The Times-Picayune 04-14-2026

Hospital demolition, redevelopment advances

$11.5M

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

After decades of false starts, New Orleans officials and the ownersofthe former Lindy Boggs Medical Center have agreedona plan to demolish thehulking Mid-City eyesore as soon as this summer,paving the way for aredevelopment of the site.

The deal, acooperative endeavor agreement between Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration and developers Bill Hoffman and Paul Flower,was finalized last week and spells out how roughly $11.5 million in city bond funds, approved by voters last fall, will be spent on theproject.

street flooding in thearea.

In an interview, Hoffman said the developers wanttothenbuild acomplex of apartments andretail outlets, though plans andfinancing for that portion of the project haven’tbeen finalized.

opened, was apriority.

Trump says he won’t apologize to pope

BY WILL WEISSERT,JOSH BOAK and NICOLE WINFIELD Associated Press

The money will be used to demolish the nearly 70-year-old structure andthen build an underground stormwater retention tank aimed at helping to reduce

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Local governments could hold avote to stop adding fluoride to their public water systems under aproposal advancing in the Louisiana Legislature, resurfacing adebate that has emerged from the Make America HealthyAgain movement. Last year,anoutright ban on fluoridation of public water systems sponsored by Sen. Mike Fesi, R-Houma, failed in the Legislature. Thisyear,Fesi againpitched the ban, but other senators pushedhim to pare it back.Now,his proposal would give towns and parishesthat

ä See FLUORIDE, page 4A

“It’s fantastic,” Hoffman said of the agreement,which wasintroduced at lastweek’s City Council meeting by councilmemberLesli Harris “We’re farther along with this project today than we have ever been.”

Tearing down thehospital, which could begin as soon as July,would represent an early victory for Moreno, who has vowed to address blight and other long-standing quality of lifeissues in thecity.Inprior statements, she has said redeveloping the former hospital on Norman Francis Parkway,which flooded during Hurricane Katrina andnever re-

Jeff Schwartz, director of the city’sOffice of Housing and Community Development, helped negotiate the deal on behalf of the administration. Harris said she expects thecouncil to approvethe agreement at itsApril 23 meeting.

“This is exactlythe kind of transformative project that demonstrates city government working in concert with private partners to deliver real results,” Harrissaidina textmessage Monday Moreno’s office didnot immediately respond to a request for comment Redevelopment of the 13-acre site —still referred to as “Mercy,” its original name —bythe development team, has long frustrated city of-

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana drivers would be required to takea “driver’s knowledge” test every six years under ameasure being proposed at the State Capitol, but the planfaces bipartisanpushback from lawmakers whosaid it would be too burdensome. “Think aboutall the times

WASHINGTON President Donald Trumprefused to apologize to Pope LeoXIV on Monday after criticizing the pontifffor hisopposition to the warinIran —and he sought to explain away anowdeleted social media post depicting himself as Jesus by saying he had thought the image wasofhim as adoctor Tr ump wa s asked abouthis comments toward the U.S.born head of the Catholic Church, as well as the post depicting himself as ahealer, in ahastily called question-and-answer session with reporters at the White House. “Hewas very much againstwhat I’mdoing with regard to Iran, and youcannothaveanuclear Iran. Pope Leo would not be happy with the endresult,” Trump said, adding, “I thinkhe’svery weak on

ä Trump says U.S. militaryhas begun a blockade of Iranian ports. PAGE 7A ä Pope starts Africa tourin Algeria and calls for peace. PAGE 7A

as Jesus ä See TRUMP, page 5A

you’ve been driving and you’ve thought to yourself,‘Man that’s abad driver,’”state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, said while presenting his driver test proposalduringa public hearing Monday.“That’swhat Ithink about all the timewhen I’m on the interstates here in Baton Rouge.” McMakin said having smarter,better drivers will lead to fewerwrecks and lawsuits and could even help keep car Legislationcalls for exam

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO President DonaldTrump speaks outside the Oval Office of the White House on Monday.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By BRETT DUKE

The former LindyBoggs Medical Center,located in Mid-City,has been abandoned since Hurricane Katrina.

Harris

Boggs Medical Center

Hoffman

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, I-Vt., that could block the sale of more than $600 million in bombs to Israel.

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.

CORRECTIONS

A story Sunday misstated Calvin Duncan’s role. He is the Orleans Parish Criminal District Court clerk-elect.

A story March 17 misstated when the Ancient Order of Hibernians was founded in New York. It was founded in the 1830s. The Times-Picayune regrets the errors.

Swalwell will leave Congress

Republican from Texas also exiting

By The Associated Press

WASHINGTON Demo-

cratic 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.

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

Pride flag will return to Stonewall monument

BY JENNIFER PELTZ and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK The Trump administration said Monday it will resume flying a rainbow Pride flag on a federal flagpole at the Stonewall National Monument in New York City, reversing course two months after removing the banner from the first national monument commemorating LGBTQ+ history

The government revealed the decision in court papers as it agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by advocacy and historic preservation groups who had sought to block the Feb 9 removal. A judge approved the deal.

The Interior Department and National Park Service “have confirmed their intention to maintain a Pride flag at Stonewall,” lawyers for the government and the groups wrote in a joint court filing.

The flag — one of several Pride banners at the 7.7-acre park — won’t be removed, except for “maintenance or other practical purposes,” the filing said. Under the agreement, within a week, the park service will hang three flags on its flagpole at the monument.

The Pride flag will be positioned below the U.S. flag, in accordance with U.S. flag code, and above the park service flag. Each will measure 3 feet by 5 feet.

The site also features a large Pride flag on a citycontrolled flagpole and smaller flags on a fence surrounding the monument, which is across the street from the Stonewall Inn, the gay bar where a 1969 police raid sparked an uprising and helped catalyze the modern

A rainbow Pride flag flies with an American flag Monday at the

LGBTQ+ rights movement. Those flags weren’t removed Mayor Zohran Mamdani a Democrat, called the Trump administration’s reversal “a victory for the LGBTQ+ community and for our entire city” and “a reminder that New Yorkers won’t let our history be rewritten.”

The Pride flag had become a flashpoint for arguments over Republican President Donald Trump ’s approach to Stonewall and various other historical properties. After a yearslong campaign by activists who wanted the flag symbolizing LGBTQ+ pride to be flown daily inside the park service-run site, the banner was formally installed in 2022 during Democrat Joe Biden ’s tenure. At the time, park service officials called it a sign of the government’s commitment to “telling the complex and diverse histories of all Americans.”

When it removed the flag

in February, the park service said it was complying with federal guidance on flag displays. A Jan. 21 memo largely restricted the agency to displaying U.S., Interior Department and POW/MIA flags, with exemptions that include providing “historical context.”

The park service insisted the monument “remains committed to preserving and interpreting the history and significance of this site” through exhibits and programs. But LGBTQ+ activists saw the flag’s removal as a targeted affront meant to diminish a site that is all about their fight for rights and visibility

Democratic President Barack Obama created the Stonewall monument in 2016. After Trump returned to office last year, he took aim at diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and many references to transgender people were excised from the Stonewall monument’s website and materials.

Fla. teen charged with sexually assaulting and killing stepsister

BY ED WHITE Associated Press

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murder and aggravated sexual abuse in Florida in the death of his 18-year-old stepsister on a Carnival Cruise ship, the U.S. Justice Department said Monday.

Timothy Hudson was initially charged in February and subsequently indicted on March 10. But the breadth of the case was not known until a seal was lifted Friday, weeks after U.S District Judge Beth Bloom in Miami said he would be prosecuted as an adult at the request of the government.

Anna Kepner had been traveling on the Carnival Horizon ship in November with her family Before the ship was scheduled to return to Florida, her body was found concealed under a bed in a room she was sharing

with two other teens, including the younger stepbrother

The cause of Kepner’s Nov. 6 death was determined to be mechanical asphyxia, which is when an object or physical force stops someone from breathing Email and voicemail messages seeking comment from Hudson’s attorneys about the charges were not immediately returned Monday Hudson has remained free in the care of an uncle since his arrest in February Kepner was a high school cheerleader at Temple Christian School in Titusville, Florida, 40 miles east of Orlando. At her memorial service in November, family members encouraged people to wear bright colors instead of the traditional black “in honor of Anna’s bright and beautiful soul.” Teens are rarely prosecuted in federal court. Hudson pleaded not guilty when he

was initially charged in February, though the proceedings were not public because of his age and neither were court documents.

A judge on Feb 6 said Hudson must wear an electronic tether while living with an uncle. The order was changed to allow him to join his father for a few days last week at a landscaping business, newly unsealed court records show

Prosecutors objected to Hudson’s release, citing dangerousness, and asked a judge Monday to revisit that order now that he has been charged as an adult. Defense lawyers will have a week to respond.

“He committed these crimes against a victim with whom he had no apparent relational strife, and whom he was being raised to view as a sibling,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Alejandra López said in a court filing.

Antisemitic attacks in 2025 caused highest number of deaths in 30 years, study finds

BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

TEL AVIV, Israel — Last year saw the highest level of deadly violence against Jews around the world in over three decades, with 20 people killed in antisemitic attacks, according to an annual study released by Tel Aviv University on Monday

The violence, including a deadly attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Australia, continued a spike that began following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack and Israel’s subsequent war in Gaza, the report’s authors said.

“The data raise concern that a high level of antisemitic incidents is becoming a normalized reality,” said Uriya Shavit, the report’s chief editor Deadly antisemitic attacks were recorded on three continents. Fifteen people were killed at the holiday event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach in December There were ad-

ditional deaths in two antisemitic attacks in the U.S in Washington, D.C., and Colorado; and in Britain, two people were killed at a Manchester synagogue on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar Each year, Tel Aviv University’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights and Justice releases the report about antisemitism ahead of Israel’s Holocaust Remembrance Day The day marks a national memorial for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, which began Monday evening

The new report also tracked an increase in antisemitic attacks that resulted in physical harm, including beatings and stone throwing.

It found that 2025 was the deadliest year for antisemitic attacks since 1994, when the bombing of a Jew-

ish community center in Argentina killed 85 people and wounded more than 300. An Argentine court has blamed Iran and its Hezbollah proxy for the attack.

According to the report, there was a moderate increase in the overall number of antisemitic incidents last year compared with 2024, but that total represents a huge jump from 2022, before the war in Gaza. The report tracks incidents that range from physical attacks and vandalism to verbal threats and harassment on social media.

In the United Kingdom, there were 3,700 antisemitic incidents in 2025, up from 3,556 in 2024. In Canada, the number of incidents grew from 6,219 in 2024 to 6,800 in 2025, a number more than three times higher than in 2022.

The statistics are based on reports from police, national authorities and local Jewish communities.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Stonewall National Monument in New york

ficials and neighborhood leaders.

Over thepastdecadeorso, much of the nearby Mid-Cityarea around Bayou St. John has beenreinvigoratedbya variety of public projects and private investments, including the Lafitte Greenway, the renovation of theAmerican Can Company building and the opening of popular barsand restaurants.

But the colossal Lindy Boggs site has bedeviled some of the region’s mostseasoneddevelopers because of challenges securing financing, unfavorable market conditions, the building’sdilapidated condition and its location in aflood plain. Hoffman and Flower have been at it since 2021, when theyacquired the property fromthe late Joe Jaeger

The agreement between the developers and the city introduced last week seeks to address those stumbling blocks. It dedicates a portion of the nearly $500 million in bond money voters approved overwhelmingly last fall to taking the building down and addressing stormwater issues.

“Thisagreement is an essential first step,” Harris said in astatement Monday.“Before any redevelopment can happen on the site, the structure has to come down and this agreement is what makes demolition financially viable. Without it, the site stays blighted ”

“You can’tget to thefinish line without clearing this hurdle first,” she added.

‘Underground swimming pool’

Work on the site willbegin once the city issues the bonds and the money is available, which Hoffmanand Harris both saidshould occur in July

Taking down the structure will take about eight months, Hoffman estimated,a processthatwillbegin with about twomonths of envi-

FLUORIDE

ronmental remediation on the site followed byanothersix monthsor so of actual demolition.

Mercy Partners, the formal name ofthe development group, has already filed for ademolition permit.

Once the building is razed,the developers will begin buildinga 4million-gallonstormwater retention tank —about 50% bigger thanoriginally envisioned —inthe building’sbasement.

“It will be like agiant, underground swimming pool with a cover,” Hoffman said.

Waterwill flow into thetank fromBienvilleStreetand flow outtothe city’sstormwater drainage system at Conti Street. Once

functional, the tank will be able to reduce street flooding on Bienville Street by 1foot during heavy storms, Hoffman said.

The partners are thenhoping to build anew complexabove it usingfunds from avarietyofprivate sources.

“We’re still trying to figure out what that will look like and how to make the number work,” Hoffman said. “Construction is still expensive, so you have to build somethingthat earns enough incometo attract the capital to build it.”

What comesnext?

More than three years ago, Flower estimated the cost of thenew developmentwouldexceed $100

million. That was before the agreement withthe city to pay for demolition and the stormwater tank.

Still, construction costs have only gone up since then, so the project is expected to cost at least that much by the time they are ready to break ground in 2027 or later

The developers envision building amixture of apartments and offices withrestaurant andretail space and aground-floor plaza overlooking Bayou St. John.

Someofthe apartments could be set aside as “affordable” or “workforce” housing withreduced rents, though most of the units would be market rate, Hoffmansaid.

The developers are also exploring thepossibility of building a

senior housing complex foradults aged 65 andolder,anideathey have toyed with over the years.

Butseveralquestions remain unanswered. Chief among them at the momentisparking.

“Wewant to get thesitetohave enough parking on it for the amount of multifamily and retail we want to build,” Hoffman said.

“Welooked at building aparking garage but those are very expensive and you can’tmonetize them So, how manyapartments can you accommodate without it bleeding over into the neighborhood?”

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@theadvocate. com.

fluoridate their water the option to hold an election to end thatpractice.

The measure passed the Senate on Wednesday,with ahandful of Democrats joining Republicans in a26-7 vote.

Fluoride is anaturally occurringmineral that is found in rocks, soiland water. It started being added to public water systems in the mid-1900s to help prevent toothdecay,anintervention that science and health experts widely agree is safe.

Fesi has said it is “hazardous andpoisonous.”

Currently,Louisiana’spublicwater systems with more than 5,000 service connections are required to add fluoride at safe levels determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventionifthey have the money to do so. Systems without fluoride can optout of the requirement to add it if 15% of voters in that system petition to hold avote foran

DRIVING

Continued from page1A

Continued from page1A insurance ratesdown.

Butlawmakers on the House transportationcommittee asked whether the additional test would actually improve driver skills, and some worried it could even preventsafe drivers who have difficulty with tests from renewing their licenses.

Among those was Rep. Ryan Bourriaque, R-Abbeville, whochairsthe committee and questioned whether atest would prevent accidents.

Rep. Annie Spell, R-Lafayette, asked about forgoing the testing component in favor of driver education that “doesn’tpunish good drivers that don’tnecessarily sit 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 atest to

exemption,and the voting public agrees. Fesi’sproposal, Senate Bill 4, would allowlocal governmentstoholda votetoopt outofafluoridation program withoutthe need for apetition.Witha majority vote, fluoridation would end

The CDC tracked datain 2025 for 922 public water systems in Louisiana serving3.9 million people. Only 120ofthose systems serving 1.5million peopleare fluoridated.

And, of thesystems that arefluoridated,halfofthem have anaturally occurring fluoride concentration that both preventstoothdecay andisdeemed safe by the CDC Currentfederal guidelines recommendafluoride concentrationof0.7 milligrams perliter in drinking water.

Stateeffortstoban fluorideramped up after RobertF.Kennedy Jr.earlylast year becamethe top official at the U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services,gaining amegaphone forhis MAHA platform, which has called into question publichealth interven-

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

REP.RODNEy SCHAMERHORN, R-Hornbeck

prove that they’re competentenough to drive,’cause they’ve alreadyproven that earlier inlife,” Schamerhorn said StateRep. Ed Murray,DNew Orleans, also said he was concerned about the test component “Could we notachieve what you’retryingto achieve by giving out some literature when people come in to renew?” he asked.

Replied McMakin: “Ijust don’tknow 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 eventually return to the committee with adifferent plan.

Under House Bill 777, peoplerenewing astandard, noncommercial driver’s license for everyday personal use would havetotake atestonstate traffic laws, roadsignsand safedriving

tions like fluoridation and vaccines.

A“MAHA Report”published by the WhiteHouse says it aims to prevent childhoodchronic disease by addressing “root causes” like ultra-processed ingredients, synthetic chemicals and sedentary lifestyles. The report saysfluoride is an “environmental chemical”that needs to be studiedmore to understand how it impacts children.

Fesi, whoownsa pipeline constructionbusiness that services oil and gas companies, hassaidfluoride is harmful to human health and can lower the IQ of children.

But, like last year, he is once again facing widespread oppositionfrom medical and public health professionals.

The Louisiana Dental Association, Louisiana SocietyofOral&Maxillofacial Surgeons,Louisiana State MedicalSociety,Louisiana Primary Care Association, Louisiana chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, andthe Louisiana Academy of Family Physi-

practices.

Currently,proof of identity and residency, auto insurance, avision screening and afee are needed to renewa“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 administering theadditional testonline or in person.

McMakin said he planned to workwiththe OMVto produce avideo to show the latestupdates to traffic laws, which would be rolled out in 2028.

“We’renot tryingtotrick anybody or trap them; we’re really going for reeducation of drivers,”McMakin said.

ciansall opposed Fesi’sproposed fluorideban during a public hearing last month Dr.SuzanneFournier,a pediatricdentist who works at achildren’shospital in New Orleans, told lawmakersthatfluoride helps teeth

repair themselves, andit also stopsbacteriagrowth that causes tooth decay and cavities.

“Community water fluoridation is actually supporting anaturally occurring mineral,” Fournier said.

She noted that othervitamins andminerals —like iodine, calcium,vitamin C and vitamin D— are added to foodsand drinkslike orange juice,milk and salt “to help makesure that we stay healthy.”

Minnesota authorities investigate arrest by ICE

ChongLy Scott” Thao, 56, on Jan.

BY MARK VANCLEAVE and STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press

ST PAUL, Minn. — A Minnesota coun-

ty is investigating the arrest of a Hmong American man by federal officers that was captured on video as a potential case of kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment, officials announced Monday Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Sheriff Bob Fletcher said at a news conference they are pursuing information from the Department of Homeland Security that they need for their investigation into the arrest of

TRUMP

Continued from page 1A

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 fear the Trump administration.

“To put my message on the same plane as what the president has attempted to do here, I think is not understanding what the message of the Gospel is,” Leo told The Associated Press aboard the papal plane en route to Algeria “And I’m sorry to hear that, but I will continue on what I believe is the mission of the church in the world today.

The back-and-forth between the world’s two most influential Americans served to deepen a burgeoning schism as the U.S. war in Iran stretched into its seventh week.

History’s first U.S.-born pope stressed that he was not making a direct 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 loudly about the message of the Gospel, which is what the Church works for,” said Leo, who had 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’s social media post

The image posted by the president Sunday night showed Trump wearing a biblical-style robe and lay-

18. Ramsey County includes the state capital of St. Paul. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers bashed open the front door of Thao’s St. Paul home at gunpoint — without a warrant as far as Choi and Fletcher have been able to determine — then led him outside in just his underwear and a blanket in freezing conditions.

“There are many facts we don’t know yet, but there’s one that we do know. And that is that Mr Thao is and has been an American citizen. There’s not a dispute over that,” Fletcher said. “There’s no dispute that he was taken out of his house, forcibly taken out of his home and driven around.”

The sheriff continued: “Is that good law enforcement, to take an American citizen out of their home and drive them around aimlessly, trying to determine what they can tell them?”

DHS, which oversees ICE, has refused so far to cooperate with Ramsey County, or with other state and local investigations into the killings by federal officers of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.

“ICE does not ‘kidnap’ people,” the agency said in a statement that called Ramsey County’s announcement “nothing but a political stunt to demonize ICE law enforcement.”

Choi said they’re trying to determine whether any crimes were committed that they could prosecute under state or federal law He also said St. Paul police were investigating another case related to the immigration crackdown for potential violations, but he declined to provide details.

“This is not about any type of predetermined agenda other than to seek the truth and to investigate

the facts,” Choi said.

Agents who arrested Thao eventually realized he was a longtime U.S. citizen with no criminal record Thao said in an interview with The Associated Press in January. They returned him to his home after a couple of hours.

Homeland Security later said ICE officers had been seeking two convicted sex offenders. But Thao told the AP he had never seen the two men before and that they did not live with him The Minnesota Department of Corrections later said one of the two wanted men was still in prison.

The ICE statement did not address the county’s request for evidence, but it asserted that investigators “concluded sexual predator targets had ties to the property” — something that Thao and his family denied.

Videos captured the scene, which included people blowing

ing hands on a bedridden man as light emanates from his fingers — while a soldier, a nurse, a praying woman and a bearded man in a baseball cap all look on admiringly The sky above is filled with eagles, an American flag and vaporous images. “I did post it, and I thought it was me as a doctor and it had to do with the Red Cross,” Trump said. “It’s supposed to me as a doctor, making people better And I do make people better A lot better.”

He blamed the “fake news” for any confusion over the image, though it drew criticism from a wide range of people, including some of Trump’s own evangelical supporters, who objected to the notion that Trump was likening himself to Christ. Even Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, assailed the “desecration of Jesus” while also speaking up to defend the pope.

The post was deleted from Trump’s account late Monday morning Trump didn’t provide details on how that happened

Trump critical of Leo

The president criticized the pope in a lengthy social media post while flying back to Washington from Florida on Sunday night He kept up the denunciation after deplaning, telling reporters, “I’m not a fan of Pope Leo.”

Leo said Saturday during an evening prayer service at St. Peter’s Basilica that a “delusion of omnipotence” was fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. The comments came the same day that the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan during a fragile ceasefire.

The talks were being led on the U.S. side by Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic who recently released a book about his faith. Asked about Trump’s post depicting himself as Jesus on Monday evening, Vance told Fox News Channel that it was “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 a lot of people weren’t understanding his humor,” Vance said of the post.

The pope’s Saturday criticisms meanwhile, followed him earlier naming Trump directly and expressed optimism that the president would seek “an off-ramp” in Iran. An even stronger condemnation came after Trump warned of mass strikes against Iranian power plants and infrastructure, writing on social media that “an entire civilization will die tonight.” Leo described that as a “threat against the entire people of Iran” and

said it was “truly unacceptable.”

While it’s not unusual for popes and presidents to be at cross purposes, it’s exceedingly rare for the pope to directly criticize a U.S. leader — and Trump’s stinging response is equally uncommon.

whistles and horns, and neighbors screaming at more than a dozen gun-toting agents to leave Thao’s family alone.

Thao declined to comment on the announcement Monday

The director of the trial division in the County Attorney’s Office, Hao Nguyen, said they wrote to DHS, ICE and local federal prosecutors March 20 outlining the evidence they’re seeking.

“We know there are reports, there’s just no way that there aren’t,” Nguyen said. “We want also to know who was working that day, who was working that month. Where did they report to? Who did they report to? We also want to understand what recordings might be out there in terms of digital recordings, witness interviews, video recordings.”

They set a deadline of April 30, after which they could sue or convene a grand jury Choi said.

“Pope Leo is WEAK on Crime and terrible for Foreign Policy,” the president wrote in his post, adding, “I don’t want a Pope who thinks it’s OK for Iran to have a Nuclear Weapon.”

Opposition irked Trump

Leo, who began an 11-day trip to Africa on Monday, has previously said that God “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war but rejects them.” He’s also referred to an Old Testament passage from Isaiah, saying that “even though you make many prayers, I will not listen your hands are full of blood.”

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

“I don’t want a Pope who criticizes the President of the United States because I’m doing exactly what I was elected, IN A LANDSLIDE, to do.” His post also claimed that Leo was only elected pontiff “because he was an American, and they thought

that would be the best way to deal with President Donald J. Trump.”

“If I wasn’t in the White House, Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican,” Trump wrote, adding, “Leo should get his act together as Pope, use Common Sense, stop catering to the Radical Left, and focus on being a Great Pope, not a Politician. It’s hurting him very badly and, more importantly, it’s hurting the Catholic Church!” In his comments to reporters after stepping off Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said of Leo, “I don’t think he’s doing a very good job. He likes crime, I guess,” adding, “He’s a very liberal 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 the Pope a politician,” Coakley said in a statement. “He is the Vicar of Christ who speaks from the truth of the Gospel and for the care of souls.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALBERTO PIZZOLI Pope Leo XIV speaks to journalists aboard his fl

Algiers’ Houari Boumédiène

apostolic journey to Africa.

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.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

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, poll says

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.

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

TrumpsaysU.S.blockadingIranian ports

BY SAMY MAGDY, JULIA FRANKEL and MIKE CORDER Associated Press

CAIRO— U.S. PresidentDonald Trump said Monday that the American military had begun a blockade of Iranianports as part of his effort to force Tehranto open theStrait of Hormuz and accept a deal to end the war that has raged for more than six weeks.

Iran responded with threats on all ports in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, taking aim at U.S.-allied countries.

That set the stage for an extraordinary showdown that posed seriousrisksfor the global economy and raised the specter thatthe ceasefire could collapse and the warcould resume. Talks aimed at permanently ending the conflict which began Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran —failedto reach an agreementthis past weekend. There has been no word on whether negotiations willresume.

“Wecan’tlet acountry blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said of Iran.

Speaking outside the Oval Office, the president suggested the U.S. is still willing to engage with Iran.

“I can tell you thatwe’ve been called by the other side,” Trump said. He added: “We’ve been called this morning by the right people, the appropriate people, and they want to work adeal.”

Trump did not say who called or what was discussed.

Anotice to mariners bythe U.K Maritime Trade Operations agency said the blockade restricted “the entirety of the Iranian coast-

CONFLIC IN THE MIDDLE EAST T

line, including ports andenergy infrastructure.” It saidtransit through the strait “toorfromnon-Iranian destinationsisnot reported to be impeded,” though ships“mayencounter military presence.”

At least two tankers approaching thestraitMonday turned around soon after theU.S. blockadebegan, vessel trackerMarineTraffic said in apost on X.

Iran’seffective closure of the strait, through which 20% of traded oilpassesinpeacetime, hassent oil prices skyrocketing, pushing up the cost of gasoline, food and other basicgoodsfar beyond the Middle East.Tehranhas allowedsome shipsperceived as friendly to pass while charging considerable fees, leading to accusations it is holding theglobal economy hostage.

Some analysts are doubtful that the U.S. can restore normalshipping throughforce alone. Andit’s not clear how theblockade will work or what the dangers might be to U.S. forces.

The question is essentially who can endure the mostpain: 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?

Far-reaching effects

The U.S. military’sCentral Command announced that the 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 posted shortly after the blockade was due to begin, Trump said Iran’snavy had been “completely obliterated” but still had “fast attack ships.” Trump warned that “if anyofthese ships come anywhere closetoour BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED.”

Iran issued threatsofits own.

“Security in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Omaniseitherfor every-

one or for NO ONE,” the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting reportedMonday. “NO PORTinthe regionwill be safe,” read astatement from the Iranian military

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, downfrom 100 or more vesselpassages per day before the war.

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

But the effects will be felt far beyond Iran. The price of Brent crude oil, theinternationalstandard, hovered Monday just under $100 perbarrel. It costroughly $70 per barrel before the war.

Iran:‘If you fight, we will fight’

Top-ranking Iranian officials threatened retaliation.

Ebrahim Rezaei, aspokesperson forthe Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission dismissed U.S. warnings of apotential blockade as “more bluffing than reality.” He said Tehran was prepared to respond if the situation escalates militarily

“It will make thecurrent 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.”

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.

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.

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

“God desires peace for every nation,a peace that is not merely an absenceof conflict butone thatisan expression of justiceand dignity,” Leotold acrowd of several thousand people at the 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 continuousviolationsofinter-

national law and neocolonial tendencies,”hesaid without elaborating, though he has previously spoken about Russia’swar in Ukraine, the Iran war and Israel’sinvasion of southern Lebanon.

GreatMosquevisit

Leo’svisit dominated news headlinesinAlgeria, where atinyCatholic community of around 9,000 people made up mostlyofforeigners exists 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 everyhuman 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.

Tebboune hailed thehis-

toric nature of Leo’svisit and the pride Algerians felt over St. Augustine,“acherished son of this land.”

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 theBasilicaofOur

Lady of Africa. “Algerians are deeply attached to their religion, whichisone of the foundations of our identity

As such, this visit is merely acircumstantial event.”

Personal andpastoralvisit

Leo’sAugustinianreligious order was inspired by theteachings of St. Augustine of Hippo, the fifth-cen-

tury theological andphilosophical 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 decades, and will literally walk in the footsteps of the saint.

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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 spilled from the basket balanced on his headwas not on my 2026 bingo card. Neither was the long lunch that followed at anearby hookah lounge.

But both happened in late March.

The questionofhow any of this came to be is afair one.I give credit to my older daughter,a devoted “Try Guys” fan whose paid subscriptiongives herearly access to episodes. Six weeks ago, sheshowed me one of their New Orleans installments featuring Voodoo high priestRobi Gilmore (which became publicly available Saturday and canbefound here: https://youtu.be/ZCj3vrkM8wM)

Watching the episode, Iwas struck by how much Ididn’t know about Voodoo —and how much of what Ithought Iknew may have come from misunderstanding, caricature or fear

So, Iwent looking for theVoodoo high priest.

Ifound him just finishing atour at Congo Square. He was worn out. Rather than continuing to walk around the park, he suggested going to his regular,post-tour hangout, Haifa Cuisine and Hookah Bar

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

As New Orleans as Gilmore is now,hegrew up in rural St. Francisville, raised in what he describes as atribal family culture where cousins become siblings andchildren belong to everyone. His mother is Haitian, his father is Louisiana Creole. His grandmother taught him Voodoo. When he was18and preparing to leave for the Navy,his grandmother made all his favorite foods for afarewell meal—fried chicken, hot watercornbread 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’s how Ibecamea priest,” he said.

At 22, he moved to New Orleans and became atour guide. He still leads one tour aday —Thursday through Monday,from10a.m.to noon, through Congo Square and Louis Armstrong Park. After that, he does what he wants. By 6p.m., the headphones are on andhe’s playing video games, which he loves. At 28, he came out to his family,amoment he describes as profoundly shaping his life. He decided to stop livingbyanyone else’srules. That commitment still

METRO

Newsubdivision proposed

Covingtondevelopment gets initialapproval

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

Adeveloper is planning to build up to 154 single-family homes in a new subdivisionoff thebusy U.S. 190 inCovington, the latestmajor new housing development in agrowing area of Covingtonthat comes as St.Tammany Parish faces larger pressing questions about where and how to grow

The proposed 34-acreneighborhooddubbed“Piney Ridges Estates” would be near PennMill Road close to Covington High School,accordingtodocuments

submitted to the parish laying out the conceptual plan for the project.The homes would be on a quarter-acre lots, include central sewer and water lines, andthe neighborhood will featureaplayground and dog park.

On Thursday,the conceptual plan received unanimous approval from the St. TammanyParish Council, meaning the developer Derek Pelloquin of Precision Developments, basedinCarencro, can now moveontothe engineering phase. The Piney Ridges Estates plan is thefirst new housing development

the councilhas had to consider since therelease of amajor housingstudy that foundthe parish needed to build up to 17,300homes by theend of 2030 to keep up with population and job growth.

After decades of growth, officials in recent years have become wary of approving new housingasresidentscomplain that growth has outpaced the area’s infrastructure, leading to traffic and floodingissues.

Pelloquinfirstsoughtapproval for the subdivision’sconceptual plan from the parish in 2025, but thePlanning and Zoning Commis-

Plum pave

sion denieditand thedeveloper did notwin enough votesfrom the Parish Council to overturn it on appeal.

The developer and property owner then sued in the 22nd Judicial DistrictCourt, arguing the denial was arbitrary andnot based on health, safety or welfare concerns, according to court records. The parish never filed aresponse to the lawsuit, but Pelloquin said his attorney had multiple conversations with the parish’sattorney after the lawsuit. Alawyer forthe parish, Emily Couvillon, declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

Billboards

say‘vote

no’

to short-term rentals

10 digitaldisplays part of property owners’campaign

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

Those bound forFrenchQuarterFestival this week may notice new billboards raising alarms about aproposaltoexpand short-term rentals in the French Quarter

The campaign,launched by theVieux Carré PropertyOwnersand ResidentsAssociation, a neighborhood advocacy group, comesasthe City Council considers recommendations adopted by the City Planning Commission in January thatwould allow new short-term rentals in asmall area of the French Quarter.

Tendigital billboards —directing the council to “vote no”— will be up along Interstate 10 and U.S. 90 forone week beginning Tuesday,said Erin Holmes, director of theVieux Carré association.

“Wewant to remind the City Council that we are watching —thatwedon’t want to give up another section of the French Quarter,” Holmes said.“The

French Quarter is afunctional, real neighborhood,and youneed residentsfor that to continue.”

Holmes did not say how much thebillboard campaign cost.

Short-term rentalshavelong beenalightningrod in theneighborhood, withresidents and advocates arguing that the Vieux Carré’sresidentialcharacter has already been thoroughly diluted by itsvastnumber of hotels.

The issue was reignitedbya transient lodging study developed by consultingfirm Desire Line and released in October, which recommended ahost of short-term rentalregulations for commercial areas of the city

The council is still reviewing thereportand has developed no specificpolicy proposalsbased on therecommendations, councilPresident JP Morrell said Monday

“We’re notonafixedtimeline to produce an end product,” Morrell said.

Short-term rentals are permitted in only onearea of the French Quarter:a six-block stretch of BourbonStreet.

Butthe consultantsand planning commission staff recommended adding atwo-block

Advocatestout findingsahead of pop-up exhibition

BY SOPHIEKASAKOVE Staff writer

New Orleans-area artists, long akey part of the region’svibrant culture, struggle with alack of financial opportunities and government support fortheirefforts, according to astudy out Sunday The study was funded in part by the Downtown Development District, which supports businesses in thecity’s downtown core.Artists, advocates and elected officials on Sundaytouted its findings at the former Ford Assembly Plant in St. Bernard Parish,where apop-upexhibition will displaypaintings, photos and films by dozens of local artists until theend of the summer Morethan 70%ofa group of 250 New Orleans-area artists surveyed for the studysaidthat they felt the “mostsignificant barrier to growthwas alack of support from local government.” They cited alack of tax breaks for arts andculturalbusinesses and zoning restrictionsthatprevent artists from accessing spac-

es in high-density areas. About 60% said the region has limited affordable housing and workspaces forartists.

The study suggested that Orleans andotherparishes work to attract philanthropic and private funds,increase creativeeducation, and seek federal infrastructure funding for new creative event and workspaces.

“The real important takeaway wasthe unanimity of the point of view of how important these industriesare andhow undersupported these industries are thatwas just acrossthe board,” said Jeanne Nathan, executive director of the Creative Alliance of New Orleans, which compiled the report forthe district based on hundreds of interviewswith New Orleans artists.

Nathan launched the study in 2019 to quantify complaints she’d long heard from the artist community in the NewOrleans area. Nathan’sgroup chose the former Ford Assembly Plant to unveilthe study’sfindings,aspace that developerSidneyTorres III has been trying to turn into ahub for artists since he bought it in 2019. That site will display local artists’ work andbeopentothe

Gilmore

STAFFPHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

To thedelight of the neighborhood and after many delays,a paving crewlaysdownasphalt on Plumnear Hillarystreets in New Orleans on Monday

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 and 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.”

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

Boy, 2, injured in accidental shooting

Uncle arrested after child fired gun

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

A 2-year-old boy was hospitalized Thursday night after Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators say he accidentally shot himself while holding a gun

The boy’s condition was not available Monday, but he is expected to survive, said Sgt. Brandon Veal, spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Office.

The boy’s uncle, Cedric Johnson, 29, was arrested on counts related to the shooting, Veal said. Sheriff’s Office deputies went to Johnson’s residence in the 1300 block of Brown Avenue about 8 p.m. Thursday after the department received a report that a toddler had been shot. They arrived to find the victim with a gunshot wound to his lower extremities.

Veal said the 2-year-old boy walked into a bedroom, picked up the gun and was “manipulating” the weapon when it discharged.

The boy was taken to Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. No one else was injured.

Johnson was booked with second-degree cruelty to a juvenile, obstruction of justice, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, drug possession with the intent to distribute and use of a firearm in connection with drug activity, according to arrest records. No details were immediately available about what drugs were allegedly recovered in Johnson’s possession. He was being held Monday at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna. His bail was set at $145,000.

BILLBOARDS

Continued from page 1B

area of Decatur and North Peters Street between Iberville and Conti streets where the rentals would be permitted The recommendations generally suggested limiting short-term rentals in commercial areas of historic neighborhoods like Treme, Marigny and Bywater

In a letter to planning commissioners on Jan. 13, Rachael Berg, a planning administrator, and Robert Rivers, the commission’s executive director, noted the zoning similarities between the proposed twoblock stretch of the French Quarter — which has 20 bars and restaurants, along with live entertainment venues and Bourbon Street.

Allowing commercial short-term rentals there would “reconcile inconsistency by aligning similar zoning districts,” they wrote. But Holmes said allowing short-term rental expansion in the French Quarter is a slippery slope.

“It’s just chipping away at protections for the French Quarter,” Holmes said.

two weekends April 23 to 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.

Kirkpatrick added that she won’t hesitate to use

overtime if necessary

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 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 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.

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

Man cited for shooting rare bird

Second time this year whooping crane has been killed

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

A Chicago man was cited Monday for shooting and killing a whooping crane in Evangeline Parish, according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.

It’s the second time someone has killed the endangered species — one of the rarest birds in the world — this year in the state. Both incidents occurred on crawfish farms down the road from one another

According to a department release, biologists reported a lost signal on a whooping crane’s tracking

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

ARTISTS

Continued from page 1B

public every Saturday and Sunday through the summer Torres said Sunday that the exhibition is “an example of how artists gravitate to this particular venue and structure” but said he did not have specific plans for the space after the exhibition. He has said his eventual goal is to build out a work, event and performance space for artists at that site.

“We’re taking it one step at a time,” Torres said.

Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser and U.S. Rep. Troy Carter D-New Orleans, both present on Sunday, agreed that more public support is needed for local artists. A spokesperson for Mayor Helena Moreno did not respond to a request for comment

Less than 3% of survey and interview respondents said that “the availability of funding was an advantage to working in the city.”

Respondents overwhelmingly said that the city’s greatest strengths are its unique culture, creative talent and racial di-

collar on March 19. The bird’s last known location was on a privately owned crawfish farm near La. 106 between Bayou Chicot and Pine Prairie, where agents located the dead crane the next day, according to the department.

The crane had pellet wounds, suggesting it was shot by a shotgun, and agents found spent shotgun shell casings on the property after returning with a search warrant.

During the investigation, officials said Michael Alaniz, 49, of Chicago, contacted them and admitted to shooting the crane while on the farm.

Alaniz was cited for violating the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, 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

taken whooping crane, according to the department.

Just a week before Alaniz shot the bird, two workers on a crawfish farm a short drive away off Miller’s Lake Road in Evangeline were also cited for shooting 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 en-

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

vironmental 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 self-sustainable population in the state.”

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.

versity but that pathways for career advancement were limited.

“The city and state must elevate discussions about the creative industries,” the report said, pointing also to the role of private and public developers and tourism organizations in “strengthening the creative and cultural economy in the New Orleans region.”

Film director Edward

Buckles Jr also present Sunday, said that he sees many young artists leave the city because of the lack of funding and support opportunities here.

“There’s a bunch of artists across industries across the art space who are doing amazing work that has the potential to bring impact and awareness — it just has star power,” Buckles said.

“How amazing would it be

if they could get supported at home and not have to leave?”

Buckles said that his debut documentary, which came out in 2022, took 10 years to make in part because that was how long it took to drum up resources for the self-funded film.

“I don’t think that every young artist should have to go through what I went through,” Buckles said.

from page 1B

In February, the conceptual plan came back before the planning commission, and this time it unanimously approved the plan, but the plan returned to the council after a local environmental group, Northshore Riverwatch, appealed that decision.

Investments, donations

Pelloquin said in all, he planned to invest an estimated $10 million for the subdivision to be ready for homes to be constructed on it. That would include paying for sewer and water, roads, electrical infrastructure and a retention pond. He also said he was donating over 2 acres to the parish for a future fire station on U.S 190 and Penn Mill Road.

Pelloquin said that after the conceptual plan is approved, he will conduct a drainage study and will also seek approval from the Department of Environmental Quality for the subdivision’s sewage plans. He aims to use the private utility Magnolia Water for sewer and water service.

Engineering studies generally begin after a conceptual plan is approved, said Planning and Development Director Ross Liner After the engineering phase is over the issue could appear again before the council. Pelloquin said he would be spending $480,000 in engineering on the project.

Arguing before the Parish Council on Thursday, Northshore Riverwatch Executive Director Matthew Allen warned of potential flooding and pollution from the subdivision. He said around 70 of the homes in the subdivision would be in the flood plain, which has seen six major floods in the past four decades, and raised concerns about the subdivision’s sewerage discharge into a nearby tributary of the Tchefuncte River. Around a dozen people, including some potential future neighbors, also came to the council to lodge their opposition to the project, but did not speak.

While some council members expressed concern about flooding in the area on Thursday, the council appeared open to the developer’s arguments that the subdivision was still in the early stages.

“This is a concept plan,” said council member Martha Cazaubon, whose district the development would go in. Pelloquin may ultimately find he cannot put in as many homes as proposed, she said something he said was likely

The discussion on Thursday comes amid larger conversations among parish officials about how to balance the demand for growth in the parish with residents’ concerns about flooding, drainage and inadequate infrastructure

There are a handful of other subdivisions that have been built on Penn Mill Road near U.S. 190, including Simpson Farms, Cazaubon said. Another, called Vincent Heights, is under development. “It is a dense area, but it’s on a major highway,” she said in an interview

There was also an unsuccessful plan to build hundreds of homes on hundreds of acres in the nearby Goodbee area.

Other nearby development fights have involved even more extensive litigation, such as the Covington Trace Ridge Apartments that that developer later dropped.

Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

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.

Boteler, Dawn

Dinicola,Gasper

Herman,Mark

Johnson, Carol

Swint, Martha

Vierling, Lisa

NewOrleans

Lake Lawn Metairie

Herman,Mark

St Tammany

Honaker

Dinicola,Gasper

West Bank

Mothe

Boteler, Dawn

Obituaries

Boteler, Dawn Thomas

Dawn Thomas Boteler, 79, of Harvey,Louisiana passedawaypeacefully on April7,2026, surrounded by thefamilyhedevoted hislifetobuildingand lov‐ing. Born on July 27, 1946, in NewOrleans,Louisiana, Dawn wasthe sonofthe late Leonardand Catherine Boteler. AdevoutCatholic, hisfaith wasthe founda‐tion beneatheverythinghe built, everyhandheshook, andevery person he wel‐comed throughhis doors. Dawn proudlyservedinthe LouisianaNationalGuard before beginninga career that reflectedhis restless ambition andworkethic He startedasa machinist, then builthis owncon‐structioncompany from theground up.In1984, Dawn opened theBest WesternWestbank, run‐ning it alongsidehis wife andfamilyfor 35 years until hisretirementin2019. Hiscommitmenttoexcel‐lenceearnedhim recogni‐tion as aBestWestern Governor,one of the brand'shighest honors When HurricaneKatrina struck in 2005, Dawn opened hisdoorstothose in need andwas laterhon‐ored by theAmericanRed Crossfor hisefforts during thestorm.Morethana business,the hotelbecame ahomefor thepeoplewho worked thereand asource of pridefor theWestbank. In hislater years, Dawn couldbefound in hisgar‐den, brushinhandat a canvas,traveling with his family, or cheeringonthe Saints with thesameen‐ergy he broughttoevery‐thingelse. He is survived by hisbeloved wife of 54 years, LindaJ.Boteler;his children JamieBoteler (Stefani) andStephanie BotelerSelf(Jerry); his grandchildrenAshley BotelerAbreu,Jamie BotelerJr.,AlexBoteler AnthonyBoteler,Blake Flood,Stella Flood,and Landon Self;and hisgreatgrandchildrenElizabeth Abreu, Bennet Boteler, and Leilani Trahan.Hewas pre‐cededindeath by hispar‐ents;his grandchild the late AlexandraBoteler;his great-grandchild thelate Kelvin Abreu; hissiblings thelateRamonaJeanfreau andthe late Donald Boteler; andisalsosur‐vivedbyhis siblings Daniel Boteler(Kathy) andDavid Boteler(Tammie).Dawn leaves behind notjusta legacy of hard work and faith,but afamilythatis larger,stronger, andbetter becausehewas in it.In lieu of flowers, thefamily requests donationsbe made to theCorneliade LangeSyndromeFounda‐tion or theAmericanDia‐betesAssociation in Dawn'smemory. Family andfriends areinvited to attend theVisitationat MotheFuneral Home, 2100 Westbank Expressway, Harvey,Louisiana on Friday April17, 2026 beginningat 10:30AM until 1PM. AFu‐neralMasswillbeheldat thefuneral home on Friday at 1PM. Intermentwillbein Westlawn Memorial Park Cemetery,1225 Whitney Avenue,Gretna, Louisiana. Thefamilyinvites youto sharethoughts, fond mem‐oriesand condolenceson‐line at www.mothefunera ls.com

Gasper AnthonyDini‐cola,87, alongtimeresi‐dent of theNew Orleans area,and aresidentof Covingtonsince 2006, passedawayonThursday, April9,2026, in Covington Louisiana. Mr.Dinicolawas born on ChristmasDay 1938, in Lake,Louisiana to thelatePhilipand Rosalie Dinicola.Hewas preceded in deathbyhis loving wife of 58 years, Regina Sneed Dinicola;and hisbrother, Paul Dinicola. He faithfully served ourcountry in the U.S.A.F. AirNationalGuard of Louisianaand retired after25years of honorable service. Gasper also proudlyworkedasa field engineer forthe Louisiana Department of Transporta‐tion andDevelopment for 37 years. Gasper is sur‐vivedbyhis threechildren, MindyDinicola-Tassin(Clif‐ford), GreggDinicola (Denise),and Gary Dinicola (Kelly);nine grandchildren, ParisRussell, Meghan Borge, Gage Dinicola, Matthew Robichaux, Jacob Robichaux, GavinDinicola, GarrettDinicolaDPT Danielle Dinicola,and ChristopherFalcon; as well as nine great-grandchil‐dren.Heisalsosurvivedby hisbrother,PhilipDinicola andhis sister,Josephine Jacob. Relatives and friendsofthe family arein‐vitedtoattendthe Catholic FuneralMassatSt.Anselm Catholic Church,306 St Mary Street,Madisonville, LA.onFriday, April17, 2026, at 11:00 A.M. Rev. Msgr FrankGiroir, officiating. Visitation at thechurch on Friday after10:00 A.M. until funeraltime. Interment with MilitaryHonorswill be held at 1:30 P.M. at the SoutheastLouisiana Veter‐ans Cemetery,34888 Grantham CollegeRd, Slidell, LA.70460. Please visitwww.honakerforestla wn.comtosignguestbook Arrangements by Honaker FuneralHome, Inc.,Slidell, LA

Herman, Mark Brian

Mark Brian Herman, 81, died in NewOrleans on April 11, 2026. Born on January 24, 1945, he was theson of David Leon Herman of Detroit, Michigan, and Bertha "Be" Brainis of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Mark, bornand raised in NewOrleans, was aproud graduate of both Fortier HighSchooland Tulane University. At Fortier,class of 1962, he was amember of Sigma AlphaRho and the National Honor Society, played percussion andtimpani,and enjoyed swimming and track and field He also, memorably, earned the title "Mr. Arms" in abodybuildingcompetition. From an early age,

Mark's intellect, curiosity, and good looks opened doorswherever he went allowing him to move easily among and be embraced by allcornersofNew Orleans life

At Tulane University, Mark was thefirst Fortier graduatetojointhe Zeta Beta Tau fraternity. He graduated in 1966 and soonmarried Lisa Ann Schlesinger of New Orleans, with whom he raised twobeloved daughters, Julie and Vicki. Mark and Lisa laterdivorced. Afterearning alaw degree fromTulane Law School in 1969, Mark joinedthe family firm, Herman and Herman, where he focused on civil matters. Drawn to transactional work, he advised individuals and businesses, becoming atrusted counsel to many prominent NewOrleans companies. Working closely with ShepardLatter, Mark joinedLatter &Blum and became itspresident in 1975, serving until September 1979. In 1977, Mark joineda small group of local investors in acivic-minded efforttosupport the National Basketball Association's NewOrleans Jazz, during theera of fanfavorite, "PistolPete" Maravich, remaining involved until theteam's departure in 1979. That same year, Mark was elected Chairman of theVieux Carré Commission. By 1982, Mark joined Westminster Corporation, where he helped develop several prominent properties in NewOrleans, including 1010 Common, 1515 Poydras, 1615 Poydras, 1555 Poydras, 1750 St. Charles Avenue,and the Xeroxbuilding in Kenner. AfterleavingWestminster, Mark transitioned to the insurance industry and later foundedMark Herman Real Estate. In 1992 Mark married Catherine Lee. They laterdivorced. Never one to approach his interestshalfheartedly Mark was an avid runner, supporter of theCrescent City Classicand latertook up cycling. He immersed himself in dozens of hobbies,training field trial dogs, duck hunting, and photographing theSaints as an official photographer.Mark was alwaysa passionatesport fisherman and couldoftenbe found away fromthe office on Serious Business. In later years, he embraced the open road,traveling by motorcycle or truck to destinations as far afield as Maine, GlacierNational Park, theFour Corners region, theCalifornia coast, and theSan JuanIslands.

Mark was quietly yet deeply committed to his Jewish identity, grounded in tikkun olam—repairing theworld—bysupporting local and national organizations and offering his time, counsel,and friendship to people from all backgrounds.Inlater years, as aself-taught cook,Mark joyfully spent countless hourspreparing food,regularlysharing it at theOchsner Infusion Lab where he courageously fought afive year battle with AcuteMyeloid Leukemia, with friendsand neighbors, and at gatheringsnear and far, including aroadtrip to apost Katrina fundraiser in Vermont

The family extends its deep gratitude to Dr. Carter Davis,Dr. Mark Berenson, the staff of the infusionlab at theBenson CancerCenter,Interim Healthcare,caregivers Jackie White,Darlene McDonald, Brenetta Smith, AlexisJarrow, Betty Sanders, Dionne Webb, and dear friend and neigh-

bor Dawn Maledoux for their unwavering care and love Mark is survivedbyhis daughters, Julie Goldman (Gary) of LosAngeles and Vicki Evans (Craig)ofNew Orleans; his brother and sisterinlaw, Shaeland Helen Herman of Brookline, Massachusetts, his sister, SherrilHerman of New Orleans; his sister in law Mollie SolomonHerman of NewOrleans, loving nieces and nephews, and amultitude of adoring Herman cousins. He was preceded in deathbyhis brother, Avram Charles Herman, and hisnephew, Bernard Hirsch Herman. Aman of many nicknames, Mark was proudest to be known as "Geezer" by his cherishedgrandchildren: Jenna Latter Goldman, Kate Bea Goldman, Jacob Joseph Amann, Marcie Trum Amann, Reina EvansPaulson (Danny), and Haley Evans.

Privategraveside services willbeheldTuesday April14, at Chevra Thilim Memorial Park, 5000 IbervilleStreet, followed by agathering of family and friendsat4:00 p.m. at Il Mercato, 1911 Magazine Street To view and sign the family's online guestbook and share your memories of Mark, please visit lakelawnmetairie.com In lieu of flowers, blood donations may be madeto theOchsner Blood Bank Memorialsmay be madein Mark's name to Chabad Jewish Center of Metairie, bloodcancerunited.orgor Jewish Children's Regional Service

Johnson, Carol Ann'T-Cat' CarolAnn Butlerwas born on July21, 1949to Silas and Ollie Butler. Carol marriedHarry Johnsonon August 20, 1966and becamethe mother of 6children.Carol wasbaptized as one of Jehovah's Witnesses on 12-14-1968 and wasa faithful servant until herdeath. She is survived by her Siblings: KennethButler Alicia and ConsuelaButler, herchildren-Harry Johnson Jr,Yolonda JohnsonGomez,James Johnson, Rhonda Johnson, Anthony Johnson, 8Grandchildren, 11 Great-Grandchildren, nieces& nephews. She wasproceededin death by herparents, her sonAndrew Johnson,her siblings,Silas Jr, Theodore, Elizabeth-Audrey, Horace, Ollie,Gary &Joseph.

Martha HearnSwint, beloved wife of Joe Dan Swint,entered intoher eternal home on April 8, 2026 at age 96. She passed away peacefully at home.

Martha was born April 26,1929 in Galveston, Texas to Charlesand Barbara RobertsHearn. She was thefourth of eight children. The family soon moved to Freeport, Texas, where she grew up and later taught in theBrazosport Independent School

District.She helped develop thedistrict'searly Gifted andTalented program, oneofthe first in the state. Later she served as supervisor for theprogram. Shewas alifememberofthe Texas Retired TeachersAssociation

After retiringfromBISD in 1984, Marthaand her husband, Joe, volunteered at various Texas prisons, mentoring and teaching classes in Life Skills.

Marthaloved to read, paint with oils and acrylics, andsketch likenesses of friends and family. Oneofher favorite pastimeswas knocking out walls and renovating anything.She loved giving new life to herprojects. Her creativity ledher through herdays.

Marthagraduatedhigh school in Freeport, Texas. Shelater graduatedcollege from University of Houston and followed up with post grad studies at Texas University in Austin, Texas. Shewas alifelong learner and teacher

Marthaand Joetraveled eachsummerintheir camperseeingmuchofthe USAfor thefirst time.They becameavidgolfers, enjoying time spentonmany courses.

In 2011, Marthamoved to Madisonville, LA, to be near herson,Chuck Smith, andher granddaughter, Jade.

Marthaand Joebecame members of theTammany Oaks Church of Christ.She dearlyloved herchurch familyand participated wholeheartedlyinchurch activities. At age 87, Marthapainteda 10'x45' children'smural on the classroom hall wall entitled FROG: Fully Relying On God.

Marthaloved herhusband, herfamily, her church and everyoneshe met. Most of all she loved herLordand lookedforward to meeting him face to face. She is withhim now. Embraced by his love

Marthawas preceded in death by herparents: Charlesand Barbara Hearn, threesisters: Beth Dean,Linda Hearnand Barbara HearnDunn, two brothers: CA "Sonny" Hearn, David Hearn and herdaughter, Deborah Smith Barton

Shewillbegreatly missed by herhusband, herchildren: CJ "Chuck" Smithand Jennifer McVey (Jim): hergrandchildren: JadeSchoendorf (Robert), Matt DeGaugh,JoshMilillo, Laura Milillo andTia Howe (Aaron)and hergreatgrandchildren: Jeremy Miller,Calvin Schoendorf, LucasMilillo,Connor Milillo,CarsonHowe and Kendall Howe

Marthaleaves ahostof Hearnnieces andnephews whom she loveddearly Sheremainedinterestedin theirlives throughout her long,productive and interestinglife. Marthaloved big!

Servicesfor Marthawill

be held at 10a on Thursday, April 16, 2026 Tammany Oaks Church of Christ 3700 LA-59 Mandeville,LA70471

Flowers for theservice are welcome

Vierling, Lisa Mae

This day we do remember, Aloving thought we give To ones no longer with us Butinour hearts still live

Ms. Lisa MaeVierling passedawayquietlyon April 5, 2026. Born August 26, 1951, Lisa wasa devoted motherof5 andgrandmother. In 1979 she graduated from Athens Vocational andTechnical Collegewith an associate's degree in nursing.Asa nurse she workedinhospitals, clinics, performing home healthcare visits, andinnursing homes throughouther 35-year career.She wasdevoted to herpatients andspecialized in elderlywound care prior to retiringin2015. Upon herretirement she dedicatedher time to caringfor hergrandchildren andfamily.

andJennifer Jean Vierling seventeen grandchildren, andfourgreat-grandchildren

Swint, MarthaHearn

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.

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YOUR VIEWS

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

Thesame Constitution

The splashdown 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.

Faimon Roberts

But for atrio of current and former Louisiana residentswhose 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 whilehis father, Kenneth, worked to make the specialized tools used to assemble the Saturn Vrocket that lifted the Apollo missions outofEarth’satmosphere.

Seeingthe Space Launch System, or SLS rocket —the modern successor to the Saturn V—launchthe Artemis astronauts back toward the Moon “almost brought me to tears,” he said. Kenneth Worthington, who worked for Boeing, would gatherthe family 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, includingaNASAjacket, 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 the University 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 Friday night,nervouslysweating out the six minutes of radio silence while the capsule descended.

“It was emotional,” Stubbs,who now livesinPearl 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 his work.

“I thought abouthim theentire time,” she said. “Mydad was such a futurist, such an optimist about what

people arecapable of doing. He had 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 undermine what 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. “Noothers in our history have been this cavalier with our military men and women and tax dollars as they are at this moment,” writes the senator.“Iurge my colleagues to join me in opposing both this war and the unilateral actions taken without congressional authorization, as the Constitution commands.”

The Constitution serves as acritical bulwark against Trump’sraid on reality.This tension was on full 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 NewYork 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 wereso 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, NeilGorsuch 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.

Cal Thomas

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 against a “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 warhas 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 few weeks, 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 warinIran, 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,” Dimonwrote.

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.

Steve Roberts

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CHRISO’MEARA

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

SPORTS

Ohio State safety Caleb Downsmakes acatch during the school’spro dayin Columbus,Ohio, on March25.

AP PHOTO By PAUL VERNON

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 defeatcapped a sweep for the Rebelsand dropped LSU’srecordin Southeastern Conference play to 6-9. LSU lost 6-3on Friday,got dominated 12-2 in a seven-inning loss Saturday and dropped atight game Sunday 8-7. Here are five takeaways from the weekend at Swayze Field.

Braun’sjob to lose

After seniorZach Yorke’sstruggles nearly cost LSU the series against Tennessee the previous weekend, LSU coach Jay Johnson turned to Braun, a

FIRST DOWNS FIRSTDOWNS

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

he mostusefulaspect of the an-

Tnual 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

4. Tennessee Titans vid Bailey

5. New York Giants: benBain

6. Cleveland Brown WR Carnell Tate

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.

1. Las Vegas Raiders: Indiana QBFernando Mendoza

2. New York Jets: Ohio State edge Arvell Reese

3. Arizona Cardinals: Ohio State LB Sonny Styles

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

TexasTech edge DaMiami edge Rues: Ohio State anders: miyah , 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

SAINTS MOCK DRAFT : i s d o Ohio State defensiveback Caleb Downs.

Valkyriessend hertoStorm

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The Golden State Valkyries selected LSU star Flau’jae Johnson with the eighthoverall pick of the WNBA draft on Monday,then traded her to the Seattle Storm less than an hour later

To acquire Johnson, the Storm gave the Valkyries a2028 second-round pick and TCU forward Marta Suárez, who was chosenwiththe 16th overall selection of Monday’sdraft. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced the trade

at thepodium afew minutes afterJohnson wrapped up her post-draft news conference.

“It still kind ofhasn’thit me yet, Idon’tthink, all the way,” Johnson said before shefound outshe was traded to theStorm

“But Imean, just totally grateful, havingmyfamily there, my littlebrother there. Like, that was everything to me.I’m very excited, just coming from college to nowthe pros.

“I’mofficially adrafted pro, so it means alot to me, andI just wanttogoand makean impact.”

LSU now has produced firstround WNBA draft picks in threeconsecutive years for the first time in school history.ForwardsAngelReese (2024) and

Dejounte Murray would have much rather spent his Monday morning preparing foraplayoffopponent than doing exit interviewswith the media. But there he wasfielding questions about asecond straight disappointing season forthe NewOrleans Pelicans that ended Sunday night with aloss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Rod Walker

“I hate it,” Murray said about missing the playoffs.“Ihate it with a passion. It’s hard forme. The playoffs are something that you should want to be apart of. But there is aprocess to get to the playoffs.You don’tjust start an NBAseason and say,‘Hey,we’re automatically in the playoffs.’ Everything has to be everything from top to bottom.”

The top starts with Joe Dumars, whowill address the media Tuesday after competing his first season as the executive vice president of basketball operations forthe Pelicans. His first year ended much like the final season of his predecessor David Griffin. The Pelicans finished 21-61 last year,leading to Griffin’sfiring. The win total improved by just five games (2656) under Dumars. So it’ll be up to Dumars to turn things around with somekey decisions he will have to makethis offseason.

See WALKER, page 5C

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUdesignated hitter Mason Braun hits ahome runagainst Kentucky in the fourth inning on March28atAlex Box Stadium.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson wavestothe crowd during warmups before an NCAATournament game against Texas Tech on March22 at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.Johnson waspicked eighth in the WNBA draft Monday.

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LSU GYMNASTICS NOTEBOOK

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.”

the regional fi

on 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.

Alabama transfer WR out for at least start of season

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.

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

nals

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, Hoge commit to Zurich Classic

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Billy Horschel, a two-time Zurich Classic champion, will pair with PGA Tour veteran Tom Hoge at this year’s Zurich 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 teamed with Scott Piercy to win the tournament five years later

Horschel was forced to withdraw from last year’s Zurich Classic due to a hip injury and returned to the PGA Tour in October, scoring a tie for 11th in the Bank of Utah Challenge, his second tournament back. Prior to his surgery he had finished tied for ninth in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and tied for fourth in the Valspar Championship played three weeks before the Zurich Classic.

“We welcome Billy back to our tournament after his injury last year,” said Steve Worthy, CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation, pro-

ducer of the tournament. “He has shown consistent success in the Zurich Classic over the years. In addition to his two wins, he finished tied for fourth in the 2021 tournament and earned a solo second the following year, so we always expect to see him on the leaderboard, again with a great partner in Tom Hoge.”

Horschel and Hoge join a field that includes, among others, Brooks Koepka, Shane Lowry, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sahith Theegala, and reigning champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak.

Horschel has become a mainstay at the Zurich, where he has developed a strong following among fans and longstanding

De La Salle hires Walker football coach Mahaffey

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Chad Mahaffey knows what De La Salle looks like at its best — and now he’s been hired to get it back there.

A 17-year head coach with three state titles, Mahaffey coached against one of the better De La Salle teams in history in 2017, when his University High squad defeated De La Salle in the state finals.

“I’ve seen what they could be,” Mahaffey said Monday, not long after De La Salle announced him as the school’s next football coach.

Mahaffey’s goal is to lift De La Salle to the level of success he enjoyed at UHigh, where he won three state titles and reached the finals one other time during his nine seasons there — before he spent the past seven seasons at Class 5A Walker With a 142-59 career re-

cord, Mahaffey’s arrival comes after former De La Salle coach Graham Jarrott stepped down because of unmet personal expectations over five seasons. Mahaffey, 47, was among 40 applicants for the job, De La Salle athletic director Jason Lachica said “He comes with the championship mindset that you only learn when you’ve been there,” Lachica said.

“We just felt like for the culture for the program and for the school, he was the best fit.”

Mahaffey’s time at Walker included the best season in school history, when the Wildcats went 10-3 and reached the Division I nonselect quarterfinals for the first time in 2023. Walker went 1-9 last season A Catholic-Baton Rouge graduate, Mahaffey caught passes in high school from eventual Texas quarterback Major Applewhite, now the

South Alabama head coach.

He was offensive coordinator at Central-Baton Rouge and Bastrop before becoming a head coach in 2009. He coached one season at Vermilion Catholic.

“I’m an offensive guy,” Mahaffey said. “That will be where most of my focus goes.”

De La Salle made its first finals appearance in 56 years when it lost to Mahaffey’s U-High team, 45-19, in the Division II state final in 2017. That was the first of three finals appearances in four years for De La Salle with Ryan Manale (now at Jesuit) as coach.

“I’ve seen them on film several times,” Mahaffey said. “They have a lot of good players there. They can compete at the top of the division.”

Contact Christopher Dabe at cdabe@theadvocate. com

Brother Martin junior, nation’s No. 1 wideout, plans college visits

BY CHRISTOPHER DABE Staff writer

Easton Royal gave a quick point to the sky before he placed his feet onto the starting block at Tad Gormley Stadium.

The Brother Martin junior is among the most coveted football recruits in the country, but his focus at this time of year is not solely on the gridiron not after his runner-up finish in the 100-meter dash at the state track and field meet last season

“It’s about redemption,” Royal said. “I got second at state last year This year, I got it on my mind to claim the title.”

The 6-foot, 205-pound Royal ran a state-best 10.2-second time in the 100 meters and helped the Brother Martin 4x100 relay team set a school record at 41.34 seconds last week at the Chubby Marks Classic The District 9-5A championships are April 23, followed by the regional championships April 29 and the state meet May 9 in Baton Rouge. His focus will then shift entirely to football — the sport for which the five-star wideout is best known nationally

A Texas commitment since he attended the Longhorns’ November victory against Texas A&M, Royal has upcoming official visits set for Ole Miss (May 1-3), LSU (May 28-31), Tennessee (June 4-6), Florida (June 1113) and Texas (June 19-21) Texas became an early favorite because of what he

saw from the offense with coach Steve Sarkisian calling plays.

“They have a lot of quick touches, which I love,” Royal said “A lot of screens, jet sweeps and speed sweeps out of the backfield. Then they have plays where they take the top off the defense, which I can do as well.”

Royal has not had any contact with quarterback Arch Manning — he’ll likely be gone to the NFL by the time Royal gets to campus but has built a connection with five-star early enrollee Dia Bell.

“I’m starting to build that connection with him because I know that’s going to be my quarterback,” said Royal who has another season of high school football yet to play

Royal will continue with Brother Martin in the fall after the all-state receiver had 59 receptions for 1,214 yards

and 15 touchdowns, plus 18 rushes for 219 yards and three scores. He returned one punt for a touchdown and threw a touchdown pass on a trick play

Royal and Brother Martin quarterback Hudson Fields have been together since eighth grade.

“Our connection is really strong,” Royal said.

“We’re always throwing after school, after workouts

We’re getting our reps in.”

Brother Martin looks to improve on a 7-5 season that include a 3-4 record in the Catholic League. The Crusaders lost to Alexandria in the second round of the playoffs After a standout season catching the football, Royal expects to be part of a balanced offense this season.

“We’re going to be way better in the run game, which will allow us to open up the pass,” he said.

friendships in the local community He has earned more than $3 million in 13 appearances at the tournament.

His first career Tour victory came in 2013 at the Zurich Classic, with a memorable 26-foot putt on the 72nd hole. That culminated a four-tournament streak when he finished tied for second, tied for third and tied for ninth in his first full season on the PGA Tour

Horschel 39, paired with Piercy to win the Zurich Classic again in 2018, the second year of the event’s team format. Horschel and Piercy defeated the team of Pat Perez and Jason Dufner by one stroke.

Horschel, ranked No. 97 in the World Golf Rankings, has won eight times on the PGA Tour and twice on the European Tour. His best finish this season is a tie for 13th place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Horschel recovered from a disappointing PGA Tour 2022-23 season by winning the 2024 Corales Puntacana Championship and posting 13 top-25 finishes during the 2023-24 campaign. He also tied for second in The Open Championship; tied for seventh in the Texas Children’s Houston

BY SPENCER URQUHART Staff writer

Chalmette knew it had to strike early against Patrick Taylor senior pitcher Ashtyn Rogers, and Owls sophomore Emma Borden was up to the task.

Borden came up to bat with a runner on base in the bottom of the first against Rogers, a Southeastern signee who struck out 34 batters in one game last week. The Chalmette sophomore hit a line-drive home run to center field on the first pitch she saw, giving the Owls a onerun lead.

No more runs were scored after Borden’s two-run homer She also pitched a complete game, and Chalmette held on for a 2-1 win over Patrick Taylor on Monday at Chalmette.

“That was the game plan going in, to make sure that we scored early,” Chalmette coach Destiny Stogner said. “We knew (Rogers) was really good You have to hit her early in the count to have success and that’s what we did.”

Borden outdueled Rogers after allowing a run in the top of the first, giving up four hits and one walk while recording 10 strikeouts. She finished 1 for 3 at the plate.

“Lots of inside pitches were working really well,” Borden said. “(The umpire) was giving it to me, so I was going to keep throwing it. I felt really good speed- and spin-wise today

“I had lots of anxiety before the game, so (the home run) was a really big stress reliever for me.”

Center fielder Olivia Tassin kept Patrick Taylor

Open and the Wyndham Championship; tied for eighth in the PGA Championship and tied for 10th in the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Hoge posted a tie for eighth in this year’s American Express and a tie for 14th in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He is ranked No. 111. Last season, he posted eight top 25 and four top-10 finishes, the highest a tie for third in The Players Championship. His best finish in 10 appearances at the Zurich Classic was a 10thplace tie in 2018, when he teamed with J.J. Henry He teamed with Harris English to finish tied for 13th in 2023. Hoge, 36, enjoyed an outstanding season in 2022-23 when he posted 12 top-25 finishes in 33 events. At The Players Championship that year, after making the cut on the number, he carded a third-round 62, the lowest singleround score in tournament history

He won the 2022 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am for his first official victory on the PGA Tour He also recorded a team win in the unofficial QBE Shootout playing with Theegala. He tied for ninth in the 2022 PGA Championship.

alive with a two-out single in the top of the seventh, which brought pinch-hitter Aubrey Gros to the plate as the potential winning run. The game ended after Gros popped up to third base.

Patrick Taylor shortstop Hayden Williamson led off the top of the first with an infield single, and she scored from first when catcher Leah Godoy hit an RBI double to center Rogers pitched six innings, allowing just two earned runs, one hit and two walks. She finished with 16 strikeouts and struck out 11 straight Chalmette batters over four innings.

“We battled (after the first inning) but just couldn’t find a way to push one across,” Patrick Taylor coach Lance Reine said. “(Rogers) has been unbelievable. We’re going to have to find a way to score more runs, but she keeps us in every game.”

Chalmette center fielder Bri Cobden drew a one-out

walk in the bottom of the first and scored after Borden’s home run.

Chalmette (19-8) has one regular season game remaining against Salmen on Tuesday The Owls entered Monday ranked No. 14 overall in the Division I nonselect power ratings. “I’m feeling really confident and ready,” Borden said “Team chemistry is only getting better, so I’m just excited to see how far we go.”

Patrick Taylor (27-6) was ranked No. 4 in the Division II select power ratings prior to Monday The Tigers, who have reached quarterfinal round of the playoffs for the past three years, will have a first-round bye.

“Thirty-three games was a lot,” Reine said. “I’m excited to get to the postseason. We’re trying to make a run.” Email Spencer Urquhart at surquhart@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MAX BECHERER

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

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER

Easton Royal of Brother Martin is pursued by Jesuit’s Beau Matulewski during a game on Sept. 26.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JOSEPH HALM Chalmette pitcher Emma Borden, shown against Pope John Paul II on Feb 25, earned

Aneesah Morrow (2025) both were selected with the seventh overall picks of their respective drafts. They both spent two years at LSU.

Johnson played allfour 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 theWashingtonMystics selected forward 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 the Minnesota Lynx took her second. The Chicago Sky then took UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez with the fifth pick, the Toronto Tempo chose UCLA’s Kiki Rice with the sixthselection, and the Portland Fire added Spain’sIyana Martín Carrión with the seventh choice.

Once those guards were chosen, Johnson didn’t have to wait much longer to hearher name. She was widely expected to be a top-10 pick, in large part because she proved she couldbeboth an efficient outside shooter and active perimeter defender during her time in Baton Rouge. There,she played under abright spotlight “I think pressure makes diamonds,”Johnson said, “and I’m superexcitedto come and add what Ican. All Iwant to do is add value, and Ifeel like any place that Icome addval-

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ue to is going to elevate.” In 2022, Johnsonenrolled at LSU as the 26thbest recruitinher freshmanclass,according to ESPN. Shewas thefirst McDonald’sAll-American to sign withthe Tigers after coach Kim Mulkey took over theprogram in 2021, and she wound up starting139 gamesin her career —aspan that doubled as one of themost successfulstretches in program history

LSU went 125-20 (.862) from 2022-26 with Johnson onboard.It won itsfirst national championship atthe end of Johnson’s freshman year, then reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament when shewas asophomore, juniorand senior Johnson’s collegiate career ended March 27 when Dukehit alast-secondshot to bounce the Tigers out of the tournament in the Sweet16. She finishedwith 2,063 career points —the sixth-most in LSU history Johnson, who’salso built asuccessfulcareer as a rapper,was eligible to declarefor last year’sdraft, but because she decided to return to LSU for her senior season, she’s nowpart of thefirstrookie classthat plays under the league’s new collectivebargaining agreement(CBA).

Theleague and its players hammered out the terms of that deal just in timefor their 30th season, which will tip off on May 8. In aninteresting twist, the two teamswho negotiated the trade for Johnsonon Monday will play eachother in their respectiveseason openers on that night. The Stormalso had the thirdand 14th overall picks of thedraft, anditused the choices to select Spainforward AwaFam Thiam and Duke guard Taina Mair

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

LSU

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freshman, at first base this week to see whether he could give the Tigers alift.

Against Ole Miss, Braun went 5 for 11 with adouble, and his defense was an upgrade in comparison to Yorke, who committed two errors against Tennessee.

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

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

Braun’sabilitytoconsistently make contact made him an intriguing bat headinginto theseason. If he continues to hit the ballhard over the second half of SEC play, there won’tbeany reason for Johnson to take him out of the lineup, whether he’satfirst base, designatedhitter or in the outfield.

Paz’suse

There was one decision Johnson made Sunday that raised alot of eyebrowsamong LSU fans.

In the seventh inning,after LSU scored seven runs in the top halfto tie the game, Johnson stuck with Paz —afreshman right-hander to begin the bottom of the inning, despite top reliever Deven Sheerin being available in thebullpen.

Paz faced one batter —center fielder Hayden Federico— in the seventh, inducingabouncing ball to the right side that got past Eddie Yamin and second baseman Brayden Simpson. Theplaywas not ruled an error,but Simpsonsaid it was achopper that he should’ve handled.

“(Paz) did what he neededtodo, and he hit agroundball,” Johnson

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

said. “And we didn’tmakethe play.”

Even if Paz did his job, Federico became the game-winning run for the Rebels. Sheerin entered after the hit and gave up aone-outsingle that allowed Ole Miss to retake the lead.

Despite the result,Johnson had no regrets about keeping Paz in thegame. He liked the matchup against Federico, even if Paz entered Sunday with an 8.84 ERA.

“I thought the mix (Paz had) was betterfor Federico,” Johnsonsaid “Like, we walked him with Sheerin the next time around.”

Pazhad tossed ascoreless inning in the sixth, and he haspitched much better after arocky start to the season. He hasn’twalked a batterinhis last three 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 fielder has ateam-high 15 home runs, a1.102on-base plusslugging percentage and acareer-best .676 slugging percentage. He’s lifting the ball more often to hispullside, andit’stranslated into alot more production.

ButBrown hasn’tplayed up to the level LSU needs himtobeatin SEC play. He’s hitting.228with16 strikeouts in 15 conference games. He hasfive home runs —two came against Ole Miss —but only oneof his seven doubles has come against SEC competition

Brown was hitting over .400 through most of the nonconference schedule. Sustaining that level of production against the SEC wasn’t realistic,but the Tigers need Brown to be closer to the hitter he was last year in conference play —hittingover.300and posting a

PHOTOByPAMELA SMITH

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

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 LB CJ Allen

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

1.048OPS —thanwhatthey’ve gotten so far in 2026. Freshman headaches

In the first four years of Johnson’stenure,LSU didn’theavily relyonits freshmen to contribute right away.The Tigers have had ahandful of freshmen who were long-term pieces on the bench, even if they also had at least afew first-year players holding important roles in the bullpen or starting in the lineup. That hasn’tbeen the case this season.Braun, Paz, catcher Omar Serna and right-hander Zion Theophilus have been thrust into regularroles on the weekend. Right-handerReagan Rickenhas been astapleonthe mound in midweek games, and infielders Jack Ruckertand Ethan Clauss have entered SEC contests as defensive replacements.

Theonly freshmanwho hasn’t seen thefield is left-handerJonah Aase, who is still recoveringfromTommy Johnsurgery

Infielder/outfielder WilliamPatrickalso hasn’tplayed much,but that couldchangeifthe Tigers continue to struggle.Patrickwas moved to theinfield at the end of last month to get his athleticism on the field moreoften.

Serna and Braun have been bright spots, andTheophilusand Paz have shown flashesofpromising play,but LSU’sreliance on its freshmen hasn’talways worked out, especially in the middle infield.

Ruckert and Clauss have struggled when they’ve gotten their opportunities in SEC play.Ruckert has threeerrors and has appeared in just onegame since bobbling aball in the eighth inning of the seriesfinale againstOklahoma, a mistake thatlikely cost LSU aserieswin over the Sooners. Clauss

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-

made acrucial error in theeighth inning Friday by failing to touch second base on apotential double play thatresulted in no outs.

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

In years past, LSUwouldn’t have turned to Clauss or Ruckert to make aplay on the infield in a must-win game. But given the defensive struggles of the veteran options on the infield, Johnson hashad little choice but to play the 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 job done. They haven’t, but they’re not the only ones.

“We’vehad to make switches in whowe’re makingdefensive replacements with because the other guys, outside of Steven (Milam), haven’tplayed very good, either.So this is not aJack and Ethan thing at all.”

TexasA&M series

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

After Sunday’sloss, LSU is the No.75team in theRPI,and it has thetoughest part of its conference schedule coming up with the Aggies, Florida, Georgia and Mississippi State still lefttoplay. Texas A&M also headsintoAlexBox Stadium on ahot streak, beating Texastwice last weekend before Sunday’s gamewas cancelledbecause of inclement weather Aseries loss would put theTigers in serious danger of missing the

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.

ON DECK

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

NCAA Tournament. But two wins would get LSU to amore respectable 8-10

lsunewsletter

Curry, Warriors intend to extend theirseason

BY JANIE MCCAULEY AP sportswriter

SAN FRANCISCO Stephen Curry practicallyglaredindelight when he scored and was fouledinhis first game back after missing more than two months because of aknee injury

He brought back his celebratory shimmy,shaking his upper body after being sent to the floor on that play after alayup when he drove pastformerteammate Kevin Durant.

Curry’spregame dribbling and shooting routine had fans showing up early again in the regular season’sfinal weekatChase Center just for aglimpse,phone cameras held high —including by the rehabbingJimmy Butler —to capturethe must-see momentsas everyone suddenly realizes No. 30 is hardly immortal, as much as it usedtoseem. And it might be short-lived, for this season anyway.These injuryplagued Golden State Warriors are along shot, even if Curry hopes to save the day on his troublesome right knee.

The two-time MVP and his Warriors have adaunting task just to get into the playoffs: They are the 10th seed in the Western Conferenceand need to win apair of elimination gamesonthe road to earn the eighth seed and achance to face reigning champion and No. 1Oklahoma City Golden State will play Wednesdaynight againstthe Clippers in Los Angeles. “Until we get bounced from whatever this is, we’regoingto approach it the same way:dignity, competitiveness and confidence that you can win any game,” Curry said. “That’sjust the mentalitywe have.”

Curry never considered saying forget about it and sitting out the rest of the way,though there were some rough times alone in the training room. He wanted to come back and try.Heknowsthese opportunities won’tlast forever,having turned 38 last month and finishingupa 17th NBA season that hardly has gone as planned. But, with Curry,there is renewed hope.

“There’samomentum anda confidence,” coach Steve Kerr said.

“He’sStephCurry fora reason.”

Guard Gary Payton II put the Warriors’ chances this way: “Whatever we put ourmind to now that Superman’sback.”

Backcourt mate Butlerwent down in January with atorn ACL in his right knee that required surgery.There hasbeen along list of other injured players, too. Thatmeant continuity waslacking much of theseason.

The Warriors traded away Jonathan Kumingaand Buddy Hield to Atlantafor Kristaps Porzingis at the tradedeadline, yet thebig man also had his health challenges that limitedhis availability.

Draymond Green has provided some continuity to Kerr’srotation, appearingin68games. Green and Curry have capturedfour championshipstogether under Kerr,but they all know their time is fleeting.

Ahead of Curry’s29-point performance against Durant and the Rockets in aone-point loss last week in his comeback, Kerr called hissuperstar “the greatestface of afranchise in any sport I’ve ever

seen.”

“He’sone of the most beloved players in league history,Bay Areahistory,any sport,” Kerr added, “so tonight’s aspecial nightbecausewe’re reminded how lucky we’ve been and how luckywestill are.”

Curry came off thebench to rousing standing ovations in his first two home gamesbefore returning to thestartingfive for Friday night’s loss at Sacramento. Before theHouston game, he hadn’t playedsinceJan.30, missing27 games.

The Warriors went 9-18 during that stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Themessage from Curryremains simple aboutwhy he wants to be out there.

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

“Our season’sbeen different than we expected, but thefact that there is something to still play for givesall of us alot of confidence down thestretch to make somethingout it, and Iwant to be apart of that.”

Davisexcited aboutWizards’foundation

The Associated Press

WASHINGTON AnthonyDavis’ long-term future with the WashingtonWizardsisn’t clear,but the star at least knowshe’scommitted to the franchise for one moreseason. Davis spoke fondly on Monday abouthis teammatesonthe Wizards and how he believes theteam has pieces in place to build acompetitor “When the trade happened andI got here, I’ve said this place is not what people make it seem,” Davis said. “It’satestament to theorganization, the coaching staff, the players, everybody here.Iwantto be able to have fun where Iam. I want to be able to compete where I

WALKER

Continued from page1C

Will the team remove the interim head coachtag from James Borrego, who took over after Willie Green was fired 12 games into the season? Or willDumars bring in someone from the outside. What will the team do with Zion Williamson, the face of the franchise the past seven seasons? Williamson played in 62 game this season, the second-mostgames he’s played since being drafted with the No. 1overallpickin 2019. Will the Pelicans be able to move Jordan Poole? Poole, the second-highest-paid player on the roster acquired in the trade for CJ McCollum, played in just 39 games this season. What can the Pelicans dotobecome abetter rebounding team? How can they improve on their 3-pointshooting? Who is the go-to guy in crunch time?

Borrego said Monday that he and Dumars haven’ttalked about his immediate future yet

“We’ve just been focusing on

Rivers stepsdown as Bucksheadcoach

BY STEVE MEGARGEE

AP sportswriter

MILWAUKEE DocRivers is stepping downasMilwaukee Bucks coach, capping atumultuous year in which he was selected for the Hall of Fame while his injuryriddled team fell far short of expectations.

“I have truly loved my time in Milwaukee,” Rivers said Monday in astatement released by the team. “Coming back to where Igot my start,toa city thathas always embracedme, has been a privilege.I am disappointedthat thingsdid notturn outthe way anyofushoped,but Iamdeeply grateful forthisexperience, the relationships built,and unwavering support from ourfansand thecommunity.Milwaukee will always mean alot to me, and this chapter will hold aspecial place in my heart.”

Theannouncementcomes aday after the Bucks endeda 32-50 seasonthat snapped their run of nine straight playoffappearances. The news release announcing Rivers’ departure as coach didn’tindicate whether he might have any role with the team moving forward.

“Ithas been an honor to have Doc as ourcoach andasa leader in ourorganization andcommunity,” Bucks owners WesEdens, Jimmy Haslam,Dee Haslam and JamieDinan said in astatement.

“In addition to his impact on the court, we’re thankful for Doc’s class and professionalism during his tenure in Milwaukee.”

Rivers went97-103 in 21/2 seasons with theBucks.Heownsa 1,194-866 overallrecordand overtook George Karl for sixth place on the career winslistamong NBA coaches this season. The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announcedthismonth that Riverswouldbepartofits newest induction class.

The 64-year-old had left little doubt about his future as the season wound down.

“I have seven grandkids now and they’re all 8years and under,” Rivers saidabout hisfuture before an April 7loss at Brooklyn.

“And it kills me every time Imiss grandparents’ day with each one of them in school. And it’sprobably time to go seethemmore. So, I’ll let you figure out the rest.” Rivers’ exit comes amidquestions surrounding the future of two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo,who ledMilwaukeeto its first title in half acentury in 2021 and has set franchise career records in virtually every major statistical category Antetokounmpo’sstatus dominated league discussions as the tradedeadline approached,but he wasn’tdealt. He sincehas been in adisagreement with team management over his injury status. Thelast gameAntetokounmpo played wasonMarch 15. He said in the closing weeks of the season that he was healthyand wanted to play,while the Bucks continued to rule him outbecause of aleft knee hyperextension and bone bruise.The NBA is investigating the matter Antetokounmpohad twoextended absences because of right calf strains and ended up playing in just 36 games. KevinPorter Jr., theBucks’second-leadingscorer, appeared in just 38.

“It’shard,” Rivers said Sunday “I don’tremember guys being outlikethis, butitmakes sense Ihaven’thad alot of this. It’sno fun. Losing, Idon’t give acrap what the reasons are, I’mjust too competitive. It’s just no funnot winning. It just isn’t.”

Rivers wona titlewithBoston in 2008 andled the CelticstoGame 7 of theNBA Finals twoyears later, but histeams haven’tadvanced beyond theregionalsemifinals since. He ownsacareerplayoff record of 114-112.

This marks the first full season in whichRivers has coached and posted alosing record since 2006-07, when he went 24-58 with Boston.

Rivers cametoMilwaukee after head coaching stints with the Orlando Magic,Boston, Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. He was working as a broadcasterfor ESPN and ABC before the Bucks hired him

am. Iwant to be able to learn wherever Iam—and this organization has that.”

The Wizards went17-65 in 202526 —the worst record in theNBA and their third straight 64-plus loss

season.

When asked at the season-ending news conference about his future in Washington, Davis joked thathe obviously plans toplay for the Wizardsnextseason

“Yeah, I’m under contract,” he said with alaugh.“Ilove my money.”

TheWizards acquired the 33-year-old Davis from Dallas in an eight-player trade in February.That was about amonth after Washington acquiredhigh-scoring guardTrae Young from Atlanta.

the day in and thetask and the season,” Borrego said. “Wedidn’t get into the weedsofwhat’s next andwhat’scoming. We have had an initial conversation more on the reflection of theseason and just looking back at what did we do welland what are some areas of improvement. Those conversations have started.That’s been our initial conversation. Where it goes from there we will see.”

Despite thethird-worst record in franchise history for an 82gameseason,Borrego saw some positives

“The thing I’m the most proud of is thecommitment to compete every night,” Borrego said. “We built aculture of competitiveness andavailability.From December 1to(Sunday) night,wewere the eighth-most healthy team. We showed up and we were available. That has been anissue here in the past.I’m proud that we turned. We had anamazing spirit in our gymevery day.”

Therewas astretch after the All-Star breakwhen the Pelicans went10-5 and seemed to be trendingupward,but they finished the season losing 10 of their last 11 games.

Davis said Monday he’sintrigued by Washington’s young groupof players and the foundation the front office has put in place.

Davishas been recovering from asprained finger on his non-shooting hand since Jan. 8. He added he plans to meet with Wizards managementsoon about hisfutureand the organization’splan for building a contender “TheyknowthatI want to win,” he said.“I’m sure that they want to win as well. Nobody wants to lose. Iknow we have alot of young guys but like Isaid, Imentioned it aboutthe young guys —how talented they are. Adding Trae andmyself kind of can help change that.”

Oneofthe brightest spotswas theplay of the rookies, evident in Sunday’sloss.

Rookie guard Jeremiah Fears played in all 82 games and recorded 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in thefinale. The 19-yearold is the first rookie in franchise history torecord30-plus points

in three straight games, and the first teenager in NBAhistory to score 35 or morepoints in three straight games. Fellow rookie Derik Queen, who played in 81 games this season, scored 30 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against the Timberwolves. The 22 rebounds were

the mostinfranchise history by a rookie. He’sjust the second rookie since 2000 to have agame with at least 30 points and 20 rebounds. The other wasSan Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama.

“Wesaw significant growth on both ends, but we still have along ways to go,” Borrego said. “The areas of growth forthis team are on the defensive end, clearly.Our physicality,our toughness, our aggression has to turn. That starts here in the offseason.”

It’s an offseason that’sstarting afew weeks before the Pelicans would have liked. The Pels finished 11th in the Western Conference and with the eighth-worst record in the NBA.

“As ateam, Ifeel like there were ebbs and flows,” forward Trey Murphy said. “Obviously we didn’tfinish the waywewanted to finish. Overall, we didn’tget to our maingoals which was playing in the postseason. Now we have to take another step.”

Dumars’ decisions over the next fewweeks will define what those steps are forthe Pelicans.

Email RodWalker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Pelicans interim head coach James Borregodisagrees with acallduring atimeout against the Orlando Magic at the SmoothieKingCenter on April 5.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByDUANE BURLESON Milwaukee Bucks head coachDoc Rivers directs hisplayers against the Detroit Pistons during the first halfofagame on Wednesdayin Detroit.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SCOTT MARSHALL

Golden StateWarriors guard Stephen Curryattempts a3-pointerduring the firsthalf against the Sacramento KingsonFridayinSacramento, Calif. Curry and the Warriors are in the play-intournament.

‘Stars of another era’

The story behind the classic dive Check Point Charlie

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

At Check Point Charlie, beer flowed, billiard balls clacked, and punk music blared under the glow of red neon lights long after moonlight faded and sunrise crept through the windows most mornings Time didn’t exist inside. That was the late Igor Margan’s vision when he opened the gritty New Orleans dive in 1989. He wanted it to be a refuge where “you can come in here and spend days without ever needing to leave,” he said. At the edge of Faubourg Marigny, Check Point Charlie quickly etched itself into the city’s nightlife because of its 24-hour concept blended with cheap drinks, alternative bands and a laundromat that hummed in the back. That familiar scene came to an end last month, when the bar went dark after the building was sold.

recently closed Check Point Charlie

New Orleans.

The sale points to a broader reshaping of the corner of Esplanade Avenue and Frenchmen Street. The bar and two adjacent buildings have been acquired by the same ownership group, which plans to convert the properties into a 40-room hotel and boutique venue. The block, transformed into a nightlife destination in the 1980s, has retained a rough edge even as costs rise and development spreads. The closure also comes as the number of 24-hour bars long a hallmark of New Orleans nightlife — has shrunk in recent years Since 2020, fixtures like Avenue Pub and Brothers Three Lounge have ended their roundthe-clock service after ownership changes, while Johnny White’s bars on Bourbon Street shut down.

Margan, who owned a string of classic dives, didn’t become a patriarch of New Orleans nightlife until later in life. Born in 1947 in what was then Yugoslavia, Margan left wartorn Eastern Europe with his family as a child and spent most of his life in New Orleans. After serving in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War, he sold insurance door-to-door before finding his calling in the bar business. His first venture, Igor’s Lounge & Game Room, which opened on St. Charles Avenue in 1974 drew in a steady clientele of college students. At the time, it was the only bar and grill that doubled as a washateria. Because of its success, Margan decided it was time to expand. In 1989, Margan and his wife, Halina Ring Margan, bought the building for Check Point Charlie in 1989.

ä See CHARLIE, page 2D

can’t believe it’s not … meat?

The seafood industry bets Americans will finally eat more fish if it looks more like meat

BY J.M. HIRSCH Associated Press

BOSTON The future of fish is looking a lot like salami? And meatballs. And fried chicken. And breakfast sausage. And, of course, spareribs and burgers. This is America, after all.

Welcome to the era of surreptitious seafood, an industry gamble that overcoming Americans’ relative disinterest in the meat of the sea is all a matter of making fish look and taste less like, well, fish.

“Our Taiwanese magic is making tuna taste like fried chicken,” said Jack Chi, a spokesman for Tuna Fresh, a Taiwan-based company that sells tuna as fried “nuggets” and breaded chicken-tender-like strips “We wanted to be able to engage in the U.S. market, and we found that fried foods are the way.”

Chi’s company was one of hundreds showcasing their products at the recent Seafood Expo North America in Boston. And among the sea of smoked salmons, scallops and all manner of crustaceans, one trend stood out: The seafood being pitched to the American market is looking less and less like seafood.

“It’s been a big trend for the last couple of years,” said Justin Rogers, a sales manager with SK Food Brands in Los Angeles. Among his company’s recent offerings:

BY MARIA SHERMAN AP music

a bit in a century — most of it as shrimp and salmon. The global average is 45 pounds, while some European countries clock in closer to 90 pounds. Iceland leads everyone with around 200 pounds per year

Disguising seafood to appeal to Americans isn’t entirely new After all, frozen fish sticks and McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish hardly scream catch of the day But many of the newer products are an entirely different species. Or rather, are trying to be.

“It looks like a Slim Jim by design,” Harbor Bell Seafoods spokeswoman Holly Phillips said of the Seattle company’s salmon snack strips, available in smoked, lemon-pepper, mango and — curiously original. “It doesn’t smell fishy It doesn’t taste fishy.”

If an “original” salmon snack stick doesn’t taste fishy what DOES it taste like? After a couple chewy bites, let’s go with Slim Jim adjacent and move on.

shrimp burgers, both slider-size and Whopper-worthy “It makes it more palatable to people who aren’t big seafood fans. Especially with things like these sliders, it gives them an entry point.”

A fish-skeptical American palate

Americans have a notoriously limited appetite for seafood, consuming just about 19 pounds a year — a number that has budged only

Let fish be fish?

Not everyone thinks covert crustaceans are a good thing.

“Eat fish that looks like fish!” says Niaz Dorry, coordinating director of the North American Marine Alliance, an advocacy group for sustainable seafood practices. “The

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By J M. HIRSCH

Tuna meatballs are displayed at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston on March 17.

Brazilian tambaqui ribs, from a large, freshwater fish native to the Amazon, are shown off at the Seafood Expo North America in Boston on March 17.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER Pedestrians walk past the

Music Club in

Moroney Langley

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!

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

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.

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

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-

SEAFOOD

Continued from page1D

likelihood that that fish came from acommunity-based, scale-appropriate entity is much higher if that fish still looks like what it waswhen it was swimming in the water.Factory scale and fake arethe twoF-wordsI tell everybody to avoid.”

The pivot to stealthy seafood comes at acritical time for the industry.The only real growth in sales has come from the sushicounter (looking at you, Gen Z) and price hikes(not exactly helping the cause). The $24 billionmarket otherwise has been flat for years, with just 10% of shoppers accounting for nearly half of sales (seafood, apparently,isanall-in sort of thing).

Taking alessonfromsushi Part of sushi’sappeal is its blend of convenience and novelty,said Steve Markenson, vice president of research and insights for consumer marketingfirm FMI. Some of the newerproducts may offer similar appeal, but he’snot convinced it will be enough.

“The non-seafood folks which is about 40% of the

AWARDS

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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 Atlantic at 11:40 p.m. ship’s

CHARLIE

Continuedfrom page1D Musgraves, Little Big Town, Riley Green and more. In addition to Moroney, those competing for entertainer of the year will be Wilson, Johnson, Stapleton, Luke Combs, Jelly Roll and Morgan Wallen. In 2025, Wilson took home the top prize —for asecond

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.

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, the first test flight of America’sfirst operational space shuttle, the Columbia, ended successfully with alanding at Edwards Air 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 would be found guilty and

population —Idon’tknow that this is really going to be appealing to them,” he said. “They’re not looking to necessarily addseafood into their diet.”

Seafood lovers aren’t a sure bet, either.That10% of dedicatedseafood shoppers want itfor what it is, not cleverly disguised. “They love what they love about it,” Markensonsaid.“They might want it seasoned up a little, but they want thatfullblown salmon.”

Oddly,the most likely audience may well be the one typically most averse to seafood—the very young, said Joshua Bickert, aseafood market reporter and analyst for Expana. “If you package it like hot dogs and hamburgers and chicken tenders, you maybe change that mindset at ayounger age.”

For Mike Simon, owner of Hialeah, Florida-basedSurfsnax, it’sa matter of making the foreign feel familiar “Wewanttoput it in aformat that people are used to eating,” he said as he sliced off aroundof his company’s salmon salami.“Butit’snot hiding that it’ssalmon.”

Not so sure about that. After being cured, shapedand served like atraditionalsalami, his product hardly looked

year in arow In the album of the year category,Wallen’s“I’m theProblem”faces off against Top’s “Ain’t In It For My Health,” RileyGreen’s“Don’tMind If IDo,” Parker McCollum’s “Parker McCollum” and firsttimenomineeCarter Faith’s “Cherry Valley. Other first-timenominees include 49 Winchester,AveryAnna, MackenzieCarpenter,Hudson Westbrook, Stephen Wilson Jr.and more.

seaworthy.But it was tasty Meatyspareribs …of fish Themost audaciousoffering was fish spareribs from theAmazon. Brazilian tambaqui is abeefy freshwater fish that just happens to have aphysique perfect for slicing intomeaty,pork-like ribs. Friocenter Pescados spokesman Danillo Souza Alves was quick to point out that tambaqui sportsa far higher meat-to-bone ratio on its ribs thanpork. And truthfully,theydotaste pretty meaty

“It’s afinger food. Youcan easily eat it in stadiums for football, baseball and hockey,” he said.

Well, let’snot go crazy

Americans do love achip, however.And allmannerof seafood are being turned into crackers, chips and crunchy sticks. Ina Park, a spokeswoman for the expo’s Korean pavilion, was eager to introduce BalanceGrow’s Fried CalamariSnack, whichlooked like slightly malformed Utz Potato Stix. Parkhad other ideas.

“They taste like Cheetos,” she said.

J.M. Hirsch is afood and travel journalist, and the former food editor for The Associated Press.

And in the single of the year category,Lambertand Stapleton’s“ASong to Sing” will go head-to-head with Moroney’s“Am IOkay?,” Langley’s“Choosin’ Texas,” Top’s“INever Lie” and Wilson’s“Somewhere OverLaredo.”

The 2026 ACM Awards will stream on Prime Video andthe AmazonMusicchannel on Twitch as well as the Amazon Music app 7 p.m. on May 17.

“We’re going to have anything you could need to keep busy: pool tables, pinball, video games, astereo system and ajukebox, great food and —ofcourse —drinks,”Margan said in a 1989 interview Named for thefamous Cold Warcrossing point between Eastand West Berlin, Check Point Charlie opened at the border of the French Quarter and FaubourgMarigny.The building dating back to the 19thcentury had once housedR.Rougelot & Sons— dubbed “the largest department store in downtown”in1920s newspaper archives —and briefly servedasanelectrical fixturesstore in the1950s Inside, washers and dryersran for 75 cents,and the menu featured chicken nuggets, red beans and riceand hot sausage sandwiches. Check Point Charlie became aculturallandmark, drawing what The TimesPicayune in 1992 called “a crossroads clientele —from tattooed bikerswithrings in their noses to businessmen in three-piece suits.”It

hostedThe Revivalists’ first gig and appeared on screen in Anthony Bourdain’s“A Cook’sTour” in 2003. Margan’sempire continued to grow.Heopened Lucky’sBar on St. Charles Avenue andIgor’sBuddha Belly on Magazine Street, which has since closed. After hisdeath in 2018, his bars passed to Darren and Susan Brooks, who had worked forMargan since the 1990s. Days after the sale, on Saturday,Darren Brooks recalled Margan as a“decorated vet with an enormouswork ethic” who was

“always puffing on abig cigar,” and his wife as “a brilliant scholar” who was “often beautifullydressed walking around town.”

“They looked like Hollywood stars of another era,” Darren Brookssaid. “Real NewOrleans characters.” The spirit lives on in Igor’sLounge andLucky’s, but there won’tbeanother Check Point Charlie.As one patron put it in 1993: “Where else canyou take off allyourclothes, put a towelaround yourwaist, and shoot pool while your clothes are being laundered?”

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

zodIAC

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

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

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:

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

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

WiShinG Well

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann