Lafayette Parish had the biggest increase in population among the state’s 64 parishes for the second straight year in 2025, according to U.S. census data. The parish gained 3,275 residents in 2025, a 1.3% increase and
the second straight year to have the biggest gain of people in the state, according to estimates released this week. It came against a modest gain overall in the state’s population as 45 parishes lost residents last year, according to data. At 257,949 residents, Lafayette remains the state’s most populous parish out-
side the Baton Rouge and New Orleans metros.
Lafayette Parish had the largest net migration among domestic and international residents in the state, according to data. International migration, however, decreased as it did in most counties and metros across the U.S. as a result of the new restrictions on immigration from the Trump administration.
The parish has gained about 6,500 jobs since before the pan-
Entergy wants power capacity boost for Meta data center
If approved, it would equal nearly half the power it generates for state
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL and SAM KARLIN Staff writers
Entergy Louisiana plans to dramatically boost the amount of electricity it can generate and transmit in Richland Parish, where it is already building power plants for Meta’s massive AI data center, the clearest sign yet that the Facebook parent is moving forward on a significantly larger project than first announced
In a news release Friday, Entergy said it plans to build seven new natural gaspowered plants, upgrade its existing nuclear plants, build 2,500 megawatts of solar farms and install batteries to store solar power The gas plants alone will total 5,200 megawatts, about five times what the entire city of New Orleans uses on an average day The new power capacity Entergy is seeking to generate in Richland comes on top of two natural gas turbines it is already building for Meta at the site, as well as a third power plant for the project under construction near Baton Rouge All together, those three plants will generate 2,262 megawatts of power
The plans also come amid questions nationally about how data centers are affecting residents’ electric bills, which are rising along with a host of other everyday costs President Donald Trump had tech companies sign a “ratepayer protection pledge” in early March.
Entergy said in its news release that Meta committed to paying for some of the infrastructure costs up front and sending millions to its charitable program for low-income customers and for energy efficiency The company said customers will see $2 billion in savings because of the new deal, details of which weren’t
N.O. Banksy mural is up for auction
‘Gray Ghost’ was on the wall of a former firehouse
BY DOUG MacCASH
Staff writer
Now’s your chance to own one of the rare remaining New Orleans murals by the British graffiti master Banksy, who is arguably the most famous artist in the world. But it won’t come cheap. Banksy’s stencil painting goes up for auction on Saturday with a starting bid of $725,000, including fees.
Banksy’s prints and paintings regularly reach the million-dollar mark at auction, occasionally fetching multimillions. Potential buyers should note that the mural probably won’t fit nicely over the couch It’s 8 feet tall and 5 feet wide, and — since it’s painted on a chunk of brick wall — it weighs almost 3 tons. The sale of the New Orleans mural and other works by Banksy is being conducted online by Hessink’s auction house in Maastricht, Netherlands. The cumbersome painting is currently on display at the Louisiana State Museum at the Presbytère. Though it may not be a convenient artwork to own, it has a fascinating provenance. The globe-trotting artist secretly slipped into the Big Easy in 2008 like an arty James Bond. Banksy was on a mission of mercy, intent on drumming up sympathy for the city’s ongoing, grinding recovery from Hurricane Katrina that had taken place three years before. The undercover Englishman painted
People are moving to where job opportunities are, she said.
“Lafayette has a deeply embedded entrepreneurial culture from family-owned restaurants to tech startups,” she said. “People are attracted to communities that embrace and encourage innovation.”
The number of jobs in education
demic and has gained every year since 2020, according to federal data. Many of the gains have been in manufacturing and health care and away from the historically dominant oil and gas sector Mandi Mitchell, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority cited a number of recent wins and the jobs generated in recent years, including Baton Rouge-based MMR Group, which has opened its Lafayette operations and plans to eventually employ 196.
Johnson balks at deal to fund TSA
Speaker says House won’t approve Senate measure
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT and MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writers
The U.S. Senate worked overnight to pass a bill Friday that funds the Transportation Safety Administration, but House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said his chamber would not approve the deal.
more than a dozen small murals on structures across the city that instantly became icons of the era. Among his sardonic artworks was a forlorn girl huddling beneath a faulty umbrella, a homeless Abraham Lincoln pushing a shopping cart, looting National Guardsmen, and a second line-style brass band attempting to play while wearing gas masks. On a former firehouse on Jackson Avenue, Banksy produced a painting that was meant to demonize Fred “The Gray Ghost” Radtke, a devoted graffiti foe, who was in constant conflict with the Crescent City’s street artists/aerosol vandals. Banksy depicted Radtke as a shadowy, soulless house painter bent on eradicating an innocent stick
ä Airports warn travelers not to arrive too early PAGE 4A
Johnson and other House Republicans said the Senate proposal was unacceptable because it did not include funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or the Border Patrol.
“It is the most reckless thing we’ve ever seen, and we’re so frustrated by it,” Johnson said. He later referred to the Senate’s deal as “a joke.” Johnson instead proposed a continuing resolution that would fund the entire Department of Homeland Security, including TSA and immigration agencies, for 30 days while Congress sorts things out. Johnson challenged the Senate to pick up the bill on Monday But the Senate recessed for two weeks after passing its bill Friday, so senators would have to return to
ä See JOHNSON, page 4A
STAFF FILE PHOTO
A restored mural by the British graffiti superstar Banksy is on display at The Louisiana State Museum.
BANKSY, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Work continues on the Meta data center site in Holly Ridge.
See POWER, page 5A
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Ex-Louisville officers’ charges dismissed
LOUISVILLE, Ky. A federal judge has dismissed charges against two former Louisville police officers who were accused of falsifying the warrant used to enter Breonna Taylor’s apartment the night police shot her to death
U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson issued a one-page ruling Friday throwing out charges against Joshua Jaynes and Kyle Meany, two former officers involved in crafting the Taylor warrant.
Federal prosecutors asked a judge last week to dismiss charges against the former officers “in the interest of justice.” Prosecutors noted that the court had already removed some felony charges against Jaynes and Meany in previous proceedings.
Former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced charges against Jaynes and Meany in 2022 in a high-profile news conference in Louisville, where Garland said “Breonna Taylor should still be alive today.” Garland said the officers at the scene who shot Taylor, 26, were unaware of the “false and misleading statements” in the warrant.
Taylor’s boyfriend fired one shot at police after they broke down her front door with a battering ram. Police returned fire, striking Taylor multiple times in her hallway Her killing along with the death of George Floyd in Minnesota sparked weeks of racial justice protests in the summer of 2020.
Jaynes was facing charges for conspiracy and falsification of records and misdemeanor civil rights violations. Meany was facing a charge for allegedly lying to federal investigators.
Guthrie to return to ‘Today’ show on April 6
Savannah Guthrie will return soon as co-host of NBC’s “Today” show after a nearly twomonth absence sparked by the disappearance of her 84-yearold mother, saying in an interview that “joy will be my protest.”
Hoda Kotb, who is filling in for Guthrie, said Friday after an emotional interview with Guthrie that she’ll be back April 6. Guthrie said while it’s hard to imagine returning to a place of joy and lightness, she wants to try, even as she acknowledged she’s not sure she can do it or if she’ll belong anymore.
“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back, because it’s my family,” Guthrie said. “I think it’s part of my purpose right now I want to smile and when I do, it will be real and my joy will be my protest. My joy will be my answer And being there is joyful and when it’s not, I’ll say so.”
Nancy Guthrie was reported missing from her Arizona home on Feb. 1. Authorities believe she was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will. The FBI released surveillance videos of a masked man who was outside Guthrie’s front door in Tucson on the night she vanished. Authorities have not released new evidence publicly in weeks.
Secret Service agent accidentally shoots self
PHILADELPHIA A Secret Service agent has been hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday morning
The agent was traveling in an unmarked Chevrolet SUV near an access point at the airport, the Philadelphia Police Department said. It was not immediately clear what caused the agent’s firearm to accidentally discharge.
The agent was on duty at the airport on a protective assignment covering former first lady Jill Biden, according to an Associated Press report. Biden, who was not present at the time of the incident, was in Harrisburg for a speaking event this week with Pennsylvania’s first lady.
Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring said the Secret Service’s Office of Professional Responsibility would “review the facts and circumstances” of the incident. The agent, he added, was injured while handling a service weapon.
Attack wounds U.S. service members
Iranian missiles strike base in Saudi Arabia
BY JON GAMBRELL and FARNOUSH AMIRI Associated Press
DUBAI,UnitedArab Emirates An Iranian missile attack wounded several U.S. service members and damaged several planes at a base in Saudi Arabia on Friday, a U.S. official familiar with the situation said.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters, said the attack on Prince Sultan Air Base involved an Iranian missile and unmanned drones. It damaged several U.S. refueling aircraft. It was not clear how many troops were wounded or how severely
The confirmation, reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, comes after satellite imagery that appeared to show the damage to the aircraft appeared online.
Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, died days after being wounded during a March 1 attack on the base.
U.S. Central Command said earlier in the day that more than 300 service members have been wounded in the conflict.
Also Friday, President Donald Trump said it will be time for Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize ties after the war in Iran wraps up.
“It’s now time,” Trump said at a Miami event sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. “We’ve now taken them out, and they are out bigly. We got to get into the Abraham Accords.”
Trump has been pressing Israel and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest powers in the Middle East, for years to normalize ties as part of his Abraham Accords efforts.
Significant headwinds remain, including Saudi Arabia’s insistence that there needs to be a credible
path to a Palestinian state before it normalizes commercial and diplomatic ties with Israel.
Meanwhile the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Tehran has agreed to “facilitate and expedite” humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz, even as it endures strikes on its nuclear facilities.
Ali Bahreini said Tehran accepted a request from the U.N to let humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments move through the vital waterway, which usually handles a fifth of the world’s oil shipments and nearly a third of the world’s fertilizer trade.
The aid plan would be the first breakthrough at the shipping chokepoint after a month of war
While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertilizer ingredients
and trade threatens farming and food security around the world.
“This measure reflects Iran’s continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay,” Bahreini said in a post on X. The U.N. earlier announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on aid delivery Israel strikes nuclear facilities
That announcement came just hours after Iranian state media said two nuclear facilities had come under attack. Israel, which had threatened to “escalate and expand” its campaign against Tehran, claimed responsibility, and Iran quickly threatened to retaliate.
Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd Province were targeted, IRNA reported. The strikes did not cause any casualties and there was no risk of contamination, it said. The Arak plant has not been operational since Israel attacked it last June.
Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after impurities are removed from the raw ore.
Heavy water is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.
The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and that the strike was a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program.
U.S. pushes diplomatic solution
Word of the attacks on Iran came after Trump claimed talks on ending the war were going “very well” and that he had given Tehran more time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains it has not engaged in any negotiations.
With economic fallout from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran’s chokehold on the strategic waterway Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington delivered a 15-point “action list” to Iran for a possible ceasefire, using Pakistan as an intermediary It proposes restricting Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. Iran rejected the U.S. offer and presented its own five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the vital strait.
Trump has said if Iran doesn’t reopen the strait to all traffic by April 6, he will order the destruction of Iran’s energy plants.
“Attack contradicts POTUS extended deadline for diplomacy,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X, referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. “Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes.”
Rubio meets G7 allies skeptical about Iran strategy
BY MATTHEW LEE and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press
VAUX-DE-CERNAY, France
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven countries showed divisions with the United States over the Iran war but agreed Friday during a meeting in France to call for an immediate halt to attacks against civilians and urge the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio joined his G7 counterparts a day after President Donald Trump lobbed his latest round of insults at other NATO countries, making it even more difficult for America’s top diplomat to try to sell the U.S strategy for the Iran conflict to close allies. Trump has repeatedly complained that allies have ignored or rejected
requests for help confronting Tehran’s retaliation, including its chokehold on the waterway that has disrupted oil shipments and pushed up energy prices.
Rubio struck a softer tone, saying the U.S. would seek international cooperation on a plan to keep the strait open after hostilities end.
Rubio emerged from discussions with fellow diplomats with a longerterm message about the conclusion of the war, when he said the U.S and allies will face a challenge in keeping the strait open.
He cautioned that Iran may seek to set up a toll on the waterway — where 20% of the world’s oil typically passes — an act that he said could cause significant economic damage to many nations around the globe.
“Not only is this illegal, it’s unacceptable. It’s
dangerous to the world,” Rubio told reporters of the possibility that Iran would seek to restrict traffic through the strait.
“And it’s important that the world have a plan.”
France: Iran war ‘not ours’
Most of America’s closest allies have greeted the Iran war with deep skepticism, which was on display as the G7 foreign ministers gathered at a historic 12th-century abbey in Vaux-de-Cernay, outside Paris, even as they urged a diplomatic solution. Four weeks into the war that the U.S. and Israel launched, the allies face concerns about instability in the oil markets and uncertainty over potential negotiations to end the crisis.
Several EU countries, now grappling with economic consequences of the war, have said they
Rubio denies Zelenskyy’s claim U.S. asked Ukraine to cede land
BY DAVID KLEPPER and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press
PARIS U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio on Friday rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s assertion that the Trump administration is demanding Kyiv hand over its eastern Donbas region to Russia to receive American security guarantees in any ceasefire plan Speaking to reporters following a Group of Seven meeting in France, Rubio disputed Zelenskyy’s recent comments and said the U.S. has made no such stipulation in its talks with Ukraine.
“That’s a lie,” Rubio said. “And I saw him say that And it’s unfortunate he would say that because he knows that’s not true and that’s not what he was told.”
In an interview published this week, Zelenskyy told Reuters the U.S was making its offer of security guarantees for Ukraine contingent on the ceding of the Donbas region, the industrial heartland long coveted by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Moscow’s forces occupy the bulk of the region, but have not seized a strip of land that is among the most heavily fortified parts of the front line. Zelenskyy said that with the U.S. focused on its war against Iran, President
Donald Trump is looking to bring an end to the conflict in Ukraine.
“The Americans are prepared to finalize these guarantees at a high level once Ukraine is ready to withdraw from Donbas,” Zelenskyy told Reuters Rubio denied Zelenskyy’s assertions and said the U.S. had only passed along Russia’s demands. He said security guarantees could only come after the fighting has ended and that the U.S. will keep pushing for a peace deal.
“We’ve told the Ukrainian side what the Russians are insisting on,” he said. “We’re not advocating for it We’ve explained it to them It’s their choice to make. It’s not for us to make for them.”
The Ukrainian presidential office declined to comment on the discrepancy Putin wants Kyiv to cede control of the entire Donbas region, which analysts believe would give Moscow a permanent launchpad from which to threaten other parts of Ukraine.
Rubio noted that U.S. talks with the Ukrainians were held last week in Florida but no other meetings are scheduled as of now He also said that while no U.S. weapons have been pulled from sales bound for Ukraine to go to the Middle East instead, it could happen if deemed necessary
were not consulted by the U.S. before it launched its military actions in Iran.
French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin said Friday that the war “is not ours,” adding that France’s position is strictly defensive.
“The aim is truly this diplomatic approach, which is the only one that can guarantee a return to peace,” she said on Europe 1 and CNews.
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said Britain also favored a diplomatic
path, acknowledging differences with the United States.
“We have taken the approach of supporting defensive action, but also we’ve taken a different approach on the offensive action that has taken place as part of this conflict,” she said.
Trump has complained that NATO countries were not stepping up to help against Iran.
“We’re there to protect NATO, to protect them from Russia. But they’re not there to protect us,” Trump added.
Home of a prominent Palestinian activist alleged to be target
BY JAKE OFFENHARTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK
Associated Press
NEW YORK A man accused of planning to firebomb the home of a prominent Palestinian activist has been arrested following a weekslong undercover operation led by the New York City Police Department, officials said Friday
The target of the plot was Nerdeen Kiswani, who frequently leads protests in New York against Israel and the war in Gaza through the organization Within Our Lifetime. Kiswani, 31, said law enforcement officials informed her late Thursday that they had disrupted “a threat on my life that was about to take place.”
Federal authorities said they arrested Alexander Heifler on
Thursday at his home in Hoboken, New Jersey, as he was assembling Molotov cocktails that he planned to throw at Kiswani’s home. For weeks, he had discussed the plot with an undercover NYPD detective who had infiltrated a group chat used by Heifler, according to a police department spokesperson.
An official who was briefed on the investigation said Heifler, 26, identified as a member of the JDL 613 Brotherhood, a New Jerseybased group founded in 2024 that describes its membership as “Jewish warriors” fighting back against rising antisemitism.
A website for the group says they are inspired by the original Jewish Defense League, a group linked to numerous bombings and attempted assassinations of Arab American political activists in the 1970s and 1980s.
Heifler planned to flee to Israel following the attack, according to the official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details of an
ongoing investigation.
An email inquiry sent to the JDL 613 was not returned.
Kiswani, who lives in Brooklyn with her infant son and husband, said the plot would not deter her continued activism.
“I feel very blessed that they were able to thwart this, but it’s something that is a constant possibility for people who speak up on behalf of Palestine,” she said.
Heifler was charged in a criminal complaint with separate counts of making and possessing destructive devices, which each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A message left with his attorney was not returned. He made an initial appearance in New Jersey federal court on Friday afternoon.
According to a court filing written by an FBI agent, Heifler spoke on a video call in February with a group that included an undercover detective about his interest in training for “self-defense” and wanting space where he could throw Molotov cocktails.
The next day, he met with the undercover detective in person and discussed his plan to use them against Kiswani and flee the country according to the complaint.
Heifler and the undercover detective drove to Kiswani’s residence on March 4 to “conduct surveillance” and discussed making a dozen Molotov cocktails to throw at her home and two cars parked outside, complaint said.
On Thursday the undercover detective and Heifler met at Heifler’s Hoboken residence, where he had assembled components to make the Molotov cocktails, including a large bottle of Everclear a highly flammable alcohol, the complaint said. Law enforcement officers then executed a search warrant at the residence and recovered the eight Molotov cocktails, the complaint said.
Kiswani co-founded the group
Within Our Lifetime whose calls to “abolish Zionism” and support for “all forms of struggle,” including violence, has drawn fierce criticism.
CPAC shows generational split over Iran
BY THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press
GRAPEVINE, Texas A generational divide over the Iran war surfaced Thursday between older attendees and their political heirs at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference, as the group’s leaders pleaded for unity in a challenging midterm election year for Republicans.
Younger conservatives spoke of disappointment and even “betrayal” over President Donald Trump’s launch of strikes against Iran, saying in interviews with The Associated Press that the president’s actions run counter to his many pledges to oppose foreign entanglements.
Meanwhile, older conservatives were looking past Trump’s campaign criticism of military action to topple foreign regimes, arguing the war in Iran is a pragmatic act forced by threats to the United States.
The bright dividing line emerged in conversations with a dozen participants on either end of the age spectrum who gathered for the annual meeting of conservatives, being held outside Dallas. That split could reflect flagging enthusiasm for Trump among some younger voters, a potentially troubling sign for Republicans heading into midterm elections and for the conservative movement as it looks to build beyond Trump’s tenure.
“We did not want to see more wars. We wanted actual America-first policies, and Trump was very explicit about that,” said Benjamin Williams, a 25-year-old marketing specialist for Young Americans for Liberty. “It does feel like a betrayal, for sure.”
Concern about troops
Williams, from Austin, Texas, worries about his friends in the military, especially his Air Force officer brother More broadly, he sees the war as an un-
necessary disruption to the stability in the Middle East that could have long-term negative effects on the U.S. economy. “Trump’s rhetoric was very important for people of my generation,” Williams said.
Auburn University sophomore Sean O’Brien’s support for Trump has slipped, especially with talk of sending U.S. troops into the Middle East. “I’m not happy,” he said. Sending troops into Iran, he said, “would be full betrayal.”
In light of the U.S. military preparing to deploy at least 1,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East in the coming days, O’Brien said, “That’s what keeps me up at night.”
Trump ‘does what works’
Older CPAC participants were far more forgiving, describing Trump as wisely responsive to what they described as the threat Iran posed. Several, in fact, suggested Trump did not initiate the war, but that Iran had decades ago.
“I don’t believe he started a new war He was acting in response to a 40-year-old war by Iran,” said 70-yearold retired defense contractor Joe Ropar of McKinney, Texas. “How long were we supposed to wait? I think he did what he had to do when he had to do it.”
“Do nothing? I’m not on board with that,” Ropar said. Echoing a common theme from older participants, Kelle Phillips said Trump’s decision was a pragmatic reaction to a real threat that overrules the best hopes of campaign rhetoric.
“You campaign on what you want to do and then the world’s dynamics happen,” said Phillips, a 61-year-old author and religious instructor from Frisco, Texas.
“I think the difference is if you have someone in the Iranian regime who wants to destroy America. You can’t reason with them.”
Trump’s goals in Iran, as
James Scharre believes, are short-term and not a concern for those adverse to a long slog overseas.
Scharre, 61, also interprets Trump’s early campaign opposition to government overthrow as a preference, not an ironclad promise. “I think he said he was against it,” he said. “Trump is a wise leader He does what works. And I’m for it.”
Divide in coalition
Cracks in the conservative coalition began appearing early in the war led by influential opinion leaders like podcaster Tucker Carlson.
This month, Joe Kent, the director of the Center for Counterterrorism at the Department of Homeland Security, quit his Trump administration post, saying in his departure statement that “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran” and that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”
Right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon has worried aloud that a protracted Mideast military engagement would cost Republicans support by pushing some conservatives to sit out the November midterms.
A recent survey from The
Vance holds first meeting of anti-fraud task force targeting benefit programs
BY MICHELLE L. PRICE
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Vice Presi-
dent JD Vance on Friday held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he’s leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it’s cracking down on potential misuse of social programs.
Vance, speaking Friday before the task force held a closed-door meeting, said that the federal government, for decades, had not taken the issue of fraud seriously and that it needed to be tackled with “a wholegovernment approach.”
“This is not just the theft of the American people’s money,” Vance said. “It is also the theft of critical services that the American people rely on.”
President Donald Trump, a Republican, has made a crackdown on fraud a central part of his domestic agenda as voters have expressed concern about affordability ahead of November’s midterm elections. That effort comes after allegations of fraud involving day care centers run by Somali residents in Minneapolis prompted a massive immigration crackdown in the Midwestern city, resulting in widespread protests. Vance cited some of the Minnesota allegations on Friday Last month, he held a news conference to announce a temporary halt of some Medicaid funding until the state took actions that federal officials said would address their concerns. Minnesota Gov Tim Walz, a Democrat who faced Vance
as a vice presidential candidate in 2024, has called it a “campaign of retribution” and said the Trump administration was “weaponizing the entirety of the federal government to punish blue states like Minnesota.”
The Justice Department under the Biden administration brought a massive $300 million pandemic fraud case involving the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, accusing dozens of defendants, most of Somali descent of exploiting a state-run, federally funded program intended to provide food for children.
The investigations into the fraud there expanded, with a lead prosecutor estimating that half or more of the roughly $18 billion in federal funds that supported 14 programs in Minnesota since 2018 may have been stolen.
Iran has been excessive.
BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press
WASHINGTON A pro-Iranian, pro-Palestinian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work résumé and other personal documents dating back more than a decade.
“Kash Patel, the current head of the FBI, who once saw his name displayed with pride on the agency’s headquarters, will now find his name among the list of successfully hacked victims,” said a message posted Friday from the group Handala. The message was accompanied by a collection of photographs of Patel, including ones of him standing beside an antique sports car and another with a cigar in his mouth. The group also said that it was making available for download emails and other documents from Patel’s account. Many of the records appeared to relate to his personal travels and business from more than 10 years ago.
“The FBI is aware of malicious actors targeting Director Patel’s personal email information, and we have taken all necessary steps to mitigate potential risks associated with this activity,” the FBI said in a statement.
“The information in question is historical in nature and involves no government information.” News reports from December 2024, before Patel was confirmed as director, said that Patel had been informed by FBI that he had been targeted as part of an Iranian hack. Handala earlier this month claimed credit for disrupting systems at Stryker, a Michigan medical technology company Handala said the attack was in retaliation for suspected U.S. strikes that killed Iranian schoolchildren.
DALLAS MORNING NEWS PHOTO By SHAFKAT ANOWAR
Attendees cheer as White House Border Czar Tom Homan exits the stage during Conservative Political Action Committee at Gaylord Texan Resort and Conference Center on Thursday in Grapevine,Texas.
Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research indicates 59% of Americans say U.S. military action in
Airports warn travelers nottoarrivetoo
BY JOHN SEEWER Associated Press
MaybeDad wasright about gettingtothe airport early.But it turns out there’s stillsucha thingasTOO early
Travelers panicked by scenes of never-ending lines at U.S. airport security checkpoints and frustrating tales of missed flights over the past few weeks are now showing up waybefore their departures. Some airports where the wait times have been manageable say those early birds are only adding to the misery —and in some cases causing other passengers to gettotheir gate too late.
In Ohio, John Glenn International Airport in Columbus is warning passengers against arriving hours inadvance, even creating achart showing when to show up: “90 minutes before departure is all you need.”
The airport says those premature arrivers —reacting to the funding standoff on Capitol Hill that’screating crowded security checkpoints —are making things worse by creating bottlenecks during peak times “Arriving too early can actually create longer lines rightwhenweopen,”the airport said in asocial media post Thursday.“Spacing out arrival timeshelps keep
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Washington to approvethe deal.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump signedFriday an executive order to pay TSA workers using money from the mammoth budget bill Congress passed last year to enact much of his domestic agenda.
“TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday,March 30,” the Department of Homeland Security said in astatement
Friday
Still, given the uncertainty in Washington, officials at Louis Armstrong New Orleans InternationalAirport warned travelers to arrive early,particularly on Sunday and Monday.Waits in security linesonthose days earlier this week lasted for three to fourhours,leading many travelers to miss their flights. Weeksofgridlock
The Senate had been deadlocked for weeks over abill to fund the Department of Homeland Security as Democrats demanded new restrictions on immigration enforcement agents.
TSA, which is part of the department, has been unable to pay its security agents, and many have called out sick or quit. As frustration grew abouthourslongwaits at security lines, the Senate agreed to adealthat would
thingsmoving smoothly for everyone.
In some ways, the airport chaos is turning into afull circle moment for “Airport Dad” —ahumorous TikTok and social media take on the dad who always makessure the family is out the door parked, through security and positioned at the correctgatewellbeforeanyone else,withpaper boarding passes in hand.
Airline customers aren’t laughing,at least right now They’re facing record wait timesinajumbled environment —the modern Americanairport —that can serve up assortedstresses and snafus on the best of days.
Amber Campbell said she missed amorning flight this week despite arrivingat Baltimore-Washington InternationalAirport more than three hours aheadoftime.
“Wenoted several people in linewith later afternoon flights,” Campbell posted on Facebook.“There was no organizationorconsiderationfor those of usmissing flights vs people with later flights. We missed our flight by ten minutes!” What’sconfusing for air passengers is that it’shard to predict which airports will be plaguednext by security lines spilling out of terminals.
“Wecan getatleast a lot of the government opened upagain, and then we’ll go from there. Obviously,we’ll still have some work aheadofus.”
SENATE MAJORITy LEADER JOHN THUNE, R-S.D
fund TSA, the CoastGuard and theFederal Emergency Management Agency —but not the immigration agencies.
“Wecan get at leasta lotof the government openedup again, and then we’llgofrom there,” said SenateMajority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.
“Obviously,we’ll stillhave some work ahead of us.
But Johnson has long voiced concerns about approving apiecemeal budget bill, saying it would be more responsibletofund the entire department. Andsome hard-line conservatives in his caucus have voiced disdain for partial funding,saying it undermines Trump’s campaignagainst illegal immigration.
“This dealisbad for America. It’sbad for Americans,” said Maryland Republican Rep. Andy Harris, chair of the conservative Freedom Caucus.
Will airportlines continue?
Lines at theNew Orleans airport were largelyclear afterMonday.OnFriday, the average wait time to get through security was
curityAdministration staffing has ballooned checkpoint waittimesbeyondtwo hours at some majorairports.
George Bush IntercontinentalAirport in Houston has become thebiggestchokepoint for travelers with fourhour securitylines.
“An absolute nightmare,” said Arthur Tsebetzis, while standing in aline Fridaythat snakedthrough the main terminal and spilled outside Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta.
Those are by far the worst-case scenarios. Many airports— like theone in Ohio —have been seeing wait times comparable with those in normal times. That’s why airlines say thebest advice for passengers right nowistocheck TSA wait times beforetheir scheduled departures.
It’s abit reminiscent of thedays of “panic buying ” during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“It’s human nature.You don’thavecontrol over what’s going on at an airport,” saidShariBotwin, a Philadelphia clinical social worker who counsels people about anxiety
“There’ssomuchmedia attention about the chaos at airports,” she said. “They might not trust when someone says, ‘Well, you don’t need to come outearly anymore.’”
15 to 20 minutes, depending upon thetime of day,airport spokesperson Erin Burns said.
Butasthe weekend approached,Burns saidtravelers should again prepare to arrive early as TSA callouts have remained consistent andthe pattern hasbeen thatthey are at their highest on Sundays.
“Ifanyone has travel scheduled Sunday or Monday,get here early and prepare for long lines,”Burns said.
Peak days are Sunday andMonday, andthe busiesthoursare from 4a.m. to 7a.m. and from 3p.m. to 6p.m., Burns said. Airport officials have generally advisedtravelers to arrive twotothree hours before their flight.
So far,the budget standoff has not caused major problemsfor travelers at the Baton RougeorLafayette airports.
TheAssociated Press contributed tothis story
BANKSY
Continuedfrom page 1A
figurethat cried out in terror
It maysurprise somefans of the outlaw artisttolearn that beforehebegan painting, Banksy receivedpermission from the building’s co-owner,restaurateur Greg Surrey
Despite their popularity andimmense value, Banksy’sNew Orleans mural artworks were immediately tagged, vandalized,painted over,demolished with thebuildings that held them, or protectively covered over.Art thieves successfully stole one painting andattempted to steal another.The JacksonAvenue painting, titled“Gray GhostAttacks StickFigure,” which was protected by afence and plastic sheeting, survived in place for 17 years, longer than anyother New Orleans Banksy
In April 2025, Jaohn Orgon, thecurrent sole owner of the old firehouse, had the precious stencil cut out of thestructure and trucked away.Apainting restorer meticulously returned the stenciltoits former glory anditwas forklifted into theMuseumonJackson Square to go on temporary
display, just in time for the 20thanniversary of Katrina.
Earlierthis month, the art worldwas jolted by the newsthat reporters from the Reuters news agency had finally ferreted out Banksy’sreal identity.But therevelation was abit less dramatic than it first seemed.Back in 2008, a London tabloid had declared that Banksy was a Bristol native named Robin Gunningham Reuter’srecentresearch seemstoprovethatsomewhere along the line, Gunningham changed his name to the rather generic David Jones. Banksy fans still have scant biographical details about the artist.
Banksy superfan and scholarJesse Zuefle,who wrote the book “NOLA RAIN The New Orleans Banksy Story,” does not believe theReutersrevelation will affect thevalue of his works, including the New Orleans painting that will go on the auction block Saturday
Banksy“hasbeen ‘exposed’ adozen times in the last 20-plus years,” Zueflewrote via text. “Wethe people,enjoy themystery though. It adds to themystique. So, Ithink it will have no negative consequences on prices nor popularity.”
“Gray Ghost Attacks
Stick Figure” isn’tthe only one of Banksy’s2008 murals to be cut from its moorings, restored andput on public display.Two rescued and resurrected examples can be found in the lobby of the International House Hotel at 221 Camp St. Another well-preserved painting is located at the Habana Outpost restaurantat1040 Esplanade Ave. Zueflesaidhehopes the painting stays put. “It would be great if aNew Orleans buyer or collective would purchase this piece. It belongsinthe Crescent City.”
The State Museum is taking thenews of theauction in stride.“We knewwhen we took on the piece that the owner was interested in potentially selling the item at somepoint,” Museum spokesmanJeffrey Anding wrote in an email. Anding said the museum would, of course, like to have the Banksy on displayfor as long as possible,maximizingthe public’s chance to see “suchapoignant example of his work” in the context of other artifacts of the 2005 storm and flood. Anding claimed thatthe “Gray Ghost Attacks Stick Figure” muralis“the only originalBanksy street-art installation known to be housed in amuseum anywhere in the country.”
The process to remove a2008 painting by the British graffiti
immediately provided.
If approved by the Public Service Commission and built, the new gas and solar plants would enable Entergy to generate and transmit more than 7,700 megawatts of electricity for Meta — the equivalent of more than half of all the power Entergy currently generates for the state of Louisiana.
In its release Friday, Entergy Louisiana CEO Phillip May said the deal will help keep electricity rates affordable.
The PSC, which regulates Entergy Louisiana, has already approved a deal with Entergy to build new gas-fired power plants, a deal that would see Meta pay for some up-front infrastructure and past hurricane costs. Still, the plans have created some controversy amid widening public concerns over electric bills.
Rachel Peterson, Meta’s vice president of data centers said the boost in power plants “demonstrates the business-friendly environment in Louisiana that makes projects like this possible and aligns with the principles in the recently signed White House Ratepayer Protection Plans.”
Size of Manhattan?
Friday’s announcement was not entirely unexpected. For months, Meta has made clear that it saw the footprint of its Richland Parish project growing beyond what was originally announced.
In late 2024, Meta said the project would be a 4 million-squarefoot data center the size of 70 football fields, and sit on 2,000 acres of former farmland in the tiny community of Holly Ridge The total price tag was pegged at $10 billion.
Last summer Mark Zuckerberg disclosed plans to potentially increase the size of the facility, which he dubbed “Hyperion,” and said it would be the company’s largest data center yet, with a footprint the size of Manhattan.
A few weeks later, Trump praised the planned size of the facility, boosting its price tag to $50 billion, though that dollar figure was never confirmed.
Then, while announcing a new financing arrangement for the project in the fall, Meta officially boosted the cost to $27 billion. In the October announcement, the
POPULATION
Continued from page 1A
and health care rose by over 1,000 during that time, followed by large gains in construction and trade, transportation and utilities, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Population g rowth doesn’t happen by accident,” One Acadiana President and CEO Troy Wayman said “The progress we’re seeing is the outcome of coordinated efforts to make Lafayette and Acadiana a place where people want to live, work and invest.
Population growth reflects confidence in our economy, and this is a clear signal that these efforts are delivering real results.”
Lafayette Parish’s population has been on an upward climb since the pandemic and has outpaced other parishes that have been traditional hot spots for growth.
company said the larger price tag included the buildings and longlived power, cooling, and connectivity infrastructure at the campus.”
“We are proud to be part of the Richland Parish community, and we look forward to continuing to strengthen our partnership for years to come,” Peterson, the Meta executive, said at the time.
The company declined to provide additional information about the expanded size of the project, the costs or the number of construction and permanent jobs it could create.
Also unclear is what additional incentives Meta may have secured from the state in order to move forward with its expansion. Meta is already receiving a sales tax exemption on a wide range of spending, as well as local property tax breaks. Together, the tax breaks could be worth billions of dollars.
Last fall, Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said if Meta moved ahead with plans for a larger proj-
Its population swelled by 16,179 since data from April 1, 2020, and has led the state since then. That total was ahead of St. Tammany Parish (14,543), Livingston (12,749), Ascension (8,606) and Tangipahoa (8,180)
The quality of life also helps draw new residents to the parish, Mitchell said. The culture, coupled with a relatively low cost of living, has made it attractive.
“People won’t move somewhere only for a paycheck,” she said. “A community must have the quality-oflife amenities they want. The growth we’re seeing is a vote of confidence that we’re on the right track.”
In Louisiana, immigration fell 35%, a big reason why the state’s net migration was 513 compared with 5,737 the year prior, according to data. Every metro in the U.S. reported a lower immigration rate up until July 2025, according to The New York Times.
Lafayette also led the state
ect, it would have to negotiate a separate deal with the state for any additional tax breaks.
LED spokesperson Emma Wagner said Friday the agency is “excited about Meta’s continued commitment and looks forward to sharing more in the coming weeks.” LED negotiated tax incentive deals with Meta and Amazon, which is also building a data center campus near Shreveport.
In a statement included in the release, Gov Jeff Landry praised Zuckerberg and Entergy for “prioritizing consumer interests.”
“Their policy has set a precedent that should be the norm, not the exception,” he said.
Power projects across Louisiana Documents filed with the Louisiana Public Service Commission and made public Friday after the announcement provide additional details on what Entergy is proposing.
Filings show that four of the new power plants would be built near the Meta data center site in Rich-
in natural change, meaning it had the biggest gap in the number of births minus the number of deaths.
Population growth in Acadiana, however, was mostly centered in Lafayette Parish. Of the six neighboring parishes, only Vermilion reported an increase over last year, rising slightly by only 66.
St. Landry, St. Martin, Iberia, Acadia and Evangeline lost residents. Iberia Parish had the biggest drop at 727, which trailed only Vernon Parish as the biggest drop among nonmetro parishes, according to data.
Since April 2020, Iberia Parish has lost nearly 3,500 residents, while St. Landry Parish has lost nearly 1,800. Vernon, which lost nearly 1,000 residents in 2025, had the second-highest percentage decrease in population in the U.S., according to data.
Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.
land Parish. Three others would be built near Entergy’s Big Cajun power plant in Pointe Coupee Parish near the town of New Roads.
Filings also show that Entergy wants to build a new 150-mile transmission line extending from Richland Parish to St. Landry Parish in the south-central part of the state and a new switching station in St. Landry Parish.
The filings also hint at future investments in Louisiana’s two nuclear power plants, which come on the heels of Gov Jeff Landry’s announcement at a global energy conference Tuesday that Louisiana wants to build more nuclear plants, components and fuel enrichment sites.
According to the filing, Entergy’s 20-year deal includes funding for a refueling cycle upgrade at Waterford 3 nuclear power plant, which is in west St. Charles Parish, and for a study to evaluate adding new generators at the River Bend nuclear plant north of Baton Rouge near St. Francisville.
Entergy is requesting that the
project be evaluated under a process called the “Lighting Amendment,” approved by the PSC in December, that allows for certain mega projects to be greenlighted within eight months, provided they meet certain criteria.
Public Service Commissioner Davante Lewis said there are a lot of questions about the Entergy proposal that he wants to have answered.
“This is a giant, massive investment and under this expedited process, it will be that much harder to evaluate whether this much power generation is justified and if the benefits outweigh the risks,” Lewis said.
Pros and cons
Meta’s Hyperion data center is one of about 20 the tech giant is building around the country Local and state officials have welcomed the project and the profound economic impact it is having on a poor, rural corner of the state that has suffered from decades of disinvestment.
Since breaking ground 15 months ago, northeast Louisiana has seen an influx of new investment. Companies from around the region are serving as subcontractors to Meta and its three main builders. They are also setting up shop and signing long-term leases for warehouse and office space, a boost of activity that local economic development officials hope they can turn into long-term growth.
But the project is also raising red flags from environmental advocates and others, who point to other places around the country where AI data centers have driven up utility rates and pulled massive amounts of water from local supplies.
Other critics have questioned the tax breaks and the company’s complicated financing arrangement, which they argue could enable Meta to walk away from the project after just a few years should market conditions change. Fenceline communities, meanwhile, have changed dramatically Local and state economic development officials say the project is worth it to an area that has been losing population as farming and manufacturing industries have contracted.
Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.
California rushes bill to rename
Sexual abuse allegations againstlabor icon causing changes
BY TRÂN NGUYEN Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. California lawmakers voted Thursday to rename Cesar Chavez Day as Farmworkers Dayin an effort to reconcile the Latino labor icon’slegacy with explosive sexual abuse allegations before thestate holiday on March31.
Democratic Gov.Gavin Newsom is expected to quickly sign the bill.
The change comes after allegations became public last week that Chavez had sexually abused girls andwomen during his days building a major farmworker labor rights movement in the 1960s in California’sagricultural heartland. Among thosewho accused him was Dolores Huerta, who co-led the movement that eventually became the United Farm Workers.
Thestate’s effort to rename the holiday is part of awave of other moves to alter memorials honoring the man who, in the 1960s and
1970s, helped secure better wages andworking conditionsfor farmworkers and had been admired by many Democratic leaders. The swift andsweepingeffort to erase Chavez’sname from public lifewas previously unthinkable,ashis status had onlygrown more iconic since his death in 1993.
Republican Sen. Suzette Valladares saidThursday that her family built alife in California by workingthe fields and thatthe movement brought together workers from different backgrounds.
“This is notabout one person. This isnot about one narrative,” she said. “It’s about honoring generations of sacrifice, of resilience and hope.”
By TheAssociated Press
CesarChavezDay
California wasthe first state to designate Chavez’s birthday, March31, as aholidaytohonor thecivil rights leader nearly 30 yearsago
The Legislature then, in 2000, passed abill to make it an official paid day off for stateemployees andrequire
SenatePresident Pro Tempore Monique Limon said honoring farmworkers is especially important in the face of aseriesoffederal raids across the state last year.Aworker in her district diedafter being chased by aU.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent last summer,Limon said “His death is areminder of how much farmworkers risk every day to putfood on our table,” shesaidbeforethe vote. “Our farmworkers remind us thateveryone deserves to be treated with dignityand respect.”
that students learn about his legacy andhis role in the labormovementinCalifornia. Thelegislation passed Thursday didn’taddress the curriculum requirement. Stateleaders saidthey’rein conversation with school officials to adjust lesson plans. The California bill also passed in theAssembly with
bipartisan support Monday
“Wecannot ignore wrongdoing andweshould notcontinue to celebrate asingle person when themovement itself is so muchbigger,”
Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry said before the vote Monday
Since the allegations came to light, California State
University-Fresno has covered up Chavez’sstatueon campus,while cities like SanFrancisco, LosAngeles andSacramento have taken stepstoerase his name from public landmarks. Some advocated for Huerta’sname to replace Chavez’s, and several states already said they won’tobserve the day As hisbirthdayapproaches,citiesacrossthe country have remade or canceled annual celebrationstohonor him.InTucson last weekend, the annual Cesar Chavez andDolores Huerta March and Rally were scaled back andrebranded. There was no march or car show,and it wasbilled instead as the Comunidad yLabor Unity Fair to focus morebroadly on labor rights without mentioning Chavez. In GrandJunction, Colorado, the organizers of the annual event in MesaCounty hadalready printed flyers and T-shirts, all bearing Chavez’sname. There has been aflurry of social media posts in recent days to let people know the event will go on Saturdayasthe Sí,Se Puede Celebration instead. In El Paso, Texas, March 31 will be celebrated as Community and Labor Heritage Day
Gasutility pipesseparated before fatalMississippi explosions
JACKSON, Miss. Separate natural gas explosions in January 2024 that destroyed two homes in Jackson, Mississippi, resulted from underground pipespulling loose from their fittings as spongy clay soil expanded and contracted with rainfall, according to afederal report released Thursday The first explosionkilledClara Barbour,82. The National Transportation Safety Board found that the natural gas utility in the city,Dallas-based AtmosEnergyCorp.,had detected the leaks before the explosions, but didn’tevaluate them as severe enough for quick repair.The board also found that Atmos didn’tdo enough to assessrisks and make repairs to its pipelinesystemand
didn’tdo enoughtoeducate the public or emergency officials about how to respond to naturalgas leaks. It urged regulatorstotake acloser look at the company
“Atmos has had significant safety shortfalls in recent years,” the board wrote“Thus, Atmos’smultistate operationsrequire broader oversight.” Company spokesperson Bobby Morgansaidsafetyremains “our highestpriority.”
“Wewill work diligently in the coming days and weeks to evaluate the findings as part of ourongoing safety efforts to further our vision to be the safest provider of natural gas services,”Morgan said.
The company distributes natural gas in Colorado, Kansas,Kentucky, Louisiana,Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
One explosion and fire in south Jackson on Jan.24killed the elderly woman Barbour and slightly injured her husband, Johnny Barbour.Threedayslater andthreequarters of amile away,another explosion leveled one homeand burned aneighboring home. No one was injured there. Investigators found thatinboth cases, gas pipes feeding the homes hadpulledloose from theircouplings as soilexpanded and contracted, allowing dangerous levels of gas to build up, settingthe stage forthe explosions. Much of theJackson area is built atop asoil layer known as Yazoo clay that expands in wet weather andcontracts in timesofdrought. Besides causing building foundations to crack and roadways to heave, theexpansion and contrac-
tion can cause pipes to disconnect, andthe pipe couplings that an Atmos predecessor installed are not resistant to pulling out, the board found. Investigators recommended that Atmos find andreplace all those couplings. The leak at theBarbour home hadbeendetectedNov.17, 2023, after the homeowner smelled an odor compound that is inserted into methane gas. An Atmos technician declared the leak nonhazardous, meaning Atmosmight not repair it for ayear or more. The leak at thesecondhomewas detected Dec. 1, butAtmos evaluated it as even less hazardous, scheduling it forrepairwithin threeyears.
Thereport indicates the company re-evaluated leaks in Jackson followingthe explosion and found others that were more serious than
initially reported.
The safety board faulted Atmos fornot doing more to identify threats posedbyexpansive soils, notingregulators hadbeen warning about the issue since 2008 and that theNTSBidentified expansive soilsasa factor in a2018 Atmos explosioninDallasthatkilledone and injured four Investigators said Atmos had different safety procedures in different states and that if stricter state rules in Kansas had been followed in Mississippi, the explosions could have been prevented. “Atmos’ssiloed state operations, including leak monitoring procedures that differed by state, demonstrate that Atmos hasnot appliedlessons learned in one state to theother states it operates in,” the board wrote.
8 set for La. Political Hall of Fame
All
played a role in ‘Vote for the Crook’ election
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
As the 1991 governor’s race got underway, then-Gov Buddy Roemer was favored to win reelection.
State Rep. David Duke seemed to be too controversial to defeat Roemer, even though Duke had won 60% of the White vote the year before — by galvanizing White grievances with an anti-establishment message in losing to incumbent
Sen. J. Bennett Johnston. Duke, after all, had been a Ku Klux Klan grand wizard who for years had celebrated Hitler’s birthday Edwin Edwards, another looming opponent, reflected Louisiana’s let-the-good-times-roll ethos as a
legendary gambler and womanizer who had been elected governor three times — while constantly fending off corruption allegations but now seemed to be a political has-been. Roemer, after all, had beaten Edwards four years earlier But Edwards and Duke ran first and second in the primary, knocking out Roemer. With the nation’s eyes on Louisiana because of Duke’s notorious past, Edwards resurrected the formula that had elected him governor three times before winning big in New Orleans and Acadiana to offset his losses in conservative areas elsewhere.
Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet, from left, state Rep. Mike Baham, chair of the Louisiana America 250 Commission, and University President Ramesh Kolluru toss dirt on a live oak tree as part of the national America 250 initiative. Leaders from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the state planted a live oak tree at the university’s Health Sciences campus on Friday in Lafayette to honor World War II veteran James ‘Jim’ Bollich, a Lafayette resident and one of the last living survivors of the Bataan Death March. The tree planting is part of a nationwide effort to plant 250 trees by July 4, the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Campaign kicks off for Youngsville police chief
LeBreton outlines key priorities if elected
BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer
Former Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Of-
fice Chief Deputy Art LeBreton formally kicked off his campaign for Youngsville chief of police this week.
LeBreton, who retired from LPSO in 2018, began his career in law enforcement in 1983 in the LPSO Reserve Unit. LeBreton’s law enforcement background includes executive management and administration, as well as critical incident management, patrol operations and criminal investigations.
In a Thursday news release, LeBreton outlined crime prevention, community policing and officer training as key priorities
La. judge orders release of transgender immigrant
Authorities unable to deport detainee
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
A federal judge in Louisiana has ordered the federal government to release a transgender woman who authorities held in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention for a year despite being unable to legally deport her — and who they sent to Mexico against a judge’s order meant to protect her from torture there.
The woman, Britania Uriostegui Rios, who spent some of her detention at Winn Correctional Center, made national headlines in November after her wrongful deportation. Authorities allowed her back into the United States but continued to keep her in immigration detention while they tried to deport her a third country, according to court records. Immigration officials had made no “visible progress” toward deporting Rios since January, and multiple third countries refused to accept her Judge Jerry Edwards Jr., of Louisiana’s Western District court, said in an order issued Tuesday He found that detaining Uriostegui Rios was no longer justified because it was not likely that the government would be able to deport her in the “reasonably foreseeable future.”
The case is part of a larger battle that President Donald Trump’s administration is waging in courts across the country, as it tests legal limits on immigration detention and tries to detain immigrants for prolonged periods of time, even when they cannot go back to their home countries.
Detention of immigrants who have been ordered deported is not supposed to be indefinite, but there are no strict rules for when the government must release detainees.
Edwards’ order comes shortly after the Trump administration lost similar cases in Louisiana’s Middle District Court. Federal judges there ordered that certain ICE detainees be released from the “Louisiana Lockup,” an immigration detention facility on the grounds of the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. Gov Jeff Landry and other Republican leaders blasted those decisions, which they described as an affront to public safety
The administration is also holding in custody people without criminal histories for prolonged periods of time. Amid Trump’s campaign to detain and deport immigrants in record numbers, courts across the country have been flooded with habeas petitions, lawsuits that argue detainees are being unlawfully held and should therefore be released.
Two Lafayette Parish educators honored
Principal, teacher are in running for state awards
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
Two Lafayette Parish school system educators are still in the running to be named the state teacher and principal of the year
Holly Boffy is a semifinalist for Louisiana Principal of the Year, and Alysa Leblanc is a semifinalist for Louisiana Teacher of the Year for 2026, the Louisiana Department of Education announced. Boffy is principal of the W.D. Smith and Mary Baker Career Center Leblanc is a teacher at Milton Elementary School.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
LeBreton
Boffy Leblanc
That was the mechanism through which Uriostegui Rios, who has acriminal history,got out of detention. She, like many otherdetainees, argued for release based on alandmark 2001 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as Zadvydas v. Davis. That case set aprecedent for how long authorities may detain immigrants with final removal orders. The case held that, generally, thegovernmentis supposed to deportsuch immigrants within six months. After that, continued detention may be unlawful if there is no significant likelihood of deportation in the “reasonably foreseeable future.”
INDUCTEES
Continued from page1B
Six of the 2026 inductees to the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame played roles in the coalition that Edwards formed to defeat Duke in that epicelection. They are (with their 1991 roles): New Orleans Mayor Sidney Barthelemy; stateRep. Sherman CopelinofNew Orleans;Ron Nabonne, Barthelemy’stop political adviser; Ben Jeffers, alongtimeEdwards ally in Baton Rouge; the late Haywood Hillyer III, a top official in the Louisiana RepublicanParty in New Orleans; and the late Norma Jane Sabiston,a Democratic political strategist in New Orleans.
Twoother2026inductees
—Clancy DuBosand John Hill —provided incisive reporting and analysis on the race
Saturday’sinduction ceremony willtake place Saturday night at the InterContinental Hotel in New Orleans.
The Hall of Fame, based in Winnfield, home to Huey and Earl Long,will now number 231 with the latest inductees, said Randy Haynie, aBaton Rouge superlobbyist who chairs the board. The latest group was chosen by apanel that includes John Georges owner of The Times-Picayune |The Advocate.
Swinging into action
As the governor’srace began in earnest, Barthelemy had every reason to back Edwards, aDemocrat. Barthelemy was mayor of the state’sbiggest city,one with amajority Black population, and he had been an Edwards ally since his election in 1974 as the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction Besides, with his long list of needs for his poor city, Barthelemy had worn out his welcome with Roemer, aconservative Democratturned Republican from north Louisiana
LEBRETON
Continued from page1B
if he is elected, among others. LeBreton has also highlighted retention as an important areaofimprovement for the Youngsville Police Department.
“Recruitmentand retention pose significant challenges in today’slaw enforcement landscape,” LeBreton’s campaign website reads. “To address these issues, Iam committedtoimplementing
EDUCATORS
Continued from page 1B
In other words, reachingthe six-monthmark givesimmigrants stronger grounds to challengetheir detention under Zadvydas. Theruledoesnot apply to people with pending immigration cases. Edwards, aPresidentJoe Biden appointeeand the judge handling Uriostegui Rios’ case, initially permittedher detentionpast six months. In aJanuary decision, he described the case as “close,”but sidedwiththe federal governmentbased on evidence of ongoing effortstodeport Uriostegui Rios to athird country But Edwards warned that UriosteguiRios’ detention couldbecome unlawful as timepassed —and on Tuesday, he reversed his original decisionand said sheought to be released.
“He told someone Igave him aheadache everytime Iwent to Baton Rouge,” Barthelemy remembered recently
But Barthelemy wanted Edwards to move offhis call for multiple casinos to rejuvenate New Orleans. Barthelemy believed that a single glamorous casino for New Orleans offered the best option to create badly needed jobs.
After Edwards adopted Barthelemy’sposition, the mayoractivatedhis political organization to support the former governor Overseeingthatoperation was Nabonne. He had begun agitating for the rightsofBlack people asastudent at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans. As an undergraduate at Loyola Universityin 1968, Nabonne helped form aBlack studentunion that protested all-White fraternities. That same year, Nabonnehelped organize aprotestagainst then-Gov George Wallace, asegregationist runningfor president.
An attorney and activist in recentlyformedBlack politicalorganizations, notably SOUL and COUP Nabonneworkedtoelect Black candidates who were running for positions that Whiteofficials had held for decades.
Nabonne and Barthelemy became especially close. So it wasonlynaturalfor Barthelemy to taskNabonne with mobilizing his political organizationtorecruitcanvassers, make phone calls andpass outliteratureto help elect Edwards.
“You know what Iget most pleasure from?” Nabonne said recently. “Getting
strategies that include competitive salaries,meaningful training opportunities, technological advancements, and evidence-baseddata analysis. By evaluating the effectiveness of our initiatives, we can continuously improve and maintain asafe environment for all.”
It’snot LeBreton’s first time attempting to runfor the office. He announced his intention to run for Youngsville chiefofpoliceinthe 2024 special election to replace Rickey Boudreaux; however,hewas ruled ineligible bythe state attorney
The Department of Educationprogramhighlights educators whoare making ameaningful impact on student growth and helping students access opportunities that prepare them for success. Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr.praised both educators for their commitmenttostudents, saying in anews release that they “are strong advocates for their students and for public education. “They build meaningful relationships, open doors of opportunity and consistently communicate the value of an LPSS education. We areproudtosee their work recognizedatthe state level.” Finalistswill be announced later this spring. Statewinners will be celebrated at the
In his order,Edwards said thegovernmenthad failed to show progress toward deporting Uriostegui Rios aftersending requests to Honduras, CostaRica, Nicaragua, El Salvador,Canada, Senegal, Ecuador,Portugal, Seychelles and Liberia. Several countries rejected the requests, and the rest never responded, Edwards wrote, adding thatthe most recent requestswere made in January Edwards also stressed that 12 monthshad passedsince Uriostegui’s removal order becamefinal. The likelihood thatcontinued immigration detention is lawful wanes the longer detainees stay in custody,hewrote, citing the Zadvydas case.
Uriostegui Rios came to theU.S. in 2003 and became alawful permanent resi-
something done withoutdrama and having other people takecredit for it.”
Copelin also helped rally Black voters in 1991.
Thebattles in BatonRouge
Like Barthelemyand Nabonne, Copelin hadgraduated from St. Augustine and had gone on tobecomeone of thefirst Black peopleto hold aposition of responsibilityinNew Orleans city government under thenMayor VicSchiro.
After Moon Landrieu succeeded Schiroin1970, Copelin oversaw thecity’s program that disbursedfederal money throughout New Orleans.
In 1984, Copelin wasappointed as the first Black assessorinLouisiana since Reconstructionand two years later won aspecial election to thestate House representing aportion of the9th Ward. He and Edwardsbecame closeallies. Both relished moving the various pieces on the political chessboard,courting controversy alongthe way Copelin tangled with Duke after Duke was elected in 1989 to thestate House representing Metairie.
In 1991, while running for reelection,Copelin managed get-out-the-vote effortsamong Blackvoters in metro New Orleans for Edwards
By 1991, Jeffers hadspent yearsworking for Edwards in state government. In 1979, he mounted the first serious statewide campaign by aBlack candidate in morethan 100 years when he finished third in the sec-
general as he had not been domiciled in thecityfor at least one year as required by state law.
Incumbent Police Chief JP Boudreaux has not yet announced whether he intends to run for afull term this fall. Boudreaux has faced criticismover his management of the department. Boudreaux was elected in 2024 after the resignation in August 2023 of Chief RickeyBoudreaux. During aJanuaryhearing of the Youngsville Municipal PoliceCivilService Board, disciplinaryactions taken by Boudreaux were found to
dent in 2012, an ICE agent said in acourt filing. Butshe received multiple criminal convictions, including a2009 conviction forsexualsolicitation and a2023 conviction for assault with adeadly weapon, the official said.
In March2025, an immigration judge ordered Uriostegui Rios’ deportationbut simultaneously blocked her removal to Mexico under theConvention Against Torture,finding thatshe could face persecution there because of her gender identity, according to court records.
Butthe federal government“inadvertently” deported her to Mexico, Department of Justice attorneys acknowledged in legal filings.
Criticshaveaccused the Trumpadministration, whichargues it is detaining
retary of state race.
During the 1991 governor’srace, Jeffersservedas one of Edwards’ state campaign coordinators.
The dynamics in therace changed dramatically after the primary, when only scandal-tarred Edwards stood betweenDuke andthe Governor’sMansion. The campaign to prevent that from happening became national news
“Wehad to setupanoperation for people from around the country who wanted to beat David Duke,” Jeffers remembered recently.
Sabistonassisted thestate Democratic Partycampaign throughher workas statedirectorfor U.S. Sen. John Breaux.
Hillyer, whorepresented Louisiana at theRepublican National Committee, preferred Roemer during the primary anddetested Duke. At onepoint, he physically blocked Duke from getting to amicrophone to rally his supportersata state Republican nominating convention.
Three weeksbefore the runoff election, Hillyer told Times-Picayune columnist Iris Kelso that choosing between Duke and Edwards presented an awful dilemma.
“Wehave achoice between aNazi, someonewho hasbeen preaching almost astandard Republican doctrine, but who would do terrible damage, andEdwin Edwards,who is againsteverything our party stands for,”Hillyersaid. “But if you believe Duke is adanger, youhavetobeagainst him. Ithink he is adanger.” Abumper sticker summed it up for many: “Votefor the Crook. It’sImportant.”
be based in personal retribution, and severalYoungsville officers testified, expressed reservationsabouthis capacity to Le paig
immigrants to protect the public, of using ICE detention to punish people with criminal convictionstwice, after they have served their time.
Immigration rights advocates who helped handle Uriostegui Rios’casehailed Edwards’ decision as avictory but said Uriostegui Rios’ lengthy stay in custodywas evidence of abroken system “It’s heartbreaking that people like Britania arelosing yearsoftheir livesin places thatamount to nothing morethan for-profit prisons,” said NoraAhmed, legal director of the ACLU of Louisiana.“This ruling rejects thegovernment’s cruel perversion of immigration law:using detention centers to punish people who have already served their time,
Tellingthe story
Reporting on the various twists andturns during the election for newspapers in northLouisiana wasJohn Hill.
Anative of Bastrop, Hill had fallen in love with reporting, writing andhaving an influenceonthe political process. He took his responsibilities during the1991election especially seriously,given the stakes. By 1991, DuBos had worked as areporter for years, beginning with The Times-Picayune in 1973 while he was an undergraduate at the University of New Orleans. He soon showed aflair for covering politics and went on to do that forthe newspaper and then New OrleansTVstations.
In 1991, DuBosand his wife, Margo, purchased Gambit, theNew Orleans alternative weekly Threeweeksbeforethe election,DuBos wrotethe editorial in which Gambit endorsed Edwards.
Othernews outlets, in backing the former governor,wrote that they had to figuratively hold their noses in making that recommendation.
DuBos, however,forthrightly praised Edwards, saying he “isaleader.He gets things done.”
On Nov. 16, 1991, spurred by an enormous turnout of Black voters, Edwards crushed Duke with 61% of the vote.Hegot state legislators to approve the NewOrleans casino —now ownedbyCaesars —in 1992.
That year,Edwards invited Clancy and Margo Du-
lengthy board hearing. He hasnot commentedonBoudreaux’sleadership thus far in his campaign.
turning civil detention into adefacto lifesentence with no due process.” The Department of Homeland Security,which oversees ICE, did not comment on this story Louisiana housesthe second-most number of ICE detainees in the country behind Texas. Most are housed in facilities operated by private prisoncompanies, whose contractswith thefederal government are worth billions of dollars nationwide. During Trump’sfirst year in office, the number of people held in ICEdetention across the country rose from approximately 40,000 to 66,000, according to aJanuary report from the American Immigration Council, anonprofit focused on immigration rights.
Bostothe Governor’sMansion forlunchtothank them forthe strong endorsement. “Howdoyou think the history books will treat me?” he askedthematone point. “Governor,that’supto you,”replied Clancy DuBos. “You’re going to write your legacy in the next four to eight years. Theonly four-termgovernor in state history,Edwards serveda single term andretired. In 2001, he was convicted of bribery chargesand spent 81/2 years in prison. He diedin2021 at 93. Hill closelycovered Edwards’ trialand retiredin 2007. DuBos ended his 52year journalism career at the endof2025.
Barthelemy’spolitical careerended in 1994 when his second term as mayor ended. Nabonne continues to advise candidates behind the scenes Jeffers servedasEdwards’ chiefofstaff during his final term —and then as the first Black chairof the Louisiana Democratic Party —and is nowretired. Copelin lost his reelection in 1999 but has remained active in politicsand business. Sabiston went on to serve as akey political adviser and strategist to Mary Landrieuduring her years as asenator and to Mary’s brother Mitch during his years as lieutenantgovernor and mayor of New Orleans. Also amentor to countless women, she died in 2020, aged 65. Hillyer, whoremained a trusted voice in Republicanpolitics, died in 2010, aged 72.
Barthelemy Copelin DuBos Hill Hillyer Jeffers Nabonne Sabiston
BUSINESS
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Meatpacking workers’ strike continues
DENVER Thousands of striking workers at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants will extend their walkout to a third week as they push for higher wages and better health care.
Industry experts said it’s too early to know if the strike that began March 16 at the Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, will impact retail beef prices that already had soared to record levels.
Owner JBS USA said Friday that it’s operating the plant at limited capacity and has shifted beef production elsewhere to meet customers needs.
It’s the first strike at a U.S. slaughterhouse since workers walked out at a Hormel plant in Minnesota in 1985. That strike lasted more than a year and included violent confrontations between police and protesters.
The Greeley strike began with support from 99% of the plant’s 3,800 workers who belong to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union. Thousands have showed up at the picket line over the past two weeks.
Union officials say the company’s offer of 2% wage hikes is less than inflation.
Washington AG: Kalshi violates gambling laws
SEATTLE Washington Attorney General Nick Brown sued Kalshi on Friday, calling the company’s claims to be a “prediction market” little more than a front for an illegal gambling operation.
The lawsuit, filed in King County Superior Court, accuses Kalshi of violating Washington’s relatively strict antigambling laws and using the company’s own boasts to prove the point.
Kalshi has claimed to be the first site where you can “bet on the NFL in all 50 states.” It has claimed it has made it possible to “bet on everything.”
“Kalshi really is just a bookie with a fancy name, and a huge amount of venture capital behind them,” Brown said at a news conference Friday in downtown Seattle. “They publicly pat themselves on the back for being sneaky and getting around Washington’s gambling laws, but it’s worse than being sneaky It’s a lie and it’s illegal.” Arizona this month filed criminal charges against the company, accusing it of running an illegal gambling operation Amazon buys maker of Sprout humanoid robot NEW YORK Amazon has acquired Fauna Robotics, just under two months after the startup introduced a humanoid robot called Sprout designed to be a friendly addition to social spaces like homes and schools.
The e-commerce giant is already a robotics powerhouse, having boasted of deploying more than 1 million robots across its warehouse operations, but bringing the 3.5-foottall, rectangular-headed Sprout on board adds a robot that’s more about fun interactions than heavy lifting.
Fauna CEO Rob Cochran said on social media he was “incredibly excited to share that Fauna Robotics has officially joined the Amazon family” and said the New York-based firm will now “operate as Fauna Robotics, an Amazon company.” Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Amazon said the company’s founders and employees will join Amazon in New York and will be looking for “new ways to make our customers’ lives better and easier.”
Fauna’s debut product, launched in January is a software developer platform more than just a robot, sold to academic and corporate research laboratories that are exploring robotics in the home. Early customers included Disney
The $50,000 Sprout can’t lift heavy objects, but it can dance the Twist or the Floss, grab a toy block or teddy bear, or hoist itself from a chair and take a stroll.
Stocks drop fifth week in a row
Losses deepen as war continues
BY STAN CHOE AP business writer
NEW YORK — U.S. stocks deepened their drops Friday as Wall Street
finished off a fifth straight losing week, its longest such streak in nearly four years.
The S&P 500 fell 1.7% to close its worst week since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial
Average lost 793 points, or 1.7%, and fell more than 10% from its record set last month, while the Nasdaq composite sank 2.1%.
The losses were a break from Wall Street’s pattern this week, where the U.S. stock market flipflopped from gains to losses each day as hopes rose and fell about a possible end to the war Moments after the U.S. stock market finished trading on Thursday, President Donald Trump offered more potential for optimism He extended a self-imposed dead-
line to “obliterate” Iran’s power plants to April 6 if it doesn’t fully allow oil tankers to exit the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz to the open ocean. But oil prices resumed their climb as trading moved westward Friday from Asia to Europe and back to Wall Street. Despite Trump’s latest announcement, fighting continued in the Middle East Iran gave no signs of backing down, and Israel threatened to “escalate and expand” its attacks on Iran. The price for a barrel of Brent
As fuel prices rise, lawmakers push to suspend the federal gas tax Patience even during
markets pays off for investors
Financial gurus advise riding out stock swings
BY STAN CHOE Associated Press
NEW YORK When stock markets are as
manic as they’ve been recently, it’s natural to want to do something to protect your retirement savings. Historically, though, staying calm has usually been best.
The U.S. stock market has a track record of recovering from every steep drop it’s taken Whether it’s a global financial crisis, a trade war or a military war the S&P 500 has so far always recouped its losses to push toward more records. Of course, that can take years, but anyone who moved their 401(k) investments out of stocks risked missing out on the recovery and further gains.
Will that happen again? No one can say for sure, and some things are different this time around. But many professional investors and strategists are sticking with the advice they usually give: As long as it’s money you don’t need soon, which should never be in stocks in the first place, try to be patient and ride out the stock market’s swings, tough as it is.
They gave the same counsel after President Donald Trump unveiled his global tariffs on “Liberation Day” last year, after inflation skyrocketed in 2021 and after COVID crashed the global economy in 2020. Stomaching these kinds of shocks is the price of admission to get the bigger returns that stocks can offer over the long term.
The war in Iran is slowing the global flow of oil and causing extreme swings in markets.
The fighting has halted most of the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway off Iran’s coast where a fifth of the world’s oil sails on a typical day That has sent oil prices as high as $119 per barrel occasionally, up from roughly $70 before the fighting started.
If the war continues until the end of June, strategists at Macquarie say the price of oil could reach $200 per barrel. The record is just above $147, set during the summer of 2008.
If oil prices stay high a long time, the effect would carry far beyond gasoline pumps. It could also push businesses that use any trucks, ships or planes to move their products to raise their own prices. It would also make electricity from gas-fired power plants more expensive.
The swings are adding up
The S&P 500 just fell to a fifth straight losing week, its longest such streak in nearly four years. It’s roughly back to where it was in August, and it’s 8.7% below its record set early this year
The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Nasdaq composite, meanwhile, have both already dropped more than 10% from their
own records. That’s a steep-enough fall that professional investors have a name for it: a “correction.”
It’s not just how much the market has dropped that’s unnerving, it’s also how unsteady the moves have been. The U.S. stock market yo-yoed repeatedly through this past week as hopes rose and fell about a possible end to the war
This isn’t unusual
The U.S. stock market doesn’t often behave exactly like this, but it has a regular history of falling to steep losses before rising again.
The S&P 500 has seen a decline of at least 10% every year or two. Often, experts view them as a culling of optimism that could otherwise run overboard and drive stock prices too high.
“I believe getting a correction is not a bad thing,” said Ann Miletti head of equity investments at Allspring Global Investments. “In some ways, I feel like that is what keeps the market from having a bigger issue.”
“It keeps all of us honest,” she said. Selling your stocks or moving your 401(k) investments away from stocks and into bonds may offer less chance of seeing huge drops. But getting out of the market would also mean having to figure out the right time to get back in, unless you’re willing to give up any future recovery and gains.
And timing the market correctly is always difficult. Some of the best days in the U.S. stock market’s history have been clustered in among downturns.
Some recoveries take longer than others, but experts often recommend not putting money into stocks that you can’t afford to lose for several years, up to 10. Emergency
funds, for things like home repairs or medical bills, should not be invested in stocks.
For those new to investing
Apps on smartphones have made trading easier and cheaper than ever That’s helped draw in a new generation of investors who may not be used to such wild swings in the market.
But the good news is younger investors often have the gift of time. With decades to go until retirement, they can afford to ride the waves and let their stock portfolios hopefully recover before compounding and eventually growing even bigger For them, drops in prices may almost be like stocks going on sale.
For those near retirement
Older investors have less time than younger ones for their investments to bounce back. People who have already retired may want to cut back on spending and withdrawals after sharp market downturns, because bigger withdrawals will remove more potential compounding ability in the future. But even in retirement, some people will need their investments to last 30 years or more.
For those who have to raid their 401(k)
If you have no other choice, you have no other choice. But selling stocks in your 401(k) account and withdrawing cash packs a double whammy One, you may have to pay tax, as well as a possible 10% early-withdrawal penalty Two, a withdrawal means no chance of those investments recovering their losses and growing over time.
A 401(k) loan is possible in some cases, but those come with their own peculiarities and possible penalties.
BY MATTHEW DALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON As the war in Iran pushes U.S. gas prices toward $4 a gallon nationally, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax in the latest attempt to try to control surging energy costs.
Lawmakers say the action would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands.
Asked about the gas tax at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, President Donald Trump said he has “thought about” suspending it but suggested states should consider suspending their fuel taxes.
“People have talked about” a gas tax suspension, Trump said. “It’s something we have in our pocket
if we think it’s necessary.”
As gas prices have spiked, the Trump administration has released millions of barrels of oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve and temporarily lifted sanctions on some Russian and Iranian oil shipments already at sea. The U.S. is negotiating with countries reliant on Middle East crude to join a coalition to police the Strait of Hormuz, where about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil normally flows.
A gas tax holiday is a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax, currently set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. That does not include state taxes, which often are higher
The tax provides more than $23 billion per year in revenue for federal highway and public transit programs.
The president cannot suspend the federal tax on his own. Congress would have to approve the move. Both the House and Senate are controlled by Republicans, and bills on the issue are unlikely to advance unless Trump signals his support.
Rising gas prices are putting renewed pressure on household finances, especially for low- and middle-income Americans who have less flexibility to absorb higher transportation costs. The increases can influence how much people drive, where they travel and how they spend money on other things.
“Trump’s war of choice with Iran is driving up gas prices across the country — and Americans shouldn’t have to bear the additional economic burden of Trump’s reckless decision making,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, a Con-
necticut Democrat who co-sponsored the Gas Prices Relief Act with fellow Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona. The bill would suspend the tax through Oct. 1. A similar measure was sponsored in the House by Democratic Rep. Chris Pappas of New Hampshire.
The top advice for drivers looking to save at the pump is to obey the speed limit and drive smoothly, according to Consumer Reports. Driving habits can play a significant role in fuel economy, the magazine says. Driving at a steady 55 mph can increase fuel economy by 6 to 8 mpg, the publication said in a report that offered tips to get the
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG
Federico DeMarco, right, and Dilip Patel work on the floor at the New york Stock Exchange in New york on Wednesday.
When war and theeconomy collide in an election year
Rarely does asingle issue bring down apoliticianor aparty.More often, disaster comes when two ormore thorny issues intersect and reinforce one another
Ron
Faucheux
That’swhat happened to JoeBidenin2024:Inflation and immigration, combined with concerns about his age, ended his presidentialcampaign. By contrast, problems with the war in Iraq were not enough to defeat George W. Bush in 2004. Now Democrats are watchingmidterm elections for signs ofa Republican collapse. Theybelieve growing dissatisfaction with Donald Trump’shandling of two big issues —the economy and the Iran war—could bring down the GOP this November. They mayberight. Trump was reelected on promises to stop inflation and keep the nation out of war.MostAmericansdon’t believe he’s doing either,yet his party continuestoback him It’salways instructive to compare apresident’sjob rating with the popularvotehe receivedinthe last election. In 2024, Trump won nearly50% of thevote.His averageapproval rating, basedonsix polls,iscurrently 40%. That’s a10-pointslide Trump’sdominance of the GOP makes hisproblems the party’sproblems. His allies in stateand district racesworry they will pay the price in Novemberfor growing publicdiscontent. Declining support among independent voters —who often swingcloseelections —issupercharging these jitters.
On war policy,only 39% ofvotersapprove of Trump’s handling of the war.Among independents, it drops to 28%. That’sbased on the latestEconomist/YouGov poll.
The CBS News poll findsthat 68% of Americans believe Trump hasn’tclearly explainedU.S. goals in Iran; amongindependents it’s 76%.That’sa major stumbling block. Public perceptions linking foreignpolicy,centered on theIran war,with the economy,centeredoninflation, is the biggest political threat Trump andRepublicansface this November. According to CBS polling, 85% of Americans saygas prices “in theirarea” havegone up. Moreominously, two-thirds of Americans say they’re “not willing” to pay highergas pricesduring awar that 57% say isgoing very or somewhat badly.Above all,92% want the conflicttoend as quickly as possible
The same survey showsthat61% of Americans rate theeconomy as veryorfairly bad. Among independents, it’s69%. Additionally,only 33%ofU.S. adults approve of Trump’shandling ofinflation; among independents, it’sadismal 23%.
Just because most Americans believe thewar is going badly,orthe economy is in the ditch, doesn’t necessarily mean thoseassessments are correct. Butpublic perception is what mattersinelections,and polls show those perceptions are distinctly negative When apresident is unpopular, the opposing party frames midterm electionsasareferendumonhim. Democrats will try that this year. Republicans, of course, will trytoturn the contest into areferendum on unpopularDemocraticpoliciesassociated with the party’s left wing —and that punchstill has force in plenty of redstates and districts.
Let’snot forget, too, that Trump’sbaseremains strong; 88%ofRepublicans approve of his jobperformanceinthe latest CBS poll. That’swhy his popularity while diminished, still leans positive in states he’s consistently wonbywide margins, suchasLouisiana. Butswing states such as Georgia andNorthCarolina are different stories.Georgia Sen. JonOssoff is widely seen as the most vulnerable Democratic senatorrunningthis year,yet he currently leads hisRepublican challengers. In North Carolina,Democrat Roy Cooper is polling ahead of former Republican National Committee Chair Mike Whatley for anopenSenate seat now held by aRepublican. Seven months between nowand the generalelection is still time for tables to turn, at leastpartially.Ifthe Iran warsoon ends on U.S. terms, if gaspricestake a dive and the economy looks better, thenthe Republican collapsethat Democrats are hoping formay not materialize When politics are deeply polarizedasthey arenow, and each party buildsits wins on the other side’sflaws, it’s more difficult for eitherparty to score bigvictories. This is why politics, so fickle and maddening, and increasingly noxious, is still worth watching.
Ron Faucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, writer and pollster based in Louisiana
SteveScalise’s actions show wherepoliticsare
David Duke without the baggage?
To those who have paid close attention to the actions, and lack thereof, of Louisiana’sFirst Congressional District representative, Steve Scalise, he carries (and seems to embrace) all of Duke’sbaggage.
On Feb.24, as Donald Trump entered the House chamber to deliver his Stateofthe Union address, Scalise walked directly behind him When walking past Rep.AlGreen of Texas, Scalise reached out and pulled down asign Green was holding. The sign read: “Black People Aren’tApes.”
Video replays show Scalise appearing energized as he followed Trump up theaisle, seemingly assuming the role of informal enforcer,clearing thepath of visible dissent. Butwhen he noticed Green’ssign, his expression shifted —briefly tightening into irritation or disapproval. Seconds later,hetugged thesign downward. That momentdoes not exist in isolation. In the first week of last month,Trumpposted on TruthSocial an image depicting former President
Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama as apes —animage widely condemned as racist. Scalise has never denounced thepost. Nor did he publicly demandanapology He was silent. Andthat silence communicates, to many,tacit approval. Against that backdrop, his decision to tear down Green’s sign carries weight. The sign did not contain profanityorapersonal attack; it rejected aracist trope that has long been used to dehumanize Black Americans. Removing it, while remaining silent about imagery echoingthat trope, invites scrutiny about priorities and principles.
Public officials are judged not only by what they say,but by what they ignore —and what they choose to suppress. In amoment that called for clarity about racial respect and historical awareness, Scalise’sactions, paired with his prior silence, raise serious questions about where he stands.
MICHAEL LEWIS Slidell
It’s clearwhy youngpeopleare leavingLa.
Arecent top headline, “Bill would block climatechange suits,”outlining our stateLegislature’spush to protect oil and gas companies by preventing high-profile climatechange lawsuitsfrombeing filed in our state, is juxtaposed withthe column by Ron Faucheux, “Numberstellwhy Louisiana lags other Southernstates,” explaining why we aresignificantly behind mostotherSouthernstates in population growth.
In fact, Louisiana’spopulation isn’t increasing, while that of our neighbors grows exponentially.There is athroughline here linking these two articles. Why would the “best and brightest,” young people with families, want to movetoastate
that is both one of the mostclimatedisaster-prone in thenation and one whose Legislature would consider prioritizing theprofitability of the fossil fuel industry over accountability for its documented contribution to those very sameclimate disasters?
These “best and brightest” will likely continue to visit forMardi Gras, Jazz Fest, our incredible food andmusic culture, but will not consider Louisianaaplace to put down rootsand raise and educate their families unless we vote forpublic officials who take the climate crisis seriously
KATHY MEUNIER NewOrleans
Doctors who helped slammers being let offthe hook
Ihave been reading the excellent coverage of this paper regarding the fraudulent activities of some local plaintiffattorneys and their minions in their efforts to defraud insurance companies. Whispered rumors foryears are finally being brought into the light of justice.
As the wheels of justice turn, I cannot understand whyone very important thread in this webof deception is not being discussed. Who are the doctors whowere obviously knowing participants in the scheme? Doing unnecessary surgery is abreach of ethics and a violation of the Hippocratic Oath. At the very least, they should be brought before the Louisiana State Board of Medical Examiners and have their licenses revoked.
MARYP.LUPO,M.D NewOrleans
Contemplating our ownmortality may lead to abetterworld
No one can be certain about what happens after death, but it is prudent to consider the range of possibilities.
One of those possibilities is that our conscious existence endures forever.Forever.Eternity.That’s along time, ample time foreach of us to meet and feel the life experiences of every other conscious creature that Godhas created —anexciting yet frightening thought. Perhaps if moreofus contemplated this possibility,the world would be amore peaceful place.
This is referring to an article published on March 8, “Capitol rioter pardoned by Trump getsa life sentence for molesting 2children.” For one elected or appointed person
to have the ability to free anyone, much less 1,500 people, with astroke of the pen without any oversight, is not good for our country Pardoning thesecriminals from
Jan.6 was an insult to the justice systemand ahuge waste of taxdollars.
CARL CLEMENT NewOrleans
NewOrleans
SPORTS
CHECKING BOXES
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
ZachWilson chuckledwhen he askedwhetherhealready knew his newNew Orleans Saints teammate, Tyler Shough.
“Funny enough,wewereactuallyinthe same Elite 11 class in high school,” Wilson said. Wilson,who is abouttoenterhis sixth NFLseason, was athree-star recruit in the 2018 class. Shough, who just finished his rookie campaign, was afour-star recruit in the sameclass.
“He probably doesn’tremember me even being there, but he was the (four) star,all the offers from everybody,” Wilson said. “And Iwas just like athree-star quarterback with justafew Mountain West offers and a couple Pac-12 offers back then.And then we both went ourseparate ways.”
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
It didn’ttake along look at the UL pro day roster Wednesday for it to click just how many tackles are no longer around for the Ragin’ Cajuns.
Four of the top five tacklers from ayear ago were among the pro day group.The top two were linebackers Jaden Dugger and Terrence Williams, as well as safety Tyree Skipper and defensive end Jordan Lawson. The only returner among thetopfive tacklers is sophomore cornerback Brent Gordon. Naturally,most of thosemissing tackles will have to be filled by linebackers. Early in spring practices, redshirt sophomore linebacker Conor McPherson is opening some eyes.
Their separateways were quitedifferent, but they both led to New Orleans for the 2026 season.
Shough enduredmuchhardship in his college career sufferingseveral season-ending injuries as he attended threeschools in seven seasons before the Saints selected him 40th overall last year.Wilson starred at BYU andleft after three seasons when theNew York Jets took him secondoverall in the2021 draft.
ButWilson never met the lofty expectations that came with his draft status. He lost 21 of 33 games as the Jets starter, and now he finds himself on his fourth NFLfranchise, still seeking thebestversion of himself as aprofessional quarterback.
That is part of why he decidedtocall New Orleans home. Wilson said there were acoupleofteams he was
“Conor is the one thatsofar isreally standing out very early in the process,” UL coach Michael Desormeaux said. “He’s really standing out as far as he’sgot areally good graspofthe defense. He’scalling it out.He’sreallydoing agood
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
On thesurface, Zac Cowan’sseason hasn’tbeen pretty A6.23 ERAand 13 hits allowedin82/3 innings won’twin thesenior LSU righthander any national awards. The numbers aren’t amisprint, but they don’tcapture thepromise Cowan has showninhis last two outings entering Friday’scontest against Kentucky
Afterstruggling during nonconference play,Cowan has allowed just one hit and no runs in hislast42/3 inningscombined against Vanderbilt and Oklahoma. He also has recorded six strikeouts andhasn’tsurrendered awalk during this recent stretch. Simply put,Cowan is backtopitching like thekey arm who helped LSU winanational championship ayear ago.
“Hislast outingbefore Friday (at Vanderbilt)wentgreat, butIhad aconversation with him on Wednesday,and kind of saw what he’d been doing,” LSU coach Jay Johnson said. “And Iwasn’tsurprised at allthathepitchedwell (against Oklahoma).” Thekey to Cowan’s success lately,he said, hasbeen an improvement in land-
BY TOYLOYBROWN III Staff writer
The satisfaction on the faces of those at the BTRJet Center in Baton Rouge on Thursdaywas aprecursortothe reception Will Wade is sure to get at his introductory news conference at noon Monday at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center
The former North Carolina State coach flew to Baton Rouge after agreeing to aseven-year deal worth $30 million to reignite a program that hasstruggled sincehis firing for cause in 2022 because of NCAA rules violations.
What’smore important than Wade’sreintroduction to LSU are the immediate steps taken to create asuccessful team for next season. Amongthe highest prioritiesissolidifying anew coaching staff, which could consist of people Wade had at NC State or ablend of those already at LSU along with new faces. Ahead of Wade’s single season at NC State, he took several membersofhis stafffrom his previous stop at McNeese State, where he coached from 2023-25. Of his three NC State assistant coaches
ä Late night at Alex Box Stadium: LSU-Kentucky series opener ended after this edition went to press. For complete coverage, visit theadvocate.com
ing his off-speed pitches forstrikes. Cowan’s changeup is hissignature pitch, and throwing it wherehewants to —while getting ahead in the count —opens up ahost of possibilities forhim later in the at-bat. When he wasn’tdoing that, he struggled. Cowanallowed at least one run in three of his first four outings,including four earned runs in his final appearance before the start of Southeastern Conference play against Northeastern.
“It’snot always gonna be sunshine and rainbows,” Cowan said. “But Imean, Ilike to look at it from agood perspective, and I just like to stay ready, staypositive (and) support the guys around me.” Cowan rediscovering his form comes at the right time for LSU.The pitching staff needs as many quality armsaspossible,especially with junior right-handed
6:30
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6 p.m. LPGA Tour: Ford Championship Golf
1:30 a.m.(Sun.) DPWorldTour: Indian Open Golf
HORSE RACING
7 a.m. Dubai World Cup FS2
9:30 a.m. Dubai World Cup FS2
Noon America’s Day at the Races FS2
3:30
Paralympian reflects on Winter Games
Huckaby eyes possible 2030 competition
BY SCOTT RABALAIS
Staff writer
Brenna Huckaby said going into this year’s Paralympic Winter Games, her third, she wanted to focus on having fun. Coming out of them, a little of her focus shifted to the fact that she left Italy with one bronze medal from her two para snowboarding events, and not one or two gold.
“Aside from the outcome, everything went exactly to plan,” Huckaby said earlier this week
“I wanted to have fun. I wanted the Games to be memorable. I wanted to be the best competitor I could be. I definitely checked all of those boxes.”
The 30-year-old Baton Rouge native burnished her reputation as one of the U.S. team’s most prominent Winter Paralympians with that bronze medal in banked slalom in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It was her fifth Paralympic medal overall to go with three gold and one other bronze medal from the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics.
Already the first Paralympian to appear in Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue (her debut was in 2018), Huckaby in 2024 won an ESPY award for best athlete with a disability.
Leading up to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics, Huckaby and her parents Jeffry and Kristie were part of a Hershey’s commercial campaign featuring a group of U.S. athletes and their families. It
slalom at the 2026 Winter Paralympics on March 13 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
meant a lot to Huckaby, who is intent on helping broaden the appeal and acceptance of para sports.
“I’m super grateful for Paralympians to be represented always,” she said “It’s important for us to be seen as athletes and have people know we exist.
“A lot of people confuse Paralympics with disabled organizations. ‘Para’ means parallel. We’re at the highest level of competition you can achieve. It’s cool that we’re getting more visibility for para sports and garnering more fans.”
For Huckaby, who lives with her
husband and two children in Kalispell, Montana, her competitive season is now over She was vacationing in Switzerland this week with her family before heading home. Huckaby’s immediate future includes getting back in the gym to train for next season and starting work on her master’s degree to be a mental health therapist. Whether her long-term plans include competing in the 2030 Winter Paralympics in the French Alps depends on certain factors, Huckaby said. Chief among them is getting her
NCAA WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT ROUNDUP
own competitive category at the next Games specific to her disability Huckaby a former gymnast lost her right leg to bone cancer at 14.
“I’m LL1, but I compete in LL2,” Huckaby said. “The men have two events for leg categories, but women only have one, which means I’m competing at a disadvantage. I have the past two Games.
“If I come back (in 2030) it will be with other women in my category If it’s still combined, I’m not sure. We’ll know next year I’m very hopeful.”
Hidalgo posts triple-double to lead Irish past Vanderbilt
By The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas Hannah Hidalgo had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and the assist on the goahead bucket in the final minute, leading Notre Dame to a 67-64 victory over higher-seeded Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 on Friday
The junior sparkplug made a leaping grab between two defenders and fed a bounce pass to Cassandre Prosper under the basket for a two-point lead with 22 seconds to go. The sixth-seeded Fighting Irish (25-10) advanced to the Elite Eight in March Madness for the first time since 2019 in a matchup of two of the top three scorers in Division I, Hidalgo and Mikayla Blakes. Notre Dame will play top-seeded and undefeated UConn in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final Sunday Blakes, the national scoring leader rallied from a rough shooting start to finish with 26 points for Vanderbilt, but lost the ball out of bounds on the dribble after Prosper’s go-ahead shot, then missed a 3-pointer as time expired
The No. 2 seed Commodores (29-5) were in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
In a game full of big plays from Hidalgo as she set an NCAA single-season record for steals, the
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LM OTERO
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo, top, and teammates celebrate the team’s win against Vanderbilt on Friday in Fort Worth,Texas.
biggest didn’t have anything to do with the categories in her unusual triple-double the third of her career, although it did lead to her team-leading seventh assist.
Hidalgo needed four steals to break Chastadie Barrs’ mark of 192 set with Lamar in 2018-19. She got that in the first quarter and ended the game one shy of being the first with 200 in a season.
She’ll probably hit that milestone in the regional final.
Hidalgo was already just the
second player to have at least eight steals in multiple NCAA Tournament games. She had eight in each of Notre Dame’s first two tourney wins, over Fairfield and Ohio State. NO 1 UCONN 63, NO. 4 NORTH CAROLINA 42: In Fort Worth, Texas, Sarah Strong had 21 points and 10 rebounds as reigning national champion and overall No. 1 seed UConn overwhelmed North Carolina, sending the Huskies to the Elite Eight for the 30th time.
Woods arrested at crash scene on suspicion of DUI
JUPITER ISLAND, Fla. — Tiger Woods showed signs of impairment and was arrested Friday at the scene of a car crash in which he struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover, authorities said.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek said Woods and the person in the other vehicle were not injured. Woods was able to crawl out of the passenger side of his Land Rover
The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island. Budensiek said Woods attempted to pass a pressure cleaner truck while driving on a two-lane road.
Budensiek said investigators at the scene found Woods showing signs of impairment. He did a breath test, which came out negative, but refused to take a urine test.
Former Raiders All-Pro center Robbins dies at 52
Former All-Pro center Barret Robbins, largely known for leaving the Oakland Raiders’ team hotel on the eve of their most recent Super Bowl appearance in 2003, died at 52, the team confirmed Friday Ex-teammate Tim Brown, a Hall of Fame wide receiver, announced Robbins’ death on social media Thursday night. Brown said Marissa Robbins told him her husband died in his sleep overnight. No cause of death was provided by the team. Robbins, a second-round pick out of TCU in the 1995 NFL Draft, played all nine seasons for the Raiders. He was a first-team AllPro selection in 2002, his second to last season.
Toronto chooses to pick sixth in WNBA draft
The Toronto Tempo will have the sixth pick in the WNBA draft on April 13, choosing that option over having the top choice in the expansion draft on April 3.
The Portland Fire will have the first choice in the expansion draft and seventh pick in the WNBA draft.
The Tempo won the right to choose which option it wanted when a silver dollar was flipped on a Zoom call and came up Toronto’s way WNBA teams have until Sunday to inform the league of the five players they’ll be protecting ahead of the expansion draft. That draft will have two rounds, with up to six picks for each team in each round. The teams will alternate picks, with the team that picks second in the first round going first in the next round.
Heyward retiring following 16-year career in majors
Strong, a sophomore forward, is a North Carolina native and AP All-American alongside teammate Azzi Fudd. Strong made four consecutive field goals in a twominute span right after Blanca Quiñonez put UConn (37-0) ahead to stay with a layup early in the second quarter Quiñonez scored 16 points and Fudd had 10 for the Huskies, who are seeking their 13th national championship. They extended their overall winning streak to 53 games.
Indya Nivar had 20 points for fourth-seeded North Carolina (288), which hasn’t advanced past the Sweet 16 since 2014, which was 20 years after its only national title. Sunday’s matchup with UConn will be the ninth time for the Huskies and Irish to play each other in March Madness. Their first eight tourney meetings, the last in 2019, were all in the Final Four, including back-to-back national championship games in 2014 and 2015. UConn won both of those during its run of four consecutive titles.
Strong, the Big East Player of the year had 11 points in the second quarter, when UConn outscored the Tar Heels 17-8 to take a 28-20 halftime lead. Also the league’s top defender, she finished with two blocked shots and five steals.
CHICAGO Jason Heyward, who launched his 16-year major league career with the Atlanta Braves in 2010 and won a World Series title with the Chicago Cubs in 2016, announced his retirement on Friday Heyward played in 34 games with San Diego in 2025, hitting .176. For his career, Heyward hit .255 with 186 home runs with six teams. He also played for St. Louis, Houston and the Los Angeles Dodgers. The outfielder won five Gold Gloves, including four straight seasons from 2014 through 2017. Heyward, whose nickname is “J Hey,” played his first five seasons with the Braves and set career highs with 27 homers and 82 RBIs for Atlanta in 2012. He was drafted by the Braves in 2007.
Safety Hamlin returns to Buffalo for sixth season
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y Safety Damar Hamlin is returning to Buffalo for a sixth season after signing a one-year contract with the team on Friday Hamlin was a free agent after his one-year contract expired. And he’s staying in Buffalo where the 28-year-old has served as an inspiration for perseverance following his remarkable comeback after a near-death experience three years ago. Hamlin has shown no signs of a setback since he went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during a game at Cincinnati in January 2023. Though he was eased back into action in being limited to playing five games the following
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH
Baton Rouge native Brenna Huckaby races downhill en route to her bronze medal in para snowboard women’s banked
Wade signs$30Mcontractwithincentives
BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer
LSU men’sbasketball signed new coach Will Wade to asevenyear deal worth $30 million, according to acopy of his term sheet obtained by The Advocate.
Wade’s deal willpay him$4million in the first year andwill increase by $100,000 until hemakes $4.5 million in each of the final two yearsofthe deal.
He will be paid 75% of his remaining salary if LSU fires himwithout cause. That includesa “duty to mitigate” clause that would require Wade to seek “other basketball or athletics-related employment”for him to receive his paymentsfrom the school if his deal were terminated without cause. His buyout, if he took another head coaching job on orbefore April 1, 2027, is $5 million. That number decreases by $1 million
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Brandon Chambers and Vernon Hamilton were with Wade at McNeese. Both coaches were alsowith Wade at the end of his first stint at LSU. Chambers was the special assistant to the headcoach for the 2021-22 season at LSU. Hamilton was the assistant to the head coach during the 2020-21 season and director of player development in 2021-22.
Four people on NC State’ssupport staff followed Wade from McNeese. Those staff members were NickFlory as director of
each year before hitting zero on April2,2032. Fifty percent of his buyout wouldhavetobepaid within 30 days of his LSUcontract getting terminated, while the remaining 50% would need to be paid within ayear
Additionally,Wade will be paid $50,000 if he gets LSU to the NCAA Tournament and $100,000 if LSU reaches the second round. He will receive $300,000 if theTigers reach the Final Fourand $800,000 if they win the national championship.
Theterm sheet also states Wade will report directlytoformer McNeeseState athletic director HeathSchroyer,who agreed to a deal to become the senior deputy director of athletics/executive director of external relations just hours before Wade was announced as the next LSU coach.Hewas Wade’sathletic director at McNeese State for two seasons.
operations, Steven Soltysiak as head strength andconditioningcoach, Joseph Anderson as director of player development andBradyJones as videocoordinator
Theonly coach presently at LSU who previously worked with Wade is TasminMitchell. The formerTigers player is currently an assistant coach anddirector of player personnel. Mitchell joined LSU the same year Wade became theheadcoach for the2017-18 season and has remained with the LSU programever since
The sooner Wade can figure out whowill work with him at LSU, the better prepared his staff will be for the most important part of the
LSU announced it was hiring Wade on Thursday evening, hours after he announced that he would be leaving NC State after just one season to rejoin LSU.Wadewas the LSUcoach for five seasons leading theTigers to theNCAA Tournament three times before he was fired in 2022.
Wade’s firing was aresult of the universityreceiving anotice of allegations from theNCAA, which, in part, detailed misconduct from Wade.LSU laterwas issued11 Level Iviolations from the NCAA, six of which pertained to Wade’s conduct as the men’s basketball coach.
After one season away from thesidelines, Wade led McNeese Statetothe NCAA Tournament twice beforehetook the job at NC Statelast March. NC Statewas eliminated by Texas in theFirst Four of the NCAA Tournament lastweek.
offseason: rebuilding theroster
When thetransfer portal window opens April 7, Wade will have to decide whichplayers stay,if any,and what new players join the team,which may include players he had at NC State
It was reported by The Athletic thatLSU can spend “at least $12 millionto$15 million—between revenue-sharing and NIL —on player payroll.”
“LSU represents something bigger —it’sabout competing at the highest levelinthe best conference in the country,infront of one of themost passionate fanbases in college basketball,” Wade said in a statement. “The resources, the commitment, andthe alignment at LSU
merULoffensive coordinator RobChristophel, whoalsospent adecade at Nicholls, is now asenior analyst, focusing on quarterbacks. Steve Ensminger Jr.also joined the staffinthe offseason.
week and ahalf,” he said. “He lookslike he’s gothis confidence back alittlebit.He’sthrowing with authority.Itlookslike he’s kind of hit reset.
makes it aplace where we can build something special andsustainable.”
With amore competitive budgetthan years past andWade’s track record of getting LSU, NC Stateand McNeese to the NCAA Tournament, theTigers shouldbe positioned to have acompetitive productinthe Southeastern Conference. LSU (15-17, 3-15 SEC) finished last in the conference this season.
ThreeLSU players alreadyintend to enter thetransfer portal Junior point guard Dedan Thomas was the first playertodosoon
Wednesday
On Thursday,hours after Wade announced his arrival to lead LSU basketball, redshirt junior forward
LSU
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starterCooper Moore likely out for thenext three weeks with triceps soreness. And givenhis starting experience, Cowan is aprimecandidate to take Moore’sspot in the rotation while he is out. Cowan started for LSU in the winthat sent the Tigers to the College World Series final last summer.Healso started 17 games at Wofford before transferring to LSU. Johnson was coy about naming areplacement forMoore. But his
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looking at during free agency.He acknowledgedthe Saints were in the midstofarebuild, which comes with some good and bad, but the organization checked alot of the boxes he waslooking forin free agency
Jalen Reed and 23-year-old freshman guard RonZipper reportedly decided to enter the transfer portal. In the case of Reed,who suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries and was the first recruit of previous coach Matt McMahon, is reported to be open to returning. There also could be changes in LSU’srecruiting class. The signeeswho committedtothe Tigers under McMahon can reopen their recruitment because of the coaching change. The blueprint forhow LSUreloads isn’tclear at the moment. Changing that reality is of the utmostimportance forWade, who has built winning teamsbefore and during the NIL era.
confidenceinCowan neverhas wavered, andthe recentstruggles of sophomore left-hander Cooper Williams andredshirt junior right-hander Jaden Noot —both contenders to crack the rotation at the start of the year —place Cowan in an even better spot to be aweekend starter in Moore’sabsence.
“It’salways agood feeling to have that trust from coach Johnson andthe peoplearound me,” Cowan said. “It’sdefinitelyagood feeling. And Ijust use that to kind of rub off on thepeoplearound me.”
Email Koki Rileyat koki.riley@theadvocate.com.
Doug Nussmeier and quarterbacks coach Scott Tolzien.
“That was kind of part of the thought process,” Wilson said. “Where can Igothat’sgonna help me be the best player Ican be?”
He plays physical and he’sfast.”
Both were safeties in high school and are being converted to linebacker.
“That’ssomethingthat’s been agood transition for us,” Desormeaux said.
UL also has more traditionallinebackers such as redshirt junior Micah Johnson, redshirt senior Jack St. Andre and redshirt senior Kailep Edwards “who aren’tquite as athletic and fast,but are certainly fast enough.”
Time to experiment
The beautyofthe spring season is there isn’tagame looming for months. So it’satime the coachingstaff can experiment by tweakingcertain schemes and approaches.
Ahandful of new coaches is assisting in that process —bothin front and behind the scenes.
Marquase Lovings is back at UL to coach running backs. For-
“The morepeople youcan surround yourselfwith thathave independent thoughts andideas and things that they can bring to the table, the better it makes your program,” Desormeauxsaid “With coach Christophel, we’ve talked to him about some of the stuff we want to do with the quarterback runs and play-actions out of it.
On thedefensive side, Desormeauxdiscussed the notion of shiftingthe fronts more, “which would be areally good thing forFitz (Fitzgerald West).”
Quarterbackplay
It’sfar tooearly for UL coaches to namethe backup quarterback to Lunch Winfield, but Desormeauxhas noticed some improvement, starting withDaniel Beale.
“Daniel, through thefirst week and ahalf, has really hadthe best
“He’s fixed somethings that we talked about fixing last year with his pocketmovement and some of that stuff and throwing on the run.”
Desormeaux alsoisfascinated by the long-term potentialofredshirt freshman Coleman Carter
“Coleman is one to me that’sreally funtocoach andtowatch,” he said. “You know,he’sgot aton of tools, and he just makesthings happen alittle bit.”
Redshirt sophomore Sam Altmann is still adjusting to the running side of playing quarterback.
“Sam’shad agood week anda half,” Desormeaux said. “The run game stuff, we’ve got to get him alittlebit morecomfortable in some of the rungame stuff that we do,but Sam’s areally smart kid, man. He’s gotsometools, too.”
Email KevinFooteat kfoote@theadvocate.com.
“I just picked based off priorities, like finding (a coach) thathad played the position, an offense that Ifeel comfortable with, that Icould go on and play well, agreat fanbase, great culture,greatplace to live,” Wilson said. “That stuff was maybe more important to me than someofthe other things you look at in the process of free agency.” Abig part of that was finding somewherehecould develop. Wilson progressedlittle during his difficultthree years withthe Jets, with his passer ratingtopping out at 77.2. They traded him to the Denver Broncos in 2024, but he didnot see the field. In Miami last season, he playedonly26 snaps. He saw astaff in New Orleans that coaxedsolid playout of two young quarterbacks last year in Shough and Spencer Rattler —a staff that includesthreeformer NFL quarterbacks at its highest ranks in head coach Kellen Moore,offensive coordinator
Wilsonsaidhelearned plenty from his experience in New York. It was adifficult time, but he believesthere was areason he went through it. He is now better equipped to handle the burden of expectations, even if those have changedatthis stage of hiscareer.Hesaidhehas learned how to notonly be in the moment but also to be grateful for it.
That means accepting whatever role the Saints have in mind for him,which could include being waydown in the pecking order
Shough is firmlyentrenched as the starter,and Rattlerplayed well enough in eight starts last season that Chris Olave said after the season he deserves to get another chance to start somewhere in his career
“Do everything Ican to learn andstudy anddothe bestIcan,” Wilson said. “And if Iget an opportunity to playatany point, whether that’spreseason or season or practice —itdoesn’tmatter —just go out there, do my best andjust tryand help the team.”
Email Luke Johnsonat ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL quarterback Lunch Winfield runs through drills duringspringpractice on Thursdayatthe Moncla practice facility
STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON
NewLSU coach Will Wade waveswhile leaving the BTR JetCenter on ThursdayinBaton Rouge.
LIVING
Christians should be concernedby Christian nationalism
When the Rev.Allen K. Shin
first heard the term “Christian nationalism” yearsago, hewas admittedlyconfused.
“It claims to be Christian and sounds like it’sabout patriotism,” he said. “It seems benign, even good.”
The seemingly harmless blend of faithand patriotism led to curiosity and eventually, concern.
“Many people view the rise of Christian nationalism as an alarming and important issue,” he said. “Christians, especially,I believe, should be concerned about thisideology and itspotential on Christianity.”
The ideology,Shin said, often frames political authority as divinely ordained. He warned that such aframework canlead to the belief that anation and its leadersare chosen by God.
Shin, the suffragan of the Episcopal Diocese of New York, recently visited St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Baton Rouge for apresentation titled “A Dangerous Liaison: White Supremacy and Christian Nationalism —AChristian Heresy and American Identity.”
Shin explored the historical roots and theological implications of Christian nationalism. He highlighted peopleassociated with the movement, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and its connection to Project 2025.
He addressed how the ideology has shaped debates around immigration and efforts to place the TenCommandments in public schools. Shinalso outlinedthe historical origins of the movement that dateback to medieval Europe.
“I don’tclaim to be an expert on this issue, but Ihave been curious about thisideology, its impact on our societyand culture, and more importantly, its impact on Christianity and religion,” he said. Shinn has become quite versed on the issue. In 2021, following the Jan. 6attack on the U.S. Capitol, Shinn was appointed as chairman of the House of Bishops Theology Committee to study Christian nationalism.
The result of that committee’s research is the 2024 book “The Crisis of Christian Nationalism: Report from the House of Bishops Theology Committee,”
ä See MATTERS, page 6C
The newspaper is reintroducing its Cookie Contest at the Baker Fair from 2p.m. to 5p.m.April 12 at the Main Library, 7711 Goodwood Blvd., in Baton Rouge
The first-place winner will receive a$100 gift card; second place, $75 gift card; and third place,$50 gift card.
The winners and their cookies will be featured in The Advocate’s Living section. For details andto enter the contest, go to ebrpl.co/ advocatecookiecontest.
Dr.He-young Kimmtalks to students at Kimm’sInstitute of Self-Defense, whichheestablished in Baton Rouge in 1976.The dojang nowspecializes in teachingHan Mu Do, amartial arthefounded in 1989.
THEART OF COMBAT
BY JAMES F. BEATTY III
SContributing writer
eventh-degree black belt
William Wilson stands atop apadded mat on an elevated platform before asmall crowd of children dressed in white martial arts uniforms. Theypay rapt attention as he explains how to properly throw apunch.
“Think about it.IfIswing wild withjust my arm, there’s not much power,” Wilson says. “But if Ipunch properly,then Ican put my whole body into it, and that’ll make me hit that much harder.”
Wilson, 41, has been winning martialarts tournaments since he wasinhighschool. He now runs Kimm’s InstituteofSelf Defense in Baton Rouge, oneofthe most significant martial arts schools in the country foundedbyHe-Young Kimm, arenowned Korean martial artist and historian. While operating theschool in Baton Rouge in 1989, Kimm founded anew martial art, Han Mu Do,which combines elementsoftaekwondo,hapkido and judo and has spread across the country with schools as faraway as Europe and Singapore.
On Saturday, Kimm’sInstitute, located at 4816 Jamestown Ave., will hostthe 2026 He-Yong Kimm
When he isn’twearing his martial arts uniform or coveralls from his job at Exxon, Wilson prefers an animeT-shirt or Captain America hoodie. Just looking at him, most peoplewouldn’trealizethathe’sa high-ranking black belt. He’sthin, andhis face smilesalmost by default.
Wilsoncompeted in theveryfirst Han Mu Do tournament in the1990s Hisown father, an earlystudent of Han Mu Do and ahigh-ranking black belt, helped organize the early tournaments, alongside Kimm.
The Saturdaytournament is expected to draw competitors from across the world.
“Half of Han Mu Do,and usually more, will showupinone place and compete all day,” said Gerard Fontanelle, oneofthe head instructors
Cup, thelargestannualHan Mu Do tournament, named in honor of thefounder.Since January,Wilson hasbeenhardatwork with others at theinstitutetomake the tournamentasuccess.
Kimm, whoseformal title is “Dojunim”(“Founder”inKorean), is semiretired and now lives in Atlanta. He still makes occasional public appearances at tournaments and seminars, but Wilson is helping to maintainhis legacy in BatonRouge.
Thetournamentisanimportant payofffor diehard Han Mu Do students, Fontanelle said.
“Let’sface it:martial arts hurt. It’snot for everyone,” he added.
“Somepeople just wanttobeactive or find an after-school activity.Itcan be hard to balance being marketable with beingfaithful to the tradition we were handed. The tournament showsusthe progress Han Mu Do is making.”
BY MADDIE SCOTT Staff writer
PROVIDED PHOTOS
STAFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday, March 28, the 87th day of 2026. There are 278 days left in the year
Todayinhistory:
On March 28, 1979, America’sworst commercial nuclear accident occurred with apartial meltdown inside the Unit 2reactor at the Three Mile Island plant near Middletown, Pennsylvania.
Also on this date:
In 1898, the U.S. Supreme Court, in UnitedStates v. Wong Kim Ark, ruled 6-2 that Wong, who was born in the United States to Chinese immigrants, was an American citizen. It was the
TODAYINHISTORY
first Supreme Court decision to rule on the citizenship statusofachild born in the United States tononcitizen parents. In 1969,the 34thpresident of theUnited States, Dwight D. Eisenhower,diedin Washington, D.C., at age78. In 2024, FTX cryptocurrency exchange founder SamBankman-Friedwas sentenced to 25 years in prison afterbeing convicted on fraudand conspiracy charges related to thecollapse of the exchange. In 2025, Utah became thefirst state to prohibit flying LGBTQ+ prideflags at schools and government buildings after Gov SpencerCox announcedhe
was allowing aban on unsanctioned flag displays to becomelaw without his signature; thelaw took effect thefollowing May Today’sbirthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry is 82. Actor Dianne Wiest is 78. Singer-actor Reba McEntire is 71. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist BartConner is 68. Rapper Salt (Salt-N-Pepa) is 60. Country musician Rodney Atkinsis57. Actor Vince Vaughn is 56. Sen. Ashley Moody,aRepublican from Florida, is 51. Actor Julia Stiles is 45. Singer-actor LadyGaga is 40. Stylist-TV personalityJonathan Van Ness is 39. Rapper Jackson Wang is 32.
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“It’svery exciting to know that Baton Rouge gaveus the support that we need opening,” Dykes said. “I think Ihave agreat culinary team. They do agreat job, and Ithink people are going to really be impressed with the food and the menu.”
Once the restaurant opens, patrons canget ataste of the award-winningcrawfish grilled cheese, because it’s landing aspot on the food happyhourmenu, which will be from 3p.m. to 6p.m. Tuesday through Friday
The drinks happy hour will be 11 a.m. to 6p.m. Tuesday through Friday Menu rundown
Led by executive chef
Eric Sibley, the menu at Southdowns Grill aims for upscale comfort food, Dykes said,and includes starters, sandwiches, salads, entrees,
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of which Shinn is aco-editor.
The book examines the foundations of the movement, arguing that Christian nationalism is not only theologically flawed butsinful.
“This is not adefinitive work on Christian nationalism,” Shin said. “It serves as an introductory guide to get the conversation going and really spur some curiosity. In his riveting presentation to church and community members at St. Margaret’s, Shin explained acentral theme of Christian nationalism: Americawas founded as aChristian nation because the early settlers and founders were Christians, and the U.S. Constitution is aChristian document because it reflects Christian values.
He cited historian Matthew Avery Sutton’sbook, “Chosen Land: How Christianity Remade America and How America Remade Christianity,” which asserts that American history and American Christianity are so closely intertwined that they can oftenberead as a single narrative.
“It is true that early European settlers were mostly Christians and Christianity had influence on the early development of American culture and history,” Shin said. “But the separation of church and state was an important foundational principle of thefounders of the nation, who were also not all Christians.” Some of those founders
sides anddaily specials.
There’sappetizers like shrimpscampiwithjumbo shrimp, garlic, herb butter andtoasted chili flakes; stuffed mushrooms with marinated artichokes,breadcrumbs, Parmesan cream andcitrus andherbdressing; andblue crab fritterswith gribiche sauce and chives.
On the entreemenu, there’schickenschnitzel with mushroomgravy, cremefraiche, roasted fingerlingpotatoes and herb salad. For somethinghearty, there’sthe bakedlasagna with housemade saffron pasta, pork and beef ragu, ricotta andstracciatella cheese and red gravy
The wine selection includes 25 winesbythe glass, and the bar serves amenu of 10 specialty cocktails in addition to avarietyofbeers, Dykes said.
Oneofthe signature drinksisa frozen concoction called thePurpleHaze, not to be confused with the Abita draft, but anod to
were deists, skeptics or marginal Christians,many of whom did not attend church, Shinnoted
“Moreover,moral values of human rights, justice and peacereflected in ourConstitution are not exclusively Christian valuesbut also basichumanuniversal valuesand principles,”hesaid.
Shinoutlinedanother key premise of Christian nationalism:the belief that political authority is divinely sanctioned. It views that if the United States is anation ordained byGod,thenits leaders andinstitutions are likewise seen as divinely ordained
“There are conservative religious leaders who claim that (President) Trump has been ordained by God to be trustee of the United States. Thus,criticizing him and his policies are not only unpatriotic but thought to be disobedience to God,” Shin said.
This argument is based on Romans13, which historically has been used to justify slavery,apartheid and oppression of civil rights
Paul opensthe chapter with:“Letevery soulbe subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority exceptfrom God, and theauthoritiesthatexist are appointed by God.”
ShinsaidPaulwrotefrom prison Emperor Nero, “who was clearly not ordained by God,” rulingover aRoman Empire that was far from Christian.
“Toinsist that Paul’s persecution of Christians was God’s will andadvising Christians to obey Nero is an absurd interpretation,”
Skip messes when watering plant
Dear Heloise: When Ibring my plantsindoors during thecolder months, watering them can sometimes get messy.Using ice cubes to water houseplantscan be effective for orchids. Butmost tropical houseplantsdonot respond well tothis method,and theresultsdepend on the room temperature. While some people put ice cubes on the soil to slowly water their houseplants, others warn that this method can actually cause the plants to decline over time. Butthis method gives theplant time to absorb themoisture without flooding thepot. This slowmelt method alsohelps prevent spills and reduces thechance of overwatering. Just makesure that thecubes rest on the soil —not against the plant’s stemsorleaves, which can be sensitive to thecold.
Sally Vilmont,inNebraska
Printednewspaper joy
Southdowns Lounge’ssignature drink. Southdowns Lounge opened in the 1960s and operated in the same building untilits closure in 2008, Dykes said, and it’sthe ultimate inspiration behind thenew restaurant’sname.
“It took me alot of phenagling to get therecipe,” Dykessaid.“It’slikeapurple jungle juice.”
Inside sneakpeek
On Tuesday, theinterior was slowlycoming together in preparation for the midAprilopening. Dykes said cosmetic changes were made, like repainted walls, new lighting fixtures and an updated bar withbacklit shelves. A wall was also knocked out to open the space.
New signage and wallart sat on thefloor,soon to be hung. One wall near thebar area will be the “LSU wall,” bearingmemorabilia and posters from Dykes’ personal collection.
The restaurant will seat 130 diners.
Shin said.
It’sa classic example of Christian nationalists taking text out of its historical context, and Paul would be appalled by this
“Paul is teaching nonviolent resistance, which also inspired Martin Luther King,” Shin said. “God is in charge, and Nero will be held accountable by God. In themeantime, keep a low profile and follow the government polices, such as paying taxes, but remain faithful to Christ.”
He added, “It is alarming to see an agenda-oriented literal interpretation of Scripture that can conflict on human lives and human minds.”
Christian nationalists also believe that only true Christiansare true Americans.
“Citizenship is moralized,” he said. “The real membersofthe nation of Christians were their version of Christians.”
They hearkened back to the1790 Naturalization Act, which Shin said limited the U.S.citizenship to “free Whitepersons of good moral character.”
“What they did was set Whiteness as alitmus test for U.S. citizenship,” he said. “This seemstobethe driving ideology behind much of thecurrent immigration policy spearheaded by Stephen Miller.…Democracy is asecondary concern. The separation of church and state is not important in their vision.”
ContactTerry Robinson at terryrobinson622@gmail. com.
to receive aprinted newspaper every day,rain or shine. Instead of watching television news, Ienjoy reading The Times-Picayune, an American newspaper published in New Orleans, as well as The Wall Street Journal with my morning coffee. The Times-Picayune had adaily circulation of over 77,000 in 2019, and something is calming aboutturning thepages andreading the stories in order.I’m often tempted to jump straight to thesports section or the comics, but Iresist and read the paper from frontto back.Inour home, we save thecomics forlast, like dessert at the endofa meal. Even reprinted classic strips would be welcome. They bring asmile and help start the day on a cheerful note before I begin tackling my list of chores and errands. —CarolynWickstrom, in New Orleans
Microchips forhorses
Dear Heloise: Here in New Orleans, Ifeel fortunate
Church holds
Communion service
Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church, worshiping at 5100 Osborne Ave., Baton Rouge, will observe Communion (The Lord’sSupper) during the 11 a.m. service on Saturday,April 4. The Ordinance of Humility(foot washing) will precede the service. Communion is open to allwho have been baptized by immersion.
The church’s“Power Hour of Prayer”continues on Wednesdays and has been movedto6:30to7:30p.m
DearHeloise: Irecently read
RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS
All are welcome to attend. Free gospel concertonApril3
TheRev.Mike Vaughn will lead a“Southern and Country Gospel Fest” at 5:30 p.m. Friday,April 3, at Good News Fellowship Church, 13101 La. 442 West, Tickfaw Doorswillopenat 5:30 p.m and singing will start at 6:30 p.m. with Vaughn, followed by Randy andSherri Miller of Cleveland, Tennessee, at 7:30 p.m This is afree concert, but aloveoffering will be re-
about using ID tags for horses, but another option many horse owners may want to consider is microchipping. Aveterinarian implants atiny microchip under the horse’sskin, similar to those that are used in dogs and cats. The quick procedure usually causes very little discomfort. Each chip contains a unique ID number that veterinarians, shelters, and animal control officials can scan. When scanned, the chip displays anumber that helps officials locate the registry that stores the owner’scontact information. The American Animal Hospital Association also provides auniversal lookup tool to help identifythe correct registry Microchipping increases the chances of reuniting owners with lost horses and can help prove ownership if ahorse is stolen. The procedure is relatively inexpensive and only needs to be done once. —Bill Garden, in Garden Grove, California
Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
ceived. Aconcession stand will serve desserts. For further information, contactBarbara Vaughn at (985) 974-0507 or mvmgoodnews.com. Good Friday service on the calendar St. James Baptist Church, 1105 N. 44thSt.,will hold a Good Friday worship experience at 11 a.m. Friday April 3. The Lord’sSupper will be served. There will be free gumbo available afterthe service. The public is invited.
MARTIALARTS
Continuedfrom page5C
The main eventatatournament like this will be sparring, which Wilson said he hasbeen emphasizing to his students. Hosting aconference that is expectedtodraw about 200 competitors has had somelogistical challenges. Organizerssaidthey weren’table to secure alocal gymnasium, so participantswillcompete in three small roomsatKimm’sinstitute for multiple events. Many participants make HanMuDoafamily tradition. Jaime Serio, agrandmasterwho teaches in Saint Francisville, helped his adult daughteropena Han Mu Do school in North Carolina. One early student has recently enrolled his grandsonatKimm’sInstitute of Self Defense. Fontanelle, amaster instructor, is twice as busy for this tournament. His wife, Savannah, is having their second baby soon. He has been balancing his obliga-
tions to his family with his commitment to theschool She has supported his career as amartialartist and has even served as on-site first aid for tournaments in the past.
“I’m aregistered nurse, so it makes sense forme,” Savannah Fontanelle said. I don’thave any experience in HanMuDopersonally,but it’s importanttomyfamily so Idowhat Ican.”
Eric Montgomery,another instructor at the school, had decades of experience in other martial arts before he started Han Mu Do about 10 yearsago.Hehelps to run the school’swebsite and computers.Healsohelped to create an official Han Mu Do website “Tournament preparation is agood teaching tool,” Montgomery said. “There’s alot of emphasis on basics Youwant to do that anyway, butfor thetournament,you have to compete against other people.”
Four of Wilson’sfive children practice Han Mu Do. Twoofhis older children are black belts at the school andare in training to be-
comeinstructors. The elder of them, Ingrid, hopestorun the school herself one day whenher father retires. Ingrid andher younger sister,Robin, shared a memory of ahigh-tension moment at atournament one year when two girls who were competing got into an actual fight after one of them was disqualified.
“Allofa sudden, thedisqualified girl starts actually fighting on the side of the ring,”Ingrid recalled. “It took four or five grown men to separate the two.” Wilson shook his head.
“That sort of thing is rare,” he said. “It goes against the principles we teach in Han Mu Do.Optimism, balance, harmony.That’sthe main idea.”
This story was reported and written by astudent withthe support of the nonprofitLouisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSUledcoalitionofeight universitiesfundedby theHenry Luce and JohnD.and Catherine T. MacArthurfoundations.
PROVIDED PHOTO By TIM MUELLER PHOTOGRAPHy
The serrano ham panini is on the menu at SouthdownsGrille.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Seventh-degree black belt WilliamWilson, right, is the chief master instructor at Kimm’s Institute of Self Defense in Baton Rouge.
Hints from Heloise
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be bold; engage, socialize and participate in whatever motivates you to help others and enjoy life. Choose the path to stardom, recognition and making a difference in your community.
TAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Take your time and protect your assets. Go through the proper channels and look for ways to lower stress and make your life flow more efficiently.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Look before you leap. Your tendency to act fast will benefit you only if you already know the lay of the land. Knowledge and instinct are your tickets to stardom.
CAnCER (June 21-July 22) Shine brightly in crowded places and find a platform to promote your agenda. Whether you are trying to expand your interests or make new friends, the outcome will depend on whom you align yourself with.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) The journey will be worth the ride. Keeping an open mind and reaching out to people with experience will encourage you to claim your piece of a project or movement you want to join.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Expand your interests and explore possibilities that come with learning new skills. Take care of your physical needs before they turn into something more difficult to address.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) Hit the reset button and head in a different direction or share something special with
someone. A partnership that offers equality and adds value to what you want to achieve looks promising.
SCoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Set the stage for success. Channel your energy into what counts, get the lowdown and change what's no longer applicable to your situation. Be a leader and share your thoughts.
SAGITTARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Protect your home and replace inefficient, costly practices. Do your research, and you'll discover how to bring in extra cash and stretch it to fit your needs.
CAPRICoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Believe in yourself and let your confidence help you attract the support you require to advance your plans. Stick to the truth, question what causes uncertainty and avoid excessive behavior.
AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Refuse to let anyone talk you into a costly homeimprovement project when you have better uses for your hard-earned cash. Focus on peace of mind and physical and emotional well-being.
PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) A personal change will create an opportunity that can increase your earning potential. Embrace what's yours to discover with an open mind, joyful heart and a creative spirit.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
ToDAy'S CLuE: R EQuALS T
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
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. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER
Groucho Marx said, “I never forget a face, but I’ll make an exception in your case.”
In yesterday’s deal, declarer had to establish his side suit before drawing trumps in order to make his contract. That is typically the case, but there are always exceptions to the rules, which is one of the main reasons bridge retains its popularity. In today’s deal, South is in four spades. West leads the club king. How should declarer continue after ruffing the third round of clubs?
