The Advocate 04-14-2026

Trump says he won’t apologize to pope

President defends social media post that depicts himself as Jesus

BY WILL

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump refused to apologize to Pope Leo XIV on Monday after criticizing the pontiff for his opposition to the war in Iran — and he sought to explain away a now-deleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image was of him as a doctor Trump was asked about his comments toward the U.S.-born head of the Catholic Church, as well as the post depicting himself as a healer, in a hastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House.

BY JENNA ROSS Staff writer

NATCHEZ, Miss The tour began as many do in this historic river city: with shined silver, a grand chandelier and a bit about the antebellum house’s original owners.

But the current owner Tammy Pack, skipped the hoop skirt

Many of the historic homeowners who partake in Natchez’s annual Spring Pilgrimage don traditional hoop skirts, still, despite criticism that they romanticize a time stained by slavery Standing before three dozen people mostly women, mostly baby boomers — in her dining room, Pack explained why she instead picked a slim, silky number Construction on Pack’s home, long christened Holly Hedges began in the 1790s.

“‘Why not consider dressing to the oldest period of our home?’ ” Pack said quoting a fellow homeowner “‘Your house is more ‘Bridgerton’ style, really.’ “All I heard was I get a new dress without a hoop skirt,” Pack said with a grin. “OK, you sold me on it!” The ladies chuckled. Each spring, Natchez gussies itself up as homeowners, many in costume, open their mansions to tourists hungry for the history —

Bill to require

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana drivers would be required

and, critics say, the myth — of the Old South.

This year, the old rite has a new backdrop. A documentary titled “Natchez” interrogates the stories some of those tours tell with their costumes, their Black figurines and their talk of “servants,” rather than enslaved people.

“Natchez” tags along as Tracy

“He was very much against what I’m doing with regard to Iran, and you cannot have a nuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the end result,” Trump said, adding, “I think he’s very weak on crime and other things so I’m not” going to apologize.

“He went public,” the Republican president added. “I’m just responding to Pope Leo.”

That response followed Leo pushing back on Trump’s broadside against him the previous evening, telling reporters that the Vatican’s appeals for peace and reconciliation are rooted in the Gospel and that he doesn’t

ä See TRUMP, page 7A

regular driving test facing bipartisan opposition

State Capitol, but the plan faces bipartisan pushback from lawmakers who said it would be too burdensome.

“Think about all the times you’ve been driving and you’ve thought to yourself, ‘Man that’s a

bad driver,’” state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, said while presenting his driver test proposal during a public hearing Monday

“That’s what I think about all the time when I’m on the interstates here in Baton Rouge.”

McMakin said having smarter, better drivers will lead to fewer wrecks and lawsuits and could even help keep car insurance rates down. But lawmakers on the House transportation committee asked

whether the additional test would actually improve driver skills, and some worried it could even prevent safe drivers who have difficulty with tests from renewing ä See DRIVING, page 7A

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Tammy Pack gives a tour of her home, called Holly Hedges, in Natchez Miss. Each spring Natchez gussies itself up as homeowners many in costume, open their mansions to tourists.

WEISSERT, JOSH BOAK and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

President Donald Trump speaks outside the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.

Spears enters substance abuse treatment facility

LOS ANGELES Britney Spears has entered a substance abuse treatment facility just over a month after she was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

A representative for Spears said in an email to The Associated Press on Sunday that the 44-year-old pop superstar had voluntarily checked herself into the facility

On March 5, California Highway Patrol officers received a report that a BMW was driving fast and erratically on U.S. 101 in Ventura County, the CHP said. Spears, who lives in the area, took a series of field sobriety tests and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and drugs, authorities said. She was taken to a county jail and released several hours later Investigators turned over the case on March 23 to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office, which plans to make a decision on charges against Spears before a scheduled May 4 court date.

A representative at the time called Spears’ actions “completely inexcusable” and said it would ideally be “the first step in long overdue change that needs to occur in Britney’s life.”

Spears has mostly set aside her music career She has not toured in nearly eight years and has not put out an album in nearly a decade.

Dozens arrested in N.Y. protest about arms sales

NEW YORK Nearly 100 protesters were arrested during a demonstration Monday calling on New York Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand to block the sale of thousands of U.S. bombs to Israel.

Led by the anti-war group Jewish Voice for Peace, the crowd of hundreds initially attempted to stage a sit-in inside the Manhattan offices of the two Democratic lawmakers they accused of abetting Israel’s intensifying attacks in Lebanon and the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran

After demonstrators were blocked by security from entering the building, they stopped traffic outside, chanting “fund people, not bombs” as they were arrested and loaded onto three buses.

Among the 90 people taken into custody were whistleblower Chelsea Manning, actor Hari Nef and New York City Council member Alexa Avilés, according to a JVP spokesperson

The demonstration focused on a set of resolutions introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders that could block the sale of more than $600 million in bombs to Israel.

Similar measures previously introduced by Sanders, I-Vt., have failed. But the most recent effort this past summer drew support from more than half of Senate Democrats amid widespread hunger and suffering in Gaza Schumer and Gillibrand were not among them.

Spanish premier’s wife charged with corruption

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s wife has been charged with influence peddling and bribery Judge Juan Carlos Peinado charged Begoña Gómez following a yearslong criminal investigation that has rocked Spanish politics, according to a ruling published Monday She will now stand trial. The government has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing by Gómez.

The charges against Gómez deepen political pressure on Sánchez. His Socialist-led minority government has been shaken by multiple corruption probes and claims of politically motivated attacks, ahead of a general election next year that opponents are likely to seize on. In 2024, Sánchez took five days off to consider whether to resign after Gómez was formally placed under investigation. He ultimately remained in office, saying the allegations were unfounded and politically motivated. The case stems from a complaint filed by an anti-graft group with far-right links, using a Spanish legal mechanism that allows third parties to request criminal investigations. BRIEFS

Swalwell will leave Congress

Republican from Texas also exiting

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California announced Monday he will resign from Congress following sexual assault and misconduct allegations that prompted loud bipartisan calls for him to step down.

The decision caps a swift political fall for the seventerm lawmaker who had been seen as a frontrunner in California’s gubernatorial race before dropping out Sunday as the allegations surfaced, claims he has continued to deny

The San Francisco Chronicle, followed by CNN, first reported allegations that Swalwell had sexually assaulted a wom-

an twice, including when she worked for him. CNN also reported that three other women alleged various kinds of sexual misconduct by Swalwell including sending them unsolicited explicit messages or nude photos.

“I am deeply sorry to my family, staff, and constituents for mistakes in judgment I’ve made in my past,” Swalwell said on social media. “I will fight the serious false allegation made against me. However, I must take responsibility and ownership for the mistakes I did make.”

The House Ethics Committee had begun an investigation into whether Swalwell engaged in sexual misconduct toward an employee working under his supervision, the panel announced Monday Other lawmakers were pushing for a quick vote to expel him from Congress.

Another lawmaker, Republican Rep Tony Gonzales of Texas, said Monday that he would file his “retirement from office” when Congress returns Tuesday Gonzales, who had already said he would not seek reelection, gave no further details on his plans to step down.

Gonzales had acknowledged an affair with a staff member who later died by suicide and was also facing renewed calls for an expulsion vote.

Swalwell was removed from the intel committee by then-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 based on his contact with a suspected Chinese spy, Christine Fang. Fang was reported to have come into contact with Swalwell’s campaign as he was first running for Congress in 2012 and participated in fundraising for his 2014 campaign.

Official says he didn’t see early warnings

Director says staff had no meetings about the pending danger

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas

The director of the Texas summer camp where 27 campers and counselors were killed by a devastating flood in 2025 said Monday he did not see early federal and state warnings issued the day before the storm hit, and that staff had no meetings about the pending danger

Camp Mystic director Edward Eastland testified in a court hearing about preserving damaged areas of the camp’s grounds as evidence in several lawsuits filed by families of the victims of the July 4 disaster on the banks of the Guadalupe River

A judge last month ordered the camp to preserve those areas, and camp operators have appealed. The groups were back in court Monday for further testimony about the camp and what happened there before and during the flood.

This week’s hearing, which could produce the most extensive public comment from the all-girls Christian camp’s operators, comes amid their application for a state license to reopen Camp Mystic this summer on a part of campus that did not flood

Staff signed up for warning system

Camp director Edward Eastland testified for several hours Monday in a courtroom packed with the families of the girls who were killed.

Eastland said he and other staff were signed up for an emergency warning system on their phones and used other weather apps. But he said he did not see flood watch social media posts by the National Weather Service and the Texas Department of Emergency Management on July 2 and 3.

Eastland said he wasn’t following those agencies on social media and thought the local “CodeRED” mobile phone alert system and phone weather apps staff had at the time “was enough.”

A July 3 National Weather Service alert asked area broadcasters to note that locally heavy rainfall could cause

flash

flooding in rivers, creeks streams and low-lying areas, all features of the Camp Mystic property

Eastland said that his father, camp coowner Richard Eastland, typically monitored weather issues Edward Eastland said he did not believe camp staff held a meeting about the alerts and warnings that day

The storms would hit overnight, killing 25 campers, two teenage counselors and Richard Eastland.

“We did not expect what was going to happen,” Edward Eastland said.

“You were warned,” said Brad Beckworth, an attorney representing families who have sued Camp Mystic.

Loudspeakers didn’t issue a warning

Eastland was pressed on the limited information campers and the cabin counselors would have had because cellphones were not allowed in the cabins, and only some staff carried walkie-talkies for communication.

The courtroom heard part of a video of taps played over loudspeakers when the campers went to bed at 10 p.m July 3 Those loudspeakers were not used to issue a weather warning, Eastland said.

Eastland said he went to bed about 11 p.m. Eastland said he never got a National Weather Service flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m. and that he slept through a CodeRED alert text at the same time that was specific for his area. The alert warned of a flood event that could last several hours. His father called him on a walkie-talkie shortly before 2 a.m. to tell him about hard rain falling and the need to move canoes and water equipment off the river front They did not move to evacuate cabins at the point.

“It was not reasonable to do that at that time,” Eastland said. “The water wasn’t out of the Guadalupe River It was pouring down rain and lighting and the cabins were safe at that time.”

Richard Eastland made the call to evacuate cabins about 3 a.m., Edward Eastland said. Eastland said he never got a National Weather Service flash flood warning at 1:14 a.m and that he slept through a CodeRED alert text at the same time that was specific for his area. The alert warned of a flood event that could last several hours.

Police: AI opponent behind incident at OpenAI CEO’s home

Man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail

BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ, JUAN LOZANO and LEKAN OYEKANMI Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO

The man accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at OpenAI

CEO Sam Altman’s home had written about AI’s purported risk to humanity and traveled from Texas to San Francisco intending to kill Altman, authorities said Monday

Authorit ies allege

20-year-old Daniel MorenoGama threw the incendiary device about 4 a.m. Friday setting an exterior gate at Altman’s home alight before fleeing on foot, police said Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama allegedly went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles away and threatened to burn down the building.

Moreno-Gama is opposed to artificial intelligence, writing about AI’s purported risk to humanity and “our impending extinction,” according to a federal criminal complaint.

“This was not spontaneous. This was planned, targeted and extremely serious,” said FBI San Francisco Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Cobo during a news conference.

No one was injured at Altman’s home or the company offices, authorities said.

Moreno-Gama faces charges including two counts of attempted murder and attempted arson in California state court, San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins. He tried to kill both Altman and a security guard at Altman’s residence, she alleged.

Jenkins said the state charges carry penalties ranging from 19 years to life in prison.

On Monday morning, FBI agents went to MorenoGama’s home in Spring, Texas, a suburb of Houston, where they spent several hours before leaving. He has been charged by fed-

eral prosecutors with possession of an unregistered firearm and damage and destruction of property by means of explosives. Those charges carry respective penalties of up to 10 years and 20 years in prison. Authorities allege Moreno-Gama traveled from his home in Texas to San Francisco and visited Altman’s home early Friday morning.

When Moreno-Gama was arrested Friday, officials found a document on him in which he “identified views opposed to Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the executives of various AI companies,” court documents say The document discussed AI’s purported risk to humanity and “our impending extinction,” according to the criminal complaint. Surveillance video images included in the criminal complaint show a person dressed in a dark hoodie and pants that the FBI alleges is Moreno-Gama approaching the driveway of Altman’s home. In various images, the person can be seen tossing the Molotov cocktail, which landed at the top of a metal gate and started a small fire.

Surveillance video images from outside OpenAI’s headquarters allegedly show Moreno-Gama grabbing a chair and using it to hit a set of glass doors. Authorities said MorenoGama was approached by the building’s security personnel, who told investigators he “stated in sum and substance” that he came to the headquarters “to burn it down and kill anyone inside,” according to the complaint. San Francisco police arrested Moreno-Gama and recovered “incendiary devices, a jug of kerosene, a blue lighter, and a document.” Moreno-Gama was being held Monday in the San Francisco County Jail on the state charges, and was expected to appear in court on Tuesday The document in which Moreno-Gama discussed his opposition to AI also made threats against Altman, officials said.

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CAMP MYSTIC FLOOD

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO By MIKALA COMPTON

Jennifer and Doug Getten, who lost their 9-year-old daughter Ellen Getten in the July 4 flood, attend a hearing on a suit against Camp Mystic in the 459th State District Court in Austin, Texas, on Monday

TrumpsaysU.S.blockadingIranian ports

BY SAMY MAGDY, JULIA FRANKEL and MIKE CORDER Associated Press

U.S. PresidentDonald

CAIRO—

Trump said Monday the American military had begun ablockade of Iranian ports aspartofhis effort to force Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz and accept adeal to end the war that has raged formore than six weeks. Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulfand the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.

At least two tankers approaching the strait Monday turned around soon after the U.S. blockade began, vessel tracker MarineTraffic said in apost on X.

The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency said theblockade restricted “the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy infrastructure.” Its notice to marinerssaidtransitthrough the strait to or from non-Iranian places was not reported to be impeded though ships “mayencounter military presence.”

The U.S. blockade and Iran’s threatened retaliationset up an extraordinary showdown that posed serious risks for the global economy and raised the specter that the ceasefirecould collapse andthe fighting could resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending theconflict —which beganFeb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran —failed to reach an agreement this past weekend.

“Wecan’tlet acountry blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said of Iran at the White House, where he announced the blockade had started.

He suggested the U.S. remains willing to engage with Iran.

CONFLIC IN THE MIDDLE EAST T

“I can tell you that we’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said, adding that “theywant to work adeal.”

Discussions between the U.S. and Iran about asecond round of in-person negotiations are underway,two U.S. officials andaperson familiar with the development said Monday.A diplomat from oneof the mediating countries said Tehran and Washington have agreed to more talks. All four spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomatic negotiations.

Iran’seffective closure of the strait, through which afifth of global oiltransitsinpeacetime, hassent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basic goods far beyond theMiddle East

Before the U.S. blockade, Tehran had allowed some ships perceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding theglobal economy hostage.

Some analysts are doubtful that theUnited States can restore normal shipping through force alone. And it’snot clear how theblockade will work or what the dangers might be to U.S.forces

The question is essentially who can endure the most pain: Could ablockademake Iran’seconomic situation untenable and force it to concede? Orwill it drive global oiland other prices so high that Trumpisforced to back down?

Couldhavefar-reachingeffects

The U.S. military’sCentral Com-

mand announcedthe blockade wouldbeenforced “againstvessels of all nations entering or departing Iranianports andcoastal areas”onthe Persian Gulfand Gulf of Oman CENTCOM’sdecision to allow ships travelingbetween non-Iranian portstotransit thestrait was astepdown from Trump’searlier threat toblockade thewaterway

In asocial media message, Trump said Iran’s navy hadbeen “completelyobliterated”but still had “fast attack ships.” Trump warned that “if anyofthese ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

Iran issued threatsofits own.

“Security in the PersianGulf and the Sea of Oman is either for everyone or for NO ONE,” the IslamicRepublic of IranBroadcasting reported Monday.“An Iranianmilitary statement said: “NO

PORTinthe region will be safe.”

The threats halted the limited ship traffic that resumed in the straitsince the ceasefire, according to areport from Lloyd’sList Intelligence. Marine trackers say over 40 commercial ships have crossed since the start of the ceasefire last week, down from 100 or more vesselpassages per day before the war

The blockade is intended to pressure Iran, which has exported millions of barrels of oil since the war began, much of it likely carried by so-called dark transits that evade Western sanctionsand oversight.

Iran:‘If you fight, we will fight’

Top-ranking Iranian officials threatened retaliation.

Ebrahim Rezaei, aspokesperson for the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission dismissed U.S. the threat of aU.S. blockadeas“more bluffing than

reality.”

“It will make the current situation (Trump) is in morecomplicated and makes the market —which he is angryabout —more turbulent,” he said in apost on X.

The Iranian parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, addressed Trump in astatement: “If you fight, we will fight.”

Meanwhile, Iran’s representative to the United Nations, Amir-Saeid Iravani,demanded compensation from five Middle Easterncountries —Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar,Jordanand the UnitedArab Emirates —that Iran says violated international law by aiding the war effort against it, the Islamic Republic’sstate-run media reported. Legalexperts arewatching

U.S. military officials have offered fewdetails about how the blockade will actually work.

The U.S. Navy has 16 warships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, in the Middle East, adefense official said. Aseconddefense officialsaidnoAmerican warships are in the Persian Gulf, whichforms most of Iran’s coastline. Both spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military operations. Under international law, the blockademust be impartially enforced. Legal experts will also be watching to seeifthe U.S. allows humanitarian aid to reach Iran.

“How it is carried out will determine whether it is lawful or not,” said Todd Huntley,aretiredNavy captain and director of GeorgetownUniversity’snational security law program The ceasefire expiresApril 22. Thefighting has killedatleast 3,000 people in Iran, 2,089 in Lebanon and 23 in Israel. Thirteen U.S. service members have been killed.

Pope starts Africa tour in Algeriaand callsfor peace

BY NICOLE WINFIELD, AOMAR OUALI and PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press

ALGIERS,Algeria Pope Leo XIV called for peace and theend of “neocolonial tendencies” in world affairson Monday during the first papal visit to Algeria, all while facinganextraordinary broadside by President Donald Trump over his criticism of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran Leo’sarrival in Algiers marks the start of an 11-day tour of four African nations —Algeria, Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea —that will bring the first U.S.-born pope deep into the growing heart of the Catholic Church.

Leo is in Algeria to promote Christian-Muslim coexistence in the majority Muslim nation at atimeof global conflict, and to honor the locally born inspiration of his religious spirituality, St. Augustine.

‘Neocolonial tendencies’

In his first remarksin Algiers, Leo tied his current appeal for peace to the country’sstruggle for independence from France, obtained in 1962. Hundreds of thousandsofpeoplediedin the revolution during which French forcestortured detainees, disappeared suspects and devastated villages as part of astrategy to maintain agrip on power.

“God desires peace for every nation, apeace that is not merely an absence of conflict

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO Pope Leo XIV addresses Algerian authorities, members of thecivil society and diplomatic corps at theDjamaa el Djazair ConferenceCenter in Algiers, Algeria, on Monday

but one thatisanexpression of justice anddignity,”Leo told acrowd of several thousand peopleatthe monument to Algeria’s martyrs.

At alater meeting with President Abdelmadjid Tebboune and other government authorities, Leo praised Algerians for their solidarity and respect for one another,which he said providedanimportantperspective today “on the global balance of power.”

“Today,this is more urgent than ever in theface of continuousviolationsofinternational law andneocolonial tendencies,”hesaid without elaborating GreatMosquevisit

Leo’svisit dominated news headlinesinAlgeria, where

atinyCatholic community of around 9,000 people made up mostly of foreignersexists alongside the Sunni Muslim majority of about 47 million.

El Moudjahid, astate-run dailynewspaper,declared that “the planet is staringat Algeria,” while Arabic-language daily Echorouk wrote that “the land of peace and coexistence speaks to the world.”

Leo visitedthe country’s Great Mosque and stood silently with his hands clasped in frontofhim,as if in prayer. He thankedthe mosque rector for receiving him in this “divine space, space of God” that is also a study center

“Through this place of prayer,through thesearch for truth, including through study andthrough the ability to recognize the dignity of every human being, we know —and today’sgathering is proof of this —that we can learn to respectone another,live in harmony,and build aworld of peace,”Leo said in Italian in arare, offthe-cuff comment.

Butothers downplayed the significance of the visit

“God’sreligion is Islam, whichhas illuminated this land for 14 centuries,” said Lamia Sellimi, aliterature teacher at ahigh school near the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa.

“Algerians are deeply attached to theirreligion, whichisone of the foundations of our identity. As such,thisvisit is merely a circumstantial event.”

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Personal andpastoralvisit

Leo’sAugustinianreligious order was inspired by the teachings of St.Augustine of Hippo, thefifth-century theological and philosophical titan of the early

Christian church who was born in what is today Algeria andspent allbut five years of his lifethere. On Tuesday,Leo will visit Annaba,the modern-day Hippo whereSt. Augustine was bishop for three de-

cades, and will literally walk in the footsteps of the saint. From his first public words as pope, Leo proclaimed himself a“son of St. Augustine,” and he has repeatedly cited thechurch fatherin speeches and homilies.

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Collins, aBlack tour guide and Baptist pastor known as “Rev,” tells touristswhat others don’t, leading them to the site of what was once the second-largest slave market in the country

The film will soon get a wider audience: After receiving strong reviews at festivals andduring its limited theatrical release, “Natchez” is now available on streaming platforms. Next month, it will air on PBS

Residents of Natchez, population 14,000, have been grappling with the documentary,shot mostly in 2023, and its revelations —including, at the film’sclimax, aWhite homeowner’sracistrant.

Some residentsbelieve the film, which artfully stitches its narrative out of acollage of scenes and interviews, captured their community in all its complexity.“It’swhat the world needs to know and see about Natchez,” said Deborah Cosey,who purchased Concord Quarters, aformer slave quarters,restoring it and turning it into abed-and-breakfast. “It’sus. It’sNatchez.”

Some who have seenthe film say it ignores decades of efforts to tell the city’s complex history,ticking off the evidence: Signs noting historical sites of African American and civil rights history. Guidespromoting those sites during tours. Amonument,stillinthe works,thatwill bear the names of more than 8,000 Black men who served with the U.S. Colored Troopsat Fort McPherson.

DirectorSuzannah Herbert’s‘Natchez’ is available on-demand and premieres May11on PBS’ ‘Independent Lens.’Residents of Natchez,population 14,000, have been grappling with thedocumentary, shot mostly in 2023 and taggingalong withtours exploring the Mississippi city’sOld Southhistory, and its revelations —including,atthe film’s climax,a White homeowner’sracist rant.

owned by descendantsof the people who had the home built in 1853. “Hewanted to have dinner with an oldfashioned Southern family,” saidMarshaColson, past president of thePilgrimage Garden Club. “Itwas clear what they thoughttheywere going to get.”

Mint juleps were served, but Colson’sfamily didn’t take the bait —perhapsbecause they surprised Baron Cohen,she said, by being “open-minded, liberal Democrats.”They didn’tmakeit into the Borat movie But Colson is featured in “Natchez,” which she’s seen twotimes. “I will probablyalways be uncomfortable with it,” she said.After ascreeninginNatchez, folks asked director Suzannah Herbert whetherthe filmwould be badfor tourism.

Tracy ‘Rev’Collins, of Revs CountryTours in Natchez,Miss., stops his vanalong the Mississippi River.

blown away by the tour and thehistory he was giving.”

clubs helmedthe tours. But now,with an Instagram campaign and Facebook ads, a third organization called Living History Natchez has entered the chat.

“Weare not alegacy garden club,” its website makes clear,promising “stories long left out.” Pack,who dressed for“Bridgerton,”ratherthan “Gonewiththe Wind,” is part of that group.

“The gardenclubs, they saved this town,” Pack said, andtheycontinue to do important work. “Whoever tasked themwithneeding to somehow also be digital marketers —that’sasking alot.”

Pack and her husband are the 15th owners of Holly Hedges, so they’ve had to research thehome’shistory, with help fromthe Historic Natchez Foundation, compiling aGoogle document that’s now70pageslong.Packhad somenames of enslaved people who livedthere but no photos. So shehad those names carved in wood, displaying them on an upstairs wall.

Enslaved people, she repeated, not slaves.

“You knowwhere Ilearned thatlittle piece of dignity?” she said. “In Natchez, Mississippi.”

On awhim,she and her husbandflewtoNew York to see the film’spremiere at Tribeca, whereitwentonto win best documentary.“I’m notgoing to lie:I was whiteknucklingit,” she said. “Not about anything we said but becausewe’re allworried: Howisthis sweet town going to look?”

said. Lately,though, he’sbeen adjusting his spiel for the younger adults who are finding him. God gifted him with a “spiritofdiscernment,” so he reads people’sclothing and body language. The questions behind the questions they ask.

Afterthe cemetery and before the bluffs,Collins paused at acluster of shotgun houses, where maids and cooks and butlers once lived. But he didn’thave the group exitthe van until thetour’s end, at Forks of the Road, a patchoflandbetween bustling roads.

From the 1830s to the 1860s, this land was the country’s second-largest slave market, akey piece of the domestic slave trade that made millionaires outofmanyNatchez residents. Once forgotten, it’snow aNational Park Service site.

They argue that“Natchez” focusedonrecent transplants who don’trepresent the city.“The dominant characters wereNOT native Natchezians,”native Natchezian MildredLehmann Amer wrote in aletter to the board of the Tribeca Film Festival, where the documentary premiered last summer.“I believe they were chosen to ‘get arise’ out of the audience.”

“She thought it would help us move forward on racial issues,” Colson said. “Well, we’ve been working hardon that for many,many years.” Colson, who is in her70s, knowsthatfor some, the skirts are aloaded symbol.

In the end, Herbert and her team structured thefilm the same way Collins structures his tours, she continued, to “bring people into the fantasy and then slowly peel back thelayers.”

Some don’t want to talk about the docu mentary at all, declining interviews, ducking calls and, in one case, slamming adoor.A few have refused to see it

But most folks in town are watching to see how “Natchez” the film affects Natchez the city —especially its tourism, especially during Spring Pilgrimage, a century-old tradition widely credited with rescuing the cityfrom destitution. Will tourists still come?

‘Buriedwithmyhoops on’

If aspring extravaganza helmed by once-dueling garden clubs sounds silly, some Natchezians would agree with you. They are well acquainted with how it all looks and not immune to self-satire and critiques. During pilgrimage season, which runs throughmidApril, local actors are once again staging “SouthernExposure,” afarce from 1950 about afading damenamed Penelope who opens up her once-grand mansion, Mayweather Hall, to wide-eyed, sticky-fingeredvisitors,who may be under the impression they’re on aregular guided tour

Not so, Penelope declares with swelled pride, to great laughter from the sold-out audience at this year’sopening night performance: This, she says, is “a PILGRIMAGE!” Later,onthe brink of foreclosure, Penelope takes in arenter who is actually a writer from up North, eager to exploit her and the cliches of an old Southern town. Natchez is used to reporters, filmmakersand authors dropping by,spendingtime, gatheringmaterial. Stories have been written, books published.Years ago, even Borat dropped by The popular mockumentary character,aninept Kazakhstan TV journalist created and portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen, arrived for dinner at Lansdowne, still

Butwhen she tellsthe storyofher house, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, she’s also telling the story of her family.“When Iwear that dress, I’m representing my greataunt or my great-greatgrandmother.”

Thegarden club gave up theConfederate uniforms. They retired thepageant. But they’reholding on to the hoopskirts,Colson said. “I’ll be buriedwith my hoops on.”

‘It’sgoing to bringthemin’

Alittleafter 9a.m., outside arestored traindepot perched on the bluff, Collins pulled up in awhite van, letteringonits side: “See the REAL Mississippi.”

Aman wearing ablack cowboy hat climbed inside Collins asked where he’s from “New York,” said Jeremy Dyckman,40, settling into the first row.“I’mtrying to run amarathon in every state. There’sone in Jackson tomorrow,so I’m in town for that.

“And Isaw the movie that you did.”

Collins grinned, eyeing the cowboy hat. “Welcome to Natchez, man.”

Then he introduced himself, following asimilar script Dyckman had heard in thetheater.“I’m Tracy I’m alocal pastor—I’ve been at the same church for about 20 years— andaformercounty supervisor.Igot elected and realized Ididn’t knowanything about what Irepresented. So Istarted this little pilgrimagetolearn thehistory

“And guys, Ithought it was going to be acoupleof weeks and acouple of books. That was in 2015.”

Though thefilm follows the paths of several people, afew of them intersecting, Collins is its star, itsheart, its conscience. Herbert, the filmmaker, met him the same waymany tourists do: He “recruited me into hisvan,” she said in an interview.The Memphis native had been spending timeinNatchez without a camera, attending parties, dinnersand tours.“Iwas

The owners of Natchez’s historic homes“are doing what they’ve been doing for three, fourgenerations,” saidthe film’sproducer Darcy McKinnon, of New Orleans. “What they were taught to do and taught to say.They’re very protective of that, right?”

Butbyprotectinganarrative that’s“not rooted in the facts of history,” she continued, those homeownersare shuttingpeople out Cities that have embraced authenticand expansive versions of history,such as Birmingham and Montgomery,Alabama,have thrived, McKinnonsaid. “Talking about hard history does not drivepeople away —and in fact, the youngergenerations, it’sgoing to bring them in.”

On itswebsite, the film offers up its own visitors’ guide to Natchez, highlighting Melrose,preserved by the National Park Service, andthe Museum of African American History andCulture, Rev’stours andCosey’s B&B.

But it leaves off several antebellum mansions shown in the film. It leaves off Choctaw Hall.

‘Threats on ourlives’

Until the rant, “Natchez” offers anuanced portrait of ChoctawHall’sowner,David Garner

Garner,who is White, charms tourists, champions LGBTQ causes and takes medication for Parkinson’s disease, which is robbing him of his voice. In 2014, Garner and his husband Lee Glover bought thehome, built circa 1836, andfurnished it withseven generations’ worth of antiques, according to astoryinthe Natchez Democrat newspaper

Near the film’send, though, Garner lets loose with several comments against Black people, repeating aslur.The film then shows him making racist jokes with visitors, some of whom laugh along.

By phone,Gloversaid he couldn’tsay too much about Garner’sremarks, because of “possible legal things that we’re doing.”

He said Garnertakes a medicationthatcan make him “unfiltered.”

“We’ve gottenthreats on our lives,”Glover said.

“We’ve gotten threats about burning our house.”

Choctaw Hall is still part of theNatchez Garden Club’s springtours.More

thanthree years ago, after complaints and “well before the documentary,” the Pilgrimage Garden Club, which owns atouragency, stopped representing Choctaw,Colson said. Garner andGloverput their mansion on the market for $1.9 million in September,and it remains for sale.

The film had “nothing to do with the decision,” they told thelocal newspaper ‘Thisisthe South’ For decades, two garden

But she found it to be a beautifully filmed ode to an imperfect city and achance to have adeeper conversation. Collins, meanwhile, doesn’t expect thedocumentary to change this town.

But the 61-year-old hopes it will boost business. His oldvan,dubbed“Precious,” has 260,000 milesonits engine and little cushion left in its seats. Most of the people who fill those seats arebaby boomers, in town formansion tours, and there are fewer of them these days, he

Collins’ shadow loomed over asmall square of shacklesand chains as he toldthe story of the1.5 million enslaved people who walked some 800miles to this site “That iron,” he said, “is seasoned with flesh and blood.” Dyckman, the visiting marathon runnerfrom New York, tugged on the brim of his cowboy hat. He hadbeen moved by “Natchez,” the movie, buying abook the theater had recommended: “How the Word is Passed”byNew Orleans native ClintSmith.Later, when he realized the marathon would bring him within aday’sdrive of Natchez, he decided to sign up for Rev’s tour He didn’tstay long in Natchez anddidn’ttourany antebellum houses. But before driving back to Jackson, he returned to Forks of the Road. He read the exhibits. He staredat those shackles. He considered the marathon he was about to run “just for fun.” And the next day,asheran those 26.2miles, he thought about freedom.

EmailJenna Ross at jenna.ross@theadvocate. com.

PROVIDED PHOTO By OSCILLOSCOPE

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

White House has plan to fix housing shortage

WASHINGTON White House

economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report out Monday — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase home ownership and fuel faster economic growth.

The analysis, part of the Economic Report of the President, outlines both a political risk and a messaging opportunity for President Donald Trump, whose public approval has slumped because of concerns about his tariffs, the Iran war and his unfulfilled promises to slash inflation and unleash stronger growth.

Trump signed two executive orders in March directing federal agencies to reduce housing regulatory burdens and make it easier for smaller banks to provide mortgages but he’s been slow to take other steps that would show that high housing costs are a top priority for his administration.

The White House has been trying to focus on housing and other affordability issues for months to get ready for what’s expected to be a challenging midterm season for Republicans, but it has been thrown off course by a series of global issues In January, a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, that had been billed as focusing on housing turned into a showdown for Trump over control of Greenland

Texas AG launches probe into Lululemon

NEW YORK — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a probe into Lululemon over the potential use of harmful chemicals in its clothing. But the activewear company says it stopped using the so-called “forever chemicals” more than two years ago.

The investigation, announced on the attorney general’s website Monday, concerns whether Lululemon’s athletic apparel contains PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances. These so-called “forever chemicals” don’t break down easily, and the Attorney General’s Office said Lululemon’s customers wouldn’t expect their presence based on the brand’s marketing, which highlights wellness and sustainability.

The attorney general’s office also announced that it will review the company’s “restricted substances” list, testing protocols, and supply network practices to determine whether Lululemon’s products comply with its stated safety standards. “Americans should not have to worry if they are being deceived when trying to make healthy choices for themselves and their families,” Paxton said in a statement.

In a statement emailed to The Associated Press on Monday, Lululemon said that it hadn’t used PFAS in its products since it phased out the substances in early 2024.

Meatpacking plant workers win increases

Workers at one of the nation’s largest meatpacking plants who staged a multiweek strike have reached an agreement with plant owner JBS USA, the company and labor union representatives announced Sunday.

The Swift Beef Co. plant in Greeley, Colorado, will immediately return to normal operations after weeks of uncertainty, JBS USA said in a statement. The agreement comes after thousands of workers at the meat processing plant led a three-week strike with the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 Union in a bid for higher wages and better health care. The strike ended April 4 after JBS USA agreed to resume negotiations Workers and JBS USA agreed to wage increases over the next two years and a $750 one-time bonus.

Stocks rally, recover from losses

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rallied Monday and recovered the last of their losses caused so far by the U.S.-Iran war, as Wall Street remains hopeful that the global economy can still avoid a worstcase scenario. The S&P 500 rose 1% and is back to where it was before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in late February just 1.3% below its all-time high set early this year The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 301 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.2%.

Even in the oil market where prices jumped above $100 per barrel after ceasefire talks over the weekend failed to end the war, prices pared their leaps as Monday progressed. The moves for financial markets overall were much more modest than the extreme swings that have hit since the war began.

Markets have been pinballing between worries that the war will last a long time and hopes for a resolution because all the parties would benefit from a freer flow of crude oil. After the weekend’s talks failed, President Donald Trump an-

nounced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which raises the pressure on Iran by trying to prevent it from making money by selling oil.

A blockade would keep even more oil off the global market, after prices already jumped for everyone worldwide because of Iran’s restrictions on traffic in the important strait. The narrow waterway is how much of the oil produced in the Persian Gulf area reaches customers worldwide. Iran responded by threatening all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman Afterward, the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose

4.4% to settle at $99.36 and is well above its roughly $70 level from before the war

But it remains below the $119 peak it’s touched at times, when worries about the U.S.-Iran war have been at their heights. It also pulled back from its nearly $104 price reached earlier Monday morning.

“Markets are taking some encouragement from the fact that the two sides are talking and that the broader ceasefire seems to be holding, for now,” according to Sameer Samana, head of global equities and real assets at Wells Fargo Investment Institute.

ROBOTS IN THE RING

Exhibitions showcase evolving AI skills

BY KANIS LEUNG Associated Press

HONG KONG A humanoid robot about the size of a primary school student had something to share in Hong Kong it sang songs and spoke to people in Mandarin and English, answering whatever questions they posed and delighting the audience around it

More than 100 robots were showcased at two exhibitions starting Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center

The X2 Ultra robot from China’s prominent humanoid robot manufacturer AGIBOT Innovation (Shanghai) Technology Co. was among them.

When asked about its hobbies, the robot’s list went from doing sports and dancing to studying technology and listening to music. Describing the people in front of it is no challenge either: “a woman holding a phone, a woman holding a bag and a phone, a man holding a camera,” it said at one point Calvin Chiu, the chief operating officer of Novautek Autonomous Driving, AGIBOT’s agent in Hong Kong, said that the robot can provide emotional satisfaction to humans

through conversations and serve as a teacher to older adults and children. Different robots can be programmed with different personalities, too.

“It would be like a friend,” Chiu said.

In China, technology has evolved into an area of competition with the U.S., with national security implications. Beijing’s latest five-year plan vows to “target the frontiers of science and technology.” Speeding up the development of products like humanoid robots and their applications is part of the 2026-2030 plan for the world’s second-largest economy

Official data showed China had more than 140 humanoid-robot manufacturers and more than 330 models in 2025. London-based technology research and advisory group Omdia recently ranked three of them — AGIBOT, Unitree Robotics and UBTech Robotics Corp. as the only first-tier vendors in its global assessment in terms of shipment numbers. They all shipped more than 1,000 units of general-purpose embodied intelligent robots last year, with the first two companies shipping more than 5,000 units, the report said.

In February, humanoid robots were among the highlights of the CCTV Spring Festival gala in China, a television show celebrating the Lunar New Year A martial arts performance by children and robots stole the spot-

light.

Some Chinese exhibitors flexed their advances at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center on Monday, showing robotic capabilities that ranged from talking to humans, punching and sand painting to doing backflips and catching suspects with nets during security patrol demonstrations.

Robert Chan, global strategy officer at EngineAI, based in Shenzhen, brought its PM01 robot to showcase its mobility, including doing a front flip. His company plans to launch two factories in China for mass production this year

He said that China enjoys advantages in certain areas, such as low-cost engineering. He also pointed to the pattern of sharing know-how between companies, unlike in the United States and Europe, where companies typically shield their own technology

Chan foresaw that the next stage of robotics would move toward robots featuring bodies looking like people, with more emotional exchanges and facial expressions, or even looking like they can breathe. That is about plugging the gap in robots’ interactions with humans, he said.

“The warmth and emotion exchange with the human being. Besides, helping humans to make the decision and helping humans to complete their task,” he said.

Some workers embracing AI while others won’t use it,

BY MATT O’BRIEN and LINLEY SANDERS Associated Press

More American workers are experimenting with artificial intelligence in their jobs, but skepticism is still widespread New Gallup polling finds that while more employees are using AI frequently in their work there’s been an uptick in alarm that new technologies will replace their jobs. Many workers who are not using AI say they prefer to work without it, have ethical oppositions to the technology or worry about data privacy

The poll, conducted in February, points to a divergence in how AI is reshaping American workplaces. Some find it to be a gamechanger

for productivity and efficiency, while others are concerned about its potentially negative impacts.

Social worker Scott Segal said he regularly uses AI to find information that will help connect his elderly and vulnerable patients to health care resources in northern Virginia. While he knows that the human connection and care he brings to that work is important, he also believes that AI could soon replace him.

“I’m planning ahead,” said Segal, 53. “I think everyone who works in a replaceable field or trade should be planning ahead.”

Roughly 3 in 10 employees are frequent users of AI in their jobs, meaning they use it daily or a few times a week. About 2 in 10 are infrequent users, using AI tools at

work a few times a month or a few times a year

The Gallup poll found that about 4 in 10 workers say their organization has adopted AI tools or technology to improve organizational practices. About two-thirds of those workers say AI has had an “extremely” or “somewhat” positive impact on their individual productivity and efficiency at work.

Workers using AI in management roles are more likely to say the technology has been at least “somewhat” positive for their productivity compared with individual contributors. About 7 in 10 leaders using AI at least a few times a year say AI has made them more efficient at work, compared with just over half of individual contributors.

poll says

Labor and employment attorney

Elizabeth Bloch of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, said she uses ChatGPT to help “draft letters or emails in a diplomatic way because it’s a very adversarial profession and sometimes you get heated.”

AI tools appear to have a greater benefit for workers in managerial, health care and technology roles than in service jobs. About 6 in 10 employees in those fields who are using AI say it’s boosted their productivity at least “somewhat,” compared with 45% of those using it in service jobs.

Even when companies make AI tools available, there’s no guarantee employees will adopt them. About half of U.S. employees use AI only once a year or not at all, according to the Gallup study

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHAN LONG HEI

A humanoid robot squares off against a visitor during a demonstration at an exhibition in Hong Kong on Monday

fear the Trump administration.

“Toput my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, Ithinkisnot understandingwhat the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told The Associated Press aboard thepapal planeenroute to Algeria. “And I’m sorry to hear that, but Iwill continue on what Ibelieve is the mission of the church in the world today.”

The back-and-forth between the world’stwo most influential Americans served to deepen a burgeoning schism as theU.S. war in Iran stretched intoits seventh week.

History’sfirst U.S.-born pope stressed that he was notmaking adirect attack against Trump or anyone else with his general appeal for peace and criticisms of the Iran war and other conflicts around the world.

“I’m not afraid of the Trump administration or of speaking out loudlyabout the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for,” said Leo, whohad a different perspective on foreign policy than elected officials.

“I will continue to speak out strongly against war,seeking to promote peace, promoting dialogue and multilateralism among states to find solutions to problems,” he said.

Trump’ssocialmedia post

The image posted by the president Sunday night showed Trump wearing abiblical-style robe and layinghandsona bedriddenman as light emanates from his fingers —while asoldier,anurse, apraying woman and abearded man in abaseball cap all look on admiringly.The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images.

“I did post it, and Ithought it was me as adoctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,” Trump said. “It’ssupposed to me as adoctor, making people better.And Ido make people better.Alot better.”

DRIVING

Continued from page1A

their licenses.

Among those was Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville, whochairs thecommittee and questioned whether atestwould prevent accidents.

Rep. Annie Spell,R-Lafayette, asked about forgoing the testing component in favor of driver educationthat “doesn’tpunish good driversthat don’tnecessarilysit well for atest.”

Others didn’twant to create even longer wait times at the Office of Motor Vehicles.

“I have aproblem with it because the lines are already long enough at the OMV,” said Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn, R-Hornbeck.

People shouldn’thaveto watch a“dadgum film” and then“have to take atestto prove that they’re competent enough to drive, ’cause they’ve already proventhat earlier in life,” Schamerhorn said.

State Rep. Ed Murray,DNewOrleans, also said he was concerned aboutthe

He blamedthe “fake news” for any confusion over the image, thoughit drew criticismfrom a widerange of people,including some of Trump’sown evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion thatTrump waslikening himself to Christ. Even Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the “desecration of Jesus” whilealsospeaking up to defend the pope

The post wasdeleted from Trump’s account late Monday morning. Trump didn’tprovide details on how that happened.

TrumpcriticalofLeo

The president criticized the pope in alengthy social media post while flying back to Washingtonfrom Florida on Sunday night He kept up the denunciation after

“I have aproblemwith it because the lines are alreadylongenoughat the OMV.”

REP.RODNEy SCHAMERHORN R-Hornbeck

test component “Could we notachieve what you’retryingto achieve by giving out some literature when people come in to renew?” he asked Replied McMakin: “I just don’t know if anyone’sgonna actually read it or go over it.” In the face of opposition, McMakin on Monday agreed to set the bill aside and even-

deplaning, telling reporters, “I’m not afan of Pope Leo.”

Leo said Saturday during an evening prayerserviceatSt. Peter’sBasilicathata “delusion of omnipotence” was fuelingthe U.S.-Israel war in Iran.

The comments came thesame daythatthe United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during afragile ceasefire.

The talks were being ledonthe U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, aCatholic who recently released abook about his faith.

Asked about Trump’spost depicting himself as Jesus on Monday evening,Vance told Fox News Channelthatitwas “a joke” and said it’s “a good thing” that Trump “likes to mix it up on social media” and is “not filtered.”

“Of course, he took it down because he realized alot of people weren’tunderstandinghis humor,” Vance said of the post.

The pope’sSaturday criticisms meanwhile, followed him earlier naming Trumpdirectly and expressedoptimism that the president would seek “anoff-ramp” in Iran.

An even strongercondemnation came afterTrump warned of mass strikes against Iranianpower plants and infrastructure,writing on social media that “an entire civilization will die tonight.” Leo describedthatasa“threat against the entirepeople of Iran” and said it was “truly unacceptable.” While it’snot unusualfor popes andpresidents to be at cross purposes, it’sexceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize aU.S

leader —and Trump’sstinging response is equally uncommon.

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime, andterrible forForeign Policy,” thepresident wrote in hispost, adding, “I don’twant aPope who thinks it’sOKfor Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

Opposition to warirked Trump Leo, who began an 11-day trip to AfricaonMonday, has previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war,but rejectsthem.”He’salso referred to an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, Iwill not listen —your hands arefull of blood.”

Still, in his comments on Monday,asinhis Sunday night social media post, Trump went far beyond the war in Iran in criticizing Leo.

“I don’twantaPope whocriticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly whatIwas elected, IN ALANDSLIDE, to do.” His post also claimed thatLeo was only elected pontiff “because he was an American, andtheythought that would be the best waytodealwith President Donald J. Trump.”

“If Iwasn’tinthe White House, Leo wouldn’tbeinthe Vatican,” Trumpwrote, adding, “Leo should gethis acttogether as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being aGreat Pope,not aPolitician. It’s hurtinghim very badly and, more importantly,it’shurting the Catholic Church!”

In his comments to reporters aftersteppingoff AirForce One on Sunday, Trump said of Leo, “I don’tthink he’s doing averygood job. He likescrime, Iguess,” adding, “He’s averyliberal person.” Archbishop Paul S. Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, also said he was “disheartened” by Trump’s comments.

“Pope Leo is not his rival; nor is thePope apolitician,” Coakley said in astatement. “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaksfrom the truth of the Gospeland for the careofsouls.”

tually return to thecommittee with adifferent plan.

Under House Bill 777, people renewing astandard, noncommercial driver’s licensefor everyday personal use would have to take atestonstate trafficlaws, road signs andsafedriving practices.

Currently,proof of identity and residency, auto insurance, avision screening and afee are needed to renew a“ClassE”license for personal use.

Those applying for their first license already have to take adriver education class and thentake knowledge and skills tests

Under HB777, theOMV would have theoption of ad-

ministering theadditional testonline or in person. McMakin said he planned to work with theOMV to

produceavideotoshow the latest updatestotraffic laws, which would be rolled out in 2028.

“We’renot trying to trick anybody or trap them; we’re really going forreeducation of drivers,” McMakin said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByALBERTOPIZZOLI

JanRisher

LOUISIANA AT LARGE

‘I’m

here fora reason ’

LunchwithVoodoo priest offers revelations

On my knees in Congo Square, helping aVoodoo high priest gather bananas, apples and hard candy that had just spilledfrom the basket balancedonhis head was not on my 2026 bingocard

Neither was the long lunch that followed at anearby hookah lounge.

But both happened in late March.

The question of how any of this came to be is afair one. Igive credit to my older daughter,a devoted“TryGuys” fan whose paid subscription gives herearly access to episodes. Six weeksago she showed me one of their New Orleansinstallments featuring Voodoo high priest Robi Gilmore (which became publicly available Saturday and can be foundhere: https://youtu.be/ZCj3vrkM8wM)

Watching the episode, Iwas struck by how much Ididn’tknow about Voodoo —and how much of what Ithought Iknew may have come from misunderstanding, caricature or fear

So, Iwent looking for theVoodoohigh priest.

Ifound him just finishinga tour at Congo Square. He was worn out. Rather than continuing to walk around the park, he suggested going to his regular,posttour hangout,Haifa Cuisine and HookahBar

As we were deciding where to go, the basket full of fruit toppled from his head —and we all picked up the scattered pieces. Gilmore turned out to bea historian, tourguide and one of the most unexpectedly gentle people Ihave ever met. That day,my niece-in-law Liz Pina was visiting from California. She lost her husband to brain tumors in November. Ihad afeeling that Ishould invite her along —itturned outto be the right decision.

As New Orleans as Gilmore is now,hegrew up in rural St. Francisville, raised in what he describes as atribalfamily culture where cousins become siblings and children belong to everyone. His mother is Haitian, his father is Louisiana Creole. His grandmother taught him Voodoo. When he was 18 and preparing to leave for the Navy,his grandmother made all his favorite foods for afarewell meal —fried chicken, hot water cornbread and red velvet cake. Somewhere between dinner and departure, he says she slipped something into his Dr Pepper

The next thing he remembers, he was in abamboo hut in the middle of his Voodoo initiation ceremony “And that’show Ibecame a priest,” he said.

At 22, he moved to New Orleans andbecame atour guide. He still leads one tour aday —Thursday through Monday,from 10 a.m. to noon, through Congo Square and Louis Armstrong Park. Afterthat, he does what he wants. By 6p.m., the headphones are on andhe’s playing video games, whichhe loves. At 28, he came out to his family,amoment he describes as profoundlyshapinghis life. He decidedtostoplivingbyanyone else’srules. That commitment still

page 2B

Parish on hook forlawsuit fees

Courtrules councilviolatedopenmeetingslaw

BY CLAIREGRUNEWALD

Staff writer

The LivingstonParish government is nowsolely responsible forpayingnearly$40,000 in legal fees for alawsuit alleging an open meetings law violation, following anew court ruling.

Aformer member of the Livingston Parish Convention and Tourism Board filed alawsuit in

2024, alleging that the parish government violated state open meetings law during two Parish Council meetings at which the board member was removed from their post

The government,along with one council member,was previously court-orderedtopay for theboard member’slegal fees, butthe LouisianaSupreme Court recently ruled that only the gov-

ernment is now responsible. The council member will no longer be required to pay

In 2024, the Parish Council approved removing Harold Marcell Parker Jr.fromthe parish’stourism board. Parkerrepresented council member Joe Erdey’sdistrict on that board.

Due to concerns aboutimproper removal, the item was placed on the agenda for the next council meeting, withanexecutive session planned by Erdeytodiscuss the “discussion of the character, professional competence, physical and/or mental health” of the tourism board member

However,before going into executive session, Erdey said: “he wished to go into executive session purely to discussthe removal

Stripping &striping

Second time this year bird has been killed

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

AChicago man was cited Mondayfor shooting and killing a whooping crane in Evangeline Parish, according to the LouisianaDepartmentofWildlife and Fisheries. It’sthe second time someone haskilled the endangered species —one ofthe rarest birds in theworld—thisyearinthe state. Bothincidents occurred on crawfishfarmsdown the road from oneanother

Accordingtoa departmentrelease, biologists reported alost signal on awhoopingcrane’s tracking collar on March 19. The bird’slast known location was on aprivately owned crawfish farm near La. 106 between Bayou Chicot and Pine Prairie, where

Aroad milling machine strips old blacktopinto awaiting dump truck Mondayjust past 23rd Street in Baton Rouge as partof the MovEBR Florida Boulevard corridor project.

agentslocated the dead crane thenext day,accordingtothe department.

The crane had pellet wounds, suggesting it was shot by ashotgun, and agents found spent shotgun shell casings on the property after returningwitha searchwarrant.

During theinvestigation,officials said Michael Alaniz, 49, of Chicago, contacted themand admitted to shooting thecrane while on the farm.

Alaniz wascited forviolating the Migratory Bird TreatyAct, which carries fines between $400 and $950 and up to 120 days in jail. He also faces civil restitution fees up to $15,000 for the replacement value of the illegally takenwhooping crane, according to thedepartment.

Justaweekbefore Alaniz shot the bird, two workers on acrawfishfarma shortdrive away off Miller’sLake Road in Evangeline were also cited for shooting

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

A$7million federallyfunded state initiativewill reimburse employers for skilledtrades training in hopesofbridgingthe state’sworkforce shortage. Louisiana Works, in partnership with LouisianaConstruction Education Foundation,launched Workforce Outcomes andReimbursementfor KeySectors Training Fund to help businesses fund training fornew and current employees as thestate looks to power about $98.1 billioninindustrial projects under construction. The fund will focus on training workersinconstruction and industrial trades,artificial intelligence to support data centers andadvanced manufacturing, forjobs suchaswelders, electricians,

industrial machinery mechanics andadvanced HVAC technicians. Businesses training employees in skills needed for the selected industries will be reimbursed up to $150,000 or $1,500 per employee based on workers’ completion of training andsix-monthemployee retention. Applications open Wednesday “This is abouthelping employerssolve real workforce challenges, right now,” Louisiana Works Secretary Susana Schowen said in arelease. “We’re aligning training directly with business demand and making sure it leads to jobs, retentionand longterm success forworkers.”

Thefund is part of theU.S Department of Labor’sIndustryDriven Skills Training Fundprogram, which granted atotal of $86 million across 14 states to fill gaps in employment forhigh-demand industries, like shipbuilding, advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence.

Gilmore

STAFFPHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Aconstruction worker paints the yellowstripes just past 24th Street.

Officials announce safety plans for events

French Quarter, Jazz fests to run on consecutive weekends

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

Extra tow trucks, a bevy of local and federal agents and a slew of road closure signs will hit city streets over the next few weeks as festival season descends upon New Orleans.

Officials said Monday that there will be no shortage of law enforcement agencies manning French Quarter Fest and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage

Festival when they run on consecutive weekends for the first time this year

“These festivals bring hundreds of thousands of people to our city and are a cornerstone of our culture and our economy,” said New Orleans Deputy Mayor of Public Safety Michael Harrison. “With that comes the responsibility to ensure a strong, visible public safety presence.”

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New Orleans Police Department Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick said 230 officers will police the streets during French Quarter Fest from Thursday to Sunday. Another 220 will patrol during Jazz Fest’s two weekends, April 23 - 26 and April 30 to May 3. An additional 100 officers from partnering agencies will support local law enforcement for each, including the Louisiana National Guard, the FBI and the U.S. Coast Guard. Only 70 NOPD officers working the festivals will be paid on the city’s dime amid a significant budget crunch plaguing Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration. About 160 local officers will be working details, meaning their pay is covered by festival organizers and outside partners, according to Kirkpatrick.

Emergency medical service units and first-aid stations will be scattered throughout festival areas downtown and in the Fairgrounds neighborhood. Certain streets in and around the French Quarter will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning Thursday, when French Quarter Fest organizers kick off the event with a parade down Bourbon Street, and lasting through Sunday

should also expect changes and delays to bus and streetcar routes with increased demand during the festivals.

Craig Toomey the Regional Transit Authority’s emergency management director, said a second ferry may be deployed and departure timing adjusted amid ongoing construction at the Algiers Point ferry terminal on the West Bank. The site is undergoing a $9.6 million face-lift.

Kirkpatrick added that she won’t hesitate to use overtime if necessary

Those streets include Bourbon, Chartres, Decatur, North Peters and Royal streets. Commuters can expect similar closures during Jazz Fest in the areas surrounding the Fair Grounds Race Course.

Residents and tourists

No-parking zones will be enforced throughout the French Quarter from noon Thursday through 1 a.m.

Monday

Email Joni Hess at joni. hess@theadvocate.com.

Lafayette schools must stop work, judge rules

Comeaux closure temporarily halted

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

A judge ruled Monday that the Lafayette Parish school system must temporarily stop any work on the closure and repurposing of Comeaux High School.

Judge Valerie Gotch-Garrett, of the 15th Judicial District Court, issued a preliminary injunction against the School Board and school district until an April 29 trial and said the school district was “prohibited from moving on anything related to (Comeaux).

During that trial, Gotch-Garrett will determine if the board violated its own policy and state open meeting laws. If she rules the board violated its policy or state laws, that would likely void the board’s March vote to close the school.

When a temporary restraining order or preliminary injunction is typically granted, a judge will order a monetary bond to be paid by the person who asked for the order That money could then be used by the defendant to offset

any harm caused by the preliminary injunction if a judge later determines it was issued wrongfully or without merit

But Gotch-Garrett did not issue a bond, instead claiming that this is a “community issue, and the School Board needs to follow its own policy and procedures.”

Suzanne Lajaunie filed the lawsuit seeking an injunction and temporary restraining order to stop the School Board from closing Lafayette’s Comeaux High School. The lawsuit originally appeared before Gotch-Garrett at the end of March but was delayed after Lajaunie said she hired an attorney who needed time to familiarize herself with the case.

A new attorney, Brian Blackwell, represented Lajaunie on Monday

The School Board voted March 12 to close Comeaux High at the end of the school year and reassign students to other high schools in the fall.

Under the plan, the Comeaux High campus will be renovated to house the W.D. and Mary Baker Career Center and E.J. Sam Accelerated School and its athletic fields will be used by other schools in the district

The move is expected to save $2

million in the general fund that is used for teacher salaries and programming.

A judge will grant a preliminary injunction if a plaintiff must prove that irreparable harm will be caused if one is not ordered, that they are entitled to relief and that they are likely to prevail on the merits of their argument, attorney Bob Hammonds, who represented the school system, said in court Gotch-Garrett emphasized during the nearly three-hour hearing that she was ruling on the irreparable harm aspect of the case.

But at times, it appeared as if Hammonds and Blackwell were arguing whether the School Board violated policy and procedure rather than focusing on the harm.

Lajaunie testified that her student, who is a graduating senior, benefited greatly from attending Comeaux. She said her younger students intended to enroll in the school when they reached high school. She said attending Comeaux was in the best interest of their academic and social needs. She also testified that someone told her during the March School Board meeting that they were

CRANE

Continued from page 1B

a whooping crane. By the mid-20th century, overhunting and habitat loss had pushed the population of wild whooping cranes — the tallest North American bird — down to around 15, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service In 1950, the last known whooping crane in Louisiana was captured and brought to a wildlife refuge in Texas, where the remaining wild population lived. Today, conservation efforts have brought its population back to around 800, and the bird has become a symbol of the environmental movement. Partnerships between the Audubon Nature Institute

and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have released over 50 cranes back into Louisiana since 2017.

According to the department, the two birds shot in 2026 represent 2.5% of the nonmigratory whooping crane population in Louisiana, which now stands at around 80.

Both were young males who had been hatched and reared in the wild “Wild hatched individuals are the ultimate goal of the whooping crane program and represent almost a year’s worth of effort for each of the whooping crane pairs that raised these birds,” the release stated. “Losing these two whooping cranes are a serious setback to reaching a selfsustainable population in the state.”

not given a proper opportunity to provide public comment on the Comeaux closure agenda item, which Lajaunie argued harmed the community She also said that if the district moved forward with closing Comeaux, especially without following proper procedure, it would erode her trust in the school system and she would send her students to other schools, which would be disruptive to her personal and professional life.

Lafayette schools Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Operations Jennifer Gardner testified that, to her knowledge, everyone who wished during the meeting was able to speak.

She said all of the students who will be rezoned from Comeaux will have access to the same curriculum and certified teachers at their new schools. Gardner also told the court that renovating the Comeaux campus would additionally allow about 500 Lafayette school system students who are on a waitlist to access the career center

Contact Ashley White at ashley white@theadvocate.com.

RISHER

Continued from page 1B

shapes the way he moves through the world.

“I don’t live on a credit score. I don’t live on a government,” he said. “I live for me.”

Twenty years ago, he survived a flesh-eating bacterial infection that cost him part of his index finger Gilmore said the experience only deepened his convictions.

“I’m here for a reason,” he said, holding up his hand.

Every Sunday at 3 p.m., Gilmore and his family gather at a tree in Armstrong Park to perform an ancient ritual. The ceremony is open to the public.

In principle, he does not charge for the tours he offers. He does accept tips.

“If I’m supposed to be here to serve humanity,” he said, “why am I charging my brothers and sisters?”

That sense of service shapes how he meets

people.

During lunch, Pina mentioned losing her husband. Gilmore did not offer condolences in the usual way Instead, he talked about how our nephew loved his wife and about energy — how it cannot be destroyed, only redirected, always returning to its source.

“That man ain’t gone, baby,” he told her “He just ain’t got a body to hold you.” I came to Congo Square carrying the same vague unease many people do when they hear the word Voodoo — an unease rooted less in knowledge than in generations of myth.

What I found instead was a man from rural Louisiana who has built his life around service, history and radical openness to strangers.

As I knelt in Congo Square gathering fallen fruit, I didn’t realize that I would leave with more than I picked up.

Email Jan Risher at jan.risher@theadvocate. com.

he did not contend there was any evidence of character or fitness issues,” court records state. The council still went into executive session to discuss Parker’s removal.

Ultimately, Parker filed a lawsuit against the parish government and Erdey referencing the two council meetings.

The 21st Judicial District Court in Livingston Parish ruled that the council violated the open meetings law regarding Parker’s removal and ordered Erdey and the parish government to pay for Parker’s legal fees, according to court records.

After that ruling, Erdey filed an appeal. On April 9, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of Erdey, saying he was not liable for attorney fees and that the Livingston Parish government is now the only defendant responsible for the legal fees totaling $37,042.26.

Erdey said Monday he was happy to be “off the hook” after worrying about it for two years.

“I’m just so elated,” he said. “I had to work with that on my mind every day.”

Erdey emphasized that he paid for an attorney with his own money “Me and my family paid out of our pocket,” Erdey said about his attorney “I haven’t asked the parish for anything. I didn’t ask for a dime.”

Parish President Randy Delatte issued a statement Friday about the ruling, saying that under Livingston Parish’s home-rule charter, the matter is a responsibility of the Parish Council.

“As the executive branch, our role is to ensure the parish meets its legal obligations, and we will comply with the court’s decision,” he stated. “We understand that situations like this raise valid concerns, especially when taxpayer dollars are involved. That matters, and it should.”

Delatte said his administration is committed to working with the council to ensure its processes are transparent and compliant with state law

MONEY

Continued from page 1B

The state aims to train more than 6,000 workers across 59 businesses with the WORKS Training Fund, according to a grant summary from the U.S. Department of Labor Workers will receive training through community college partnerships, apprenticeships, in-house instruction and third-party providers.

Companies have struggled with recruiting employees with the necessary skills, like operating industrial machinery, due in part to Louisiana’s waning population and difficulty obtaining support from the state, leading to a gap of about 24,000 more job openings than job seekers.

Filling workforce gaps has been a top-of-mind priority for state leaders, who are looking to advance legislation to boost funding to Louisiana Works for better oversight and efficiency for the commission’s workforce development efforts. The commission started a pilot program earlier this year that appointed the state’s eight economic development organizations as points of contact for companies looking to tap into the state’s resources for employee recruitment, training and retention.

“LCEF’s mission is centered on strengthening the pipeline of skilled craft talent that Louisiana’s employers depend on, and we are enthusiastic about what this partnership with Louisiana Works makes possible,” Connie Fabré, president and CEO of the Louisiana Construction Education Foundation, said in the release. “The WORKS Grant gives opportunities to more Louisianans and gives employers a resource to help offset the cost of developing that talent, and we believe this program will have a lasting impact on the competitiveness of our state’s industrial base.”

PROVIDED PHOTO The nonmigratory whooping crane population numbers around 80 in Louisiana.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Columnist Jan Risher from left Liz Pina, Robi Gilmore and Michael Pel-Papiyoe get together at Haifa Cuisine and Hookah Lounge in New Orleans on March 20.

Ballard,Shelia

Holy Rosary Catholic Church,St. Amant, LAat 11am

Obituaries

Boudreaux, Levi Nash

Levi Nash Boudreaux, 34, aresident of Baker, Louisiana, passed away on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.

Visitation willbeheld at Baker Presbyterian Church, 3015Groom Road, Baker, on Monday, April 13, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until funeral services at 11:00 a.m., conducted by Dr. Randy Russ. Burial will follow at HillcrestCemetery in Baker.

He is survived by his parents, SteveBoudreaux (Nan Butler)and Cindy Kelly (Mike Kelly); his sister, Mallory Hayden and husband Devin, along with his nephews, Tuckerand Reed Hayden; his brother, Blaine Boudreauxand JennBreithaupt; and his grandmother, Eleanor Ruth Boudreaux.

He is also survived by his step-siblings, Zack Butler(Emma), Brittany Kelly (Kristen), Mikeal KellyJr. along with niece Alaina Kelly.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Irving R. Boudreaux, Robert L. Bryan, and Debbie and Sam Richardson; and his beloved dog and best friend, Bojangles Boudreaux ("Beau").

Pallbearers will be Blaine Boudreaux, Lee Boudreaux, AndrewSmith Robert Lachney, Noah Lachney, WilliamGray, and Devin Hayden, Nicholas Smith and Alex Boudreaux.

Giordano, Imogene Roubique

Giordano, Imogene Roubique

Anative and resident of Fordoche,she passed away on Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 5:45 pm at her home at theage of 74, surroundedbyher family. She wasretired from Guaranty Bank after 47 years of service,where she worked as aVice President of Guaranty Bank andManagerof theLivonia branch. Sheis survivedbyher husband of 53 years,Larry Giordano;

son Logan Giordano and wifeJenna; grandchildren, Charlie and Cruz Giordano; brothers, Marvin Roubique andwifeMargaret, Ned Roubique. Sisters-in-law, JoAnn Jarreau andSandra Breazeale. She is preceded in death by her parents, Willie Roubique Sr. and Maggie S. Roubique; brother,Willie Roubique Jr.; sister, Patsy Romero; mother in-law and father-in-law, Vercy and AnthonyGiordano, Sr Avisitation will be held at St. Frances Cabrini CatholicChurchin LivoniaonWednesday, April, 15, 2026from9am until Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am. The entombment willfollow in the church mausoleum. Pallbearers willbeTodd Daigle, SamRoubique,Keith Romero, Bo Roubique, Jake Roubique, Mark Aucoin, LouisRedden Jr., Jason Giordano. Honorary pallbearerswillbeNeil Cashio and Rod Swords. Special thank you to the nursing staffofPointe CoupeeHospice.

Holliday, Dorothy Champagne 'Dottie'

Dorothy "Dottie" Champagne Holliday, age 86, passed away peacefully in her sleepsurroundedby family. Dottie wasborn in Lafayette,Louisiana, and was residing in New Iberia, Louisiana at the time of her passing. She attended Milton High School,where she graduatedasvaledictorian, and went on to complete two years of college at LSU. Dottiefound joy in life's simple pleasures. She loved playing Scrabble and Gin Rummy, reading, and spending time with herfamily. She cherished herupbringing on afarmalongside her four sisters, atime that remained close to her heart throughout herlife. In her later years, she was lovingly cared for by her son Raymond and hiswife Julie. She is survived by her children: Diana Osborne (Van), JenniferManning (Kevin),Elizabeth Champagne,Raymond Champagne (Julie),and Mark Champagne (Susie). She also leaves behind 11 grandchildren and 14great -grandchildren, allof whom she loved dearly. She was preceded in death by her father, Caffery Domingue; her mother, Dorothy Lindstrom Domingue; her husbands, Harry "Sonny" Champagne and Walter Holliday; and her baby sister, Ginger. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM at Rabenhorst East, 11000 Florida Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Visitation will continue on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM at Rabenhorst East, followedbya Celebration of Dottie's Life at 10:00 AM. In lieuofflowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to Hospice of Acadiana. Dottie will be remembered for her warmth, her love of family, andthe joy

ove o a y a d t e joy she brought to those around her.

Kennedy, Kathleen Elsa 'Kathy' Kathleen "Kathy" KennedyObituary

Kathleen Elsa Kennedy completed her earthly journey on April 10th, 2026, in Erie, PA. Passionate about equality and justice, she lived arich, fulllife and was visited in her last days by many family members and friends.

Kathy was born November 20, 1950, in Corry, PA, to John and Patricia Kennedy.

Kathy graduated from Fairview High School in 1968 and attended Grove City College, where she majored in English Literatureand graduatedin1972. She lived for several years in NorthCarolina withher first husband,Ron Holstein, before returning to Erie.

Kathy moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1987 where she earned aMaster's Degree at Louisiana State Universityand then taught courses in anthropology. There, she met and married geographer Kent Mathewson and with him began an adventurous life of world travel to Central and South America, to Europe,and to theSouth Pacific. She also enjoyed her time as astay-at-home mother to her daughter, Marianna Mathewson. After moving to Mayville,NY, she took prideinrestoring her dream home, abrick Greek revival farmhouse near Chautauqua. She was an active member of the community there, working with the historical society, the food pantry, and thelocal Democratic Party.

Kathy was preceded in death by her parents, her younger brother, Christopher,and his son Robert. She is survived by her husband Kent;her daughter Mariana Bernstein (Greg), grandson Arthur, of Erie, PA;byher older brother, Jerry (Sarah) of Baton Rouge, and by her nephew Benjamin, (Julie) and their children Sam, Evelyn, and Miles, all of Charlottesville, VA; and by her nibling, Micah of Oakland CA.

In her final weeks, compassionatecare from the staff at AseraCare Hospice and Manchester Commons, and tender interactions with friends, family and strangers persuaded her that "Loveisall there is, and it's more than enough." Donationsinher memory may be made to Planned Parenthood, Southern Poverty Law Center,American Civil Liberties Union, Westfield Stray Cat Rescue, the Mayville Food Pantry or the Erie Junior Philharmonic. Acelebration of life is planned for later thissummer.

with her children by her side. She wasthe co-owner of Lawson-Rollins Purple ShieldFuneral Home. Visitation willbeWednesday April15, 2026 from5pm8pmatLawson-Rollins PurpleShieldFuneral Home, 511 W. Tobey Ave.GonzalesLA, 70737. Celebration of Life will be Thursday, April16thwithvisitation starting at 9am until the religious service at 11am at First Pilgrim Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, 11453 LA-73, Geismar,LA.

Callie Caston Smith, a resident of Port Allen, passed away at her residence Saturday morning, April 11, 2026 surrounded by her family. Callie was born December 29, 1931 in Louann, ArkansastoJames Perry and Virgie Parsons

Perry and Virgie Parsons Caston.In1954, she married herhusband of 66 years, Kenneth DonSmith.

Callie worked in theinsurance industry until she becamea stay-at-home Momafter herfirst son wasborn. Sheloved landscape gardening andcould (and WOULD)tellyou the type and source of every plant in heryard.Later in life, shestayed busy with aerobics, heryard (which she kept cut andcared for untilthe day of herstroke), aweekly game of handand-foot, jigsaw puzzles, andthe Sunday domino games played with anyone whowould show up. She wasanactivemember of West Side Women's Club and lovedtorecallthe many trips she shared with herfriends. Callie joined First Baptist Church of Port Allenwhenshe moved to Louisiana andhas been a proudmember since. She lovedher Sunday School group!

Callie is survivedbyher 3sons; Duane(Robin), Philip(Sheri), andTim (Melinda). She adored all of hergrandchildren; Shaun (Ashley), Matthew andTyler Smith, Bo (Bea) and Adam Hock, Lauren

and Adam Hock Lauren Braud (Lucas), Jessica Mouch(Hunter), and AimeeDazé (Timmy), and Logan Smith (McKenzi) andDemiBezet (Holden); and15great grandchildren.She is also survived by threeyoungersisters. Shewas preceded in death by hermother and father, herhusband, andfivesiblings. Private familyserviceswill be conductedat alater date.

ThefamilythanksHeart of Hospice andAtHome CareofLouisianafor the compassionate, yet professional care providedduringthisdifficult time.Donations in honor of herlife may be made to First Baptist ChurchofPort Allen.

Smith,Callie Caston

Rollins, Annie Mae

Annie Mae Rollins

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Ajewel of Louisiana’s heritage gets loving attention

Our state has many iconic buildings thatdate back centuries, but none is more beloved than St. Louis Cathedral. At theheart of the French Quarter,the church has long served as amustsee for tourists visiting New Orleans and a landmark for locals.

That’swhy we’re thrilled thatthis grand structure is about to get some badly needed TLC. Built in 1851, the church isshowing its age. Termite damage threatens itsroof, and crumbling stucco and water stains mar itsbeauty But that’ssoon to change witha $45 million restoration set to begin this summer

The makeover will include bothinterior and exterior renovations. Areas of thefacade where stucco has deteriorated will be replaced and the masonry beneathrepaired. The roof will get new slate, and termite damage will be removed. Inside, anew sprinkler system will be installed. Walls and floors will be refinished. And, in perhaps the most delicatepart of the operation, stained glass windows depicting the life of cathedral namesakeLouis IX and murals by artistErasme Humbrecht from the 1870s will be restored to their former glory It’sanambitious undertaking, but one that must be done if we want the cathedral to grace the French Quarterfor generations tocome. The long history it encapsulates became even clearer with the recent revelation that Pope Leo XIV’sfourth great-grandmother,Marie Catherine Guesnon Ramos Morales, was buried there in 1756.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans says the church will remain open for as long as possible as the renovations progress. Scaffolding will go up and afabric with alarge picture of the cathedral will be putoverthe facade.

Kevin Morris, president of Holly &Smith Architects, is leading the project,which could span four years or more. An LSU grad raised in New Orleans, Morris has ahealthy respect for the scale of the work.“This is ahuge job,” he said. We wish him and his team well. We are glad to see they are working closely withthe state Division of Historic Preservation and the Vieux Carre Commission tomake sure the process moves smoothly But all this could not have been possible without leadership by philanthropist Gayle Benson. The Saints and Pelicans owner is aparishioner of the church and spearheaded the campaign to raise $45 million for the restoration, which is being funded entirely by privatedonations. The goal is to raise $75 million to offset some of the cost of long-term maintenance.

We are grateful to have people in our state with the talents and resources tomake sure we don’tlose the places we treasure. We are happy that St. Louis Cathedral is getting arestoration worthy of the place it holds in our hearts.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Fund earlyeducation, even in difficulttimes

President Donald Trump’srecent assertion, “We’re fighting wars. We can’ttake care of day care,” is athreat to our nation’sfuture. By framing early childhood education, which is essential to our economy,asincompatible with wartime, our president sets us on adangerous trajectory.History suggestsweshould takethe opposite approach.

Someofthe mostprofound investments in young children are connected to war

During the London Blitz,Anna Freud’swork with displaced children underscored thepsychological securityofchildren as asafeguard to our collective future. The Reggio Emilia approach was born in post-WWII Italy as that community began to rebuild amore peaceful democratic society by centering children. In post-WWII Hungary,Emmi Pikler’swork demonstrated that respectful caregiving for infants could improve society These examples show that human ef-

fort can improve society and that education can be atool to build amore just and resilient world. We cannot wait for peace to invest in the next generation or use war as an excuse not to. We must invest in children now to ensure that peace and the future success of our nation are possible. Acountry that sacrifices the infrastructure of itsfuture in the nameof current conflict does not preserve its strength; it hollows it. Lawmakers must reject thenotionthat children are acost to be deferred. Instead, we must recognize children as thefoundation upon which lasting security is built.Our future deserves ourinvestmentnow,not after wars are fought. If we must “let astate take care of day care andpay for it too,” Ilook to Louisiana’slawmakers to capitalize upon therecent progress our state has madebyexpanding investment in our youngest citizens.

DERRICK TOUPS NewOrleans

Thedifferencebetween strength, powermatters,asU.S.islearning

We often conflate “strength” with “power,”yet in statecraft, they are fundamentally different. Power is influence through consent; strength is coercion through force. Power is granted by believers; strengthisimposed on those who do not believe.

The Reformation illustrates this. Catholics give thepope moral power as Christ’senvoy.When Protestants withdrew that belief, thepope lost power over them. The ensuing wars used militarystrength to defend or destroy Vatican influence, but strength failed to restore power over nonbelievers. Youcan seize territory with strength, but you cannot shoot someone into believing in your mandate.

The U.S. has dangerously ignored this.Strength is an expensive, depleting resource; every bomb exhausts it Power accumulates when used correctly.Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq are somber examples of misapplying militarystrength where American power —our influence and legitimacy —was nonexistent. The Trumpadministration has been

particularly shortsighted, dismantling the“machinery of power” forcombat strength. By mid-2025, it shuttered USAID, which earnedglobal gratitude by saving millionsoflives. Simultaneously,executive orders targeted Voice of America and Radio Free Europe, while the spaceprogram faced cuts that undermined our reputation forinnovation. These programs are inexpensive compared to military budgets, yet they build therespect that constitutes true power

Even NATO is misunderstood; it is aframeworkthat converts collective strengthintothe power of deterrence. Its success is measured by its weapons remaining silent. We must stop treating every global challenge as a testofmuscle. Military strength is a necessary “big stick,” but it should be alast resort. To truly lead, we must prioritize theinstitutions that allow us to “speak softly” and enhance American power

BRIAN HANLEY Baton Rouge

‘Can judges be impeached?’ is wrongquestion

In reference to “Can judges be impeached under current Louisiana law? Nobody knows for sure.”

As aformer judge for nearly 31 years of the Louisiana Court of Appeal, Fourth Circuit and the Orleans Parish Civil District Court, and a delegate to Louisiana’s1973 Constitution and the Committee on the Judiciary thereof and astudent of the law for nearly 60 years, Ihave no doubt that any public official in Louisiana, including ajudge, is subject to being impeached and removed by the Legislature. Impeachment is more apolitical question rather than alegal one, and the Legislature, as a sovereign body,has full authority and power to remove an individual from apublic position whena majority of the House of Representatives and two-thirds of the Senate agree to the removal.

Your article would be betteraddressed to whether the Legislature should be wasting its time arguing about apower that the Legislature already has. Ajudge is just not subject to being recalled like other elected officials.

The Legislature, in my view, should defer to the power of the Judiciary Commission of Louisiana and the SupremeCourt of Louisiana to remove ajudge, but by no stretch of the imagination is the Legislature required to do so. And the electors can always remove ajudge with whom they are dissatisfied forwhatever reason or the legislators whofail or refuse to act appropriately MAX TOBIAS NewOrleans

Whythe silenceonthe Trumps’business conflicts?

Ihad to read the article twice to makesure Iunderstood what was going on. Our president, Donald Trump, started awar where one of the primary weapons is drone technology.Now his twosons have a business selling anti-drone technology to other countries and to the U.S. government. How is that not nepotism,orworse, completely illegal?

ANTONIO TIRANTE St. George

ForchildrenofApollo, success of Artemiswas extraspecial

Thesplashdown of the Artemis II mission Friday evening, withthe crew capsule gently floating down into the Pacific Ocean under its striped parachutes, capped forNASA —and for many space fans around the world —a dramatic and exultant return to human deep space exploration after adecades-long hiatus. But for atrio of current and former Louisiana residents whose parents worked on America’sfirst crewedventures toward the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, the emotions took on an added dimension.

“My heart was palpitating,” Gary Worthington, 69, said. Worthington lives in Colorado Springs, but he spent many of his formative years in New Orleans and Slidell while his father, Kenneth, worked to make the specialized tools used to assemble the Saturn Vrocket that lifted the Apollo missions out of Earth’satmosphere.

Seeing the Space Launch System, or SLSrocket —the modern successor to the Saturn V—launchthe Artemis astronauts back toward the Moon “almost brought me to tears,” he said. KennethWorthington,who worked forBoeing, would gather thefamily around to watch launches on television.

“Wewere very excited and he was excited, too,” he recalled. “He was very proud of what he did.” Retired physician Sherry Rowland, who lives in Slidell, felt something similar. Her father,Pete, was atest engineer on the Gemini,Mercury and Apollo missions. He worked on the rocket’ssecond stage, andRowland could watch launches from her childhood home in Florida.

“He made us watch the launches all the way until the second stage engines fired,” she remembered. “It was fun. I was excited.” Rowland still keeps mementos of those days, including aNASAjacket, apass to Mission Control for the illfated Apollo 13 and abracelet her father gave her that has charms for each Apollo mission

When Artemis went up, it was aspecial moment for her “I got goose bumps,” she said. She’salready planning to travel to Florida to watch future launches in person, as she did when she was akid. Jessica Stubbs’ late father,James Hart, was another of those who worked on Apollo. Jimmy,as he was known, graduated from what is now theUniversity of Louisiana at Lafayette and went right to work at Mi-

PROVIDED PHOTO By SHERRy ROWLAND

Acollection of space and NASA-related memorabilia Sherry Rowland’s father, Pete, lefther,including alab coat anda pass to wear for theApollo 13 mission and apatch.

choud Assembly Facility,engineering fasteners for theSaturn V. Stubbs watched the splashdown Fridaynight, nervously sweating out the six minutesofradio silence while the capsule descended.

“It was emotional,” Stubbs,who now lives in Pearl River,told me. “I’m getting choked up right now,actually.”

Like the others, Stubbs remembers her father calling the family around to watch launches —healsoworked on the shuttle program —even if they were at “crazy hours.”

He brought home things he was working on for the kids to look at,and he loved hiswork “I thought abouthim theentire time,” she said. “Mydad was such a futurist, such an optimist about what

people arecapable of doing. Hehad such faith in what people could do.”

The successful return to Earth for astronauts ReidWiseman, Victor Glover,Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen completed amassive win for NASA and American space travel. The mission took the four farther away from Earth than anyhuman had ever been. They saw parts of themoon that had never been seen by human eyes. Artemisincluded thefirst person of color,the first woman and the first Canadian to makeatriparound the moon.

Thoseaccomplishments have done much to dispel, or at least temporarily suspend, much of the cynicism around thespace program and NASA, largely due to Artemisbeing years behind schedule and billions over budget. For now at least, we can focus on the awe and wonder,asearlier generationsdid morethan half acentury ago, when Worthington’sand Rowland’s fathers were helping pioneer travel to thenext frontier

In President John F. Kennedy’sfamous “Wechoose to go to theMoon” speech, he saidthe United States would do great things “not because they are easy,but becausethey are hard.” Kennedy held aloft abanner around which Americans, like Rowland, Worthington and Hart,could rally Artemishas once again raised that banner.Will we rally around it?

Email Faimon A. Roberts III at froberts@theadvocate.com.

Democratsagain attack religion

Democrats are again trying to pry some of the religious votefrom Republicans, but their actions expose the insincerity of their approach. The latest example involves an order of Catholic nuns in Hawthorne, New York, who care for the terminally ill. The WashingtonTimes reports the nuns are suingNew York State over atransgender rights law that requires nursing homes “to use pronouns,assign rooms and allow restrooms access based on apatient’sgender identity,orrisk jail time.” The New York Departmentof Health also requires facilities to“create communities” that affirm patients’ sexual preferences and “accommodate patients’ desire for extramarital relations.” Fines of up to $2,000 would be assessed forthe firstviolation andup to $5,000 for repeat violations. “Willful violations” can result in fines up to $10,000, or one year in prison. The nuns argue all such requirements violate their religious beliefs. The Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne has been around for 125 years and runs the Rosary Hill Home. Mother Marie Edward, the general manager of the Hawthorne Dominicans, issued astatement: “Wesistershave taken care of patients from all walks of life, ideologies and faiths. We treat each patient with dignity and Christian charity.We have neverhad complaints.”

Apparently not having complaints is of no concerntosecular and liberal Democrats who seem tobedoing all they can to underminewhat has been considered normative behavior for millennia.

cal standards come from, but what about other standards, or are there any standards when it comes tobehavior?

President Donald Trumphas been pressuring Senate Republicans to trash the filibuster and pass abill disenfranchising millions of voters and boosting their party’schances of controlling Congress after next fall’selections. But Sen. John Thune, the Republican leader,keeps telling Trumpthat the votes are simply not there.

“My job, obviously,istodefine reality,and the reality is that it’snot even aclose call,” he told PunchbowlNews. “A large number of Senate Republicans. feel very strongly about the filibuster,its role in our democracy, and the role it plays in giving a voice to the minority.”

Trump’stantrums are often far removed from reality,and the president is such apersistent and powerful prevaricator that Republicans generally play along, fearing his wrath and fervently fostering his fantasies. So, it’s particularly important that leaders like Thune take on the totally thankless task of telling Trumpthe truth.

Another courageous voice in Republican ranks is Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky,atrue conservative whoactually believes apresident should keep the promises he madetovoters. And Trump, he keeps insisting, vowed to end wars, not start them

“America is at war,”Paul has posted on social media. “But Americans don’twant this war They didn’tvote for it. In fact, they voted for just the opposite.”

Moreover,heinsists, the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to make war.“No others in our history have been this cavalier with our military men and womenand tax dollars as they are at this moment,” writes the senator.“Iurge my colleagues to join me in opposing both this warand the unilateral actions taken without congressional authorization, as the Constitution commands.”

The Constitution serves as acritical bulwark against Trump’sraid on reality.This tension wasonfull display at the SupremeCourt recently,when Trump’ solicitor general, D. John Sauer,argued that “birthright citizenship” should be revised in light of easy international travel that makes “birth tourism”possible.

“It’sanew world,” Sauer argued.

“It’sanew world,” retorted Chief Justice John Roberts. “It’sthe sameConstitution.”

That “sameConstitution” also thwarted Attorney General Pam Bondi, whowas repeatedly pressured to bring criminal cases against Trump’senemies, such as former FBI director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. “They’re all guilty as hell, but nothing is going to be done,” the president fulminated last fall.

As abesotted courtier,Bondi tried to please the monarch, but the cases she brought were so flimsy they kept falling apart. And Bondi finally fell, too —fired by an irate Trumpbecause she couldn’tbend the rule of law to his liking.

All federal judges are appointed forlife, and that gives them avital immunity from presidential efforts to pervert the legal system Trumpcould not contain his anger when six justices —including twohehad appointed, Neil Gorsuch and AmyConey Barrett —voted against his schemetobypass Congress and impose tariffs by executive order

He called the justices “unpatriotic and disloyal to our Constitution” when, in fact, they were exactly the opposite: loyal patriots whoresisted the president’sassault on enduring constitutional principles.

Have Democrats forgotten the Little Sisters of thePoor?

In 2011, theObamaadministration’sDepartment of Health andHuman Services issued a federal mandate as part of the Affordable Care Act. It required employers to provide contraceptives in their health insurance plans. Certain secular companies were exempted,including Exxon, Pepsi Bottling and Visa. HHS included anarrow religious exemption, but not for nonprofitslike theLittle Sisters. The order was threatened with fines of tens of millionsofdollars if they failed to comply The Little Sisterssued and lost in one court after another.Eventually they won at theSupreme Court. In 2017, PresidentDonald Trumpissued an executiveorder directing HHS and other federal agencies to protect the Little Sisters andother religious nonprofits from the mandate, demonstrating how important it is to have apresident who protectsreligious freedom.

Those whobelieve God made us “male andfemale” know where bibli-

Arewesupposed to believe that government is God and all are required to worship at the government “altar,” whether in Albany or Washington? If standards are constantly shifting, they cannot be standards.

The late Catholic theologian Bishop Fulton J. Sheen believed that moral standards are absoluteand rooted in divine law rather than subjective social trends. Sheen warned againsta “false compassion” that erodes such standards when we sympathize with wrongdoing. “If you don’tbehave as you believe, you will end by believing as you behave,”hesaid. Sheen believed that without objective, external standards of right and wrong, societycollapses into moral confusion. This is the condition of modern America. If there remains no standard for distinguishing right from wrong —other than opinion polls and legal jujitsu what can be considered as always right and always wrong?

Based on the outcome of the Little Sisters case, the New York nuns should have no problem winning their lawsuit. Be warned, though, because secular Democrats never give up.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

The economy is another crucial area where Trumpremains defiantly detached from immutable evidence. In his recent televised speech, he asserted, “Wewere adead and crippled country after the last administration and made it the hottest country anywhere in the world by far, with no inflation.”

That is simply false. Inflation is running at 3.3% annually.Plus, the Iran war has already driven gas prices to anational average well past $4 agallon, and despite the two-week ceasefire, the wider impact of that increase will continue to filter through the rest of the economy.Amazon, forinstance, has announced asurcharge on all deliveries because of rising fuel costs, and as the Washington Post put it, “Even if the conflict resolves in the next fewweeks, someeconomicpainwill linger formonths.”

Jamie Dimon,the longtimeCEO of JP Morgan Chase, whoisknownfor his clear-eyed devotion to economic reality,rebutted Trump’s rosy vision in his annual letter to his shareholders: “Now,because of the war in Iran, we additionally face the potential forsignificant ongoing oil and commodity price shocks, along with the reshaping of global supply chains, which may lead to stickier inflation and ultimately higher interest rates than markets currently expect,” Dimon wrote.

Reality always rules. The Constitution remains. That’swhy the voices devoted to facts, not fantasies, are so valuable.

Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@gmail. com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRISO’MEARA

NASA’s Artemis II moon rocket lifts off from the KennedySpace Center on April 1in Cape Canaveral, Fla.

Faimon Roberts

Steve Roberts

Cal Thomas

Ohio, on March25.

AP PHOTO By PAUL VERNON

FIRST DOWNSFIRSTDOW

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The mostusefulaspect of the annual mock draftexperienceis that it allows the user to game out scenariosfor the NFL draft, which begins April23. In this one, the New Orleans Saints comeout of thefirst round with oneofthisdraft’smost versatile defensive players

For all teamswith the exceptions of the Las VegasRaiders andNew York Jets the former are a virtuallock to select Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, andthe latterwill know they have the pick of the rest —their eventualDay 1draft pickwill in part be a byproduct of who wentoff the boardbefore them.

TheSaints have seventeamsinfront of them; six likely will use their selection on a non-quarterback,meaning ahigh degree of variance exists when considering whowill be availableatNo. 8. It willbefascinating to see how thosepicks play out.

For this exercise, Iused ProFootball Focus’ mock draft simulatortogive me apool of available playersfor each of the Saints’ picks. Here is how itshook out.

Topseven

Braun’s play oneof fewLSU bright spots

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

ANALYSIS

ä Northwestern State at LSU, 6:30 P.M.TUESDAy,SEC NETWORK+

OXFORD, Miss. LSU is sliding again. The Tigers lost their fourth consecutive game Sunday at Ole Miss. The defeat capped asweep for the Rebels and droppedLSU’s record in Southeastern Conference playto6-9 LSUlost 6-3 on Friday, got dominated 12-2 in aseven-inning loss Saturday and droppeda tight game Sunday 8-7. Here are five takeaways from the weekend at Swayze Field.

Braun’sjob to lose

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QBFernando Mendoza

2. New York Jets: Ohio State edge Arvell Reese

3. Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

4. Tennessee Titans vid Bailey 5. New York Giants: benBain

6. Cleveland Brown WR Carnell Tate

SAINTS MOCK DRAFT : i s d o

TexasTech edge DaMiami edge Rue-

s: Ohio State anders: miyah ,

7. WashingtonComm Notre Dame RB Jere Love Saints select Ohio State SCaleb Downs Once theGiants selected Bain at No. 5 it made this afairly simple calculation: One of Downs, Love or Tate was goingtobe available at No. 8. When Tate andLov were the next two pi Downs was the easy at No. 8. Because Downs’pri tion is safety,his sele top 10 would come w the usual hand-wring tionalvalue.But for th ically,thatbecomes l because Downsalmo notbedrafted to play role. Rather,hewoul Starposition vacated That is acrucial p coordinator Brando and it frequentlyhas

e cks, choice mary posiction in the ith some of ng aboutposieSaints,specifessofa concern, tcertainly would atraditionalsafety fill the void at the by Alontae Taylor. sition in defensive nStaley’s scheme been where his best

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

Ohio

AfterseniorZach Yorke’s struggles nearly costLSU the seriesagainst Tennesseethe previous weekend, LSU coach Jay Johnson turned to Braun, a freshman, at first base this week to see whether he could give the Tigers alift. Against Ole Miss, Braun went 5for 11 with adouble, and his defense was an upgrade in comparison to Yorke, who committedtwo errors against Tennes-

ahome runagainst

LSUstarJohnson picked 8th, then traded

Valkyriessend hertoStorm

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The Golden State Valkyries selectedLSU star Flau’jae Johnson with the eighth overall pick of theWNBAdraft on Monday, then tradedher to the Seattle Storm less than an hour later.

“I’m officially adrafted pro, so it means alot to me, and Ijust want to go and makeanimpact.”

FLAU’JAE JOHNSON,former LSU guard

To acquire Johnson, theStorm gave the Valkyriesa 2028 second-round pick and TCU forward Marta Suárez, who was chosen with the16thoverall selection of Monday’sdraft. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbertannounced thetrade at thepodium afew minutes afterJohnson wrappedupher

post-draft news conference “It still kind of hasn’t hit me yet, Idon’t think, allthe way,” Johnson said before she found outshe wastraded to theStorm “But Imean,justtotally grateful, having my family there, my littlebrother there. Like, that was everything to me.I’m very excited,just coming fromcol-

lege to nowthe pros.

“I’m officially adrafted pro, so it means alot to me, andI just want to go andmakean impact.”

LSUnow hasproduced firstround WNBA draft picks in threeconsecutive years for the first time in school history.Forwards AngelReese (2024) and Aneesah Morrow (2025) both were selected with the seventh overall picks of their respective drafts. Theyboth spent two

ä See JOHNSON, page 4C

STAFFPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUdesignated hitter Mason Braun hits

Ohio State safetyCaleb Downs makes acatch during the school’spro dayinColumbus,

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson wavestothe crowd during warmups before an NCAA Tournament game against TexasTech on March 22 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.Johnsonwas picked eighth in the WNBAdraft Monday.

Casan Evans LSU Baseball, Pitcher

6

6

McClain ‘day to day’ ahead of nationals

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Coach Jay Clark said Monday that LSU gymnast Konnor McClain is “day to day” ahead of nationals this week.

McClain, a star junior, aggravated an arm injury in the uneven bars routine she tried in the Tigers’ regional final meet on April 4. Clark said she’s “made some progress” since she slipped off the apparatus and that LSU is “managing” her workload before it tries to win another national title in Fort Worth, Texas, starting at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in the first semifinal session (ESPN2)

“I would stop short of guaranteeing anything at this point,” Clark said, “because around here, things change like the wind sometimes with stuff like that, but she was in a good spot Saturday and did a nice job in our intrasquad.”

McClain is one of LSU’s top gymnasts. In the regular season, she ranked in the top 12 nationally on bars and beam. When she’s healthy, she competes in those two events, plus vault.

The problem for McClain is that injuries have often surfaced at inopportune times in her career

In 2022, a back injury prevented her from defending her U.S. Championships title, and in 2024, an Achilles tendon tear took away her hopes of landing a spot on the U.S. Olympic team.

McClain first suffered her arm injury on Feb. 20, when she was warming up on bars for LSU’s road meet with Oklahoma. She hurt her forearm, wrist and ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) that night but returned to the lineup the following week against Alabama and posted a 9.975 on beam and 9.90s on vault and bars.

Now LSU’s waiting to figure out if McClain will push through the pain again, only this time at nationals. Clark said he’d like to see her compete in all three of her events.

“It’s really just gonna come down to where she is physically and mentally,” Clark said. “Right now, I feel good. I’m cautiously optimistic that she’ll be in a good place. We’ve got her on a good rhythm.”

April 4 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

just looking for an opportunity to contribute more than she felt she contributed this year, so she’s exploring those options.”

doesn’t mind the fact that his team will be a little off schedule.

Astros put Peña, Imai on IL as injury woes continue

SEATTLE As a 1-8 road trip for the Houston Astros nears its conclusion, manager Joe Espada thrice said he was “doing well” despite having every reason not to be feeling so optimistic.

The Astros placed All-Star shortstop Jeremy Peña on the 10-day injured list with a hamstring strain and rookie right-hander Tatsuya Imai on the 15-day IL with right arm fatigue Monday The moves were the latest blows to last-place Houston’s roster, which has endured an abundance of injuries.

Espada said he hopes it’s not a long IL stint for Peña and that Imai will undergo more testing after returning to Houston.

The Astros recalled right-hander J.P France, left-hander Colton Gordon and infielder Shay Whitcomb from Triple-A Sugar Land.

NFL draft prospect Bain part of ’24 deadly crash

MIAMI — Former Miami Hurricanes edge rusher Rueben Bain, a top prospect in the NFL draft, was involved in a traffic collision in 2024 that resulted in the death of a passenger, according to a report published Sunday

Bain was driving a 2021 Land Rover SUV that was involved in the crash around 4 a.m. on March 17, 2024, in Miami, according to documents obtained by The Read Optional.

The outlet reported the vehicle, carrying three other passengers, rear-ended another car and veered into a concrete wall. The collision resulted in a female passenger being severely injured. She was in a coma for nearly three months before dying from her injuries on June 13, 2024, according to The Read Optional.

Freshman transferring For the first time since Clark’s tenure began in 2020, an LSU gymnast is entering the transfer portal.

Freshman Molly Brinkman announced her intentions to find a new program on Wednesday, when she said in a social media post that she was “ready to take on a new role and that she believed that she can only do it “someplace else.” She also said that she has no “ill feelings” toward the Tigers — a sentiment that Clark echoed on Monday

“Molly’s a great kid,” Clark said. “Certainly, there’s no ill will whatsoever when somebody wants to go somewhere else I think she is

Brinkman, an Arizona native, did not compete this season. For NCAA women’s gymnastics, the portal opened on March 30, and it won’t close until May 13.

Early start

LSU will compete in Session I of the semifinals on Thursday against Stanford, Florida and Georgia. The top two scoring teams from that meet will then face the two that emerge from the other session — either Oklahoma, Arkansas, UCLA or Minnesota — on Saturday in the national championship.

The Tigers were assigned to the 3:30 p.m. session on Thursday That’s a bit of an unusual start time for them, but Clark said he

“Every year that I’m in that afternoon session,” Clark said, “assuming it goes the way you want, you always feel good about getting a little extra rest, being able to get off your feet, eat dinner at a normal time and kind of stay in some sort of rhythm and cadence.”

The semifinals will air on ESPN2, but viewers can also tune into team-specific broadcasts on ESPN+. The national championship meet will begin at 3 p.m. Saturday on ABC.

LSU is hoping to reach the national championship for the third time in the past four years. Last season, the Tigers finished third in their semifinal meet.

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

For McIlroy, chase for more majors resumes

BY DOUG FERGUSON Associated Press

AUGUSTA,Ga.— Rory McIlroy went from becoming the sixth player with the career Grand Slam to only the fourth player to win the Masters two years in a row. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only other players to occupy both clubs. Elite company, indeed.

If joining the first group wasn’t difficult enough for McIlroy 11 years of trying to get the final leg of the Grand Slam — then winning his second Masters green jacket was a clear reminder of how hard it was to get there.

“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam,” McIlroy said. “And then this year I realized it’s just really difficult to win the Masters.” So where does he go from here?

McIlroy went into a funk last year after fulfilling a lifelong dream. He became irritated by endless questions about what would motivate him, which mountain was next to scale, when all he wanted to do was soak it all in. He finally got back on track at the Irish Open. That doesn’t sound like it will be a problem this time around.

“I felt like the Grand Slam was the destination, and I realized it wasn’t,” McIlroy said after ending another wild Sunday afternoon at Augusta National with a one-shot win over Scottie Schef-

fler

“I just won my sixth major and I feel like I’m in a really good spot

with my game and my body,” he said. “I don’t want to put a number on it, but I feel like this win is just I don’t want to say a stop on the journey, it’s just part of the journey.”

Trying to put a number on how many majors he will win began long before he won his first Masters, much less the second one.

McIlroy won his first major in the 2011 U.S. Open at Congressional by shattering the 72-hole scoring record at 268. That prompted Padraig Harrington to say, “If you’re going to talk about someone challenging Jack’s record, there’s your man. Nicklaus has the gold standard of 18 majors. Woods is next at 15.

McIlroy is at six, tied with Nick Faldo, Lee Trevino and Phil Mickelson.

Fred Couples piled on this week when he said on Thursday, “By the way, Rory may never lose this thing again after last year.” And the following day Couples added, “I mean, he really could win five more of these.”

Easy, right?

“Yeah, I don’t make it easy,” McIlroy said. “I used to make it easy back in my early 20s when I was winning these things by eight shots.” It wasn’t easy a year ago when he lost a Sunday lead once on the front nine and twice on the back nine before beating Justin Rose in a playoff. And it didn’t look that way this time when he lost a sixshot lead on Saturday, and then twice found himself two shots behind different players, Cameron Young on the front nine and Jus-

tin Rose on the back.

Scheffler was in range and had to settle for making 11 straight pars. Young had birdie putts on eight straight holes on the back nine and converted none of them. And then McIlroy was a whisker away from trouble over the final hour the wedge that barely cleared the false front on the 15th, a sporty up-and-down from off the 17th green that gave him a two-shot cushion going to the last hole, and a drive so far right McIlroy wasn’t sure where it was when he walked off the tee.

It ended with more joy than relief, a big difference from a year ago. The only tears came when he spoke to his parents, who were not at Augusta a year ago and had to be persuaded to come this year because they didn’t want to jinx him.

With a bogey on the last hole he could afford, it ended with a oneshot advantage over Scheffler the No 1 player in the world. This was the first time since the 2002 U.S. Open the top two players in the world — Woods and Mickelson at Bethpage Black were the top two at a major McIlroy and Scheffler have combined to win four of the past five majors. Scheffler is a U.S. Open short of joining the career Grand Slam club, and his position at No. 1 in the world is not threatened even after McIlroy’s latest Masters title.

“I’ve competed against him for a long time, and you don’t win the amount of tournaments that he’s won out here without being pretty resilient,” Scheffler said.

Alabama transfer WR out for at least start of season TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama wide receiver Noah Rogers will miss the early part of the regular season because of an injury suffered in the team’s annual spring game, coach Kalen DeBoer said Monday Rogers, a 6-foot-2, 201-pound transfer from N.C. State, was carted off the field Saturday after attempting to catch a pass in the end zone.

“Unfortunately, he suffered an injury that’s going to take a little while to recover,” DeBoer said during an interview with WTUGFM in Tuscaloosa. “It will bleed into the season here a little bit. I’m not going to give a timeline exactly He won’t be ready to go right when the season starts.”

Rogers, a fourth-year junior caught 68 passes for 919 yards and three touchdowns over his last two seasons at N.C. State.

Broadcaster Vitale set for another cancer battle

Famed ESPN broadcaster Dick Vitale is facing another battle with cancer

Vitale said Monday that biopsy results had confirmed a diagnosis of melanoma in his lung and liver cavity, which will have him starting immunotherapy It marks his fifth battle with cancer, which sidelined him from the airwaves for two years before his return shortly before March Madness in 2025.

“I’ve beaten melanoma,” the 86-year-old Vitale said in a statement released by ESPN. “I’ve beaten lymphoma. I’ve beaten vocal-cord cancer I’ve beaten lymph-node cancer I’m 4 for 4 and I’m fully confident I’m going to make it 5 for 5.”

Former Cardinals coach McGinnis dies at 74

NASHVILLE, Tenn. Former Arizona Cardinals head coach and longtime NFL assistant Dave McGinnis, known simply as “Coach Mac,” died Monday He was 74. McGinnis, who had been in declining health, died at Ascension St. Thomas Midtown Hospital with his family at his side, according to the Tennessee Titans. He had been the Titans’ color commentator on game broadcasts since 2017 and was a constant presence on radio shows and team podcasts. Controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk said the Titans will miss McGinnis and will always be grateful for the legacy he leaves.

“He was family,” Strunk said. “Coach Mac gave so much of himself to this organization over the years, and his passion, loyalty and love for the Titans never wavered.”

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU gymnast Konnor McClain soars over the vault table during the first rotation in the regional finals on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Augusta National Golf Club chairman Fred Ridley puts the green jacket on Rory McIlroy after the Masters on Sunday in Augusta, Ga

Horschel,HogecommittoZurichClassic

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Billy Horschel, atwo-time Zu-

rich Classic champion, will pair with PGA Tour veteran TomHoge at this year’sZurich Classic, tournament officials announced Monday

Horschel is the only player to claim both individual and team titles at the event, which will be held April 23-26 at TPC of Louisiana. He recorded his first career victory on the PGA Tour at the 2013 Zurich and teamedwith Scott Piercy to win thetournament five years later

Horschel wasforced to withdraw from last year’s Zurich Classic due to ahip injury and returned to the PGA Tour in October,scoring atie for 11th in the Bank of Utah Challenge, his secondtournament back. Prior to his surgery,hehad finished tied for ninth in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied forfourth in the Valspar Championship played three weeks before the Zurich Classic.

“Wewelcome Billy back to our tournamentafter hisinjurylast year,” said Steve Worthy,CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation,pro-

ducer of the tournament. “Hehas shown consistent success in the ZurichClassic over theyears. In addition to his two wins, he finished tied for fourthinthe 2021 tournament andearneda solo second the following year,sowe alwaysexpect tosee him on the leaderboard,againwith agreat partner in TomHoge.”

Horschel and Hoge join afield that includes,amongothers, BrooksKoepka, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala, andreigning champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak.

Horschel hasbecome amainstay at theZurich, where he has developed astrongfollowing among fans and longstanding

Skenes,LoweleadPirates to rout againstNationals

By The Associated Press

PITTSBURGH FormerLSU

star Paul Skenes allowed one hit in six strong innings and Brandon Lowe homered for the third time in twogames, driving in five runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates steamrolled the Washington Nationals 16-5 to begin afour-game series Monday night.

Skenes (3-1) struck out six and walked one, throwinga career-high 32 changeups among his 88 pitches while improving to 7-1 in his last 11 home starts. The only run he gave up came on a first-inning homer by CJ Abrams. Lowe went 3for 5with a two-run single in the second and his sixth homer athree-run shot in the Pirates’ 10-run sixth. He had agrand slam and asoloshot SundayatWrigley Field in

BY ANDREWDAMPF Associated Press

ROME Sure, Jannik Sinnerispleased to have the No. 1ranking back. His biggesttakeaways fromavictory over Carlos Alcaraz in the Monte Carlo Masters final, though, were finally winning abig claycourt title anddoing it by beating his biggest rival on his most challenging surface. “It means alot to me, becauseitmeans I’mprogressing,” Sinner said.

For Sinner,itwas afirst step toward achieving his main goal for 2026: winning the French Open to completeacareer Grand Slam. That’sanachievement Alcaraz completed when he won the Australian Open in January —making him at 22 the youngestman to have held aloft all four

a7-6 loss to the Cubs Lowebecame thefirstPiratesplayer to knockinat least five runs in consecutive games since RBIsbecame an official statistic in 1920.

OneilCruzreached base four straight times for Pittsburgh and went 2for 3 to extend hishittingstreak to acareer-high 12 games. He had three RBIsand scored three runs. Bryan Reynolds had a bases-loaded triple in the sixthand an RBIsingle in thesecond. He finished with three of theteam’s16hits. Pittsburgh has scored 38 runs in Skenes’ four starts this season after totaling37 runs in his first 11 outings last year

Skenes struck out three in the first, but Abrams hit a99.5 mphfastball on afull count for his fifth home run anda1-0 lead.

Cruz’sbases-loaded walk tied it in the second against Cade Cavalli (0-1) before Lowe’stwo-run single and Reynolds’ run-scoring single chased the right-hander after he allowed fourruns in 11/3 innings.

Spencer Horwitz hithis first homer of theseason leading offthe third against Paxton Schultzfor a5-1 advantage.

KonnorGriffin added an RBI single in Pittsburgh’s 10-run sixth.

José Urquidy allowedsix hitsand four runs, two on Jacob Young’ssecond homer,asthe Nationals batted around in the seventh.Evan Sisk worked two innings and struckout theside on 10 pitches in the ninth to end it.

Position player Joey Wiemerpitched the eighth forthe Nats and allowed Joey Bart’ssacrifice fly

majortrophies.

“Winning abig tournament onclay was one of our goals for this year,so there’snobetterway to start,” said SimoneVagnozzi,who coaches the 24-year-oldSinneralongside Darren Cahill. Sunday’smeetingwas the first on clay between thetop two men’stennisplayers since Alcaraz saved three matchpoints and came back tobeat Sinner in a fifth-settiebreaker in last year’sFrench Open final.

“I’m not surprised,” Alcaraz said. “We’ve already seen his levelonthis surface and he’simproving a lot year after year.Hecan win any tournament on any surface. He understands thegamevery well on clay.”

While Alcaraz claimed this year’sfirst major in Australia, Sinnerhas now followed up his “Sunshine

Double” of hard-courttitles in Indian Wells, California, and Miami with another Masters series trophy.Sinner is on a17-match winning streak during which he has dropped only one set— in thethird round in MonteCarlo against Tomas Machac.

In the new rankings released Monday, Sinner moved 110 pointsahead of Alcaraz, who had been No. 1since November

“It’snice, obviously.I would be aliar to say anything else,” Sinner said.

“But it doesn’tchange my thought process. I’m playing to win tournaments and Carlos and Iare very close, so therankings can change from one week to thenext.

“There are

London. Let’ssee where we are after those tournaments,” Sinner said.

friendships in the local community.Hehas earned morethan$3 million in 13 appearances at the tournament.

His first career Tour victory came in 2013 at the Zurich Classic, with amemorable 26-footputt on the 72nd hole. That culminated afour-tournamentstreak when he finished tied forsecond, tied for thirdand tiedfor ninth in his first full season on the PGA Tour Horschel, 39, paired withPiercy to winthe Zurich Classic again in 2018, the second year of the event’steam format. Horschel and Piercy defeated theteam of PatPerez and Jason Dufner by one stroke.

Horschel, ranked No.97inthe WorldGolf Rankings, has won eight times on the PGATour and twice on theEuropean Tour.His bestfinish this season is atie for 13thplace at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Horschel recovered from a disappointing PGA Tour 2022-23 season by winning the2024 Corales Puntacana Championship andposting 13 top-25finishes during the2023-24 campaign. He also tied for secondinThe Open Championship; tied for seventh in theTexas Children’sHouston

Open and the Wyndham Championship; tiedfor eighth in the PGA Championship andtiedfor 10th in theFedEx St.Jude Championship. Hoge posted atie foreighthin this year’s American Express and atie for 14th in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He is rankedNo. 111. Last season,heposted eight top 25 and four top-10 finishes, the highest atie forthird in The PlayersChampionship. His best finish in 10 appearances at the Zurich Classic was a10thplace tie in 2018, when he teamed withJ.J. Henry.Heteamed with Harris English to finish tiedfor 13thin2023.

Hoge,36, enjoyed an outstanding season in 2022-23 when he posted 12 top-25 finishesin33 events. At The PlayersChampionship thatyear,after making the cutonthe number, he carded a third-round 62, thelowest singleround score in tournament history He won the2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am forhis first official victory on the PGA Tour.Healso recorded ateam wininthe unofficial QBE Shootout playing with Theegala. He tiedfor ninth in the 2022 PGA Championship.

Walker football seekingnew coachasMahaffeydeparts

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

Walker football is looking for its next head coach after De La Salle announced former Wildcats coach Chad Mahaffey as theschool’s next head coach on Monday Mahaffey took over Walker in 2019 after he spent nine seasons coaching at University High. He compiled a 142-59 record over 16 seasons at Walker and U-High, and one season at Vermilion Catholic. He won three statetitles and eight district championships across his time as head coach at Walker and U-High. He coached the Wildcats to theirbestseasoninschool history in 2023. Walker finished10-3 andmadethe DivisionInonselect quarterfi-

Baseball

Monday’s scores St. John 15, FalseRiver 0 Family Christian 18,East Feliciana 8 Albany10, Maurepas5 Westlake7,Catholic-B.R. 3 Central-B.R. 5, Teurlings Catholic 2 East Ascension 11, Acadiana 5 Lutcher 11, John Ehret 1 Liberty 5, Woodlawn-B.R. 0 LiveOak 7, French Settlement 2 Brusly 15, Fisher 0 Cecilia 10, Southern Lab 0 North Iberville 16,Donaldsonville1 NorthlakeChristian 8, Springfield7 Ascension Catholic 6, Dunham 5 Holden 8, Ascension Christian 2 Catholic-P.C.7,Assumption 2 Softball

Monday’s scores White Castle 29,Tara14 Opelousas 19,North Central 2 Newman 24, South Plaquemines 2 Lutcher 9, Destrehan 2 Haynes Academy14, St. James 2 Episcopal 18, Woodlawn 8 NorthlakeChristian 6, University 2 Slaughter Community Charter 16 North Iberville 0 St. Michael 17, Madison Prep 1 Brusly 13, St. John 0 Walker 2, John Curtis0

nalsfor the first time in the program’s history The teamfinished2024 witha 7-5record andwon afirst-round playoff game over Dutchtown. In Mahaffey’sfinal season at Walker,the Wildcats finished 2025 witha 1-9record andwere 0-6 in District 5-5A play

PREP REPORT

St. Thomas More13, Cecilia 3 Parkview Baptist 5, Kaplan 4 French Settlement 8, Denham Springs 0 Tennis

Girls

Monday Dunham 4, Ascension Christian 1

Singles Bella Dupont (Dunham) def Luciy Levert (ACHS) 6-1,6-2 Campbell Banks(Dunham) defKali Mixon (ACHS) 6-0,6-2 Doubles Kaitlin Ellingburg/AbbyBerry (ACHS) defKate Adams/BaileyAdams (Dunham) 6-4,7-6(5) Tori Turner/Ivanna Bonkachi (Dunham) defElizabeth Akin/Savannah Morales (ACHS)6-7(5),6-1,10-8 Elizabeth Ortiz/Bella Temple (Dunham) def Willo Powell/Melody Lindsay (ACHS) 7-5,6-2 Baton Rouge 4, Woodlawn-B.R. 0 Singles Ryann Beamon (BR) def. Katherine Russell (Woodlawn) 6-0,6-0 Emily Feng (BR) def. CaitlynGruse (Woodlawn) 6-3,6-4 Doubles Meredith McNulty/Asha Reddy (BR) def. Hala Shehadeh/Luciana Urias Torres (Woodlawn) 6-0,6-0 LillianTessier/Fionna Lu (BR) def Jada Johnson/Cadence Smith (Woodlawn) 6-0,6-0 Boys Monday Dunham 3, Ascension Christian 2 Singles Josh Miller (ACHS) defHayes Cassidy(Dunham) 6-0,6-0 Hayden Cowen(Dunham) def Parker Stevens (ACHS) 6-2,6-1 Doubles Chris Oliver /LucianPham (Dunham) defHaroldBerry/Kason Tanner(ACHS)6-1,6-2 Jonathan Winter/ColeLindsay (ACHS) defBennett Lasseigne/ Cooper Eeingenburg(Dunham) 6-1,7-6(4) Adam Nesheiwat /Jackson

FILE PHOTO By PATRICK DENNIS FootballcoachChad Mahaffeyhas left Walker after seven seasons to lead the De La Salle team.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MAXBECHERER

Billy Horschel watches his putt on the eighth green during the third round of theZurich Classic on April 23, 2022, at TPCofLouisiana in Avondale.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By GENE J. PUSKAR Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes throws apitch duringthe firstinning of agameagainst the Nationals on Monday in Pittsburgh

JOHNSON

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years at LSU. Johnson played all four seasons of her collegiate career with the Tigers, which means that she’sthe first four-year LSU player chosen in the first round of the draft since 2012, when the Washington Mystics selectedforward LaSondra Barrett with the 10th overall pick. On Monday,five guards were chosen ahead of Johnson.

UConn’sAzzi Fudd came off the board when the Dallas Wings scooped her up with the first overall pick, and TCU’sOlivia Miles heard her name called when theMinnesota Lynx took her second. The Chicago Sky then took UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez with the fifth pick, the Toronto Tempo choseUCLA’s Kiki Rice with thesixthselection, and the Portland Fire added Spain’sIyana MartínCarrión with the seventh choice

Once those guards were chosen, Johnson didn’t have to wait much longer to hear her name. She was widely expectedtobea top-10 pick, in large part because she proved she could be both an efficient outside shooter and active perimeter defender during hertime in Baton Rouge. There, she played under abright spotlight.

“I think pressure makes diamonds,” Johnson said, “and I’m super excited to come and add whatIcan All Iwant to do is add value, and Ifeellikeany place that Icome add value to is going to elevate.”

In 2022, Johnson enrolled at LSU as the 26thbest recruitinher freshman class, according to

SAINTS

ESPN. She was the first McDonald’sAll-American to sign with the Tigers after coach KimMulkey took over the program in 2021, and she wound up starting 139 gamesinher career —a span that doubledasone ofthe most successfulstretches in program history.

LSU went125-20 (.862) from 2022-26withJohnson onboard. It won its first national championship at the end of Johnson’sfreshman year,then reached the second weekend of the NCAATournament when she was a sophomore, juniorand senior Johnson’scollegiate career endedMarch27 when Dukehit alastsecond shot to bounce the Tigers out of the tournament in theSweet16. She finished with 2,063 career points —the sixth-most in LSU history

Johnson, who’salso built asuccessful career as a rapper,was eligibletodeclare for last year’sdraft, butbecause she decided to return to LSU for her senior season, she’snow partofthe first rookie classthat plays under the league’snew collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

The league and its players hammered out the termsofthat deal just in timefor their 30th season, which will tip off on May 8. In an interestingtwist, the two teams who negotiated thetrade forJohnson on Monday will playeach other in their respective season openers on that night.

TheStorm also hadthe third and 14th overall picks of the draft, and it used the choices to select Spainforward AwaFam Thiam and Duke guard TainaMair

Francis Mauigoa

second-level defender has played. That wastruewiththe LosAngeles Rams (Jalen Ramsey,previously an All-Pro corner) andwith the Los Angeles Chargers (Derwin James, previously an All-Pro safety) Downs is one of the premier players in this draft, and he wouldfill an immediate need for the Saints, givingthem both aphysicalpresence in the run game and an instinctive athlete in the passing game. Others considered:LSU CB Mansoor Delane, USC WR Makai Lemon Rest of 1stround

9. Kansas City Chiefs: Miami OT

National champion Bruins have record draftnight

BY BRIANMAHONEY

AP basketball writer

NEWYORK— The party isn’tover for UCLA after it won its national championship. The Bruins hadanother big celebration at the WNBA draft.

Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez and Kiki Rice were taken with picks Nos. 4-6 on Monday night, barely aweek after helping the Bruins win their first NCAA championship. UCLAbecame the first team to have five first-round selections, and the first with six players selected in one draft

In awhirlwind stretch where the Bruins were feted fromcoast to coast, the good timeshit theirpeak at the draft, wherethe best team this season took its place amongthe best of all time.

“It’sreally hard to sum up because there’ssomuch,” Jaquez said. “I think that we’re just on ahigh right now.Wejust won the nationalchampionship. Alot of us have also graduated college, which is ahuge step and somethingtobesuper proud of, especially at UCLA

“Andthenwegot to go to Jimmy Kimmel, aLaker game, Clipper game, dance, have the celebration at Pauley Pavilion. We went on ‘Good Morning America’ thismorning. Obviously, a lot of us are hereatthe draft tonight being drafted. It’sjustbeen aspecial moment.”

The 6-foot-7 Betts was selected by theWashington Mystics, with Jaquez thentaken by the Chicago Sky.The expansionToronto Tempo made Rice theirfirst draft pick withthe No. 6selection.

With coach CoriClosesittingnear herplayers, the Bruins kept having reasonstostandupand cheer.They weregoing so quickly that after Angela Dugalic was taken at No. 9tojoin Betts in Washington, she worried she’d miss witnessing more big moments for her teammates

10. Cincinnati Bengals: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling 11. MiamiDolphins: LSU CB Mansoor Delane

12.DallasCowboys: Utah OT Spencer Fano

13. Los Angeles Rams: Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq

14. Baltimore Ravens: Oregon S Dillon Thieneman

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Penn State OG Olaivavega Ioane

16. New York Jets: Auburn DE Keldric Faulk

17. Detroit Lions: Miami edge Akheem Mesidor 18. MinnesotaVikings: USC WR Makai Lemon

19. CarolinaPanthers: Arizona State WR Jordyn Tyson

20. Dallas Cowboys: Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy

LB CJ Allen

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByPAMELA SMITH

UCLA center LaurenBetts poses with WNBA commissioner CathyEngelbertafter beingselected fourth overall by the Washington Mystics in the first round of the WNBA draft on MondayinNew york.

Betts said she wasn’tsurprised, having watched howhard her teammates worked.

“These are likemysisters, and getting to watch your family do something like that is amazing,”Betts said. “But Imean, this team is just so special. We knew thetype of players that we had on theteam, andtoreally just have this night really showcase allofthe things that we’ve workedonall seasonis just amazing.”

UCLA went 37-1, routing South Carolina on April 5inthe title game with theirseniors scoring all of their points in the Final Four —and then made WNBAhistorywhen Gianna Kneepkens was drafted by Connecticut with the 15th and final pick of the

21.Pittsburgh Steelers:Georgia

22. Los Angeles Chargers: ClemsonCBAvieon Terrell

23. Philadelphia Eagles: Texas A&M edge Cashius Howell

24. Cleveland Browns: Indiana WR OmarCooper

25. ChicagoBears:ToledoS EmmanuelMcNeil-Warren

26. Buffalo Bills:Florida DT CalebBanks

27. San Francisco 49ers: Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor

28. Houston Texans: Clemson DT PeterWoods

29. Kansas City Chiefs: Washington WR Denzel Boston

30. Miami Dolphins:Clemson OT Blake Miller

31.New England Patriots:Ohio State DT Kayden McDonald

32. Seattle Seahawks: Clemson

first round. Close has said she doesn’t careabout records, but thatchanged Monday

“Well, Imean, Isort of do care about this oneactually, because No.1,ithelps us in recruiting.Ithink we’ve really taken adevelopmental approach to this and to see it cometofruition the way it hasisobviously really gratifying,” she said. UConn had theprevious recordof four first-round selections —all in the first six picks —in2002. Sue Bird was No. 1, Swin Cash No. 2, Asjha Jones No. 4and Tamika Williams No. 6from ateam that went 39-0.

Charlisse Leger-Walkerwas takenby the Sun in the second round as the last UCLA player to be picked Monday

edge T.J. Parker Saints’Day 2picks No. 42: Oklahoma edge R. MasonThomas Having hadnoshotattaking oneofthe draft’stop threepass rushers in the first round, let’s give the pass rush some juice here. Thomas wouldhave to clear some bars for the Saints because of his frame —he’s6-foot-2, 241 pounds with 313/4-inch arms butifthe Saints want to get into thebendy edge rusher market, Thomas could provide good value in thesecond round as asituational rusherbehind starters Chase Young and Carl Granderson. Others considered:Louisville WR Chris Bell, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez No.73: Arkansas RB MikeWashington Iwentintothis saying receiv-

er was amustwithone of the Saints’ first three picks, and Icame away from it with zero receivers. But Icouldn’tignore the explosive potentialofWashington, whom Idid not expect to be there at No. 73. He topped 1,000yards only once in college, but it was in his lone season at Arkansas, where he rackedup an impressive 13 runs of 20 or moreyards. Aconsistentlyexplosive run game behind an improved offensive line arguably would benefitTyler Shough’sdevelopmentmore than alate Day 2receiver Others considered: IndianaWR Elijah Sarratt, Iowa State DT Domonique Orange EmailLuke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

LSU

Continued from page1C ON DECK

Continued from page1C

see.

Braun’srecent productionhas made Johnson comfortable with starting him against both left- and right-handed pitching.

“He’sagood hitter,” Johnson said Saturday.“Iwas veryoptimistic in bringing him here.”

Braun’sability to consistently make contactmade himanintriguingbat heading into the season. If he continues to hit the ball hard over the second half of SEC play,there won’tbeany reason forJohnson to take him outof the lineup, whether he’sat first base, designated hitter or in the outfield.

Paz’suse

There was one decision Johnson made Sunday that raised alot of eyebrows amongLSU fans.

In the seventh inning, after LSU scored seven runs in thetop half to tie the game, Johnson stuck with Paz —a freshman righthander —tobegin the bottom of the inning, despite top reliever Deven Sheerin beingavailable in the bullpen.

Paz faced one batter —center fielder Hayden Federico —in the seventh, inducing abouncing balltothe right side that got past Eddie Yamin and second baseman Brayden Simpson. The play wasnot ruled an error,but Simpsonsaiditwas achopperthathe should’ve handled.

“(Paz) did what he needed todo, andhehit agroundball,” Johnson said. “And we didn’t make the play.” Even if Paz did his job,Federico became the game-winning run for the Rebels. Sheerin entered

afterthe hit andgaveupaoneout singlethat allowed Ole Miss to retake the lead.

Despite theresult, Johnsonhad no regrets about keeping Pazin thegame. He liked thematchup against Federico, even if Paz entered Sunday with an 8.84 ERA.

“I thought the mix (Paz had) was better for Federico,” Johnson said.“Like,wewalkedhim with Sheerin the next time around.”

Paz had tossed ascoreless inning in thesixth, and he has pitched much better after arocky start to the season. He hasn’t walked abatter in his lastthree outings, and before last weekend, he hadn’tallowed arun in four of his last six appearances.

Brown’sSEC campaign

By no means is Jake Brown having abad junior season. The right fielderhas ateam-high 15 home runs, a1.102 on-base plus slugging percentage and acareer-best .676 sluggingpercentage. He’slifting theball more often to his pull side, and it’stranslated into alot more production.

But Brown hasn’tplayed up to the level LSU needs him to be at in SECplay. He’shitting .228 with 16 strikeouts in 15 conference games. He has fivehome runs two cameagainstOle Miss —but only oneofhis seven doubles has come against SEC competition. Brown washitting over .400 through most of the nonconference schedule. Sustaining that level of production against the SEC wasn’trealistic, but theTigers need Brown to be closer to the hitterhewas last year in conference play —hitting over .300 and postinga 1.048 OPS —than what they’ve gotten so far in 2026. Freshman headaches

In thefirstfouryearsofJohn-

son’s tenure, LSU didn’theavily rely on itsfreshmentocontribute right away.The Tigers have had ahandful of freshmenwho were long-term pieces on thebench, even if they also had at least a few first-year players holding important rolesinthe bullpenor starting in the lineup.

Thathasn’t been thecase this season.Braun, Paz,catcher Omar Serna andright-hander Zion Theophilus have been thrust into regular roles on the weekend. Right-handerReagan Ricken has been astaple on the mound in midweek games, and infieldersJackRuckertand EthanClauss have entered SEC contests as defensive replacements.

Theonlyfreshmanwho hasn’t seen the field is left-hander Jonah Aase, who is still recovering from Tommy Johnsurgery. Infielder/outfielder William Patrickalso hasn’tplayed much, but thatcould change if the Tigers continue to struggle. Patrick was moved to the infieldatthe endof last month to gethis athleticism on thefieldmore often

Serna and Braun have been bright spots, and Theophilus and Pazhave shown flashes of promising play, but LSU’sreliance on its freshmen hasn’talwaysworked out, especially in the middle infield.

Ruckert andClauss have struggledwhen they’vegotten theiropportunitiesinSEC play Ruckert hasthree errors and has appeared in just onegame since bobbling aballinthe eighth inning of theseries finaleagainst Oklahoma, amistakethat likely cost LSUa series win over the Sooners. Claussmadeacrucial error in theeighthinning Friday by failing to touch secondbase on a potential doubleplaythatresulted

in no outs.

“Theyspend moretimeoutside of practice time than anybody So their competitive character (and)their work ethicare going to get them past that,” Johnson said. “There’sanelement of playing timethat is necessary for your development. It’snecessary.”

In yearspast, LSUwouldn’t have turned to ClaussorRuckert to make aplay on the infield in amust-win game. Butgiven thedefensive struggles of the veteran options on theinfield, Johnsonhas hadlittlechoicebut to playthe kids.

“Maybe it’s unfair of me to put (Clauss) in that situation tonight, or maybe Jack earlier,”Johnson said. “I believe both of them are capable of getting the jobdone. Theyhaven’t, but they’renot the only ones.

“We’vehad to make switches in who we’re making defensive replacements with because the other guys, outside of Steven (Milam),haven’tplayed very good,either.Sothis is notaJack andEthan thing at all.”

TexasA&M series

LSU’supcoming series with Texas A&M in Baton Rouge places alot of pressure on the Tigers.

WHO: LSU (22-15) vs Northwestern State (23-13)

WHEN: 6:30 p.m.,Tuesday

WHERE: Alex Box Stadium

ONLINE: SECNetwork+ RADIO: WDGL-FM, 98.1 (Baton Rouge); WWL-AM, 870 (New Orleans);KLWB-FM, 103.7 (Lafayette)

RANKINGS: LSUand Northwestern State are not in D1Baseball’stop25 rankings

PROBABLE STARTERS: LSU— TBA; Northwestern State —TBA PREGAME UPDATES: theadvocate com/lsu ON X: @KokiRiley

WHATTOWATCH FOR: LSUhas struggled against mid-major opponents this season with six losses, including last week’s defeat vs.Bethune-Cookman.The Tigers also have dropped games to Sacramento State (twice), UL, McNeese State and Northeastern Northwestern State lost its latest seriestoHouston Christian last weekendathome, falling 5-2 on Fridayand 11-5 on Sunday. Koki Riley

After Sunday’sloss, LSU is the No. 75 team in the RPI,and it has thetoughestpart of its conference schedule coming up withthe Aggies, Florida, Georgia andMississippi State still left to play. TexasA&M also heads into Alex Box Stadium on ahot streak, beating Texastwice lastweekend before Sunday’s game was cancelled because of inclement weather. Aseries loss would put the Tigers in serious danger of missingthe NCAA Tournament. But two wins would getLSU to amore respectable 8-10 recordinthe SEC and give it amuch-needed RPI boost. The Aggies arethe No 12 team in the metric EmailKoki Riley at koki.riley@ theadvocate.com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

Dumars,Pelicanshave tons of issuestosolve

Dejounte Murray would have much rather spent his Monday morning preparing for aplayoff opponent than doing exit interviews with the media. But there he was fielding questions about asecond straight disappointing season for the New Orleans Pelicans that ended Sunday nightwith aloss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Williamson playedin62game this season, the second-most games he’splayedsince being drafted with theNo. 1overall pick in 2019.

ward, but they finished theseason losing 10 of their last 11 games.

Oneofthe brightest spots was theplayofthe rookies, evidentin Sunday’sloss.

Curry, Warriors intend to extend theirseason

BY JANIE MCCAULEY AP sportswriter

SANFRANCISCO StephenCurry practically glared in delight when he scored and was fouled in his first gameback after missing more than two months because of aknee injury He brought back his celebratory shimmy,shaking hisupper body after being sent to the floor on thatplayafter alayupwhen he drovepast former teammate Kevin Durant.

Curry’spregame dribbling and shooting routine had fans showing up early again in the regular season’sfinal weekat ChaseCenterjustfor aglimpse, phone cameras held high —including by the rehabbing Jimmy Butler —tocapture the must-seemoments as everyone suddenly realizes No.30ishardly immortal, as much as it used to seem.

Anditmight be short-lived, for this season anyway. These injuryplagued Golden StateWarriors are along shot, even if Curry hopes to save the day on his troublesome right knee.

“I hate it,” Murray said aboutmissing the playoffs. “I hate it with apassion. It’shard for me. The playoffs are something that you should want to be apart of. But there is a process to get to the playoffs. You don’tjust start an NBA season and say,‘Hey, we’re automatically in the playoffs.’ Everything has to be everything from top to bottom.”

Thetop starts with JoeDumars, who will address the media Tuesday after competing his first season as the executive vice president of basketballoperations for the Pelicans. His first yearended much like the final season of his predecessorDavid Griffin. The Pelicans finished 21-61 last year, leadingto Griffin’sfiring. The win total improved by just five games (26-56) under Dumars.

So it’ll be up to Dumars to turn things around with some key decisions he willhave to make this offseason.

Will the team removethe interim head coach tag from James Borrego, who took over after Willie Green was fired 12 gamesintothe season? Or will Dumars bring in someone from the outside What will the team do withZion Williamson,the face of thefranchise the past seven seasons?

Will the Pelicans be able to move Jordan Poole? Poole,the secondhighest-paid player on theroster acquired in thetrade for CJ McCollum, played in just 39 games this season.

What can the Pelicans do to become abetter rebounding team?

How can they improve on their 3-point shooting?Who is the go-to guy in crunch time?

BorregosaidMondaythatheand Dumars haven’ttalked abouthis immediate future yet.

“We’ve just been focusing on the dayinand thetask and theseason,”Borrego said. “We didn’t getintothe weedsof what’snext and what’scoming. We have hadaninitial conversation moreonthe reflection of the season and just looking back at what did we do well and what are some areas of improvement. Those conversations have started.That’sbeen our initial conversation. Where it goes from there we will see.”

Despite the third-worst record in franchise history for an 82-game season, Borrego saw some positives.

“The thing I’m the most proud of is the commitment to compete every night,” Borrego said. “We built acultureofcompetitiveness and availability.From December 1to(Sunday) night, we were the eighth-most healthy team.We showed up andwewere available.

That has been anissue here in the past.I’m proud that we turned. We hadan amazing spirit in ourgym every day.”

There was astretch after the AllStar breakwhenthe Pelicans went 10-5 andseemed to be trending up-

Rookie guard Jeremiah Fears played in all 82 games and recorded 36 points, 10 rebounds andfive assists in thefinale. The19-yearold is the first rookie in franchise history to record 30-pluspoints in three straight games, and the first teenager in NBAhistory to score 35 or more points in three straight games

Fellowrookie DerikQueen, who played in 81 gamesthisseason, scored 30 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against theTimberwolves. The 22 rebounds were the mostinfranchise history by arookie. He’sjust the second rookie since 2000 tohave a game with at least30points and 20 rebounds. The otherwas San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama

“Wesaw significant growth on both ends, but we still have along waystogo,” Borrego said. “The areas of growth for this team are on thedefensive end, clearly.Our physicality, our toughness, our aggression hastoturn. That starts here in theoffseason.”

It’s an offseason that’sstarting afew weeks beforethe Pelicans would have liked. ThePelsfinished 11thinthe WesternConference andwith the eighth-worstrecord in the NBA.

“Asateam, Ifeel like there were ebbs andflows,” forwardTrey Murphysaid.“Obviously we didn’t finish theway we wanted to finish. Overall, we didn’tget to our main goals which was playing in the postseason.Now we have to take another step.”

Dumars’decisions over the next few weekswill define what those steps are for the Pelicans.

Rivers stepsdownasBucks head coach

BYSTEVE MEGARGEE

AP sportswriter

MILWAUKEE Doc Rivers is stepping down as Milwaukee Bucks coach, cappingatumultuous year in which he was selected for the Hall of Fame while his injury-riddled team fell far short of expectations.

“I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,” Rivers saidMonday in astatement released by the team.

“Coming back to whereI got my start, to acity that has always embraced me, has been aprivilege. Iamdisappointed that things did not turn out the way any of us hoped, but Iamdeeply grateful for this experience, the relationships built, and unwavering support from our fans and the community. Milwaukee will always meanalot to me, and this chapter will hold a special place in my heart.”

The announcement comes aday after the Bucks ended a32-50 season that snapped their run of nine straight playoff appearances. The news release announcingRivers’ departure as coach didn’t indicate whether he might have any role with the team moving forward

“It has been an honor tohave Doc as our coach and as aleader in ourorganization and community,” Bucks owners WesEdens, Jimmy Haslam, Dee Haslam and Jamie Dinan said in astatement. “Inaddition to his impact on the court,

we’re thankfulfor Doc’sclass and professionalism during his tenure in Milwaukee.”

Rivers went 97-103 in 21/2 seasons with theBucks.Heowns a1,194866 overall record andovertook

GeorgeKarlfor sixthplace on the career wins list among NBA coaches this season. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced this month thatRivers would be part of its newestinduction class.

The64-year-old had left little doubt about his future as the seasonwound down

“I have seven grandkids now and they’reall 8years and under,” Riverssaid about his future before an April 7loss at Brooklyn. “Andit kills me every time Imiss grandparents’ day with each one of them in school. And it’sprobably time to go see them more. So,I’lllet you figure out therest.”

Rivers’ exitcomesamidquestionssurroundingthe future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, wholed Milwaukee to itsfirst title in half acentury in 2021 andhas set franchisecareer recordsinvirtually every major statistical category

Antetokounmpo’sstatusdominatedleaguediscussions as the tradedeadlineapproached, but he wasn’tdealt.Hesince hasbeen in adisagreementwith team management over hisinjury status. The last game Antetokounmpo

played was on March 15. He said in the closing weeksofthe season that he was healthy and wanted to play,while theBucks continued to rule him out because of aleft knee hyperextension and bone bruise. TheNBA is investigating thematter Antetokounmpo had two extended absences becauseofright calf strainsand ended up playing in just 36 games. Kevin Porter Jr., the Bucks’ second-leading scorer, appeared in just 38.

“It’shard,”Rivers said Sunday. “I don’tremember guys being outlikethis, butitmakes sense.I haven’thad alot of this. It’snofun. Losing, Idon’tgive acrapwhat the reasons are, I’m justtoo competitive. It’s just no fun not winning. It just isn’t.”

Rivers won atitle with Boston in 2008 and led the Celtics to Game 7 of the NBA Finals two years later, but his teams haven’tadvanced beyond theregional semifinals since. He owns acareerplayoff recordof 114-112.

This marksthe first full season in whichRivershas coached and posted alosing record since200607,when he went 24-58 with Boston Rivers cametoMilwaukee after head coachingstints with theOrlando Magic,Boston,Los Angeles Clippersand Philadelphia 76ers. He was working as abroadcaster forESPNand ABC before the Bucks hired him.

Thetwo-timeMVP andhis Warriors have adaunting task just to getinto the playoffs: They are the10thseedinthe Western Conference and need to win apair of elimination games on theroad to earnthe eighth seed and achance to face reigning champion and No. 1Oklahoma City Golden State will play Wednesday night againstthe Clippers in Los Angeles.

“Until we getbounced from whatever this is, we’re going to approach it the same way: dignity, competitiveness andconfidence thatyou can win any game,” Curry said. “That’sjust thementality we have.”

Curry never considered saying forget about it and sitting out therest of the way, though there were somerough times alone in thetraining room He wanted to come back and try.Heknows these opportunities won’tlast forever,having turned 38 last month andfinishingupa 17th NBA season that hardly has gone as planned. But, with Curry, thereisrenewed hope.

“There’samomentum and a confidence,” coach Steve Kerr said. “He’sSteph Curry forareason.”

Guard Gary Payton II put the Warriors’ chances this way: “Whatever we put our mind to —now that Superman’sback.” Backcourt mate Butler went down in January with atorn ACL in hisright kneethatrequired surgery.There has been along list of otherinjured players, too. That meant continuity waslacking much of the

season. The Warriors traded away Jonathan Kuminga and BuddyHield to Atlantafor Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline, yet thebig manalso hadhis health challenges that limited his availability Draymond Green has providedsome continuity to Kerr’s rotation, appearingin68games. Green and Curry have captured four championships together under Kerr,but they all know their timeisfleeting.

Ahead of Curry’s29-point performance against Durant and the Rockets in aone-point loss last week in his comeback, Kerr calledhis superstar “thegreatest face of afranchise in any sport I’ve ever seen.”

“He’sone of the most beloved players in league history,Bay Area history,any sport,” Kerr added, “so tonight’sa special night because we’re reminded howlucky we’ve been andhow lucky we still are.”

Curry cameoff the bench to rousing standing ovations in his first two home games before returning to thestarting five for Friday night’sloss at Sacramento. Before theHouston game, he hadn’tplayed since Jan. 30, missing 27 games. The Warriors went 9-18 during that stretch with him sidelinedby patellofemoral pain syndrome. Themessage from Curry remains simple aboutwhy he wants to be out there.

“I love playing basketball,” he said. “It’swhat Iget paid to do.

“Our season’sbeen different than we expected, but the fact that there is something to still playfor givesall of us alot of confidence down the stretch to make something out it, and Iwant to be apart of that.”

TheAssociated Press

WASHINGTON Anthony Davis’ long-term future with the Washington Wizards isn’tclear,but the staratleast knows he’scommitted to the franchise forone more season. Davis spoke fondlyonMonday about his teammates on the Wizards and howhebelievesthe team has pieces in place to build acompetitor

“When the trade happened and I got here, I’ve said this place is not what peoplemakeitseem,” Davis said. “It’satestament to the organization,the coaching staff, the players, everybody here. Iwant to be able to have fun where I am. Iwant to be able to compete whereI am.I want to be able to learn wherever Iam—and this organization has that.” The Wizards went 17-65 in 202526 —the worst record in the NBA and their thirdstraight 64-plus loss season. When asked at the season-ending news conference about his future in Washington, Davis joked that he obviously plans to play for theWizards next season.

“Yeah, I’m under contract,” he saidwitha laugh. “I love my money.”

The Wizards acquiredthe 33-year-old Davis from Dallas in an eight-playertrade in February.That wasabout amonth after Washington acquired highscoringguard Trae Youngfrom Atlanta.

Davis said Monday he’s intriguedbyWashington’s young group of players andthe foundationthe front office hasput in place. Davis has been recovering from asprainedfingeronhis non-shootinghandsinceJan. 8. He addedheplans to meet with Wizardsmanagement soon abouthis future andthe organization’splanfor building acontender “They know that Iwant to win,” he said. “I’m sure that they want to win as well.Nobody wants to lose. Iknowwehave a lot of young guys but like Isaid, Imentioned it aboutthe young guys —how talentedtheyare Adding Trae andmyself kind of can help change that.”

NewOrleansPelicans interim head coachJames Borregodisagrees with acall during atimeout in thesecond half against the Orlando Magic on April 5atthe Smoothie King Center

Rod Walker

AP PHOTO By SCOTT MARSHALL

Golden State Warriors guard

Stephen Curry dribbles the ball during the second half of agame against the Sacramento Kings on Friday in Sacramento, Calif. Curry and the Warriors are in the play-in tournament.

Home grown

Landscaping with native plants can offerstormwater solutions, plus it’s attractive andtough

At the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden in Baton Rouge, senior landscape manager JasonStagg and his colleagues have been busy lately with an expansive, exciting project: planning, and planting,the landscape for the soon-to-beopened welcome center

The facility will serve as acentral information hub for visitors to the entire Burden Museum &Gardens complex, which also includes LSU’sRural Life Museum and Windrush Gardens. It will be available for event rentals,too. All of that is to say the landscapesurrounding this building will have plenty of eyes on it, creating afirst impression for guests —so, of course, it needs to look attractive and inviting. But Stagg and the Burden team are taking it astep further,using the project as an opportunity to spotlight interesting, functional plants

LSU AGCENTERPHOTO By OLIVIA McCLURE Dwarf palmetto is an evergreen plant with adeep root system and unique, fanlikeaesthetics.

“This landscape is ateaching landscape,” Stagg said. “We’re using 100% native plant material for the entire landscape. Becausealot of this site is actually in abottomland hardwood area, we’ve chosen wetland plants and used them in rain garden and bioswale installations to manage water.” Manyplantsthat are native to Louisiana thrive in soggyconditions,making them outstanding choices for low-lying settings like the one where the new welcome center sits. They excel at soaking up rainwater and reducing runoff and flooding.

ä See PLANTS, page 2D

Do youhavea handwritten letter from your mother or grandmother?

letter from your mother or grandmother? Or aletter written toa mother or grandmother?

Shareitwith us. Whether the letter arrived last year or decades ago, we’d love to see it —and possibly featureitinan upcoming story Send aclear photograph of the handwritten letter. We recommend puttingitnearawindow with natural light. Be sureyou or your phone don’t create a shadowonthe letter. Send aclear photograph of the handwrittenletter(s) alongwith your name, phone number, mailing address and asentenceor twoabout who wrote it andwhat it means to youtojan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

LIVING

last year’s

TOBE CONTINUED

Friendsofthe LSULibraries work throughout theyearpreparing forthe Book Bazaar

BY JOYHOLDEN Staff writer

Book loverscan plan for afew hours of book wonderland this weekend. From April16through 18, readers and collectorscan peruse the 60 tables of over 70,000 books at John M. Parker Coliseum on LSU’scampus.

This year’s Friends of the LSU Libraries Book Bazaar is celebrating its 50th anniversary.The organization beganin1962and held thefirst bazaar as afundraiser in 1976.

To markthe golden occasion, openingday will beginwitha ribbon-cutting ceremonyat8:45 a.m., led by Stanley Wilder,dean of LSU Libraries.

TheBookBarn

Lined along the back wall of the Book Barn on River Road are stacks of cardboard boxes full of books, labeled by categories like gardening, military history andthe South. Throughout theyear,volunteers prep and pack thousandsof books.

Anita Adams, the vice-president of Friends of theLSU Libraries, has volunteered at the LSU Book Barn since 2010. As aformer Eng-

Pinned up along one of the

is acolorful collageofreceipts, pictures, prayercards, foreign money, leavesand postcards that had been used as bookmarks in the donated books.

lish teacher andelementaryprincipal, books have always been important toher Afterretiring, Adams moved into theRiverbend neighborhood and was looking for ausedbook-

storeonher newsideoftown. She found the Book Barn and metAnne West, the head of the volunteers at the time, and they fell into abibliophile conversation. When she left that day,Adams was acommitted volunteer.She’sbeen faithful since then.

“I was used to doing things Ilike to keep my brain active, and Ilove books,”Adams said. “Whatbetter job than to be surrounded by something you love? Iwas aword person from the get-go, so Ikind of stumbled into it.”

Paul Sandau, the president of Friends of theLSU Librariesand retired graphics editor for The Advocate, hada similarexperience nine yearsago.Hedroppedbyto donate books, and when West saw the quantity and qualityofhis donation, she asked Sandau to join the volunteers. An avid book collector, he felt right at home.

“She hit me at areal good time becauseI hadbeen retiredabout six months,” Sandau said. “I was ready to find avolunteer job. I found the perfect volunteer job for me, so I’ve been doing it ever since.”

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Thehonors continue to stack up for

STAFF FILE PHOTOByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Eddy, 2, smiles at hisdad, Ace St. Romain, as he runs his hand over thetopsofdisplayedbooksduring

the Friends of the LSU Libraries Book Bazaar at John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum.

STAFF PHOTO By JOyHOLDEN

shelves

End-of-performance theateretiquette

Dear Miss Manners: We need major publicity to get acrossamatter of etiquette for concertand theater attendees: WAIT UNTIL THE CURTAIN CALL IS OVER AND EVERYONE HAS HAD ACHANCE TO TAKE THEIR BOWS BEFORE STANDING. ONLY STAND AT THE VERY END —AFTER THE PRINCIPAL ACTORS

Those taking theirbows later,for theprincipal parts, are seen only by thefirst rows and the very tall!

TAKE THEIR BOW Directors could put such anotice in the printed program, or make an announcement, but that would be suggestingthat they expect astanding ovation When parents stand for their kids during the firstofthe curtain calls, the short people in theaudience can’tsee —even if they are able to stand, which some are not.

BAZAAR

Continued from page1D

Adams and Sandau have about 20 other consistent volunteers who help sort, price and pack books

TheBook Barn accept books on Mondays and Wednesdays, butAdams and Sandau often work throughout the week. Through the donations, Adams says they meet people with fascinating stories.

“So many of them are very emotionally attached to their books, and you almost have to take it outoftheir hands with the promise that you’ll treat it nicely,” Adams said.

The Friends of the LSU Libraries is a501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that could,in theory,put on asmallersale every month to raise money for the LSU Libraries. Adams says that would dilute the big bazaar,sothey go all out for the event.

“Without the bazaar,The Friends of LSU Libraries does not exist and vice versa,” Sandau said.

The volunteers in the Book Barn spend ayear collecting and sortingthrough books for thosethree days in the Coliseum. The Book Barn also takes otherforms of physical medialikeCDs, vinyl records and DVDs.

Thebig sale

SponsorsFrost-Barber and Kean’sCleaners not only help financially put on the sale,but they also bring in helperstophysically move itemsfromthe barn to the coliseum.

From Monday,April 13, to Wednesday,April 15, the volunteers work “until they drop” in Sandau’swords, organizing all of the books on tables numbered for cat-

ARTISTS

Continued from page1D

landscapes and outdoor family gatherings are also wellknown. He died in 2013.

“This is ahuge honor for us,” said Jacques Rodrigue, son of George Rodrigue

“Only five regional documentaries from across the entire country are nominated each year, and it’sespecially meaningful that afilm made right here in Louisiana —byalocal New Orleans station about my dad —has earned this national recognition.” The Rodrigue documentary previously wonthe Suncoast Regional Emmy “I couldn’tbeprouder of the filmmakers,” Rodrigue said. The national News &Documentary Emmy winners will be announced on May 28 at New York’sJazzatLincoln Center

Other honors for the documentary include aSilver TellyAwardinthe generaldocumentary: long form category.The Tellys, established in 1979, honor the television and video industry.“Blue” has also been recognized at the New Orleans Film Festival, Amsterdam New Cinema Film Festival and World Film Festival in Cannes.

“Blue,” distributed by American Public Television, premiered on PBS stations in May2025. It is still available for viewing on the PBS

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Gentle reader: Pleasedonot shout, even though you are understandably excited because your child got a leading role. It is nowcommon to precede all performances with abrief etiquette lesson —to silence devices, to refrain from taking pictures, to avoid rustlingcandy wrappers and so on. Schools should certainly issue these and anyother instructionsthatmight head off offensive behavior

But althoughMiss Manners agrees with you that theubiquitousstanding ovation is annoying, let us make adistinction here between an amateur event,such as

egories.

“That’swhat Iwish people could understand,” Adams said, “because when you walkinto it, it’slike the magic fairies have put it all together.”

Adams says her favorite part of the entiresale is right before thedooropens 9a.m. on Thursday.She says there’soften aline stretched aroundthe building witheager shoppers ready for the bazaar.From bookdealers to homeschooling parents to casual readers, thecustomers at thebazaar share acamaraderie

“I enjoy peoplewho Iidentify with personally and the excitement they have fora find. It may not be my find, but I understand. Iunderstand the concept and the feeling, and I know what it feels like to feel that way aboutsomething,” Sandau said.

Sandau is thehead of the rare collectibles category, and hespends much ofhis year investigating and researching the authenticity of rare books.

Therare finds

The biggest treasure Sandauisbringing this year to Rare/collectibles is a151-volume setofthe official records of the Civil War— the official records of theUnion and Confederate armies.

“Most people think that because abook is in collectors that it must be very expensive,” Sandau said, “but that’snot true. Anybody who walks away from the collector’stablewith something, they’re getting adeal, no matterwhatthe price.”

For rareand collectibles, Sandau says he prices well below market value, and that’s after extensive research. Sandausays one of the biggest truthshe’slearned over

Passportapp Meanwhile,“Michalopoulos” focuses on New Orleans-based self-taught artist and preservation advocateJames Michalopoulos and his impact on the city’s artist community

The documentary will premiere on public television stations (check local listings),onPBS.organd on the PBS Passport app. It also is being distributedbyAPT

“James is apainter for the people. I’m sure there’sa lot of New Orleanians that can’tname anotherpainter except for Michalopoulos. There’snoartistmore closely aligned withthe city of New Orleans than James Michalopoulos,” Bradley Sumrall, curator at the city’s OgdenMuseum,saidina news release Michalopoulos’vivid, kinetic paintings have shaped the city’scultural and architectural identity over the last 40 years.

“Knownfor re-imagining New Orleans architecture as fluid, expressive forms, Michalopoulos holdsthe record for the most NewOrleans Jazz &Heritage Festival posters of anyartist— seven times,” the releasealso said.“ Though originally from Pittsburgh,hebuilt an internationalcareer while remaining deeplyrooted in NewOrleans,where he began in 1979 sketching portraits on paper bags and developed his signature style of bold, impastodepictions of thecity’s homesand streets.”

aschool play,and aprofessional performance. In either case, it is acommon mistaketobelieve that the audience must thank the performers. Rather,curtain calls are thetime for theaudience to express its reaction to the performance. In thecase of nonprofessionals, especially children, generosity should prevail over frankness. The idea is to offer encouragement— or at least the reassurance that they did not makefools of themselves.

Butatthe conclusion of professional performances, thepaying audience is entitled to express its opinion. If it is wildly favorable, they might stand. Unfortunately, this has become routine, and has thereforelost that meaning.

Dear Miss Manners: We did not re-

the yearsisnot to judgethe customers. Therare and collectibles sceneattracts a wide variety of people.

“I have learnednot to be too quickabout sizing up people, because you just neverknowuntil yousay hello and start talking to them. I’ve been surprisedwithwho walks away with arather large purchase,soitmakes me conscious of the fact that when I’m helping somebody, I’ve got to remind myself I don’tknowwho thisis. It’s kind of aleveling mechanism,” Sandau said.

One rare find took on another formin2017. Adams remembersa young man clutching abook with tears in his eyes. He had lost that book in theflood, and he was so happy to have it back because it was aconnection to his grandmother After thesale, LSU cleans outthe barn, andthe Friends of theLSU Libraries geta clean slate to begin collecting for the 2027 sale. They’ll take afew weekstoregroup, and thenvolunteers will begin accepting donations again on May 18.

“Our goal is to put money in thehands of the libraries,” Adams said. “Wewant to hand the dean avery hefty check that will help whatever their needs are at the moment or even down theroad.”

TheLSU Book Bazaar will be open from 9a.m. to 7p.m. April 16-17 and 9a.m. to 5p.m. April 18 at John M. Parker Agricultural Coliseum on AgCenter Drive. Free parking is available in thelot off East Parker Boulevard.

For more information,visit lib.lsu.edu/ friends#bookbazaar of the Friends of the LSU Libraries Facebook page.

Michalopoulos has also madehis markonpreservation andcommunity-building in the city. In 1995, he turned a150-year-old cotton gin intoCelebration Distillation, creating the first rum distilleryinthe continental United States since Prohibition. Following Hurricane Katrina, Michalopoulos convertedanold brewery intoOrleana Artist Studios which now provides affordable workspace formore than100 local artists,” according to the release.

“Wehave been gifted atremendousculture and we have neglected it at great peril,” says Michalopoulos about his adopted city in the film. “Most of ourdistinction comesfrom the built environment, andit’s stunning. …Ifyou don’thave theartist culture here, if you don’thavethe bohemianculture, you have lostanenormous gift. Youare becoming anywhere.”

The film offersarchival footage and interviews with Kermit Ruffins, Nina Compton,Quint Davis and others. It also takes viewerstoMichalopoulos’ studioinBurgundy,France, part of his second homeand chateau.

The documentary had its world premiere at the opening night of New Orleans Film FestivalinOctober 2025 and had aspecial sneak preview on Louisiana Public Broadcasting stations in December 2025.

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

ceive an invitation to our niece’s wedding. Iamnot aware of her new address, as she has moved out of her parents’ home. Iamwondering if it would be appropriate forustosend acard or agift in this situation. Gentlereader: This is the mirror image of the crass notion that a present is the price of admission to awedding: that you shouldn’t acknowledge the marriage because you have not been invited to thewedding. Allow Miss Manners to explain thecorrect reasoning: Someonewho cares about the people involved in awedding enough to attend will also wantto give something symbolic of good wishes. Anyone whodoesn’tcare all that much need only decline and offer written good wishes.

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, April 14, the 104th day of 2026. There are 261 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth during aperformance of theplay “Our American Cousin” at Ford’sTheatre in Washington; Lincoln was taken to aboarding house across the street and died thefollowing morning at 7:22 a.m.

Also on this date:

In 1828, thefirst edition of Noah Webster’s“American Dictionaryofthe English Language” was published.

In 1912, theBritish liner RMS Titanic collided with an iceberg in the North

PLANTS

Continuedfrom page1D

As abonus, native plants are tough, handling Louisiana’schallenging climate with ease. Andthey have striking aesthetics.

“When you take these out of nature, you get some really cool architectural features that you see when you massthem in front of amodern building,” Stagg said.

Oneofthe core componentsofthe welcome center landscape is dwarf palmetto(Sabal minor).

You’ve likely seen this plant —which resembles ashort,fanlike palm growing as an understory in wetland and bottomland areas along roadsides. Because it’severgreen, dwarf palmettostands out in the winter when deciduous trees are bare.

“This plant is super, super tough,” Stagg said. “The stalk, or trunk, actually grows underground, meaning that this plant never getstall, but you still get thewonderful palm fronds. It also can tolerate alot of wetness.”

Dwarf palmetto’sdeep root system also makes

Cynics will say this amounts to the samething, but the subtle difference is significant. It also illuminates your situation. Evidently you have good feelings (yes?), so you should express them. One word of caution, however: Your relatives maysubscribe to the mistaken pay-to-attend notion, and think they must now invite you because you have bought a ticket. If the ceremony has not yet taken place, therefore, it would be tactful to wait until it has.

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

Atlantic at 11:40 p.m.ship’s timeand began sinking. (The ship wentunder two and ahalf hours later,killing over 1,500 people.)

In 1935, the devastating “Black Sunday” dust storm descended upon the central Plains as hundreds of thousands of tons of airborne topsoil turned asunny afternoon into total darkness.

In 1981, thefirst test flight of America’sfirst operational space shuttle, theColumbia,ended successfully with alandingatEdwardsAir Force Base in California

In 2021, aWhite former suburban Minneapolis police officer,Kim Potter, wascharged with seconddegree manslaughter for killing 20-year-old Black motorist Daunte Wright in ashooting that ignited days of unrest. (Potter

it achampatfighting soil erosion.

The landscapealsofeatures twokinds of rush,a grasslikeplant that’ssometimes referred to as juncus. Stagglikesthe vibrant green of common rush (Juncuseffusus)intermingled withthe blue tinge of Blue Dart rush (Juncus tenuis).

Both species have fine stemsreminiscent of grass blades and are evergreen during typical Louisiana winters. Their spikey appearance lends aunique look to the landscape.

“They’ll always maintain a neat shape, just like ornamental grasses we use in the landscape.”

These plants are being combined with native trees and shrubs —including pond cypress, Southern magnolia, black gum,yaupon holly,dwarfwax myrtle, American beautyberry and buttonbush.

“All of these wonderful native plants are going to come together in alandscape that will show people how to use plant material to help absorb and survive someofthese big rainfall inundation events,” Stagg said.

“Another great quality about these juncus or rush plants is that they’re clump forming, so they’re not going to spread wildly or becomemessy or grow out of bounds,” Stagg said.

LSU AGCENTER

PHOTOByOLIVIA McCLURE As itsname suggests, Blue Dartrush has abluetinge.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take control, keep life simple and dismiss excessive situations. Pay attention to detail and do things your way. Your objective is to lower debt and ease stress.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) You can make things happen if you concentrate on what you want to achieve. Having a clear vision will encourage you to make decisions quickly, saving you both time and money.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Less talk will help alleviate emotional drama. Assist others by using your imagination to devise good solutions. You're overdue for a change, but you must first implement a proper setup.

cANcER (June 21-July 22) A positive change to your health or finances is within reach; all you have to do is make it happen. Attend meetings and appointments and get what you want in writing.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Spice up your life. Engage in events and activities that bring out your competitive nature. Refuse to let the activities of the people close to you deter you from following your heart and dreams.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Communication followed by action is the best route forward. Live up to your expectations and be the one to initiate positive change. A partnership or romantic encounter looks promising.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Gravitate to what and who draws you in most. Socialize, participate, get active and pursue what

makes you happy. Life is too short to waste time; engage in whatever feeds your soul.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov. 22) A partnership will give you the momentum to move full steam ahead. Mix and mingle with friends and associates, and the information you receive will lead to opportunities.

sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Emotional flare-ups require more thought and discipline. Try to see all sides of a situation and to act out of kindness and understanding. Dedicate your time to nurturing relationships.

cAPRIcoRN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Think twice before you make a commitment or share personal information. You'll gain the most if you concentrate on how you look, feel and respond to others and spend more time participating in pastimes.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Protect yourself from situations that can lead to illness or injury. Concentrate on money management and budgeting for things that can make your life easier.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Honor your commitments and move along. The more time you allow yourself to explore what's available, the greater your vision. Let your imagination, emotions and creativity flow freely.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

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

toDAy's cLuE: I EQuALs L

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

By PHILLIP ALDER

Ambrose Bierce defined adentist as a prestidigitator who, while putting metal in one’s mouth, pulls coins out of one’s pockets.

Abridge player also wantsitboth ways: Heads Imakemycontract, tails you fail in yours. In this deal, South is in four spades. West cashes histwo top diamonds,then shiftstotheclub10.Howshoulddeclarer continue?Thisisoneauctionthatalways mystifieslessexperienced players. By anunpassedhand,afterpartner’stakeout doubleandresponder’spass,ifadvancer (the doubler’spartner)makes asimple suit-bid,itshowssome0-8points;ajump in asuit is approximately 9-11; and a cue-bid of theopener’s suit indicates 12 pointsormore.AfterSouth’scue-bid,the auction turns to natural.

Declarer’sonlyproblemisinthetrump suit. He must avoidtwo losers. In this case, the bidding should help him,but the rightplay is thesame, even if during theauctiontheopponentsgaveexcellent impersonations of Trappist monks.

If Southstartswithafinesse of his queen, West winswith his king, and declarer hasa nastyguessonthe second round. Should he finesse Eastfor the jack or play forWest to have started with king-jack-doubleton?

Instead, South should first cash his spade ace. When thekingdrops,hecan bring home an overtrick. But even if the ace collects onlythe five and six,declarer can cross to dummy and lead aspade toward his queen. He has no guessto make. ©2026 by NEA,Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

INstRuctIoNs: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAy’s WoRD QuARRIEs: KWAR-ees: Open excavation sites forobtaining stone or slate.

Average mark14words Timelimit 25 minutes Can you find 22 or morewords in QUARRIES?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —KNEEcAP

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard