step up and fill the roles of the three starters we lost,” Devine said. “This year is a different dynamic. We have kids who lead by effort, kids who lead by talent and kids who lead by example on and off the field.”

Schlabach and Dwyer have been top performers, along with firstteam All-Metro selections Luke Breaux and Luke Brown. Andrew Viator, the leading receiver in football, can play several positions and has elite speed.

“That’s one of the kids I thought

was one of the braver ones in our final game last year,” Devine said of Viator. “With him being so hungry to play his senior year, Andrew earned a captain’s band from his effort, communication and expectations from teammates.”

Southside (6-5-3), which is No. 17 in the Division I power ratings, got its goal from junior Holden Grimball. Goalkeeper Brodie Walsh made numerous saves, including a spectacular play on the Rebels’ first shot where he trapped the ball between his cleats.

“He’s been doing that all year,” Southside coach Zak Elagamy said. “He’s definitely one of the rocks of the team. He rarely makes mistakes and makes great saves every week. It’s stuff we see and expect from him every week.”

The Rebels have upcoming games against rival St. Thomas More (10-2-3), which is No. 4 in Division II, and the district opener against No. 8 David Thibodaux (8-3-1).

David Thibodaux basketball coach Chris Cane has been pleased with the way the Bulldogs have been playing this season.

Cane is especially pleased with his team’s defense through 15 games.

“We are more of a defensive team,” he said. “Offense wins games, and defense wins district and state championships. So I pride myself and I hang my hat on defense.”

Cane said he’d rather his team limit the opponents’ scoring than get into shootouts.

“I’d rather us have 40 or 50 points and be real solid on defense than to have a game in the 70s or 80s and we can’t stop anybody,” he said. “ So we pride ourselves on defense and we just say that our offense will catch up.”

The Bulldogs’ ability to defend was on display in Tuesday’s 4743 win over Southside that improved David Thibodaux to 12-3.

“Anytime you can get a win against a well-coached team, it’s a good win,” Cane said. “That’s a big 5A win for us that will help us in the power rankings. We’ll take it. It wasn’t a 10- or 20-point win, which we don’t hang our hat on. We don’t care if we get out of there by one or two points.

Anytime you can walk out of the gym with a quality win, we’ll take that.”

The Bulldogs were led by Ja’nathan Dalcour, who finished with a game-high 21 points.

“Ja’nathan had a heck of a game,” Cane said. “He had 21 points, but he also had doubledigit rebounds and a couple of steals. He played with a real tenacity and that really changed the game for us.”

Dalcour’s performance was no surprise.

“He’s been carrying us all sea-

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

David Thibodaux coach Chris Cane reacts to a call during a game against Southside on Tuesday at David Thibodaux High.

son along with our other guards Bryson Sledge and Kortlan Williams,” Cane said. “But Ja’nathan has been very consistent.”

The Bulldogs gave the Sharks several defensive looks and were able to force several turnovers.

“As a team, I felt like our defense really held it down,” Cane said. “When we are playing great defense, I feel like we have an 80 or 90% chance of winning that ball game. Defense was the key and I thought my guys responded well. I challenged them and we ran probably six different defenses.”

Ryder Jackson and Tanner Jones led Southside (10-6). Jackson had a team-high 15 points, while Jones added 14.

“The game plan was to not let their guards get off a lot of (3-pointers),” Cane said. “We know their guards can shoot the ball. If they catch the ball on the wing, they are going to let it fly.

So we wanted to be applying ball pressure in the middle of the court and on the wings because we didn’t want their guards to be able to see the rim really good.

We felt that if we could contain their guards that we would have a good chance of winning the ball game.”

Email Eric Narcisse at enarcisse@theadvocate.com.

PREP REPORT Boys basketball Rebel Roundball Classic at Teurlings Catholic Wednesday’s score St. Louis 48, Carencro 44

St. Louis 48, Carencro 44

ST. LOUIS (48) Brayden Francis 10, Micah Turner 9, Dreynon D’Key 15, Joe Devall 10, Bo Hardy 1, Ram Durrousseau 2.

CARENCRO (44) BJ Jones 5, Dontrell Morrison 2, Chantz Babineaux 2, Hayden Monroe 11, Wilson Landry 2, KB Bernard 16, JB Batiste 4.

St. Louis 11 9 13 15 — 48 Carencro 6 12 13 13 — 44 3-pointers — CAR: Jones 1, Bernard 4; STL: Turner 2, Devall 1. Total Fouls: STL 14, CAR 17.

Thursday’s games Carencro vs. Rayne-Alex. loser, 2:35 p.m.

LCCP-Menard vs. Westgate-LCA losers, 3:45 p.m.

St. Louis vs. Rayne-Alex. winner, 5 p.m.

STM-WCA vs. LCCP-Menard winners, 6:15 p.m.

St. Michael vs. Westgate-LCA winner, 7:30 p.m.

New Iberia vs. Teurlings-CCMC winner, 8:45 p.m.

Other scores Geo Next Generation 62, Acadiana 32 David Thibodaux 47, Southside 43 Northwest 56, Breaux Bridge 21 Abbeville 53, JS Clark 45 Grand Lake 60, Iota 55 Hanson 50, Kaplan 46

Vandebilt Catholic 46, Lafayette Christian 44 Church Point 46, North Vermilion 43 ESA 37, Erath 36 Westminster 67, Rapides 58 Vermilion Catholic 59, Loreauville 43 Cecilia 57, Rayne 49 Liberty 66, Catholic-NI 40 Hathaway 71, Midland 59 Notre Dame 46, Sacred Heart-VP 30 Crowley 69, Northside Christian 47

David Thibodaux 47, Southside 43

SOUTHSIDE (43) Jon Armstrong 5, Jonathan Armstrong 2, Ryder Jackson 16, Cam Williams 3, Tanner Jones 14, Bentley Steward 3.

DAVID THIBODAUX (47) R. Williams 3, J. Dalcour 21, K. Brookster 3, C. Barton 5, B. Sledge 9, K. Davis 6.

Southside 12 11 10 10 — 43 David Thib 16 13 9 9 — 47 3-pointers — SOU: Jackson 3, Williams 1, Steward 1; DT: Williams 1, Dalcour 2, Sledge 1, Davis 1. Total Fouls: SOU 16, DT 18.

Vandebilt 46, Lafayette Christian 44 VANDEBILT CATHOLIC (46) Jayden Coleman 27, Xavian Moses 2, Jayden Calloway 7, Jordan Triggs 7, Leyghton Smith 3. Totals: 11 (6) 4-14.

LAFAYETTE CHRISTIAN (44) Christian Bernard 2, Christian Glenn 10, Josh Wilson 3, Tyler Cook 2, Hudson Mire 7, Graham Comeaux 16, Collin Francis 4. Totals: 9 (7) 5-8.

Vandebilt 4 11 12 19 — 46 LCA 17 14 8 5 — 44 3-pointers — VC: Coleman 3, Calloway 1, Triggs 1; LCA Glenn 2, Mire 1, Comeaux 4.

Total Fouls: VC 14, LCA 17.

Church Point 46, North Vermilion 43 CHURCH POINT (46) Grant Bertrand 6, AJ Chachere 10, Brennan Citizen 4, AJ Douglas 2, Jarrison Reese 21, Demarcus Boast 3. Totals: 13 (4) 8-17.

NORTH VERMILION (43) Jayvin Gage 8, Zarian Gage 13, Jose Sotomayor 15, Eli Dubois 4, Mason Dauterive 3. Totals: 13 (4) 5-6.

Church Point 6 13 12 15 — 46 N. Vermilion 13 11 10 9 — 43 3-pointers — CP: Bertrand 1, Chachere 2, Boast 1; NV: J. Gage 1, Z. Gage 1, Sotomayor 1, Dauterive 1. Total Fouls: CP 11, NV 14.

Thursday’s games Beau Chene at Northwest, Breaux Bridge at Church Point, Cecilia at Lafayette Renaissance, Kinder at Eunice, Northside at Abbeville, Opelousas at Opelousas Catholic, St. Edmund at Iota, Delcambre at Glencoe, Notre Dame at Westminster-LAF, Vermilion Catholic at Ascension Episcopal.

Girls basketball Scores Acadiana 43, Geo Next Generation 37 Northside 53, New Iberia 32 Southside 76, Kaplan 39 Opelousas 38, Carencro 30 St. Thomas More 46, Central Catholic 18 Northwest 60, Breaux Bridge 8 North Vermilion 42, Church Point 35 Lafayette Christian 49, Vandebilt Catholic 32

Northwood 51, Lafayette Renaissance 19 Hathaway 58, Midland 56 David Thibodaux 54, Highland Baptist 21 Vermilion Catholic 53, Erath 23 Iota 45, Grand Lake 26 Cecilia 39, Rayne 31 Rapides 56, Westminster 32 North Iberville 38, Port Barre 35 St. Edmund 52, St. Joseph’s 38 Crowley 33, Northside Christian 28 Ville Platte 55, Beau Chene 26

Southside 76, Kaplan 39 SOUTHSIDE (76) Mariah Moore 12, Layla Breland 7, Lola Dimas 9, Annaleigh Horton 11, Chanel Fiero 2, Avery Rogers 4, Urijah Carmouche 27, Lily Hemphill 2, Inaja Vice 2. Totals: 21 (9) 7-9.

KAPLAN (39) Chloe Painter 6, Adalyn Stelly 2, Camille Marceaux 7, Cedera Edmonds 5, Nakia Roy 4, Ajia Comeaux 15. Totals: 15 9-17.

Southside 17 20 17 22 — 76 Kaplan 14 6 14 6 — 39 3-pointers — SOU: Moore 1, Breland 2, Dimas 1, Horton 2, Carmouche 3. Total Fouls: SOU 12, KAP 8. Records: Southside 12-7. Next: Southside at Westgate on Friday.

3-pointers — CAR: Jones 1, Benjamin 1, Siner 1; OPEL: Ford 1, Newman 2, Rardell 1. Total Fouls: CAR 13, OPEL 10.

Thursday’s games Breaux Bridge at Church Point, Iowa at Cecilia, Kinder at Eunice, Northside at JS Clark, Houma Christian at Acadiana Renaissance, St. Edmund at Iota, Franklin at St. Martinville, St. Louis Catholic at Lafayette Renaissance, Vermilion Catholic at Ascension Episcopal, Opelousas Catholic at Basile, Westminster-LAF at Hanson, Northside Christian at Delcambre.

Boys soccer Scores Lafayette Christian 9, Lafayette Renaissance 1 Cecilia 2, Dunham 1 Erath 7, Kaplan 1 Teurlings 2, Southside 1 Beau Chene 8, Rapides 0 Comeaux 8, St. Martinville 0 Westgate 5, Highland Baptist 2

Girls soccer

Opelousas 38, Carencro 30

Scores

CARENCRO (30) Maycie Broussard 6, Cassidy Jones 7, Lintrell Zeno 2, Kna’Qeria Benjamin 7, Jaylie Reed 4, Samari Siner 3, Sajel Davis 1.

OPELOUSAS (38) Delonda Ford 6, Saniya Morris 10, Regan Handy 2, Kenna Newman 13, London Dorn 2, Bailey Rardell 5.

Carencro 5 9 11 5 — 30 Opelousas 9 9 11 9 — 38

Teurlings 2, Alexandria 1 Barbe 5, Acadiana 1 University 1, Acadiana Renaissance 0 David Thibodaux 7, St. Martinville 0 Erath 2, Kaplan 1 Plaquemine 6, Lafayette Renaissance 0 Lafayette Christian 8, Comeaux 0 Highland Baptist 1, Cecilia 1

SCOREBOARD Odds

Green Bay at Chicago, 7 p.m. (PRIME)

College basketball

COLLEGE BASKETBALL Thursday

Buffalo at Jacksonville, noon (CBS) San Francisco at Philadelphia, 3:30 p.m.

(FOX) L.A Chargers at New England, 7 p.m. (NBC/ Peacock)

Men’s state schedule, scores

Sunday

FAVORITE LINE UNDERDOG Hofstra 1½ at TOWSON at FAIR. DICKINSON 1½ Chicago State at UMBC 7½ Maine at BRYANT 2½ UMass-Lowell at MICHIGAN STATE 11½ Northwestern Liberty 4½ at LOUISIANA TECH UNC Wilmington 3½ at NORTHEASTERN UT Martin 2½ at MORE. STATE at SAM HOUSTON 12½ Delaware at SOUTHERN MISS 5½ Texas State at ILLINOIS 21½ Rutgers Middle Tennessee 4½ at UTEP at NM STATE 3½ W. Kentucky at CSU NORTHRIDGE 4½ Cal Poly Pacific 3½ at PORTLAND at UC IRVINE 10½ Long Beach State Seattle U 3½ at OREGON STATE at OREGON 1½ Ohio State at LOY. MARYM. 1½ San Francisco at GONZAGA 14½ Santa Clara

NBA Thursday

FAVORITE at CHARLOTTE at CHICAGO at MINNESOTA at UTAH

LINE OFF OFF 3 OFF

College Football Thursday

O/U (OFF) (OFF) (239½) (OFF)

UNDERDOG Indiana Miami Cleveland Dallas

O/U UNDERDOG (52½) Ole Miss

Peach Bowl Atlanta FAVORITE OPEN TODAY Indiana 4 3½

O/U UNDERDOG (48½) Oregon

NFL Saturday

Houston at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN/ABC)

Divisional playoffs Jan. 17-18

AFC lowest remaining seed at Denver, TBD NFC lowest remaining seed at Seattle, TBD AFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD NFC two remaining seeds at higher seed, TBD

Conference championships Jan. 25 AFC

AFC lowest remaining seed at AFC highest remaining seed

NFC

NFC lowest remaining seed at NFC highest remaining seed

Super Bowl LIX Feb. 8

At Santa Clara, Calif.

Conference championships winners, 5:30 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

College football

Fiesta Bowl Glendale, Ariz.

FAVORITE OPEN TODAY Miami (FL) 3 3½

Friday

Monday

O/U UNDERDOG FAVORITE OPEN TODAY LA Rams 10½ 10½ (46½) at CAROLINA Green Bay 1½ 1½ (45½) at CHICAGO

College Football Playoff Semifinals

Thursday Fiesta Bowl, Glendale, Ariz.

No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 10 Miami, 6:30 p.m.

(ESPN) Friday Peach Bowl, Atlanta No. 1 Indiana vs. No. 5 Oregon, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)

National Championship

Miami Jan. 19 Semifinal winners, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Pro football

FCS glance

Wild-card playoffs

National Championship

Saturday

L.A Rams at Carolina, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

Monday Frisco, Texas Montana State 35, Illinois State 34

Tuesday’s game

South Carolina 78, LSU 68

Thursday’s games

Liberty at Louisiana Tech, 6 p.m.

UL-Monroe at UL, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday’s games

Troy at UL, noon LSU at Vanderbilt, noon UL-Monroe at Southern Miss, 2 p.m.

Delaware at Louisiana Tech, 2 p.m.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3:30 p.m.

Southeastern at McNeese, 4 p.m.

Tulane at Texas-San Antonio, 4 p.m.

Grambling at Bethune-Cookman, 4:30 p.m.

Southern at Florida A&M, 5 p.m.

Nicholls at UNO, 5 p.m.

Late Tuesday South Carolina 78, LSU 68

SOUTH CAROLINA (10-5) Strong 10-15 6-6 30, Johnson 4-9 8-10 19, Knox 1-4 2-4 4, Sharavjamts 3-8 0-0 7, Stute 1-2 0-1 3, Ellis 4-10 0-0 10, Assemian 0-2 0-0 0, Polk 1-2 0-0 3, Butler 1-1 0-0 2, Kapic 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-53 16-21 78.

LSU (12-3) Nwoko 2-9 2-2 6, Sutton 1-5 4-4 6, Tamba 4-8 2-3 10, Mackinnon 6-14 0-0 15, Reece 1-6 0-0 2, Carter 4-10 0-0 10, Miller 3-4 3-3 9, King 1-3 1-2 4, Mosley 2-3 0-0 6. Totals 24-62 12-14 68.

Halftime—South Carolina 50-25. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 12-21 (Strong 4-4, Johnson 3-6, Ellis 2-4, Polk 1-2, Sharavjamts 1-2, Stute 1-2, Knox 0-1), LSU 8-25 (Mackinnon 3-8, Mosley 2-2, Carter 2-8, King 1-3, Sutton 0-1, Tamba 0-1, Reece 0-2). Fouled Out—Strong. Rebounds— South Carolina 26 (Sharavjamts 7), LSU 40 (Nwoko 13). Assists—South Carolina 17 (Johnson 6), LSU 12 (Reece 6). Total Fouls—South Carolina 18, LSU 20. A—6,303 (13,215).

Women’s state schedule, scores Tuesday’s game

Tulsa 76, Tulane 73

Thursday’s games

UL-Monroe at UL, 5 p.m.

Louisiana Tech at Delaware, 5:30 p.m.

LSU at Georgia, 5:30 p.m.

UNO at Southeastern, 6 p.m.

Southern at Bethune-Cookman, 6 p.m.

Nicholls at McNeese, 6:30 p.m.

UTRGV at Northwestern, 6:30 p.m.

Grambling at Florida A&M, 6:30 p.m.

Memphis 106, San Antonio 105 Minnesota 122, Miami 94 L.A. Lakers 111, New Orleans 103 Dallas 100, Sacramento 98

Wednesday’s games

Saturday’s games

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at Northwestern State, 1 p.m.

Southeastern at McNeese, 1 p.m.

North Texas at Tulane, 2 p.m.

Nicholls at UNO, 2 p.m.

UL-Monroe at South Alabama, 2 p.m.

Grambling at Bethune-Cookman, 3 p.m.

Texas State at UL, 3 p.m.

Southern at Florida A&M, 3 p.m.

Pro basketball NBA Conference glance EASTERN CONFERENCE

Thursday’s games

Detroit Boston New York Toronto Philadelphia Cleveland Orlando Miami Chicago Atlanta Milwaukee Charlotte Brooklyn Washington Indiana

W 27 23 23 22 19 21 20 20 17 17 16 13 11 10 6

L 9 12 13 15 15 17 17 17 19 21 20 23 22 25 31

Pct .750 .657 .639 .595 .559 .553 .541 .541 .472 .447 .444 .361 .333 .286 .162

GB — 3½ 4 5½ 7 7 7½ 7½ 10 11 11 14 14½ 16½ 21½

Oklahoma City San Antonio L.A. Lakers Denver Houston Minnesota Phoenix Golden State Portland Memphis Dallas L.A. Clippers Utah Sacramento New Orleans

W 30 25 23 24 22 24 21 19 17 16 14 13 12 8 8

L 7 11 11 12 11 13 15 18 20 20 23 22 23 29 30

Pct .811 .694 .676 .667 .667 .649 .583 .514 .459 .444 .378 .371 .343 .216 .211

GB — 4½ 5½ 5½ 6 6 8½ 11 13 13½ 16 16 17 22 22½

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Tuesday’s games

Washington 120, Orlando 112 Cleveland 120, Indiana 116

Chicago at Detroit, n Denver at Boston, n Toronto at Charlotte, n Washington at Philadelphia, n L.A. Clippers at New York, n New Orleans at Atlanta, n Orlando at Brooklyn, n Phoenix at Memphis, n Utah at Oklahoma City, n L.A. Lakers at San Antonio, n Houston at Portland, n Milwaukee at Golden State, n Indiana at Charlotte, 6 p.m.

Cleveland at Minnesota, 7 p.m.

Miami at Chicago, 7 p.m.

Dallas at Utah, 8 p.m.

Late Tuesday

L.A. Lakers 111, New Orleans 103 L.A. LAKERS (111)

L.James 10-19 7-7 30, LaRavia 2-4 1-2 5, Ayton 9-16 0-0 18, Doncic 11-22 5-9 30, Smart 5-10 0-0 13, Knecht 2-5 0-0 6, Vanderbilt 3-4 1-2 7, Hayes 1-2 0-1 2, Smith Jr. 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 43-85 14-21 111.

NEW ORLEANS (103)

Murphy III 14-26 8-9 42, Williamson 7-13 1-5 15, Queen 5-10 0-0 10, Fears 4-13 0-0 9, Jones 1-9 0-0 3, Matkovic 2-3 2-2 6, Peavy 2-3 0-0 5, Missi 3-4 2-2 8, Alvarado 2-6 0-0 5, Poole 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 40-91 13-18 103.

L.A. Lakers 29 22 28 32 — 111 25 29 32 17 — 103 New Orleans 3-Point Goals—L.A. Lakers 11-31 (L.James 3-5, Smart 3-7, Doncic 3-10, Knecht 2-4, Vanderbilt 0-1, LaRavia 0-2, Smith Jr. 0-2), New Orleans 10-40 (Murphy III 6-17, Peavy 1-1, Alvarado 1-5, Fears 1-6, Jones 1-6, Matkovic 0-1, Queen 0-1, Poole 0-3).

Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—L.A. Lakers 44 (Ayton 11), New Orleans 44 (Queen 13).

Assists—L.A. Lakers 30 (Doncic 10), New Orleans 28 (Queen 8). Total Fouls—L.A. Lakers 21, New Orleans 19. A—18,227 (16,867)

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

T h u r s d ay, J a n u a ry 8, 2026

5Cn

Mac and cheese a comforting meal in just minutes

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

I was looking for a quick and comforting meal, and creamy mac and cheese with storebought cooked chicken was the perfect answer. Once the elbow macaroni is boiled, the rest of the ingredients come together in minutes.

In fact, this dinner can be ready in just 10 minutes. For a festive touch, I added fresh tomato pieces to a bag of washed, ready-to-eat greens for a simple red-and-green side salad.

A healthier take on a shrimp po-boy involves strongly spiced shrimp cooked in a pan along with avocado mango slaw.

PHOTOS BY KEVIN BELTON

HELPFUL HINTS: n Any onion can be used in place of red onion. n Any short-cut pasta can be used. n Look for cooked or rotisserie chicken breast in the meat department.

TNS PHOTO By LINDA GASSENHEIMER

Try these recipes for a lighter shrimp po-boy and fish taco bowl for a healthier January

Chicken Mac and Cheese with Lettuce and Tomato Salad

Chicken Mac and Cheese

Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer.

1 cup elbow macaroni 1 cup no-salt-added chicken broth ½ cup diced red onion ¾ cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese ½ cup nonfat ricotta cheese 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 8 ounces cooked chicken breast cut into small cubes, (about 1½ cups) 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1. Place a pot containing 3 to 4 quarts of water on to boil for pasta. Add macaroni and boil 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, add chicken broth to a saucepan and place over medium-high heat to bring it to a simmer. Add onion and simmer 2 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese. Mix well. Add smoked paprika, chicken and Parmesan cheese.

4. When ready, drain the macaroni and add to cheese sauce.

Toss well and add salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve immediately on two dinner plates.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 614 calories (22 percent from fat), 15.3 g fat (6.3 g saturated, 3.0 g monounsaturated), 139 mg cholesterol, 57.9 g protein, 54.7 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 498 mg sodium.

Kevin Belton January in New Orleans is a curious time. The Christmas decorations are barely packed away, the last of the pecan pralines are finally gone, and suddenly some of us are looking down at our waistbands.

But here’s the beautiful thing about our city, even when we’re trying to be good, we never have to sacrifice flavor.

This January — as we try to save room for the flood of king cakes and fried chicken and everything else that comes with Mardi Gras — I’ve been thinking about how New Orleans food can actually help us lighten up.

We’re blessed with access to the freshest seafood, and there’s nothing quite like a perfectly grilled redfish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of Creole seasoning.

No heavy cream sauce needed when the fish itself tastes like it just jumped out of the Gulf and onto your plate.

Restaurants here have known this secret for years.

Walk into any of the old es-

Lettuce and Tomato Salad

Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer.

2 cups washed, ready-to-eat Romaine lettuce cut into bite-size pieces 1 ripe medium tomato, washed and cut into eighths 2 tablespoons reduced-fat salad dressing Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1. Add lettuce and tomato to bowl and toss with dressing.

2. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Chicken Mac and Cheese.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 35 calories (32 percent from fat), 1.3 g fat (0.1 g saturated, 0.4 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1.4 g protein, 5.7 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g fiber, 13 mg sodium.

A fish taco bowl with catfish fillets is a light option for January. RECIPE, 6C tablishments, and you’ll find grilled oysters that sing with garlic and herbs, shrimp remoulade that gets its punch from spices rather than mayonnaise, and blackened fish that proves you don’t need batter and a deep fryer to make something memorable.

These dishes have been feeding locals and tourists alike for generations, and they’ve never needed to apologize for being lighter fare.

The beauty of New Orleans cuisine is that it’s always been about bringing people together, and that doesn’t change just because we’re watching

ä See HEALTHIER, page 6C

Lighter Shrimp Po-Boys with Avocado Mango Slaw FOR THE PO-BOYS: 1½ pound shrimp, peeled 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning 1 teaspoon smoked paprika 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon dried thyme 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 pistolettes

FOR THE SLAW: 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 2 tablespoon hot sauce Juice of 1 lemon ½ teaspoon smoked paprika Kosher salt and pepper ½ cup shredded cabbage 1 mango, thinly sliced into matchsticks 1 avocado, diced or sliced ½ cup fresh cilantro

1. In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, creole, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and olive oil. Set aside while you make the slaw or place in the fridge up to overnight.

2. Make the slaw. In a small bowl, combine the yogurt, hot sauce, lemon juice, paprika, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Taste and adjust spices to your liking. In a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, mango, avocado and cilantro. Add 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt sauce, gently tossing to combine. Reserve the remaining yogurt for serving.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook, stirring once or twice until the shrimp have turned pink and are cooked through.

4. To assemble. Divide the shrimp among the pistolettes and drizzle with yogurt sauce. Top with slaw.

The sauce is what makes beef tenderloin special Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Mustard Sauce and Green Beans with Rice TNS PHOTO

By LINDA GASSENHEIMER

BY LINDA GASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Cranberries, brown sugar, orange juice and a touch of mustard come together to create a quick, mouthwatering sauce for beef tenderloin slices. This dish is perfect any time you want a special meal.

The beef is sliced into tender 1-inch pieces, a lean cut that cooks in just minutes. Any left-

Recipes,

n Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Mustard Sauce n Green Beans and Rice

6C

over cranberries freeze beautifully, so you can stash extras for delicious use over the coming months. Fresh green beans and microwaveable brown rice complete the meal.

HELPFUL HINTS: n Boneless, skinless chicken breast can be substituted for the beef. n Granulated sugar can be used instead of brown sugar.

6C ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Opening pill bottles with relative ease

lost and found. But if all Dear Heloise: If you can’t golfers put one of their get the cap off a pill bottle return address labels (for on the first time, use someenvelopes) at the top of the thing like a dull knife club near the grip or blade or a bottle cap on the bottom by the opener to pry out the head of the club (in plastic insert inside the back so that you the cap, and then don’t see it in your replace the cap on swing setup), then the bottle. It’s much people in the clubeasier to open. — Hints from house could track Christa, in Huntingdon, Heloise them down and get Pennsylvania Christa, if you the clubs back to ask the pharmacy, they’ll them. — Paul D., in St. Louis remove childproof caps and Paul, golf clubs are exput the easy-to-open caps pensive, so I imagine geton your pill bottles. Please, ting a golf club to an avid readers, keep all medicagolfer would be important.

I liked your idea for antions where children can’t reach them. Over the years, other use of address labels. we’ve heard too many sad — Heloise tales of youngsters who get Dish towel wisdom their hands on medication that looks like candy to Dear Heloise: I use a sensible them. — Heloise kitchen towel guideline that my helpful mother-in-law Address label in cards taught me years ago: Use two separate towels! Use Dear Heloise: When I take a card to a funeral or shower, I thirsty cotton terry cloth or put a small return address la- gauze towels for hands and bel in the inside corner of the counters. Use white cotton flour-sack cloths only for card somewhere. If the perdish drying. Do not mix! It’s son wants to respond with a “thank you,” they don’t have very clean and sanitary. — to look up my address. When Patty M., in Glen Allen,Virginia my late husband died, those Where is my sock? who did this made it much easier for me to respond Dear Heloise: Here’s a cure back to them. — Linda S., in Hun- for missing socks: When we take our socks off, we altington Beach, California ways fold or cuff the pairs Lost and found together before dropping them down the laundry Dear Heloise: I love to golf, chute. They do not get sepaand in many clubhouses, they are golf clubs in the rated until the moment they

are put into the washing machine. This way, there’s no searching for matching pairs when loading the washer or folding clean laundry. This practice has almost eliminated missing socks! — David S., in Buffalo, New York

No doggie poo, please Dear Heloise: I used to have the same problem as A.M.S. in Connecticut. Dog walkers were using my yard as their pooches’ public potty.

She is correct in saying that even if the owner picks up and bags up the pooch’s poop, it still leaves a residual stain and smell.

I solved the problem by putting three signs out on my lawn. Two of them are right up close to the public sidewalk. Those both say “no poop or pee zone.” The other sign is a bit farther back on my lawn but still readable from the sidewalk.

It says “dead dogs don’t poop.” It also has a comical image of a dog skeleton upside-down with their legs in the air. Dog owners get the message.

I have not had a dog poop problem since installing these signs. Signs like these may be available locally.

Good online sources are eBay and Amazon. — T.R., in Montana Send a hint to heloise@ heloise.com.

TODAY IN HISTORY ing, was sentenced in New York to life in prison withToday is Thursday, out the possibility of parole.

Jan. 8, the eighth day of In 2011, U.S. Rep. Gabri2026. There are 357 days elle Giffords, D-Ariz., was left in the year. shot and critically wounded Today in history: when a gunman opened fire On Jan. 8, 1964, President as the congresswoman met Lyndon B. Johnson, in his with constituents in Tucson; State of the Union address, six people were killed and declared an “unconditional 12 others were injured. war on poverty in America.” (Gunman Jared Lee LoughAlso on this date: ner was sentenced in 2012 In 1815, the last major to seven consecutive life engagement of the War of sentences, plus 140 years.)

1812 came to an end as U.S. In 2016, Joaquin “El forces defeated the British Chapo” Guzman, the in the Battle of New Orworld’s most-wanted drug lord, was captured for leans, not having received a third time in a daring word of the December raid by Mexican marines, signing of a peace treaty.

In 1867, the U.S. House of six months after walking Representatives joined the through a tunnel to freeSenate in overriding Presi- dom from a maximumsecurity prison. dent Andrew Johnson’s In 2020, Iran struck back veto of the District of Columbia Suffrage Act, giving at the United States for killing Iran’s top military Black men in the nation’s commander, firing miscapital the right to vote.

In 1998, Ramzi Yousef, siles at two Iraqi military the mastermind of the 1993 bases housing American World Trade Center bombtroops. More than 100 U.S.

service members were diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries later. As Iran braced for a counterattack the same day, the country’s Revolutionary Guard shot down a Ukrainian jetliner departing Tehran after apparently mistaking it for a missile, killing all 176 people on board.

In 2023, supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refused to accept his election defeat, stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and the presidential palace in the capital of Brasilia, a week after the inauguration of his leftist rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Today’s birthdays: Singer Shirley Bassey is 89. Fashion designer Carolina Herrera is 87. Country-gospel singer Cristy Lane is 86.

Rock musician Robby Krieger (The Doors) is 80. Singer Jenny Lewis is 50. Filmmaker and actor Sarah Polley is 47.

Beef Tenderloin with Cranberry Mustard Sauce with Green Beans and Rice

Green Beans and Rice

By The Associated Press

Yields 2 servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer. ¾ pound grass-fed beef tenderloin Olive oil spray Salt and freshly ground black pepper ½ cup orange juice 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ cup fresh cranberries 2 tablespoons parsley leaves (optional garnish) 1. Remove visible fat from beef and cut into 1-inch slices. Flatten the slices to about ½ inch with the bottom of a skillet or a meat bat.

2. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray.

Brown beef slices for 3 minutes, turn and salt and pepper cooked side.

3. Brown second side 2 minutes and remove to a plate. A meat thermom-

eter should read 135-140 F for medium rare.

4. Add orange juice into skillet; scrape up any brown bits. Add brown sugar, mustard and cranberries. Stir to dissolve sugar; simmer 2 to 3 minutes. The cranberries will burst (pop). Mash them with a spoon and stir to make a smooth sauce.

5. Boil 4 to 5 minutes to thicken sauce. Divide the beef into two portions and place on two dinner plates. Spoon the sauce on top. Add salt and pepper to taste.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 324 calories (36 percent from fat), 13.1 g fat (4.8 g saturated, 5.6 g monounsaturated), 84 mg cholesterol, 36.5 g protein, 17.2 g carbohydrates, 1.4 g fiber, 193 mg sodium.

Yields 2 servings. Recipe is

by Linda Gassenheimer.

4 cups green beans 1 package microwaveable brown rice to make 1½ cups cooked rice 2 teaspoons olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 1. Add beans to a microwaveable bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

2. Remove and make rice according to package instructions. Measure 1½ cups.

Reserve any remaining rice for another meal.

3. Add rice to the bowl with the beans. Add olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Divide in half and serve on the plates with the beef.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 288 calories (20 percent from fat), 6.4 g fat (1.1 g saturated, 2.7 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 7.8 g protein, 52.7 g carbohydrates, 7.8 g fiber, 18 mg sodium.

Dream Address Awaits Visit us today and take the first step toward finding your perfect address.

PHOTO By KEVIN BELTON

Fish Taco Bowls 1. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, cayenne pepper and chill powder. Rub generously over the fillets on both sides.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the fish to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes on each side. You want to make sure the fish is cooked through — inside it should be white. Remove fish from skillet and shred with a couple of forks.

3. In the same skillet, add garlic, green onions, corn and red pepper. Season with salt and pepper if preferred.

Stir and cook. Let it cook for a couple minutes then stir again. You want to make sure the corn is brown and looks roasted. Add beans and cook until beans are heated through.

4. To serve, layer rice, corn/bean mixture, fish, avocados and sprinkle with fresh lemon juice.

season, the way the cinnamon and sugar meld with Continued from page 5C the soft, pillowy dough, the anticipation of finding the baby.

But this year, I’m apour portions. Sometimes we host a “Light but Right” proaching it with strategy. potluck.

Every lighter meal in In the past, I have made January is an investment mirliton stuffed with seain guilt-free king cake ensoned ground turkey injoyment. Every grilled fish dinner is a down payment stead of the usual pork and on a slice of the finest king shrimp mixture. Or somecake the city has to offer. times, crawfish étouffée The truth is, New Orleans that used Greek yogurt in has always understood place of butter, controversial maybe, but surprisingly balance. We work hard, we play hard, and we eat delicious. We laughed, we well. January isn’t about ate, we didn’t feel guilty, and we all agreed we’d have deprivation, it’s about appreciation. It’s about plenty of room for king remembering that our cuicake.

Speaking of king cake, sine is diverse enough to there’s something magical support any goal, whether about that first slice of the that’s fitting into last year’s

Mardi Gras costume or simply feeling good about the choices we make.

So here’s to January in New Orleans: To lighter plates that still taste like home and to saving room for the celebrations ahead.

Laissez les bons temps rouler (maybe with a side salad)!

6 ounces catfish fillets 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon cumin ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon chili powder 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 green onions, chopped 1 red bell pepper, diced 1 cup corn kernels 1 cup black beans Salt and pepper to taste ½ avocado, cut in small pieces 1 lemon 2 cups cooked brown rice

HEALTHIER

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

addresslafayettela.com 1-800-801-4620

DRE#01901536 This website is a marketing and information program that sends all inquiries to state-licensed real estate professionals.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Do something that you find entertaining.

Explore what's available in your community or sign up for a course or class that helps you reach your full potential.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Assess your situation at home and how you feel about your relationships with others.

Tally up what it will entail and what it will cost you to put your plans in motion.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Put yourself in the driver's seat and head in the direction that brings you the most joy.

Spending time with someone you love or signing up for an event that interests you will encourage greater contact.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take care of business first. Leave nothing to chance or unfinished. Home improvements, redefining how you use your skills and considering a lifestyle change will become much clearer as the day progresses.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Your intentions are good, and you can create opportunities if you set up meetings and pitch ideas. Traveling, getting together with old friends and making exciting plans are favored.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) You'll harbor mixed emotions if you participate in social events or volunteer your time or skills. Be a good listener and handle your responsibilities promptly.

CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Take an active role in whatever you decide to do today.

Explore the possibilities and execute your skills to meet demands. Use your imagination, and you'll come up with something unique.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) It's best to take a wait-and-see approach and to fine-tune what you want to pursue. Take nothing for granted, refine your thoughts and ideas, and wait for your turn to shine.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) You're sitting in an excellent position. What you discover will help you formulate a plan to get ahead. Positive change is heading your way. Embrace what life has to offer.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Keep life simple.

Don't let your emotions take charge or your reactions put you in a precarious position. Be an observer and give yourself time to digest what's happening. sCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Set your sights on something you want to achieve and get moving. Learn something new, plan a trip or volunteer your time or services to make a difference. sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Be careful what you wish for. Emotional matters will escalate quickly if you or someone close to you isn't open and honest about how you feel or what you want to do.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

ToDAy's CLuE: Z EQuALs V

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Gene Mora wrote the “Graffiti” cartoon for United Feature Syndicate. He said something like: If at first you do succeed, try not to look too surprised.

However, at the bridge table, sometimes you should not try to succeed immediately; you should take your time, learning as much as you can about a deal before committing yourself to playing the key suit. Then, if you succeed, you won’t need to look surprised at all.

In this example, West leads a spade against six no-trump. How should South plan the play?

After East opened three spades, South felt that he was too strong to settle for three no-trump.

And as a jump to four no-trump would have shown a minor two-suiter and not have been quantitative, he started with a takeout double. When North advanced with four diamonds, South was none the wiser. He knew to assume that his partner had six or seven points, but would they be useful? He was sure his partner would treat four no-trump as Blackwood, so he cue-bid four spades. Now North, with such a great suit, jumped to six diamonds, and South converted to six no-trump.

Note this is a better contract than six diamonds, because in the suit slam declarer would have to play on trumps immediately. South should duck the first

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

trick, take the spade continuation (noting that West discards), and cash the heart and club winners. Here, East turns up with seven spades, three clubs and at least two hearts. He can have at most one diamond. So declarer knows to cash his diamond king, then to play a diamond to dummy’s 10. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InsTRuCTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters 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 words are not allowed.

ToDAy’s WoRD — WEAKEns: WEE-kins: Reduces the strength of.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 20 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 25 or more words in WEAKENS? yEsTERDAy’s WoRD — HITHERTo heir hero hire hither hitter hoer hotter their throe tier tire

titer tithe tore tort torte tote toter trio trite troth riot

rite rote roti other otter

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 If we are in Christ then we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and we truly become new. — G.E. Dean

10C ● Thursday, January 8, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BUSINESS T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M/news/business

DOW 48,996.08 -466.00 -0.94%

NASDAQ 23,584.28 37.10 0.16%

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Wall Street’s strong start to the year slows

NEW YORK — Wall Street’s strong start to the year slowed on Wednesday.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.3% from its latest all-time high for its first loss in four days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 466 points, or 0.9%, from its own record set the day before, while the Nasdaq composite added 0.2%.

Some of the market’s sharpest drops hit industries that President Donald Trump targeted with criticism on his social media network. Homebuilders fell sharply, for example, after Trump suggested moves to prevent large institutional investors from buying single-family homes, in hopes of making it more affordable for people to buy houses.

The potential removal from the market of some buyers for homes sent D.R. Horton down 3.6% and PulteGroup 3.2% lower. Blackstone, a large investment company, briefly fell more than 9%, before paring its loss to 5.6%.

In the oil market, crude prices fell after Trump said that Venezuela would provide 30 million to 50 million barrels of oil to the United States. A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude dropped 2% to $55.99. Brent crude, the international standard, fell a more modest 1.2% to settle at $59.96 per barrel.

In the bond market, Treasury yields swung following several mixed reports on the U.S. economy.

S&P 500 6,920.93 -23.89 -0.34%

EURO 1.1673 -0.0003 -0.02%

CRUDE OIL 55.99 -1.14 -2.00%

GOLD 4,449.30 -32.90 -0.73%

6-MO T-BILLS 3.59 0.0 0.0%

30-YR T-BONDS 4.83 -0.03 -0.51%

Job openings slide lower again

Department said Wednes- remained solid in the final three ing, restaurants and hotels, and in Postings at second Labor state and local government. They day, down from 7.4 million in Oc- months of 2025.

A key question for this year rose in retail and construction. tober. Layoffs also dropped, howlowest level in 5 years ever, The number of Americans who as companies appear to be is whether hiring will pickup to onto workers even as they match healthy growth, or whether quit their jobs ticked higher in amid sluggish hiring holding sluggish job gains will eventually November, which is seen as a are reluctant to add staff.

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

AP economics writer

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers posted far fewer jobs in November than the previous month, a sign that employers aren’t yet ramping up hiring even as growth has picked up.

Businesses and government agencies posted 7.1 million open jobs at the end of November, the

The report suggests that the “low-hire, low-fire” job market remains in effect, with workers enjoying some job security but those out of work struggling to find new jobs. The moribund labor market stands in contrast with data showing solid economic growth, which topped 4% at an annual rate in last year’s July-September quarter, the latest data available. Economists forecast growth slowed but

drag down the economy. There is a third possibility: Automation and artificial intelligence could enable steady economic growth without creating many jobs.

The number of postings in November was the fewest since September 2024. But outside that month, it was the lowest in nearly five years.

Open jobs in November fell sharply in shipping and warehous-

good sign, because workers typically quit when they are more confident they can find a better job, or already have one. Yet quits remained historically low, at 3.16 million, up from just under 3 million in October.

The figures provide some critical measures of the job market after last fall’s government shutdown delayed the release of data on hiring and inflation.

Warner Bros. rejects Paramount takeover NEW YORK — Warner Bros. again rejected a takeover bid from Paramount and told shareholders Wednesday to stick with a rival offer from Netflix.

Warner’s leadership has repeatedly rebuffed Skydanceowned Paramount’s overtures — and urged shareholders just weeks ago to back the sale of its streaming and studio business to Netflix for $72 billion. Paramount, meanwhile, has made efforts to sweeten its $77.9 billion hostile offer for the entire company.

Warner Bros. Discovery said Wednesday that its board determined Paramount’s offer is not in the best interests of the company or its shareholders. It again recommended shareholders support the Netflix deal.

Late last month, Paramount announced an “irrevocable personal guarantee” from Oracle founder Larry Ellison — who is the father of Paramount CEO David Ellison — to back $40.4 billion in equity financing for the company’s offer.

Paramount also increased its promised payout to shareholders to $5.8 billion if the deal is blocked by regulators, matching Netflix’s breakup fee.

GameStop details CEO’s compensation GameStop is providing details on a new compensation package for CEO Ryan Cohen that is dependent on him meeting certain “significant” performance targets.

The video game retailer said in a regulatory filing on Wednesday that Cohen would have to grow its market capitalization to $100 billion and it would need to hit $10 billion in cumulative performance EBITDA — or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization — for his award to fully vest.

GameStop said Cohen won’t receive any guaranteed pay, which it defines as no salary, no cash bonuses, and no stock that simply vests over time.

“His compensation is entirely ‘at-risk,’ meaning he will only be paid if the company achieves significant market and operational goals,” GameStop said in the filing.

Cohen’s compensation package with GameStop includes stock options to buy more than 171.5 million common shares for $20.66 each. Shareholders must approve the new pay package at a special meeting in March or April.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By Ty ONEILL

A Razer AI Desk Companion sits on display Tuesday at the Razer booth during the CES tech show in Las Vegas.

CES Day 2 brings more cool tech

BY SHAWN CHEN and RIO YAMAT

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Crowds flooded the freshly opened showroom floors on Day 2 of the CES and were met by thousands of robots, AI companions, assistants, health longevity tech, wearables and more.

Siemens President and CEO Roland Busch kicked off the day with a keynote detailing how its customers are harnessing artificial intelligence to transform their businesses.

He was joined onstage by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang to announce an expanded partnership, saying they are launching a new AIdriven industrial revolution to reinvent all aspects of manufacturing, production and supply chain management.

Lenovo ended the day with a guest starrich visual banquet dedicated to spotlighting how its AI platforms can help people personally (wearables), with their businesses (enterprise platforms) and the world around them. To strike home his points, its CEO Yang Yuanqing was joined by tech superstars like Nvidia’s Huang, AMD CEO Lisa Su and Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan. The CES is a huge opportunity annually for companies large and small to parade products they plan to put on shelves this year.

Here are the highlights from Day 2:

n Razer leans into AI: Gaming tech company Razer is well known for bringing buzz-worthy hardware to CES, like haptic, or tactile, seat cushions and tri-screen laptops.

This year, it’s reaching beyond its standard gaming base and demonstrating two AIpowered prototypes — an over-ear gaming headset that doubles as a general-purpose assistant, and an AI desk companion that can provide gaming advice and also organize a user’s life.

The holographic companion, based on a Razor on-screen AI assistant launched last year (Project Ava), has transitioned off-screen into a small glass tube that sits near your computer. The animated sprite has built-in speakers and a camera so it can see the world around it.

Both devices are AI agnostic, so you can use your preferred model. Although still in development, Razer said it expects both to be released commercially later this year. n Robots on the tarmac: Imagine your plane lands and, when you look out the window you see autonomous robots guiding it to the gate and then unloading the luggage. Oshkosh Corporation is pitching that future for airports big and small.

At CES, it debuted a fleet of autonomous airport robots designed to help airlines pull off what it calls “the perfect turn” — a tightly timed process that happens after a plane lands, including fueling, cleaning, handling cargo

and getting passengers off and back on.

For travelers, CEO John Pfeifer said the goal is fewer delays without compromising safety. The technology is also designed to keep those tarmac tasks moving even during severe weather, like winter storms or extreme heat, when conditions are daunting for human crews, Pfeifer said. Testing with major airlines is already underway, and the robots would likely debut at large hub airports like Atlanta or Dallas, with a goal of rolling them out over the next few years. n The vacuum that can climb stairs: Chinese robovac maker Roborock has introduced a vacuum that literally sprouts chicken-like legs to navigate stairs and clean steps along the way.

The newly introduced Saros Rover was a tad slow in its ascent and descent (but it was cleaning each step) during the demo, but Roborock says it will be able to traverse almost any style of stairwell, including spiraled. No release date was given for the Rover. n The Body Scan scale gets an upgrade: While it may look like a typical scale you’d buy for your bathroom, Withings’ new Body Scan 2 measures much more than weight. Taking off their shoes and socks, people lined up to try out the “smart scale” that in 90 seconds measures 60 different biomarkers.

The $600 scale will be available for purchase in the spring.

Trump wants to ban large investors from buying houses

BY JOSH BOAK Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he wants to block large institutional investors from buying houses, saying that a ban would make it easier for younger families to buy their first homes.

Trump — who has been under pressure to address voters’ concerns about affordability ahead of November midterm elections — is tapping into long-standing fears that corporate ownership of homes has pushed out traditional buyers, forcing more people to rent. But his plan does little to address the overarching challenges

for the housing market: a national shortage of home construction and prices that have climbed faster than incomes.

“People live in homes, not corporations,” Trump said in a social media post as he called on Congress to codify his ban.

Last month, Trump pledged in a prime-time address that he would roll out “some of the most aggressive housing reform plans in American history” this year. The president said he would discuss housing and affordability in more detail in two weeks at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, an event known for attracting CEOs, wealthy financiers and academics with a global focus

who often run contrary to Trump’s populist rhetoric.

The president has in the past floated extending the 30-year mortgage to 50 years in order to lower monthly payments, an idea that has been criticized because it would reduce people’s ability to create housing equity and increase their own wealth.

With Trump’s proposed ban, the challenge is that institutional investors are only a tiny sliver of homebuyers, accounting for just 1% of total single-family housing stock, according to an August analysis by researchers at the American Enterprise Institute, a center-right think tank based in Washington. The analysis defined

these investors as owning 100 or more properties.

The analysis notes that institutional ownership varies nationwide, reaching 4.2% in Atlanta, 2.6% in Dallas and 2.2% in Houston. But these investors tend not to dominate neighborhoods, even if they’re generally more concentrated in lower- and middle-income communities.

Some Democrats have called for crackdowns on corporate ownership of homes, but Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told reporters Wednesday that the Trump administration could cause housing prices to rise by allowing the real estate companies Compass and Anywhere to merge.