The Acadiana Advocate 02-03-2026 by The Advocate

QUIDAT? Saints to play in ﬁrst NFLgameinFrance

READYTOROLL

The Soul Express Brass Band leadsasecond-linethrough the crowd at the Krewe of

Saturday, where krewemembers loaded their floats for this Saturday’sparade in

members.

the nextkrewe member during bead load-in day Saturdayatthe KreweofCarnivale en Rio floatden in Lafayette.

Attacks beginin Senate race

Cassidyreleasesadagainst Letlow as pollsput herinlead

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy and U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow are suddenly engaged in apitched battle as Cassidy triestofendoff herand other Republican challengers in his race forreelection this year

On Saturday, asuperPAC supporting Cassidy launched aTVadthat slammed “liberal Letlow.”

The ad linked Letlow to twoleading Democrats —former President Joe Biden and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi —and accused her of voting withBidenmorethanany of theother four Republican members of Louisiana’scongressional delegation.

On Sunday,Letlow responded by playing her strongest card.

“I am so proud to have earned theendorsementofPresident Donald Trump, and nowI’ll continue ﬁghting alongside him to secure ourborders and to continue to grow our economy,” Letlow posted on X, formerly known as Twitter

She also said: “Well, it didn’t takelong forBill Cassidy and his never-Trumper,pro-impeachment alliestobegin attacking me.”

The opening salvo by the proCassidy superPAC,Louisiana Freedom Fund, and Letlow’s response took place nearlytwo weeks before candidates qualify for the race over athree-day period beginning on Feb. 11. The closed Republican primary— which also allows unafﬁliated voters to participate —isonMay 16.

RIGHT: Krewe memberspass bags of throws up to the second levelofa floatonSaturday Fleming

Officials: NorthLa. escapeesstole bus

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

Twoofthe inmates who broke outof anorth Louisiana prison last week both beingheld there for crimes committed in Baton Rouge —took aschool bus and led ofﬁcers on ahigh-speed

chase intoArkansas beforebeing apprehended, authorities said.

An East Carroll Parishresident says he later held another two escapees at gunpoint until deputies arrived to take them into custody Twomore were found nearby in Mississippi,one in Alexandria and another

within afew miles of the facility Louisiana StatePolice saidall eight inmates whobroke outofRiverbend Detention Center near Lake Providence early Friday morning were considered violent offenders, including

ä See ESCAPEES, page 3A

Cheniertribute albumwinsGrammy

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

There’salittle recording studio down on thebanksofthe Vermilion that just can’tstop turning out Grammy winners.

Dockside Studio in Maurice secured its 14th Grammy win last night with “A Tribute to the King of Zydeco,” produced by Joel Savoy,Steve Berlin and John Leopold from Valcour Records. It’s also the second Grammy win for the Eunice-based record label, which

secured aGrammy in 2013 with “The Band Courtbouillon,” featuring Wayne Toups, SteveRiley and WilsonSavoy.Collectively,these wins are asignofthe impact that Louisiana musicians, producers, studios, labelsand legacy artists like Clifton Chenier continue to enjoy across theglobe. Joel Savoy and Leopold approached the stageduring the Grammy live broadcast Sunday to acceptthe award, presented in the Best Regional Roots Music Album category

“It’s ahell of away to kick off 20 years as asmall independent label in south Louisiana,”said Joel Savoy, whofoundedValcour Recordsin2006. “Itwould not be possible withoutthe legacy that Clifton Chenierleft behind, andit’s ourhonor to accept it on behalf of thezydeco community that works hardday andnight to keep this music thriving.” Leopold added a“thank you” to CJ Chenierand theestate of

ä See GRAMMY, page 3A

Three different polls show Cassidy trailing in head-to-head races against Letlow and another Republican challenger,state Treasurer John Fleming.

Besides Letlow and Fleming, three other Republicanshavealso announced intentions to run in the Senate race: state Sen. Blake Miguez, Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta andSt. TammanyParish Council member Kathy Seiden. No major Democratic officeholder has announced plans to run yet.

Pearson Cross, apolitical science professor at theUniversity of Louisiana at Monroe, ﬁnds it noteworthy thatthe Louisiana Freedom Fund would launch the attack ad so early

“This shows the seriousness of the threat that

See SENATE, page 3A

and

pose with the Grammy for Best Regional Roots MusicAlbum for ‘A Tribute to the KingofZydeco’ on Sunday

PHOTO By RICHARD SHOTWELL

Leopold, left,

Joel Savoy

PHOTOSByLEE BALL

Carnivale en Rio float den on

Lafayette. The krewe has over700

ABOVE: Larry Champagne, right, passes bags of throws to

Va. man in ‘au pair affair’ case convicted

A Virginia man having an affair with the family’s Brazilian au pair was found guilty Monday of murdering his wife and another man that prosecutors say was lured to the house as a fall guy Brendan Banfield, a former IRS law enforcement ofﬁcer told police he came across Joseph Ryan attacking his wife, Christine Banfield, with a knife on the morning of Feb. 24, 2023. He shot Ryan and then Juliana Magalhães, the au pair, shot him, too.

But officials argued in court the story was too good to be true, telling jurors that Brendan Banfield set Ryan up in a scheme to get rid of his wife. It later came out that Brendan Banfield and Magalhães had been having an affair

The verdict comes after the gruesome and complicated double homicide was catapulted into mainstream media in Brazil, the U.S. and elsewhere in the world Magalhães pleaded guilty to manslaughter in 2024 and testiﬁed against her former lover at trial. She said they had impersonated Christine Banfield, a pediatric intensive care nurse, on a website for sexual fetishes. She said they used the site to lure Ryan to the house for a sexual encounter involving a knife, staging the scene to look as if they had shot an intruder who was attacking the wife.

Punxsutawney Phil sees shadow, officials say

PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of wintry weather Monday, a forecast sure to disappoint many after what’s already been a long, cold season across large parts of the United States. His annual prediction and announcement that he had seen his shadow was translated by his top hat-wearing handlers in the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at Gobbler’s Knob in western Pennsylvania.

The news was greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from the tens of thousands who braved temperatures in the singledigits to await the annual prognostication. The extreme cold kept the crowd bundled up and helped keep people on the main stage dancing. Usually guests can come up on stage and take pictures of Phil after his prediction but this year the announcer said it was too cold for that and his handlers were afraid to keep him out too long Instead, the audience was asked to come to the stage, turn around and “do a selﬁe.”

The Punxsutawney club says that when Phil is deemed to have not seen his shadow, that means there will be an early spring. When he does see it, it’s six more weeks of winter Phil tends to predict a longer winter far more often than an early spring Turkey seeks to broker U.S.-Iran talks

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates Turkey is attempting to bring both the U.S. and Iranian officials to the negotiating table, possibly by the end of the week, in hopes of easing the threat of U.S military action against Iran. Neither the U.S. nor Iran has confirmed whether they plan to take part in any negotiations. Two Turkish officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media, said Turkey is trying to organize a meeting between U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian leaders. The meeting could take place as soon as the end of the week, one of the officials said The military has moved the USS Abraham Lincoln and several guided-missile destroyers into the Middle East, but it remains unclear whether President Donald Trump will decide to use force against the Iranian government, as he has suggested he might do in retribution for their devastating crackdown on last month’s protests.

An Arab diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the meeting has not been conﬁrmed said there had been discussions about Turkey hosting a high-level meeting to bring Arab and Muslim countries together with the United States and Iran.

Noem: DHS officers to get bodycams

Move comes after two killed by officers

BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON Every Homeland Security officer on the ground in Minneapolis, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, Secretary Kristi Noem said Monday, in the latest fallout after the shooting deaths of two U.S. citizens at the hands of federal officers sparked

widespread outrage. Noem made the announcement on the social media platform X She said the body-worn camera program is being expanded nationwide as funding becomes available.

“We will rapidly acquire and deploy body cameras to DHS law enforcement across the country,” Noem said in the social media post.

The news of the body cameras comes as Minneapolis has been the site of intense scrutiny over

the conduct of immigration enforcement ofﬁcers after two U.S. citizens protesting immigration enforcement activities in the city were shot and killed.

There have been increased calls by critics of Homeland Security to require all of the department’s ofﬁcers who are responsible for immigration enforcement to wear body cameras. President Joe Biden ordered in 2022 that federal law enforcement ofﬁcers wear body cameras as part

Medical evacuees from Gaza head for Egypt

Rafah crossing reopens

BY SAMY MAGDY and JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press

CAIRO A small number of medical evacuees from Gaza entered Egypt on Monday as the Rafah border crossing reopened, marking a key step in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire but a mostly symbolic one. Few people will be allowed to travel in either direction and no goods will pass through.

About 20,000 Palestinian children and adults needing medical care hope to leave the devastated territory via the crossing, according to Gaza health officials. Thousands of other Palestinians outside the territory hope to enter and return home.

The crossing had been closed since Israeli troops seized it in May 2024. The number of travelers is expected to increase over time if the system is successful. Israel has said it and Egypt will vet people for exit and entry

Ambulances waited for hours at the border before ferrying patients into Egypt, the state-run Al-Qahera News satellite television channel showed. The

office of the North Sinai governor confirmed that the first Palestinian patient crossed.

It was unclear if anyone had been allowed into Gaza.

Before the war, Rafah was the main crossing for people moving in and out of Gaza. The territory’s handful of other crossings are all shared with Israel Under the terms of the ceaseﬁre, which went into effect in October, Israel’s military controls the area between the Rafah crossing and the zone where most Palestinians live.

Violence continued across the coastal territory Monday. Gaza hospital ofﬁcials said an Israeli navy ship had fired on a tent camp, killing a 3-yearold Palestinian boy Israel’s military said it was looking into the incident.

Rajaa Abu Mustafa stood outside a Gaza hospital where her 17-yearold son Mohamed awaited evacuation. He was blinded by a shot to the eye last year as he joined desperate Palestinians seeking food from aid trucks outside the southern city of Khan Younis.

“The health ministry called and told us that we will travel to Egypt for (his) treatment,” she said.

About 150 hospitals

across Egypt are ready to receive patients evacuated from Gaza through Rafah, authorities said. But the isolated crossing is separated from Cairo by a six-hour drive. The Egyptian Red Crescent said it has readied “safe spaces” on the Egyptian side of the border to support those evacuated.

More than 10,000 patients have been evacuated from Gaza since the war began, according to the World Health Organization. But Israel’s seizure of the Rafah crossing brought the pace of evacuations to a crawl, with an average of 17 patients a week leaving for most of the time since.

Israel has banned sending patients to hospitals in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem since the war began, cutting off what was previously the main outlet for Palestinians needing medical treatment unavailable in Gaza.

U.N. ofﬁcials on Monday called on other countries to take in more patients from Gaza “so that everyone receives the treatment they need.”

Gaza residents said the reopening of the crossing also promises the return of family members who ﬂed earlier in the war

Musk joins his rocket, AI businesses into single firm before expected IPO

BY BERNARD CONDON and MATT O’BRIEN AP business writers

NEW YORK Elon Musk is joining his space exploration and artificial intelligence ventures into a single company before a massive planned initial public offering for the business later this year

His rocket venture, SpaceX, announced on Monday that it had bought xAI in an effort to help the world’s richest man dominate the rocket and artificial intelligence businesses. The deal will

combine several of his offerings, including his AI chatbot Grok, his satellite communications company Starlink, and his social media company X.

Musk has talked repeatedly about the need to speed development of technology that will allow data centers to operate in space to solve the problem of overcoming the huge costs in electricity and other resources in building and running AI systems on Earth.

It’s a goal that Musk said in his announcement of the deal could become

much easier to reach with a combined company

“In the long term, spacebased AI is obviously the only way to scale,” Musk wrote on SpaceX’s website Monday, then added in reference to solar power, “It’s always sunny in space!”

Musk said in SpaceX’s announcement he estimates “that within 2 to 3 years, the lowest cost way to generate AI compute will be in space.”

It’s not a prediction shared by other many companies building data centers, including Microsoft.

of an executive order that included other policing reform measures. President Donald Trump had rescinded that directive after starting his second term.

Noem’s move comes after Trump over the weekend endorsed the idea of body cameras for immigration ofﬁcers.

Trump was asked by a reporter as he ﬂew to Florida if he thought it was a good thing having lots of cameras capturing incidents with law enforcement.

“I think it would help law enforcement but I’d have to talk to them,” Trump said.

‘Today’ show host’s mom missing in Ariz. Authorities suspect crime

BY JACQUES BILLEAUD Associated Press

The disappearance of the 84-year-old mother of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie over the weekend is being investigated as a crime based on what authorities saw at her home, an Arizona sheriff said Monday

Asked to explain why investigators believe the Tucson-area home is a crime scene, Pima County Sheriff

Chris Nanos said Nancy Guthrie has limited mobility and said there were other things indicating she did not leave on her own, but he declined to further elaborate.

“I need this community to step up and start giving us some calls,” Nanos said during a news conference.

The sheriff said Guthrie, who lived alone, was of sound mind.

“This is not dementia related. She’s as sharp as a tack. The family wants everyone to know that this isn’t someone who just wandered off,” Nanos said, adding that she needs her daily medication.

Guthrie was last seen about 9:30 p.m. Saturday at her home in the Tucson area and her family reported her missing around noon Sunday, the sheriff said. Nanos said a family mem-

ber received a call from someone at church saying Guthrie wasn’t there, leading family to search for her at her home and then calling 911.

Searchers were using drones and search dogs to look for her Nanos said. Search and rescue teams were supported by volunteers and Border Patrol and the homicide team was also involved, he said. It is not standard for the homicide team to get involved in such cases, Nanos said.

“This one stood out because of what was described to us at the scene and what we located just looking at the scene,” Nanos said Sunday He was not ruling out foul play On Monday morning, Nanos said search crews worked hard but have since been pulled back. Even so, a sheriff’s helicopter ﬂew over the desert Monday afternoon near Guthrie’s home in the afﬂuent Catalina Foothills area on the northern edge of Tucson. Her brick home has a gravel driveway and a yard covered in Prickly Pear and Saguaro cactus. Savannah Guthrie issued a statement on Monday NBC’s “Today” show reported.

“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers and messages of support,” she said. “Right now, our focus remains on the safe return of our dear Nancy.”

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO ByABDEL KAREEM HANA

Juman Al-Najjar, a 3-year-old Palestinian patient, looks out from a vehicle with other patients in Khan younis on Monday as they head to the Rafah crossing, leaving the Gaza Strip for medical treatment abroad.

GRAMMY

Continued from page 1A

Clifton Chenier, and to the many artists and collaborators on the project, which came out in honor of Clifton Chenier’s 100th birthday Leopold said, “You can listen on a streaming service, but buy the record, because every penny goes to a scholarship in Clifton’s name at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.”

The album was largely recorded at Dockside, and features contributions from the likes of The Rolling Stones, produced by Louisiana musician CC Adcock on a performance of Clifton Chenier’s “Zydeco Sont Pas Sale” with Cajun artist Steve Riley

The voices of Lucinda Williams, Charley Crockett and Taj Mahal also appear on the record, as well as contemporary zydeco stars like Anthony Dopsie and CJ Chenier

The Best Regional Roots Music Album category was stacked exclusively with Louisiana-rooted releases. Trombone Shorty and New Breed Brass Band, Kyle Roussel, Preservation Brass and the Preservation Jazz Band, and Corey Henry and his Treme Funktet — all New Orleanians

SENATE

Continued from page 1A

Julia Letlow poses to Bill Cassidy,” Cross said. “The Cassidy campaign and their aligned super PAC realize they have a limited window to introduce and deﬁne Letlow before she can introduce herself to Louisiana voters.”

What the polls are saying

The pro-Cassidy super PAC’s attack ad comes as polls begin to surface with alarming numbers for the second-term senator

While the Cassidy campaign said its own polling is more optimistic, showing him winning the first primary, it does show he has ground to make up in a headto-head matchup.

The worst news for Cassidy comes from veteran New Orleans pollster Greg Rigamer He surveyed Republican primary voters for prominent business lobbyist

Alton Ashy who has dozens of federal and state clients and who helped organize a major fundraiser for Letlow during the just-completed Washington Mardi Gras.

The poll showed Letlow leading the ﬁeld with 27%, followed by Cassidy with 21%, Fleming with 14% and Miguez with 5%. About 6% favored other candidates, who were not identified, while the rest said they hadn’t decided who to support. Rigamer’s poll found that only 22% of Republican primary voters believe Cassidy deserves reelection, while 63% favored giving some-

ESCAPEES

Continued from page 1A

four being held on murder charges.

Four were accused of crimes in East Baton Rouge and one in Lafayette.

Ice storm impacts

East Carroll Parish Sheriff

Wydette Williams said Sunday that the ice storm that swept through the region days earlier played a role in the escape. The detention center had lost power but was running on generators at the time, he said.

Williams declined to release additional details, but one local official said the breakout may have begun with a disturbance after the facility lost heat amid freezing temperatures.

“They lost power; they lost everything,” said Kofi Darden, vice president of the East Carroll Parish Police Jury “As a result of that, those inmates were there without heat, without electricity.” Williams said Louisiana State Police was leading the jailbreak investigation.

When asked about the escape Monday, a State Police spokesperson said the incident remained under investigation.

— secured nominations for their exceptional albums released last year

Another Louisianan, Jon Batiste, continued his Grammy winning streak, winning Best Americana Album for his latest release, “Big Money.” It’s the Kenner native’s eighth Grammy win.

PJ Morton also has been no stranger at the Grammys, and he notched his sixth win on Sunday He’ll bring back to New Orleans the Best Gospel Album award for “Heart of Mine,” a collaborative EP with vocalist Darrel Walls.

Blues icon Buddy Guy, who was born in Lettsworth and cut his teeth in Baton Rouge before heading to Chicago, took home the Best Traditional Blues Album award for “Ain’t Done With the Blues.”

And pianist Sullivan Fortner, a New Orleans native, took home the Best Jazz Instrumental Album award for “Southern Nights.”

A Loyola University New Orleans graduate, vocalist Johnaye Kendrick also shared in the Grammy win for Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals. Kendrick appeared on the Nate Smith and Saje track “Big Fish.”

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

one else a chance.

Head-to-head in a Republican runoff, Letlow led Cassidy, 57% to 22% The question may have skewed the result somewhat in her favor because it identified her as “Trump-endorsed Julia Letlow.”

Fleming led Cassidy, 45% to 28%, the poll found

If Rigamer’s numbers are correct this would mean Cassidy has limited chances to grow his support and win because he’s already so wellknown among Republican voters in Louisiana.

Rigamer interviewed 600 voters — 85% were Republicans and 15% were unafﬁliated voters who can vote in either party primary — Jan. 20-22.

“I did this for clients at the federal level,” said Ashy who helped organize fundraisers for Gov Jeff Landry and Letlow during Washington Mardi Gras. “We wanted a good indication of what’s going on in the race. We didn’t ask leading questions. It’s a purely independent view of the situation as it stands today.”

The Cassidy campaign, however, said its polling shows him leading in the primary, and that he would ultimately win the June 27 runoff election.

“We are extremely conﬁdent in our results that show Sen. Cassidy with a doubledigit lead on the full ballot as well as signiﬁcant movement to the Senator once voters learn more about how the Senator’s record of delivering conservative accomplishments for Louisiana stands in stark contrast to Julia Letlow’s record,”

A school bus chase

Ambulance driver Jim Holt said he spotted a school bus about 2 a.m. Friday, speeding down Lake Street in Lake Providence with multiple police cars trailing it.

Police confirmed it was being driven by two of the escapees 31-year-old Savon Wheeler and 27-year-old Hugo Molino — who were later captured in Lake Village, Arkansas, following a high-speed pursuit By Friday afternoon, State Police also announced 29-year-old Trenton Taplin had been captured near the facility by the East Carroll Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. Molino, Wheeler and Taplin all face charges in East Baton Rouge Parish and were awaiting trial. Taplin is accused of shooting a man dead and injuring a woman. At 10 p.m. that evening, State Police announced the recapture of 25-yearold Kevin Slaughter and 21-year-old Kolin Looney. A spokesperson later confirmed they were apprehended in Alexandria. Held at gunpoint

Two more were caught late Friday night. East Carroll Parish resident Zach Frasier said he found two other inmates

the Cassidy campaign said Monday Cassidy’s poll, taken by Public Opinion Strategies, a veteran Republican ﬁrm, showed him with 32% of the Republican primary vote, followed by Letlow with 21%, Fleming 16%, Miguez 9% and Seiden with 1%. The rest were undecided.

But the Cassidy campaign acknowledged that its own poll showed Letlow leading him by six points in a twoperson race, 46% to 40%.

The campaign added, however, that its polling also showed 57% of primary voters “prefer the candidate with the experience to get things done above all measures.” The campaign also said Cassidy led Letlow 69% to 22% once voters “were informed” of the records of Cassidy and Letlow

The Cassidy survey was conducted from Jan. 20-22 of 600 likely Republican primary voters.

Meanwhile, a poll taken for Fleming showed him soundly defeating Cassidy in a head-to-head election, 44% to 26% a similar number to Rigamer’s poll. The rest were undecided.

“My record is that I have voted more conservatively than either one of them,” Fleming, who served in the House from 2009 to 2017, said of Cassidy and Letlow “I’m one of nine founders of the House Freedom Caucus, which was created to anchor conservatism in the Republican House of Representatives.”

The Fleming survey was conducted by Baton Rouge pollster John Couvillon from Jan. 12-14 of likely Republi-

near the intersection of Regenold and Star Arlington streets in Lake Providence.

Frasier said he held the men at gunpoint until authorities arrived minutes later

Frasier added that sheriff’s deputies told him the two men were 22-year-old Destin Brogan and 19-yearold Kopelon Vicknair. They were among the ﬁnal escapees taken into custody, along with 21-year-old Krisean Salinas, who was captured in Yazoo City, Mississippi.

Brogan faces second-degree murder and obstruction of justice charges in East Baton Rouge Parish, where police say he admitted to shooting a man in the head after an argument.

Vicknair is accused of killing an 18-year-old in Lafayette under similar circumstances.

State Police said the arrests were a joint operation involving the FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and several local agencies — among them, the Yazoo City and Alexandria police departments.

Because of limited space at its aging prison, East Baton Rouge regularly pays other parishes to hold its inmates, often those awaiting trial. About 380 were being held in East Carroll Parish at the time of the escape.

can primary voters. Letlow

jumped into the race on Jan. 21, three days after Trump endorsed her Seiden lamented the attack on Letlow, saying, “I wish we lived in a world where each person could tell their story and platform, like I chose to do on my website, but that’s not reality.”

Skrmetta and Miguez didn’t immediately respond to messages on Monday

The bigger picture

On Monday, the Cassidy campaign said it and the Louisiana Freedom Fund raised $1.4 million during the just-completed Washington Mardi Gras, adding to his big fundraising advantage. Under federal law, Cassidy cannot coordinate his activities with the Louisiana Freedom Fund.

The Cassidy campaign noted it is spending $500,000

to launch the ﬁrst TV ad in the race last week. In it, Cassidy highlights that Trump signed a Cassidy-sponsored law that toughens laws against fentanyl distributors.

Cassidy won reelection in 2020 with Trump’s backing after voting strongly with the president during his ﬁrst term. But Cassidy voted afterward to convict Trump on an impeachment charge of inciting the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol by his supporters. Trump began bad-mouthing Cassidy, and his poll numbers plummeted. Cassidy has voted consistently with Trump since he took ofﬁce again a year ago and rarely misses an opportunity to praise the president. Polls show Trump remains enormously popular among GOP voters.

Miguez, unknown to

runoff on June 27. The runoff winners will advance to the November general election.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RICHARD SHOTWELL

New Orleans native Jon Batiste holds his award for Best Americana Album for ‘Big Money’ during the 68th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Trump urges quick vote to end partial shutdown

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump implored the House on Monday to end the partial government shutdown, but neither Republicans nor Democrats appeared ready to quickly approve the federal funding package he brokered with the Senate without ﬁrst debating their own demands over immigration enforcement operations.

Democrats are refusing to provide the votes House Speaker Mike Johnson RBenton, needs to push the package forward as they try to rein in the Trump administration’s deportation operations after the shooting deaths of two Americans in Minneapolis That’s forcing Johnson to rely on his slim GOP majority, which has its own complaints about the package, to fall in line behind Trump’s deal with Senate Democrats.

Voting could begin as soon as Tuesday, which would be day four of the partial shutdown. The Pentagon, Homeland Security and other agencies saw their funding lapse Saturday And while many operations at those departments are deemed essential, and still functioning, some workers may go without pay or be furloughed. “We need to get the Gov-

ernment open, and I hope all Republicans and Democrats will join me in supporting this Bill, and send it to my desk WITHOUT DELAY,” the president wrote on social media.

“There can be NO CHANGES at this time,” Trump insisted. “We will work together in good faith to address the issues that have been

raised, but we cannot have another long, pointless, and destructive Shutdown.”

The stalemate points to a difﬁcult week ahead as Johnson relies on Trump to help muscle to the package to passage.

The president struck a deal last week with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer in which Homeland Security would only be funded temporarily though Feb. 13, as Congress debates changes to immigration enforcement operations. The Senate overwhelmingly approved the package with the rest of the government funding ahead of Saturday’s deadline.

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries made it clear Monday that his side sees no reason to help Johnson push the bill forward in a procedural step, something that the majority party typically handles on its own.

With Johnson facing a revolt from his own Republican ranks, Jeffries is seizing the leverage it provides Demo-

crats to demand changes to immigration operations.

“On rare occasions have we stepped in to deal with Republican dysfunction,” Jeffries said at the Capitol.

Democrats are demanding restraints on Immigration and Customs Enforcement that go beyond $20 million for body cameras that already is in the bill.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced Monday that ofﬁcers on the ground in Minneapolis, including ICE, will be immediately issued body-worn cameras, and the program would be expanded nationwide as funding is available.

But Democrats are pressing for more. They want to require that federal immigration agents unmask — noting that few, if any, other law enforcement agencies routinely mask themselves in the U.S. and they want ofﬁcers to rely on judicial, rather than administrative, warrants in their operations. They also want an end to

roving patrols, amid other changes.

Jeffries said the administration needs to begin negotiations now, not over the next two weeks, on changes to immigration enforcement operations.

Certain Democrats, however, are splintering with the leader, and pushing for quicker passage of the funding package to avoid government disruptions. At the same time, House Republicans, with some allies in the Senate, are making their own demands, as they work to support Trump’s clampdown on immigrants in the U.S. The House Freedom Caucus has insisted on fuller funding for Homeland Security while certain Republicans are pushing to include other measures, including the SAVE Act, a longshot Trump priority that would require proof of citizenship before Americans are eligible to participate in elections and vote.

Father of detained boy disputes government assertion

Man says he did not abandon 5-year-old

BY MIKE CATALINI, STEVE KARNOWSKI and SHARON LURYE Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS

— The father of a 5-year-old boy who was detained by immigration ofﬁcers and held at a federal facility in Texas denied government accounts Monday that he abandoned his son last month while being pursued by authorities.

As the pair returned to Minnesota, Adrian Conejo Arias, who is originally from Ecuador, told ABC News that he loves his son, Liam, and would never abandon him, disputing statements from the Department of Homeland Security, which alleged that Arias had left his child in a vehicle. He also said his son got sick while in federal custody but was denied medicine.

Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that Arias ﬂed on foot before he was arrested, “abandoning his child.” She said Immigration and Cus-

toms Enforcement officers stayed with the boy.

“The facts in this case have NOT changed: The father who was illegally in the country chose to take his child with him to a detention center,” she said.

McLaughlin did not address Arias’ statement that his son was denied medication while in custody Arias also said he was arrested unjustly and contended he was in the country legally, with a pending court hearing for asylum.

The comments come after a federal judge ordered over the weekend that the pair be freed. They were released Sunday and returned to Minnesota, according to Rep. Joaquin Castro of Texas.

The family’s arrest and release unfolded during President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration, which has led to daily protests that included the shooting deaths of two American citizens by federal ofﬁcers

The president last week ordered his top border adviser to oversee the crackdown days after the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse at a Veterans Affairs hospital. Border czar Tom Homan suggested that mistakes

have been made, but he said agents would continue to enforce federal law and called on local and state ofﬁcials to cooperate with federal ofﬁcers.

Even as neighbors celebrated the boy’s return, police said school in the Minneapolis suburb of Columbia Heights, where he attends class, was canceled after bomb threats were called in. Authorities said they did not ﬁnd any dangerous devices, and school was set to resume Tuesday

Even before the threats, the district has felt under siege. Over two dozen parents of students at Liam’s school, Valley View Elementary have been detained, Principal Jason Kuhlman said Friday in an interview, leaving children without their caretakers.

“We hate Mondays. And it’s because we ﬁnd out how many of our parents were taken over the weekend,” Kuhlman said.

The school started offering online schooling last week because many parents were afraid to come to school, even with volunteers patrolling school grounds during drop-off and dismissal times. Almost 200 students were absent one day in a school of

Trump says he won’t tear down Kennedy Center

ByTheAssociated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday that he won’t tear down the Kennedy Center but said it needs to be closed for about two years for work that cannot be done with patrons coming and going for shows and other performances.

Tr ump’s comme nts, though, suggested that the interior of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Per-

forming Arts will be gutted as part of the process.

“I’m not ripping it down,” the Republican president told reporters following an unrelated announcement in the Oval Ofﬁce. “I’ll be using the steel So we’re using the structure.”

Such a project would mark Trump’s latest effort to put his stamp on a cultural institution that Congress designated as a living memorial to President Kennedy a

Democrat, in addition to attempting to leave his mark on Washington through other projects, the most prominent of which is adding a ballroom to the White House.

Trump announced Sunday on social media that he intends to close the performing arts venue on July 4 for about two years, subject to approval by a board led by many of his allies. Trump is also the board’s chair

gration officers surrounding the young boy in a blue bunny hat and Spider-Man backpack began to surface. McLaughlin said ICE did not target or arrest the boy, and she repeated assertions that his mother refused to take him after his father’s apprehension. His father told ofﬁcers he wanted Liam to be with him, she said.

around 570, said Kuhlman, compared to normal days when only 20 or 30 kids are absent. The boy’s detention drew outrage as images of immi-

McLaughlin also said last month that the child was abandoned and that ofﬁcers tried to get the mother to take custody of the child. “Ofﬁcers even assured her she would NOT be taken into custody.” Neighbors and school officials said federal officers used the child as “bait,” telling him to knock on his house’s door so his mother would come out. DHS disputed that description.

PHOTO PROVIDED By U.S REP JOAQUIN CASTRO

Adrian Conejo Arias sits with his son, Liam Conejo Ramos, 5, on Saturday in San Antonio, Texas, after being released from an ICE detention center in Dilley, Texas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAHMAT GUL

President Donald Trump asked the House on Monday to end the partial government shutdown.

Shown

Government says it’s fixing redactions

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, LARRYNEUMEISTER andPHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK The Justice Department said Monday that it had withdrawn several thousand documents and “media” related to disgraced ﬁnancier JeffreyEpstein after lawyers complained to aNew York judge that the lives of nearly 100victims had been “turned upside down” by sloppy redactions in the government’slatest release ofrecords The exposed materials include nude photos showing the faces of potential victimsaswellasnames, emailaddresses andother identifying information that was either unredacted or not

fully obscured. The department blamed it on “technical or human error.”

In aletter to theNew York judges overseeing the sex traffickingcases brought against Epstein and confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, U.S.Attorney Jay Clayton wrote that thedepartment had taken down nearlyall materials identified by victims or their lawyers,along with a“substantial number” of documents identifiedindependently by the government Clayton said the department has “revised its protocols for addressing flagging documents” after victims andtheir lawyers requested changes. Documentsare promptly pulled downwhen flaggedbyvictims,then evaluated before aredacted version of thedocument can be reposted,“ideallywithin 24 to 36 hours.”

Twolawyers for Epstein

victimswrotethe courtSunday seeking “immediatejudicial intervention” because of what they described as thousands of instances when thegovernment had failed to redact names and other personally identifying information Eight women who identify as Epstein victims added comments to the letterto Judge RichardM.Berman. One wrotethat the records’ release was “lifethreatening.” Another said she’d gotten death threats after 51 entries included her private banking information forcing her to try to shut down hercredit cardsand accounts.

“There is no conceivable degree of institutional incompetence sufficientto explain the scale, consistency,and persistenceof thefailures that occurred particularlywhere the sole taskordered by theCourt and repeatedly emphasized

BY GARY D. ROBERTSON, TRAVISLOLLER andRUSS BYNUM Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. Four homes blasted by icywinds on an eroding North Carolina island collapsed into the ocean and Florida farmers anxiously waited for frozen plants to thawMonday as people across theeasternhalfof the United States coped with more than aweek of subfreezing weather Thermometers hovered below freezing throughout the day Monday across the northern U.S. from the Dakotas to Maine, and sub-freezing temperatures were forecast to return to the Southeast overnight, reaching into partsofnorthern Florida.

As residents of the Carolinas and Virginia dugout from deep snow,more than 70,000 homes and businesses in Tennessee and Mississippi began asecond weekwithout

electricity since an earlier snow and ice storm inﬂicted severe damage on power linesand utility poles

In hard-hit Nashville, Tennessee,Terry Milessaid Monday was hisninthday without power.Milessaid he hasbeen living with his wife andtheirdog in abedroom that he tried to insulate by hanging up blankets. He’s cooking and heating water outdoors on apropane grill. On Sundaysomeone loaned him asmallgas generator with enough powertorun a coupleofspaceheaters.

“We’re roughingit,” Miles said. “I’ve been camping before and had it easier than this. Ifeel likeGrizzly Adams.” The death toll hassurpassed110 in statesafﬂicted by the dangerous coldsince Jan.24.

In New York City,Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Mondaythat hypothermiaplayed aroleinthe deaths of 13

people found dead outside in thebitter cold, according to preliminaryﬁndings. More thanadozen other suspected hypothermia deaths were reported in Indiana, Louisiana, SouthCarolina and Texas. On theEast Coast, where aweekend bombcyclone brought heavy snow and fierce winds, the National ParkService said four unoccupied homes along North Carolina’sOuterBanks collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean since Sunday. A bystander recorded one of themtoppling into the water Photos taken by theagency showed piles of debris along the shoreline in thevillage of Buxton.

Victimscomplainofthreats afterEpstein file release

by DOJ was simple: redact known victim names before publication,” the lawyers, Brittany Henderson and Brad Edwards, wrote. Berman, who presided over Epstein’ssex trafﬁcking case, scheduled aconference for Wednesday Also Monday,asection of theJustice Department’s Epstein files websitethat had contained public court records from Epstein and Maxwell’scriminalcases andcivil lawsuitswas no longer functioning.

Amessage seeking comment on the websiteissue was left for the Justice Department.

Deputy Attorney General

Todd Blanche said in an interview Sunday on ABC’s “This Week” that there have been sporadic errors in redacting, or blackingout, sensitive information but that the Justice Department has triedtowork quickly to address them.

“Every timewehear from avictim or their lawyer that they believe that their name was not properly redacted, we immediately rectiﬁedthat. Andthe numbers we’re talking about, just so the American people understand, we’re talking about .001% of all the materials,” Blanche said.

Dozens of Associated Pressreportersanalyzing the ﬁles have so far found multiple occasions where a name was redacted in one document, only to be leftexposed in another version of the sameﬁle.

In other places, names and email addresses are crossed out but not fully blackened out, so they’re still visible. Other text redactions can be easily overridden by simply double clicking on them to reveal the hidden text underneath.

The JusticeDepartment has said allnudeorpornographic images were re-

dacted from the 2,000-some videos and180,000 images in the release, even if they were commercially produced,asthe agency considered all women depicted in the imagesaspotential victims.

Butreporters withThe New York Times still found dozens of uncensored photos of naked young people with their faces unredacted. The newspaper said the images have since been largely removed or redacted after it notiﬁed the Justice Department. It said someof the images appeared to have been taken on the beach at Epstein’sprivate Caribbean island while others are in a bedroom setting. In another instance, the AP found aset of morethan 100 images of ayoung, unidentifiedfemalelounging on abed, standing on abeach and at other summertime locationswhile wearinga short top.

TheOuter Banks’ narrow, low-lying barrierislands have been eroding for years as rising seas swallow theland. Prior to the latest storm, more than two dozen houses, usually built on stilts at the water’s edge, had collapsed since 2020. Mostfell in extreme weather

In Florida, wheresome farmers spraywater on their fruit trees andplants ahead of freezing weather to help protect them from even deeper cold, fern growers werewaiting Monday for a protective layer of ice coating their plantstomelt away so they could assess damage Florida gotsocoldoverthe weekend that the Tampa-St. Petersburg area sawsnow flurriesand

JanRisher

LOUISIANAAT LARGE

Simplicity in adventure

“I want to pick up my purse, get in the car and go.”

That’show Opal Broussard describes her plans for the move she andher husband, Harvey Broussard, aremaking at the end of this month, when they leave their New Iberia house of 50 years and head to Vermont.

Opal Broussardturns 79 this week. Harvey Broussard follows in July.They have already bought necessities for asmall apartment they’ve rented in Vermont near the campground where they’ve spent summers for the pastdecade. They are not packing boxes. They are not renting astorage unit. They are giving it all away, which is how Icame to hear about their big adventure

I’ve known the Broussards for 15 years. Years ago, Iwent to their home for abook club discussion. I recognizedthen that it was ahouse full of carefully chosen things the kind that hold stories.

The Broussards contacted me shortly after the August ﬁre that destroyed ourhome. They asked me to come by and see if there was anything we could use. Isaid yes, grateful, but not fully understanding what they weredoing

When Ivisitedtheir homeinmidJanuary,the largerpicture came into focus.

They are giving their things to friends andlocal nonproﬁts. They realized their daughter was collecting her own stuff and didn’tneed theirs.

So, what to do with the daybed for their grandson? The rolling desk for their sofa? The Bordallo Pinheiro green cabbage dishes? Thisisall accumulatedevidence of decades lived carefullyinone place. “I used to make bread, and we had sourdough jarsall over the place,” Harvey Broussard said of a foldable prooﬁng box.

The couple has one daughter, and they are practical people. Like manywho reach their late 70s, they have been thinking about what

Security enhanced forannual Mardi Gras fest

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

For those looking for more than just parade fun during Mardi Gras season, Acadiana’sannual Le Festival de Mardi Gras is returning with new safetyrules in place this year Le Festival de Mardi Gras, aprimary fundraiser for the Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association,isorganized by volunteers dedicatedto keeping MardiGras traditions alive in Lafayette. Festivalofﬁcials say new security policies are beingimplemented to help ensure the safety of the community

“Our top priority has always beenensuring the safety of our patrons,” thefestivalshared on itsFacebook page. “Wehopeyou allunderstand.”

The new rules include requiring all guests ages 16 and under to be accompanied by aparent or guardian, allowing onlyclear bags, and screening all attendees through astate-of-the-art metal

StudenttoplayatCarnegie

Solo performancea ‘longtimedream’

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

SouthsideHigh School student

Anzlie Ingram has playedthe clarinet for eight years, but will have theopportunity to fulﬁll what she calls a“longtime dream” next week.

Ingram was recently selected to performinthe High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall as partofthe Honors Band after being nominated by Southside’s banddirector and participating in arigorous audition process. Theperformance is set to takeplace Feb.8

While Ingram did have theopportunityto perform at Carnegie

alongside the Southside High Symphonic Bandin2023, it’sher ﬁrst time being personally selected to participate in an ensemble performance at the fabled venue.

“I’ve been really excited,” Ingram said. “Gettingasked to perform at Carnegie was agoal of minefor along time. I’m really just thankful for everyone who has helped me reach this milestone.”

One such mentorwas David Ashton,anassistantprofessor of woodwinds at theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette who hasprovidedprivate lessons to Ingram for thepast two years. Ingram says Ashton played an invaluable roleinhelpingher get

selected for the Honors Band. “For theprocess, we hadto submita video recording of us playing,”she said. “They’re looking to seethings like technical proﬁciency.I was worriedabout trying to convey that through aphone recording. Dr Ashton was agreat help with getting the sound and the acoustics just right.”

Ingram

In addition to the Carnegie Hall performance, Ingram will have access to advanced musical study under nationally recognized conductors through the program, which is put on by the education travel organization WorldStrides and takes student musicians from

Meetinghalfway

across the globe.

Locally,Ingram has hadopportunitiestoperformwiththe Lafayette Concert Bandand the Louisiana Music Educators Association All-State Band.

In additiontoplaying theclarinet, Ingramhas recently begun playing other wind instruments such as the oboe.

“Learning anew instrument kind of felt like Iwas in ﬁfth grade all over again,” she said.

“I thought it would be pretty similartoplaying theclarinet, but there are somedifferences I’ve noticed,” Ingram said. “I’ve found that training myself to produce the correct sound is difﬁcult. It’sbeen agood way to continue to challenge myself.”

Customers line up Mondayduring aking cake pop-up outside MLC Antiques in Lafayette.Justin Kennedy,general manager of Parkway Bakery andTavern in NewOrleans, is bringing hundredsof king cakes from New Orleansbakeries to the HubCity each Monday until Mardi Gras. He and hiswife, Becca, whose family owns Olde Tyme Grocery in Lafayette, are offering theMardi Gras staplefrom Brennan’s, Dough Nguyer’s, Hi-Do, Handel’sand DongPhuong.

Carbon-capture well plan meetsopposition

Expertssay the concerns arevastly overblown

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer

AHouston startup seeking approval for Louisiana’ssecondever carbon-capture and storage well has met oppositionfrom Ascension Parish residents, the latest signofconcern over an emerging industry that state leaders view as key for future economic development.

Five-year-old firm Blue Sky Infrastructure is planning an underground carbon dioxide storage hubinthe heart of Louisiana’s MississippiRiver industrial zone near Geismar and Donaldsonville. Thecompany is currently seekingapermit forthe ﬁrst of seven planned wells, with the initialone to be located in western Ascension Parish.

Theproject is amongmore than 30 similar proposals that the state has been examining for potential approval, but backlash from residentsand politicianshas complicated the plans. Gov.Jeff Landry issuedamoratorium on newinjection applications last fall to providetimetoreview theprocess, but the Ascension proposal is one of six that remained on the state’sfast track. Effectivecarbon capture would in theoryaddress two problems at once. Louisiana’spetrochemical industry could lower itscarbon footprint andmakeits products more competitive for foreign export, while climate-warming emissions could be reduced.

Butoppositionhas emerged over land rights, lucrative tax credits helping fund theprojects andthe potential for CO2 leaks, among other concerns. Environmental groups also oppose carbon capture, calling it unproven

BY TYLER BRIDGES and ALYSEPFEIL Staff writers

Kyle Ruckert is stepping down as Gov.Jeff Landry’schief of staff to oversee an outsidePAC that’s working forLandry’s reelection next year Landry announced the move Monday,without disclosing Ruckert’sreplacement. Ruckert will chair Protect Louisiana Values,whichwas created just before Landrytook ofﬁce to promotehis agenda. “Kylehas been an instrumental part of the tremendous progress we have madeinreducing crime, the largest tax cut in Louisiana history,drastically improving educationscores, and reforminginsurance to reduce costs,” Landry said in astatement.“While leavingour official office, Kyle’s continued leadership at Protect Louisiana Values will take our message directlytothe people to accomplish even bigger and bolder improve-

ments for Louisiana.”

The new position puts Ruckert in afamiliarrolebecause he hasbeen perhaps the preeminent Republican political operativeinLouisiana over the past decade. He has been akey strategist for then-U.S. Sen. David Vitter, for U.S. Sen. John Kennedy’sreelection campaignin 2022 and for the governor During the2023 campaign, Ruckert served as an adviser to Landry, whowon outright in theprimary Ruckert also oversaw theLouisianaCoalition for aConservative Majority,asuperPAC thatraised millions of dollarsfromwealthy business ownersand spentheavily to winall seven Senate races it targeted and15ofthe 16 House races it targeted Taking over theProtect Louisi-

ä See CARNEGIE, page 4B

ä See RISHER, page 4B

Ruckert

No room forviolence along aparade route

This weekend’sshooting ata parade in East FelicianaParish remindsusasthe Carnivalseason gets into full swing that even in our celebrations, Louisiana residents often can’tescapethe toll of violence. And it shouldnot be that way.

On Saturday,shortly afterthe “MardiGras in the Country” parade began rolling through the streets of the tiny town of Clinton, shots rang out. Live video on social media showed paradegoers running for cover,aonce beautiful dayturned into ascene of chaos. Five people,including a 6-year-old girl, were hitbybullets. In addition, aman was hit by aﬂeeing car and awoman was trampled by the crowd.Thankfully,all are expected to survive, though one victim could be paralyzed as aresult, ofﬁcials said. Malik Liggins, 15, Noah Basquine,19, and Phillip “Choppa” Williams,25, were arrested inconnection with the shooting. Liggins will be triedas an adult.

Ofﬁcials say more arrests could be forthcomingasgang activity is suspected. To ﬁreintoa crowd of revelers requires arecklessnessthat we cannotcomprehend —the crime labcollected 29 bullet casings from the scene. But in acountry awash in guns, and astate intent on letting nearly anyone carry one with little oversight, wecan no longer say such tragedies are shocking. Indeed, we have seen it beforeatCarnival events— and not justinNew Orleans, where the most stringent law enforcement efforts are focused.Lastyear, two people were killed and a dozen injured at Mardi Gras celebrationsinMamou, prompting the cancellationofsomeevents this year

In 2024, New Orleans sawtwo peopleshotnear Canal Street on MardiGrasjust asfestivities were coming to an end.

This is despite the best efforts of law enforcement and city officials to keepeveryone safe. We are glad to see that New Orleans requestedand received aSpecial Event Assessment Rating 1 for the height of the Carnivalparade season,as it did for the first time last year. There will be an expanded presence of federal agents as well as the usual cadre of state troopers, New Orleans Police Department officers andpersonnelfrom local sheriff’s offices around the state. But their hard work has its limits. Violence of the kind displayed in Clintonmust be addressed at acultural level.

Of course, the shootingled to aspate of headlines around the country,anotherblackeye for our state as we showcase what makesour culture unique That is unfortunate because atCarnival, the best of Louisiana is on display asthousands come together from all walks of lifein arareoutpouringofcommunal joy.Ittakes months of planning and the talents of awholehostofcreative people to put on this show Sadly though, all it takesisone person with a gun to spoil it for everyone.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

OPINION

Airportneeds to be astopinN.O.-BR line

Building successful passengerrail corridors is notaneasytask, yet it can be done. Amtrak’sMardi Gras service, twice daily between New Orleans and Mobile, Alabama, has demonstrated remarkable promise and garnered great riderenthusiasm. This success could never have been accomplished without the complete cooperation of CSX and Norfolk Southernfreight railroads.

The Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers receives frequent requests about twothings: theextension of the servicetoPensacola and passenger servicetoBaton Rouge.LARP hasbeen advocating for servicetoBaton Rouge sinceits inception in 1980.

One of the largest hurdles for service

to BatonRouge is traversing the freight rail corridorinJefferson Parish. Coordination and cooperation from all six Class 1railroads that converge on East Bridge Junction, as well as the New OrleansPublic Belt,would be required for the project tobeasuccess. Even with afreight rail alliance, the track rights would passa great distance from the airport Passengerrail service between New Orleans and BatonRouge would be woefully incompletewithout astop at the airport. Thereare closer options which, if considered in afuture study, would allow for atrain station by the old airportterminal and avoid freight rail interference, whichcan cause sig-

UNOmustbeapriorityfor Moreno

We should all be in for New Orleans and UNO. It should be agreat relief for all of us to thinkthat Mayor Helena Moreno has surrounded herself with very experienced professional people who will contributetocreating avision of what the future of thecity should looklike. After discussing withher team critical issues facing our community—from public safetyand economic growth to legislative priorities, Moreno is ready Onecannot help but agree with theneed to balance thebudget and address the root causes of crime, support theeconomic development in New Orleans —Tulane’splan to turn CharityHospital into anew research center,the redevelopment of the former Naval Baseinthe Bywater into affordable housing and startup incubator,the long-delayed River District Project, etc. All these projectsmerit the government’s and citizens’ support In addition, what should not be left out is the upgrading of the

grounds surrounding the UniversityofNew Orleansand its internal infrastructure. We need to return theuniversitytothe roleitoccupied until two decades ago: a prestigious public university and research institution that graduated manyfuture professionalsasbachelor’s, master’s or Ph.Ds in many ﬁelds.

Agood start would be to complete thereconstruction of the streets to thesouth of the campus —facing Leon C. Simon; they have been an abandoned disaster formany decades: There are potholes everywhere and alack of curves, drains, etc. This offers avery discouraging environment to attract students and families to thearea for temporary or permanent residence. It is intolerable to accept these conditions near auniversitythat is essential to our community.Let’shelp our mayor makeUNO regain its once prestigious status.

BETTY SPEYRER NewOrleans

Describing Trump’sinanity needsexpansive vocabulary

Thanks to President Donald Trumpfor providing theopportunitytouse descriptive words and terms not in ordinary conversation.

The president’scommunications, spoken and on social media, are fraught with folderol, thersitical invective, thrasonical bloviation and bombastic blather —all Trump’s trumpery.

Andthe general theme of what he speaks and writes is welldescribed by one of Tennessee Williams’s favorite words, used in “Cat On A Hot TinRoof:” mendacity.Don’t know what all these mean? Look ‘em up and see that they all apply to Trump.

EARL HIGGINS River Ridge

niﬁcant delays. The alternative is the old L&A rail corridor,which is clearly visible on the riverside of Airline Drive. This corridor is anearly contiguous 6.5-mile rightof-way from Orleans Parish to Kenner Junction, where the passenger service could merge onto the CPKC and progress to Baton Rouge.

Elevation of the track would be necessary to remove grade crossings. But service to the airport would be worth it. JOHN ADRIANI, JR. secretary, Louisiana Association of Railroad Passengers on behalf of JOHN SITAJR.,president ANDREWC.LODRIGUSS,vicepresident LOUIS BANGMA, treasurer

Archbishop stillhas more work to do

In reading the Jan. 6article, “Aymond to meet with abuse survivors,” written by Stephanie Riegel, staffwriter,I’m confused.

First, the archbishop promotes them (ex. the Rev.Hecker). Then, he apologized fortheir crimes and is praying fortheir victims.

Personally,I’m praying forthe arrest and prosecution of those clergy named as possible perpetrators of sex crimes related to the Archdiocese of NewOrleans, accused of these crimes. Otherwise, the message still says to me: “Everyone, everywhere named as asuspect of acrime should be pursued, arrested and prosecuted —that is, all except forsex crimes by clergy associated with the NewOrleans archdiocese.”

KERRYERMON River Ridge

Joining the letters of praise of our beloved local newspapers, The Advocate and The Times-Picayune.

Thank you Karin Giger and Peg Usner foryour letters and expressions of gratitude.

Isay amen and bravo as well forthe daily “gift” of our newspapers. For manydecades, growing up in the Slidell area, it has been astart to my day with acup of coffee.

Keep up the good work. Congrats! MARIS PRAVATA HELFRICH Covington Good to be reminded of

Americansknowwhatthey’re up against

Aproven antidote to political division is acommon enemy.The greater the powers organized against people, the stronger the bond becomes among disparate groups. Think 9/11. Now turn your gaze to Minneapolis. Never did Iimagine that the existential threattoAmerica’s democratic republicwould be posed by our own government Maybe I’ve been naive, butI’vealways believedthat aconstitutional commitment to moralprinciples,especially the rule of law,meant we were protected from the fates of less blessed nations.America was the exceptional country,createdbyaconﬂuenceof great men and minds at aunique moment in history But something has happened to the nation.We’re notthe same people we were as recently as 2016, when the norm-shattering Donald Trumpcame to power.Hestepped into arole tailormade for him at atimewhenthe future seemedupfor grabs. Hisvision for the United States has hardened intosomething unrecognizable while his methods have escalated into lawlessness. I’m reminded of the character Randall Flagg from Stephen King’s1978 novel, “The Stand.” Flagg was asorcerer and cult leader who served chaos, darkness, destruction and conﬂict to bring down civilization.

Kathleen Parker

andperhapstied to the midterms and 2028 election,bothofwhich Trump probably wouldn’tmind canceling.Bycreating chaos, this unrestrained president can justify imposing stricter controls, potentially leading to more military occupation across the country.That’s one way to obstruct the nation’selectoral system. The Jan. 6stormingof the U.S.Capitol didn’tquitedo the trick

I’m convinced by theevidence —thanks to citizen cameras —and my own eyes that using lethal force against Renée Good and Alex Pretti was not justiﬁed. My colleague George F. Will hitasweet spot with his column arguing“it is good citizenship to assume that everything ICE says, and everythingthe administration says in support of its deportation mania, is untrue until proved to be otherwise.”

Jonathan Rauch, writing in the Atlantic, laid out aconvincing case for callingTrump’spolicies “fascism,” discardingthe word he previously used, patrimonialism, to describe them. Patrimonialism, he explained, is agoverningstyle while fascism is ideological, aggressiveand, at ﬁrst, revolutionary Rauch provided 18 examples of Trumpstyle fascism,including glorifying violence and amight-is-right worldview Not using “fascist” now,hesaid, would be “perverse.”

King’shorror story,which culminates in ashowdown between good and evil, could be ametaphor for today’s partisanhostility.The recent killings of two Minnesota citizens protesting the roughly 3,000-strong federal invasion and stormtrooper tactics makeKing’s masterpiece seem hauntingly prescient and, perhaps, prescriptive. The Minneapolis chaosisn’trandom but likely politicallyretributive (note the preference from Immigration and Customs Enforcement forbluestates)

Do yourself afavor and read the article. Then mentally scroll through what you’veseen in Minneapolis: Masked, armedmen girded withbulletproofvests and other military effects, dragging people outoftheir homes into frigid streets, tossing women tothe ground, detainingchildren, and shootingand killing civilians who are peacefully protesting. Pretti was holding a phone when agentsused pepper spray on him, before he was beaten and shot multiple times.

Although Trumphas taken some measures to mitigatethe public outcry following Pretti’skilling, they’re not enough. He sidelined HomelandSecuritySecretary Kristi L. Noem for her mindless jabber that included calling Pretti a“domestic terrorist”for using acellphone to film agents abusing awoman. Noem should be sent home to SouthDakota. Trumpalso swapped out his top gun in Minnesota, Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, for border czar TomHoman, who said he plans to “draw down” agentsthere. Somecold comfort, that. ICE agents involved in the killings should be charged rather than merely suspended. ButTrump’sWhiteHouse, whose officials lately have been posting racist and antisemitic coded messages on social media, doesn’tsee things this way.Trumplikes chaos, and his selfserving goals becomemore achievable as long as it lasts. This meansICE will continue its dangerous deployments with Trump’sblessing —and journalists who try to exposethe realityon theground pay theprice. On Thursday night and Friday morning, former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fortwere arrested by federal agentsinconnection to their coverage of an anti-ICE protest at a church in St.Paul. Into this darkness, aslice of light pierces thegloom. The worm seems to be turning. Most Americansoppose what is happening, while other countries file formal protests and issue travel warnings to citizens considering aU.S. destination. Even someMAGA voters must loathe what they’re seeing. Welcome to the light, friends. America’spartisans, and all of those trapped between, have acommon enemy and a unifying mission to stop themadness. It’stime to take astand.

Email KathleenParker at kathleenparker@washpost.com.

Noem isn’tthe only reason

Americansshouldnot trustICE

George Will

When Kristi Noem was —what? informed? reminded? —that her meeting with North Korea’sdictator Kim Jong Un, which she reported in aprepublication manuscript of her memoir, never happened, this did not ruffleher sang-froid.She placidly said thatthe “anecdote” about the meetingwould be “adjusted” before the book was published. Today,Noem, aformer member of Congress and former governor of South Dakota, is secretary of homeland security,under whose supervision Immigration and Customs Enforcement operates. There are, however,many reasons, beyond Noem’snature, that multiplying millions of Americans do not and should not trust ICE. Much has been saidabout thesocial ripples from what began withthe introduction of the smartphone. Some consequences, such as instantaccess to torrents of information, are excellent Others, such as addictive access to oceans of rubbish, are awful. Butaninsufficiently appreciated benefit of this device is that most Americans most of the time are carrying video cameras. Governments around the world are using myriad technologies, some of them sinister,tosurveiltheir populations. U.S. governments —national, state local —are not impervious to the temptation to overdo this. But today,asalutary effect of theubiquity of smartphones is thesurveillance of the government by citizens. Including those exercising their constitutional right to petitiongovernment forredress of grievances, and people watching other people do this Graphic journalismcan changethe world. It did so in May 1963, when Theophilus Eugene “Bull” Connor commissioner of public safetyin Birmingham, Alabama, used bodyslamming fire hoses and snarling dogs against young Black civil rights demonstrators. The nation was appalled and, as important, embarrassed by photos and videos of what wasbeing done in its streets by government. Minneapolis is today’sBirmingham Citizens with smartphones are supple-

Homeland Security SecretaryKristi Noem speaksSaturday during anews conferenceatFederal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington.

menting journalists in gathering facts. It is infuriating, yet grimly sublime, that thecurrent national administration,which will not stop banging on abouthow it is restoring America’s greatness, isincessantly embarrassing (aboutGreenland, vaccines and much else). Theadministration requires an addition to thetypologies of government:loutocracy For aglimpse of what government of, by and for louts looks like, ﬁnd on the internet the video, taken by acitizen in Minneapolis, in which aparticipant in theexcitement of amelee —tear gas andother instruments for combating citizens—exclaims: “It’slike ‘Call of Duty’! So cool huh?” “Call of Duty” is avideo game,away from which some new agentswere perhaps lured by the signing bonuses, some up to $50,000, that havefueled the agency’sbreakneck expansion. Policingisa hard, dangerous profession. Donewell, it demands of its practitioners discipline and judgment,

Cal Thomas H

Language we usecan help heal or wound each other

and deserves from society arespect approaching reverence. The current administration, by erasing the distinction between police work and military operations —byallowing marauding ICEmen to pose as police —has grievously wounded the dignity of policing.

This is unsurprising. In aJuly 2017 speech toalaw enforcement audience, President Donald Trumpurged police, “don’tbetoo nice” to suspectstaken into custody.The International Association of Chiefs of Police responded tartly:

“Managing use of force is one of the mostdifﬁcult challenges faced by law enforcement agencies.” They “develop policies and procedures, as well as conduct extensive training, toensure that any use of force is carefully applied and objectively reasonable.”

Trust,including trust in government, is the glue that gives successful societies the cohesion requisite for collaborativedynamism. It is calamitous when government forfeitsthe public’strust. Butwhen, as today,such forfeiture occurs, assume theworst.

Today,itismore than prudent,itis good citizenship toassume that everythingICE says, and everything the administration says in support of its deportation mania, is untrue until proved to be otherwise. Or,asNoem might say, until it has been “adjusted.”

Someadministration loutshave said that the most recent (as of this writing) person killed in Minneapolis by afederal officer was a“would-be assassin” and, of course, a“domestic terrorist.” Because Republicans control congressional committee gavels, and because today’spresident controls congressional Republicans, there will be no oversight of ICE’srampages. The Senate, which disgraced itself by confirming Noem and others unqualified for Cabinet positions, is especially unlikely to suddenly acquire the inconvenience of aconscience.

So, expect more killings, and more political smearing of the victims. That ICE’sdisgraces will continue is, in its revolting way,apromisekept: loutocracy

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Ancient proverbs can be helpful in adjusting our language and behavior in ways that can beneﬁt every generation. They have become ancient because they work. One example: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but aharsh word stirs up anger “ (Proverbs 15:1). It means calm, patient and kind words can deescalate conﬂict, while harsh, angry responses provoke further rage. Tryitsometimewhen you are in an argument with someone. Display humility,orsay “I can see how you feel that way,but mayIshare my view?”

The language we use to communicate with one another can heal or wound, producing positive, or negative results.

The latest of many examples is language used by President Trump, members of his administration, Minnesota governor TimWalz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey over their differing views on ICE agents seeking to arrest violent criminals.

President Trump has called Walz “Whacked Out” and “Grossly Incompetent.” Asked if he would call the governor,Trump said, “Why would Icall him? The guy doesn’thave a clue. He’samess.”

He eventually called him. Trump also said Walz and Frey have been “inciting insurrection,” “spreading misinformation” and using “dangerous rhetoric,” such as comparing ICE agents to the Gestapo and Walz comparing children he claimed are afraid to leave their homes to Anne Frank. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called protesters “domestic terrorists.” Frey said ICE should “get the f***” out of Minneapolis. Trump’suse of language, even foul language, to demean and diminish his political opponents is nothing new.Such language diminisheshim and the office of the presidency None of this latest exchange of nuclear rhetoric has been helpful in producing a resolution of the tensions or resolving the problem of undocumented immigrants in the city and state. In fact, escalating and using vile rhetoric is guaranteed to make things worse. It can also fire up one’spolitical base and raise money On this latter point Ihave twostories. One involved apastor of alarge Florida church who had decided to dabble in politics. He told me of criticism he had received for sending out so many negative letters about how he saw the condition of the country.Hedecided to try apositive letter and described the response this way: “No one sent any money.” The second story is acorollary to the first. I once asked atop fundraiser for conservative causes why he never sent any positive letters to donors. He replied: “You can’traise money on apositive.” How cynical is that?

Youmight make money and shore up your base by denouncing others and using foul language, but the result is adeeper and wider divide and ahatred of fellow Americans. Ronald Reagan maybethe best example of how to lower the rhetorical temperature and not make enemies more than one might expect from members of the opposition. Reagan said things like “Our friends on the other side” and “The trouble with our liberal friends is not that they’re ignorant, it’sjust that they know so muchthat isn’tso.” Reagan rarely engaged in personal attacks. It wasn’this nature, but he also believed he would rather win the issue than demean an opponent. The result? He often got Democrats to work with him on issues important to the country

As some of the ICE agents begin to withdraw from Minneapolis, the left will likely claim victory,but at what cost? The original issue of undocumented immigrants, some of whom may be criminals, who remain in Minneapolis and the fraud involving some Somali immigrants and misspent taxpayer money have yet to be resolved. Using better language would be agood place to start.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@tribpub. com. He is on X, @CalThomas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON

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comes next.

They don’twant their only childleft with the emotional andlogistical weight of sorting through alifetime of belongings. They don’twant hertohave to clean out a house making athousand decisions in the fog of grief

They don’twant her to be responsible for arrangements that could be made now, while they are very much alive.

Abook helped set their planinmotion. “All That Remains,” by Sue Black, led them to make arrangements to donate their bodies to science. If they die in Louisiana, they will donate to Tulane. If they die in Vermont, they have made arrangements with the University of Vermont. They don’tspeak of their decisions in amorbid way Everything is practical and intentional, including their choice of Vermont.

In 2012, they went all the way to Eugene, Oregon, to buy aspeciﬁc camper.Itwas the only one in the country with the lighter interior ﬁnish they wanted. The only problemwas that they didn’t own atruck. So they bought atruck the

LANDRY

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ana Values PAC“is asmart move for everyone in Ruckert’spolitical orbit because he’llhavea lotofﬂexibility to assist importantdonors with work that’simportant to them,” saidMary-Patricia Wray,alobbyist in Baton Rouge who also works on political campaigns.

Protect Louisiana Values is anonproﬁt group set up as a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, astatus thatallows it to spend money on political activity without disclosingits donors.

The group advocates “for Governor Jeff Landry’s policy agenda and seeks to support conservative leaders engaged in the process of moving Louisiana forward,” according to its website.

Protect Louisiana Values has played arole in some high-profilemoments connected to Landry.For example, it helped secure funding to bring alive tiger to an LSU game at Death Valley in 2024 and was part of arrangementsfor an appear-

FEB.13

n 6p.m. to 6:30 p.m. —DJRex

same day

Theydrove to Oregon. At thecamper lot, they took a few lessons. Opal Broussard climbed behind the wheel, drove the camper offthe lot and through the mountains of Northern California, until she backed it neatly into its space at acampground.

For several summers, they chose adifferent statetoexplore in their camper: Arkansas, Georgia, Texas, Florida, Alabama.

“Like Arkansas,” Opal Broussard said, “I had no ideahow beautiful Arkansas is.” Eventually,their wandering took them toVermont aplace Opal Broussard had wanted to see since elementary school, when she read a story about atraveling circus there. Once they found Vermont, the pattern changed. Theystoppedchoosing a new state each year and went back to Vermont.

Theyfell in love with a campground on Lake Champlain, becoming part of a community that returns year after year.Opal Broussard has learned to play mahjong and has made great friends. Harvey Broussard has met fellowmusicians and plays guitar by the lake.

“I always thought I’d love Lake Champlain,” Opal Broussard said. “And Ido.”

Last year,after nine con-

ance lastyear by U.S. Health SecretaryRobertF.Kennedy Jr.atPennington Biomedical Center.It’salso backed the governor’s agenda on auto insuranceand majortax code changes At the PAC, Ruckert will workwith“senior Advisors Brent Littlefield, Courtney Guastella, and Jay Connaughton whoare working to drive PLVs message,” Littlefield said in astatement.

As Landry’schief of staff, Ruckert kept alow public proﬁle as he helped keep the governor’sagenda on track.

Lobbyists andlegislators said he acted at times as an enforcer for the governor, warning that his boss would punishthose who didn’t supporthis agenda In atext response, Ruckert said he was too busy to be interviewedand didn’thave anything to addtothe ofﬁcial statements.

Ruckert didreceive one piece of unwantedpublicity when it was disclosed last April that he was part of a group that includedLandry and several prominent legislators who traveled toTexas to go turkey huntingand talk politics with several promi-

n 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. —MikeDopsie & the Zydeco Twisters

n 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. —AdamLeger

FEB.14

n 4p.m. to 6:30 p.m. —DJRex Broussard

n 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. —LVVRS

n 9p.m. to 11 p.m. —The Chee Weez

FEB.15

n 1p.m. to 5p.m. —Mambo GumboCookoff

n 1:30 p.m. to 5p.m. —ShadowRoad

n 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. —RustyMetoyer

n 8p.m. to 10 p.m. —Lil Nate

FEB.16

n 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. —DJRex Broussard

n 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. —MikeBroussard

n 7:45 p.m. to 9p.m. —The Coteau Grove

Band

n 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. —Wayne Toups

FEB.17

n 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. —DJRex Broussard

n 11 a.m. to 1p.m. —CajunRoots

n 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. —HWy 90

n 4p.m. to 6p.m.— Cypress Valley

Harvey Broussard, of NewIberia, plays guitar at Lake Champlain campground’s annual singalong with Quebecois visitors in 2023.

PROVIDED PHOTO

secutive Vermont summers, theyrented asmall apartment outside Burlington, about 30 milesfrom the campground. It’s next door to friends from the campground. They furnished it simply

OpalBroussard has no regrets about letting go of things. HarveyBroussard admits he sometimes wonders whether he’ll need something later,but he is fully in the spirit of their adventure. He’salready set to play his guitar for anew young friend who will perform at his school later this spring in Vermont.

On Monday morning, Opal Broussard cameacross a quote attributed to Buddha and shared it with her husband —and thenread it aloud to me:

“In the end, only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you.”

The Broussards are leaving New Iberia without the weight of what theyno longer need. They’re excited about the future and cleareyed enough to know they can always comeback.

At an age when many people tightentheir grip, the Broussards are loosening theirs —trusting that what matters most doesn’tneed to be packed.

nent trial attorneys, including Gordon McKernan.

While working as apoliticalstrategistbeforebecoming thegovernor’s chief of staff, Ruckert also worked as abusiness lobbyist,and that led to questions in 2024 about possible conﬂicts of interest.

He and his wife,Lynnel Ruckert, who has her own extensive careerasa Republican staffer,operated aBaton Rouge-based ﬁrm called Bold Strategies. The two met as congressional staffers for Vitter Kyle Ruckertturnedover his lobbying clients to Lynnel when he became executive director of Landry’stransition team in October 2023.

State law prohibits Ruckert from lobbying the Governor’s Ofﬁce for the next two years, but he can lobby legislators —many of whom he helped elect.

Ruckert has longtime ties with one of the two most powerful legislators, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie. They were fellow members of Jesuit High School’s class of 1992. Henry was on the wrestling team, while Ruckertplayed basketball.

FESTIVAL

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detection system designedtoidentify weapons such as ﬁrearmsand knives. The2026 festival will take placeFeb 13-17 at Cajun Field, 2351 W. Congress St Festivalgoers can ride an unlimited numberofrides at the MardiGrasLafayette Carnival for $30 whenpurchasing online before midnight on Feb12. Afterthat, armbands will be available onlineand at the event for $35.

Unlimited ride wristbands are valid only on selectdays: 5p.m.to11p.m.Feb

13,1 p.m. to 11 p.m. Feb. 15 and 1p.m. to 6p.m. Feb. 16. Individual tickets are $2 each or 20 for $40. Ticket only days arenoon to 11 p.m. Feb. 14,6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Feb. 16 and 11 a.m. to 6p.m. Feb. 17.

CARNEGIE

Continuedfrom page1B LOTTERY SUNDAY,FEB.1,2026

PICK 3: 0-9-1 PICK 4: 5-7-3-0 PICK 5: 1-6-1-8-0 Unofficial notification; keep your tickets.

After graduation, Ingramplans to attend LSU, where she will study premed andeventually anesthesiology.However,she

PROJECT

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anda way for industry to avoidphasing outfossilfuels.

Industry backerssay the concernsare vastlyoverblown, thetechnology has long been used for other purposes and the storage wells will be locatedthousands of feet underground, cappedbya thick layerof impermeable rock.

Those sharply divergent views were on display during ahearing Thursday night before state DepartmentofConservation and Energy officials in Donaldsonville. Residents in a crowd of more than 60 people at theparish courthouse arguedthe newwell would foster unwanted land grabs for pipelines and other infrastructure.

“Tonight, Istand before youstrongly urging you to deny this permit, notout of fear but outoffierce defense of ourrights, our wallets and our children’s inheritance,” said Donald Bailey,72, an Air Force veteran andGonzales-area resident who lives near CO2pipelines serving the west bank injection well.

“Thisisn’t environmental progress. This is ablatant corporate giveaway.”

Proponents argued that the project wouldbring jobsand tax revenue. They said it has already spurred investment in RiverParishes Community College and would create stability and growth for the region’s petrochemical industry

“WithoutCCS projects like this, future investment in our existing industry will go to other states and places around the globe, and that existing industry that hasmadeAscension Parish so strong economically will die aslow death,” said industry lobbyist TimJohnson, president of theBaton Rouge-based TJC Group.

Johnsonsaidbillions in recent industrialannouncements located justnorth of the proposedwellwouldn’t have come withoutthe promise of carbon capture and storage, known as CCS.

Among them areHyundai Steel, aCFIndustries expansionand Ascension Clean Energy

‘Will notwork’

Blue Sky,operating under the subsidiary River Parish Sequestration LLC, is proposing to inject and permanently store nearly 420 million tons of carbon dioxide deep under asugar cane farming belt that extends into Assumption and eastern Ibervilleparishes over 30 years, company planssay

The network of wells, pipelines andatleast five futureunderground CO2 plumes would seek to avoid homes and slip in among underground obstructionslike

also wants to incorporate music intoher work, adecision shewas inspired to make after studying the effects of music on the brain during her junior year

“Music obviously means alot to me andwhatIwant to do moving forward.I

salt domes, natural faults aboveand belowthe future plumes but not through them, anddecades of oiland gas drilling, plans show.

The first of theseven planned wells, which would generate oneofthe plumes, is under review.Itwould be onlythe second Class VI carbon injection well in Louisiana since theU.S EnvironmentalProtection Agency granted the state authorityover theregulatoryprocessinearly 2024.

The well would inject up to 2.2 milliontons of CO2 peryear underthe Bruly McCallareanear La.943, starting in 2027, plans say.

Though carbon dioxide exists in the atmosphere and is exhaled by people,the industrialcapture andstorage processinvolvescompressing it to anear liquid state for transport by pipeline and injection. That means leaksfrom deliverylines, as hashappened in Mississippi andSulphur,can release highly concentrated clouds that can act as asphyxiants and starve oxygen from fossil fuel-burning carsand trucks.

Experts discount the possibly as very remote, however,that CO2insuch high concentrationscould leak from deep underground storage and reach the surface. Such storagehas raised concernsfrom criticsabout slower leaks into drinking water aquifers, however Blue Sky ofﬁcialsand others supportingthe technology countered carboncapture is highly regulated and hasaclose parallel that’s been safely in practice for ahalfcentury: using CO2 injections to enhance oilrecovery. ForRiverParishSequestration,its first injection zonewill be sealed by arock overlay that is thicker than the height of the Louisiana State Capitol, thecompany says. Theplume, which would exist in several layers from nearly 4,900 feet and nearly 10,000 feet deep, would sitmore than ahalfmile below the lowestfresh water aquifer,company plans say.

The injection would work at the bottom of thestorage zone andascend, going into increasingly shallow layers of sedimentary rock.Eighty years after injection starts and 50 years after it has ended, the storagezone is projected to extend horizontally in an almost 2-squaremile oval deep underneath the Bruly McCall area, company modeling shows Michael Manteris, copresidentofBlueSky,said that his company spent more than ﬁve yearslining up voluntaryagreements with over 80 landownersfor access to the storageareas undersome 30,000 acres

He saidthe company’s magnetic and seismic testing, an exploratorywelland other work show that the western Ascension piece of

don’tthink Iwould be who Iamwithout it.Ilove creating music with my peers and people fromacross the state.” For aspiring musicians, Ingram’s advice is,“Don’t be discouraged when ﬁrst starting. Focus on what you do bestand don’tstop.”

thefarmland is away from homes, active drinking waterwells and orphan wells that could provide apath for stored CO2 to escape. Residents at thehearing were notconvinced, saying they wantgrowth but also to live safely “(Carbon capture) will not work. It has not worked, andwejust don’twant the experimenttohappen with us,” said AshleyGaignard, a Donaldsonville resident who leads the advocacy group Rural RootsLouisiana ‘Poverty into prosperity’ Manteris said thecompany will have amonitoring programtotrack the underground plume. Emergency response plans will also be in place for leaksfrom storage sites or pipelines. The project received mixedsupport from local ofﬁcials.

James LeBlanc, the St. Amant fire chief anda parish executive, delivered letters of backing from Parish President ClintCointment andSheriffBobby Webre LeBlanc toldstate officials the well is part of the parish’sefforttoreducepoverty on the west bank. “This industry is about quality of lifeonthe west bank. It’s about overallenhancement of the west bank, and it’sabout turning poverty into prosperity,” LeBlanc said. But two west bank officials, Parish Council member Oliver Joseph and School Board member Robyn Penn Delaney,voiced theiropposition. Delaney said the well andotherinfrastructure would be too close to Lowery elementary and middle schools, potentially exposing children to aCO2 leak —about 2miles away Someresidents suggested parish officials’ support could result in tough elections for them. Others objected to east bank officials supporting CO2storage that would affect only the other side of the river “Put it wherever they’re at.…Bring it overthere,” said Louis Boudreaux, 88, of Donaldsonville. Federal45Q taxcredits offer up to $93 per ton to the companies capturing their CO2 emissions. As the storage company,River Parish Sequestration doesn’treceivethose credits, company officials said, but will be paid by plants that getthem. In September 2024, the U.S. Department of Energyawarded RiverParish Sequestration a$32.2 million grant. The company matched that with $8.1 million, acompany presentation says. Blue Sky Infrastructure, the parent of RiverParish Sequestration, is managed by the more than$1trillion private equity fund Blackstone.

David J. Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.

Inside thebubble

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

One of the ﬁrst things associate coach

Bob Starkey does after agame is sift through the ﬁlm. It’snot always apleasant undertaking, especially when the LSU women’sbasketball team playsas poorly as it did in aloss to Kentucky on Jan. 1.

Emily Ward.

Otto ready to wear UL softball uniform afterdelay

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staffwriter

UL softballfanshopetosee improvement after adisappointing 2025 campaign.

One of the biggest reasons to believe is thereturn of transfer BrookeOtto at third base.

ä Tulsa at UL, 3:30P.M.FRIDAy,ESPN+

“I’m very,very impressed with her and I’m looking forbig things from her,” new UL hitting coach Bill Shipman said of Otto, whose Cajuns open the season at 3:30 p.m. Friday against Tulsa in the 40th annual Louisiana Classic. The originalplanwas forOtto to help during head coach Alyson Habetz’sﬁrst season in 2025.

Habetz and assistant coach Lacy Prejean saw the former McNeese State

bottom of acarton of eggs, and it snaps on to therim,sealing off the cylinder and sending shots ﬂying into the air at unpredictable angles. It trains rebounding instincts.

“Weneed to orderabubble,” Starkey recalled telling her Arebounding bubble,that is.A hard, clear,plastic, circular shell with14protrudingbumps. It looks almost likethe

What Starkey saw in hisrewatch of the Tigers’ worst rebounding performance of the last ﬁve seasons was anew problem. Andnew problems need new solutions. So Starkey drew on his 40 years of experiencetosearchfor aﬁx, andwhen the lightbulblit up inside his head,he relayed the ideatoteam staff member

LSU hadn’tusedabubble in practice before, at least not since coach Kim Mulkey hiredStarkey to her staff in 2022.

Nowthe No.5 Tigers(21-2,7-2 SEC) popitonto therim “just about everyday,”

LSUhitting stride at crucialtime

After LSU dismantled Alabama 103-63 on Sunday afternoon, LSU women’s basketball coach Bob Starkey thought Alabama coach Kristy Curry could use ahug —and an explanation

Saints land 1stNFL game in France

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Scott Rabalais

“He said they hadn’tplayed that well all year,” Curry said afterward Indeed the Tigers had not. Not against a quality opponent, at least.

Sunday’smasterpiece victory —coming against a Crimson Tide team that Monday actually climbed three spots in the AP poll to No.21 despite being blown out by LSU —was exactly that. The fullest expression of what this LSU teamisand can be thisseason. State of theart. Michelangelo if he had painted with abasketball andworn sneakers.

“Wewere justcooking on both ends of the court,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said. Everything about theway the Tigers playedwas top notch. They shot 56.1% from the ﬂoor,including 47.6%

from 3-point range. They outrebounded the Tide 43-28. Alabama shot only 34.4% for the game, partially because the Tigers had11blocks. Cooking is the right word for the way LSU isplaying as February opens. Amonth that will determine agreat dealabout this season for the Tigers, whether they can cut downSEC championshipnets and whethertheycan makea run atasecond NCAAtitle. Mulkey couldn’task for muchmore heading into such an important time frame, especially in three key areas:

Rebounding: LSU solvedits rebounding woes that led to an opening SEC loss to Kentucky on New Year’sDay.The Tigers have outrebounded all eight opponents they’ve faced since then. Sixtimes in that span, LSU has wiped its opponent off the boardsbya double-digit margin

The LSU guards are rebounding better, andthe post playerrotation of Kate Koval Amiya Joyner,Grace Knox and ZaKiyah Johnson has beendoingthe jobnomatter which combination is on the

The NewOrleansSaints will playthe ﬁrst-ever NFL game in France, theteam and league announced Monday

The game is part of the NFL’s record nine-game International Series forthe 2026 season. Although the release did notspecify adate or opponent, media reports over the weekend indicated the Saints will play the Cleveland Browns on Oct. 25.

“Weare excited to be selected to play in the ﬁrst regular season game to be held in France,” Saints owner Gayle Benson said in anewsrelease. “This moment is specialnot only because of the strong cultural connection between Louisiana and France, but also because we will compete before agrowing Saints fanbase in Paris.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell formally announced the International Series at his state-of-the-league news conference Monday

“Paris is one of the world’sgreatest sporting and cultural cities with tremendous success in hosting global events thatunite fans on the biggest stages,” Goodell said in arelease. “Playing our ﬁrst-everregularseason game at the impressive Stade de France, together with the New Orleans Saints, underlines ourcontinuedglobalgrowth ambitions and we look forward to bringing the NFLtoour passionate fans in France.”

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson goes up for arebound over Arkansas forward Jenna Lawrence, center, and LSUforward GraceKnox, right, on Thursdayatthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center

STAFFPHOTO By BRAD KEMP UL third baseman BrookeOtto runs the bases during arecent Cajuns scrimmageatLamson Park.

PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS

LSU point guard JadaRichard drives to the basket in the second half of the Tigers’ 103-63 win over Alabama on Sundayatthe Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ä See BUBBLE, page 3C

ä See SOFTBALL, page 3C

Louisville rises to sixth in AP poll

BY DOUG FEINBERG

Associated Press

Louisville moved up to sixth for its best ranking in four years in The Associated Press women’s Top 25 basketball poll released Monday UConn remained the unanimous No. 1 from the 31-member national media panel. The Huskies are the lone undefeated team in women’s college basketball and kept that streak going Sunday with a 96-66 rout of thenNo. 15 Tennessee. UConn has won 39 consecutive games dating to last season. UCLA, South Carolina and Texas remained behind the Huskies in an unchanged top four The Bruins had an impressive win over then-No. 8 Iowa on Sunday The Hawkeyes dropped

to 10th. The Longhorns topped then-No. 10 Oklahoma on Sunday as well. The Sooners fell to 11th. The rest of the top 10 shuffled. LSU moved back up to fifth, and Louisville climbed to its highest ranking since 2022 after wins at Stanford and Cal. Vanderbilt dropped two spots to seventh after a loss to Ole Miss. Michigan and Ohio State were next. It’s the Buckeyes’ first appearance in the top 10 in a year

Falling Tigers

Princeton fell four spots to No. 23 after ending a 15-game winning streak Friday in a loss to rival Columbia. The Tigers rebounded with a victory over Cornell the next day Princeton was having its best year since going undefeated during the regular season in 201415.

Conference supremacy

The SEC has a record 10 teams in the poll for the second consecutive week. The Big Ten is next with seven The Big 12 has four teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference has two, and the Big East and Ivy League each have one.

Games of the week

No. 17 Duke at No. 6 Louisville, Thursday. First place in the ACC will be on the line. The Blue Devils have a 13-game winning streak and the Cardinals have won 14 straight.

No. 2 UCLA at No. 8 Michigan,

Sunday The top two teams in the Big Ten will face off when the Bruins visit the Wolverines UCLA hasn’t lost a conference game this season, while Michigan has just one loss.

Michigan jumps UConn for No. 2 in poll

BY DAVE SKRETTA Associated Press

Arizona remained the unanimous No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll Monday while Michigan jumped over UConn and into second place following wins over previously unbeaten Nebraska and rival Michigan State. The Wildcats, who are off to a school-record 22-0 start earned all 59 votes from a national media panel to stay atop the poll for the eighth consecutive week. UConn and Michigan were followed by Duke and Illinois in rounding out the top ﬁve.

“We value steadiness,” said Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd, whose team visits Oklahoma State on Saturday before a four-game grinder against Kansas, Texas Tech, BYU and Houston. “A lot of people talk about momentum, momentum, momentum. I understand what momentum is, but I think there’s way more value in being steady and consistent.” If the Wildcats beat the Cowboys, they would set a school record with their 23rd consecutive win. This bunch is currently tied with Arizona teams from 1914-17 that won 22 in a row under its arena namesake, Pop McKale, over a three-year span. Gonzaga remained at No. 6 while Iowa State and Houston climbed one spot apiece. The Huskers fell four spots to No. 9 after losses to Michigan and the Illini, while the Spartans fell three spots to No. 10 after beating Rutgers and their

own loss to the Wolverines. The losses by Nebraska left only Arizona and No. 23 Miami (Ohio) unbeaten in Division I men’s college basketball.

“Obviously, back-to-back losses, we just have to look at the ﬁlm and learn from it,” Huskers forward Pryce Sandfort said. “Keep our heads high and ﬂush it as we get ready for Rutgers this week.” Miami (Ohio) bumped up one from last week and is at its highest point since it was No. 22 on Nov 30, 1998.

“The further you go,” RedHawks coach Travis Steele said following a win over Northern Illinois on Saturday, “the harder it gets.”

Rising and falling Kansas, Vanderbilt and St. John’s made up the most ground this week, climbing three spots apiece, while the Volunteers — who were ranked as high as No. 13 this season climbed back into the poll at No. 25 after two weeks out of it. Tennessee returned at the expense of Alabama. The Crimson Tide had the ﬁfth-longest active poll streak snapped at 42. Update on the NET The latest NET rankings, which the NCAA uses to help select its tournament ﬁeld,

Packers add Gannon as defensive coordinator

GREEN BAY, Wis. — Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is joining the Green Bay Packers’ staff as defensive coordinator

Coach Matt LaFleur announced the hire of Gannon on Monday Gannon will take over for Jeff Haﬂey, who left after two seasons when the Miami Dolphins hired him as head coach. The Cardinals ﬁred Gannon the day after their season ended with a ninth straight loss. Gannon went 15-36 in three years, including a 3-14 record this past season.

Gannon had been the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator for two seasons before Arizona hired him.

In his second season in Philadelphia, the Eagles ranked second in the NFL in total defense.

Florida State OC Malzahn announces retirement

TALLAHASSEE,Fla.— Florida State offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn announced his retirement from coaching Monday

The 60-year-old Malzahn spent last season with the Seminoles after serving as head coach at UCF (2021-24), Auburn (2013-20) and Arkansas State (2012). He won the 2010 national championship as an offensive coordinator at Auburn.

“After 35 years, it’s time for me to step away from coaching,” Malzahn said in a statement. “I am excited to spend more time with my family and focus on the next chapter of my life.”

Coach Mike Norvell promoted co-offensive coordinator and receivers coach Tim Harris to be the Seminoles’ offensive coordinator FSU led the Atlantic Coast Conference in total offense and rushing offense in 2025.

Winningest

VCU women’s hoops coach O’Boyle fired

RICHMOND,Va Virginia Commonwealth ﬁred coach Beth O’Boyle, who was in her 12th season leading the women’s basketball program, the school announced Monday The Rams are 8-15 overall and 4-7 in the Atlantic 10 Conference this season. Hired in 2014, O’Boyle is the winningest coach in school history, going 191-168. She led the school to the regular-season A-10 title in 2019 and the conference tournament title and an NCAA Tournament bid in 2021. VCU went 7-22 in 2022-23, then won 26 games the next season — the nation’s biggest turnaround. Rams assistant coach Kirk Crawford will serve as the interim coach for the rest of the season.

Arbitrator rules embattled Rozier should get salary

MIAMI An arbitrator has decided Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier should be receiving his $26.6 million salary for this season despite being on administrative leave while facing federal gambling-related charges, the National Basketball Players Association said Monday Rozier’s paychecks for this season have been placed into an interest-bearing account. While the collective bargaining agreement between the league and its players allows for the withholding of salary in certain situations, the union argued that Rozier’s case did not apply Rozier was arrested in October as part of a sprawling probe that saw charges brought against more than 30 people, including Portland coach Chauncey Billups.

MLB to produce more teams’ local broadcasts

The Cincinnati Reds, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis Cardinals and Tampa Bay Rays will have their local television broadcasts produced and distributed by Major League Baseball this season.

The Royals, Marlins, Brewers and Cardinals made their plans ofﬁcial on Monday with the other two clubs expected to make their announcements in coming days. The six clubs — along with the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JESSICA HILL

UConn guard Azzi Fudd, center, and forward Serah Williams, right, celebrate after a basket by guard Kayleigh Heckel, left, in

game against Tennessee on Sunday in Hartford, Conn.

BUBBLE

as Starkey told The Advocate before their 103-63 win over No. 21 Alabama on Sunday

The device, which costs about $160, helped LSU tighten up a problem area. After the Tigers dropped close games to Kentucky and Vanderbilt to start 0-2 in SEC play, Mulkey began to question their toughness.

The primary reason why? They weren’t grabbing nearly enough rebounds. They let the Wildcats pull 17 off of the offensive glass, then gave up two crucial fourthquarter boards to the Commodores off of missed free throws.

Now LSU is on a seven-game winning streak — the SEC’s longest active string of victories. It’s still in contention for both a conference regular-season title and an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed It also hasn’t lost a rebounding battle since their ﬁrst matchup of league play

“I think the Kentucky game woke us up,” Mulkey said Thursday “We were outrebounded, and we were, I would say, embarrassed. We should have been. And I think since that game, we have really, really done a better job

“And it’s coming from everybody It’s not just your four post players. It’s coming from our perimeter players, and we’re the kind of team that has to do that this year.” Few things are more important to Mulkey than rebounding. Her teams can’t just be OK in that area. They have to excel at it — or else they’ll start losing the possession battles they’re built to win. Defense would start to suffer, and transition offense would lie dormant. Everything would fall apart. For the past three seasons, Mulkey could enjoy the luxury of having either one or two of the

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

court. The fact that LSU leads the nation in rebounding margin (+19.3) can’t just be attributed to a light nonconference schedule anymore.

“It’s toughness and grit,” Johnson said. “How much do you want the ball? It should be ours.”

Point guard play: The rise of sophomore Jada Richard to meet the challenge of running the point for the Tigers may be the biggest reason for the seven-game winning streak and greatest hope for trophy gathering come March and April. Coming into the season,

SOFTBALL

Continued from page 1C

outfielder hit a home run in a summer league game and offered her

“I took it the next day,” the Smithville, Texas, native said of UL’s offer “I was so excited. I knew this is where I wanted to be. My plan was to stay closer to home, but we would come here when I was at McNeese and I loved everything about it — the culture, the fans, everything. It just seemed like a good ﬁt.” The UL coaching staff did as well, but Otto suffered a knee injury in November when “her foot got caught in the turf” during a practice. As a result, she missed the entire 2025 campaign.

“I just tried to still be there for the team,” Otto said. “Obviously, I wanted to play You go through the fall and you put so much work into it, and then you get to the end of fall and everything you just worked up to and it’s all gone.” Otto already was a big believer in “work while you wait,” so she wasn’t beaten down by the serious injury

“I got through it,” she said. “My teammates were there for me.”

Much of Otto’s fall was spent finishing rehab, but now she is 100 percent.

“I was still trying to get strength back in this leg,” she said. “I’m ready now I’m good. My strength is good. I no longer need physical therapy.”

Otto primarily played third base, shortstop and pitcher during her high school and travel ball days. In her two seasons at McNeese, she played in the outﬁeld. She didn’t make an error in either season. All signs point to Otto manning third base for the Cajuns this spring.

“When they originally asked me to play the inﬁeld when I committed, I was OK with that, but I told them there was going to be a little catch-up needed,” Otto said.

best glass cleaners in the history of women’s college basketball in her locker room. Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow were responsible for 37% of all the rebounds LSU grabbed from 2022-25.

Now they’re both gone. And LSU didn’t have one or two players ready to replace their production on the boards. Its ﬁve frontcourt players are all newcomers, to both the Tigers and the SEC.

Four of them saw the floor against Kentucky, and they combined to grab just 13 rebounds.

Mikaylah Williams was the only contributor who corralled more than five Flau’jae Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley pulled down one apiece.

Perhaps they just needed some time to adjust to the SEC’s size and muscle. Or something that could instill the toughness that they need to pursue boards — like a rebounding bubble.

LSU has cleaned the glass as well as any of its league peers since the calendar ﬂipped to 2026.

The Tigers will enter their rematch with No. 4 Texas on Thursday with the top average rebounding margin in the SEC (+12.6). Only one team in the league has a better offensive rebounding rate than LSU, according to Her Hoop Stats, and only two have a higher defensive rebounding rate.

“Kim put in some rebounding drills,” Starkey said. “Some of her favorite rebounding drills that generally you don’t do in the middle of the season cause you (could) get a player hurt They’re pretty violent drills. But we needed to do something to change our attitude about rebounding.”

LSU is far from the only team that uses a rebounding bubble. On the men’s side, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson is known to champion the odd-looking contraption. In 2023, his top-seeded Cougars were even bounced out of the postseason in the Sweet 16 by a Miami team that, coincidentally, had also

there was a legitimate question about whether South Carolina transfer MiLaysia Fulwiley, Richard or someone else would run the point in Mulkey’s high-octane offense.

Fulwiley is an amazing talent but prone to making too many turnovers to adequately ﬁll that role. Richard has been both an excellent ballhandler and an improving point producer — on Sunday, the Opelousas native scored 16 points, the second time in the past three games she has led the Tigers in scoring. Richard is the best true point guard LSU has had since Alexis Morris led the 2022-23 Tigers to the NCAA title, a key component for any top-shelf Mulkey team.

“Right now, I feel like I’m back where I used to be (at third), but I’ll play wherever they need me. If they want me to go back in the outﬁeld, I’ll go play outﬁeld.”

Otto hit .235 and .238 in her two seasons in Lake Charles. During those two seasons, though, she struck out only 18 times.

But Shipman sees a hitter with more power now

“I think she really has the potential to be a good hitter,” he said. “She has the potential to hit double-digit home runs while continuing to be a high average hitter as well. I’m looking for big things from her.”

Otto also feels more powerful in the box these days.

“I think I have more pop now really just because of the weight room two or three times a week and really working hard in the fall,” she said.

The working relationship with Shipman also gives Otto more conﬁdence in her ability

“We actually have really good talks, just about different situations,” Otto said. “Things like hitting the inside pitch or the outside pitch, just our different philosophies.

“He agrees that not everyone has to hit a certain way He’s good with what works best for you, not based on how somebody else hits.”

Otto is eager to ﬁnally put on a Cajuns uniform at Lamson Park.

“I’m just ready to get out there with my team,” she said.

She also believes in her team’s progress.

“We have a saying that it’s ‘standards over feelings,’ ” Otto said.

“I think we’ve all bought into that. There’s a ton of talent on this team. There’s multiple people who can play each position.

“Ultimately, I want to win the conference tournament and the regular season, make a regional, go to supers and then the World Series. But I just want to have fun and play and give it all for my team.”

Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.

broken out the bubble. The Hurricanes did so earlier in the year after suffering a string of losses. Mulkey and Starkey didn’t wait for things to spiral They ordered the bubble as soon as the rebounding problem surfaced. When it’s stuck on the rim, LSU’s so-called

Defense: LSU always has been able to score this season — the Tigers lead the nation in scoring, scoring margin, bench points and points per 100 possessions But as Mulkey is fond of saying, defense leads to offense, especially for a team like LSU so eager to run the fast break. The Tigers are also fourth nationally in ﬁeld goal percentage defense.

Richard has been a big part of that as well, not only taking the scoring pressure off of Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams but also turning in to the defensive stopper Mulkey has been looking for on this team.

“Jada Richard is our glue,” Mulkey said. “She’s our coach on

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

The announcement comes after months of speculation and negotiations between league and French ofﬁcials In November, Saints president Dennis Lauscha said he expected the Saints to play a game in France as early as 2026, but as recently as last month, it appeared the game would be pushed back to 2027 to allow French ofﬁcials more time to meet NFL demands at Stade de France, where the game will be played. In recent weeks, the sides moved quickly to complete the deal in time to meet the league’s deadline.

The NFL has targeted Paris as a priority international market in recent years as league ofﬁcials expand the international series to new cities across the globe. The 80,698-seat Stade de France is the national stadium of France and the largest sporting facility in the country It served as the host site for various events at the 2024 Summer Olympic Games, including the opening and closing ceremonies.

The game is technically one of nine home games on the Saints’ 2026 schedule. Team officials said season-ticket holders will be given a 10% price reduction on tickets and parking to reﬂect the cost of the lost game on the home schedule. Fully paid season-ticket holders will receive a credit and refund. Season-ticket holders also will be allowed priority presale access to a lottery for tickets for the Paris game.

This will be the Saints’ fourth game abroad since the NFL launched the International Series in 2007. They played in London in 2008, 2017 and 2022. The Saints previously played exhibition games in Tokyo and Mexico

City

The historic Stade de France is the only stadium to have hosted a FIFA World Cup, Rugby World Cup, UEFA Champions League

liams said Jan. 11 after the Tigers’ win over Texas. It’s not just the bubble. LSU has other ways of driving home the point that rebounding matters.

Starkey, for example, had about a dozen of Reese’s “Mebounds” Tshirts sitting in boxes somewhere since before the season began. He and Mulkey were waiting for the right time to dust them off and give them to the players, so they decided to drape one on every chair in the locker room before practice ended the Tuesday after the loss to Vanderbilt.

Every player also has an LSU football helmet Each time one of them grabs more than 10 rebounds, she gets a sticker for it.

“Nobody’s better at it than Kim,” Starkey said. “Kim’s really good at calling out somebody who’s not rebounding, but she’s even better at going nuts over somebody who is.

“I tell people all the time. Sure, she gets on players. But you ought to hear how loud she is when she praises them.”

Mulkey will keep stressing the need to clean the glass through the last seven games of the regular season. That stretch includes matchups with both Texas and South Carolina — two of the country’s most physically imposing teams.

LSU can position itself to land a No. 1 tournament seed for the ﬁrst time since 2006 if it takes even one of those games — and also avoids stumbling down the stretch.

“Dream Team” — a practice squad of male undergrad students — shoots onto the bubble, and if the Tigers don’t rebound the guaranteed miss, they have to run.

“I think that’s something that we kind of have in the back of our heads (going) into the game,” Wil-

the ﬂoor You can’t get off Jada (defensively) because she will light you up. She’s proven she can defend. She understands angles and foot speed with who she’s guarding.”

Three baskets — a buzzer beater by Kentucky and a couple by Vanderbilt in LSU’s 65-61 loss the next game in Nashville — are all that separates the Tigers from being 23-0 at this point. It was always going to take some growth to get here, but LSU is here. The Tigers (21-2, 7-2 SEC) are a half-game back of South Carolina (7-1 in SEC).

A lighter three-game stretch helped LSU get back into contention, but now the Tigers’ SEC fate

The Tigers won’t win either contest if they don’t grab enough rebounds. They learned that lesson quickly this season, not long after Starkey dug into the tape of the Kentucky loss and decided to order the bubble.

Does it look like his idea was the right solution?

“So far,” Starkey said. “But it’s like anything. If we stop emphasizing (it), I’m sure it’ll drop off again.”

hangs in the balance in the next three contests. No. 5 LSU goes to No. 4 Texas on Thursday, goes to face struggling Auburn on Sunday, then returns home for a prime-time showdown with No 3 South Carolina on Feb. 14. If LSU can win those games, it would set the Tigers up as the team to beat for the SEC title.

“We’ll see where this winds up,” Mulkey said. “It’s fun to be in the mix. We don’t have to rely on any teams winning or losing. Go win seven straight and we might win an SEC title. If not, make sure you did all you can.”

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

bearers march during the 2024 Summer Olympics closing ceremony at the Stade de France on Aug. 11, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. The Saints will play the ﬁrst NFL game in Paris next season, which will take place in Stade de France.

ﬁnal and UEFA European Championship ﬁnal. It also played a prominent role in the 2024 Olympic Games.

The International Series has grown from a single game per year in England to a record ninegame schedule in six countries next season.

League officials hope to expand the International Series to a full slate of 16 games, with each team playing one international game per season, by the end of the decade.

“The ambition that we have is to be a global sport,” Goodell said Monday “We’re hearing from cities all over the world. I’ve said many times that 16 (international) games is important for us. I think we’re well on our way Some of the greatest cities in the world are asking us (to be a part of the international series).” In 2023, the Saints were granted the international marketing rights in France — the

ﬁrst NFL club to select and be awarded the French market as part of the league’s global markets program The initiative awards NFL clubs marketing rights in markets outside of the U.S. to build brand awareness and fandom through fan engagement, events and commercial opportunities.

Owner Gayle Benson and linebacker Demario Davis led a Saints contingent that visited Paris in July to market and promote the team. Benson also has cultivated relationships with U.S. French ambassador Charles Kushner and Prince Albert II of Monaco, who she hosted in her suite at the Superdome for Super Bowl LIX last year Earlier this year, the Saints announced a strategic partnership with the Paris Musketeers, who play in the European League of Football, through which the team hopes to grow the American game while also increasing its own brand visibility in France.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

LSU guard Mikaylah Williams pulls in a rebound in front of Arkansas guard Taleyah Jones on Thursday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

KIN CHEUNG Flag

PMAC to host debut of Breaux documentary

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

The week-to-week competition

is always the most important thing with LSU gymnastics, but this week the current Tigers will share the spotlight in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center with a tribute to the program’s past.

On Wednesday night, the PMAC will host the premiere of the SEC Storied documentary “The Fighting Tiger,” chronicling the life and legacy of former LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux

The event begins at 6:30 p.m. and is free to the public. The documentary will get its ﬁrst showing on the SEC Network at 9:30 p.m. Feb 13, immediately after LSU’s home meet with Auburn on the network

“It is very appropriate that she be celebrated in the same vein as her generation of coaches like Suzanne Yoculan, Sarah Patterson and Greg Marsden,” said current LSU gymnastics coach Jay Clark who Breaux brought in to be her lead assistant in 2012.

“They all had similar battles, but D-D had a steeper hill to climb because she didn’t always have the support of the AD early on

“It will be nice to celebrate D-D’s career and look at the foundations of what we currently get to enjoy.”

Latest rankings

Despite improving its season average from 197.467 to 197.519, LSU slipped from No. 2 in the RoadtoNationals.com national rankings to No. 3 after Florida posted a 198.050 on Friday in a win over Arkansas That score by the Gators tied the Tigers’ best season score two weeks ago against Kentucky LSU, Florida, Oklahoma (198.425) and UCLA (198.150) were the only schools to surpass the 198 mark in January Individually, Tigers sophomore Kailin Chio continues to lead the nation on balance beam with a 9.969 average after a 10.0 on beam against Kentucky and a 9.975 this past Friday at Missouri. Chio is also third nationally on vault

(9.931) and ﬁfth in the all-around (39.500).

Fifth-year senior Courtney Blackson is ﬁfth nationally on uneven bars (9.919), while junior Amari Drayton is tied for seventh on beam (9.925). Sophomore Kaliya Lincoln is tied for ninth on ﬂoor (9.919).

On Penn State

With the Southeastern Conference now having nine gymnastics programs with the addition of Oklahoma in 2025, one school always has a bye from SEC dual meet competition. This week that team is LSU, as the Tigers host No. 14 Penn State at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center Because it is a nonconference meet, it will be seen streaming only on SECNetwork+.

“I want to bring in recognizable teams,” Clark said. “Name-brand teams. Penn State is a Big Ten school and has a rich tradition in our sport. We owe it to our fans to bring in good competition, schools they’re familiar with.”

Because it’s a nonconference meet, LSU will be able to have gymnasts do exhibition routines in addition to the six in each rotation

who will be eligible for team scoring and individual titles.

“It gives us a greater variety of people,” Clark said, “people we can get out there who might not otherwise have been in the lineup.”

In, not out

Clark was accompanied to Monday’s weekly gymnastics news conference by freshman Nina Ballou and junior Madison Ulrich, a transfer from Denver

Since Clark became co-head coach with Breaux in 2019 and solo head coach after the 2020 season, LSU has brought transfers into the program but never lost one, a rarity in today’s transfer portal-heavy world of college athletics.

“I’m proud of that,” Clark said. “We try to approach that with guardrails in place. We don’t take just anyone.”

LSU has two other transfers who joined the roster this season: Blackson, who competed four years at Boise State, and senior Emily Innes from Washington.

“The (current gymnasts) accept people coming into the program and don’t see them as a threat,” Clark said.

Pels go cold in 2nd half against Hornets

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans were about as cold as the temperature outside of the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Monday

The Pelicans collapsed in the second half of a 102-95 loss to the surging Charlotte Hornets.

The Pelicans led 64-49 at halftime, then scored just 31 points the rest of the way They scored just 13 points in the fourth quarter

“We had four layups and we missed them,” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said. “Either you miss them or you make them. I think we had good looks there, at least in the third quarter They picked up their aggression. They got to the free-throw line more. But in general, you’ve got to score more than 31 points in a half to get a win.”

Trey Murphy scored 27 points to go with four assists to lead the Pelicans (13-39). Zion Williamson finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, his fourth double-double in the last six games. It was the 26th straight game Williamson has played in. That’s the most consecutive games Williamson has played in his career Charlotte (23-28) has won seven straight games, the longest active winning streak in the NBA. Because of inclement weather, the NBA changed Monday’s game time from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m. The earlier start didn’t seem to affect the Pelicans early on. They fell behind 7-0, then outscored the Hornets 30-16 the rest of the quarter for a 30-23 lead. The Pelicans added to that lead by outscoring the Hornets 34-26 in the second quarter The Pels led by as many as 22 points in the quarter Things fell apart in the second half after Charlotte scored the first 10 points. The fourth quarter was more of the same. The Pelicans started the quarter in a drought that lasted almost five minutes. The first points didn’t

SCOREBOARD

come until Murphy hit three free throws with 7:27 left.

The Pelicans allowed just 102 points which is usually enough to win a game. But the offense didn’t do its part.

“I like where our defense is at,” Borrego said. “I think the defense is giving us a shot. We said that’s where we’re going to hang our hat the rest of the year Now we’ve got to ﬁnd some more offense.”

It didn’t help that the Pelicans got outrebounded 59-34.

“I thought we were disruptive defensively upfront,” Borrego said. “We were switching a lot of their stuff and taking them out of their patterns. But then you’ve got to ﬁnish with the boards, and obviously we didn’t get that done at the level we needed to.”

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 24 points, eight rebounds and ﬁve assists.

For the Pelicans, Derik Queen ﬁnished with 16 points and eight rebounds.

The Pelicans are now 3-3 with the starting lineup of Williamson, Murphy, Queen, Herb Jones and Saddiq Bey Guards Jordan Poole and Jordan Hawkins didn’t play for the ﬁfth consecutive game.

The Pelicans play at the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday in the team’s ﬁnal game before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.

High school basketball

Boys basketball

Acadiana at Sulphur, New Iberia at Carencro, Lafayette at Sam Houston, Southside at Barbe, Opelousas at Beau Chene, Livonia at Breaux Bridge, Comeaux at Northside, North Vermilion at David Thibodaux, Eunice at LaGrange, Rayne at Teurlings, Westgate at St. Thomas More, Abbeville at Patterson Acadiana Renaissance, Church Point at Iota, Mamou at Crowley, Kaplan at St. Martinville, Catholic-NI at Houma Christian, Franklin at Delcambre, Lafayette Renaissance at Welsh Loreauville at West St. Mary, Midland at Lake Arthur, Gueydan at Highland Baptist, Hanson at Jeanerette, JS Clark at Opelousas Catholic, Sacred Heart at North Central, Catholic-PC at St. Edmund, Westminster-LAF at Vermilion Catholic, Berchmans at Westminster, Episcopal of Acadiana at Lacassine, Northside Christian at Glencoe. Girls basketball Acadiana at Sulphur, New Iberia at Carencro, Lafayette at Sam Houston, Southside at Barbe, Opelousas at Beau Chene, Livonia at Breaux Bridge, Comeaux at Northside, North Vermilion at David Thibodaux, Eunice at LaGrange, Rayne at Teurlings, Westgate at St. Thomas More, Acadiana Renaissance at Erath, Church Point at Iota, Mamou at Crowley, Kaplan at St. Martinville, Pine Prairie at Northwest, Catholic-NI at Houma Christian Franklin at Delcambre, Gueydan at Highland Baptist, Hanson at Jeanerette, Opelousas Catholic at JS Clark, Sacred Heart at North Central, Catholic-PC at St. Edmund, Vermilion Catholic at Westminster-Lafayette.

Percentages: FG .393, FT .720. 3-Point Goals: 11-34, .324 (Jones

Murphy III 3-8, Fears 1-2, Queen 1-2, Alvarado

Bey 1-6, Matkovic 0-3). Team Rebounds: 12. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 4 (Fears, Jones, Matkovic Queen). Turnovers: 7 (Murphy III 2, Queen 2, Fears, Missi, Williamson) Steals: 9 (Queen 3, Fears 2, Bey, Jones, Matkovic, Murphy III). Technical Fouls: None. FGFTReb CHAR Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PTS Bridgs 30:35 3-11 3-4 0-4 1 4

Percentages: FG .400, FT .815. 3-Point Goals: 12-50, .240 (Knueppel

Ball 3-14, Williams 2-4, Miller

Sexton 1-3, James 0-1, Bridges 0-4) Team Rebounds: 11. Team Turnovers: 1. Blocked Shots: 3 (Kalkbrenner 3). Turnovers: 16 (Knueppel 4, Ball 2, Bridges 2, Kalkbrenner 2, Miller 2, Green, James, Sexton, Williams) Steals: 3 (Ball 2, Miller). Technical Fouls: None. New Orleans3034181395 Charlotte23262924—102 A_17,263 (19,077). T_2:18 Pro football Super Bowl LIX Sunday, Feb. 8 At Santa Clara. New England vs. Seattle, 5:30 p.m. College basketball State men’s schedule Sunday’s games Tulane 78, Memphis 76 Monday’s games Grambling at Alcorn, n Southeastern at Lamar, n McNeese at Stephen F. Austin, n UNO at East Texas A&M, n Nicholls at Northwestern State,

6, Si Woo Kim, 73.81%. 7, David Lipsky, 72.32%. 8 (tie), Harry Higgs and Adam Long, 71.43%. 10, 2 tied with 70.54%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. Total Driving 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 15. 2, Blades Brown, 21. 3, Corey Conners, 23. 4, Min Woo Lee, 25. 5, David Ford, 49. 6, Rickie Fowler, 50. 7, Adam Scott, 51. 8, Jesper Svensson, 52. 9, Matt Fitzpatrick, 56. 10, 2 tied with 63. SG-Putting 1, Davis Riley, 1.940. 2, Kris Ventura, 1.901. 3, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, 1.716. 4, Michael Kim, 1.573. 5, Jake Knapp, 1.501. 6, Karl Vilips, 1.432. 7, Sam Ryder, 1.344. 8, Matt Kuchar, 1.308. 9, Zach Johnson, 1.232. 10, Kevin Roy, 1.199. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Schefﬂer, 8. 2, David Lipsky, 6.13. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, 6. 4, Justin Rose, 5.86. 5, Harry Higgs, 5.67. 6, Robert MacIntyre, 5.63. 7, Davis Riley, 5.6. 8, Si Woo Kim, 5.58. 9, Stephan Jaeger, 5.57. 10, 4 tied with 5.5. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 30. 2, Joel Dahmen, 36. 3,

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Former LSU gymnastics coach D-D Breaux pumps her fist at the crowd after the NCAA gymnastics championships on April 20, 2024, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, where LSU won its first NCAA gymnastics title. Notebook

AP PHOTO By NELL REDMOND

New Orleans Pelicans forward

Karlo Matkovic drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner during the second half of a game on Monday in Charlotte, N.C.

It’s OK to like

They arecrusty andscaly, buttheydon’t harm thetrees

Editor’snote:This is the second in athree-part “What’s on my tree?” series about organisms that are commonly found growing on trees in Louisiana. Read the ﬁrst part at lsuagcenter.com.

When we see strange-looking growths on our trees,our ﬁrst instinct is to panic. Is there something wrong? Is it adisease? A parasite? In the case of lichens, it’sneither In fact, these scaly,greenish-gray patches that often show up on tree branches are friends,not foes —and fascinating ones at that. Lichens are made up of two organisms. There’s afungal organism that provides structure, retains moisture and facilitates attachment to trees, shrubs, rocks, walls, fences pretty much anything in the landscape that is stationary And there’saphotosynthetic organism, usually algae or cyanobacteria, that generates food for both. Remember learning about symbiosis in your grade-school biology lessons? This is aperfect example. Lichens don’tharm the trees or otherobjects they attach to. They are epiphytes,sotheyget all the nutrientsand water they need from the sunlight andair

LSUAGCENTERPHOTO

By OLIVIA McCLURE

Lichensare harmless organisms that often appear on tree branches

There are thousands of species of lichens that grow in many different forms.Some are flat and crusty,some have leaflike structures that protrude outward and some have hairy filaments. While most lichens here in Louisiana are amoss-like hue of gray,other shades exist around the world, including white,pink, orange, greenand evenneon colors.

One more interesting fact about lichens: They can survive arctic temperatures, desert conditions and everything in between.

Because many trees have shed theirleaves forthe winter, lichens are abit more visible than normalright now.The lack of leaves means fewer visual distractions that conceal lichens in other seasons, and it also gives lichens greater accesstosunlight, fueling their growth. If you see lichens prominently at other times of the year, they may be offering you an important clue. Take some time to assess the tree they are on: Is its leaf canopy thinner than it should be? Sparse canopies, which let in more sunlightand encourage lichen growth, are asign of stress —which could have awide variety of causes. Just remember that it’snot the lichens’ fault. After all, they’re quite likeable.

Readythe yard to attractbirds as they begintheir migratory patterns throughLouisiana

BY COLETTE DEAN Contributing writer

Longer days ahead mean migrating birds will soon be making their way back from Central and South America to Louisianafor aquick stopover or to stay all summer to breed andnest.

“Millions of birds will migratethrough theMississippi Flyway to Louisiana as early as February through March, with peak migration mid to late April,”saidJanePatterson, president andeducation chairman of theBaton Rouge Audubon Society Given Louisiana’sproximity to the ﬂyway,chances areexcellent that residents see one or more of these colorful songbirds at their feeders. If planning starts now,they’ll have a perfect host yard for these ﬂyingvisitors. Patterson said that birds can be attracted to the home landscape if four basic needs are provided: food, water,shelter

and aplace to nestand raise young. In theSouth, permanent residentslikethe Northern cardinal, mockingbird, blue jay Carolina chickadee and wrens are already getting their nests ready thismonth.These birds are poking around in thick foliage for possible nest sites, so if someonetypically prune trees and shrubs in early spring, waiting afew weeks will avoid ruining apotential nesting spot Apile of dead leaves and twigs might seem messy,but to birds it’s agoldmine for food,shelterand building materials, so it’simportantto leaveleaves or stickpilesin theyard. Charles Fryling, retired professor of landscape architecture at LSU, and co-author of “Attracting Birds to Southern Gardens,” explained thatbirds thrive when agarden has layers, including ground cover,

ä See BIRDS, page 6C

Indigo buntings maybeattracted to seed feeders but also to natural foodsources in your yard.

the wings

Greekand Lebanese restaurant closesafter 13

Chef Emad Qasim prepares atraditional Greek gyro at Kabobs Greek andLebanese Restaurant.

BY MADDIESCOTT Staff writer

Kabobs Greek and Lebanese Restauranthas closed,according to the business’ Facebook account. At 16569 George O’Neal Road,Baton Rouge, the Greek and Lebanese restaurant announced itsclosure on Jan. 16 through aFacebook post. “Kabobs had agood run with excellent food and patrons,”

years

the post stated, adding that the head chef, Emad Qasim, had to retire due to health issues. Qasim, aJordan native, cooked at thelocal chainAlbasha before he started at Kabobs. The restaurant, which opened in 2013, served Mediterranean dishes like chicken shawarma, hummus, gyro sandwiches, salad, seafood, lamb shank, stuffed bell peppers and kabobs.

PROVIDED PHOTOS By JANE PATTERSON Thistle(nyjer)feeders canbeveryattractivetoAmerican goldfinches and pine siskinsinwinter

Wine makesfor aproblematic ‘default gift’

Dear Miss Manners: Ihave just receivedadelivery notice that two bottles of wine are on the way to me.This is the fourth such delivery,from aﬁnancial professional who manages some of my accounts. I have always sent anice thank-you afterward.

The problem: Idon’t drink wine!Ijust give it to someone who does appreciate it. What bothers me is that while Iamnot an alcoholic, Ihave close friends and family who are. Ithink it is quite thoughtless for aprofessional hoping to curryfavor to send agift that could be really offensive,or even harmful, to someone. Whatifhe sent abox of cigars to someone

who wastrying toquit smoking?

My husband says, “People just give wine.Nobodythinksabout it.” Should Ijust keep saying“thankyou” and not mentioning that it ends up in other hands?

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: Not all presents succeed, which is a goodreason not to direct them to people you know nothing about, as abusiness ploy

Kind-hearted folks keep telling Miss Manners that donating to charity in other people’s honor should,ineffect, replace the custom of giving presents. Those havinganevent —a wedding, birthday partyorsuch —that is associated with presents, butwho don’t want stuff,

often suggest making acharitable donation instead. Those who don’t know what togive makedonationsinthe names of people to whom they owe presents.

Anddonating to charity is the common solution for disposing of unwanted presents, but that is kind of problematic in this particular case. It often is, when the recipient has no interest in —or even objects to —the charity.

Andwhat ashameitwould be to destroy theancient custom of exchanging symbols of thoughtfulness.

If this werefrom friends, it would be unkind to let them know how thoughtlesstheir presentswere. Butabusinessacquaintance who is not expected to know your preferences may be thanked and then

It pays to keep an eyeonyour feeders. AHammondhomewas lucky enough to host a broad-billed hummingbird one winter— a rare visitor to Louisiana.

BIRDS

Continued from page5C

shrubs and taller trees. This diversity offers food, nesting sites andprotection from predators. Native plantssuch as wildflowers, berry bushes and trees attract local insects and provide seeds and fruit that birdslove. Insectsalso mean soft caterpillars —a major food source for baby birds The Audubon Society has alist of “plants for birds” on its website. Plug in a ZIP code to learn the plants for that area. Audubon’s goal is to have its membership plant amillion native plants for birds, Patterson said. The society also has a website link called “plants for hummingbirds,” listing nectar-rich varieties. Eastern bluebirds, chickadees,wrens and prothonotary warblers are cavitynesters and will be scopingout territories and nest boxes. The end of February and early Marchwill see yellowthroated warblers and prothonotary warblers darting in and out of wooded areas and Louisiana swamps for nest-building. If you one is inclined to put up abirdhouse, make sure it’s mounted 5to10feet off the ground, facing awayfrom direct sunlight andstrong winds. Abaffle, dome or cone-shaped barrier placed underneath abirdhouse and feeders will deter squirrels and other predators When setting up multiple bird feeders, vary their heights to create amulti-level buffet, mimicking nature Black-oil sunflower seeds appealto mostseed-eating species. Peanuts are good for jays (and squirrels too, so beware). Millet attracts doves, sparrows and buntings. Mealworms, fresh or dried, are treats for robins, chickadees, bluebirds and wrens. Leave dead flower heads on plants throughfalland winter so birds can pickat the seeds. Clean feeders regularly Moldy or stale food can be harmful; this is particularly important for hummingbird feeders. Hang hummingbird feeders near ﬂowering plants to attract insects that hummingbirds need for protein. Patterson saidawater feature is one of the most important items neededto

BEGINNING BIRDWATCHING CLASS

March2,9,16and 23 l LSU HilltopArboretum, 11855 Highland Road, Baton Rouge l Fourweekly sessions, with field trips on following weekends.

$50. l 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. March 3, 10, 17 and 24, Coquille Park, 13505 La. 1085, Covington

Classincludes lecture and bird walk at thesame location Cost is $50.

The classesare taught by Jane Patterson, current president and educationchair forBatonRougeAudubon Society.Thisclass will cover the basics needed to getinto birdwatching, andbinoculars and field guides andhow to chooseand usethem.There will be lots of exercises and skillbuilding.Also, atalk about howtotakethese newfound skills intothe field.

NOTE: Those having taken this class previously are welcome to takeitagain. Beginning in the spring, there will be adiscounted “field trips only” option forthose whohave previously takenthe class. In order to reservea spot,sign up as aclass member,and a 50%refund will be givenonce registered at eventbrite.com

Things to remember

Classwill belimited to 10 people

Class will be held in the large meeting room at Hilltop. Enter Hilltop from Highland Road. Field trips will be scheduled for the weekends followingthe classes at various locations near Baton Rouge.Therewill be binocularstoborrow for the birdwalks

Classeswill also be available through the LSU OsherLifelong Learning Institute(OLLI) Camellia City chapter.One must be an OLLImemberto register.Tosign up,visit ce.lsu. edu/olli/#olli-explore-courses.

attract birds, as they need fresh water for drinking and bathing.

“Chooseashallow dish with arough bottom so the birds can grip the edge. Add-

ing afew ﬂat stones inside the dish is good for smaller species toperch on,”she advised.

Birdsare also fondofmoving water,soadding adripor mistfeature or asmall dripping fountain is apositive enhancement.

“Place abirdbath near a shrub or tree, ideally notin themiddle of thelawn; birds need asafe place to perch while they preen after they bathe,” she said.

Once the birds have found their yard, it’simportant for theowner to protect them. Reduce pesticide use, which is harmful for them and their food sources.

n Keep your cat inside.

Outdoor cats are one of the biggestthreatstooutdoor birds, especially during nesting season when young birds are vulnerable. In the U.S., it’sestimatedthatcats kill 2.4 billionbirdsayear,so the best solution is to keep kitty indoors.

n Reduce outdoor lights.

Spring brings nighttime visitors like owls, so reduce artiﬁcial lighting at night so as not to disrupt their behavior andencourage them to visit theyard.

n Make windows birdsafe. Each year,millionsof birds die from windowcollisions. To prevent crashes, add window decals or patterned ﬁlm, closeblinds or curtains during peak daylight hours, and move feeders closer to windows so birdsdon’t buildupspeed before impact

Once the yard is prepared, sit back and enjoy the music of birds chirping in the garden. Allthat is needed is a pair of binoculars and abird guide to keep track of all the visitors.

Patterson suggests using the Merlin Bird ID App to help identify bird calls.The app is afree tool from the Cornell LabofOrnithology designedtoidentify birds via photos, sound recordings or descriptions, covering thousands of species worldwide.

Planning now will make for an enjoyable spring of backyard birdwatching. This articlewas supplied by the Louisiana Master NaturalistsofGreater Baton Rouge,which seeks to advance awareness, understanding and stewardship of the natural environment.For more information, emailinfo@ lmngbr.org.

told, “Actually,wedonot drink.”

Andyour husband is correct that wine has becomemerely a default offering, especially as host presents. Never mind that this used to be considered insulting —not because of anything related to alcohol problems, but because it insinuated that the host’s wine wouldn’tbedrinkable.

Dear Miss Manners: Iretired afew years ago. Iuse words like stewardess, actress and waitress. My sister tells me that these words are no longer in use.

Arethese words obsolete? Has thewoke mob been tampering with our dictionary?

Gentlereader: Surely you must have been wide-awake enough to notice that the person whodelivered your peanuts on an airplane

wassometimes male, and that another malesometimes took your order at the local eatery Yes, various jobs are no longer gender-speciﬁc.

Miss Manners would be sorry to think that retirement had leftyou oblivious to the dynamics of life, which, indeed, lexicographers must follow.You may not always like the way the world evolves, but to deny it is to condemn yourself to social stagnation.

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

Parent considersoptions afterson’s poor decision

Dear Harriette: My son moved away acouple of monthsago. At thetime, he told me that he was able to transfer his job,which would makethe movethat much moreseamless. Lastweek, he called me to tell me that his employmentcontract will terminateinthe next few weeks. I asked him where this was coming from, and he admitted that he knew all along that this was one of the conditions of his temporary ofﬁce transfer This is all news to me. He says he’sbeen applying and interviewing aton, but he still hasn’tsecured a new job

er I’dbewilling to help him with living expenses if things don’tchange in the next fewweeks. Ican’ttell if I’m upset because he was dishonest or because Ithink the movewas apoor decision. Iwant him to realize that he can’t always use me as a safety net. Iwant him to grow up, be moreresponsible and start making wiser, morethorough decisions. Should Ilet him fend for himself so he can learn alesson in adulthood? Is there away to help him and get through to him?

Safety Net

My son has asked wheth-

Dear Heloise: Ibake alot of bread to give as gifts. Iuse nonstick cooking spray to grease my loaf pans. My husband suggested that I open the dishwasher and spray the pans over the top rack. This way,it’s easy and clean!

Marian B.,inNew Orleans Oh,deer!

Dear Safety Net: Have a direct conversation with your son. Let him know how disappointed you are that he wasdishonest with you —and ultimately with himself.Point out that he is at the age where he needs to be able to take care of himself.Give him either a timeline or aset amount of money that you will give him before you intend to stop. (A timeline is probably better forsomeone whoisnot disciplined about money.) Tell him he has to ﬁgure out his lifeby then or learn how to fend forhimself without you as his fallback.

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.

When spraying abakingpan

Dear Heloise: Ioften saw manydeer by theside of the road during their rutting season. Ifound that ﬂashing my lights sometimes confused thedeer,and they would still run intothe roadway However,sounding my horn was most effective because thedeer could always tell where thesound was coming from, and they would run theother way KenW., in Trenton, New Jersey Physical newspapers

old days when an actual print newspaper arrived at the house in the morning. Here in our part of Oregon, Ican get the local paper by mailthree days a week, and it costs a fortune. Ithink the price of paper,the cost of homedelivery and the lack of advertisers forprint media is causing the problem.I hope Marvin can ﬁnd asolution. Thanks foryour column, Heloise.

Dear Heloise: For Marvin Tiffany of York, Nebraska, Iagree about missing the

ByTheAssociated Press

Today is Tuesday,Feb. 3, the34th day of 2026. There are 331 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On Feb.3,1959, which would become known as “the day themusic died,” rock ’n’ roll stars Buddy Holly,Ritchie Valens and J.P.“The Big Bopper” Richardson died in asmall plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

Also on this date: In 1870, the15th Amendmenttothe U.S. Constitution,granting Black American men theright to vote, was ratiﬁed.

In 1913, the16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for afederal income tax, was ratiﬁed.

In 1917, theUnited States broke off diplomatic relationswith Germany,the sameday an American cargo ship, theSSHousatonic, was sunk by aU-boat

—SaraJ in Lebanon, Oregon Sara, there is nothing as certain as change. The news, which wasprinted on paper,was astaple in nearly every homein America formany years. Many of us learned to read by reading the comics with asibling or aparent. The ﬁrst page that somemen read in the morning or the evening was the sports page. And Ithink we all liked to read the advice columns.

TODAYINHISTORY

off Britain (after the crew was allowed to board lifeboats).

In 1943, during World WarII, the U.S. transport ship SS Dorchester,which was carrying troops to Greenland, sank after being hit by aGerman torpedo in the Labrador Sea; only some230 of the 900 aboard survived.

In 1966, the Soviet probe Luna 9became the ﬁrst man-made object to make asoft landing on the moon

In 2007, atruck bomb exploded in abusy street market in Baghdad, killing morethan 100 people in one of the deadliest single attacks in the Iraqi capital.

In 2015, aMetro-North Railroad commuter train slammed into an SUV stuck on the tracks at a suburban rail crossing 20 miles north of NewYork City,killing ﬁve train passengers and the SUV driver and injuring about 30 others.

Imiss these days, but I doubt they’ll ever come back. We receive the news much faster now,sometimes even minute by minute as it happens. We get weather warnings faster, which has saved lives. With the disadvantages of losing aphysical newspaper came new advantages. —Heloise ID tags forhorses Dear Heloise: Arecent suggestion forattaching identiﬁcation tags to horses’ bridles (or halters) is only useful fortimes when the horse is being ridden. When the horse is in the pasture or even in a stall, it is not safetokeep them bridled or haltered because they can catch it on something and injure themselves while trying to get free. It’s better to braid the tag into their mane. Susan H., in Bandera,Texas Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

In 2023, morethan three dozen freight cars of a train carrying hazardous materials derailed near East Palestine, Ohio, close to the Pennsylvania line. The derailment prompted an immediate evacuation and the intentional burning of toxic vinyl chloride three days later that sent ﬂames and acrid smoke in the air Today’sbirthdays: Football Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton is 86. Actor Blythe Danner is 83. Football Hall of Famer Bob Griese is 81. Singerguitarist Dave Davies (The Kinks) is 79.

Harriette Cole SENSEAND SENSITIVITy

Hints from Heloise

PROVIDED PHOTO By JANE PATTERSON

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Be a leader, not a follower. Gravitate toward security and maintaining what you already have. Put your energy into detail, precision and perfection as you move forward.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Sit tight and let whatever is happening around you unfold naturally. Focus inward and pay attention to relationships and how you can connect in ways that will help you get along better.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Think before you act, especially when money or your career is at stake. Put more energy into helping others and finding ways to make your life more efficient.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Play by the rules and pay attention to detail, and you'll make headway. Be wary of anyone using manipulative tactics to push you in a questionable direction.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Put your best foot forward and rise to whatever task requires your undivided attention. Be bold, do your best and refuse to let anyone's negativity or ego stifle your glory.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Be open to suggestions and willing to try new things. What you learn will open doors to all sorts of new and exciting pastimes and people. Make your space user-friendly.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Refuse to let anyone put demands on you. Question, communicate and change what isn't working for you. Do your best and expect the

same from your colleagues. Pay attention to high-pressure situation.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Keep your emotions in check and your eye on what you want to achieve. Be the go-getter, the one to ask questions and put everything in its place. The bolder you are, the more respect and help you will receive.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Refuse to let excessive behavior and procrastination win when you have so much to gain by pitching in and making a difference. Socializing and networking can lead to promising opportunities.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Learn through observation, and don't be afraid to ask questions or walk away. A change of heart will encourage you to find a path that better suits your preferences and your budget.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Put your energy into moneymaking opportunities and investing in yourself and your future. Mix and mingle with people just as vibrant and eager as you.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Sort through investments, financial and legal documents, and any medical issues that need attention. A couple of healthy lifestyle changes can make a difference to your mobility, clarity or longevity.

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: u EQuALs F

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

The International Bridge Press Association jury does a tough job in choosing the annual award winners in four categories: bidding, declarer play, defense and juniors.

This deal, which would have been my junior winner, could have also been in the declarer-play list. South was Adam Kaplan of New Port Richie, Fla.

In the auction, one club showed 16-plus points; four clubs was a control-bid (cuebid); four spades was Roman Key-Card Blackwood; five clubs indicated one keycard (an ace or the heart king); five clubs asked for the heart queen; and six hearts showed that card and denied a side-suit king.

After winning with dummy’s spade ace, declarer cashed the heart ace. When East dropped the 10, South deduced that hearts were 3-1. He cashed dummy’s club king, played a club to his ace, and led his last spade. If West had found the best defense, discarding a diamond, declarer would have won with dummy’s spade king and ledanotherspade,discardinghisremaining diamond — the key play. Probably East would have led a spade, but Kaplan would have ruffed high, played a diamond to dummy’s ace, ruffed dummy’s diamond seven, and crossruffed the rest of the tricks.

Instead, West trumped the second spade and returned his third heart. Kaplan claimed, saying that he would discard his last diamond on dummy’s spade king and ruff his two low clubs on the board. Brilliant, especially for someone who was only 16 years old. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

InstRuctIons:

toDAy’s WoRD — MInoRIty: muh-NAR-ih-tee: A percentage equaling less than half of a total.

Average mark 17 words Time limit 30 minutes Can you find 23 or more words in MINORITY?

WoRD — oFFsHoRE

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

BRIEFS

FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

U.S. to create reserve for rare earth elements

WASHINGTON The Trump administration plans to deploy nearly $12 billion to create a strategic reserve of rare earth elements, a stockpile that could counter China’s ability to use its dominance of these hard to process metals as leverage in trade talks.

The White House confirmed on Monday the start of “Project Vault,” which would initially be funded by a $10 billion loan from the U.S. Export-Import Bank and nearly $1.67 billion in private capital. The minerals kept in the reserve would help to shield the manufacturers of autos, electronics and other goods from any supply chain disruptions.

During trade talks last year spurred by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, the Chinese government restricted the exporting of rare earths that are needed for jet engines, radar systems, electric vehicles, laptops and phones.

China represents about 70% of the world’s rare earths mining and 90% of global rare earths processing That gave it a chokehold on the sector that has caused the U.S. to nurture alternative sources of the elements, creating a stockpile similar to the national reserve for petroleum.

Judge says New York can resume wind project

A federal judge on Monday ruled that an offshore wind project aimed at powering 600,000 New York homes can resume construction, the ﬁfth such project put back on track after the Trump administration halted them in December. In clearing the way for Sunrise Wind to proceed, Judge Royce Lamberth found that the government had not shown that offshore wind is such an imminent national security risk that it must halt in the United States.

President Donald Trump has said his goal is to not let any “windmills” be built and often talks about his hatred of wind power His administration froze ﬁve big offshore wind projects on the East Coast days before Christmas, citing national security concerns. Developers and states sued to block the order White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers has repeatedly said during the legal battle over the pause that Trump has been clear that “wind energy is the scam of the century” and the pause is meant to protect the national security of the American people. Danish company Orsted sued the administration over halting both Sunrise Wind and its Revolution Wind for Rhode Island and Connecticut. In a preliminary injunction hearing on Sunrise Wind at the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia on Monday, Lamberth cited many of the same reasons that he used when he ruled in January that construction could continue on Revolution Wind. Sunrise Wind said it would resume work as soon as possible. New York and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

New York’s attorney general, Letitia James, sued the Trump administration over halting Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind because she said the pause threatens New York’s economy and energy grid.

Labor Department delays January jobs report

WASHINGTON The Labor Department, citing the partial federal government shutdown, said Monday that it will not release the January jobs report Friday as scheduled.

In a statement, the department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said: “Once funding is restored, BLS will resume normal operations and notify the public of any changes to the news release schedule.” It is also postponing the December report on job openings, which was supposed to come out Tuesday The jobs report and other key economic statistics were previously delayed by a record 43-day government shutdown last fall. Economists had expected the January jobs report to show that employers added 80,000 jobs last month, up from 50,000 in December

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Trump to lower tariffs on India

Modi agrees to stop buying Russian oil

BY JOSH BOAK, AAMER MADHANI and RAJESH ROY Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Monday that he plans to lower tariffs on goods from India to 18%, from 25%, after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed to stop buying Russian oil. The move comes after months of Trump pressing India to cut its reliance on cheap Russian crude. India has taken advantage of re-

duced Russian oil prices as much of the world has sought to isolate Moscow for its February 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

Trump said that India would also start to reduce its import taxes on U.S. goods to zero and buy $500 billion worth of American products.

“This will help END THE WAR in Ukraine, which is taking place right now, with thousands of people dying each and every week!” Trump said in a Truth Social post announcing the tariff reduction on India.

Modi posted on X that he was “delighted” by the announced tariff reduction and that Trump’s “leadership is vital for global peace, stability, and prosperity.

“I look forward to working closely with him to take our partnership to unprecedented heights,” Modi said.

Trump has long had a warm re-

lationship with Modi, only to ﬁnd it complicated recently by Russia’s war in Ukraine and trade disputes.

Trump has struggled to make good on a campaign pledge to quickly end the Russia-Ukraine war and has been reluctant since his return to ofﬁce to place pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin. He has simultaneously imposed tariffs without going through Congress to achieve his economic and foreign policy aims.

The announcement of the agreement with India comes as his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and sonin-law Jared Kushner are expected to hold another round of three-way talks with Russian and Ukrainian officials in Abu Dhabi later this week aimed at ﬁnding an endgame to the war, according to a White House ofﬁcial who requested anonymity to describe the upcoming meeting.

Disney reports strong

ﬁrst quarter earnings

Entertainment company warns international tourism on decline

BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP business writer

The Walt Disney Co. posted a strong first quarter, powered by box-office hits “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash.”

But the entertainment giant cautioned that in the second quarter, its Experiences division, which includes its theme parks, will likely see modest operating income growth due in part to a decline in visits from international tourists to the U.S.

There’s been a drop in foreign visitors to the U.S. attributed to several factors, including President Donald Trump’s return to the White House, tariffs, an immigration crackdown and repeated jabs about the U.S. possibly trying to acquire Canada and Greenland.

Disney earned $2.4 billion, or $1.34 per share, for the three months ended Dec. 27. It earned $2.64 billion, or $1.40 per share, a year ago.

Removing one-time charges and costs, earnings were $1.63 per share. That’s better than the $1.57 per share that analysts polled by Zacks Investment Research expected.

Disney, based in Burbank, California, reported revenue of $25.98 billion Wall Street was calling for slightly higher revenue of $25.99 billion.

Revenue for Disney Entertain-

ment, which includes the company’s movie studios and streaming service, climbed 7%, while revenue for the Experiences division, rose 6%

“We are pleased with the start to our fiscal year and our achievements reflect the tremendous progress we’ve made,” CEO Bob Iger said in a statement on Monday “We delivered strong box office performance in calendar year 2025 with billion-dollar hits like Zootopia 2 and Avatar: Fire and Ash, franchises that generate value across many of our businesses.”

The Experiences division, which includes Disney’s six global theme parks, its cruise line, merchandise and video game licensing reported operating income climbed 6% to $3.31 billion and revenue hit a record $10 billion. Operating income rose 8% at domestic parks. Operating income increased 2% for international parks and Experiences. Disney said attendance at domes-

tic parks edged up 1%.

The company took note over the quarter of weakening international tourism, so it pivoted marketing, sales and promotional efforts toward its domestic audience, which helped keep its park attendance up Chief Financial Ofﬁcer Hugh Johnston said during the company’s conference call. In the Sports segment, operating income declined to $191 million from $247 million as an increase in advertising revenue was offset by higher programming and production costs and a drop in subscription and afﬁliate fees. The company said that a temporary dispute with YouTube TV dragged down operating income by about $110 million.

Disney and YouTube TV reached a new deal to bring channels like ABC and ESPN back to the Googleowned livestreaming platform in November, ending a blackout for customers that lasted for over two weeks.

Stocks climb as gold, silver prices keep falling

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rose on Monday following sharp swings that shook ﬁnancial markets overnight, including tumbles for Asian stocks. Gold and silver prices sank further following their latest wild moves.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 added 0.5% and snapped a three-day losing streak. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 515 points, or 1.1%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.6%.

Stocks of companies that make computer storage helped lead the market, adding to gains from last week following several profit reports that topped analysts’ expectations. Airlines and cruise-ship operators were also strong, benefiting from a sharp easing of oil prices. The center of action in financial markets was again precious metals, where momentum has suddenly halted after gold’s price roughly doubled in just 12 months. Gold briefly dropped below $4,500 per ounce in the overnight

hours, down more than $1,000 from its high point reached just last week It then climbed back above $4,800 before settling at $4,652.60, down 1.9% from Friday

Silver’s price has been on an even wilder ride recently, and it swung from a 9% loss overnight to a modest gain and back to a loss of 1.9%.

The announced tariff reduction comes days after India and the European Union reached a freetrade agreement that could affect as many as 2 billion people after nearly two decades of negotiations That deal would enable free trade on almost all goods between the EU’s 27 members and India, covering everything from textiles to medicines, and bringing down high import taxes for European wine and cars.

The deal between two of the world’s biggest markets also reﬂected a desire to reduce dependence on the U.S after Trump’s import tax hikes disrupted established trade ﬂows. While the cost of Trump’s tariffs have largely been borne by American businesses and consumers, the taxes can reduce trade volumes among countries.

Tabasco maker taps industry vet as CEO

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

The McIlhenny Co. has named a new CEO following the retirement of the founder’s great-greatgrandson from the position last April.

The Iberia Parish-based maker of Tabasco products announced Monday that Nestle USA executive Adam Graves has taken over the position, effective last week to replace Harold Osborn, who retired after ﬁve years leading the company Graves, a veteran of the packaged goods industry with 20 years at Nestle, was recently president of its pizza and snacking division, which sold popular products such as DiGiorno and Tombstone pizzas and Hot Pockets.

Graves brings a growth mindset emphasizing empowerment, collaboration and a respect for tradition, McIlhenny ofﬁcials said. His previous jobs include president at Nestlé Waters Canada, general manager of Purina Pet Care Latin America and group business manager at Nestlé’s North American food and beverage unit.

“Leading McIlhenny Company and the iconic Tabasco brand is the role of a lifetime,” Graves said.

The Tabasco brand is poised for signiﬁcant growth. Christian Brown, the company’s board chair and fifth-generation McIlhenny family member, said Graves’ experience made him an ideal candidate to lead the company during what Brown called “an exciting juncture.”

“Gen Z cravings for ever-spicier and more exciting foods continue to drive signiﬁcant growth in the hot sauce category globally and create an unparalleled opportunity for the Tabasco brand,” Brown said.

The Fed’s chair has a big inﬂuence on the economy and markets worldwide by helping to dictate where the U.S. central bank moves interest rates. That affects prices for all kinds of investments, as the Fed tries to keep the U.S job market humming without letting inﬂation get out of control.

The recent swoons for gold and silver may also simply mark the return of gravity for two investments whose price shot very high, very fast. They’re likely more about the washout for some traders who had borrowed money to bet on metals’ prices continuing to soar, rather than about a wholesale change in expectations for demand for metals, according to Darrell Cronk, chief investment ofﬁcer for Wealth & Investment Management at Wells Fargo.

Gold and silver prices had surged as investors looked for safer things to own amid a wide range of worries, including a Federal Reserve that may be set to become less independent, a U.S. stock market that critics say is expensive, threats of tariffs and heavy debt loads for governments worldwide. Their prices cratered on Friday, including a 31.4% plunge for silver Some on Wall Street saw it as a result of President Donald Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Fed. Warsh’s reputation as a former Fed governor may have raised expectations that he may keep interest rates high to fight inflation, which would reduce the need to hide out in gold and silver for protection. But many on Wall Street are also skeptical of that initial reading and say the expectation from Trump is likely that Warsh will cut interest rates, something the president has been demanding. That could give the economy a boost but also worsen inflation over the long term.

Founded in 1868, the McIlhenny Co. is one of the oldest familyowned-and-operated companies in the U.S. Its founder, Edmund McIlhenny, had been wiped out ﬁnancially by the Civil War but found a market in New Orleans for the pepper sauce he made at home on Avery Island In 2019, the company had 220 employees and sold products in 197 countries and territories. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAN RISHER Tabasco, the hot sauce created 158 years ago by Edmund McIlhenny, is produced by the McIlhenny Co. on Avery Island in New Iberia.

PROVIDED PHOTO By DISNEy

Jason Bateman voices Nick Wilde, left, and Judy Hopps is voiced by

Ginnifer Goodwin in ‘Zootopia 2.