The Advocate 04-15-2026

CHASING COLOSSAL CRAWFISH

BR Hilton to become Sports Illustrated Resort

Downtown hotel to get $40M in renovations in 2027

The Southern University Human Jukebox drumline performs as banners fall revealing the Sports Illustrated and Travel + Leisure logos during the announcement for the rebranding and renovation of the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center to Sports Illustrated Resort on Tuesday

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

The Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center is getting a new life. Again. Global travel company Travel + Leisure Co announced that the downtown hotel at 201 Lafayette St. will be renovated into a Sports Illustrated Resort, a new concept by the company that models hotels in sport hot spots with the magazine’s branding. Renovations, which will total around $40 million, will start in 2027 and the rebranded hotel will open at the end of that year

The Hilton will operate normally for the rest of 2026.

Representatives from Travel + Leisure Co., hotel owner Northshore Development, and its partner Kituwah, the economic development arm of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, along with city officials unveiled the hotel’s new brand in an event Tuesday evening with state officials and LSU athletes in attendance. Southern University’s Human Jukebox marching band kicked off the event with a performance ending with a video revealing the Sports Illustrated rebrand

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL and JERRY DICOLO Staff

The Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center in downtown was originally built in the 1920s as the Heidelberg Hotel and was later known as the Capitol House.

“Tonight’s a little bit more than about a new development,” Travel + Leisure Co. Mike Brown said at the event. “It’s about recognizing something that already exists here and building around it. Baton Rouge does not need to be taught about the sports culture, nor does it need to be taught about success.”

Orlando-based Travel + Leisure Co., formerly known as Wyndham Destinations, oversees vacation-re-

lated services like Travel + Leisure magazine, booking services, travel gear and has more than 280 hotels under a number of brands, including Sports Illustrated Resorts, Club Wyndham and Margaritaville Vacation Club. When scoping for new cities for the Sports Illustrated Resort brand, Brown says the company eyes

ä See RESORT, page 6A

Change pushed amid scrutiny of higher ed bureaucracy

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

and Schools Commission on Colleges. The bill follows the recommendations of a task force Landry created last year to review accreditation in the state and consider membership in the newly founded

UNIVERSITIES, page

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for Gad Black, the 42-year-old

ä See DEATH, page 6A

page 7A

officials and visitors tour the company’s satellite control center in Covington in 2025.

STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Brown

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Democrats seek to overturn new loan rules

WASHINGTON Democrats in Congress are trying to overturn the Trump administration’s changes to a popular student loan forgiveness program, with lawmakers saying the changes are political and could leave some borrowers without the relief they were pledged.

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program cancels loans for qualified public service workers after they’ve made a decade’s worth of payments. It has long been open to those who go to work for the government, public schools, fire and police departments, public hospitals and nonprofits But last fall, President Donald Trump’s administration wrote a new rule that will empower Education Secretary Linda McMahon to kick employers out of the program if she decides their work has a “substantial illegal purpose.”

Set to take effect in July the vaguely phrased rule is targeted at employers who support undocumented immigrants or transgender youth, potentially affecting borrowers who work at schools, public hospitals and legal aid groups.

On Tuesday Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine of Virginia, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cory Booker of New Jersey introduced a resolution to overturn the rule. A similar measure was brought forward in the House by another trio of Democrats: Joe Courtney of Connecticut, Alma Adams of North Carolina and Scott Peters of California. The lawmakers called the rule “a clear attempt to intimidate and punish certain organizations.”

While the Democrats’ measure may get a vote, it’s unlikely to pass.

Fla. doctor faces manslaughter charge

DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — A grand jury indicted a Florida doctor on a manslaughter charge for allegedly removing a patient’s liver instead of his spleen during a 2024 surgery. The prosecutor for the 1st Judicial Circuit on Monday announced the charge of seconddegree manslaughter against Dr Thomas Shaknovsky Prosecutors said that during an Aug. 21, 2024, surgery, which was scheduled to be a laparoscopic splenectomy, Shaknovsky removed the victim’s liver instead of his spleen That resulted in “catastrophic blood loss and the patient’s death on the operating table,” law enforcement officials wrote in a press release, The patient was a 70-year-old man from Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Fl orida s usp ended Shaknovsky’s medical license after the surgery Records show he voluntarily surrendered his medical license in Alabama after regulators moved to revoke his license

Haiti mayor appeals for help after gang attack

PORT-AU-PRINCE,Haiti The mayor of a commune in southern Haiti appealed for central government help on Tuesday after a gang attack left seven people dead.

A police station in Seguin, in the commune of Marigot, was also set on fire in the incident overnight on Monday as armed men expand their reach into new territory

Marigot Mayor René Danneau criticized the authorities for not responding quickly enough

“We are asking the prime minister to take all necessary measures,” he told Radiotélévision Caraïbes.

Danneau said the victims were young men who worked alongside police and gathered information for them to help protect the population.

Gang violence has largely been centered in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and in rural territory north of it. It was not immediately clear which gang was responsible for the attack on the community of Seguin.

More than 5,500 people were reported killed across Haiti between March 2025 and January this year, with more than 2,600 injured, according to the latest U.N. statistics. Gang violence also has displaced more than 1.4 million people in a country of nearly 12 million.

Super Typhoon pounds U.S. islands

Sinlaku batters Tinian, Saipan in Pacific

BY JOHN SEEWER, KATHY MCCORMACK and JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER Associated Press

A super typhoon steadily battered a pair of remote U.S. islands in the Pacific Ocean with ferocious winds and relentless rains, shredding tin roofs and forcing residents to take cover from flying tree limbs.

Super Typhoon Sinlaku pounded the Northern Mariana Islands for hours before daybreak Wednesday slowing just to inflict more damage across the islands of Tinian and Saipan, home to nearly 50,000 people.

“I’m guessing anything that was made of wood and tin did not survive this,” said Glen Hunter, who grew up on Saipan and watched at least three tin roofs fly past his yard.

Hunter, who has weathered numerous typhoons, told The Associated Press this felt like the strongest yet. Rain was seeping into every crevice of his concrete home, he said.

“It was a losing battle because the rain was coming through everywhere,” he said early Wednes-

day “Every house is just flooded with water, no matter what type of structure you’re in.”

The tropical typhoon — the strongest on Earth this year — was packing sustained winds of up to 150 mph when it made landfall on the islands, the National Weather Service said.

Tropical force winds and torrential rainfall also led to flash flooding on Guam, a U.S. territory to the south with several U.S. military installations and about 170,000 residents, the weather service said.

While wind gusts did slow a bit on the Mariana Islands early Wednesday and the storm started

tracking to the north, the conditions did not improve right away, the weather service reported. As the sun came up, the amount of damage remained unclear because conditions remained unsafe outside, said Ed Propst, a former lawmaker in Saipan who works in the governor’s office.

He said he heard “banging and clanging through the night.”

“We haven’t heard of any — knock on wood — deaths so far,” he said, attributing that to residents heeding warnings to take shelter if they weren’t in a concrete home.

The monster storm slowed to a crawl as it approached the islands.

Irish government survives confidence vote 92-78

Coalition was criticized for handling of fuel protests

BY BRIAN MELLEY Associated Press

LONDON — The Irish government survived a confidence vote Tuesday over how it handled a week of disruptive fuel protests that blocked access to oil supplies, caused gas pumps to run dry and created massive traffic jams.

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin defended his coalition government by saying it had acted to end the “destructive blockade which threatened to cause much deeper damage.”

The 92-78 vote in support of the government preserved his leadership. If the confidence vote failed, his government would have been forced to resign and Parliament would have either elected a new prime minister or called a general election.

Protests began April 7 with slow-moving convoys clogging roadways. They grew as word spread on social media as truckers, farmers and taxi and bus operators blocked key infrastructure and the main thoroughfare in the capital, Dublin.

Demonstrators called for price caps or tax cuts to alleviate soaring fuel costs they said would drive people out of business.

After the vote, a crowd of protesters gathered outside the Dáil, the parliament building in Dublin, chanted “sell out” and “get them out.”

Opposition politicians blasted Martin for failing to respond sooner to the protests, criticized the aid package he offered as insufficient and said the government was failing to tackle the broader cost-of-living crisis in Ireland.

Sinn Fein Leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was brazen of the coalition to bring the confidence vote after abandoning struggling, hardworking people.

“Beyond your bubble people see a government out of touch,” McDonald said.

“It is your own arrogance, your lack of judgment, your lack of any empathy that has left people with no conclusion other than this: Your time is up.”

Social Democrats, Labour, People Before Profit, Aontu, The Green Party and Independent Ireland supported the vote against the government.

The protests reflect the deep concern voters around the world have about liv-

ing expenses since the inflation spikes that followed the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The war in Iran has exacerbated fears after gas and diesel prices have risen steeply Cost of living was the top issue for Irish voters in 2024 that put Martin and Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris back into a power-sharing government shored up with help of several independents.

Martin defended the tax cuts the government was offering as the largest in Europe to help cope with fuel prices that have soared after the U.S.-Israel war on Iran led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for the world’s oil.

“The basic core claim that we are doing nothing and are falling behind other countries is simply untrue,” Martin said.

Martin led a motion to support his coalition made up mainly of the centerright Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael parties ahead of a no-confidence vote brought by Sinn Fein, the largest opposition party.

One of Martin’s junior ministers, Michael Healy-Rae, an independent from Kerry surprised his peers by saying he would vote against the government and resign because it had let down the people.

“I’ve always looked at myself as a gauge of the people of rural Ireland,” he said. “When I met tractor men, lorry men, farmers and when they were telling me how unhappy they were the leader of the country should have listened.”

Martin said the government can learn from the protests, but defended the response by police and military to clear roadblocks at the country’s sole oil refinery at Whitegate in County Cork and at several depots. They caused more than a third of gas pumps to run dry

“We had to clear Whitegate and the ports because we export about 90% of everything we make in this country,” Martin said. “The ports are the lifeblood of economy and if the ports were blockaded for any length of time, people would have lost jobs, part-time production would have ceased, and it would have been very, very serious.”

The demonstrations were tolerated until the weekend, when police used pepper spray in clashes with some protesters and an army truck knocked down a log barricade at the Galway port. Some protesters said they achieved their goal in getting the government to compromise.

“This is not going to be an easy night for anyone across Tinian or Saipan. This is going to be a loud night,” said Landon Aydlett, a meteorologist with the weather service. Many people “will wake up to a different island,” he said during a Facebook video broadcast.

Saipan is the largest of the Northern Mariana Islands as well as its capital, known for its resorts, snorkeling and golf.

Mayor Ramon “RB” Jose Blas Camacho said late Tuesday that the heavy rain and wind around Saipan made it tough to reach people needing to be rescued.

“Objects are just flying left and right,” he said.

The worst of the storm hit during darkness and was expected to continue until at least sunrise Wednesday, the weather service said. While it’s expected to weaken slightly over the next few days, Sinlaku was crossing the islands as a Category 4 typhoon.

President Donald Trump approved emergency disaster declarations ahead of the latest storm for Guam and the Mariana Islands. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said it was coordinating support across multiple agencies, dispatching nearly 100 FEMA staff as well as other personnel.

Justice Department files to vacate convictions of extremist groups leaders

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Donald Trump in the White House over five years ago. Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders last January in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack. The request by the Justice Department would go

a step further and erase the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes. In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.

“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PETER MORRISON

Cyclists ride past tractors blocking O’Connell Street on the fifth day of the National Fuel Protest in Dublin, Ireland, on April 11.

PHOTO PROVIDED By GLEN HUNTER

High winds reached 150 mph during a super typhoon on Tuesday in the island of Saipan. Super Typhoon Sinlaku battered the remote Northern Mariana Islands before slowing over the islands of Tinian and Saipan.

House resignations affect lawmakers’ agenda

Johnson tries to navigate government funding, other legislation

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Two members of Congress resigned Tuesday, creating more headaches for U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise as they started to move a sheaf of “must-pass” legislation through a Congress.

Right off the bat, Johnson, RBenton, and Scalise, R-Jefferson, want to reauthorize government surveillance power in a bill with which a group of Republicans have serious problems. That authorization expires April 20. Also expected to pop up this week or next are bills addressing an end to the “military action” against Iran. Plus, the War Powers Act requires Congress to step

in after 60 days of conflict to decide whether to continue military action. That deadline is at the end of the month.

House, Johnson and Scalise can lose no more than one to three Republican members, depending on attendance, for the GOP majority to win a party-line vote.

Johnson

Congress also needs to fund Department of Homeland Security and end the partial government shutdown that hit its 60th day Wednesday Each of those votes are going to require a unified GOP vote if Republican positions are to prevail.

U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., and Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, submitted their resignations, effective immediately, as the House reconvened Tuesday afternoon after two weeks off for Easter and Passover. Colleagues from both parties threatened both representatives with expulsion votes this week over multiple allegations of sexual misconduct. Both denied the allegations. As the top two officials in the U.S.

Republicans hold 217 seats, plus an independent who votes with them, while Democrats sit in 214. Three of the positions are vacant.

Johnson was set Tuesday night to swear in Republican Clayton Fuller who was elected last week to replace Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who quit after runins with President Donald Trump. By Friday — the day after Democrat Analilia Mejia is expected to win the special election to replace Mikie Sherrill, who was elected governor of New Jersey — the numbers go back to the 217 plus 1 to 214.

The likely top of list is the reauthorization of international surveillance powers in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which expires next week.

Some Republicans want to add

restrictions on the surveillance techniques. Others want to tack on other legislative ideas. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., for instance, wants to include the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote. These ideas, if included, could create enough opponents to kill the effort. Johnson wants only the “clean” FISA reauthorization in the bill.

The House Rules Committee was scheduled to meet Tuesday night to mark up the bill. Should Johnson’s backers on the committee succeed in sidelining amendments, the bill could come up for a vote by the end of the week.

Similarly, House and Senate leadership want only the U.S. Department of Homeland Security included in funding bill.

Democrats refused to fund Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection until stricter standards

are placed on federal agents when rounding up illegal immigrants.

The Senate approved a bill that would temporarily fund other Homeland Security agencies, such as Transportation Security Administration and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but not ICE and CPB.

The House is holding off on that vote until they see the Senate’s reconciliation bill that would include funding ICE and CPB for three years. Using the reconciliation procedures would allow the appropriations to pass on by simple majority, meaning the Republicans could approve without any Democratic support.

“Republicans have been forced to do this the hard way,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Senate Republicans were briefed on the strategy during a lunch meeting Tuesday

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO The man ac-

cused of trying to kill OpenAI CEO Sam Altman by throwing a Molotov cocktail at his San Francisco home was experiencing a mental health crisis and has been overcharged by prosecutors, his public defender said Tuesday Daniel Moreno-Gama made his first court appearance on state charges Tuesday, wearing an orange jail uniform and with disheveled hair The 20-year-old, whose attorney said is autistic, kept his gaze down during the brief hearing and softly answered “yes” when asked by a judge whether he agreed to continue his arraignment San Francisco Judge Kenneth Wine ordered him held without bail and set his arraignment for

May 5.

Authorities say MorenoGama, of Spring, Texas, hurled the incendiary device at Altman’s home Friday, setting an exterior gate on fire before fleeing on foot. Less than an hour later, Moreno-Gama went to OpenAI’s headquarters about 3 miles away and threatened to burn down the building, they said They said he traveled to the city from Texas.

No one was injured at Altman’s home or the company’s offices. San Francisco Deputy Public Defender Diamond Ward called the case a “property crime at best,” and said that prosecutors are pursuing higher charges to curry favor for Altman Moreno-Gama also faces federal charges. “It is unfair and is unjust for the San Francisco district attorney and the fed-

eral government to fear monger and to exploit the mental illness of a vulnerable, young man by turning a vandalism case into an attempted murder, life exposure case to gain support of a billionaire, and to get political points at the expense of true justice for everyone involved,” Ward said.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins disputed that he was overcharged, saying MorenoGama carried out a “targeted attack on Mr Altman” and that prosecutors had evidence to back up the charges. She said prosecutors would act the same whether the victim was a “billionaire or a CEO or any average San Franciscan.”

“Regardless of a victim’s status, they all deserve justice and they all deserve safety,” she said.

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Nelda’sStory

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Diplomatstry to arrangea

second roundofU.S.-Iran talks

American blockade of Iranian portsenacted

BY MUNIR AHMED and SAM METZ

Associated Press

ISLAMABAD Diplomats worked throughbackchannels on Tuesdaytoarrange anew round of talks between the UnitedStates and Iran after Washingtonenacted itsblockade of Iranian ports, while Tehran threatened to retaliate by striking targets acrossthe warweary region.

U.S. President Donald Trump said asecond round of talks could happen “over the next two days,” telling the New York Post the negotiations could be held again in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. UnitedNations Secretary-General António Guterres concurred, saying it’s“highly probable” that talks will restart. He cited ameeting he had with Pakistan’s deputy prime minister,Ishaq Dar Meanwhile in Washington, the first direct talks in decades between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. concluded on aproductive note, accordingto the U.S. State Department.

Israeli Ambassador YechielLeiter said the two countriesare “on the same side of the equation” in “liberating Lebanon” from the militant Hezbollah group. Lebanese Ambassador Nada Hamadeh Moawad called the meeting “constructive” but urged an end to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants. Since March, that war has displaced more than 1 million people in Lebanon Israel and Lebanon have technically been at war since Israel was established in 1948, and Lebanon remains deeply divided over diplomatic engagement with Israel.

Firstround failed to endconflict

Last weekend in Pakistan, an initial round of talksaimed at permanently ending the U.S.-Iran conflict failed to produce an agreement. The White House said Iran’snuclearambitions were acentral sticking point.

AU.S. official said Tuesday that fresh talks with Iran were still

under discussion and that nothing has beenscheduled.The official spokeoncondition of anonymity because they were notauthorized to discusssensitive negotiations.

Muhammad Aurangzeb, Pakistan’sfinance minister,told The AssociatedPress that“our leadership is not giving up” on efforts to help the U.S. and Iran end theconflict.

“We’ll keep at it,” Aurangzeb said Tuesday The fighting has killed at least 3,000 peopleinIran,more than 2,100 in Lebanon, 23 in Israel and more than adozen in Gulf Arab states. Thirteen U.S. service members have alsobeen killed.

Tankersturnedaround

Theblockade is intended to pressure Iran,whichhas exported millions of barrelsofoil, mostlyto Asia, since the war began on Feb. 28. Much of it has likely been carried by so-called dark transits that evadesanctions andoversight, providing cash flowthat’s been vital to keeping Iranrunning.

U.S.Central Command said Tuesdaynoships madeitpastthe blockade in the first 24 hours, while six merchantvessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn aroundand re-enter an Iranianport on the GulfofOman.

Tankers approaching the strait on Monday turned around shortly afterthe blockade took effect, thoughone reversedcourse again

and transited the waterway

The tanker Rich Starry hadbeen waiting offthe coast of theUnited ArabEmirates,according to shipping data firm Lloyd’sList, which cited datafrom theenergy cargotracking firm Vortexa. It was not immediately clear whether the tanker had earlier docked in Iran. Yetitwas listedbythe U.S. Treasury’s OfficeofForeign Assets Controlaslinked to Iranian shipping.

U.S.Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Chinese tankers will notbeallowed passage throughthe strait.“So they’re not goingtobe able to gettheir oil,” he told reporters Tuesday In rare public criticismseemingly directedatTrump,ChinesePresident Xi Jinping said nations should “oppose the world’s retrogression to the law of thejungle.” Xi said nationsshould work to “jointly safeguard genuine multilateralism.”

Israel,Lebanon conclude talks

The Israel-Lebanon talks were “productive,” theU.S. StateDepartment said, adding “all sidesagreed to launch direct negotiations at a mutually agreed time and venue.”

U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubio, who facilitated the talks, had downplayed expectationsfor any immediate agreement.

Leiter,the Israeli ambassador to theU.S, said after the talks that bothcountries saw eye-to-eye in several areas.

stance

BY MEGAN JANETSKY and WILL WEISSERT Associated Press

MEXICO CITY The Mexican government on Tuesdayprotested the deaths of its citizens in U.S. immigration custody as President Claudia Sheinbaum pushes back against U.S. President Donald Trump’s policies on multiple fronts. The progressiveMexican leader has walked acareful linewith Trumpfor more than ayear,addressing provocations with a measuredtoneand meeting U.S. requests to crack down on criminal cartels moresothanher predecessors, in an effort to offset threatsoftariffs andU.S. military action against the gangs. But in the wakeofmounting deathsofMexican citizens in custody of immigration officials and the Trump administration’s decision to impose an energyblockade on Cuba —akey Mexican ally Sheinbaum has taken aharder line.

“We’ve seen the president raise hertone,” said Palmira Tapia,an analyst forMexico’sCenter for Economic Research and Teaching. “There’sbeen ashift, and we’ve seen Sheinbaum be more vocal than before.”

Deaths in ICEcustody

Sheinbaum’slatest rebuke came on Tuesday,aday after 49-year-old Mexican citizen Alejandro Cabrera Clemente diedina detention center in Louisiana of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency the 15th death of a Mexican citizen in U.S. custody in little over ayear

Mexico’sgovernment quickly called the deaths “unacceptable” and theICE detention centers “incompatible with human rights standards and the protection of life.”

During aTuesdaynews briefing Sheinbaum added she requested investigations into the deaths of the 15 migrants, and instructed Mexican consulates to visit detention centers daily

She said her government would raise the deaths in detention centers to Inter-American Commission on HumanRights, andwas considering appealing to the United Nations. Her government alreadysaiditwould support lawsuits in the U.S. filedbydetainees over poor conditions.

“Weare going to defend Mexicans at every level,” Sheinbaum said, adding that “there are many Mexicans whose only crime is not having papers.” Themoves by Sheinbaum’sgovernment come on top of mounting disapproval in the U.S. of Trump’s immigration enforcement. About 6in10U.S. adults say Trumphas “gone too far” in sending federal immigration agents into American cities, according to aFebruary AP-NORC poll.

Divide over Cuba

Shifting geopolitics in the region, and the mounting deaths in ICE facilities, have also opened the door forSheinbaum to take a firmer stance.

The main point of contention between the two governments has been Cuba. Solidarity with theU.S.adversary hasbeen a cornerstone of Mexico’s political ethos since the Cuban revolution, which Fidel Castro, Ernesto “Che” Guevara and agroup of exiles famously planned while in Mexico City. It’s aparticular sticking point with her progressive Morena party,whose founder ushered Sheinbaum into office.

The relationship hit ahurdle in late January,whenTrump announced he would slap tariffs on anycountry that sends oilto Cuba. The movedirectly impacted Mexico, which for years has shipped oil to Cuba. While Sheinbaum reluctantly paused oil shipments to Cuba, she has continued to challenge the Trump administration’spush forregime change. “Mexico haseveryright to send fuel, whether for humanitarian or commercial reasons,” Sheinbaum said earlier this week.

Sheinbaum

college towns with passionate alums, fans and sports culture.And Baton Rouge fits the bill.

“For generations, people have looked to Sports Illustrated tocapture the most defining moments in sports, the moments thatstay with us, inspire us and becomepartof our shared memory,” Brown said at the event. “Sports Illustrated Resorts brings thatideatolife, and now we’re bringing it to Baton Rouge.”

Therenovation

Currently a291-room hotel,the renovation will reduce the number of bookable rooms to 137 and have 42 condos available for sale, CEO of Orlando-based Northshore Development, Franz Hanning,said in an interview.The redevelopment will also add aSports Illustrated bar,restaurant and fitness center

“It’s going to be afull-service hotel, but alot morefun,” Hanning said.

Travel +Leisure Co. will manage the hotel after the renovation Brown said his team has met with the East Baton Rouge ParishHistoric Preservation Commission, and the rebranding will not dramatically change the façadeofthe historic hotel.

While the new brand coming to Baton Rouge has strong influence from LSU and Southern, thehotel has no formalties to the universities.

Thehotelwill be thecompany’s fourth Sports Illustrated Resort, with others operating or in the works for Chicago; Nashville, Tennessee; and Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The company selected Ba-

DEATH

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enough to stand trial. That determination was made in December,with Baton Rouge clinical psychologist Brandon Romano and New Orleans psychiatristDr. JoseArtecona ruling Black was fit for trial. But Black’ssanity was again questioned by hisattorneysMonday,after he made multiple out-

ton Rougeasits next home for a Sports IllustratedResortdue to theprominence of LSU and Southern athletics. LSU alum and NBA legend Shaquille O’Nealwill invest in the project,though the amount was notdisclosed. Travel+Leisure Co., Northshore Development and Kituwah will also fund the $40 million project “We’regoing to build something that not only with thepeople of BatonRouge and all the people that came before us at LSUand

burstsin thecourtroom and requested to represent himself at trial.

Both defenseattorneys andprosecutors motioned for his statements to be suppressed from the court’sminutes.

Attorneyshave maintained that Blackhas mental illnessdiagnoses and was not taking aprescribed medication at thetimeofthe attack.

Attorney General Liz Murrill backed Moore’sdecisiontoseek Black’sexecution, saying herofficewas ready to assist in theeffort.

Southern University are going to be proud of, we’re going to build somethingthatthe entire state of Louisianacan be proud of,” Hanning said at the event.

The hotel is in theheartofdowntown, walking distance from Baton Rouge attractionslike the Old State Capitol, Louisiana Art and Science Museum andthe Raising Cane’s River Center. The Hilton often sells out when majorevents like LSU football games, concerts or marathons come toBaton Rouge Downtown’s 1,130total hotel

“I fully support District Attorney Hillar Moore’sdecision to seek the deathpenalty forGad Black,” Murrill said in astatement. “The killing of BRPD Sergeant Caleb Eisworth, a23-year veteran of the departmentwho also received the MedalofValor,was ahorrific and deliberateact of violence against alaw enforcement officer who served his community with honor Gad Black must be heldfully accountable.” Eisworth was on Joor Road, on hisway to an escort assignment,

rooms, spread across seven hotels, have a60.1% average occupancy rate,accordingtothe Downtown Development District’s2025 DevelopmentToolkit.

Northshore Development and partner Kituwah bought the hotel in February for about $40 million, Hanning said.

Hilton BatonRouge General Manager GaryJupiter saidthe hotel’sstaff will remain throughout the transition, though the team maysee some newroles.He’sexcited for the renovated hotel to

when he was run over June 16. Black drove behind Eisworth’s motorcycle ashort distancebefore ramminghim AFacebook account believed by police to be associated with Black posted “Check Him Out On Joor Rd. Stretched One” minutesafter thecrash Black’sgirlfriend was also arrested the dayofthe attack,but agrand jury did not indict her on anycriminal charges. Eisworth wasinthe hospital for two months and needed his legs

bring in morevisitors to experience Baton Rouge’sfood, culture and people.

“There’snoother hotel like the Hilton in Baton Rouge,” Jupiter said.

Ahistoricbuilding

Originally built in the 1920s as the Heidelberg Hotel, later known as theCapitol House,the Hilton housed notable guests like former Gov.HueyP.Long, andformer Presidents John F. Kennedy and Jimmy Carter,before closing in 1985.

Thebuilding remained vacant after its closure but was reborn in 2006, when $70 million in renovations turned it into the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center.An undergroundtunnelusedbyLong to go from the Hilton to the former Hotel King, now Hotel Indigo,is now aspeakeasy

Therenovationofthe oncederelict lodge spurred achain of hotel developments downtown, transformingthe area from a ghost towntoacenter of commerce. It was akey part of Plan Baton Rouge I, the first iteration of adowntown master plan, which also gave waytothe development of the Shaw Center of Arts. Taxincrement financing districts helped finance the Hilton’stransformation and have become apopular way to fund other hotel projects in the area.

The Hilton is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and Historic Hotels of America. Leslie Thompson, the hotel’sdirector of sales andmarketing, said she was “over the moon” when sheheard of thehotel’s upcoming transformation.

“The hotel has needed sometender loving care and renovation for quite awhile,” she said.

amputated.The injuries from the crash led to his death on Aug. 10.

Afuneral for Eisworth drew hundreds of law enforcement officers, somefrom agencies as faras the New York Police Department. He served in the Police Department for 23 years and wasawarded the Medal of Valor,the department’shighest honor,for having pulleda motorist from acrashed vehicle while off duty

Email QuinnCoffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

PatShingleton plays along withaSouthernUniversity Human Jukebox drummer during the announcement for therebranding and renovation of the Hilton Baton RougeCapitol Center to Sports Illustrated ResortonTuesday

GLOBALSTAR

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the 1990s, moved the company to Covington from California in 2010.

GNO Inc. President and CEO Michael Hecht said there is reason to think the company will remain based on the northshore.

“According to Jay (Monroe), Globalstar is going to be a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon, which means they are going to continue to operate as they do today,” Hecht said. “So there should be no change in the near term in terms of employment and location, which are the two questions on anybody’s mind when something like this happens.”

Globalstar and Monroe did not respond to a request for comment.

The deal represents a crowning achievement for the company, which got its start as a provider of satellite communications but faced ups and downs as it sought to invest the billions of dollars in satellite launches and other technology needed to keep it competitive. While its control of portions of

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Commission for Public Higher Education.

At the time he created the task force, Landry said CPHE could be “an alternative to the out-of-touch accreditation system” and that “this task force will ensure Louisiana’s public universities move away from DEI-driven mandates and toward a system rooted in merit-based achievement.”

That alarmed some faculty and higher education advocates, who feared it would impose a political agenda on the accreditation process.

Now, as the Legislature considers SB304, supporters are talking less about political motives. Instead, they say the current system of regional accreditors is obsolete and that accreditors need to focus more on how universities can operate efficiently

Cameron Howell, senior adviser at the newly founded commission, urged the public to review its educational standards, which he says are in line with common higher education practices.

“I think what you’ll see is a small-C conservative approach to achieve efficiencies, to lower costs and to make for a process that is less burdensome,” he said

“That, I don’t think, is about politics,” he added

Some state and federal leaders say it might no longer make sense to have regional accreditors. Instead, they argue the organizations should be focused on the type of institution — in this case, public universities.

We moved from geography, everybody being SACS, to having a broader ability if they are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed.

Why does it matter?

Accreditation is the process of evaluating schools

wireless spectrum was long seen as a valuable asset, in recent years, as Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite service expanded rapidly, Globalstar re-emerged as a potential partner for tech giants looking to compete in the space.

Globalstar CEO Paul Jacobs said in a statement that the acquisition comes after decades of work building a company focused on innovation and operational excellence.

“We have long believed low Earth orbit satellite constellations offer the most effective path to truly connect users and devices anywhere and anytime,” said Jacobs, a longtime Silicon Valley tech leader who took the helm of Globalstar in 2023. “For more than 30 years, Globalstar has executed on this vision.”

Globalstar became a target for Amazon as the tech giant looked to build a satellite communications business that can compete with Starlink and its network of 10,000 satellites.

Amazon has about 3,000 satellites in orbit, while Globalstar will give it an additional 180 or so.

Though there’s still a long way for Amazon to go in closing the gap

to ensure they meet acceptable education standards.

Universities that are not accredited by an approved organization cannot receive federal financial aid dollars.

The Southern Association of Colleges accredits 41 institutions in Louisiana and hundreds more throughout the South according to February 2026 organizational data.

LSU has held continuous accreditation from the organization since 1913.

The association did not respond to a request for comment.

Though the bill under consideration in the Legislature does not mention the Commission for Public Higher Education specifically, it comes up frequently when the bill is discussed.

Landry’s task force also recommended Louisiana join and gain a board seat on the organization.

The commission was launched in 2025 by institutions in six Southern states: the State University System of Florida, the University System of Georgia, the University of North Carolina System, the University of South Carolina System, the Texas A&M University System and the University of Tennessee System.

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis heralded the commission when it was unveiled in June last year as “an alternative that will break the ideological stronghold” and end “the activist-controlled accreditation monopoly.”

The organization itself does not claim a political ideology Howell said its standards adhere to conventional norms in the higher education sector

He said the commission’s goal is to save universities money in the accreditation process and maximize efficiency, which he argued the commission can achieve by specializing in working with public institutions.

“Having a regional approach to something made sense operationally and eco-

“Transactions of this magnitude reinforce what investors and companies around the world already recognize: Louisiana is a place where businesses can launch, grow and succeed.”

SUSAN BOURGEOIS Louisiana Economic Development secretary

with Starlink, Globalstar has the infrastructure and know-how the company needs, said Tulane University professor Peter Ricchiuti, who follows the company

“If Amazon is serious about going after Starklink, it’s a lot easier for them to buy Globalstar than to start from scratch,” Ricchiuti said.

The deal comes as the race among commercial aerospace companies has taken on a new intensity under President Donald Trump, with companies moving fast to partner, increase its ability to launch into space and look for new opportunities.

Globalstar has been in the sector since the 1990s, when semiconductor manufacturer Qualcomm

nomically,” Howell said. “We work in a world now where travel and communication are easier to bridge over long distances and where we can go about devising accreditation on the basis of public mission.”

Higher ed standards

Trump made overhauling higher education bureaucracy a focus of his Education Department, issuing an executive order in April 2025 that urged increased competition in the accreditation sphere, prioritization of intellectual diversity among faculty and lower costs for students

Louisiana’s accreditation reform will align with both Trump and Landry’s interests, Reed said.

SB304 “was a result of the governor’s executive order saying we want to support the Trump administration’s interest in broadening competition around accreditors,” Reed said.

Though sometimes juxtaposed politically, SACS and CPHE do not contain references to politics in their accreditation standards (in CPHE’s case, draft accreditation standards, as the commission is not yet formally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

They share criteria on institutional integrity, sound finances and a commitment to “continuous improvement.”

Both include references to academic freedom, though CPHE goes a step further to include a standard for “intellectual diversity.”

The proposed law mandates that universities must be accredited through an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, so Louisiana’s institutions would need to maintain their SACS accreditation for the time being even if it passes.

CPHE plans to finalize its application by summer 2027, Howell said, with the timeline for approval then set by the U.S. Department of Education.

and defense contractor Loral partnered to create a satellite communications service that went bankrupt a few years later

In 2004, Denver-based private equity firm Thermo Capital Partners purchased Globalstar’s assets A few years later, Monroe, Thermo’s managing partner at the time and a Tulane graduate, moved its headquarters to Covington to take advantage of lower operating costs and Louisiana’s digital interactive media incentives and tax credits.

The move was celebrated as a major economic development win for the state.

Monroe has served as Globalstar’s chair since 2004 and was CEO from 2005 until 2020.

In 2022, Globalstar caught the attention of the larger tech telecommunications and aerospace industries when it partnered with Apple on the emergency SOS deal.

“I have to hand it to Jay Monroe,” Ricchiuti said. “He really stuck with the company and never wavered in his vision.”

The deal comes as Louisiana officials are trying to make the state, which has a long history of

aerospace activity, attractive to a new generation of companies that build, launch and service rockets and the payloads like satellites that they carry into space.

State lawmakers in recent days have approved a series of financial incentives and legal protections that would benefit aerospace companies. Contractors at the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, where rocket components for NASA have been built since the 1960s, are celebrating the successful Artemis II mission, which splashed down last week after traveling to the far side of the moon.

Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Susan Bourgeois said Globalstar “made the strategic decision to relocate from California to Louisiana and found the workforce, infrastructure and cost advantages necessary to scale into a globally competitive enterprise.”

“Transactions of this magnitude reinforce what investors and companies around the world already recognize: Louisiana is a place where businesses can launch, grow and succeed,” she said.

Earn 1.87%

TTODAY of

Houseapprovesaviationsafetybillbased on midair collision

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

An aviation safety bill seeking to address lessons learned from last year’s midair collision of ajet with an Army helicopter near the nation’scapital was approved by the House Tuesday,but key senators and the families of the 67 victims think the bill still needs to be strengthened.

The House bill, called the Alert Act, has thebacking of key industry groups, but lawmakers will now have to try to find acompromise that will satisfy the Senate. The National Transportation Safety Boardrecentlysaid that the legislation, since amended, now addresses its recommendation to require allaircraftflyingaround busy airports to have key locator systems that let pilots know more precisely where other aircraft are.

The NTSB has been recommending the new technology systemssince 2008, and Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy has said such a systemwould have prevented the collision of the American Airlinesjet and Army Black Hawkhelicopter that sent both aircraft plunging into the icy Potomac River Twokey House committees unanimously advanced the bill last month. The bill was brought up for afull House voteunder rules that didn’tallow any amendments. But victims’ families said before thevotethey want to make sure the bill has strict timelines to guarantee the reformswillbe completed. And they worry the House bill would allow military flights to continue flying without broadcasting their locations on routine training flights and not just secret missions.

“January 29,2025made clear what is at stake. The 67 lives lost thatday shouldbe honored with an improved system that prevents this from happening again,” the main families group said Tuesday in anew statement.

“And the flying public should not have to wait longer than necessary for those protections to beinplace.”

Sponsored by Republican Rep.Sam Graves of Missouri and Democrat Rep. Rick Larsen of Washington, the legislation easily got the two-thirdssupport it needed to advance to theSenate. It passed 396-10. Separate legislation,the ROTOR Act,that the Senate crafted came up one voteshort in the House. Sens. TedCruz of Texas, aRepublican, and MariaCantwell of Washington,aDemocrat,have also said that theAlert Actstill needs improvement.

“A warning to mycolleagues in the House:the Alert Act would not deliver the safety measures necessary to prevent another midair collision, as it lacks thecritical improvements our aviation system needs,” Cruz, the Texas Republican, postedonX ahead of the voteonTuesday

Earlier thisyear,the NTSB’sHomendy sharply criticized the original version of the bill as a“watereddown” measurethat wouldn’tdoenough to prevent future tragedies. But the board said the revised version would nowaddress theshortcomings theirinvestigation identified and require the Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Department and the military to take needed actions.

Democratic Rep. Suhas Subramanyam,whose Virginia district lostanumber of constituents in the crash said it’s important to get this bill right andaddress all 50 of therecommendations theNTSB madeinits final report

“Itwasn’tjustone issuethat ledtothis crash.Itwas acombination of systemic problems that made our national airspace unsafe,” Subramanyam said during debate.

NationalTransportation Safety Board members at a hearinginlate January were deeply troubled over years of ignoredwarnings about helicoptertraffic dangers andother problems, long before thecollision. Everyone aboard the

American Airlinesjet, flying from Wichita, Kansas, and the helicopter died when the two aircraft collided. It was the deadliest plane crash on

U.S. soil since2001, and the victimsincluded 28 members of thefigureskating community

Ahelicopter route in the approach path of aReagan National Airport runway didn’tensure enough separation between helicopters and planes landing on the airport’ssecondary runway, and theroute wasn’treviewed regularly,the board said. The poor design of that route was akey factor in the crash, along with air traffic controllers relying too much on pilots to see and avoid other aircraft. Thebillnow requires planes to have Automatic Dependent Surveillance-BroadcastInsystems that can receivedataabout thelocations of other aircraft. Proponents of such systems said they would have alerted the pilots of an American Airlines jet sooner to the impending collisionwiththe Black Hawk

helicopter.Most planes already have the complementary ADS-B Out systemsthat broadcast their locations. In addition, the House bill requiresthe next generation of collisionavoidancesystems to be installed alongside ADS-B In systems, so pilots will be able to receive alerts about nearbytrafficand notjust seeitona display.The Air Line Pilots Associationexpressed concerns thatthe approach could delayinstallation of the required locator systems becausethe newcollision avoidance system has not yet been fully certified. Timand Sheri Lilley, whose son wasthe co-pilot of the airliner in the crash, said it’scrucial that any legislation“reflectsthe risks in today’soperating environment and ensures pilots have the information and technology they need to identify developing situations earlier.”

Camp Mystic official testifies deaths haven’tbeenreported

Medicalofficer hasn’t formally discloseddeaths

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN,Texas The medical officer for the Texas summercamp where 27 girls were killed in afloodlast year testifiedTuesday shestillhas not officially reported the deaths to thestate health agency that regulates camps and is reviewing its application to reopen thissummer Mary Liz Eastland, amember of the family that owns and operates Camp Mystic, was questioned in alegal fight between the camp operators and families of victims who have filed lawsuits and want the camp to preserve damaged areas as evidence. The hearing over the past two days has produced the most extensive details from camp operators of what happened in the July 4predawn flood on the Guadalupe River,and the delayed decisions to evacuate until it was too late.

While the deaths of 25 campers and two teenage counselors at the all-girls Christian camphave been widely reported and are not in question, the Texas administrative code requires camps to report deaths to state health regulators within 24 hours.

“I did not think of thisrequirement in themomentshappening after the flood,” Eastland said, adding she also had not done so leading up to camp’sMarch31 application to reopen.

Eastland couldnot recallexactly when she learned campers had died, saying it could have been aday,orseveral days, after the flood. Richard Eastland, her fatherin-law,also was killed.

When pressed if she should formally report the deathsnow with thecamp license pending, Mary Liz Eastland said, “I guess so.” It wasunclearifthe failure to report would affect the camp’s license application. Acopy of the camp’sapplication includes lists of camp officers and flood plainmaps.

AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN PHOTO By MIKAyLA COMPTON

Will and CiCi Steward,who lost their 8-year-old daughter Cile Steward in theJuly 4 flood, listen to testimonyfrom camp director Edward Eastland as theyattend ahearing on asuitagainst Camp Mystic in the 459th State DistrictCourtinAustin on Tuesday.

Operators are also requiredtosubmit adetailed safety plan, but that is shielded from public view State regulators will visit the camp during the license review

Theagencyhas also said it is reviewinghundreds of complaints filed against thecamp and has invitedthe Texas Rangers investigative unit to help.State lawmakers also areconducting aseparateinvestigation of the flood.

“DSHS will consider any findings from theinspectionand investigation when makingthe determinationonthe renewal application,”

theagency saidTuesday

Thecamp’splan to reopen part of thecampus this summer and host nearly 900girls hasoutraged families of the girls killed. The familyof8-year-old Cile Steward, theonlycamper still missing, filed thelawsuit that prompted this week’s hearing.

TheSteward family hassaid the camp should not be allowed to reopen under the continued leadership of the Eastland family Separately,Texas Lt.Gov.Dan Patrick has said no license should be issued until all the investigations are complete.

Mary Liz Eastland’stestimony came after her husband Edward Eastland spent hoursunderques-

tioning Mondayand Tuesdayabout missed weather warnings, the delayeddecision to evacuate, and desperate attempts to save children as the water ripped through the campwithenoughforce to createrapidsthatswirled around the cabins.

He tearfully described grabbing twogirls and another who jumped on his back beforethey wereall washed away

“A genuine hero testified today,” saidMikal Watts, one of the attorneys forthe Eastlands. “He told a gripping story of saving lives in an unprecedented tsunami. Iam proud to represent Edward Eastland and his family.”

Mary LizEastlandrecountedher steps thatnight when she andher children left their house to join hermother-in-law.She described water pouring into the house and breaking awindow to escape. The family was abletoget to higher ground.

She also described what she saw at sunrise when she went toward theriver bank, “seeing girls in trees.” She andotherstaffgathered survivorsfor aheadcount,checking names against cabin rosters. “I had to figureout who we had and didn’thave at thatpoint,” she said.

BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Afederal judge must endhis “intrusive”contemptinvestigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrantstoEl Salvador last year,adivided appeals court panel ruled Tuesday Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead withcriminal contempt proceedings stemming from the March2025 deportation flights according to the majority opinion by athree-judge panel from U.S. Court of Appeals forthe District of Columbia Circuit.

The ruling is the latest twist in ayearlong legal sagathathas became aflashpoint in President Donald Trump’smass deportation campaign. The White House has portrayed Boasberg as abiased judge whooverstepped his authority Trump’s administration hasa “clear and indisputable” rightto thetermination of the contempt proceedings, CircuitJudge Neomi Rao wrote in the court’smajority opinion.

“The legal error at the heart of these criminalcontemptproceedings demonstrates why further investigation by the district court is an abuse of discretion,” Rao wrote. “Criminalcontemptis available only forthe violation of an order that is clear and specific. (Boasberg’sMarch 2025 order) did notclearly and specifically bar thegovernment from transferring plaintiffs intoSalvadoran custody.”

Lawyers for the deported migrantswill ask the full circuit court to review the panel’sdecision, according to plaintiffs’ attorney Lee Gelernt of the American Civil Liberties Union. Gelernt said the majority opinion is “a blow to the rule of law.”

“Our system is built on the executive branch, including the president, respecting court orders.Inthiscasethere is no longer any question that the Trump administration willfully violated the court’sorder,” Gelernt said in astatement.

Rao was nominated by Trump, aRepublican. Boasberg, chief judge of the district court in Washington, D.C., was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama.

On March15, 2025, Boasberg issueda temporary restraining order barring theadministration from transferring agroup of Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador under an 18th-century law After the order wasentered, two planeloads of migrants protected by the order departed from the U.S. on their way to El Salvador, where they were locked up in one of the world’smost violent prisons. The administration said then- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wasresponsible forthe transfer decision.

Boasberg hassaidthe Trump administration mayhave acted in bad faith by trying to rush Venezuelan migrants out of the country in defianceofhis order He said he gave the administration “ample opportunity to rectifyorexplaintheir actions” but concluded that “none of their responses has been satisfactory.”

Lastyear,the Justice Department filed amisconductcomplaint accusing Boasberg of making improper public comments about Trumpand his administration.Trump hascalled for impeaching Boasberg. In arare rebuke, Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts publicly rejected calls for Boasberg’s impeachment.

The case is assigned to Rao and Circuit Judges Justin Walker and J. Michelle Childs. Walker,also a Trumpnominee,wrote aseparate opinion concurring with Rao’s. Childs,who was nominatedby Democratic President Joe Biden, dissented from the majority

LSU player’s parents sue State Police

Claim agency falsified evidence against son

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

The parents of LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy are suing Louisiana State Police for allegedly falsifying evidence in the fatal crash investigation Lacy was implicated in, the fallout of which they say caused the 24-year-old’s suicide.

The wrongful death suit filed in Baton Rouge last Friday by Kenneth Lacy and Kandace Washington targets both State Police and specific troopers who investigated the fatal crash that Kyren Lacy was allegedly the cause of.

Lacy’s parents are seeking damages for his death, as well as for public humiliation, and the loss of professional football opportunities caused by his arrest.

Pet food bank seeks donations

Supply considered ‘critically low,’ shelter says

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

The recently formed community food bank for Livingston Parish pets is “critically low” on supplies and needs donations right now as people visit the donationbased food bank every single day for their dogs and cats.

The food pantry at the Livingston Parish Animal Shelter was formed roughly two months ago, and so far, it has given out over 2,100 pounds of food. But the animal shelter said in a statement Friday that the “food bank is now critically low We have almost no dog food left, and our cat food supply is running out fast.” Animal shelter Director Amanda Forde said the food bank is not financially sponsored by the shelter and relies solely on donations.

“It’s only available if we receive donations,” she said. “The need is so great.” Forde said if anyone is interested in donating, it’s best to bring food to the shelter, located at 13525 Florida Blvd., that will feed the widest range of pets. The shelter asks for “nothing fancy” and “good quality, healthy” food that is not breed-specific, and to avoid brands with dyes like Gravy Train or Ol’ Roy But any donation is helpful, and she said they will accept open bags of pet food that are taped closed.

The food bank provides both dog and cat food, but the need for dog food is much higher, Forde said. They have so far given out 1,576 pounds of dog food and 606 pounds of cat food.

“We’re very proud of that,” Forde said about the amount The bank primarily helps community members who already own animals and might be struggling to afford pet food

Forde said they have people come to the food bank “every single day.”

“It’s always been something the team wanted to do,” Forde said “There is definitely a need in the community for it.” The food bank was formed about

In addition to maintaining Lacy’s innocence in the fatal accident, the lawsuit also accuses State Police and its troopers of making false statements in the original crash report, coaching a witness and failing to consider evidence that pointed to other drivers’ culpability

“The extreme emotional distress inflicted by Defendants’ intentional and reckless misconduct was the direct and proximate cause of Mr Lacy’s decision to take his own life,” the lawsuit states. “But for Defendant’s fabricated investigation, false arrest and malicious prosecution, Mr Lacy would be alive today.”

On April 12, 2025, Lacy died by suicide in Houston, Texas, only one day after the publication of a Lafourche Parish district attorney’s

report that found errors in State Police’s crash investigation.

A narrative of the Dec. 17, 2024, wreck, which resulted in the death of 78-year-old Herman Hall, is laid out in the lawsuit. It closely matches the series of events given by Matt Ory, one of Lacy’s attorneys, to a Houma television show in October 2025.

In all accounts, Lacy was driving a Dodge Charger south on La. 20 near Perez Lane in Lafourche Parish the morning of the accident. Just before the accident, Lacy passed several vehicles including a semitruck, by pulling into the oncoming lane. He then pulled back into the correct lane, just over 70 yards from the actual crash site.

Hakuna matata

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Long-simmering frustrations with how Louisiana courts treat women convicted of harming their abusers boiled over Tuesday after a Senate committee watered down a proposal to give more lenient sentences in such cases.

“We all know this isn’t far enough,”

state Sen. Beth Mizell, R-Franklinton, said of her own measure, Senate Bill 91, after she removed a provision to let judges resentence some victims of domestic violence sexual assault and human trafficking.

But that idea has run into opposition from critics who say it could overwhelm courts with meritless claims from offenders trying to take advantage of resentencing opportunities.

In its original form, SB91 also would have lowered the maximum prison sentences allowed in cases where abuse played a “substantial contributing factor in causing the defendant to commit the

offense.” Mizell — who has tried to pass similar legislation during previous legislative sessions — knew the proposal would not pass the Senate’s Judiciary C Committee given the opposition she faced last year she said during Tuesday’s hearing before the panel. Instead, Mizell amended her bill so that it would make abuse victims who receive life sentences eligible for clemency immediately; normally, lifers must serve 15 years before they can apply, according to Mizell’s amendment. The clemency process allows offenders to have their sentences commuted with the approval of the governor and the Board of Pardons and Parole.

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

The parents of LSU wide receiver Kyren Lacy are suing Louisiana State Police for allegedly falsifying evidence in the fatal crash investigation Lacy was implicated in, the fallout of which they say caused his suicide.

By MICHAEL JOHNSON

School Board clashes with auditor’s report

Lafayette district objects to nearly all findings

BY ASHLEY WHITE Staff writer

An independent auditor for the Lafayette Parish school system listed 77 findings after testing the district’s financial internal controls and compliance, 31 of which it said were material weaknesses.

Kolder, Slaven and Co., which was hired and paid by the school system to conduct the district’s 202425 audit, also said in its report that it was “unable to obtain sufficient appropriate evidence to provide a basis for an audit opinion” because of “concerns about the reliability of the accounting records and financial reporting provided by management.”

The district objected to virtually all of the findings. In most cases, the district argued that a finding was not from the 2024-25 audit period. In at least three instances, the school system’s response to a finding included that the district felt it had been included to cast the system in an “unfavorable light” and twice argued that the finding highlighted the auditor’s “apparent lack of objectiv-

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ity.”

Superintendent Francis Touchet Jr said in a statement that some of the findings should have been consolidated and other issues should have been raised earlier by the auditor, who has worked with the district for more than 30 years. “We have submitted responses and objections that include corrective actions, many of which are already in place,” he said in a statement. “We are now focused on moving forward and have engaged a well-respected firm to review the audit and ensure any valid issues are fully addressed.”

Some of the findings also related to the timeliness of submitting the audit to the appropriate agencies. The auditor said the timing was delayed because of the availability of financial information and supporting documents. Touchet previously blamed Kolder, Slaven and Co. and pointed to the fact that the board voted to use a different auditor for its next audit

The 2024-25 audit has not yet been reviewed and posted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office. It was submitted last week to the Federal Audit Clearinghouse, which posts information about federal

contends that the driver of the Kia Cadenza was traveling too closely behind the

grant audits Typically, the school system has fewer than 20 findings on its annual audit and some are issues that carry over from year to year if they aren’t resolved when the issue was first noted. For the 2021-22 fiscal year, there were 19 findings; for 2022-23, there were eight findings, and for 2023-24, there were 13 findings

For the 2024-25 fiscal year, Kolder, Slaven and Co. noted 77 findings. Of those, 31 were material weaknesses, four of which were related to internal control over major federal award programs.

A material weakness is a major deficiency or flaw in internal controls where there is a “reasonable possibility” that a misstatement of an agency’s financial statements will not be prevented or detected and corrected on a timely basis.

The bulk of the material weaknesses related to the district’s maintenance and construction department, and with employee use of purchasing cards.

The auditor flagged the creation of fraudulent vendor quotes and the destruction of public records. Former maintenance and construction director Robert Gautreaux has been charged in connection with possibly forged construction bids and is awaiting

driver allegedly instructing the driver that he “slammed on the brakes,” and writing

trial.

The district argued that as soon as it became aware of the possibly forged documents, it conducted an investigation and alerted law enforcement. It also said it has since established a procedure to guarantee original quotes are obtained from external vendors.

The auditor also said that during a review of maintenance purchase order transactions, they found unauthorized purchases were made. The district claimed the auditor did not provide enough details about the findings and that some of the conditions, criteria and causes were misrepresented. It said no corrective action was necessary because “this finding does not accurately reflect the situation that exists.”

The auditor claimed the school system issued purchasing cards to employees who had not completed the required paperwork and that some employees exceeded purchasing card spending limits. The district denied that employees with cards didn’t complete the proper paperwork, but said it would have them resubmit the paperwork. It said that some spending limits were outdated and hadn’t kept pace with current prices and inflation, but it had since changed those limits.

driver of the Kia Cadenza for “following too closely,” before allegedly altering

The auditor claimed the school system hadn’t complied with the Louisiana Public Bid Law, which initially occurred in 2024, according to the audit. The auditor said that when it reviewed procurement and public works contracts, there were instances when materials and supplies were purchased without conducting required competitive bidding.

The district argued that the auditor didn’t provide sufficient details about the issue. It also said deviation from procurement policy or procedure would be documented, justified and subject to review, but that “no corrective action is deemed necessary as this finding does not accurately reflect the situation that exists or (the district’s) current practice.”

The auditor also raised concerns about possible ethics violations with vendors, including vendorfunded meals and alcohol being provided at events hosted at a school board member’s business. The district argued the auditor failed to provide sufficient details about the finding and that it was based on the auditor’s “misunderstanding of the law.”

Contact Ashley White at ashley.white@ theadvocate.com.

the crash and the post-crash investigation.” This video was posted to

officials. After the shooting, police said the boy approached the school with a handgun. The school resource officer was able to disarm him, Bergeron said.

Another boy, around 5 to 6 years old, was in the back seat of the car at the time of the shooting. He was unharmed, police said.

The boy’s father was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. He was stable as of noon Bergeron said.

The boy was immediately taken into custody and will be processed at the Florida Parishes Juvenile Detention Center, police said.

“It’s absolutely scary how a 13-year-old could come in possession of a firearm,” Bergeron said during a noon news conference.

“The bigger picture here is the hero we have, who is a police officer who reacted and put himself in between a shooter and a school. He may have thwarted something much worse by doing so.”

Ron Genco, assistant superintendent of Tangiphoa Parish schools, said the school system is cooperating with law enforcement and will offer counseling for students on campus.

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Walt Disney Co. begins layoffs of 1,000

NEW YORK — The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday began layoffs expected to lead to 1,000 job cuts across the company

Josh D’Amaro, who in February succeeded Bob Iger as chief executive, announced broader layoffs following a move in January to consolidate Disney’s marketing division. The cuts are expected to fall across the Burbank Californiabased company’s traditional television businesses, including ESPN, as well as its movie studio. Employees in product and technology and in certain corporate functions will also be affected

“Over the past several months, we have looked at ways in which we can streamline our operations in various parts of the company to ensure we deliver the world-class creativity and innovation our fans value and expect from Disney,” D’Amaro said in a memo to employees obtained by The Associated Press. “Given the fastmoving pace of our industries, this requires us to constantly assess how to foster a more agile and technologically-enabled workforce to meet tomorrow’s needs.” Disney last went through a round of layoffs soon after Iger returned for a second spell as chief executive office in 2022. The company cut around 8,000 jobs then. As of late 2025, Disney had about 230,000 employees.

D’Amaro, who previously oversaw Disney’s lucrative parks division, has been at the company since 1998.

Hundreds of 7-Elevens expected to close NEW YORK Convenience chain

7-Eleven expects to close hundreds of its locations this year

According to earnings filings published last week, 7-Eleven’s North American operator plans to close 645 stores in the 2026 fiscal year — outpacing the 205 locations it forecasts it will open during that same time.

Seven & i Holdings Co., the Japan-based parent of the convenience chain, noted that these closures “include the conversion to wholesale fuel stores.” Financial documents show that 7-Eleven Inc. has steadily opened new wholesale fuel stores in North America over recent years, which accounted for more than 900 locations as of December 2025.

The company did not immediately explain the closures or specify which locations could be impacted.

Pittsburgh paper says it has a buyer NEW YORK Barely two weeks before it was due to shut down, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said Tuesday it had found a last-minute buyer a successful nonprofit journalism operation that has agreed to keep the struggling newspaper open.

The resolution to a monthslong worry in western Pennsylvania about the paper’s shutdown comes at a difficult moment for the American newspaper industry, which has shed jobs, resources and sometimes entire companies due to the upending of the traditional revenue model by the internet at the beginning of this century

The Post-Gazette dates its ancestry to 1786, the first newspaper to open west of the Allegheny Mountains, and its closure would have left Pittsburgh as the nation’s largest community without a city-based paper

The Post-Gazette’s owners, Block Communications, said the Venetoulis Institute for Local Journalism, which publishes the digital Baltimore Banner, had agreed to buy its assets. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Post-Gazette said the new owners would continue to print the newspaper on two days, Thursday and Sunday, and would operate a website on the other days.

The newspaper had been due to close on May 3.

Markets rally as oil prices ease

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK — U.S. stocks rallied to the edge of an all-time high Tuesday, and oil prices eased as hopes climbed that the United States and Iran may try again on talks to end their war and avoid a worst-case scenario for the global economy

The S&P 500 added 1.2% to its leap from the day before, and the index at the heart of many 401(k) accounts is just 0.2% below its record set in January

The Dow Jones Industrial Aver-

age rose 317 points, or 0.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2%. They followed gains for stock markets worldwide as diplomats worked through back channels to arrange a new round of talks between the United States and Iran. If talks succeed and the war ends up being only a temporary setback for the global economy, rather than a new normal of very high oil prices and inflation, investors can turn their attention back to what matters most for stock prices: How much money are companies making?

Positive trends there had stock markets worldwide doing well before the war began, and analysts see continued growth ahead, for

now at least. Lower oil prices help bring down costs for all kinds of businesses, and the price for a barrel of Brent crude to be delivered in June fell 4.6% to settle at $94.79 Tuesday While that’s still above its roughly $70 price from before the war began in late February, it’s well below the $119 peak it has hit when worries about the war have been at their heights. To be sure, hope has often swung quickly into doubt since the war began, which has caused extreme and sudden reversals in financial markets. Much of the stress has been due to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that’s the main avenue for crude oil produced in

the Persian Gulf area to reach customers worldwide. Blockages there have kept oil off the global market, which has in turn driven up its price. The IMF on Tuesday also downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.1% this year from the 3.3% it had forecast in January On Wall Street, strong profit reports from companies are helping to make up for such worries. Over the

China’s exports grew in slowdown

Iran war raises uncertainty but demand for renewable energy could strengthen

BY CHAN HO-HIM AP business writer

HONG KONG China’s exports grew 2.5% in March from a year ago, significantly slowing from the previous two months as uncertainties rose from the Iran war and its impact on energy prices and global demand.

The March export data released by China’s customs agency Tuesday missed analysts’ estimates and was sharply down from the 21.8% export growth recorded for January and February

Imports last month surged 27.8%, up from the 19.8% year-on-year increase in the first two months of this year

Technology-related exports including a jump in shipments of semiconductors from China on the global artificial intelligence boom have powered its robust exports in early 2026, but economists say impacts from the prolonged Iran war could affect overall global demand for Chinese exports this year

“China’s exports have decelerated as the Iran war starts to affect global demand and supply chains,” said Gary Ng, a senior economist for Asia Pacific at French bank Natixis.

Despite the significant rebound in China’s export growth in January and February external demand is likely to weaken due to the war’s energy shock, Bank of America economists led by Helen Qiao wrote in a recent research note.

The risks will “arise from a persistent global slowdown in overall demand if the conflict lasts longer than currently expected,” they wrote.

But economists, including those from Bank of America, also noted that the energy supply disruptions could further strengthen global demand for China’s renewable energy technologies such as solar cells, wind turbines and electric vehicles, while enduring semiconductor demand on the AI frenzy is expected to help export momentum.

“Despite the energy price shock, exports should stay solid in the coming quarters, thanks to strong demand for semiconductors and green technologies,” wrote Zichun Huang, a China economist at Capital Economics in a note Tuesday

The late timing of the Lunar New Year which fell in mid-February, probably also negatively impacted China’s export data last month with some holiday-related disruptions spilling over, Huang added.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s elevated tariffs on Chinese exports and tensions between Washington and Beijing have also been straining China’s shipments to the U.S.

over the past months, with China stepping up its exports to other regions including Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America.

Analysts are also closely watching Trump’s planned visit to Beijing in May to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping following a delay due to the Iran war China’s exports to the U.S. fell 26.5% yearon-year in March, widening from a 11% drop in January and February, while those to the European Union and Southeast Asia rose 8.6% and 6.9%, respectively

Chinese leaders have set an annual economic growth target for 2026 of 4.5% to 5%, the lowest since 1991. China met its “around 5%” economic growth target for 2025 on strong exports with a record high $1.2 trillion trade surplus — and analysts say exports likely will continue to be a key driver for maintaining economic expansion this year as a prolonged property sector slump in China weighed on domestic demand and investments.

Some economists believe China has so far been relatively well-positioned in shielding itself from the impacts from the Iran war, which has sent fuel prices surging and is threatening worsening global inflation. China’s vast oil reserves and diversified energy sources mean it’s less affected by the fallout from the war, including shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for energy transport, they said.

Some of the biggest banks see ‘resilient’

U.S.

economy Rising energy prices still a concern

BY KEN SWEET AP business writer

NEW YORK

The nation’s biggest banks posted another quarter of strong profits, helped by a resilient economy and a flurry of dealmaking for their investment banking units.

But the strong profits were clouded by the bank’s outlook for 2026, as bank executives warned how high oil prices were starting to negatively impact the consumer and further geopolitical uncertainty could hamper economic growth as the year progresses.

“There is an increasingly complex set of risks,” Jamie Dimon, CEO and chairman of JPMorgan Chase, said in a statement, referencing to wars, energy prices and trade wars as some of the current risks in the global economy In response, the bank slightly lowered its full-year profit forecast.

Dimon further called these tensions as “significant and they reinforce why we prepare the firm for a wide range of environments.”

This quarter, it was the investment banks at all of the major banks that drove revenue to Wall Street during the first three months of the year JPMorgan reported a 30% jump in investment banking fees, while Citigroup reported a 12% rise in advisory fees.

The rise in markets and investment banking fees was not a surprise. Markets have been intensely volatile in the first three months of the year, and those swings of volatility are great for the professional trading desks stationed at all the major banks. Further, many companies are pursuing mergers, acquisitions or going public which has provided another stream of revenue for Wall Street. However, bank executives warned that the extreme swings could have downstream impacts to the U.S. economy, particular-

ly energy prices. In a call with reporters, Wells Fargo Chief Financial Officer Mike Santomassimo said the bank was seeing customers was spending 30% to 40% more toward gas on their debit cards, while cutting back on discretionary purchases. CEO Charlie Scharf added to those comments in a call with investors, saying higher energy prices were putting pressure on some of its lower income customers. While Dimon described the economy was “resilient” he also said, “the impact of higher oil prices will likely take some time to materialize” in the economy if it lingers. The American consumer also continues to spend more on their credit cards as well as add to their balances on those accounts. JPMorgan said credit card loans were up 7% from a year ago, while Citigroup also saw its credit card loans rise by a lesser 2%. JPMorgan posted a profit of $16.49 billion, up 13% from

Tugboats

Giordano, Imogene St.Frances CabriniCatholic Church in Livonia at 11am

Holliday,Dorothy Rabenhorst East,11000 Florida Blvd., BatonRouge,LAat10am. Obituaries

Asburry, Gerald

Gerald Asburry, Sr., died in Houston, Texas on April 1, 2026. VisitationatOne Movement Bible Church, 10120 Hartsook StreetHouston, on Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 11:00 am until Celebration of Life Service at noon. Services willbelivestreamed at https://theombc.org

William "Billy" Henry D'Aquilla, beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle and friend was calledhome by his Heavenly Father on April 12, 2026, at the age of 85. He passed away peacefully at home surroundedbyhis daughter and sons. Billy was born in Fort Adams, MS on September 8, 1940, to Frank and Velma Stutzmann D'Aquilla, both of whom predeceased him. Billy is survived by his two sons, Sam D'Aquilla, Jackson, LA and Andy (Kelly) D'Aquilla, St. Francisville LA; daughter, Mary (Kevin) Dreher, Starhill, LA; grandsons Nicholas (Megan) D'Aquilla,Will D'Aquilla, Collin D'Aquilla, and Drew D'Aquilla; granddaughters Sara D'Aquilla, Maria D'Aquilla, Josie D'Aquilla and Annie Robinson; greatgranddaughter, Abigail D'Aquilla; and great-grandsons Henry D'Aquilla and Ari Robinson. Billy is also survived by his younger brother,Michael (Jackie) D'Aquila of Brandon, MS. Preceded in death by his wife of 61 years, Yolanda Dwyer D'Aquilla; brother Frank D'Aquila; sisters, Rita Mae D'Aquila and Patricia D'Aquila (Mitchell) Templet; and great granddaughter, Eleanor Rosemary Hunter. Though born andraised just north of the state line in Fort Adams, MS, Billy dedicated his life to the people andplace he loved most ---St. Francisville. Elected first as town alderman/mayor pro tempore in 1972 and later as mayor in 1984, Billy proudly presided over the town government with humility until his retirement in 2020. Billywould go on to serveSt. Francisvillefor nearly five decades with unwavering commitment, guiding thetown through seasons of growth, challenge, and celebration. Known for his open-door policy, humor, and tireless advocacy, he believed that every voice in the community mattered. Billy's lega-

cy willliveon in the beautiful town he championed and the countless lives he touchedwith kindness and generosity. Always the politician and shameless promoter,one of Billy'sfavoriteexpressions was, "There's two typesofpeopleinthe world; those who live inSt. Francisville,and those who want to live in St. Francisville." Concurrent with hismayoral duties,Billywas the sole proprietorofa popularSt. Francisville grocerystore formany years and later went on to serve as asales associate for National AmericanWholesale. Billy loved people from all walks of life and was the consummate salesman. Billy's lifewas atestament to thepowerofservice, compassion,and hometown pride. He will be deeply missed, but his spirit willforever be woven into the heart of St. Francisville.The familywishes to expresstheir utmost and sincere thanks to Billy's dedicated caregivers, Dorothy Stansberry,Lalyn Covington, and Brianna Stephens, who went over and beyond the call of duty by providing Billy with a caring and dignified environment.The D'Aquillasalso wishtoacknowledge the valuedservices of JamieLowery, R.N.,and the staffofThe Hospice of Baton Rouge. Visitation will be held on Thursday, April 16, 2026,from9:00 am to 12 noon at Our Lady of Mount Carmel CatholicChurch Hall,11485Ferdinand Street,St. Francisville, LA with funeral mass to follow at 12 noonand burial in Mount CarmelCemetery. PallbearerswillbeBilly's grandsons, and hisdear and closefriends, John Dooley and DavidFournet Honorary pallbearers will be H. L. Stutzmann, Tom Temple,Hal Ware,Bob Baker, Chris Kerr and John Kean. OutofBilly's love for his brotherand daughter, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be directedtothe National Multiple Sclerosis Society(NMSS), P.O.Box 88540, Carol Stream, IL 60188. Funeral services have been entrusted to Charlet Funeral Home, 4320 High Street,Zachary, LA 70791(225) 654-4480.

Doucet, Mary Amanda Daigle

Mary Amanda Daigle Douceta residentof Gramercy, passed awayon Monday, April 6, 2026 at the ageof87. Wife of the late John Alvin Doucet. Loving mother of Robert Doucet(Brenda), Wendell Doucet(the late Sharon), DavidDoucet, Sr. (Suzanne), John Doucet (Toni), andCeleste Louque (Irvin, Sr.).Grandmother of twelve grandchildren, and twenty great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Mary Doucet. She is preceded in death by herparents Noah Daigle and BlancheLeDoux and hersevensiblings. Mary enjoyed making rosariesand ornaments, as well as sewing. Above all spending time with her family and friends. She was also adedicated memberofthe Catholic Daughters, and even partook in being alector at SacredHeart of Jesus

Catholic Church. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the Visitationand Funeral Mass at Sacred Heart Of Jesus Catholic Church, 616 E. Main St., Gramercy, Louisiana on Thursday, April16, 2026. ARosary Prayer willbegin at 8:30 a.m. Visitationwillbeheld from9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.,and theFuneral Mass willfollow at 11:00 am. Burial will takeplace after at St.Joseph Catholic Cemetery, Paulina, Louisiana. The family wouldliketo thank St. Catherine's Hospice and theSouth East War Veterans Home

Nickens, Bruce 'CaptainRooster'

Bruce "Captain Rooster" Nickens passedaway peacefully at his home surrounded by his family on Monday, April 13, 2026, at theage of 81. He was aretired ferry boatcaptain with DOTD, resident of Fordoche and nativeof Plaquemine, LA.Visitation willbeheldatWilbert Funeral Home, Plaquemine on Thursday,April 16, 2026, from 5to9pm and will resume on Friday, April 17, 2026, from 9am until religious services at 1pm, conducted by PastorTroy Romig.Interment willfollowatGrace Memorial Park, Plaquemine.Please see full obituary at www.wilbertservices.com.

Judith

JudyDugas Pizzolato passed away on April 11, 2026, at her home at the ageof84. She wasa native andlife long resident of Donaldsonville,Louisiana until September 2024 when she moved to Bossier City, Louisiana to be closer to family.She was born August 14th, 1941. Judygraduated fromAscension Catholic High School in 1959 and was later honored as adistinguished graduate. She attended and graduated from Hotel Dieu School of Nursing in NewOrleans. She was married to her devoted husband, Tyrone Pizzolato,for 54 years until his death in December 2020. Judy worked as aregistered nurse forover 40 years in various healthcare settings. Judywas alifelong member of Ascension Catholic Church in Donaldsonville.Judyloved spending time with her family, especiallyher grandkids Sheappreciated getting togetherwith classmates from AscensionCatholic and Hotel Dieu on aregular basis. She also enjoyed playing bingo,stamp-collecting, going to thecasi-

no, and watching Tulane Footballand theNew York Yankees. Judyispreceded in death by her loving husband, Tyrone Pizzolato,her parents, Uton &Irene Dugas, and her sisterand her husband, Louis "Preacher"and Jacqueline Schexnayder. She is survivedbythree daughters and son-in-laws, Sheila and TimCarlisle, Ann and Tommy Harvey, and Jenny Fallo,fivegrandchildren that she lovedvery much, Kennedy and Jack Carlisle, Anna Katherine and Grace Harvey, and Drew Fallo, and twosistersand a brother-in-law, Carol and Jimmy Regira and Janet Reed. The pallbearers will be Jack Carlisle, Drew Fallo,DarrinRegira,Gary Regira, ChrisAllen, and David Allenwithhonorary pallbearer,Kenneth Schexnayder. Avisitationwillbe held at AscensionofOur Lord CatholicChurch in Donaldsonville on Thursday, April16thfrom 9am11am with the Mass of Christianburialfollowing visitation. Interment to followinthe church mausoleum. Father MattDupre willbeofficiating.Inlieuof flowers,the family requests donations be made in her honortoAscension of Our Lord Catholic Church or Ascension Catholic School.

Richard Alston Sherlock, Jr passedawaypeacefully on Friday, April 3, 2026 in Baton Rouge,atthe age 81 after abrief illness. He is preceded in death by his father Richard Alston Sherlock, Sr;mother, Ruth Bonds Sherlock;brother, RonnieClelieSherlock;and wife, Jacquelyn Zimmer Sherlock.Heissurvived by hisdaughter, Richelle Sherlock Simmons(Chad) of Birmingham, AL;his son Richard Alston Sherlock,III (Erin) of Highlands Ranch, CO; son Sean DavidSherlock (Jennifer); daughter GinaSherlock Jones (Raymond);grandchildren JacobSheets, Bryce Sherlock, Katherine Sherlock Churchill (Christopher), Scott Sherlock,Anne Bonds Simmons, George Simmons,Margaret Simmons, and Avery Jones; andbrother-in-law Martin Braud (Linda). Born in New Orleans, LA on August 29, 1944, hisfamilymoved to Baton Rouge in 1950, where he wasa lifelongresident. Agraduate of Baton Rouge High School, he attended LSUwhere he played saxophoneinhis brother's band"Ronnie andthe Crowns" throughout Louisiana. Richard served in theArmyNational Guard at Fort Polk, LA, and enjoyed acareer in thechemical industry with CibaGeigy and Shering-Plough. He lovedMardi Gras,a member of NewOrleans kreweKnights of Sparta for manyyears, but his greatest joywas fishing andhunting. Aprivate familygravesideservice will be held at Resthaven GardensofMemory, Baton Rouge

Aresident of Plaquemine, La passedaway on Friday, April 10, 2026 at the age of 71. Visiting 4-6PM, Thursday, April 16, 2026 at Demby &Son Funeral Home. Visitation continues10AM, Friday, April 17, 2026 at The ChurchInternationalofDonaldsonville La, untilReligious Services at 11AM,conducted by Rev. Matt Bender, Pastor Intermentinthe Pearly GatesMemorial Park, Donaldsonville.Please visit www.dembyandson.com to sign theguestbook.

It is with heavy hearts that we announcethe passing of Mildred Torres Simon. An inspiration of Love andKindness, she passed away April 10, 2026, at the age of 100. Mildred spent herlife showeringlove to all those around her. Shedidn'tjust give hertime; she gave her heart. Herhomewas a place of warmth, where love wasfreelygiven, and herunwaveringfaithwas quietly lived outthrough heractions. Shefound joy in serving others,whether through herchurch,her friendships, or herfamily. Herwords carried encouragement,and herpresence broughtpeace. Sheislovingly remembered through herdeep trust placedin God's plan. Herlegacy of faith, love,and devotion will continue to live on in all whowereblessed to know her. Mildred foundjoy in caringfor heryoungersister, wasactively involvedin theeveryday lives of her

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Consider these national average costsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethiscan be areal burden, especially if you’reonafixed income

Sherlock, Richard Alston

Simmons, Walter

Simon, Mildred

D'Aquilla, William Henry 'Billy'

Robertson, Beulah D.

Lady Beulah lovedher family,baking and planting.A funeral service will be held from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM on 2026-04-16 at Mt Pilgrim 9200 Viewing, Richards Clinton

Pizzolato,

Dugas 'Judy'

children, grandchildren andgreat grandchildren and she was equally known for her passion as an avid sports fan.

Mildred was afounding and faithful member of the St. Jude Catholic church.

Mildred is survived by her cherished children, Rob Simon, Nancy Simon, Andy (Stacy) Simon, Patti (Frank) Butler, sister, Helen Torres, 9grandchildren,11greatgrandchildren,and numerous nieces and nephews. Mildred is preceded in death by her husband Bob Simon, her parents, Otis and Helen Torres and 8siblings.

Services will be at St Jude Catholic Church, 9150 Highland Rd. Baton Rouge, La. Thursday, April 16, 2026, Visitation 9:30-11:00, Mass at 11:00. Burial to follow at Resthaven Garden of Memory.

April 11, 2026 surrounded by her family. Callie was born December 29, 1931 in Louann, Arkansas to James Perryand Virgie Parsons Caston. In 1954,she married her husband of 66 years, Kenneth Don Smith

Callie workedinthe insurance industry until she becamea stay-at-home Mom after herfirstson was born. She loved landscape gardening and could (and WOULD) tell you the type and source of every plantinher yard. Later in life, she stayed busy with aerobics, heryard (which she kept cut and cared for until the day of her stroke), aweeklygame of handand-foot,jigsaw puzzles, and the Sundaydomino games playedwith anyone who wouldshow up. She was an active member of West Side Women's Club and loved to recall the many trips she sharedwith her friends. Callie joined First Baptist ChurchofPort Allen when she moved to Louisiana and hasbeena proud member since. She loved her Sunday School group!

Callie is survived by her 3sons; Duane (Robin), Philip (Sheri), and Tim (Melinda).She adoredall of hergrandchildren; Shaun (Ashley), Matthew, and TylerSmith, Bo (Bea) and Adam Hock,Lauren Braud (Lucas), Jessica Mouch (Hunter),and Aimee Dazé (Timmy), and Logan Smith (McKenzi) andDemi Bezet(Holden); and 15 great grandchildren. She is also survived by threeyounger sisters. Shewas precededindeath by hermotherand father, herhusband, and five sib-

lings. Privatefamily services willbeconductedat alaterdate.

The family thanks Heart of Hospice and At Home Care of Louisianafor the compassionate,yet professional care providedduring this difficulttime. Donations in honorofher life may be madetoFirst Baptist Church of PortAllen.

1SG (RET) Jeremiah Wesley, Sr., anativeof Norwood,La., aresident of Prince George, VA and a retired U. S. Army veteran passed on Saturday, April 4, 2026, at theage of 71. Visitation and Celebration of Life Serviceswillbe Thursday, April 16, 2026 from 11:30 am -1:30 pm at WilsonWooddaleFuneral Home,1553 WooddaleBlvd,

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

Legislature shouldn’tstop duly elected courtclerk from taking office

Last fall, voters in OrleansParish elected a new clerk of Criminal District Court.

By a68%-32% margin, Calvin Duncan beat incumbent DarrenLombard for ajob that oversees not just criminal case records but alsovotingmachines. It wasanundeniable show of public support for aone-timejailhouse lawyerwho had been exonerated after spending28yearsat the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola.

Yetwhile the votersofOrleans Parish spoke clearly,the Louisiana Legislature is rapidly moving to overrule them.

That is the immediate effect of Senate Bill 256 by stateSen. Jay Morris, aWest MonroeRepublican, that would merge thecriminalcourt clerk’sjob into the office now runbythe city’s Civil DistrictCourt clerk. Because it would take effect immediately upon thegovernor’s signature, the bill would eliminatethe officetowhich Duncan wasdulyelected before he is setto be sworn in on May 4.

That’sjust one of several seriousconcernswe have over this legislation,whichwas approved last week by the state Senate 25-11,with allRepublicans present supportingand all Democrats opposed, and now heads to the House.

Another is that, while Morris talks of efficiency,there’snofiscal note specifying savings. Under thelegislation, theunifiedclerk’s office would not only continue to do all the work both clerksdonow,but wouldhavetocombine operations, which could be costly and confusingon such short notice.

Yetsenators rejected aproposed amendment by state Sen. Royce Duplessis, aNew Orleans Democrat, that woulddelay implementation, allowing for Duncan to servethe termtowhich he’s been elected and for the careful, well-organized transition such amerger would require

We should say herethat we are not opposed to common-sense consolidation of unnecessary offices in New Orleans, where the Legislature long ago set up several systems thatare different from those in the state’sother parishes.We have supported reasonable effortsinthe past, when local officials were involved in thediscussions.

But this divisive current drive, whichalso includes separate bills to reduce the number of judgeships in the city,was undertakenbylawmakers whose own districts are far fromNew Orleans without even apretense of consultation with the city’sleaders.Indeed, thedataupon which supporters are relyingtoclaim waste and duplicationamong judgesisdisputed by Orleans officials.

It’snoteworthy that SB256 has drawn harsh criticism even from New Orleansleaderswho backed Duncan’sopponent, such as U.S. Rep. Troy Carter and Mayor HelenaMoreno.

The Legislature has every right —and indeed, aresponsibility —toidentify efficiencies, even if that means eliminatingpublic offices once those elected to them have served outtheir terms.

But it has no business pushingthrough a rushed bill that would thwart thewill of the city’svoters.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

Honest debate can’tinvolve misrepresentingfoe’s

Richard Carter’sApril 9letter helpfully clarifies that he did not call the entire No Kings crowd hypocrites and baby-killers; he merely said we travel aroad paved by them (“paved with ghouls who poison and mutilategender-confused children” and “butchers who yank 6-month-old babies from the safety of their mothers’ wombs…”).

Thank you for thedistinction. He ends by asking whether we should be able to expect from anewspaper “at leastaneffort to get the facts straight.” Onthat, we agree. So let us get thefacts straight Democrats do not believe in “ripping babies”from anywhere (except maybe unsafe places). We believe women and theirdoctors, not thegovernment, should make medical decisions in difficult pregnancies.People may debate abortion law and morality,but they should first describe the opposing view truthfully Likewise, no Democrat believes in poisoning or mutilating children (or anyone else). We do not believe that is what medical care for gender-related

Iearned my bachelor of science in civil engineering at the University of LouisianaatLafayette andmymaster’s and Ph.D. as aBoard of Regents’ Dean’s Fellow at LSU.

My research describes how oxygen and nitrogen behave in surface water, natural and constructed wetlands and biofilters for raising fish. This has economic importance to the people of Louisiana, who funded my research and are entitled to request my papers and ask questions. When LSUgave me an alumni.lsu.edu account, it stated it would be permanent —available for life.

My email has been passed between people in Louisianaand throughout the world.

Iregularly receive requests from scientists, engineers and aquaculturists for my master’sthesis, Ph.D. dissertation and peer-reviewed papers. Terminating my email will mean that future requests and questions will not reach me.

Other alumni report not having received the March email stating, “May 31, 2026, []will be the final datetoaccess your account[.] “Canceling email

conditions amounts to.How should we treat people bornwith disorders commonly lumped under the “intersex” umbrella —people born with ambiguous genitalia or Klinefeltersyndrome (XXY)?

We believe humanbeings are complex, that some medical realitiesare poorly understood by the public and that fear-driven misinformation can deny people living with these biological realities essentialhealth care. Reasonable people can debate abortion,sex, gender,medicine and law Honestdebate, however,requires honest representation. In Louisiana, my elected representatives and their allies do not merely rejectviews like mine; they caricature them for public use. As avoting, taxpayingconstituent, Iam not simply disagreedwith; Iamfalsely represented So theissue, as Carter points out, is not disagreement. It is misrepresentation andwhether or not we are really willing to debate the issueshonestly SUMMERDOUCET Baton Rouge

addresses used by alumni over many years could have deleteriousconsequences for professional networking, which will become increasingly importantasthe AI roll-outaccelerates and disruptscareers forthousands of college graduates. LSUstaff workfor the people of Louisiana when assessing the budget and making recommendations. If thepolitical will exists, LSU’s administrators can task those responsible withfinding savings sufficient to remedyany shortfallwithout canceling alumni email. If LSU followsthrough on this termination, its alumni and the people of Louisiana could ask whythey should support aflagship institution that regards its former students as low priority.

Because terminating alumni email reflectsLSU’spriorities forfunds allocated by thepeople of Louisiana, anyone who wants to be heard should contact their elected state representatives and thegovernor by letter,phone or email form, using contact information from theinternet

WILLIAMGOLZ Baton Rouge

In arecent op-ed, Mayor Helena Moreno called the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System a“bully.” That claim is wrong —and it distracts from the city’s own decisions and from the law In January 2026, the city paid $8 million in recruitment and retention incentives —payments it initially resisted before relenting. Those payments are pensionable, and corresponding retirement contributions are required. It was aunilateral decision not to remit retirement contributions tied to officers’ earned compensation. The city previously treated similar payments as pensionable and remitted the required contributions; officers have already retired on those benefits. Discussions had progressed to proposed terms before the current administration reversed course and declined to comply with the law Delay does not eliminate the obligations. It increases them Amounts owed will include contributions, interest, actuarial costs, and collection expenses. The city has recently borrowed below 6%, yet continued nonpayment triggers penalties and costs that can exceed 25%. The mathisstraightforward. This approach increases taxpayers’ liability while officers bear the consequences.

State law requires the state treasurer —who serves as atrustee of MPERS and chairs the State Bond Commission —towithhold certain funds from the city’sstate distributions to satisfythese obligations.

Moreno expresses sympathy for small towns. So does MPERS. But sympathy does not replace compliance. In somecases, municipalities failed to enroll officers as required by law,including officers later killed in the line of duty

Enforcing the law is not bullying; it is afiduciary duty MPERS has no discretion to waive. CHAD KING chairman of the Board of Trustees, Municipal PoliceEmployees’ Retirement System

Data centersmeetthe opposition

It appearsthat folks livinginthe gently rolling farmland of southwestern Ohio don’twant a2-million-squarefoot data center plopped down the road from their front porches. What’swrong with them? Are they snotty not-in-my-backyard liberals?

Not quite. Wilmington,Ohio is avery Republican region marked by modest incomes. Such demographics may have made the locals, and other rural Americans, look like an easy sale to the tech companies hunting forplaces to plop their massive data centers.

picky about “economic development.”

Amazon WebServices, which is proposingthis nine-building data center on about 500 acres of aformer farm, has its boosters hard at work. Theproject would create up to 100 full-time jobs, they say.Itcould also pay for up to $35 million in improving public infrastructure (much of which may not be needed in the absence of a massive data center).

The JobsOhio website crows that data centers “create positiveeconomic momentum” by generating jobs and attracting talented people —people the locals may never have noticed were missing. Touting “100 jobs” could also be read as “only 100 jobs?”

The controversies in southwestern Ohioare being repeated in rural communities across the country.Their land is cheap, incomes are not great andtheir local officialsseem not too

In addition,some states like Ohio are wavingbig tax incentives at Big Tech. It seems that many rural Americans regard modest incomes as the “price” they willingly pay to live in “God’scountry.” Some familieshave been there for generations, andmany want to keep it peaceful for future generations. No doubt artificial intelligence is taking over.Americans can’t stop it and shouldn’twant to. It will be essential for national security andeconomic survival. AI needs these datacenters for power But itdoes not follow that the human beings living in their pathshould have no say on how this all develops.

Wisconsin voters have been presented with four local ballot measures designed to rein in datacenter projects. One that already passed gives the public more control over incentives officials may offer developers. Maine is thefirst state to pass alaw halting bigdata-center construction for over ayear

I’m not afan of class warfare. But, thereissomething unfair about the superrich dumping things they don’t want to be near on economically strugglingcommunities without giving alot back.

Amazon zillionaire Jeff Bezos keeps hismain mansion on Indian Creek Island, near Miami Beach.This exclusive paradise limits building heights to

two stories, lot coverage to25%. Residentsmay have only two accessory buildings for those essential cabanas, boat houses and such. Alittle bridge connects Indian Creek Island to Miami’sbarrier island. People using that bridge are screened.

Bezos cleverly threw out adistraction from Amazon’sbuilding plans by suggesting that data centers be put in outer space. That is in afar and, perhaps, never-gonna-happen future. For now,Ohio farm country is theplan.

As for Donald Trump, he’sall for building “colossal datacenters” and fast. His administration has moved to speed permitsfor the centers themselves and the infrastructurethey need.

As for quality-of-life concerns, Trumplimits them to within his own environment.

In pre-presidential days, Trump called for moving the Palm Beach airport because he didn’tlike the jet noise over Mar-a-Lago.

Somedata center foes make cost-ofliving arguments against them. The centers’ ravenous energy needs could raise local electricityrates.However, that could be countered by thetax revenues thecenters would generate. Decisions on placing them should be based on more than thelocals’ cost of living.

There are other values.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

SanFrancisco, acitylong associated with exotic ideas, has been experimenting with aradical notion —cracking down on car thieves.

Unlike some of the city’sother adventures, this one is actually working out. Car break-insare down 85% from 2023, and are down 50% the first three months of 2026, compared to the first three months of 2025.

into committing thecrimeinview of cops,usingpublic securitycameras to identify getaway carsand deploying dronestotrack them after thefts,and targetedsting operations against crews of thieves

This is good news for residents and tourists, and badnews for auto repair shops that did a brisk business in new carwindows. Smash-and-grab break-ins were such an ingrained part of SanFrancisco life that an argot grew up around them: Breaking into cars is knownas“bipping,” and the shards of glass left behind are called “San Franciscodiamonds.” Residents were putting up signs warning tourists of frequent break-ins —the equivalent of the “no radio”signs that New Yorkers once put in their cars to deter thieves in the bad old days of the 1980s and 1990s.

The success in fightingthis scourge is asign that urban disorder isn’tinevitable and needn’tbetoleratedeven in afamously left-wingjurisdiction. A broader decline in crime in SanFrancisco shows that the city,ifnothing else, still has an instinct forbasic selfpreservation. In 2023, the city began acounteroffensive against the break-in artists that included setting baitcars to lurethem

SanFrancisco voters aided the effort by passing so-called Proposition EinMarch 2024, empoweringthe police to employ new crime-fighting technology

The upshot is that increasing arrests takes repeat offenders off thestreets and creates adeterrent against other offenders, leading to less crime. This is along-established, intuitive dynamic, but theCity by the Bay turned its backonitand paid the price. One of the wealthiest cities in the world put up withsurging property crimes,as well as levels of homelessness and publicdruguse that made it feel at times like Calcutta.

The first step towarda return to rationality came when San Francisco voters in 2022 recalled the city’ssofton-crime ideologue masquerading as a districtattorney,Chesa Boudin. Then, in 2024,Mayor London Breed lost her reelection bid to reformer Daniel Lurie, whoeffectivelyattacked her record on disorder.

Lurie is hardly Rudy Giuliani, but sayssensiblethings about crime and appointed agoodpolice chief. Meanwhile,new DA Brooke Jenkins isn’tas allergic to jailing people as Boudin. Since the pandemic, various catego-

riesofcrimehave been plummeting and hit two-decade lows.They’ve continued to fall this year.Inpart, San Francisco is riding anationwide trend of declining crime, but clearly tougherminded policies have had an effect. The city has alsocleared out homeless encampments and pulled back on its outlandishly permissive approach to public drug use that was terrible for addicts and corrosive of civic life. All of this is to thegood, but San Francisco is still operating within the limits of an overwhelmingly progressive context. If the city’sleadership hasbecome moreresponsible, judges still tendto be reflexively opposed toimposing serious consequences on offenders, and at the state level, California laws remain absurdly lenient. The exception to the favorable trends in the cityismurder.Lastyear,San Francisco had its lowestnumber of homicides since 1954. This year is trending higher,although violent crime has never been the city’smain problem and the numbers arerelatively low (28 murders in 2025) Ultimately,reality is the mostimportant factor in theaffairs of men, and San Francisco ignored it for too long, believing it was compassionatetoaccommodate aberrant behavior. Eventually,itbecame too much even for the cityofHarvey Milk and Nancy Pelosi. That means theremust be hope for everyjurisdiction in America. RichLowry is on X, @RichLowry

Warisagreat engine of change, sweeping aside assumptions, toppling established power relationships, driving new forces into play,rearranging long-held theories and challenging orthodoxies. That happened in six years of fighting in World War II, in the seven days of the 1967 Middle East War and, we are discovering in recent days, in seven weeks of conflict in Iran. With aceasefire in the Iran war and with the parties to the fragile agreement failing to agree about its sweep and its meaning, some clarity about the conflict, and about the new global order it may have created, nonetheless, is setting in.

The reach, and the limits, of American military and technology superiority have been glimpsed. The power of asymmetrical warfare has been reaffirmed. China and Pakistan have assumed unfamiliar new roles in global diplomacy.The power of American domestic politics to affect American foreign policy has been reinforced. The Strait of Hormuz has joined the English Channel, the Suez and Panama Canals, the Dardanelles, the Malacca Strait and, ominously,the Taiwan Strait among the world’smost vital waterways —and its possible flashpoints forconflict.

As the ancient Chinese military theorist and philosopher Sun Tzu may or may not have said —no one knowsfor sure, but no one doubts the force of the observation: The nature of warisconstant change. This war —perhaps over,perhaps merely interrupted foraspell —isnodifferent.

The Iran wartaught that there are limits to what bombs might achieve in military engagements, but that there also are limits to the power of bombastic rhetoric.

The American assault from the air,and the technological firepower of its new-wave weapons, wreaked amazing destruction in Iran, essentially negating or at least limiting its opponent’sdrone and missile arsenal, its navy,and its anti-aircraft capabilities. It brought Iran to the bargaining table, but it also took the United States there.

Hardly anyone —except sharp-thinking counterintelligence analysts whounderstood Iran’scapacity forisolated terror attacks on American soil that comprised aconstant but little-acknowledged and, fortunately,unrealized threat —took seriously Iran’sboasts of retaliation. Hardly anyone believed Donald Trumpactually would persist in ordering an attack so comprehensive that “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.”

The Trumpremarks spurred afurious backlash. It came not only from the Vatican, which can be counted on to deplore wanton wartimedestruction, but also from theranks of MAGA’sonce-mostprominent voices.

PopeLeo’scritique of the threat (“truly unacceptable”) may have had unusual sting because of his American identity,but it wasrelatively mild compared to reactions from the commentator Tucker Carlson (“vileonevery level”) andformer Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (“evil and madness”). It wasironic Greene’scomments came as Georgians voted to select Greene’sreplacement in the House —apoignant reminder of what Americans learned in conflicts from the Warof1812 to the Mexican Wartothe Vietnam War: how the separation between domestic and foreign policy can shrink during wartime. In this case, Republican Clay Fuller,who had the president’sendorsement, prevailed in ahard-fought contest but did so with a victory margin of about 12 percentage points in a district Trumpwon by 37 points in 2004.

That 25-point shiftiswhat Thomas Jefferson would describe as a“fireball in the night” forRepublicans hoping to retain power on Capitol Hill in this fall’smidterm congressional elections.

It also stands as areminder of how democracies, even those undersiege, are ill-equippedtosustain long-term military engagements with little or vaguely expressed consequences for the people at home. It’s alesson the U.S. learned in Vietnam, then in Afghanistan andnow in this conflict, when prices on gas-station signs across the country exerted a power fargreater than Iranian anti-aircraftguns. For all his determination, Trumpispossessed of ashort attention span, as attested to the various activities he engaged in beyond conducting the war; calling foranoverhaul of college athletics is hardly apressing issue while Americans are engaged in combat. He’snot alone. Gloria Mark, an attention researcher at the University of California, Irvine, has identified dramatic decreases in public attention spans in the past twodecades, finding that internet users whoonce remained on atopic for about two-and-a-half minutes now were switching screens after about 47 seconds. At the sametime, even opponents of the Iran conflict must have been astonished by Americans’ reluctance to makewartime sacrifices and their impatience with gas prices that soared beyond the psychological barrier of $4 agallon.

Email DavidShribman at dshribman@postgazette.com.

David Shribman

Froma Harrop

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

California HighwayPatrol officers conduct aroutine trafficstop in the Tenderloin neighborhood of SanFrancisco, where they have been deployedtoassist in crimeenforcement.

Rich Lowry

is “veryhigh.”

Serious business

Johnson shows urgency with pitcher selection in LSU win

LSU pitcher Zac Cowan delivers against Northwestern State on Tuesday night. Normally a top reliever, Cowan started and pitched two innings.

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball needed to win Tuesday night. Jay Johnson knew it It’s why the LSU coach turned to his best reliever — senior righthander Zac Cowan — to start the game, and why the next arm was fifth-year senior righthander Grant Fontenot, who entered the contest with a 2.92 ERA.

LSU (23-15) had developed a habit of getting off to bad starts in midweek games. Reversing that trend against Northwestern State, the top team in the Southland Conference standings, was critical for the Tigers’ success. The Demons nearly came back, but the Tigers got the win they needed, taking down Northwestern State 4-2 at Alex Box Stadium.

Northwestern State (23-14) had a chance to take the lead in the eighth inning, loading the bases after a one-out walk from junior left-hander Santiago Garcia. The free pass prompted Johnson to turn to sophomore righthander Deven Sheerin, another aggressive move to ensure an LSU victory

Without Davis, Saints may try to bolster LBs

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

For the first time in a long time, the New Orleans Saints linebacker room is in a little bit of flux as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches. Demario Davis was not only one of the primary leaders of the defense but he also was the type of player you never had to worry about for anything. He was always on the field, he was always playing at a high level, and he was always where he was supposed to be. The Saints benefited from his steady presence for eight seasons, but no longer after Davis signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets. This does not mean the cupboard is bare in New Orleans. Pete Werner has held down a starting job next to Davis for five seasons and is coming off one of his better campaigns, having set career highs in pass breakups (five), fumble recoveries (three) and sacks (two). That was while he shared snaps with last year’s third-round pick, Danny Stutsman, who impressed in limited action.

Shortly after Davis signed with the Jets, the Saints brought back a familiar face in Kaden Elliss, who blossomed as a full-time player during his three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Elliss averaged 127 tackles and four sacks per season for Atlanta, and he could add some juice as a rusher in obvious passing situations — evidenced by his seven-sack season with the Saints in 2022. Behind those top three, the Saints have 2024 fifth-rounder Jaylan Ford and former undrafted free agent Isaiah Stalbird. Both have played big special-teams roles, and Stalbird added some value as a pass-rush specialist on passing downs. Would the Saints add to the room in next week’s draft?

Despite the loss of Davis, which will hurt, the Saints probably feel comfortable with their starting options. But it would still be fair to call this group good but not great without a true impact player of

Sheerin did exactly what he needed to do. The top LSU reliever got a strikeout and a pop-out to end the inning with LSU’s 4-2 lead intact. He then tossed a scoreless ninth inning to close out the game.

Tuesday’s game was a must-win affair for the Tigers for a multitude of reasons. LSU entered the contest with four straight losses. It also already had suffered six nonconference losses to mid-major teams.

In the RPI, a schedule-based metric that the tournament committee uses to help determine the field, LSU was the No 72 team before Tuesday A loss to Northwestern State would’ve added a defeat against the No. 99 Demons.

And with No. 8 Texas A&M coming to Baton Rouge over the weekend, the last thing LSU could afford was another loss to a mid-major foe.

For the most part, LSU got the start it wanted from its pitching staff. Cowan and Fontenot combined to allow one earned run

ä See LSU, page 3C

Davis’ caliber. Let’s take a look at what the Saints might do at the position in the draft. Unexpected splurge

OHIO STATE LB SONNY STYLES, 6-FOOT5, 244 POUNDS: Styles widely was regarded as the top linebacker in this class, and then he blew up at the combine. There just aren’t many people at his size who max out the metrics the way Styles did with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, a 43.5-inch vertical leap and an 11-2 broad jump. His physical traits showed up on the field with the Buckeyes. After playing safety his first two years,

Styles switched to linebacker and recorded 182 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and seven sacks in his final two seasons. He was also a team captain, an honor the Saints value in prospects. Styles would be a surprise pick for the Saints in the first round for a lot of reasons, including history The franchise never has used a top-10 pick on a linebacker and has used a top-50 pick on one only twice in the last 20 years. But, depending on how the first seven picks fall, Styles may have to be considered.

Backup QB Longstreet shows off potential

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

The window was about to slam shut. Husan Longstreet had a small opening to throw it to JC Anderson. The freshman tight end was running a deep crossing route to Longstreet’s left, but multiple defenders were starting to close in on the 6-foot-6 target. The level of difficulty was high, but that didn’t stop Longstreet — the Southern Cal transfer and former five-star quarterback from letting it rip. His throw to Anderson was on the money, layering the ball over a leaping defender and perfectly placing it in his arms.

“He had a really poor decision Saturday, but he has played today (and) on Saturday within the scrimmaging of practice really well,” coach Lane Kiffin said of Longstreet.“He’s playing his best (now) by far in the practices since we’ve been here. So that’s been obviously really good to see.”

This spring hasn’t been flawless for Longstreet He’s thrown interceptions and, at times, the game has looked fast for him during the scrimmage periods that have been open to the media. He’s also split first-team reps with Elon transfer Landen Clark, with Clark earning ä See LONGSTREET, page 3C

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

Golden State Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin didn’t have much to say on Monday when she was asked about her decision to trade LSU star Flau’jae Johnson. The Valkyries, an expansion team beginning its second season in the WNBA, selected Johnson with the eighth overall pick of Monday’s WNBA draft, then flipped her to the Seattle Storm for a 2028 second-round choice and the right to take Marta Suarez of TCU with the 16th pick. Nyanin told ESPN Monday night that the two teams had agreed to the trade before either of the picks was made.

“I want to be super clear about the draft,” Nyanin said. “This had nothing to do with Flau’jae or any specific athlete selection.” In the statement she gave to ESPN, Nyanin offered more clarity about the move than she did in her post-draft news conference She told reporters then that she would “take a beat” before she discussed the trade and that she didn’t “have a lot of detail to share”

ä See JOHNSON, page

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez, a former college quarterback, had 128 tackles, four interceptions and seven forced fumbles last season.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU quarterback Husan Longstreet throws during practice on March 26.

PHOTOS By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI

LSU second baseman Brayden Simpson is congratulated after his third-inning solo home run against Northwestern State on Tuesday at Alex Box Stadium It was Simpson’s first home run of the season.

LSU football

Closing the NCAA, MLB gap

More money, technology in college good developments for pro coaches

BY DAVID BRANDT

AP Baseball writer

PHOENIX There was a time in the

not-so-distant past that many Major League Baseball teams looked at their college baseball counterparts with a degree of skepticism There were the metal bats, the shorter schedule and a sense that nothing could replace the seasoning that came with years of grinding through professional baseball’s minor leagues.

Not anymore. Thanks to a variety of factors especially money and technology — the MLB and NCAA versions of baseball have never been more similar There’s also been more movement between the two versions of the sport in recent years.

It’s part of the reason Tony Vitello is now the manager of the San Francisco Giants despite never working or playing for a professional organization before he was hired — a first in MLB history It’s also a factor in why Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz was the AL Rookie of the Year in 2025 barely one year after finishing a decorated college career at Wake Forest.

“The college game has definitely taken a bigger step toward the pro game — mainly because of the almighty dollar,” said Arizona State coach Willie Bloomquist, who played 14 big league seasons.

“Essentially what’s happened, the Power Four Conferences are basically the minor leagues.”

Athletics general manager David Forst — who selected Kurtz with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 draft — said the first baseman’s quick rise through the minors made him realize how good college baseball had become. Kurtz needed just 210 plate appearances in the minors before dominating MLB pitching, batting .290 with 36 homers and 86 RBIs over 117 games in 2025.

“There’s no doubt that top-level college baseball is High-A or Double-A now It’s really close,” Forst said. “I never would have imagined a player like Nick Kurtz coming to the big leagues for us 11 months after he was drafted.

“That was unthinkable when I first started doing this. The timeline is squashed because these guys are coming out of college so ready, so physically advanced. Some of them — frankly — don’t need the minor league at-bats they used to need.”

One reason the college game has improved so much is an influx of cash. Coaching salaries have exploded over the past few decades: LSU’s Jay Johnson is at the top of the scale at more than $3 million per year while Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor is second at $2.9 million.

Those are outliers, but it’s not uncommon for power conference coaches to make more than $1 million The highest paid MLB managers make around $8 million per season, but top assistants like pitching and hitting coaches usually make six figures.

The advent of NIL money has also made playing college baseball more lucrative, even if payouts lag well behind their football and basketball counterparts. There’s also the fact that top-level NCAA programs are investing in technology

“We have one of the better pitching labs on the West Coast,” Bloomquist said. “I think it would rival a lot of professional organizations. From a data standpoint, it’s all trickled down to the college level.”

After retiring as a player, Bloomquist worked in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ front office before getting hired by the Sun Devils. His pitching coach Jeremy Accardo spent 18 years in professional baseball as a player and coach.

Bloomquist said that MLB teams have become more comfortable trusting NCAA programs to develop professional talent instead

of taking the risk of drafting an unproven 18-year-old straight out of high school. He added that it’s probably one of the reasons that MLB felt comfortable cutting 40 minor league affiliates back in 2020.

In the 2025 MLB draft, 56 college players were selected in the top 90 picks.

“These guys trust (college) programs,” Bloomquist said. “They say, ‘We’ll just watch them in college in three years at a Power 4 program, see how they development and then we’ll go get them.’”

Georgia baseball coach Wes Johnson is another coach who has bounced between MLB and NCAA with success at both levels. He was hired as the pitching coach for the Minnesota Twins and had a strong 3 ½-year run between 2019 and 2022 before going back to the college game. He helped develop 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes as LSU’s pitching coach before landing the head job with the Bulldogs.

Johnson said there’s little doubt that the college and pro games have never been more similar, but added that there are still real differences for players and coaches.

The biggest is the schedule.

In college, the condensed schedule makes all 56 regular-season games feel huge. A three-game losing streak is the end of the world. In professional baseball, it’s just a small bump in the road.

“With the Twins, we played 33 spring games, then played 162 in the season and then made the

playoffs,” Johnson said. “It’s every day there. That’s the hardest challenge you have when you go from college to the big leagues. We won 101 games in 2019 (in the regular season) That means we only lost 61 games.

“But that’s the most I’ve ever lost in my life in one year.”

Bloomquist agreed that the schedule is much different. He said age is a factor as well.

“There’s a different style in college than there is in professional baseball — to an extent that’s accurate,” Bloomquist said. “There’s an intensity in college, motivating 18 to 20 year olds, as opposed to guys who are making $20 million. Can you relate to those guys in pro ball?”

San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman played in college at Cal State Fullerton before becoming a five-time Gold Glove winner the big leagues. Even though there are some differences like many more native Spanish speakers in professional baseball — he wasn’t worried about Vitello’s transition.

“Winning baseball looks the same,” Chapman said. “It’s pitching and defense, knowing how to run the bases and then managing personalities. He has a lot of experience with that.

“There will be a learning curve in some areas. You just can’t fully know how to run a Major League clubhouse unless you’ve been in one. But it’s not foreign to him. He’s a baseball guy.”

Trout vs. Judge turns into slugfest of MVPs

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

NEW YORK Mike Trout and Aaron Judge turned their baseball game into a heavyweight slugfest Monday night.

Trout’s second home run of the game bounced off the back wall behind the Angels bullpen in left-center, giving Los Angeles a two-run lead in the eighth inning on a night when Judge had already homered twice to put the New York Yankees ahead. And there was more drama to come after two three-time MVPs both homered twice in the same game for the first time in 70 years Trent Grisham hit his second homer of the evening (and season) to tie the score in the ninth. Moments later, José Caballero trotted home on Jordan Romano’s game-ending wild pitch to give the Yankees a pulsating 11-10 win that stopped a five-game losing streak.

“It was great. That’s baseball for you,” Trout marveled. “It’s what fans want, and to be able to see something like that, pretty cool.”

Only once before had a pair of players already three-time MVPs each homered twice in the same game, according to STATS Perform.

After Stan Musial had gone deep twice, Roy Campanella hit a tying, three-run drive in the ninth for his second of the game and Don Zimmer followed with a walk-off single to lead the Brooklyn Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals 9-8 at Ebbets Field on June 21, 1956.

Trout nearly hit a third Monday night. He flied out to Cody Bellinger in front of the center-field wall, leaving the bases loaded in the fourth after the Angels tied the score four-all with four unearned runs following Caballero’s error on Trout’s leadoff grounder to shortstop.

Judge had looked forward to crossing paths with Trout in a Yankee Stadium weight room.

“I was going to talk some smack to him after the one he hit all the way to the warning track,” Judge said, “but I didn’t get a chance to and then he answers right back with two big homers for him. You put that guy in a clutch situation, a big moment and he’s going to show up every single time, so it’s fun going back and forth with a guy like that, especially in New York and the Bronx.”

New York had lost five straight after an 8-2 start and had been 0-6 in one-run games. There were seven home runs

that traveled a total of 2,846 feet — more than half a mile — with the Yankees hitting five. Judge’s first went 456 feet deep into the leftfield bleachers and left the bat at 116.2 mph, the hardest-hit home run of the season Grisham and Trout each had five RBIs, and Judge had three.

Baseball’s top four active home run leaders were all in the game. Judge, with 374, moved one ahead of teammate Paul Goldschmidt. New York slugger Giancarlo Stanton, who leads active players with 454, missed by about a foot with a double off the center-field wall in the fifth. Trout has 408 homers. Trout, 34, won AL MVPs in 2014, ‘16 and ‘19 but has struggled with injuries for much of the past five seasons. Judge, who turns 34 on April 26, won AL MVPs in 2022, ‘24 and ’25.

“Those are two of the greats, so it’s really fun to watch,” Yankees starter Will Warren said Judge and Caballero each hit a two-run homer off Yusei Kikuchi for a 4-0 second-inning lead on an unseasonably warm 77-degree night. After Caballero’s error led to the unearned runs off Warren, Grisham pinch hit in the fifth and connected for a three-run drive against Shaun Anderson for a 7-4

Ex-Michigan coach Moore gets 18 months probation

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore was placed on probation Tuesday for 18 months for a confrontation with his executive assistant soon after he was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her Moore was facing a possible sentence of up to six months in jail after pleading no contest to trespassing and malicious use of a telecom device. But Judge J. Cedric Simpson ordered no time in custody He said jail wasn’t warranted, though he warned Moore that “all bets are off” if he violates probation. Simpson, too, said his decision was greatly influenced by the ex-coach’s wife, Kelli.

Moore, 40, was fired on Dec. 10 after leading the Wolverines for two seasons, following Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL’s LA Chargers.

Iowa football on probation for 1 year, to pay $25K fine

IOWA CITY, Iowa Iowa has been placed on probation for one year, will pay a self-imposed $25,000 fine and vacate four wins in 2023 as part of the resolution to an NCAA infractions case stemming from the recruitment of former quarterback Cade McNamara, the NCAA announced Tuesday

The NCAA found tampering violations occurred in 2022 when coach Kirk Ferentz and assistant Jon Budmayr had impermissible contacts with McNamara when he was enrolled at Michigan and had not entered the transfer portal. Budmayr also communicated with McNamara’s father before he entered the portal.

Iowa suspended Ferentz and Budmayr from the team’s 2024 opener against Illinois State.

Brewers OF Yelich likely to miss at least 1 month MILWAUKEE Milwaukee Brewers outfielder/designated hitter Christian Yelich is expected to miss at least a month with an adductor strain.

Yelich left in the fifth inning of the Brewers’ 8-6 loss to the Washington Nationals on Sunday with what the team described as tightness in his left hamstring. The Brewers placed him on the injured list Tuesday, retroactive to Monday, and said he had a seconddegree adductor strain.

The Brewers estimated he would return in mid-to-late May though Yelich said he didn’t want to put a timeline on it.

The Brewers also are playing without starting pitcher Quinn Priester (thoracic outlet) and reliever Jared Koenig (elbow).

Lakers’ Doncic, Reaves out to start series vs. Rockets EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves will not return from injury in time to begin the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, leaving Los Angeles without its top two scorers.

Doncic strained a hamstring and Reaves strained an oblique during the Lakers’ loss to the Thunder on April 2 in Oklahoma City, and neither returned during the regular season. The Lakers host the Rockets in Game 1 on Saturday night.

lead.

Trout countered with a three-run homer in the sixth against Jake Bird, who was demoted to Triple-A after the game.

Judge’s homer off Anderson leading off the bottom half gave him 47 multi-homer games, one more than Mickey Mantle and trailing only Babe Ruth’s 68 among Yankees.

“To be surrounded by some greats like that, it’s special,” Judge said Josh Lowe knotted the score at 8 with a seventh-inning sacrifice fly and Trout’s two-run drive in the eighth off Camilo Doval put the Angels ahead 10-8 with his 31st multi-homer game. Judge, watching from right field, shook his head.

“Every time he comes to the Bronx, man, he puts on a show,” Judge said “I hate to see it, but it’s fun competing against a guy like that.”

Yankees manager Aaron Boone described his own feelings as “tough for the belly.” Then he switched his thoughts to his players.

“You get a lead, then you get another lead, and then it’s gone,” he said. “For the guys, maybe it was good to have a game like that where it was a little messy.”

Doncic will return to Los Angeles on Friday after traveling to Spain last week for treatment on his hamstring.

Doncic and Reaves combined to average 56.8 points, 13.8 assists and 12.4 rebounds per game when healthy this season.

Orioles manager returns with broken jaw from foul ball

BALTIMORE With a big bruise on the right side of his face and several fractures, Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was back at the ballpark a day after being hit by a foul ball in the dugout.

“I can’t blow my nose for six weeks, because one of the fractures is kind of like where my orbital bone is,” he said. “If I blow my nose it’s going to go up into my eye.”

Albernaz said he has over a halfdozen fractures in his cheek area and a broken jaw, but he was relieved to avoid surgery and said he doesn’t need his jaw wired. Albernaz joked he might grab a Ravens helmet from his desk to wear in the dugout. He was back in the dugout Tuesday but the healing process could take time.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG

Oakland Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz reacts after hitting a solo home run during the third inning against the New york Mets on Sunday in New york.

game on TuesdaynightinCharlotte, N.C.

Hornets eliminateHeat

BY STEVE REED Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. LaMelo

Ball made alayup with4.7 secondsleft in overtime, Miles Bridges blocked Davion Mitchell’sattemptata winning layup at thebuzzer,and the Charlotte Hornetsbeat Miami 127-126 in awild start to the NBA’s play-in games, eliminating the Heat from theplayoffs on Tuesday night.

Ball finished with 30 pointsand 10 assistsand Bridges had 28 points and nine rebounds as the Hornets won their first postseason home game in adecade.

Coby White had 19 points, including aturnaround 3 with 10.8 second left in reg-

LSU

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in four innings, but the Tigers’ slow start at the plate meant the game was tied

SAINTS

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Day2or3options

TEXAS TECH LB JACOB RODRIGUEZ, 6-2, 231: Therearen’t many,ifany,defensive players in this draft class who have abetter nose for the ball than Rodriguez. The former college quarterback rackedupmore than 125 tackles in each of hisfinal

LONGSTREET

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the majority of reps with the starters on Tuesday,LSU’s 10th spring practice under Kiffin

But Longstreet’sthrow to Anderson was exactlywhy LSU brought him in from the portal in the first place. He and Clark haveexperienced growing pains as they adjusttotaking reps against apotential top-tier SEC defense. Saturday’spractice was particularly frustrating for Kiffin, as the offense made mistakes and failed to produce explosive plays.

“You go play against really good people, allofasudden it’sharder,and the windows are smaller,and you underthrow alittle bit, and it gets picked off,” Kiffin said “Whenyou move up,like (Clark) has, thereissome challenges right away.”

Both quarterbacks are earning first-team reps

ulation to send the game to OT Mitchell scored 28 points andAndrew Wiggins added 27 forthe Heat, who lost Bam Adebayotoalower back injury when Ball tripped him in the second quarter

The Hornets will travel to face the loser of Wednesday’smatchup between Philadelphia and Orlando on Fridaynight forthe eighth and final playoff spot in theEasternConference. Charlotte is seeking its first playoffappearance in adecade.

Ball’sdriving layupput theHornets up by fivewith 26 seconds left in OT.But he made two critical mistakes after that.

1-1 after the fourth Northwestern State broke the tie in the fifthinning afteragroundout to junior Steven Milam at shortstop drove in arun. The lead was brief as junior Jake Brown blasted athree-run home

two seasons, andasasenior,heamassedfour interceptions and sevenforced fumbles. His productivity earned him alot of postseason hardware:hewas named an All-American,finished fifthinHeisman Trophyvoting, and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Lombardi Award, theButkus Award, theChuck Bednarik Award andthe Big12Defensive Player of theYear He is not the biggest player,but he’sagood enough

as Arizona State transfer and presumed starter Sam Leavitt sits out the rest of springpractices as he recovers from afoot injury

His absence has created a competitiontosee whom the primary backup will be heading into fall.

“Wedon’tjustmake adepth chart and you stay there,” Kiffin said. “A lot of people do that. When you getoutplayed, we move thedepthchart.”

Weeksbackon field

LSU seniorlinebacker WhitWeeks returned to practice on Tuesdayand participated in individual drills.

Weeks didnot take partin theteam drills, but Tuesday was thefirsttimehe’d done anything on the fieldthis spring.

Weeks has been recovering fromanankleinjury that forced him to miss achunk of last season

“I was pretty messed up,”

Weeks said March 27. “… It was definitely agrindtoget outthere at the end of last season.”

Tyler Herro, whoscored 23 pointsfor Miami,hit a twisting, corner 3, and Ball then turned the ball over in the backcourt and fouled Herro on a3-point shot. Herro madeall threefree throws to give Miami a126125 lead with 8.7seconds left. After atimeout, Ball drove the right side of the lane and made aleaning, right-handed layup to give Charlottethe lead.Miami, without any timeouts, pushed the ball up the court and Bridges chased down Mitchell to block his layup attempt, setting off afrenzied celebration.

Ball flexed at midcourt as players mobbed each other Despitethe loss of Ade-

run to give LSU a4-2 lead in the bottom of the inning. LSUresumes Southeastern Conference play on Friday against the Aggies. First pitch from Alex Box Stadium is set for 6p.m., and the game will be avail-

athleteand is one of the more instinctuallinebackers in this class.Helikely will hear his name called before theend of the second round.

OREGON LB BRYCEBOETTCHER, 6-1, 231: Before he became alegitimate football prospect, Boettcher followed his first love of baseball. He played center field for the Ducksbefore walking on to the football program and deciding to pursue afuture in footballrather than playing professional baseball

Defendersonoffense

The LSU offense got creative Tuesday during ateam drillthat wasdedicated to short-yardage situations.

Kiffin and offensive coordinatorCharlie Weis turned to two players on defense to help out the offense in itsjumbo packages,using freshman defensive tackle Deuce Geraldsand redshirt freshman linebacker Zach Weeks as fullbacks.

“We’re just lookingatalot of different things,” Kiffin said. “It’sthattime of yeartodo that. We run aprogramthat’s about creating anew box, not just being outside of it.”

Jersey number tradition

Kiffin was asked about whether he’d continue with two LSUtraditions —handing outthe No. 7jersey to the top playmaker andgivingthe No. 18 jersey to the player who best embodies the traits of leadership and being agood teammate.

His response wasshort andsweet: “Yeah, of course.”

Heavener-led Tigers run-rule struggling UL

LSUpitcher tossesno-hitter over fiveinnings

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Having apacked houseat Lamson Park didn’tchange UL’s recenttrend of being overly generous. LSU starting pitcher Jayden Heavener wasn’t generous at all, throwing a no-hitter over fiveinnings.

Theresultofthatcombination wasadominating 8-0 victory for the No. 22 Tigers over the Ragin’ Cajuns on Tuesday UL pitching issued issuedseven walks, hit a batter and there was one error to complement six LSU hits in the one-sided contest. It was avery different gamethan when the Tigers slipped past UL 2-1 in 10 inningsbackonFeb 21 in Baton Rouge.

runwith abunt, Jalia Lassiter hit atwo-run homer to right=center for a5-0 cushion. LSU added to that with another run in the third when two more walks set up Sierra Daniel getting hit by apitchwith the bases loaded fora6-0 lead. Char Lorenz, whoalso singledinthe third, smashed atwo-run home run to left in the fourth to give LSU the eight-run advantage necessary for a run-rule decision. Heavener didn’trequire nearly that much offenseto improve her record to 11-6 on the season. Thesophomorelefthander walked abatter with two outs in the first inning, then didn’tallow another base runner until Lily Knox drew aleadoff walked in the fifth. She had twostrikeouts to go with the twobases on balls.

bayo, the Heat remained in controluntil late in the third quarter,when White banked in a3-pointer and then added another 3atthe top of thekey as partofa 10-0 Charlotte run.

White, acquired in amidseasontradewithChicago, drained another 3inthe closing seconds of the third quarter to give Charlotte a 89-83 lead.

The Heat then built a 102-95 lead in the fourth quarter behind two 3s from Wiggins.

TheHornets tied it when White caught an inbounds pass and made aunbalanced 3from the corner Herro had achance to win it in regulation buthit the back iron on a3-point try

able to watch on ESPN.

Email Koki Riley at koki. riley@theadvocate.com For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate. com/lsunewsletter

(hewas a13th-round selectionbythe HoustonAstros in 2024). He’sundersized, which maybeaknock for some teams(the Saints specifically being one), and histesting numbersdidn’t match his playonthe field. But he’s an instinctive player with agood feel for space and aplus ability in pass coverage.

MICHIGANLBJIMMY ROLDER 6-2, 238: It took four years for Rolder to crack the Wolverines’ rotation, but he pro-

The Tigers improved to 29-14 heading into a home SEC seriesagainst Ole Missstarting at 6p.m Friday. The Cajuns, who have lost fivestraight, are now 22-22 and will take on Coastal Carolina at home at 6p.m. Friday

Thetroublefor the Cajuns began in the second inning with four walks andanerror.Destiny Harris followed three straight walks with atwo-run single to leftfor LSU.

AfterAvery Hodge squeezed home athird

UL starting pitcherJulianne Tiptonenjoyeda scoreless first inning, then walked thefirst threebatters she faced in the second before giving waytoreliever Bethaney Noble. Noble gave up atwo-run single and atwo-run homer before getting removed for Sage Hoover during LSU’s five-run second. Hoover gave up three runs on three hits with three walks and no strikeouts over the last 32/3 innings.

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

twobase runners, both on walks.

duced in his lone season as a starter,earning second-team

All-Big Tenhonors after making 73 tackleswith seven tackles forloss. Where someofthe other linebackers listed above are at their best in coverage, Rolder is a weapon against the run with somelimitations against the pass.

BYU LB JACK KELLY, 6-2, 239: The Saints just brought Elliss back, and Kelly feels like ayounger version of him. The BYU defensive

captainracked up 15 sacks in his twoseasons withthe Cougars (he began his career at Weber State), including 10 of them in 2025. He’s toosmall to be atrue edge,but he will need some seasoning to learnthe finer points of off-ball linebacker play.Kelly wasastandout at the SeniorBowland put up big testing numbers at the combine, but at least early on in his NFL career,his role probably will be limited to specific situations.

STAFF FILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON

LSUpitcher Jayden Heavener held UL hitless in afiveinning victoryonTuesdaynightinLafayette. Heavener allowedjust

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NELLREDMOND

Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball drives to thebasketagainst Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez during thefirsthalf of their NBAplay-in tournament

Dumars assesses season, future of Zion and Borrego

BY ROD WALKER Staff writer

Joe Dumars spoke to the media Tuesday morning for the first time since November Dumars, who just completed his first season as the executive vice president of basketball operations for the New Orleans Pelicans, fielded questions for about 50 minutes on a wide range of topics.

Here is a look at the seven most important things Dumars said.

Season assessment

The Pelicans finished 26-56 in the first year of the Dumars’ era. It’s the third-worst record in franchise history and came on the heels of last year’s 21-win season that led to the firing of David Griffin, whom Dumars replaced.

Dumars: “A really interesting year this was for me to assess and learn who we are and where we need to go. We had some moments that were very promising. Certain nights we looked like the team we strive to be going forward. Some nights it was rough, and we just didn’t look like the team we needed to be. We just weren’t consistent enough.”

What’s missing?

The obvious answer is more rebounding, better 3-point shooter and a go-to guy in crunch time Dumars points more to the mentality that is needed.

Dumars: “I would add more toughness to this team. We have to be able to compete every night We cannot get banged around, pushed around. We have to be physical and compete every night. There were some nights we did it, but too many nights we didn’t compete at a high enough level for me. You can’t get past that in this league. We have talent. But if you think you’re just going to roll talent out on an NBA court and that’s all you need to do to win, that’s not going to happen.”

Coaching search

Dumars fired Willie Green just 12 games into the season. James Borrego filled in as the interim coach for the last 70 games.

Dumars: “What you don’t do is put a timeline on it. You get the best coach as soon as you can but you’ve got to go through the process. This is another step that you can’t skip My timeline is to get it right. I’m not putting a clock on it.”

Borrego’s chances

Borrego went 24-46 in the 70 games he coached after replacing Green. The Pels showed their most promise during a stretch after the All-Star break when they went 10-5. When the team was fully healthy they were competitive. Dumars made it clear that Borrego is a viable candidate for the job. Here’s why

Dumars: “What makes him a viable candidate is his ability to communicate with the team every day and to do it in a positive way every day What James did well this year was never let the building completely collapse. He always tried to keep the team up and positive. That’s exactly what you want to see, especially in a situation where he took over and it could have slid.”

Other candidates

Despite several reports that say Dumars is zeroing in on Milwaukee Bucks assistant Darvin Ham, former UConn coach Kevin Ollie and current Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley Dumars said to take those reports with a grain of salt.

Dumars: “Some of the stuff you wake up and see in this seat is so far-fetched and not even remotely close to being true. I saw a lot of that this year, if I’m being honest. I saw names pop up in trades. I saw coaches lists. We don’t even have a list like that right now. We have got names that we’ve been talking about. Sometimes I’m just think-

ing, ‘Where is that coming from?’ It’s amazing. We are going to go through this process the right way. We are going to figure out what’s best for New Orleans.”

Plans for Zion

It comes up every year around this time. Should the Pelicans keep their star forward or try to trade him away? With Zion Williamson playing in 62 games this season (the second most in his career), Dumars knows he’ll get plenty of calls this offseason of Williamson’s availability Dumars: “We have no intentions of (trading Williamson). We are going into the offseason looking forward to Zion coming back next year and playing great again next year.”

Message to fans

Pelicans fans are frustrated after back-to-back seasons with less than 30 wins. With no first-round draft pick this season, the frustration has grown. What is Dumars’ message to the fans?

Dumars: “We are going to build. We are going to win. We don’t believe we are that far away from winning. We had a tremendous amount of very close games that we should have won. When you have that many games where you are right there to win and you don’t know yet how to close out games, that’s different than getting blown out by 20 every night. When you get blown out by 20 every night, I’ve got to look around the room with staff and scouts and say, ‘We are not good enough, we are not talented enough and don’t have enough depth to win here.’ I don’t feel that. I feel that we are close enough. But it takes some work. To the fans, I’d say I understand being discouraged But I firmly believe we are going to win, and I don’t think this is some long rehaul process.”

Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com.

Athletic reporter resigns over photos with N.E. coach Vrabel

BY ROB MAADDI

AP pro football writer

NFL reporter Dianna Russini

has resigned from The Athletic less than a week after published photos of her and New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at an Arizona resort prompted an internal investigation at The New York Times-owned sports outlet. The New York Post last week published the photos of Vrabel and Russini at the Sedona hotel and said they were taken before the NFL owners meetings that began in Phoenix on March 29.

“I have covered the NFL with professionalism and dedication throughout my career, and I stand behind every story I have ever published. When the Page Six item first appeared, The Athletic supported me unequivocally, expressed confidence in my work and pride in my journalism. For that I am grateful. In the days that followed, unfortunately commentators in various media have engaged in self-feeding speculation that is simply unmoored from the facts,” Russini said in a letter sent Tuesday to The Athletic executive editor Steven Ginsberg and obtained by The Associated Press.

“Moreover, this media frenzy is hurtling forward without regard for the review process The Athletic is trying to complete. It continues to escalate, fueled by repeated leaks, and I have no in-

JOHNSON

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about the move.

“One, because I’m exhausted,” Nyanin said. “Two, because I want to be very thoughtful when I’m talking about other humans and their basketball abilities and how they would or would not show up for our squad.

“And what I can say is, even through all of this exhaustion, I’m extremely excited about all of the athletes that we’ve signed or are about to sign.” Nyanin was referring to the breakneck speed at which the league

Road to NBA title goes through OKC

Thunder have secured home-court advantage throughout playoffs

BY CLIFF BRUNT AP sportswriter

OKLAHOMA CITY The Oklahoma City Thunder know how vital home-court advantage can be in securing a championship.

The Thunder won Game 7 at home in the Western Conference finals last year against Denver and Game 7 in the NBA Finals at home against Indiana to win the title. They clinched the Western Conference finals series against Minnesota at home in Game 5.

This season, the Thunder held off the San Antonio Spurs in the race for homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs Thanks to a league-best 64-18 record, the road to the NBA title once again goes through Oklahoma City, reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Paycom Center, where the upper levels are known as “Loud City.”

ESPN, where she held various roles including “SportsCenter” anchor, NFL analyst and insider. She hosted a podcast for The Athletic and made appearances on their video platform.

Vrabel and Russini who are both married, released statements to the Post after publication of the photos downplaying what the photos depict.

Russini said they “don’t represent the group of six people who were hanging out during the day.”

Vrabel told the newspaper: “Those photos show a completely innocent interaction and any suggestion otherwise is laughable.”

Vrabel didn’t attend New England’s pre-draft news conference on Monday

terest in submitting to a public inquiry that has already caused far more damage than I am willing to accept. Rather than allowing this to continue, I have decided to step aside now before my current contract expires on June 30 I do so not because I accept the narrative that has been constructed around this episode, but because I refuse to lend it further oxygen or to let it define me or my career.”

Russini joined The Athletic in 2023 after nearly a decade at

readied for its 2026 season Because the WNBA and its players association didn’t come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) until March 18, the league had to squeeze its entire offseason into three weeks so it could tip off the regular season as scheduled

The WNBA held its expansion draft on April 3. Free agency began three days later, then spilled into the rookie draft, which started at 6 p.m. Monday The Valkyries had the eighth, 23rd and 38th picks Nyanin turned the first of those choices into Suarez and a future second-round pick, then declined to answer any questions about the “strategy” she used when she and her front office

The New York Times reported Saturday that the digital outlet was investigating Russini’s conduct. That decision came after Ginsberg previously told the Post that the photos “lacked essential context” and lauded her work with The Athletic.

Ginsberg said the review of Russini’s work will continue.

Vrabel, who won three Super Bowls as a player with New England, is preparing for his second season as coach of the Patriots He was the AP NFL Coach of the Year after leading the team to a 14-3 finish last season, which ended with a Super Bowl loss to Seattle. Vrabel previously won the AP NFL Coach of the Year award with Tennessee in 2021.

made those decisions.

“When I’m ready to kind of speak more about what the strategy is behind it,” Nyanin said,

“I’ll speak on it. I’ll also say I don’t really speak about my strategy ever publicly, because all other teams are watching to see what our strategy is.”

One of those teams was the Storm, which was hoping to find a way to trade up in the draft and land a third first-round pick. General manager Talisa Rhea said she didn’t think Johnson would fall to the eighth selection and that the opportunity to trade for her was “exciting and incredible” for the franchise.

“Flau’jae is a really dynamic,

“It’s extremely important,” Thunder guard/forward Jalen Williams said of earning homecourt “Otherwise, I don’t think everybody would be trying to get the records and stuff. It’s just one of those things Last year it saved us a couple times.

If we don’t have home court advantage, those can turn out totally different. So, home court is extremely important.”

Oklahoma City will host Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday against an opponent to be determined.

The Thunder say one of the keys to their success has been to mentally separate this season from the last. They’re not looking to repeat — they are trying merely to win this season’s championship Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the detachment from last year’s title has a lot to do with why the team was so successful this season.

“Last year’s championship was great,” Daigneault said. “We earned it. No one can ever take it from us. And we’ll have the rest of our lives to be the 2025 champions. But it’s also over and completely mutually exclusive to this year’s playoffs.”

There are plenty of reasons to believe this run will be similar to the last one. The Thunder were fifth in the league in scoring (119 points per game), second in scoring defense (107.9) and first with an 11.1-point average vic-

talented young player who’s gonna just impact on both ends of the court,” Rhea said. “She can score in multiple ways. She’s a great defender Gets deflections, steals. She’s gonna be out in transition with our group, so really excited how she aligns.”

The Storm, which lost in the first round of the playoffs last season, also selected Spain forward Awa Fam Thiam with the third overall pick, Duke guard Taina Mair with the 14th overall pick and Michigan State forward Grace VanSlooten with the 39th overall pick.

The Valkyries made the playoffs in 2025, too, becoming the firstever WNBA expansion franchise to earn a postseason berth in its

tory margin.

Gilgeous-Alexander is wellpositioned to repeat as MVP after averaging 31.1 points and 6.6 assists per game this season. He shot 55.3% from the field and 38.6% from 3-point range.

Chet Holmgren missed 50 games in the regular season last year This time, he was mostly healthy and emerged as an AllStar He averaged 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds while finishing second in the league with 1.9 blocks per game.

Williams, an All-Star last season, was injured much of this season. He has returned to form and has averaged 17.1 points per game this season. Center Isaiah Hartenstein and guard Lu Dort remained steady starters.

The team’s greatest strength might lie in its bench. Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams, Cason Wallace, Kenrich Williams and Jared McCain are significant contributors. Of the Thunder players who participated in at least 30 games, 13 averaged at least 15 minutes per contest and 10 averaged at least eight points.

The Thunder added McCain in a mid-season trade with Philadelphia, and he has averaged 10.4 points in 18 minutes per game since the deal.

Daigneault showed willingness to go deep into his bench and shift lineups during last season’s playoffs. He noted that he moved Wallace into the starting lineup during the NBA Finals last year, and said reserves such as Kenrich Williams, who is 13th on the team in minutes played this year, had key moments during last season’s playoffs.

“We’re going to just try to find the best thing,” Daigneault said. “But when you have a deep team, that’s sometimes the best thing. We’ve got a lot of guys we believe in, and we assume that they’re all ready to do whatever it takes to help the team at any time. And there’s so many examples of that from last year’s playoffs.”

The Thunder don’t even know their first-round opponent — that will be determined Friday in the play-in tournament. Daigneault said he’s fine with being unsure if the Thunder will play Phoenix, Portland, Golden State or the Los Angeles Clippers.

“In between now and then, we focus on getting ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally ready, fundamentally ready for the first round, independent of who we play,” Daigneault said.

inaugural season. They left Monday’s draft with Suarez, Duke’s Ashlon Jackson — the guard whose buzzer-beating 3 ended LSU’s season — and Japan guard Kokoro Tanaka. Interestingly, the Storm will open its season at home vs. the Valkyries on May 8, which means that Johnson will debut in the WNBA against the team that traded her away on draft night. Johnson said before she learned about the trade that she was “very excited” to begin her professional career

“I’m officially a drafted pro,” Johnson said, “so it means a lot to me, and I just want to go and make an impact.”

AP FILE PHOTO By BEN MARGOT

Reporter Dianna Russini works on the sidelines before the start of a game between the Oakland Raiders and the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9, 2019, in Oakland, Calif.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK J.TERRILL

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, left, tries to get by Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander during a game on April 8 in Inglewood, Calif.

ThirdstraightMasters might be toughest of allfor McIlroy

AUGUSTA, Ga. The passing comment Fred Couples said to his caddie on the 12th hole of the opening round at the Masters was worth another listen when Rory McIlroy slipped both arms into the green jacket for the second year in a row “Rory may never lose this thing again after last year,” Couples said. Not that McIlroy ever makes it easy, but there is cause to wonder how many times his name will be etched on the Masters trophy,how often he gets to create the menu for the Masters Club dinner.For now,his two green jackets are as many as Scottie Scheffler,who is seven years younger The next step is three in arow,which has proven difficult for the three greats before him. None of them so much as finished in the top 10. Jack Nicklaus missed the cut in 1967 as the two-time reigning champion. Nick Faldo was never closer than five shots after the opening roundin1991. Tiger Woods was going for three in arow in 2003 when he shot 76 in the first round and was 10 shots back. He had a66onSaturday to get within four and then closed with a75. McIlroy is at astage where he wants majors more than he needsthem, particularly with the career Grand Slam out of the way.Faldopredicts he will get another slam. McIlroy needs another claret jug and aU.S. Open trophy for asecond slam, and then do it athird time to catch Nicklaus and Woods. Simply goingback-toback in the Masters is no small feat considering it had been done only three times by an impressive list of golf greats.

BYDOUGFERGUSON

Brusly,U-Highearn topseeds in playoffs

29-5record.

BY JACKSON REYES Staff writer

The playoffs are here for high school baseball in the Baton Rouge area.

While severalschools earned first-round byes, there are still many area schools playing in the bidistrict round.

Topseeds

For asecondstraight year, Brusly captured the top seed in the Division II nonselect bracket. The Panthers will have afirstround bye after finishing theregular season with a

Bruslylooks to avenge last season after the Panthers fell in the state championship series, 2-1. In theDivisionIII select bracket, University High earnedthe top seed. The Cubs endedthe regular seasonwith a23-8record.

U-High split the District 6-3A title with Parkview Baptist, which also earned abye as the No. 9seed Catholic is earnedthe No 2seed in DivisionI select. The Bears will look to win their third straight title and will begin the playoffs with abye. Brother Martin earnedthe topseed in DivisionIselect Area matchups

There are several bidistrict matchups pairing

Baton Rouge-area schools against each other. In Division Inonselect, No. 11 Central(24-9) will face No. 22 St. Amant (1816) in the first round. The Wildcats will host the Gators forthe best-of-three series. No. 23 Live Oak (16-17), whichreached last year’s state championshipseries, will go on the road to face No. 10 Prairieville (24-9). In the Division II nonselect bracket, No. 22 Albany (12-14) will traveltotake on No.11WestFeliciana(2113). The Saints won four of their last five games to close the regularseason The Division III select bracket features No.16 Episcopal(12-17) hosting No. 17 seed Jewel Sumner (20-8).

Andwhile he could afford abogey on the final hole —his drive on the 18th was so far right itwas found closer to the 10th fairway —this Masters couldhave gone differently.Scheffler’sbirdie putt on the 17th defied gravity Cameron Young had seven reasonable birdie chances on the back nine. He finished with nine pars. McIlroy became thefirst player since Trevor Immelman in 2008 to play even par on the weekend and winthe Masters. He did his heavy lifting earlier,particularlythat stunning finish of sixbirdiesonthe last seven holes Friday to set aMasters record with asix-shotlead through 36 holes. Of the sixplayers who had led by at least five shotsgoing into the weekend, allbut one kept the lead going into Sunday Theexception was Nicklaus in 1975, who was overtaken by TomWeiskopf. What followed was as thrilling afinal round as Augusta National has seen. Nicklaus, Weiskopf and Johnny Miller were allon top of theirgames —this was 11 years before the worldranking launched and allthree were in the mix deep in theback nine until Nicklaus famously made that 40-foot birdie putt across the 16th green to tieWeiskopf and go on to winarecord fifth green jacket. This hadall thetrappings of arepeat of that year,especially with three players —Young, Justin Rose andMcIlroy —holding atwo-shot lead at various points of the final round.

It was McIlroy at the end by one shot over Scheffler and yet itfeltsoinevitable.

He effectively won this

with two brilliant birdies around Amen Corner thethree-quarter 9-iron on thepar-3 12th that drifted nervously right buthad enough to hit thegreen and settle7feet away,and the350-yard blast on the par-5 13thafter hitting intothe trees theprevious three days.That set up an 8-iron to just over the green, leaving him two tough putts that gave him athree-shot lead. Inevitable is how it felt thelast time the Masters had arepeat champion with Woods in 2002. But it was different then Woods didn’ttend to make mistakes when he had the lead on theback nine at a major,withone exception (his playoff win in the2005 Masters). Perhaps that’swhy of the five Masters that Woods won, becoming only the thirdrepeat champion gets theleast amount of attention.The others were more spectacular because of the way he won or the circumstances around it. Woods had thewatershed momentin1997 when he won by 12. That might be thecase for McIlroy,too, depends on wherehegoes from here. Nothing will top lastyear at the Masters, a final day worthy of aPrime Video documentary.

McIlroy was so joyous about finally being aMasters champion that he said at the start of the week, “I think for thepast 17 years Ijustcould not wait for the tournamenttostart, and this year Iwouldn’tcare if thetournament never started.”

He was joking. He was ready. He was far more relaxed, and it showed Therewill be more at stakefor him next year at Augusta National with a chance to do something no one has done. Those opportunities don’tcome along veryoften.

PREP REPORT

Sergio Garcia apologized Tuesday for his tantrum during the final roundof the Masters when he tore up the turf after abad drive on the second hole and then broke his driver against a bench.

Geoff Yang, chairman of the Masters competitions committee, issued acodeof-conduct warning to the Garcia on the fourth tee. The conduct policy was new to the Masters this year

“I want to apologize for my actions Sunday at The Masters tournament,” Garcia said in asocial media post. “I respect and value everything that The Masters and Augusta National Golf Club is to golf. Iregret the way Iacted and it has no place in our game. It doesn’treflect the respect and appreciationI have for The Masters, the patrons, tournament officials and golf fans around

the world.” Garcia, the 2017 champion, began with abogey andthen hit aweak fadeon thepar-5second holethat was headed to the bunker

He recoiled his driver onto thetee, andthenturned and slammed hisclub into theturf.

Withoutrepairing the damage, Garcia then smacked his driver against awooden bench holding a water cooler,and the head of the club was leftdangling from the shaft

Garcia declined to discuss what was saidbythe official, sayingafter his round, “I’m not going to tell you.” When askedabout it againhereplied, ”Next question.”

He also did notapologize for hisbehavior after his closing 75 tofinish in 52nd placeamong the54players whomadethe cut.

“Just obviously not super proud of it, butsometimes it happens,” Garciasaid. Garcia has not finished in

the top 10 in the 29 majors he has played since beating Justin Rose in aplayoff at Augusta National in 2017. He hasmissed thecut six times in eight appearances at the Masters since winning. Askedabout his record, Garcia said, “Bad golf.” When areporter asked him to be more specific, Garcia said, “Bad shots.”

Garcia was disqualified in 2019 at the Saudi International for damaging greens in frustration. His antics over the years include angrily kicking off his shoe when he slipped during a tee shot at the World Match Play in 2001, and theshoe nearly struck an official. He also spit intoacup during aWorld Golf Championship at Doralafter three-putting. The PGA Tour hasbeen developing the code-ofconductpolicythe last few years, and the Masters was thefirsttournament to put it into effect.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By ERICGAy

Rory McIlroycelebrates after winning the Masters on SundayatAugusta National Golf ClubinAugusta, Ga.

Doug Ferguson

Play-in for playoffs

10 innings Toronto 9, Milwaukee 7, 10 innings Houston 7, Colorado 6 Wednesday’s games Arizona (Rodriguez 1-0) at Baltimore (Bradish 1-2), 11:35 a.m. Cleveland (Cecconi 0-2) at St. Louis (May 1-2), 12:15 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Imanaga 0-1) at Philadelphia (Luzardo 1-2), 5:40 p.m. San Francisco (Mahle 0-2) at Cincinnati (Lowder 1-1), 5:40 p.m. Washington (Irvin 1-1) at Pittsburgh (Mlodzinski 0-0), 5:40 p.m. Miami (Paddack 0-2) at Atlanta (Elder 1-1), 6:15 p.m. Toronto (Cease 0-0) at Milwaukee (Patrick 1-0), 6:40 p.m. Colorado (TBD) at Houston (Imai 1-0) 7:10 p.m. Seattle (Hancock 2-1) at San Diego (Vásquez 1-0), 8:40 p.m. N.Y. Mets (Holmes 2-1) at L.A. Dodgers (Ohtani 1-0), 9:10 p.m.

Gibbs having fun as new NASCAR Cup winner

BY NATE RYAN Associated Press

Ty Gibbs has a famous last name and has spent much of his life in the spotlight, recently being unwittingly thrust into the center of a contentious court case.

The attention is less than comfortable for the grandson of Joe Gibbs, a Hall of Fame legend as a championship team owner in NASCAR and a Super Bowl-winning coach in the NFL.

“Yeah, I feel like I could be a lot bigger in the community than what I am,” Ty Gibbs said about his place in NASCAR after his first career victory Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway “I just enjoy privacy I don’t really want to show off a lot, too. I just enjoy training on my bike, getting strong, working hard during the week. I’m not here to be a moving billboard. I don’t really care. I don’t have any social media on my phone at the moment. I just really enjoy racing and focusing on myself.”

The focus at Bristol was squarely on the 23-year-old after he deftly fended off NASCAR champions Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson on a two-lap overtime restart. The relief of finally breaking through

in his 131st Cup start was evident. Gibbs celebrated by playfully crashing his grandfather’s national TV interview and handing the checkered flag to his mother, Heather, before giving her a ride to victory lane in the No 54 Toyota.

“It’s just a thrill to see this happen because I don’t know how to explain it,” said Joe Gibbs, who has half of his eight grandchildren working at Joe Gibbs Racing, the team he founded 35 years ago. “It’s just a special feeling for all of us. I called my wife, and she’s crying. The whole family is crying. We love this. We really appreciate what today meant to us and the family.”

The narrative was positive for the Gibbs organization, which has been ensnared in some unflattering headlines after suing former competition director Chris Gabehart for breach of contract.

In a court filing, Gabehart said he expressed “serious concerns” about team management after he felt pressured to help Ty Gibbs (and was moved to the No. 54 pit box to call strategy). Gabehart said Gibbs “was not held to the same meeting attendance standards as others on the team.”

After the Bristol win, Gibbs made multiple references to “people saying false things” (without naming Gabehart) and steadfastly reaffirmed his work ethic.

“I’ve stayed after it the whole time,” Gibbs said. “Obviously, people are going to say false things about how I wasn’t present in meetings. I’ve been the same the whole time, just to clarify that.”

But others have noticed a change in his demeanor To defuse the driver’s frustration during races, crew chief Tyler Allen said “a huge focus” entering 2026 was on keeping it fun because a “loose, fun Ty is a fast Ty.”

During a stretch of four consecutive finishes of sixth or better before Bristol, Gibbs impressed his teammates by speaking up in debriefs with helpful advice.

“He’s been in a good mood,” JGR driver Christopher Bell said. “He’s happy Ty is killing it. It’s fun to see his confidence is literally radiating from him. He’s really switched on right now He’s taken a huge step, and he’s a joy to be around right now.”

Gibbs, who was involved in a run-in last year with teammate Denny Hamlin, was a little defensive about whether he had changed that much. “I’ve always had fun,” he said.

think that’s taken out of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROSS D FRANKLIN

Phoenix Suns forward Royce O’Neale, left, gets a loose ball before Portland Trail Blazers center Robert Williams during the first half of an NBA play-in tournament game on Tuesday in Phoenix.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By WADE PAyNE Ty Gibbs, center, celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday in Bristol, Tenn.

Lauren Cheramie BONVIVANT

Rock-n-Sake,3043 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, released its April roll of the month for Tuesdays: The “Strawberry Smash Roll” is made with tempura shrimp, snowkrab, avocado, fresh salmon, jalapeño, lemon zest and astrawberryyuzu sauce. Dine in to get your choiceofa Basilisk Bite roll or tiger roll for $6 when you purchase any regular-pricedroll. Trythe April burger ofthe month at Iverstine Butcher,7731 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge. The “Golden Bell” features a double smash patty,American cheese, pimento cheese, Creole mustard, house pickles, house baconand caramelized onions on brioche bread. In theknow

Crawfish King Cookoff: 4p.m. to 8p.m. Friday, May 1, at Galvez Plaza,230 St. Louis St., Baton Rouge Choose who goes home with the paddle and CrawfishKing title at the 12th annual event that supports Junior Achievement and the Big Buddy Program. Enjoy all-you-can-eat crawfish, live music and more.

ä See BONVIVANT, page 2D

Do youhavea handwritten letter from your mother or grandmother?

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

Shareitwith us. Whether the letter arrived last year or decades ago, we’d love to see it —and possibly featureitinan upcoming story

Send aclear photograph of the handwritten letter. We recommend puttingitnearawindow with natural light. Be sureyou or your phone don’t create a shadowonthe letter. Send aclear photograph of the handwrittenletter(s) alongwith your name, phone number, mailing address and asentenceor twoabout who wrote it andwhat it means to youtojan.risher@ theadvocate.com.

OF THE

From pond to plate, chasing thebiggest crawfish in Cajuncountry

TBY IAN McNULTY Staff writer

he restauranthas no sign

—not after acar crashed through it acouple years ago —and itsaddress doesn’tappear on Google Maps. But around Abbeville, everyone seemstoknow theway to Cajun Claws just thesame.

People drop by thissmall, plainlooking restaurant starting an hour before its 5p.m. opening to add their namestothe list fortables. They’re comingfor crawfish of unusualsize

Cajun Claws, 1928 Charity St., Abbeville, hasbeen an institutioninthis small Cajun town for 30 years. It opens only during crawfish season, andeven thenonlyonnights when owner Donni Choatejudges the supply to be up to his standard, which is to say,very large.

“I’ve got too much pride for anything less,” Choate said while overseeing the boil room.

The take-out windowat the drivethruseafood stand Jo Mama’s Crawfish stays busy in Abbeville.

In thedining room, a5-pound order landed at the table with atray on top steaming with an air of suspense. Lifting the lid revealed abouquetof humo ngous crawfish, with tails the size of aman’sthumb.

Thewaiter broughtmetal seafood crackers, the type usedfor lobsters as the clawsonthese crawfish were big enough to call for them.

One particularly burly mudbug fromthis batch measured nearly 8inches long. The tail wasplump,the juice hada compelling spice, and the claws werelike eating crab fingers at acocktail party

ä See CRAWFISH, page 3D

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

That’sbig! Acrawfish is measured up at Cajun Claws seafood restaurant in Abbeville.

Acrawfish boat works acrawfish pond near Eunice on March 27.

Themansion is toodarn

Dear Miss Manners: Iwas invited to abrunch as the only guest. The hosts live in a6,000-square-foot mansion, of which all of the rooms could be photographed for a slick architectural magazine.

Brunch was delicious, but the rub of the situation was that the house was 54 degrees in temperature, and it was 15 degrees outside. I am on blood thinners andI am very cognizant of cold When Iinquired if they were having heating issues, the reply was that the house is too expensive to warmup to 68 degrees, and that they do not like large gas bills.

petand/or leavingearly are badguesting. So how do weget you out of there withoutnumbing your extremities?

By The Associated Press

TODAYINHISTORY

ers defeated the Boston Braves, 5-3.)

Youcould confess your entire medical history to your hostsand hope that appearingpitiful convinces them to do theright thing. But this seems to Miss Mannersboth demeaning and not guaranteedofsuccess. Better to claim not to feel well in the momentand apologize that you had to leave before the meal was served —even if doing so requires aslight numbing of yourmoral sensibilities.

ping, shoveling snow,giving rides and the like. Sometimes someone wants to pay me, but Itry to tell them that no payment is necessary because Iamdoing it as agift to them. Ioften know they could use the money morethan Icould (but Idon’texpress that, of course). Iknow they wish to show their appreciation, or maybe they feel some sort of obligation, but Ifeel guiltytaking their money Am Ibeing mannerly when Itry to refuse payment, or would it be more proper thatthey accept my refusal? How long should the “Take it”/”No, it’snot necessary” go back and forth?

Today is Wednesday, April 15, the 105th day of 2026. There are 260 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On April 15, 1912, the Britishluxury liner RMS Titanic sank in theNorth Atlantic off Newfoundland just over two and ahalf hours after hittinganiceberg on itsmaiden voyage More than 1,500 people died while 710 survived. Also on this date: In 1865, Abraham Lincoln died after being shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’sTheater the previous evening; Andrew Johnson was sworn in as the 17th president hours later

In 1955, Ray Kroc opened the first franchised McDonald’srestaurant in DesPlaines, Illinois.

In 1974, members of the Symbionese Liberation Armyrobbed abranch of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco; amember of the group was SLA kidnap victim Patricia Hearst, seen wielding arifle.

(Hearst later said she had been forced to participate in the robbery.)

Ileft about two and ahalf hours later,just after the repast, with near frostbite on my fingers and toes. Would Ihave been remiss in telling the hosts Icould not stay because the house was too cold, and Iwas very uncomfortable physically? Iwould like to have said this before we had our meal. However,Ibit my lip and suffered through the whole unpleasant situation

Gentle reader: Makingyour guests uncomfortableis, without adoubt, bad hosting. But calling your hosts rude, setting fire to the car-

BEST

Continued from page1D

the snow crab and cream cheese, the freshness from the cucumbers and jalapeños, the crunch from the crispy onions and the heat from the siracha. The waiter told me it’sone of theirmost popular rolls. I see why

—Maddie Scott, features writer

Bar snacks

n The Yard Goat, 116 Bertrand Drive, Lafayette Ilove agood beer garden, and The Yard Goat in Lafayette is oneofthose great gathering spots where good

BONVIVANT

Continued from page1D

Tickets start at $10 forkids and $35 for early bird general admission, available for purchase at www.crawfishkingcookoff.com.

Wine andspirits

Tequila pairing dinner: 7p.m. to 9p.m. Thursday at Sullivan’sSteakhouse, 5252 Corporate Blvd., Baton Rouge

This five-course menu will include apaired tequila cocktail witheach course. The menu includes tomatillo gazpacho with a Jalisco 75, chipotle shrimp with apineapple margarita, mojito-marinated swordfish

Dear Miss Manners: Although Iamcontentwith my life,a friendcontinually says she is worried about me. When Ireply that Iamfine and thereisnoneed to worry, she replies that she still is. If Iask her why sheis worried, it is invariably a reason that Iamnot doing enoughoramnot active enough.How can Iget her to stop?

Gentle reader: Stopasking. Dear Miss Manners: Iamfortunatetolead acomfortable life financially.Iam often in aposition to help my elderly neighbors bydoing taskssuch asgrocery shop-

nightshappen Located on Bertrand Driveinmidtown Lafayette, this spot is close to the University of Louisiana

with ablood moon, prime rib mole enchiladas with atequila mockingbird and tres leches cake witha tequila espresso martini

Tickets start at $95 per person, available for purchase at www.sullivanssteakhouse.com/promotions/ tequila-pairing-dinnerbaton-rouge.

Wine tasting: 6p.m.to9 p.m. Thursday, April23, at The 121 EventVenue, 121 Convention St.,Baton Rouge Enjoy an evening of wine tasting featuringselections from THEOREM Vineyards,Brown Estateand Fisher Vineyards.Guests will enjoy wines, hors d’oeuvres andlive music by JoshuaMagee. Ticketsare $130.25, available forpur-

Gentle reader: Trytoavoid all thatback-and-forthand think of agracious and neighborly thing you can say instead. Miss Manners suggests, especially after grocery shopping: “I’ll tell you what: Next time Irun out of sugar,I’m coming to you. Since now I know you have it.”

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

campus and Cajunfield, Moncus Parkand several shopping areas. It’salso just up theroad from downtown —and Ilove how The Yard Goat draws diverse groups from around the city together Abeer garden isn’tcompletewithout astrong menu of bar snacks, and the food menuisaworthy companion to the bar’senormous number of draft beers and on-tap cocktails. My girlfriends and Ienjoyed flatbread pizza, pulled pork nachos and fried green beans on this outing, and I can’twait to enjoy more leisurely evenings, cool drinks and easy shareables out on thepatio.

—Joanna Brown, staff writer

chase at www.tickettailor com/events/the121.

Mark your calendar

Italian Festival: Friday-Sunday,April 24-26, in downtown Tickfaw on U.S. 51 next to City Hall Celebrate 53 years of the Italian Festival, which is annually held thelast full weekend in April. Enjoy Italian food, aparade, a tomato toss, carnival rides and live music from Clifton Brown, the Justin Cornett Band, The Peyton Falgoust Bandand more.

If you have an upcoming food event or akitchen question, emaillauren. cheramie@theadvocate. com. Cheers!

In 1947, Jackie Robinson, baseball’sfirst Black major league player of the modern era, made his official debut withthe Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day at Ebbets Field.(The Dodg-

In 2013, two bombs made from pressure cookers explodedatthe Boston Marathon finishline,killingtwo womenand an 8-year-old boyand injuring morethan 260. (DzhokharTsarnaev wasconvicted andsentenced to death forhis role in thebombing; hisolder brother,Tamerlan Tsarnaev waskilledina gunbattle days after thebombing)

In 2019, fire swept across

STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN Nachos with addedpulled pork from the yard Goatin Lafayette

the top of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris during renovation work on the landmark structure; the blaze collapsed the cathedral’sspire and spread to one of its

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

This was extraordinary crawfish, and it was also just another night in the crawfish heartland.

We had come from New Orleans to Acadiana for a taste of crawfish close to the source, in the region that produces so much of Louisiana’s prodigious harvest Behind the trip was a goal to answer one nagging question: Do the biggest crawfish even make it out of Acadiana, or do the Cajuns keep them for themselves?

A crawfish road trip

Crawfish afficionados know that as any season progresses, crawfish go from being pricey and small to cheaper and larger Around New Orleans at this point in the season, any given boil may include crawfish of noteworthy size. They’re often held up like trophies, and some restaurants will brag about their biggest finds on social media.

But that’s just it — these are finds, like discovering a pearl in an oyster What if these coveted giants were just the house standard? How does that happen, and what would such a feast be like? I hit the road with a party of avid Louisiana food lovers to find out.

Discussions about crawfish differences between Acadiana and other hot markets for it typically center on preparation. While a

long soak is the way many boilers add spice, a typical Acadiana method sees more spice added to the exterior, over the shell, to steam into the crawfish. Opinions on the best method are entrenched. But another fundamental difference becomes swiftly evident when eating around Acadiana. The baseline size of crawfish is just bigger. On our road trip, the evidence piled up from wellknown restaurants to nextgeneration pop-ups. The reason revolves around tight-knit supply chains, sometimes running through blood relations, and a cultural expectation from customers.

Home of the ‘hammers’

There was a time when grading crawfish by size was not commonplace. That changed in 1987, according to the LSU AgCenter, when a blight on Europe’s crawfish harvest opened an overseas export opportunity for Louisiana growers, particularly to Sweden. The Swedes wanted big crawfish, and Louisiana producers began grading them to meet that demand.

Now, the smallest crawfish of a harvest are dubbed peelers, bound for processing plants to be packaged and used in recipes. A size up is the field run, usually a mix of medium-sized crawfish with a smattering of larger ones. Selects are the biggest a producer is harvesting.

Still, there’s no uniform measurement for what dif-

ferentiates them; instead, it’s a relative comparison of size as the season goes on and crawfish get bigger

There’s a different name for the biggest mudbugs at Jo Mama’s Crawfish 1902 W. Summers Drive, Abbev ille, the drive-thru stand that Luke Schultz opened outsid of downtown Abbeville two seasons ago.

“These are hammers,” said Schultz, beaming as he han dled a few

Hammers, or “hammas” i his parlance, are crawfish so big they feel like a carpentry tool in the hands (on onlin videos, Schultz extols their virtues to what he calls his “hamma mafia” of regulars).

Schultz, 21, a standout offensive tackle in his days at Crowley’s Notre Dame High School, is a big man with catcher’s mitts for hands. The hammers still looked impressive as he casually moved them from palm to palm beside his trailermounted boiling rig. He serves a mix of more normal-sized mudbugs with the largest he can find. This is an intentional blend so that any given order has a good volume of crawfish and a strong representation of hammers.

Schultz has a direct line of

supply for the

Luke Schultz serves up big crawfish from his drive-thru stand

Jo Mama’s Crawfish in Abbeville.

CRAWFISH

Continued from page3D

tion table, just three or four crawfish spilled from each. But they were all hammers. This pond was stocked leaner before the season, and the crawfish were left to grow bigger “It’sabout space and nutrition,”explainedthe elder Schultz. “That determines size andyield. It’sjustlike an aquarium.Ifyou put toomany fish in, they stay small; if it’sjust afew,they get big.”

The mesh sacks gradually filled, and eventuallythese joinedthe day’scollected harvest from anetwork of other ponds backatthe Schultz homestead. In ametal shed, workers pouredthe sacksontothe jittering conveyor belt of amechanical grader.With water sprayingoverthem, they moved across aseries of rollers fitted with differently sized gaps.

The peelers drop out first, then thefield run, then,by theend,the selects. The Schultzes sell their crawfish to distributors from Texasto theGulf Coast. The selects areavailable to anyonewill

is added to thehot crawfish in the boilingroom at

restaurant.

what some takeout shops were offeringatthe time.

“It’sarelationship with your fishermen;theyknow what Iwant and we pay them extremely well to getwhat we want,and that works out pretty good,” said Choate.

At his own processing shop, he adds thestepof hand-sorting his crawfish, discarding inferior examples that might’ve evaded the first grading.

“Wecharge morefor it than others, but peopleare willing to wait in line for what we got,” hesaid

lot into an ad hoc party.

Hawk’s is famous forbig crawfish and also for pioneering apurging technique using aerated water toclean the mudbugs before theboil.

Meg Arceneaux, granddaughter of founder Hawk Arceneaux, grew up in the restaurant andhas taken her family heritage on the road with her own new business.

Today,she runs Bon Temps Boilers, apop-up and caterer,along with Luke Venable andAnne Venable,two siblings with theirown thirdgeneration family roots in crawfish farming.

Hawk’ssupplies thecraw

Dear Heloise: This is in responsetothe several recent complaints about the obsolescence of printed newspapers. Ihave been a lifelong daily newspaper reader.But after retiring, and with the increased costs and delivery problems, Ifinally said, “Enough! Itried reading it online on my phone and computer,but thesmall size and inconvenience wasn’tworth it. So, for less than thecost of asix-monthsubscription, Ipurchased an inexpensive,large (17-inch) tablet. Iamnow able to access my local daily paper for free through our library. I even get online accesstoa national newspaper at very reasonable rates Readingonthe tablet almost replicates the hardcopy experience, with the

once enjoyed. —Heloise

Hints from Heloise

bonus of easily being able to zoom in to read the fine print and avoiding getting ink on my fingers. Ialso found acrossword puzzle app that lets me do the daily crossword puzzles, and it’s even easier than using apen/pencil. Give atablet atry to continue your newspaper habit in our digital world. —MikeM., in Dardenne Prairie,Missouri Mike, formany people, newspapers bring back a nostalgic timewhen life slowed downfor alittle. For others, there wasa certain ritual of making coffee and toast and leisurely reading the Sunday edition. Somemade apoint of reading the funny pages first, often to their grandchildren. Reading the news online is efficient but lacks the charm that the public

Forpicky cereal eaters

Dear Heloise: If you struggle to get your kids to eat ahealthy breakfast, it can feel like anegotiation. My solution is frozen raspberries: Put ahandful of fresh raspberries in the freezer the night before. Once they are frozen, they break into small, bright red pieces that look almost like candy and kids treat them this way. Toss afew into the cereal bowland watch —kids go forthem first every time. They taste sweet enough to pass as atreat, but you’re quietly getting fiber,vitaminCand antioxidants in a meal that usually has none of this. Youdon’tneed to hide or sneak it in. —Kurt Caswell, via email

Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Morespice

Cajun Claws seafood

STAFF PHOTOSByDAVID GRUNFELD

Anne Venable, with Bon Temps Boilers,delivers traysofcrawfish during apop-up at the yard Goat bar in Lafayette on March27.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don't want or need. Put your energy into positive change, better money management and loving yourself.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Broaden your circle of friends, interests and skills. Question information that sounds too good to be true Gather the facts and costs of whatever you are considering prior to signing up for something.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Make a move before someone else makes it for you. Action, common sense and thoughtful maneuvers will encourage positive results. A personal change will offer a unique perspective regarding your plans.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Focus on finishing what you start without going over budget or losing sight of what's important. Stick to the rules and regulations and move forward with a minimalist attitude.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Listen, absorb and put all the information you gather to good use. Traveling, networking and engaging in educational pursuits are in your best interest and will encourage you to align yourself with influential people.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Get physical and fit. Join a gym or sign up for an activity that will get you moving. Invest more time and money into what makes you happy. Ask for what you want.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) You'll gain insight into how to take advantage of a situation that offers financial stability A relationship with someone special will offer long-term benefits.

sCoRPIo (oct. 24-Nov. 22) Engage in events that give you a platform to show your attributes. Stepping out, speaking up and physically taking control of whatever situation you face will pay off.

sAGIttARIus (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Pull in the reins when it comes to spending money on others. Invest your cash in something that will add to your comfort or enhance your skills.

CAPRICoRN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stop, look, listen and be hesitant to buy into something you know little about. Rely on yourself, not on others, and adjust as you go to further your plans.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Embrace change; put your energy toward meeting new people, changing your surroundings and setting up a routine. Let the journey begin.

PIsCEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Be secretive regarding any changes you want to implement. Put everything in place before you share or demonstrate your plans.

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

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

FrAnK And erneSt

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM SherMAn’S LAGoon

bIG

Sudoku

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

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

FarrahFawcettsaid,“Godgavewomen intuition and femininity. Usedproperly, thecombinationeasilyjumblesthebrain of any manI’ve ever met.”

Today’s trumpcombination might jumble declarer’sbrain,especially if he remembers yesterday’sdeal.South is in fivediamonds.West leads alow spade. East takes two tricks in the suit,then shifts to aclub to North’s queen. How shoulddeclarer continue?

On the second roundofthe auction,if North-South use support doubles, South has aperfect hand withexactly threecard heart support.But if North-South do not employ this gadget, South should raise to two hearts.

North’s two-spade cue-bidisanartificialgame-force,askingSouthtodosomething intelligent. Here, Southcannot do more thanrebidhis diamond suit.Then North might jump to four hearts, but let’s suppose he settleshis partner into five diamonds. South must draw trumps withoutloss. In yesterday’s deal, he could afford one loser, so cashed the ace first.Here,though,heshouldstartwitha diamond to his queen. When West’s jack drops, declarerreturnstothe dummy with aclub (or aheart) and plays adiamondtohis10.ThenhedrawsEast’slast trumpand claims.

Note that four hearts can be made.

If East starts with three rounds of spades, North does besttodiscard adiamond fromhis hand, but here he could ruff. Then declarer, afterdrawing trumps, makes the same play in the diamond suit.

©2026 by NEA,Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

Previous answers:

word game

INstRuCtIoNs: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed

toDAy’s WoRD CRoNyIsM: KRO-nee-iz-im: The practice of favoring one’s close friends, especially in political appointments

Average mark23words

Timelimit 35 minutes

Can you find 28 or morewords in CRONYISM?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —QuARRIEs

urea user arise

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

DanGill’s

guidetoenvironmentally supportivegardening

2026 SP RI NG GA RDE NI NG GUID E

Consideringthe environmentalimpact of ourgardening practices is agrowingtrend. Itreminds me of the 1970s,when environmental concerns became an important considerationinfluencing howwegarden. That waswhenthe concepts of organic gardening and organicpestcontrol eventually became common practice.

Atthe time, theseconcepts were considered“fringe”and out of mainstreamgardening. But over time, organic gardening concepts have cometopermeate howwegardenand are definitely notfringe anymore.

Likethe environmental awakening of the 1970s,gardening trends in the 2000s have seen anincreasing focus onenvironmental issues likeplanting natives,pollinatorgardening, reducingpesticides and sustainable practices likecomposting and mulching. And while the averageweekendwarriorsmay not be focusing on theseideas, theyare increasingly influencing howwegardentoday.

When it comes to gardening, it could be argued thatsome of the thingswedo—including thecommonuse of gas-poweredequipment, over applying fertilizersorthe careless use of pesticides —are not environmentally responsible. Thereare,however, things gardenerscan do to maketheir gardening efforts moresustainableand have amorepositive environmental impact

Choose nativeplants

I’mabig advocate forusing nativeplantsinthe landscape. Having said that, howyou view theterm “nativeplants” canvary

Igenerally takearegional approachtonativeplants. Iuse the term to indicate plants that are native to theGulf CoastalSoutheastern US –hardinesszones 8and 9running from the Texas gulf coast to theFloridapanhandleand the northern partofthe peninsula.The climateand native faunaand floraare similar across this region.

While natives cannot satisfactorily replaceall the manytypes of plants we useinour landscapes (I have no problemrecommending non-nativeplantsfor landscapes), utilizing nativeplantswhen andwherewecan is agood thing.

One reason is that it givesour landscapesasense of place. Using plants nativetoour region linksour landscapes to natural areas andthe plantstheycontain. It makes the gardens hereinthe GulfCoastal South look distinctively differentfromgardens in other partsofthe country.

Also, nativeplantscan play an importantrole inproviding food fornativewildlifeand habitatrestoration.Wildlifewill often feed on nonnativeplants. But native birds and insects have coexisted with nativeplantsfor manythousands of years, andare especially adapted to feeding on native foliage, nectar,fruit andseeds

2026 SP RI NG GA RDE NI NG GU ID E

CONTINUED:Choose nativeplants

Nativeplantsare well adapted to the climate (temperatures and rainfall) of their nativeregion and aregenerally tolerantofcommon pestproblems.Theyhavecoexisted with nativeinsects and diseases foralongtime, and, if attacked, theycan recoverwithout the useofpesticides

Finally,thereissimply asenseofsatisfactionthatmany of us getbyusing nativeplants,and we enjoythe unique beautytheyprovide.

Many peoplewould liketouse natives, but theydonot know which nativeplantswould be good forlandscaping. Referencebookscan helptremendously with this, such as “The BigEasyNativePlant Guide” by Susan Norris-Davis and Amelia Wiygul or “NativeGardening in the South” by WilliamFontenot.Alsocheck out the websites of organizations suchasthe Louisiana Native Plant Society,Native PlantInitiativeofGreaterNew Orleans,Capital Area NativePlant Society and Acadiana Native Plant Project

Oneofthe frustrating aspects of wanting to usenative plants in the landscape is availability. As importantasnatives aretosome gardeners, most people who shop at nurseries do not put natives at ahighpriority. If the demand is notthere, nurseries arelesslikelyto focus on nativeplants

That’swheregardenersinterested in using natives can make adifference. Unlesswelet the retailnurseries we shop at know thatwewanta betterselection of natives, theywill be lesslikely to carry them.

As youthink about adding trees, shrubs,vinesand flowers to your landscape, always look to seeifthere aresomesuitable nativeoptions.And whenanon-nativeand anative plantare equally suitable— go native.

Support pollinator

The wellbeing of pollinators is something thatg should takeintoconsideration when planting their scapes.The populations of manypollinators ha the decline in the past couple of decades.Pollina area aremostly insects,suchasflies,beetles,w moths and butterflies.Hummingbirds also help pollination.

The reasons fordeclining pollinator populations and complex,involving habitatloss, lossoffood eases and parasites and the useofinsecticides.B aresteps home gardenersinurban and suburba takethatcan help maintain, and even encourag tions of honeybees,nativebees,wasps moths andhummingbirds

CONTINUED:Supportpollinators

2026 SP RI NG GA RD EN IN GG UI DE Reduce pesticideuse

Dealing with pests is part of gardening –but we need to do it responsibly.The major pests we deal with areinsects, weeds and fungal diseases.Apesticideisa product,whether organic or chemical, used to kill the targetpest. Insecticides areused forinsect control; herbicides areusedin weed control; and fungicides controlfungalorganisms

Minimizing the useofpesticides,whether theyare chemical or organic,isalwaysa good idea.The overuseand unnecessary application of insecticidescan kill beneficial insect predators thathelp keep insect pest populationsdown. And insecticides cannegatively impactpollinatorinsects likebutterflies and bees

It is importanttoremember thatthe use of pesticides is only one methodfor controlling pests.Thereare other techniques gardenersshoulduse thatcan helpprevent the severe infestations thatmakethe use of pesticides necessary.For insects,this might includebiological controls,beneficialinsects,handpickingorvacuuming, barriersand traps.Minimizediseases by spacing plants properlyand avoid wetting the foliage when youwater. Usemulches to minimizeweed issues

Trytoraise your tolerancetoinsectand diseasedamage. Trees and shrubs are resilientplants. Insectand disease prob-

lemsoften come and go without causing a substantial or life-threatening amountof damage. Do not,however, raiseyourtoleranceofweeds.Alwaysaddressweed issues promptly.

Many of the techniquesweshould utilize to reduce pestproblems areproactive Make it apointtoinspect your landscape frequently fordevelopingproblems.Weed controlisaprime examplewhereearly intervention is fareasierand more effectivethan lettinga situationget out of hand beforeacting.

Plantselection is important. Choosefrom the manytrees,shrubs,ground covers and vines that rarely have major insector diseaseproblems.Plantsthatare prone to damaging insectordiseaseproblems canbeavoided. Whenchoosing plants,do some research, check with your parish LSU AgCenter extensionhorticulturist and staff at the nursery.Considerremovingproblem plants and replacing themwith plants that youhavefound to be morecarefree.

Keeping lawns healthyand vigorous with proper care will help minimizethe need for herbicides in the lawn (mowing regularly at the correct heightisimportant). If you feel asituationwarrants using alawnweed killer,try limiting the applicationjust to the areas of the lawn wherethe weed is an issueand notthe entire lawn.

2026 SP RI NG GA RD EN IN GG UI DE Fertilize moderately

We need to be careful about howmuch we apply fertilizerstothe plants in our landscapes

The overuseoffertilizers, especially highly soluble chemical fertilizers, cancontribute significantly to the pollution of lakes,ponds and streams

The regular useoffertilizersismost important forplants growing in containers. Their roots areconfined to asmall volume of soil and frequentwatering leaches outnutrients rapidly.A slow-releasefertilizer is thebest waytofertilize container plants

Vegetables and flowers areexpected to perform at avery high level, so adequate nutrients areimportanttogood results.But even here, moderate fertilizer applications aregenerally allthatisneeded. Followrecommendations

And organic matter,likecompostsand manures,can provide some of thesenutrients while recycling agricultural byproducts.

Lawns arecommonly fertilized, but maximum fertilization is not critical foracceptable

performance. Fertilizecentipede onceinlate March, St.Augustine and zoysia in late March and again in July and bermuda in late March, June and August.The moreyou fertilize, the more often youneed to mow.

If treesand shrubs aregrowing vigorously and blooming well, fertilization is generally optional. Aspring application of fertilizer to shrubs is generally plenty.While young trees intheirfirst15yearsafter planting will grow faster withannual fertilization, it is not needed formaturetrees unlessindicatedbylow vigor

Your plants will not“starve” if youfertilize morejudiciously.Fertilizersare not food. The terms “plantfood” and “feeding”are misleading. Using theseterms makes gardenersthink thatfertilizing plants is morecritical than it usually is.Plants maketheir ownfoodthrough photosynthesis,aprocessthatutilizes the energy of thesun to create sugar from carbon dioxide and water. Theyare solar powered.

2026 SP RI NI NG GUID E

Planting guide

TREES

•*ParsleyHawthorn, Crataegusmarshallii

•*Redbud, Cercis canadensis

•*FringeTree, Chionanthusvirginicus

•*Silver Bell, Halesia diptera

• *American Holly,Ilexopaca

•*Deciduous Holly,Ilexdecidua

•*Dahoon Holly,Ilexcassine

• *YauponHolly,Ilexvomitoria

•Swamp RedMaple, Acer rubrum

•var.drummondii

•Southern SugarMaple, Acer barbatum

• LiveOak, Quercus virginiana

•Nuttall Oak, Quercus nuttallii

• ShumardOak, Quercus shumardii

• WillowOak, Quercus phellos

• *Southern Magnolia,Magnolia grandiflora

• *Sweet BayMagnolia,Magnolia virginiana

•*Cherry Laurel, Prunus caroliniana

• American elm, Ulmus americana

• WaxMyrtle, Morells cerifera

• Bald Cypress, Taxodium distichum

• Eastern RedCedar,Juniperusvirginiana

•*Devil’sWalkingStick, Aralia spinosa

VINES

•*CoralHoneysuckle, Lonicerasempervirens

• *CrossVine, Bignoniacapreolata

•*YellowJessamine, Gelsemium sempervirens

•*NativeWisteria,Wisteria frutescens

Plants,vinesand perennials thatthriveinour climate

SHRUBS

•*Starbush, Florida Anise, Illicium floridanum

•*RedBuckeye,Aesculuspavia

• *Honeysuckle Azalea,Rhododendron

•canescens

•*Flame Azalea,Rhododendron austrinum

•*Oakleaf Hydrangea,Hydrangea quercifolia

• *Dwarf YauponHolly,Ilexvomitoria

•*Buttonbush, Cephalanthus occidentalis

•*SouthernArrowwood, Viburnum dentatum

• *Beautyberry,Callicarpa americana

HARDYPERENNIALS

•*Louisiana Phlox, Phloxdivaricata

•*DownyPhlox, Phloxpilosa

•*Indian Pink, Spigelia marilandica

•*Mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos

•*TexasStar Hibiscus,Hibiscus coccineus

• *Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis

•*Mexicanprimrose, Oenotheraspeciosa

•*Black-eyed Susan, Rudbeckia fulgida

•*Coneflower, Echinacea purpurea

•*Louisiana irises,Iris species and hybrids

•*Goldenrod, Solidagospecies

•*Stokes Aster,Stokesia laevis

•Muhly Grass, Muhlenbergia capillaris

•Switch Grass, Panicum virgatum

•Rush, Juncusspecies

*good forpollinator gardens

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