The Times-Picayune 05-25-2026

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Senator pumps brakes on bill to downsize city’s courts More talks planned over number of judges committee.

Morris declined to elaborate

BY MATT BRUCE

Staff writer

For two months, Republican lawmakers in both chambers of the GOP-controlled Legislature have been working to muscle through a controversial package of bills to downsize New Orleans’ courts.

Now, the lead author of the consolidation plan in the Senate has

on why he’d rejected a series of House amendments in favor of a huddle by a panel of lawmakers.

The bill had been poised for a final vote before reaching Gov. Jeff Landry, who has indicated he’ll sign it.

But Sen. Jimmy Harris, D-New Orleans, said Wednesday that Morris is “willing to continue to work with the Orleans delegation.”

That group includes Sens. Sidney

agreed to put off a final vote on a major piece of the package — a bill to slash civil, criminal, juvenile and municipal court judgeships in the city — for more negotiation.

“Members, this bill needs some work. I’m still in discussions with some people,” Sen. Jay Morris, RWest Monroe, told the Senate on Tuesday before a vote to divert Senate Bill 217 to a conference

Harris said the move gives local delegates until June 1, the end of the regular legislative session, to hash out an accord.

“I’ve been working with Sen. Morris on this bill since the beginning of session, and he has been willing to work with myself and Morris Harris the Orleans delegation to figure out what the final version of the Barthelemy, Gary Carter Jr. and bill will look like in the end,” HarRoyce Duplessis along with Har- ris said. “He has been willing to ris, who is widely considered its ä See COURTS, page 3A “dean.”

State eyes 94-mile ‘land bridge’ along coast

After defeat, Cassidy doesn’t hold back With months left, he says he’s still working for state

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

signed Sunday, according to a person familiar with the status of negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly. The sides have previously

WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy isn’t sure when or even if he’ll go back to practicing medicine after January, when he leaves the Senate.

“I really don’t quite yet know what I’m going Cassidy to do. I’ve got some speaking opportunities,” Cassidy told local reporters over the phone at a news conference. “I just met with my staff. I’ve been really focused on the next seven months. What do we have teed up that we can do that’s going to help my state and my country?”

Cassidy was defeated in a closed Republican primary on May 16. But, for the next seven months, he remains chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Cassidy already has been working on legislative ideas to lower the cost of healthcare and health insurance.

“I’d really like to accomplish that,” he said.

He’s got another measure to punish China for not enforcing environmental laws that he wants to see concluded. He’s working with LSU on ways to rebuild Louisiana’s fast-eroding coastline.

He’ll probably have to hand off lowering the cost of flood insurance to his successor.

Cassidy has long been on point in Senate efforts to fix Social Security. The Social Security Old-Age and Survivors Insurance trust fund is expected to run out of money in 2032, at which point benefits for the elderly will be reduced by about 25%.

“We’ve been talking about it

ä See IRAN, page 4A

ä See CASSIDY, page 3A

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

The sun hangs low over Barataria Bay near Port Sulphur. A plan being pursued by the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority would create a 94-mile ‘land bridge’ aimed at protecting the Barataria Basin, south of New Orleans and west of the Mississippi River, as well as Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.

But idea to rebuild wetlands filled with complications, uncertainties

BY MIKE SMITH

the state’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority.

“If we have to study someDeep in St. Bernard Parish, thing, I ought to be run off, and with newly restored marsh in a lot of other people ought to be the distance, Gov. Jeff Landry’s run off. We know what to build point man on coastal projects now, and we’re going to go in talked up his vision for address- building projects.”

His comments were well-reing the state’s land loss crisis.

“It’s about building projects. ceived by a friendly audience We don’t need to study anything,” at the recent event in Delacroix, said Gordon Dove, the former but they have met skepticism Terrebonne Parish president elsewhere — much like the stratand state legislator who chairs egy he wants to pursue.

Staff writer

Since it controversially canceled two unprecedented river diversion projects aimed at rebuilding lost wetlands, the Landry administration has been working out plans for alternatives.

Those plans are beginning to come into view, and a key component involves what would on paper seem eye-popping: a “land bridge” patched together across 94 miles along the state’s coast, stretching in pieces from

Plaquemines through Terrebonne parishes.

To put it into perspective, that distance is longer than the driving mileage from New Orleans to Baton Rouge.

But the name and total distance may be somewhat of a misnomer. The land bridge would essentially be a series of coastal restoration projects stitched together across those areas, each

ä See LAND BRIDGE, page 4A

Trump says deal with Iran won’t be rushed seeking a tougher approach.

But contends negotiations are proceeding in a ‘constructive manner’ cans The agreement would not be

BY SAMY MAGDY and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

CAIRO — The United States is close to reaching a deal with Iran that would end the war, reopen the

WEATHER HIGH 82 LOW 74 PAGE 6B

Strait of Hormuz and see Iran give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, regional officials told The Associated Press on Sunday, though President Donald Trump said he told representatives “not to rush into a deal.”

Trump said negotiations were “proceeding in an orderly and constructive manner,” and the relationship with Iran was becoming “much more professional and productive.” He pushed back against criticism by some fellow Republi-

Classified .....................7D Deaths .........................3B Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3D-6D Living............................1D Opinion ........................4B Commentary ................5B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

13TH yEAR, NO. 286

2A ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Officials: At least 23 killed in attack near railway track

Thousands rally in Spain over housing costs

MADRID — Thousands of people rallied in central Madrid on Sunday against spiraling housing costs that have priced many Spaniards out of the housing market despite a recent economic boom, particularly in cities such as the country’s capital and Barcelona.

Spain’s housing crisis is one of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s main political vulnerabilities ahead of elections in 2027.

The country has a strong tradition of homeownership and scant public housing for rent, while rents have been driven up by increased demand, including due to tourism and population growth linked to immigration, analysts say.

The protesters chanted slogans and held banners highlighting their right to housing. “We want neighbors, not tourists,” one banner read.

The march comes a day after tens of thousands of people protested in Madrid against Sanchez, as political tensions and criticism rose over corruption allegations and dissatisfaction with the government.

Buying a home in Spain has become unaffordable for many, with market pressures and speculation driving up prices, especially in big cities and coastal areas.

Revelers flock to Hong Kong bun festival

HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s iconic bun festival drew throngs of revelers to the densely populated city’s outlying island, Cheung Chau, to celebrate a century-old tradition that is rooted in prayers for peace and blessings.

Residents and tourists braved the heat to watch children in costumes take part in a parade, called “Piu Sik,” which translates as “floating colors.”

Children dressed as legendary deities, historic characters or local politicians were carried on stands above the crowds, moving through the island’s narrow lanes.

The festival highlight is the “bun-scrambling” competition around midnight, where participants climb a tower covered with plastic buns. They have to collect buns, which carry different scores depending on their locations, within a time limit. The one who earns the highest total score wins. But the participant who gets the greatest number of buns in the time allotted will receive the “Full Pockets of Lucky Buns” award.

The race was suspended for decades after bun towers collapsed in 1978, injuring dozens of people. The tradition resumed in 2005.

According to Hong Kong’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Office, legends say Cheung Chau was once devastated by a plague and some residents then invited monks and Taoist priests to set up a sacrificial altar near a temple to pray to deities. They also paraded deity statues along village lanes. After the ritual, the plague ceased and Cheung Chau residents have since been organizing the event, also known as the Cheung Chau Jiao Festival, to dispel disaster and pray for blessings for peace and safety, the office said.

Spearfisher mauled in Australia shark attack

MELBOURNE, Australia — A spearfisher was mauled on the Great Barrier Reef on Sunday in Australia’s second fatal shark attack in just over a week, police said.

The 39-year-old man was with three friends diving from a boat at Kennedy Shoal off the Queensland state coast south of Cairns when he was attacked, Police Inspector Elaine Burns said.

“The man had been spearfishing when he was attacked and died from a critical head injury,” Burns told reporters.

The victim, a Cairns resident, was brought by boat around noon to the tourist town of Hull Heads where paramedics were waiting.

He had “suffered injuries not compatible with life,” an ambulance service statement said.

Kennedy Shoal is a shallow coral reef popular with recreational fishers. Divers are also attracted to the Lady Bowen, a 19th century shipwreck.

Fishers reported bull sharks had been seen in the area before the attack.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EVGENIy MALOLETKA

Rescue workers try to put out a fire Sunday at a residential building after a Russian strike on Kyiv, Ukraine.

Russia uses hypersonic missile in Kyiv attack

BY SAMYA KULLAB and VASILISA STEPANENKO Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine — Russia used the powerful hypersonic Oreshnik ballistic missile during a mass drone and missile attack on Kyiv on Sunday that killed at least two people, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, marking the third time the weapon has been used in the four-year war.

The intense aerial assault damaged buildings across the Ukrainian capital, including near government offices, residential buildings, schools and a market, Ukrainian authorities said. At least 83 people were wounded in the attack.

Air raid sirens blared through the night as smoke billowed across the city from strikes. Associated Press reporters heard powerful explosions near the city center and close to government buildings.

The attack included 600 strike drones and 90 air, sea and ground-launched missiles, according to Ukraine’s Air Force.

Ukrainian air defenses destroyed and jammed 549 drones and 55 missiles.

Around 19 missiles failed to reach targets, the Air Force said.

Ferit Hoxha, Albania’s foreign minister, reported that the residence of the Albanian ambassador to Ukraine was hit during the attack, denouncing it as “unacceptable” and a “grave escalation.”

The Oreshnik, which is capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads, struck the city of Bila Tserkva in the Kyiv region, Zelenskyy said on Telegram.

Russia’s Defense Ministry on Sunday confirmed the weapon’s use, as well as other missile types, to strike Ukrainian “military command and control facilities,” air bases and military industrial enterprises. The ministry added the attack was retaliation for Ukrainian attacks on “civilian facilities on Russian territory,” without giving detail.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday denounced a drone strike on a college dormitory in Russian-occupied eastern Ukraine, which Moscow blamed on Kyiv. He said there were no military

or law enforcement facilities near the college. Putin said he ordered the Russian military to retaliate.

The death toll from that strike had risen to 21, Russian authorities said late Saturday. They said 42 other people had been wounded in the attack the previous night. The Kremlin-installed authorities of the Luhansk region announced two days of mourning for the victims.

At a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting on the strike, held at the request of Russia, Ukrainian Ambassador Andrii Melnyk denied his Russian counterpart’s accusations of war crimes, calling them a “pure propaganda show” and asserting that the May 22 operations “exclusively targeted the Russian war machine.”

Kyiv’s European allies, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, condemned the Russian strikes and use of the Oreshnik in statements published on Sunday. Kaja Kallas, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, said top diplomats from EU states will meet within days to “discuss how to dial up the international pressure on Russia.”

Zelenskyy said not all the ballistic missiles were intercepted and that most of the strikes hit Kyiv, the primary target of the attack.

The apparent interception failures underscored Ukraine’s chronic shortage of air defense missiles capable of downing ballistic missiles. Kyiv relies heavily on U.S. Patriot air defense systems to intercept such weapons, but interceptors remain in short supply and are among Ukraine’s most urgent requests to its Western partners.

Developing a domestically produced alternative has become a top priority for Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, though doing so will require time and funding.

Damage was recorded in 50 locations across several districts of the capital, including residential buildings, shopping centers and schools, Ukraine’s emergency service said in a Telegram post.

Police department buildings were also damaged, it said.

Fires continued to rage into the morning, complicating rescue efforts as buildings collapsed from the blasts.

Bystander in serious condition after fatal shooting near White House Authorities say gunman killed after opening fire on checkpoint

BY SARAH RAZA Associated Press

A bystander who was struck by gunfire after a man fired on a checkpoint outside the White House and was fatally shot by U.S. Secret Service officers remained in serious but stable condition Sunday.

The Secret Service said the bystander, who has not been identified, suffered a gunshot wound described as not lifethreatening. It was not clear how he was shot.

Authorities have released few additional details about the early Saturday evening shooting. The District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department said the suspect, identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, started shooting toward a White House security checkpoint when Secret Service officers returned fire.

Best, of Dundalk, Maryland, was later pronounced dead at a hospital.

President Donald Trump was in the White House at the time of the shooting.

It was the third shooting near the president in the past month, after a man stormed the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April armed with guns and knives, and Secret Service officers shot and wounded a man who fired at them earlier this month near the Washington Monument.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

U.S. Secret Service officers place crime scene tape Sunday after a copper jacket of a bullet was found near the scene of a shooting Saturday near the White House in Washington.

suspect in Saturday’s shooting had a “possible obsession with our Country’s most cherished structure.” He also used the shooting to promote the ballroom he is seeking to build on the site of the White House’s former East Wing, saying the shooting “goes to show how important it is, for all future Presidents, to get, what will be, the most safe and secure space of its kind ever built in Washington, D.C.” Trump is asking Congress for $1 billion for security additions for the White House campus, including the ballroom.

Best had a previous run-in with law enforcement near the White House, according to District of Columbia court records. He was arrested last July for attempting to enter White House grounds near a different checkpoint. He failed to heed officers’ commands to stop, claimed to be Jesus Christ and said he wanted to be arrested.

Authorities say suicide bomber detonated vehicle

BY ABDUL SATTAR and MUNIR AHMED Associated Press

QUETTA, Pakistan — A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle near a railway track as a passenger train passed through the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta on Sunday, killing at least 23 people and wounding over 70 others, officials said.

The force of the explosion caused two of the train cars to overturn and catch fire, sending thick black smoke into the air, according to footage shared online.

The attack happened in an area where security forces are usually stationed, badly damaging several nearby buildings and smashing more than a dozen vehicles parked along the road, according to witnesses and images circulating on social media.

Doctors at local hospitals said they had received the wounded, with 20 in critical condition. Three security officials told The Associated Press the bodies were transported to hospitals following the attack. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to be able to speak to the media.

The outlawed Baloch

Liberation Army, or BLA, which demands independence from Pakistan’s central government, has claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to reporters. The militant group said it targeted a train carrying security personnel.

Quetta is the capital of insurgency-hit Balochistan province. The oil- and mineral-rich region has long been the scene of a low-level insurgency. The insurgents have frequently targeted security forces, government installations and civilians in the province and elsewhere in the country.

“We strongly condemn the targeting of innocent civilians and are deeply saddened by the loss of precious human lives. Terrorist elements deserve no leniency,” said Shahid Rind, Balochistan provincial government spokesman.

He said following the explosion, a medical emergency was declared at hospitals in Quetta, and an investigation has been launched.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif strongly condemned the attack, calling it a “cowardly act of terrorism” in a post on X and offering condolences to the families of the victims.

Balochistan Chief Minister Sarfraz Bugti strongly condemned the attack in Quetta, saying the militants targeted “innocent civilians, including women and children,” vowing to “hunt (them down)” in a post on X.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARSHAD BUTT

Volunteers look for victims from an overturned train coach on a railway track as survivors wait for transport Sunday at the site of a bombing in Quetta, Pakistan.

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Survivor is keeping Pearl Harbor memory alive at 106

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

CENTERVILLE, Mass. — On the day of the Pearl Harbor attack, the country’s oldest living survivor of the Japanese bombing was far below deck helping repair one the boilers of the USS St. Louis.

Freeman Johnson, who turned 106 in March, never witnessed the surprise attack. He never heard his shipmates firing antiaircraft guns at the attacking planes — shooting down a torpedo plane. By the time he was topside, the St. Louis, a light cruiser, had evaded midget submarines and safely set out to sea.

“While all the rigamarole was going on topside, I was inside a steam drum.

Couldn’t see anything, absolutely nothing,” said Johnson, a Centerville, Massachusetts, resident whose living room is filled with mementos and photos of his Navy service, including photos of the St. Louis and him as a young sailor, along with a collection of Navy challenge coins and ribbons representing the places he visited. He still has his military identification tag — popularly known as dog tag.

Even as the St. Louis headed into the Pacific Ocean, Johnson, whose job was known as a fireman on the ship, knew little about the attack.

“We were way out to sea, way out. You couldn’t see any land at all. All you saw was ocean,” he said. “I was just a sailor, just a swabbie, I

CASSIDY

Continued from page 1A through the years, and I got seven more months to get it done,” Cassidy said.

But one thing is clear about how Cassidy will serve out the rest of his term: President Donald Trump can’t count on him to keep quiet.

Pushed out by Trump Cassidy beat incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu in 2014.

When he ran for reelection in 2020, Cassidy polled 1.2 million votes.

He received only 99,496 in this year’s Republican Party primary. He came in third and out of runoff contention.

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow, a Baton Rouge Republican who Trump endorsed, and state Treasurer John Fleming, R-Minden, face each other in a June 27 runoff to determine which Republican will face off in the November general election against either Jamie Davis, a farmer from Ferriday, or Gary Crockett, a businessman from New Orleans, who are competing in the Democratic runoff.

Cassidy’s third Senate race was not a charm because of lingering anger over his supporting Trump’s conviction in the 2021 impeachment trial on charges that the president incited his supporters to storm the Capitol and disrupt the official certification that Democrat Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election.

The Louisiana Republican Party censured Cassidy. Gov. Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Legislature changed the state’s open primary system, in which all candidates competed regardless of party, to a closed primary where only voters registered for a specific party or no-party voters can participate in the primary election.

Right before early voting began in the GOP primary, Trump wrote on Truth Social: “Hopefully all of the Great Republican People of Louisiana, which I won, BIG, three times, will be voting Bill Cassidy OUT OF OFFICE in the upcoming Republican Primary!”

It wasn’t the first time Trump castigated Cassidy.

In April 2024, Trump posted a two-page entry that read, in part: “One of the worst Senators in the United States Senate is, without question, Bill Cassidy, A TOTAL FLAKE, Republican though he may be.”

Cassidy didn’t respond

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Freeman K. Johnson, a 106-year-old Pearl Harbor survivor, listens to a question during an interview at his home May 6 in Centerville, Mass. was not an officer. They don’t tell you anything if you don’t need to know. And I didn’t need know it. So they tell you nothing.”

When he visited schools, children often asked Johnson whether he was scared that day. “You’re not scared.

You’re too busy to be scared,” he said, his gravelly voice rising. “Besides, you don’t know what you’re scared of.

You can’t see anything. What are you afraid of?”

Johnson became the oldest survivor after World War II Navy veteran Ira “Ike” Schab died in December. He was 105. With Schab’s passing as well as the death of Clarence Lane in February at the age of 100, there remain only 11 survivors of the surprise attack, which killed just over 2,400 troops and propelled the United States into the war. The United States mourns the nation’s fallen service members on Memorial Day, which takes place Monday.

Every year, there is a remembrance ceremony at the military base’s waterfront for Pearl Harbor survivors.

About 2,000 survivors attended the 50th anniversary event in 1991. A few dozen have showed in recent decades. In 2024, only two made it. That is out of an estimated 87,000 troops stationed on Oahu that day.

None made the pilgrimage to Hawaii last year.

For most of his life, Johnson avoided the spotlight and talked little about surviving the bombing. After all, he was one of the tens of thousands sailors who were there on that tragic day.

He recalled his wife, Ruth, “thought that was something special” so she called the Navy and “the girl laughed at her.”

But as the oldest survivor, he’s become a local celebrity and the reluctant face of one of the most important events in World War II. Johnson showed up at his 106th birth-

to Trump’s humiliations, but kept his head down and worked to get back into the president’s good graces.

He is largely responsible for ensuring vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — the agency that oversees vaccines. He was a deciding vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as secretary for the Department of Defense.

Cassidy was in the Oval Office when Trump signed into law the HALT Fentanyl Act, which closed loopholes makers were using to avoid prosecution, and the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which provides first responders with naloxone, the medication to treat overdoses.

He drafted the section of the tax cuts law that eliminated taxes on tips for some barbers and hairdressers, as well as a set-aside for families who want to send their children to private parochial schools.

After Cassidy lost the primary election, Trump gloated on Truth Social: “His disloyalty to the man who got him elected is now a part of legend, and it’s nice to see that his political career is OVER!”

He criticized Trump’s effort to shoehorn into a narrow bill on funding immigration enforcement $1.776 billion to compensate conservatives who felt targeted by the Justice Department under Biden.

“We are a nation of laws; you can’t just make up things,” Cassidy said.

He also blasted a plan to spend $1 billion to build a ballroom at the White House.

“This is a spit-in-the-eye insult to all my taxpayers in Louisiana, to spend a billion on a ballroom when we should be doing something about the high price of gas, groceries and healthcare,” he said.

Both amendments were pulled from the funding bill Thursday.

Cassidy joined a handful of Republicans and all but one Democrat in a procedural move to eventually call a floor vote on a resolution to end the military action in Iran.

On Wednesday, Cassidy wrote on X that “Americans are exhausted by a culture that treats every disagreement as betrayal.”

“Our constitutional system was designed around debate, persuasion, and compromise,” Cassidy continued.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Monday: “Bill Cassidy is a very principled conservative, very independent thinker and probably knew the challenges he was up against in that race.”

Thune also noted that, as chair of the Senate Health Committee, Cassidy could still be “a real force for change and a factor in trying to get some things done” during the remaining seven months of this Senate’s term.

“Cassidy’s departure will subtract most of the Senate membership interested in responding to the approaching crisis of Social Security funding,” Washington Post columnist George Will wrote. “He will be replaced by a Republican whose identity does not matter: He or she will win because voters are pleased to assume he or she will be a cipher, vigorously subservient to Trump.”

A problem for Trump?

The caution that sits on the shoulder of most politicians left Cassidy’s after election night results were tallied.

In his concession speech, Cassidy didn’t mention Trump by name, but was hardly circumspect about who he meant.

“When you participate in democracy, sometimes it doesn’t turn out the way you want it to,” the senator said.

“But you don’t pout, you don’t whine, you don’t claim the election was stolen.”

Upon returning to Capitol Hill, Cassidy stopped speaking cautiously.

He said he was at peace with his impeachment vote against Trump.

“That may have cost me my seat, but who cares? I had the privilege of voting to uphold the Constitution.

Isn’t that a great thing?”

Cassidy said. “When I die, if that’s put in my obituary, ‘He voted to uphold the Constitu- Email Mark Ballard at tion,’ I’ll figure that that’s go- mballard@theadvocate. ing to be a better obituary.” com.

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day party in a limousine and was mugged by television cameras. He gets letters from all over the world and is routinely called a hero wherever he goes out.

Johnson, who is hard of hearing, needs a walker to get around and suffers from congestive heart failure, can recall his wartime experience down to the smallest detail. A 19-year-old who was unemployed and living at home in Waltham, Johnson said he feared being drafted so he signed up for the Navy — because he felt it would be less physically taxing than the Army.

“As a kid, I walked. If I wanted to go somewhere, I walked or took my bicycle.

But I didn’t want to walk from France to Germany,” he said, sitting in a recliner, dressed in an oversized flannel shirt and waving his hands like an orchestra conductor.

“It’s a long way carrying a knapsack with you ... Water for a day, food for a day, a 9-pound Springfield rifle all on your back and walking through the mud,” he said.

“No thanks. That’s why I joined the Navy.”

Johnson’s memories have less to do with battles while on the St. Louis, and later aboard the USS Iowa, than their significant roles in history. He helped commission the Iowa and recalled the battleship’s preparations in November 1943 ahead of transporting President Franklin D. Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference with British Prime Minister Win-

COURTS

Continued from page 1A do that, which speaks to his character.”

Morris referred the bill to a conference committee, a temporary panel appointed to settle differences between House and Senate bills.

The brake-pumping comes amid a heated political and legal scrap over another part of the package: a new law that merged court clerks in New Orleans and left criminal Clerk-elect Calvin Duncan, a former life prisoner, on the outs.

The Louisiana Supreme Court is preparing to rule over the law’s constitutionality and if it requires a fresh election.

In its current form, SB217 would reduce the Criminal District Court bench from 12 judges to nine, remove one of the 14 Civil District Court judges and cleave away two of four juvenile court judges.

The criminal court judges would also lose discretion to appoint or remove magistrate commissioners who sign warrants and set initial bails for arrestees.

Under the bill, a nominating committee appointed by the governor would develop a list of finalists.

SB217 was part of a slew of bills Morris proposed this session to chop Or-

ston Churchill and Soviet dictator Josef Stalin.

The ship was equipped with two elevators and a bathtub. All the ammunition and much of the oil was removed to lighten the ship as it made its way down the Potomac River to pick up Roosevelt. It was reloaded before the ship headed out to sea.

“It was a big meeting,” Johnson said, recalling how the crew were photographed with Roosevelt. “I don’t know what they talked about, but I didn’t need to know. We picked him back up, brought him home.”

Johnson also witnessed the war’s end aboard the Iowa.

He was on the Iowa’s mast watching the surrender ceremonies about a mile away in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945.

“I could see the boats coming up with the Marines escorting the Japanese onto ship and sitting around a table,” he said. “It was all over.

That was the end of the war.

A bunch of us got together — the war is over. Let’s go home.”

These days, his daughter, Diane Johnson, is often by his side. They live together and always take a trip on Dec. 7, often attending Pearl Harbor remembrance events, including the 65th and 80th anniversary in Hawaii. She often poses questions to get her father talking and likes to nag him that he has “a responsibility” to share the story of Pearl Harbor —- especially for children who know little about the bombing.

“It’s kind of overwhelming when you think of it. Well, the 106 is what gets me,” she said. “When I think about his history, he’s at the beginning, he’s at middle, he is at the end when he witnessed the surrender. It’s something.”

Johnson began getting more attention several ago, when Diane Johnson heard a local television report suggesting the last survivor in the state had died. She called to correct the record and that raised his profile.

Johnson also started making regular appearances in the Cape Cod St. Patrick’s Parade, often leading from the front.

“I wish more people were like him today. He just gets on and doesn’t complain about anything,” said Desmond Keogh, the chairman of the parade who has accompanied Johnson. “It’s what this country was all about. They were just a different generation. They did what was best for their country.”

For all the attention to Pearl Harbor, the gruff Johnson, who is known for his cackling laugh and mischievous smile, doesn’t see it as a defining moment in his life.

That would have been getting married after the war to his late wife and having three daughters. He also worked for years in a machinist shop, then in a convenience store and, finally, delivering meals to seniors — all jobs he retired from, the last one at the age of 90.

“Pearl Harbor just happened. I can’t put it any other way,” he said.

leans Parish’s judiciary, part of what critics view as a broad state power grab engineered by Landry and the Legislature.

Morris and other supporters argue that the move is long overdue given Orleans’ caseloads compared with other Louisiana parishes.

They say now is the time, with all 12 criminal court seats up for reelection this year. The state constitution protects the jobs and pay of state judges during their terms in office.

would drop off later.

A more ambitious proposal from Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, would consolidate the civil, criminal and juvenile courts in New Orleans, making them one. McMakin’s bill remains stalled in the House chamber.

If it wouldn’t merge the Orleans Parish courts themselves, Morris’ SB217 aims to join them at the budgetary hip. It would force each court to transfer their money into a newly pooled Judicial Expense Fund.

The courts tap into the funds to pay operational and other expenses, including judicial conferences.

Under Morris’ bill, an executive committee would govern a consolidated fund and decide issues from hiring clerical workers to setting costs for court services.

The committee would include three criminal court judges, three civil court judges, a city court judge and two retired judges appointed by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

The bill also authorizes hearing officers to help civil judges with divorce and child support cases, while empowering magistrate commissioners to weigh in with recommendations on claims by prisoners for postconviction relief.

Last in, first out

As written, SB217 would abolish the seats of the first three criminal court judges to commit by July 1 to forgoing a new term. Alternatively, the judges with least seniority would lose their seats at year’s end.

In order, that means John Fuller, who won the May 16race to serve out a nearly expired term for the Section J seat, followed

by Judges Leon Roche and Simone Levine.

The bill also proposes eliminating the seat of longtime Civil District Judge Kern Reese, who ages out of office this year.

Two juvenile court seats would be eliminated through attrition. And the seat held by veteran Judge Robert Jones on the New Orleans Municipal and Traffic Court bench would Email Matt Bruce at go away this year, while matt.bruce@theadvocate. another seat on the court com.

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LAND BRIDGE Continued from page 1A

one adapted to the needs of its location and not always contiguous. Sections would be built over time as planning is complete and money is available.

It would serve to not only rebuild wetlands that have been disappearing for a century but also slow storm surge at a time of intensifying hurricanes. The idea is not a new one, and the state has built smaller-scale restoration projects considered land bridges in various locations.

But the complications for what Dove and his coastal authority have in mind are immense. They include finding hundreds of millions of dollars in funding, seeking complex federal permitting, navigating existing pipelines and oyster leases, and identifying locations to dredge sediment that can be used for restoration.

Perhaps biggest of all is a question many have posed in response to the idea: Without the river diversions, is the land bridge actually worth what the state would pay for it? The diversions were intended to deliver sediment that would have nourished such a project, which eventually erodes like the rest of the coast.

‘Use the river’ For Dove, those concerns all pale in comparison to the benefits. He argues that pursuing such a plan allows the state to rebuild land quickly, at a lower cost and with less disruption than the diversions.

As for the eventual erosion, Michael Hare, the CPRA’s executive director, says restoration projects often last well beyond their 20-year design life span, and the coastal authority is looking into new ways of adaptation to further extend that. Future “renourishment cycles” where the state goes back in and replenishes those projects are also

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Land bridges for Louisiana?

The state is pursuing plans to build a series of coastal restoration projects that would patch together a 94-mile ‘land bridge,’ stretching across parts of Plaquemines, Jefferson, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes.

Donaldsonville

New Orleans

1

LAND BRIDGES

Mississippi River

90 Houma

Cut Off

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

A fishing boats sits in Barataria Bay near Port Sulphur.

1 Grand Isle

Terrebonne Bay

Gulf of Mexico

Source: Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority

options.

But, as those favoring the diversions contend, there are many uncertainties still to be resolved related to the plans.

They ask how much work can realistically be done in the coming years.

“I’m left with more questions than answers whenever I’ve heard them talk about land bridges,” said Steve Cochran, who serves on the governor’s advisory panel on coastal issues and has spent his career in related roles.

“One of the reasons that you hear people like me and others continuing to harp on the need to use the river is because it’s been painfully clear for a very long time that the river provides a level of continuing sediment that literally nothing else can do, particularly at a scale which is remotely close to the scale of the work that we actually need to do.”

Land bridge restoration projects patch together longer stretches of land that were once separated by

water bodies before they washed away. A prominent example of an existing natural land bridge is the strip on the northeastern edge of New Orleans dividing lakes Borgne and Pontchartrain.

The 94-mile plan that CPRA is pursuing would not be one seamless stretch, though parts of it would be. It would be aimed at protecting the Barataria Basin, south of New Orleans and west of the Mississippi River, as well as Lafourche and Terrebonne.

An initial 23-mile phase in the Barataria area would be a priority. Dove has estimated the cost for that portion at around $700 million, though that is a preliminary figure since the state has yet to even determine a precise alignment.

So far, some $7 million is in hand for planning and design for Barataria and $4.5 million for the eastern Terrebonne portion, CPRA officials say. Certain projects already funded and ongoing will likely end up being part

IRAN

Continued from page 1A seemed close to a deal in recent weeks, only to falter.

The strait’s reopening would ease a worldwide energy crisis sparked by the U.S. and Israeli bombardment of Iran on Feb. 28, which led Tehran to effectively close the waterway. Prices have spiked for oil, gas and related products. Experts say it would take several weeks or even months for shipping and prices to recover once the strait reopens.

The U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports for over a month, and Trump said it “will remain in full force and effect until an agreement is reached, certified, and signed.”

Under the potential deal, Tehran would agree to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to the two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive negotiations.

One official, with direct

10

Lake Pont.

10

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

A woman crosses in front of a painting of the late Iranian revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini on Sunday in downtown Tehran, Iran. knowledge of the negotiations, said how Iran would give up the uranium would be subject to further talks during a 60-day period. Some would likely be diluted, while the rest would be transferred to a third country, the official said. Russia has offered to take it.

Iran has 972 pounds of uranium that is enriched up to 60% purity, a short, technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran has not publicly com-

mitted to giving up its uranium, a key Trump demand.

President Masoud Pezeshkian told state TV they were ready “to assure the world that we are not after a nuclear weapon.”

Iran has always insisted its program is peaceful while enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels, and asserts its right to nuclear technology.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on a visit to India, said that “significant progress, although not final progress, has been made” in negotiations,

Staff map

of the overall plan.

‘Listen to the people’ The state expects that much of the money could come from funds related to the 2010 BP oil spill — money previously intended to pay for the $3 billion Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the unprecedented plan that broke ground in 2023.

Landry canceled that project along with a future companion one, the Mid-Breton Sediment Diversion, in the face of harsh criticism from commercial fishers in those areas and their parish leadership over the changes they would bring.

Building land bridges has long been part of the state’s 50-year coastal master plan, but the diversions were intended to nourish them and extend their life spans.

Landry and Dove say the diversions were too risky and too costly, and would force too many shrimpers and oyster growers out of work.

Using BP money for the

and the world would no longer need to fear Iran getting a nuclear weapon.

Rubio told India Today that the “first stage” ahead would be the full reopening of the strait. “The second is that Iran needs to enter into serious negotiations on three topics: their pledge never to have nuclear weapons, restrictions long-term on their enrichment capabilities, and what do you do with the highly enriched uranium?”

Trump has sought greater concessions from Iran than those required under a 2015 Obama-era agreement that the U.S. later withdrew from under Trump.

On Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told the state-run news agency there are “narrowing differences” between the Iranian and U.S. positions, but Iran is cautious after being attacked twice in the past year during nuclear negotiations.

Under the emerging agreement, the Strait of Hormuz would gradually reopen in parallel with the U.S. ending

land bridge projects will require a detailed plan and approval from trustees overseeing those funds, while federal permits, land rights and sources of sediment will also be necessary. For areas closest to the river, piping in sediment from the Mississippi is an obvious option; farther away, the question becomes more difficult.

Coastal advocates warn that will mean more time wasted as the state’s land loss crisis accelerates. They also note the roughly $700 million in BP funds already disbursed for the two diversions, much of which is likely to be lost.

Dove said the diversions would have “taken all the money,” been too destructive and the state would have been on the hook for unanticipated costs.

“I believe and listen to the people that live in the community,” he said.

Quick solutions needed

the Mississippi River, including some work labeled land bridges.

Officials in places like St. Bernard Parish have lauded the Landry administration’s shift in strategy.

They argue — like Dove and Landry — that using time-tested marsh restoration strategies with dredged sediment is the most guaranteed way to rebuild land as quickly as possible.

John Lane, St. Bernard Parish’s coastal director, said during the event where Dove spoke that “there’s a theme happening here: It’s about the locals.”

“Chairman Dove is listening to locals,” he said.

Everyone agrees on one thing: There is little time to waste. The state has lost land amounting to the size of Delaware over the last century, and sea level rise is projected to worsen it in the decades ahead.

Cochran questions whether the new strategy and its uncertainties match the enormity of the problem.

“That’s about more than Mid-Barataria,” he said. “It’s about the process of decisionmaking. It’s about the discussions about facts versus rhetoric. … We don’t have time for politics as usual.”

In Delacroix is a smallerscale example of what the state has in mind.

The recent visit there by Dove and others highlighted a series of five projects either complete or under construction, with a total budget of around $121 million. They involve more than 1,400 acres of marsh restoration Email Mike Smith at in the Breton Sound east of msmith@theadvocate.com.

its blockade, the two regional officials said.

The U.S. would allow Iran to sell its oil through sanctions waivers, said the second official, who has been briefed on the negotiations. Sanctions relief and the release of Iran’s frozen funds would be negotiated during the 60-day period, the official said.

Both officials said the draft deal includes an end to the war between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon that began two days after the Iran war started.

Twelve weeks have passed since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, killing its supreme leader and other top officials. A ceasefire has held since April 7, though the sides have exchanged fire on occasion.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a social media post said he and Trump agreed that “any final agreement with Iran must eliminate the nuclear danger,” and that Trump had reaffirmed Israel’s right to defend itself “on every front, including

Lebanon.”

Israeli officials are concerned that Hezbollah remains a serious threat to Israel and that Lebanon is illequipped to disarm it.

A fragile, U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect in Lebanon on April 17, but fighting has continued, mainly in the south.

Hezbollah has launched daily drone and rocket attacks on Israeli forces and northern Israel, and Israel has struck targets across Lebanon while its troops remain in large swaths of the south.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in the latest fighting, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.

Additionally, 22 Israeli soldiers and a defense contractor have been killed in or near southern Lebanon, and two civilians have been killed in northern Israel, according to Netanyahu’s office.

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville in Washington, Sheikh Saaliq in New Delhi and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 5A

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“vertebral axial (spinal) decompression was successful in 71% ofthe 778 cases” -Journal of Neurological Research “good to excellent” relief in 86% of patients with Herniated discs” -The American Journal of Pain Management “decompression therapy reported a 76.5% with complete remission and 19.6% with partial remission of pain and disability: -Rio Grande Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery

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Chemical tank crack could lower explosion risk officials.

Evacuation orders state The pressurized tank overThursday and began remain in place heated venting vapors at a company site in Garden Grove, about for about 50K 40 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, according to the in California Fire Authority.

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

A damaged chemical tank in Southern California has a crack — potentially lowering the risk of a cataclysmic explosion — though an evacuation order remains in effect for some 50,000 area residents with no timeline on when they can return, fire officials said Sunday.

Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Wayhowe Huang said that fire officials were able to evaluate the tank more closely overnight and discovered the tank had cracked.

Huang told The Associated Press earlier Sunday that it did not appear that any of the highly volatile chemicals in the tank have leaked.

“There’s still the danger of a possible explosion,” Huang said.

Firefighters have been spraying the tank with water in an effort to cool the chemicals inside and prevent an explosion.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who declared a state of emergency Saturday, said in a post on X he had asked President Donald Trump to issue an emergency declaration to bolster federal support for local and

No injuries have been reported. Air monitoring tests have found that air pollution around the evacuation zone is within normal limits, and specialized equipment has been deployed to ensure no gas is released from the compromised tank, state and federal environmental officials said Saturday.

The streets were empty in the area Sunday, according to aerial photos taken by the AP. A crack could be a welcome development, as it could mean product or pressure inside the tank is being released, reducing the chance the tank explodes, said Andrew Whelton, an engineering professor at Purdue University.

“Think of a soda can. If you leave it in a hot car it can explode,” he said. “But if you put a hole in the can, the product is released and the can itself doesn’t explode.”

Elias Picazo, a chemistry professor at the University of Southern California, agreed that a crack could be a positive development.

“A strategic leak buys more time for the liquid within the tank to solidify as the reaction continues,” he said. “Depending on where the leak is, it can also be used to direct the unreacted liquid

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ETHAN SWOPE

Water is sprayed on a damaged tank on Sunday at GKN Aerospace in Garden Grove, Calif., after the tank containing a chemical used to make plastic parts overheated Thursday. out of the tank in a controlled manner.”

Faisal Khan, head of the chemical engineering department at Texas A&M University, said a crack suggests an explosion could still happen — just not in the magnitude initially feared.

“Cooling is happening on the surface of the tank while runaway reaction may be occurring deep inside the tank,” he explained. “Yes, reaction is slowed compared to what it started. However, we are not out of explosive release risk.”

Several shelters for evacuees remained open. The parking lot was full Sunday at an evacuation center at

a high school in neighboring La Palma. Some people, including a family of seven, slept in cars or on mats and sleeping bags on the asphalt.

The large family also had nine cats with them. They stacked up cat carriers for a makeshift table as they waited around, sipping coffee and tending to the pets.

Meanwhile, some Garden Grove residents filed a classaction lawsuit on Saturday against GKN Aerospace Transparency Systems, the company that operates the facility where the tank is located.

Lawyers for residents living in the evacuation zone argued in their federal court

lawsuit that regardless of what happens next, property values in the surrounding community are sure to be impacted.

Spokespersons for the company didn’t comment on the lawsuit itself, but pointed to a Saturday statement in which they apologized to residents and businesses that have been forced to evacuate.

On Sunday, the company released another statement saying it was monitoring the “condition of the affected material” and “working around the clock to mitigate the risk of a leak.”

Officials said the valves on the tank are broken or

“gummed up,” which prevented crews from removing the chemical or relieving the pressure on the tank, said Craig Covey, Orange County Fire Authority division chief.

Firefighters’ first hope is to find a way to cool off the chemical inside the tank so it won’t leak or explode. If that is not possible, Whelton said it would be best if the tank sprang a leak so the chemical could be mostly contained. An explosion that could spread the chemical over a broad area and send shrapnel flying would be the worst-case scenario.

If the temperature inside the tank continues to increase, the pressure will continue to build as the methyl methacrylate converts from a liquid to a gas. Whelton said it’s unlikely that firefighters would consider creating a hole in the tank because of fears that could create a spark that might ignite the volatile and flammable gas.

Drones were monitoring temperatures at 10-minute intervals to watch for any spikes, Covey said on a social media post on X. Containment barriers have been set up to prevent the chemical from getting into storm drains or reaching creeks or the nearby ocean in the event of a spill, Covey said.

The damaged tank is located at GKN Aerospace, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft. It holds 6,000 to 7,000 gallons of methyl methacrylate, used to make plastic parts.

Rubio tries to steady ties between India, U.S. during visit

BY AIJAZ HUSSAIN and SHONAL GANGULY Associated Press

NEW DELHI — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held bilateral talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday as the two countries look to steady ties that have fallen to their lowest point in over two decades.

Rubio’s first official visit to the South Asian country came amid an economic and diplomatic downturn between the United States and India, largely strained by President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports.

Rubio is set to meet in New Delhi on Tuesday his counterparts from India, Australia and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad.

Rubio and Jaishankar held a joint news briefing after Sunday’s initial round of talks. They reiterated their aim to deepen the U.S.-India strategic partnership while pursuing their respective national interests.

The U.S. top diplomat said that India is one of the most important strategic partners of the United States and expressed optimism about finalizing a bilateral trade deal soon. “I don’t view our relation with any country in

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANISH SWARUP

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, walks to shake hands with India’s Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday after addressing a joint news conference following their talks in New Delhi. the world as coming at the expense of our strategic alliance with India,” he said, adding that he hoped that India-U.S. relations would come out much stronger in the coming years.

Rubio stressed that the Trump administration’s trade decisions were of a global perspective to serve the U.S. economy, rather than targeted at New Delhi.

“There virtually is no country in the world that I could travel to that isn’t going to raise the issue of trade because we did this from a global perspective.”

Jaishankar said the U.S.India strategic partnership exists because of a “conver-

gence of national interests” in multiple areas.

“Trump administration has been very forthright in putting forward its foreign policy outlook as America first. ...

We have a view of India first.

So both of us are obviously driven by our respective national interests,” he said.

The Indian foreign minister also said his country sought dependable, multiple and cheap energy sources for its 1.4 billion people.

“The United States fits the bill in many respects. So do some other countries. So, we will continue to diversify and maintain multiple sources of supply at the most reasonable cost,” Jaishankar said.

Authorities probe safety lapses after deadly China coal mine blast

BY E. EDUARDO CASTILLO and CHAN HO-HIM Associated Press

QINYUAN, China — Authorities in northern China were investigating a coal mine operator with a focus on safety lapses, as rescuers searched for those missing in the country’s deadliest coal mine explosion in recent years that killed at least 82 people.

An Associated Press reporter on Sunday witnessed police and security guarding the entrance to the mining facility located in Qinyuan county in the city of Changzhi as emergency vehicles were on site.

Hundreds of emergency responders and medical personnel were sent to help with rescue efforts, state media reported. Rescuers were taking turns to go down the

mine shaft, according to the official Xinhua News Agency, facing hurdles including flooded tunnels.

Two were missing and dozens of miners were hospitalized, local officials said late Saturday, following the gas explosion Friday evening at the Liushenyu coal mine in the northern province of Shanxi.

The death toll was revised down from 90, with officials blaming “chaotic” scenes in the aftermath and inaccurate information provided by the mine operator. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a thorough investigation and accountability of those responsible.

Some hospitalized miners recalled seeing smoke and blacking out, according to state media reports. Many among the injured were hurt by toxic gas, the reports

said.

The inland Shanxi province, located southwest of Beijing with a population of around 34 million, is China’s main coal-mining area.

A few hundred yards from the mine lies the village of Shangzhuang, where some of the miners who work at the site live, including some of the victims, residents said.

The village includes a single main street through which mining trucks pass.

On both sides stand two-story houses, some with redtiled roofs. Some of them are divided into separate rooms and rented out to people including miners.

After the explosion, other mines in the area shut down and some miners left, while others stayed behind waiting to receive their pay, residents said.

India has recently made a notable shift by wrapping up a series of trade deals: three in 2025 with Oman, New Zealand, and the UK. This was followed by an agreement with the European Union in January, which represents a third of global trade.

On tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, following the U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran that sparked a war in the region, spiking oil prices and disrupting supply chains, Jaishankar said India and the U.S. are keen on keeping global maritime trade safe and uninterrupted, while ensuring fuel remains affordable and widely available.

He said India’s approach is to diversify its energy sources so that energy markets stay open and unconstrained, with prices kept low to support global economic growth.

Rubio’s four-day visit includes a multicity tour and a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

“In the past one year, statements and rhetoric coming from Washington on some of India’s most sensitive security concerns and trade matters have not been helpful and have created a trust deficit,” said Ashok Malik, a former policy adviser in India’s Foreign Ministry.

“Certain misgivings will remain,” Malik added, not-

ing Rubio’s visit will be considered an achievement if the talks somewhat stabilize the relationship and check further deterioration.

Experts say friction exists between U.S. global strategic ambitions and India’s priorities as an emerging middle power. Historically close to Russia, New Delhi has long expressed unease as it moves closer to the U.S., reflecting India’s lingering distrust of American intentions rooted in cultural differences and Cold War-era instincts.

Still, India-U.S. ties steadily deepened over two decades into a broad, robust strategic partnership, increasingly shaped in recent years by shared concerns about China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific and articulated diplomatically through the Quad forum.

The Quad has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are China’s sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.

After the U.S. presidential inauguration in January 2025, Rubio’s first formal international engagement was meeting with the foreign

ministers of the Quad countries jointly and in separate sessions.

Despite close ties and often being perceived as ideological allies, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi downplayed Trump’s role in brokering a ceasefire after a brief India-Pakistan military conflict triggered by the April 2025 massacre of mostly Hindu tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

But Pakistan openly courted Trump and even advocated for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Economic tensions followed, with the Trump administration imposing tariffs on India over its discounted purchases of Russian oil, further straining ties between the two countries.

“In India, there is some skepticism about U.S. policy and predictability,” said Malik, who heads the India chapter of The Asia Group advisory firm in the U.S. He said what has happened in the past year between India and the U.S. “can’t be forgotten or erased easily.”

When the Iran war broke out in February, the U.S. stepped up engagement with Pakistan, which positioned itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran, deepening unease in New Delhi. Trump’s recent, highprofile visit to China has only added to India’s discomfort.

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The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 7A

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Democrats vow redistricting counterpunch districting Trust.

But party census faces hurdles Next Democrats remain favored of the House Republicans don’t tothiswinyearcontrol despite recent set-

BY NICHOLAS RICCARDI Associated Press

Democrats are poised to finish several seats behind Republicans in 2026 in the nationwide race to redraw maps for the U.S. House.

They can catch up in 2028, but only if they overcome a series of redistricting hurdles that the GOP does not face.

That’s because Democrats, in many states, can draw partisan political lines only if they evade constraints — some self-imposed — on their ability to counterpunch.

In Colorado, New Jersey, New York and Washington, redistricting commissions draw boundaries that are not supposed to benefit either party. Democrats will have to gain voters’ permission to nullify those politically popular bodies and replace their balanced maps with ruthlessly gerrymandered ones to match what Republicans did after President Donald Trump last year demanded a sweeping redrawing in Republicancontrolled states in an attempt to help his party keep its House majority.

If the Democrats get a detail wrong in their process, courts could unwind the new maps. That is what happened in Virginia this month when the state Supreme Court invalidated voter-approved maps that would have given Democrats four more winnable seats. The court found the Democratic-controlled legislature did not follow the correct procedure when it placed the measure on the ballot.

“It’s going to be expensive, it’s going to be unpopular, and it’s going to be a challenge for them to do what they want,” said Adam Kincaid, executive director of the National Republican Re-

That can happen only after the Democratic-controlled Legislature votes twice over two years to put the question on the ballot.

Likewise, Colorado Democrats embraced the idea of an independent commission redrawing lines in their state. Though many have had second thoughts, they cannot act until voters lift the commission’s map this fall and permit a Democratic redrawing for 2028.

Their proposed initiative faces a challenge at the state Supreme Court. Even if it is approved for the ballot, it could face a rival measure from Republicans to redraw ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALLEN G. BREED the map to favor conservaA truck passes political signs on April 21 outside a polling place at Good Shepherd Catholic tive candidates.

“Republicans are stealing Church in South Hill, Va. The Virginia Supreme Court struck down voter-approved U.S. House votes of Americans all across maps this month that would have given four more winnable seats to Democrats in a blow to the country, and Colorado the party’s attempt to counter redistricting in Republican-controlled states. voters will say: ‘Hey, you can’t do that,’ ” said Curtis which are mainly ones that double-digit gains in House handful of state legislative Hubbard, a spokesman for Republicans control. They seats, but only if they like- seats that would give them Democrats pushing the Coloare projected to pick up as wise thread the needle to control of maps in states rado redrawing. many as 10 seats, largely at change their constitutions. such as Minnesota, PennsylDemocrats see threat the expense of Democratic In Maryland, Democrats vania and Wisconsin. strongholds such as Califor- who balked at redrawing Wisconsin Democratic ParColorado is the most vistheir map this year are mov- ty Chair Devin Remiker has ible example of Democrats’ nia and New York.

“Looking at the next cen- ing to place a constitutional floated new maps to let Dem- about-face on redistricting.

Republicans won control sus makes me all the more amendment on the Novem- ocrats win up to six seats in a stressed to ban partisan ger- ber ballot that would give state where Republicans now of numerous statehouses rymandering at the federal them permission to eliminate hold six of the eight House in the 2010 midterm eleclevel,” said John Bisogano, the state’s sole Republican districts. Such an aggressive tion and used that to redraw move is necessary, he said, maps across the country, givexecutive director of the House seat in 2028.

Democrats note that their because of what Republicans ing them an edge in the U.S. National Democratic Redisvoters have embraced the are doing elsewhere.

House. Democrats respondtricting Committee.

“If we’ve learned anything, ed by embracing nonpartiidea of ditching the reform Barriers to act approach they once favored we’ve learned that when you san redistricting, a push that Republicans face some of to let their party match the know a knife fight is coming reached its zenith in 2018 their own legal hoops in the redistricting by Trump and — bring a bazooka,” he said. when Colorado Democrats his fellow Republicans. The rallied behind a measure redistricting competition. creating such a body in their In Florida, their redrawn biggest success came in Redistricting reforms congressional map hinges on California, where a ballot In other states, Democrats state.

Now, both candidates for the conservative-majority measure to adopt a new map are confident their voters the party’s nomination for state Supreme Court throw- to pick up as many as five will be behind them.

“People in New York are governor support overruling out that state’s constitu- seats easily passed last year. tional ban on partisan gerry- Virginia’s map passed more pretty fired up given what ing the commission. Fornarrowly, but Democrats they’ve seen around the mer Democratic President mandering.

But Democrats face far there remain resolute about country,” said U.S. Rep. Joe Barack Obama, who made more obstacles and need to implementing the 10-1 map Morelle, a New York Demo- redistricting reform a key execute a series of complex in 2028. crat who is close to the top pillar of his platform, has In Washington state, Dem- Democrat in the U.S. House, also had a change of heart, political maneuvers.

Only in Illinois and Oregon ocrats’ only chance to revise Hakeem Jeffries, also from calling for aggressive map redrawing nationwide. would Democrats have a the constitution and redraw New York.

Nicholas Stephanopolous, chance to draw additional maps would be to win a twoBut New York voters canwinnable seats without many thirds majority of the Legis- not enter the redistricting a Harvard law professor, impediments. lature in November, a tall or- fight until next year because said it is clear that DemoAmong Colorado, New der. Because Democrats ex- the state constitution will crats view Trump’s redisYork and New Jersey, Demo- pect to do well in November, need to be amended by a tricting push as an existencrats could rack up close to they re also hoping to win a statewide vote to permit it. tial threat.

backs in redistricting. The most consequential was the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court gutting a key provision of the Voting Rights Act, allowing Republicans to swiftly eliminate at least three majority-Black House seats in the South that Democrats now hold.

Strategists for both parties expect Democratic gains in November that are typical when the party of an incumbent president faces voter backlash in a midterm election. In Trump’s first midterm in 2018, for example, Democrats added 40 seats in the House.

But a 2028 House majority looks much harder for Democrats.

Presidential votes are usually much closer than midterm ones. Under the recent high court decision, Republicans next year could easily eliminate another five or more majority-minority Democratic-held districts in states whose maps were already set for 2026. They can likely gain an additional four seats by redrawing maps in Indiana, where some state lawmakers balked last year and were punished by Republican primary voters, and in Kentucky and Kansas, where Democratic governors who have been able to block Republican maps will reach their term limit.

The mapmaking pressure is high for Democrats to try to boost their chances of winning the House in 2028 as the party also hopes to take back the Senate and White House that year. Only then could it try again to pass a national ban on partisan gerrymandering that could rob the Republicans of what could become a durable advantage for them.

After the 2030 census, House seats will be reallocated to states seeing the fastest population gains,

Turkish police storm offices Building under construction in of main opposition CHP party Philippines collapses, leaving 1 dead

BY CINAR KIPER Associated Press

ANKARA — Police stormed the offices of Turkey’s main opposition CHP party on Sunday, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at party supporters and officials who had been holed up inside for three days.

It was a violent end to a standoff between members of the Republican Peoples’ Party, or CHP, and a leadership team appointed by an appeals court, escalating tensions between the opposition and the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Supporters had barricaded the courtyard entrance with buses and the build-

ing with furniture. Footage taken by local media in the courtyard and inside the building showed clouds of tear gas as riot police stormed through the premises, before journalists were removed by the police.

Once the raid began, supporters attempted to resist the police by spraying them with fire extinguishers, but were quickly stopped.

Doors, furniture and the ground floor windows were destroyed in the melee.

Among those inside the building was Ozgur Ozel, elected as party chairperson in November 2023 but dismissed by the court ruling.

A video from inside his office at the start of the raid shows him being served the court

order removing him, which he promptly ripped up.

Leaving party headquarters to cheers from supporters outside, Ozel told journalists: “We are leaving (the building) now only to reclaim it in such a way that no one will be able to meddle again.

When we return, neither this administration nor the administration’s collaborators will dare do this once more.”

Ozel and his supporters then marched to Parliament about 5 miles away, joined by hundreds of passersby despite heavy rain and hail.

Before arriving at Parliament, he stopped at the National Sovereignty Park where he asked the crowd if they were willing to rebuild the party for a third time.

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BY JIM GOMEZ, AARON FAVILA and JOEAL CALUPITAN

Associated Press

ANGELES, Philippines — A nine-story building under construction in a city north of the Philippine capital collapsed before dawn on Sunday, leaving at least one Malaysian tourist dead and at least 21 mostly workers trapped in the rubble, officials said. Two were located alive but could not be immediately extricated.

At least 24 workers either managed to dash out of the building, where they mostly slept on the ground floor,

or were rescued after the it crumbled to the ground around 2:30 a.m. in a crowded neighborhood of budget hotels, cafes, spas and rural houses outside a former U.S. Air Force base, officials said.

A Malaysian tourist died and another guest was injured in a lodging house, which was partly hit by debris from the collapsing building in Angeles City in Pampanga province, Fire Superintendent Maria Lea Sajili said.

Relatives of those trapped under concrete slabs, twisted iron bars and aluminum scaffoldings and other debris prayed and wept as they waited for word from about 700 rescuers gingerly scouring the rubble pail to create space for them to safely

move into the collapsed structure.

“This is the worst day of our lives,” Joamel Angcao, an 18-year-old student, told The Associated Press as she and other siblings waited for word on their parents, who were among those trapped.

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Nearly 200 police officers were helping in the rescue, which would proceed overnight “until all are accounted for,” regional police director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez said.

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La. given more spending flexibility Critics say it removes guardrails in federal education dollars

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon gave Louisiana a waiver Wednesday that grants the state more control over how it spends a small portion of its federal education dollars.

Louisiana will be allowed to combine the state portion of four federal funding streams, giving it great-

er flexibility in how it spends about $4.5 million annually, officials said.

The waiver, which extends for four years, applies only to a fraction of the nearly $1.85 billion in federal education dollars that Louisiana is set to receive next school year.

Louisiana is the second state, after Iowa, that McMahon has granted a waiver from certain restrictions on how federal education dollars can be spent. McMa-

hon said the move, while affecting only a sliver of Louisiana’s federal funding, is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and shift the federal government’s limited authority over public schools to states.

“The bureaucracy in Washington just absolutely needs to get out of the way,” McMahon said in an interview Wednesday, saying the

waivers are about “untying the hands” of state leaders “to spend money where they believe it needs to be spent.”

Earlier this year, the Education Department granted more spending flexibility to Louisiana school districts.

The latest waiver, which Louisiana applied for in February, allows the state education department to consolidate a total of $18 million in

Developer revises Uptown monastery’s revamp

federal funds through 2029. The money comes from four different parts of the main federal education law, the Every Student Succeeds Act: Title II-A, to support teachers and principals; Title III-A, for students learning English; Title IV-A, for mental health and other student support services; and Title IV-B, for after-school and summer programs.

Louisiana Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said the

ä See SPENDING, page 2B

Butterflies cling to the glass walls inside the spacious sunroom overlooking the Mississippi River at the Audubon

City approval sought for high-end condos

Aquarium in New Orleans. Filled

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL

with flowering

Staff writer

plants and nectar

After unveiling his vision to turn the former Poor Clare Monastery near Audubon Park into a complex of high-end condominiums with a pool, courtyard and underground parking earlier this year, developer Tony Gelderman is revising his plans, he said, to better meet market demand.

Gelderman’s new plans, to be filed with city regulators this week, call for fewer, much larger units — 24 instead of 40. Gelderman also plans to sell the units as unfinished “boxes” that buyers can customize themselves, a model that will lower his overall development costs while giving buyers more flexibility at a slightly lower price.

Gelderman said the revisions were based on feedback he has received from interested buyers.

“What has evolved in the months we have been talking about this is that the market is for larger condos and not a dense development,” he said. “What has further evolved is that we are not going to deliver a finished condo but a warm white box. It will have walls but no Sheetrock. If they want, they can do the floor plan themselves.”

Gelderman says units will be priced comparably with some of the priciest condos in the city, such as the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences at the foot of Canal Street and One River Place near the Riverwalk Outlets. That could put the units in the range of $1,000 a square foot.

“It is expensive because of the nature of the construction and because we are going to have all this open space,” he said, referring to an agreement he made with the nuns to retain two-thirds of the property as green space. “It will be as expensive as any other high-end condo in the city of New Orleans.”

The project is one of the more ambitious redevelopment projects in a city filled with historic rehabs. The monastery is a nearly 2-acre walled compound dating to the early 1900s that takes up the entire city block Uptown bounded

by Henry Clay Avenue, Magazine, Constance and Calhoun streets.

It was vacated in March 2025, when the last of the remaining nuns moved out.

Gelderman’s project has the potential to transform the site, though from the outside, little will change. The historic convent that housed the cloistered sisters and the brick wall that kept the outside world at bay will remain.

“There is a strong interest in the wall,” he said. “The secure, private environment is a big draw.”

Revised plans for the project call for converting the historic monastery building into eight condos and constructing on either side of it two new residential buildings also with eight units each. Condos in all three buildings will average around 3,100 square feet and will be marketed to upscale buyers.

He declined to say how much the project might cost, but a source familiar with

ä See MONASTERY, page 2B

sources, the habitat is home to so many freeflying butterflies that staff inspect guests before they leave to make sure none have quietly landed on someone unnoticed.

STAFF PHOTOS

By CHRIS GRANGER

BOUNTIFUL BEAUTIES One of the hundreds of free-flying butterflies rests on a branch inside the butterfly habitat at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans.

Traces of sewage at Miss. beaches raise concerns Coastal water quality at question

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ

Staff writer

A stubborn problem is plaguing Mississippi’s beaches: Bacteria from sewage leaks keeps turning up in the waves.

The issue, which has long frustrated some locals, drew fresh attention this month when the state issued another round of advisories cautioning visitors against swimming at some beaches just before Memorial Day weekend.

But state leaders are pledging to find solutions to the sewage leaks, and researchers are working furiously to investigate the bacteria’s reach and consequences.

Mississippi’s beaches are still open, and the pollution found there also shows up on shorelines around the country when heavy rains wash contaminants from across coastal landscapes to the water. But on the Gulf Coast — where tourism drives the economy and many locals worship fresh seafood — the stakes of the issue are significant.

Six of Mississippi’s 21 beach-

es remained under water contact advisories on Friday after routine testing by the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality showed high bacteria levels near shore. The agency tests for a fecal indicator bacteria that suggests sewer overflows are entering the water.

The latest advisories followed the release of 550,000 gallons of wastewater earlier this month into the nearby Pascagoula River. The state DEQ said the issue there has since been repaired.

Water contact advisories are common on the Mississippi

Coast, where barrier islands stop waves and currents from washing pollution farther out into the Gulf. The exact source of high bacteria levels is not always clear, but researchers say leaking septic tanks and aging sewer infrastructure can send pollution through storm drains that lead to the water.

“It is gross,” said Holley Muraco, a Mississippi State University researcher who is studying water quality. “This is coming from some kind of problem with our urban infrastructure.”

ä See SEWAGE, page 2B

2B ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

SEWAGE

Boating accident leaves firefighter dead

Continued from page 1B Chris Wells, executive director of the Mississippi DEQ, said the agency is spending about $26 million of federal funding on a water quality improvement program to upgrade and repair problematic sewage infrastructure. But he said the pollution can come from many sources and called the issue “very complex.”

“There’s no overnight solution,” Wells said. “It’s just going to take time and a concerted effort.”

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

A longtime firefighter of the East Bank Consolidated Fire Department in Jefferson Parish died in a boating accident in New Orleans on Friday, authorities said.

Lt. Dennis Casey Jr., who worked for the department for 24 years, died during a watercraft accident near the Chef Menteur Pass Bridge, according to a news release issued Saturday by Chief Charles Hudson.

A New Orleans Emergency Medical Services spokesperson said paramedics responded a call about a boating accident in the area around 8:30 p.m. and found a man dead at the scene.

Sgt. Barry Fletcher, a spokesperson with the New Orleans Police Department, said investigators believe the boat collided with the bridge supports..

Hudson asked for thoughts and prayers for Casey’s family.

“Our department has lost a valued member of our fire family,” he said. “The time spent in the firehouse creates bonds built on family, trust, dedication and service, all qualities that Lt. Casey exemplified throughout his distinguished career with JPFD.”

Searching for solutions STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

New Orleans police investigate a fatal shooting in the 3800 block of Hollygrove Street in New Orleans on Sunday. Officers responding shortly before 3:35 p.m. found an adult woman suffering from a gunshot wound.

Woman shot dead in Hollygrove

BY JAMES FINN

Officers responded to the 3800 block of Hollygrove shortly before 3:35 p.m., A woman was shot dead where the woman was sufSunday afternoon on Hol- fering from a gunshot lygrove Street, the New wound. New Orleans first Orleans Police Department responders pronounced her dead at the scene, said Sgt. said.

Staff writer

Barry Fletcher, an NOPD spokesperson.

Fletcher said no additional details were available in the ongoing investigation.

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Architect Peter Trapolin, left, and retired attorney and preservationist Tony Gelderman stand in front of the Poor Clare Monastery at the corner of Henry Clay Avenue and Magazine Street in New Orleans on Friday.

MONASTERY

Continued from page 1B the plans estimates it will cost at least $50 million, including the purchase price of the land.

He plans to presell 11 units to help finance the deal. So far, he has seven potential buyers lined up, five of whom have floor plans drawn. The deals are still preliminary because he doesn’t yet own the property. A sale won’t close until he gets city approval and secures financing.

But he is encouraged by the early interest.

“We have not had to do any marketing,” he said. “People are coming to us.”

New Orleans’ luxury condo market is soft and has been for years.

Earlier this year, The Four Seasons launched a new marketing effort to sell its remaining unsold condominiums, which account for nearly 30% of all units in the New Orleans luxury high-rise four years after it opened at the foot of Canal Street.

At least five units in One River Place are also for sale, according to online listings.

Gelderman said his project offers something different from the downtown high-rises.

“There is a clear market in the

SPENDING

Continued from page 1B federal money had been “siloed for very specific initiatives.” The waiver gives the state more latitude to spend the money on its own top priorities, such as strengthening younger students’ reading and math skills and preparing high school students for careers, he added.

“We can braid those funds to-

PHOTO PROVIDED

Revised renderings show developer Tony Gelderman’s plans for a high-end apartment complex behind high brick walls in Uptown New Orleans on the site of the former Poor Clare Monastery. city for larger condos among people who want to live Uptown and who want to downsize,” he said.

The project needs to be approved by the City Planning Commission and the Historic District Landmarks Commission.

So far, neighbors have been

broadly supportive of the project.

District A City Council member Aimee McCarron has also indicated her support for it, which will be important if Gelderman needs to appeal a decision by the Planning Commission or HDLC to the council.

“We should encourage thoughtful, neighborhood-appropriate economic development,” McCarron said Friday.

gether around our key priorities,” Brumley said, arguing that Louisiana had earned the greater autonomy by improving students’ test scores.

McMahon said the waivers will reduce red tape and empower people closer to schools to make important spending decisions. But critics argue that releasing states from some spending restrictions could result in vulnerable students, including those with disabilities, receiving less of the federal money earmarked for them.

“Louisiana students don’t benefit from ‘flexibility’ if it means less transparency and fewer guardrails for ensuring federal dollars reach the students they were intended to serve,” said Tramelle Howard, Louisiana state director at EdTrust, a group that advocates for low-income students and students of color.

Howard said the group is especially concerned the waiver will allow the state to direct resources away from Louisiana’s growing number of students who are still

learning English, many of them recent immigrants.

But Louisiana officials say they will continue to use the money for its intended purposes. Brumley noted that the waiver does not remove federal protections for any students.

“None of the federal laws go away relative to supporting specific demographics of students,” he said. “This just allows us greater flexibility in providing the needed supports in a more efficient way.”

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

The source of the beach problems can be challenging to trace. Fecal bacteria can drain toward the shoreline from all over the landscape, and it can also come from bird colonies on the beaches. Researchers also believe the bacteria accumulates in the sand near shore and can resurface in windy conditions.

Solving the issue depends on what causes it. “And figuring out what’s happening can be difficult and expensive,” said Kim Cressman, a water quality coordinator at the Mississippi Sound Estuary Program, which works with local organizations and leaders to conserve Mississippi’s waters.

Like other states around the country, Mississippi has tested beach water quality weekly in accordance with federal law for over two decades. High levels of the same bacteria also sometimes prompt advisories at beaches in Alabama, Florida and other coastal states.

In Mississippi, data from the state DEQ shows the pollution has endured steadily over the last decade. Some Mississippi Coast locals have long opted against swimming at their shallow beaches, instead choosing to travel by boat to barrier islands where the water is clearer.

But researchers say they are also fighting misconceptions about Mississippi’s water, which is naturally brown and cloudy because several rivers empty into it.

“Just because it’s brown doesn’t mean it’s bad,” Cressman said.

Still, swimming at beaches under water contact advisories can increase the risk of illness, including infections, digestive issues, meningitis and hepatitis, according to the MDEQ. Children, seniors and anyone with compromised immune systems or open cuts face the highest risk.

Worries over the high bacteria levels can also curb tourism and exasperate some beach businesses that rent boats and Jet Skis to visitors.

The concerns are leading some state leaders to suggest Mississippi’s legislature should create a formal group of state agencies, lawmakers and scientists to plan infrastructure projects that will improve water quality and track progress.

“This is a way of life for a lot of folks here on the coast,” said state Sen. Mike Thompson, a Republican who represents parts of several Mississippi Coast cities, including Pass Christian and Bay St. Louis.

“Making sure that resource is healthy should be a priority.”

Researchers, including Muraco, are still studying how far the bacteria spreads beyond the shoreline and the impact of sewage leaks on seafood and dolphins. The state DEQ is working on about two dozen projects across coastal Mississippi to trace bacteria issues upstream and reduce the frequency of sewer leaks, according to Wells.

The projects include fixing cracked sewer pipes that cross creeks and converting septic systems to sewers. But Wells said it could take years to see progress, especially if bacteria is embedded in sand underwater.

“We’re not ignoring this issue,” he said. “We’re trying to address it.”

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New Orleans Area Deaths

Ketchum, Gisele Legendre

Clark, Ruth Ketchum, Gisele Melancon, Alton Page Sr., Gerald

New Orleans Boyd Family

Clark, Ruth Charbonnet Page Sr., Gerald

St Tammany Honaker Ketchum, Gisele

West Bank Robinson FH

Melancon, Alton

Obituaries Clark, Ruth Hollingsworth 'Ruthie'

Ms. Ruth Hollingsworth Clark (Ruthie) was the daughter of the late Her‐ man and Ruby Wimberly Hollingsworth. She was born on July 27, 1952, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Ruth descended from her earthly body and went home to glory on May 14, 2026, at the age of 73. A na‐ tive of New Orleans, LA, Ruth worked at the Royal Sonesta as a Server for 46 yrs. Ruth is survived by her loving daughter Tasha Cain and grandchildren David Magee (Deceased), Christ‐ ian LeBlanc and Caleb Cain. Siblings she leaves to cherish are Geraldine Mc‐ Cloud, Ruby Hollingsworth and Terry Hollingsworth.

She also leaves behind a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Family and Friends are invited to at‐ tend the Homegoing Cele‐ bration on Tuesday, May 26, 2026 for 10:00 a.m. at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, 8282 I-10 Service Rd., New Orleans, LA .

70126. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m. Pastor Jacques Williams, officiating. Inter‐ ment will follow at Provi‐ dence Memorial Park, 8200 Airline Dr., Metairie, LA. 70003. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins. com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Di‐ rectors.

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Gisele Legendre of Slidell, Ketchum, Louisiana, on May 21, 2026, at the age of 68. Born on October 11, 1957, to Roy and Angelina (Breaux) Le‐ of Westwego, gendre Louisiana, Gisele was the 2nd of 5 children in the family. Gisele met the love of her life and beloved hus‐ band, Ronald Ketchum in 1976 and they were mar‐ ried just a couple months later. On June 25th, 2026, they would have cele‐ brated their 50th wedding anniversary. Together, they had one child Stacey Ketchum McEvoy (John) who blessed with them with their grandchildren Cameron, Chloe, Greyson, and Marlee. She is pre‐ ceded in death by her par‐ ents, Roy & Angelina Le‐ gendre, her siblings Aunda, Perry, and Lisa, and her Chloe. granddaughter Gisele spent 33 years with the Jefferson Parish School System in the human re‐ sources department. This was where Gisele was blessed to have met so many wonderful friends and some of her chosen family (Sally, Patti, Debbie, and Judy). In her down time, Gisele loved going to the casino, listening to live bands, dancing, and travel‐ ing with friends! Most of all, Gisele loved her time with her beloved husband Even as Ronald. stole her Alzheimer’s memories and life slowly, their love grew exponen‐ tially. The unconditional love, grace and patience that was shown in her last years was truly amazing to see. We should all be blessed enough to experi‐ ence just a fraction of this kind of love in our lifetime.

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the Funeral Service at Honaker Funeral Home, 1751 Gause Blvd. West (In Forest Lawn Cemetery), Slidell, LA on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at 12:00 P.M. Deacon Chris Schneider, officiating. Visitation on after 10:00 Wednesday A.M. until funeral time.

Please visit www.honaker forestlawn.com to sign guestbook. Arrangements

by Honaker Funeral Home, Inc., Slidell, LA.

Melancon, Alton

his memory his children; Frank Bowman, Sirquira Bowman (Britney), Alton and Adrian Bowman, his grandchildren; Frank Bow‐ man Jr., Neansha Bowman, Keansha Bowman, Ayden Bowman, his sister; Sonja Melancon.

Devoted nephew of Beulah Ander‐ son, Doris Hale, Bernadette Mitchell, Betty McDaniels, Frank Washington Jr. and Maurice Melancon (Debo‐ rah). Uncle of Laquanda and Sandrika Melancon. He is preceded in death by his parents Alton Melancon Sr. and Sandra Smith, his life long companion; Janice Bowman, grandparents; Jimmie Lee Smith, Beulah Smith, Viola Washington and Frank Washington Sr., granddaughter Serenity Bowman, daughter-in- law Lorea Bowman, nephew Deiontay Melancon, uncles Robert Hale Sr., Jimmie Lee Smith Jr., Clifford Bijou, aunts Arlene Washington and Marva Patterson. Rela‐ tives, Friends of the Family, pastors, employees of Ochsner Medical Center, Veterans Hospital are in‐ vited to attend a Celebra‐ tion of Life Services on Tuesday May 26, 2026 at Gentilly Baptist Church, 5145 Franklin Ave, New Or‐ leans, La. at 11AM. The vis‐ itation will begin at 10AM. Interment Providence Memorial Park. Funeral planning entrusted to Robinson Family Funeral Home.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 3B

NE WSL E TTER S The biggest stories customized to your interests – delivered direct to your inbox

Page Sr., Gerald

Gerald Page, Sr., son of the late P.J. Sr. and Dorthy Page, departed this life on Monday, May 18, 2026. He began his life on October 2, Gerald attended 1952.

S. Clark High Joseph School, served in the U. S. Army and had a long ca‐ reer as a Chef at the World Famous Brennans Restau‐ rant. In addition to his par‐ ents, Gerald is also pre‐ ceded in death by his son, Gerald Page, Jr.; brothers, Jerome and George Page and a grandchild, Benjamin Porter. He leaves to cher‐ ish precious memories, his wife, Antoinette Page; chil‐ dren, Shaun Page, Sabrina Pritchett and Benjamin daughter-inChristoval; law, Aviance Page; siblings, Dwayne and P.J. Page Jr., Knight, Yolanda Lloyd Page, Murl Thompson and Nellie Reed; Godchildren, Angela, Anjinah and Gerald Page, III, Lynell Walter, a host of grand and great grandchildren, other rela‐ tives and friends. The Ser‐ vice will be private. Please sign online guestbook at www.charbonnetfuneralho me.com. Friends may con‐ tact Shaun Page via email snk.produce@gmail. at com. Charbonnet Labat Directors Glapion, (504)581-4411

Alton Melancon, a beloved Father, Brother, Uncle, Nephew, and Friend entered eternal rest on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

He was 64 years old. Alton is affectionately known for being there for family and friends in times of need. He was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on December 30, 1961. He leaves to cherish

Why do Neutral Grounds divide New Orleans streets?

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YOUR VIEWS N O L A.C O M/opinions

The May 16 closed party primary election brought a flurry of comment ELECTIONS 2026 from readers. Here is a selection of some of the opinions we received.

Efforts to appease couldn’t save Cassidy

After 250 years, a troubling trend I am dismayed that the congressional elections in Louisiana were abruptly canceled, even after early voting had begun.

I am dismayed that the person I voted for, for Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court, had his position eliminated after he won by a wide margin.

I am dismayed that the Louisiana attorney general is threatening to remove the New Orleans mayor and much of the City Council. I am dismayed that when Republicans gerrymander districts, it is ruled constitutional because it is partisan, but when Democrats gerrymander districts, it is ruled unconstitutional because it considers race and fairness.

I fear that after 250 years, we are losing our imperfect democracy. The only way to save democracy is for enough American citizens to demand free, fair, accessible elections and to vote accordingly. The next few months will tell the story.

LOU IRWIN New Orleans

Failure of St. George measure doesn’t eliminate problem with EBR schools Staff writer Charles Lussier said it correctly in his article, “St. George school district fails.” He said, “Opponents argued that St. George school district would exacerbate racial segregation in the parish, reduce the quality of education for poorer children left behind in the Baton Rouge public schools and encourage more breakaway school districts in the future.”

Well, that says how bad Baton Rouge public schools are in the city.

The state Department of Education needs to open its eyes and fix this mess. No wonder people are either leaving East Baton Rouge Parish or going to private schools. Think about that!

CHARLES MESTAYER Baton Rouge

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are

published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and TO SEND US A LETTER, phone number SCAN HERE 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.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

A family leaves the Dryades yMCA polling location in New Orleans on May 16.

‘No to all’ campaign did teachers a disservice In the recent election, the electorate was asked to consider five constitutional amendments. Some were real head scratchers and, in my opinion, voters should have rejected them. Amendment 3, though, was one that we all should have rallied behind.

The amendment would have given teachers a $2,250 pay raise.

This would have been accomplished without incurring additional debt. The measure would have paid off debt. The pay raise would have been accomplished without affecting the state’s operating budget. This measure would have given immediate and permanent benefit to teachers, historically one of our most unappreciated state-funded employees. This would have been paid to all teachers including minorities, women, single parents and those working two jobs to make ends meet.

Unfortunately, today there are many influencers whose sole agenda is failure. Such groups will pursue failure at any cost, even

when it is to the detriment of all. Then, when their efforts result in the very failure they have achieved, such groups will, in turn, blame those they vilify as the ones who initiated that failure.

Now, pursuant to their concerted “Vote No on All Amendments” strategy, the failure groups have ensured there is no path to afford teachers a much-deserved pay raise this year, or possibly even next year.

Congratulations, your perverted goal to cast Gov. Jeff Landry and the state Legislature as failures on the teacher pay raise concern was successful. Now go to the teachers and explain why your action and their continued sacrifice to provide essentials to their families are worthwhile.

We the people must revolt against hateful, failure-driven initiatives. To continue supporting them will only serve to divide us and lead to the unraveling of our society.

BRYAN GLENN Baton Rouge

Big money and the coming backlash I know many in the state are reflecting upon the recent election, so I offer these reflections, questions and hopes.

To instigate changes that disenfranchise voters and already-cast votes is un-American.

To have a closed primary made people come away with the realization they no longer had real freedom for their private vote, and this time Black and White people felt equally how wrong it was.

Do we want to recall the closed primary decision?

We have to get big money out of politics, so if the Legislature wants to do a good thing for the state, couldn’t they find a state

workaround for Citizens United?

I am tired of how our democracy seems like a product to buy and sell. I believe backlash is coming, and while I might agree with the outcome, I don’t believe backlash is a good way to govern.

So my hopes are that when people have elected someone, the person takes the office, and we reflect on the closed primary and see how it limits voters’ freedom and throw out the experiment, that power of the people becomes the reigning power and that people in office learn to listen rather than press agendas.

BONNIE KEARNEY Jefferson

“He fed the Alligator, hoping it would eat him last.” That quote describes Sen. Bill Cassidy and his abdication of Louisiana and the nation in his attempt to appease Donald Trump. Any number of burned politicians, staff members, military heroes, etc. could have told him what would happen.

Now that he’s gotten burnt to a crisp, let’s hope Cassidy will use the last eight months of his political career to right the wrongs and protect both Louisianans and Americans from the disastrous policies that are ruining lives and our world standing.

It would be a small but essential comfort for all of us who have been affected by the actions of those in charge of our life, health and liberty. We deserve nothing less.

DEBRA CRAINE New Orleans

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy

Outgoing senator can still redeem himself Sen. Bill Cassidy is a lame duck, but he has eight months left as our senator. He has a chance to redeem himself, and I wonder if he will use his power to push for rational health policies. He could get Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a contempt citation or even push to impeach and remove him from office.

And then after the Senate, he could make easy money joining corporate boards, or he could do something meaningful, using his expertise and D.C. insider status.

Redemption over revenge.

And as to his inner life, I wonder which he regrets more: Voting to impeach Trump or voting to OK RFK Jr. Cassidy has a wonderful opportunity in the years ahead.

CHARLES STEINER New Orleans

When MAGA loyalty outweighs principled leadership Gov. Jeff Landry and Republican legislators changed the state’s election process to satisfy Donald Trump and ensure Sen. Bill Cassidy’s defeat. By replacing Louisiana’s open primary system with a closed partisan primary, they guaranteed that loyalty to Trump would outweigh independent judgment or principled leadership.

Ironically, Cassidy brought this upon himself. Had he voted against Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for secretary of Health and Human Services, I, and others, would have changed party affiliation to support him. As a physician, Cassidy understood the risks of placing someone with Kennedy’s record and views in charge of America’s public health system. Yet he chose political survival over

professional judgment, ignoring Trump’s thirst for vengeance.

During my 18 years as legislative director for the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, I learned what genuine leadership looks like.

Public officials once voted their consciences, understood compromise, stayed true to their principles and served their constituents rather than one man or political party.

Had I still held that position today, I would have opposed Amendment 3, the defeated teacher pay raise proposal. When legislators raid constitutionally protected funds to finance raises, it becomes a dangerous political habit. If lawmakers truly value education, they should fund it through the regular budget process instead of political

gimmicks.

Since 2016, too many elected Republican officials have replaced courage and accountability with loyalty tests and fear of political retaliation. Landry may view Cassidy’s defeat as a victory, but Louisianans will continue paying the price for leadership driven more by ideology and ambition than competence and integrity.

America has suffered a great fall. I’m afraid what we once had will never be recovered. We have been witnesses to the annihilation of “the once shining city on a hill” — a tragedy with painful consequences for America.

JOYOUS VAN BUSKIRK New Orleans

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COMMENTARY Getting world-class cancer care in Louisiana is doable In Louisiana, nearly 30,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. On average, that’s approximately one every 20 minutes. For too many families, that diagnosis brings an added burden: the possibility that they may have to leave home to access the most advanced care.

That cost is measured in more than miles and Lucio dollars for those who Miele have the resources to GUEST travel. It means time COLUMNIST away from family, disruption to daily life and added stress at the very moment patients need stability most.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

Louisiana remains one of the largest regions in the country without a National Cancer Institute designated cancer center. That designation is a marker of access to innovative cancer care. It means more clinical trials, more treatment options and stronger integration between research and patient care. Without it, access to cutting-edge therapies can be limited or uneven, particularly for patients in rural parts of the state.

So, what does it take to build a cancer center at this level?

It starts with people. Recruiting and supporting leading scientists and physicians is essential to driving discovery and delivering advanced care.

It requires sustained investment in research, growing the funding needed to support new ideas, new therapies and new clinical trials.

It also requires infrastructure. Expanding clinical trials across both urban and rural communities ensures that more patients can participate in research without leaving the state.

Strengthening the connection between laboratory discoveries and patient care helps bring new treatments to patients faster.

And it requires coordination. Building a system where research, clinical care and education work together, across institutions and across Louisiana, is what ultimately transforms a collection of programs into a cancer center capable of national impact.

This kind of progress does not happen

There is a growing subset of graduates who, propelled by the applause of grade inflation, emerge from the political monoculture of campuses with high grades, low learning and a talent for blaming. They blame capitalism, markets, society, something for their frustrations and disappointments. Their vast sense of entitlement includes an assumed exemption from common life experiences.

Many supposedly underemployed graduates are casualties of the siren call of “college for all.” This gave the political class something more to subsidize, and gave the academic industry opportunities to raise tuition, siphoning up the subsidies to fund expansions. Thus were millions of young people lured onto an expensive — in time and money — path away from well-paid and satisfying trades, and into a curdled adulthood nursing vague grievances about foregone status.

The predictable result of market saturation resulted in a 2024 report that 45% of graduates held, 10 years after graduation, jobs that do not “require” a college degree. But the meaning of this is murky.

How many jobs require what, exactly, that is guaranteed to come from, or comes only from, college? Harry Truman had no degree. Of the many baristas who today have degrees, how many have college-acquired talents that the market inexplicably fails to recognize as capable of adding substantial value to the economy?

‘Tis commencement season. Edward Elgar’s “Pomp and Circumstance” wafts over many college graduates commencing — to the extent that Scheiber’s subjects are typical — a long journey into disappointment. As such people multiply, so does the infantilism called socialism.

PARSONS,W.Va. — Under a canopy of red and sugar maple, yellow poplar and sweet birch trees sits a colorful vernal riot of wildflowers like Canada violet, flox and Solomon’s seal — and a case study of a modern collision of two of the hardiest ideological perennials on the political landscape of America: conservation and conservatism.

Here, in a mountainous enclave of one of the most loyal MAGA states — but within living memory David one of the sturdiest redoubts Shribman of Democratic rule — sits the Fernow Experimental Forest, created in the embryo years of the New Deal and over a span of nine decades an outdoor laboratory for the examination of forest management techniques, wildlife, soil science and air quality.

With the future of research centers like this one thrown into uncertainty as the Trump administration pursues a clear-cutting policy in environmental-oriented research, this 4,615-acre reserve where early 20th-century lumber barons hacked out every tree in sight is ground zero for testing whether a second-growth forest can flourish or survive second-growth conservatism.

When the forest lab faced possible extinction last year, a citizens Friends of the Fernow Experimental Forest coalition and a group of researchers worried that “critical experiments could end before we learn all they have to teach us” mobilized to save it.

Until recently, conservatism and conservation, sharing the same etymological roots, were complementary creeds.

The founding political father of the conservation movement was a Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, a sportsman and hunter who today surely would be an ardent supporter of Second Amendment gun rights.

Only a half-century ago, Russell Kirk, considered a principal founder of modern conservatism, wrote that “There is nothing more conservative than conservation.” The conservative theorist and author of the influential 1953 “The Conservative Mind” shaped the thinking of William F. Buckley Jr., who published him in The National Review, and Ronald Reagan, who in 1989 presented him with the Presidential Citizens Medal.

The notion of the conservative concept of fidelity to tradition was best expressed by the foundational theorist of conservatism, Edmund Burke, who in 1790 wrote that society was a contract “between those who are living, those who are dead, and those who are to be born” — a notion that creative-minded modern progressives might cite if they were determined to build a broad consensus for the environmentalism that is the direct descendant of the conservation movement.

And so any disruption of nearly a century of records and research on the natural world — including changes in plants, animals, and streams — underlines the great contradictions and conundrums of conservatism involved in this environmental enclave 187 miles from the political world of the nation’s capital: What is the responsibility to preserve (a vital word in the language of conservatism) a record of change (a vital word in the language of liberalism)? This is a problem that confronted Roosevelt, who was a conservative who also was a progressive.

These records endured in periods of prosperity and austerity but, in a way, the future of the research center named for the Prussian-born forester Bernhard Fernow, who for a dozen years beginning in 1886 was the chief of the U.S. Division of Forestry, is less important for the destiny of this forest laboratory — than it is for the meaning its survival for conservatism.

And the eight people who toil in the Fernow, as it sometimes is called, here in the highlands of the Central Appalachians are less interested in political change than in examining longterm changes in the forest, and how they affect endangered wildlife species, and how forest management techniques might evolve as the climate changes.

This is perhaps why sites and undertakings like this one, which has produced more than 1,200 scientific journal articles and government publications, are themselves endangered species in the middle years of the third decade of the century.

In a classic clash of ideology and scientific theory, Trump and many MAGA theorists consider climate change — only one of the phenomena being studied here — a hoax. This belief sometimes has required some logistical gymnastics, as the administration sets out to bolster military security in the Arctic to address the Russian and Chinese challenge due to melting iceways directly attributable to climate change.

The other day a swarm of eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) gathered just outside one of the equipment shed of the Fernow Experimental Forest. From green eggs to brown-and-white caterpillars to yellow-winged butterflies with striped chevrons, they are living symbols of metamorphosis — the very process underway in American conservatism in the MAGA age.

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

Email David Shribman at dshribman@postgazette.com.

FILE PHOTO

A doctor watches an internal video of the patient’s body as he assists in prostate cancer surgery at the University of Chicago Medical Center, which has an NCIdesignated cancer center, in 2011. overnight. But it is how lasting change happens. We are already beginning to see what that change can look like.

One patient from rural Louisiana, a lifelong farmer, was diagnosed with advanced gastroesophageal cancer. Like many patients, his path could have led him out of state in search of additional options. Instead, he was able to continue his care here in Louisiana, including access to a phase 1 clinical trial when standard treatment was no longer effective. That opportunity made a difference. With innovative therapy and the support of his care team, his disease stabilized, allowing him to remain close to home, surrounded by his family and the life he has built.

His experience reflects what becomes possible when access to advanced care expands within our own communities.

This is about more than any one patient.

Expanding access to cutting-edge cancer care in Louisiana means more patients receiving advanced treatment without leaving the state. It means greater access to clinical trials, stronger outcomes through earlier access to innovation and a system that reaches patients not only in major cities, but in rural communities across Louisiana.

It also means economic impact, bring-

ing federal research funding into the state, creating high-skilled jobs and strengthening Louisiana’s position as a leader in health and life sciences. In turn, this attracts private sector investment in biotechnology and life sciences companies.

We are at a pivotal moment.

Across Louisiana, momentum is building. Investments in research, clinical care and education are laying the foundation for something we have never had before: a truly integrated, world-class cancer center.

But reaching that next level, earning NCI designation, will require continued commitment. From institutions. From policymakers. From communities. Most importantly, it will require a shared belief that Louisiana deserves the same level of cancer care and innovation found in other parts of the country.

This is not just about earning a designation. It is about building a future where patients can access the best cancer care in the country without ever leaving home.

That is the future we are working toward. And it is one worth building together.

Lucio Miele is the director of the LSU LCMC Health Cancer Center.

Graduation time for disappointed little Lenins whom? Of what sort?)

Disgruntled Starbucks workers embraced the United Auto Workers union, which they soon despised as too tepid about rectifying all injustices everywhere. Scheiber says the UAW now In April 1917, Vladimir Lenin arrived represents “roughly 100,000 higher-edby train in Russia at Petroucation workers” — graduate stugrad’s Finland Station. Hence dents and non-tenure-track faculty. the title of Edmund Wilson’s Their numbers and grievances are 1940 history of socialist growing faster than those of autothought: “To the Finland Staworkers.

Many Starbucks workers agitattion.” Noam Scheiber’s chronicle of young college graduates ing for unionization were berating George the company for an inadequate aspiring to overthrow sadness Will and capitalism should have commitment to LGBTQ rights. been titled “To Buffalo’s ElThen, on Oct. 7, 2023, they fell in love with Hamas. One organizer wore a mwood Avenue Starbucks.” There the sweatshirt emblazoned with a portrait fuse was lit that led to … a book. of Karl Marx. An Apple store employee, Scheiber’s “Mutiny: The Rise and Rewho blamed her declining mental health volt of the College-Educated Working on “the job” and “the stress of unionizClass” is an overexcited presentation of a tragicomic phenomenon: a new, ing,” became, Scheiber writes, so “desself-imagined proletariat’s revolution. perate” she sold her two $150 tickets The revolt is not against conditions akin to a Beyoncé concert. An employee at to those in the “dark Satanic Mills” of a Baltimore-area Apple store: “I had to early 19th-century industrialism. get rid of Hulu” (a subscription-stream“Mutiny” usually denotes a rebellion ing service). of soldiers or sailors against a military Blending labor activism with perforauthority. Against what comparable mance art, a Starbucks worker, who hierarchy are Scheiber’s little Lenins had a Western Michigan University waging insurrections? Against Apple degree in jewelry and metalsmithing, and Starbucks stores, and Hollywood fashioned from chicken wire a Starstudios. These boys and girls are hardly bucks mermaid and a corporate lawyer. horny-handed sons and daughters of Scheiber says an employee “resisted toil.

Apple’s evaluation system because he Although some were, Scheiber believed performance-based bonuses” writes, “straining their tendons as they were inhumane. When Apple gave him churned out … Frappuccinos.” Really. stock, he sold it: “I don’t believe in ownPage 56. ing stock.”

An unhappy employee of an Apple These arrested-development adostore consulted with an organizer for lescents are silly. There is, however, a the International Association of Maserious problem. Even before artificial intelligence erases many more entrychinists union who had been, Scheiber says, “trying to unionize a group of yoga level jobs, the market for expensively credentialed (often not highly educated) instructors.” Think about that: What banner would yoga instructors brandish young adults is saturated. Unions, which represent only 6% of privateat the barricades? Meet our demands sector employees, are irrelevant to (what are yoga instructors’ demands?) ameliorating this problem. or we will strike, inflicting pain. (On

“You Americans do not rear children, you incite them; you give them food and shelter and applause.” — Randall Jarrell, “Pictures from an Institution‚” a 1954 novel.

GOP the original climate change conservationists

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with meteorologist Damon Singleton

TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Humid with heavy t-storms

Showers, heavy thunderstorms

A shower and t-storm; humid

Showers, heavy thunderstorms

Showers, heavy thunderstorms

Humid with showers

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

HIGH

LOW

82° 74°

LOW

81° 75°

LOW

86° 75°

Beaumont 85/71 Port Arthur 83/71

Baton Rouge 80/71

Lake Charles 84/70

New Orleans 82/74 Houma 78/72

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

0s

Hattiesburg 79/70

Alexandria 82/68

Lafayette 81/71

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

83° 74°

LOW

88° 73°

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

High/low Normal high/low Last year’shigh/low Record high Record low

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 30 MAIN POLLUTANT Nitrogen oxide

MAIN POLLUTANT Ozone

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

MAY 31

City

Atlanta Austin Boston Charlotte Chicago Dallas Denver Houston Las Vegas

24-hour total Month to date Normal month to date year to date Normal year to date

HIGH

7:07p 1:41p 1:09a 3:44a 8:48a 8:06a 9:56a

6:03 a.m.

7:54 p.m.

3:03 p.m.

2:32 a.m.

LAST

NEW

JUN 8

Hi

77 90 72 80 84 87 83 90 96

TODAY Lo

69 70 59 69 60 69 54 71 73

FIRST

JUN 14

W

t t r t pc t pc t s

JUN 21

Hi

80 89 78 82 87 85 77 87 94

GOOD

PRECIPITATION

79°/69° 87°/71° 90°/72° 94° in 2005 56° in 1967

TODAY’S TIDES Lake Pontchartrain (Tchefuncte River) Shell Beach South Point, Marsh Island Cypremort Point Grand Isle (Barataria Pass) Mississippi River (Southwest Pass) Wine Island

FULL

Shown are areas of precipitation and high temperatures for the day.

HIGH

TEMPERATURE Jackson 80/70

Many 82/67

LOW

New Orleans through 5 p.m. Sunday

Longview 87/67

-0s

84° 74°

Monroe 83/69

Shreveport 86/69

-10s

LOW

A flood watch is in effect for southeast Louisiana through this evening. We are also under a slight or marginal risk of excessive rainfall that could lead to some measure of fl ash fl ooding today. So obviously, like the last several days, our chance of rain is high again.

Expect a mostly cloudy, mild and humid day with a light breeze and stronger winds in thunderstorms. Temperatures will rise to the upper 70s to low 80s and probably won’t rise much higher than that until the end of the week.

TUE. Lo

68 70 65 68 63 70 53 76 65

W

t pc pc t pc pc pc t s

FT.

LOW

0.41” 7.81” 4.26” 19.93” 23.15”

FT.

HIGH

0.4 11:42a 0.3 1.1 5:25a 0.6 1.5 5:30a 1.0 1.3 9:03a 1.0 0.8 12:20a 0.5 0.9 4:34p 0.4 1.0 1:22a 0.7

FT.

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

FT.

--- ----- ----- --- 10:34p 0.4 12:42p 1.6 6:18p 0.5 2:47p 1.5 9:47p 0.6 --- --- 6:02p 0.3 --- ----- ----- --- 7:04p 0.4

The solunar period schedule allows planning days so you will be fishing in good territory or hunting in good cover during those times. Major periods begin at the times shown and last for 1.5 to 2 hours. The minor periods are shorter.

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 7:37a Tuesday 8:14a Wednesday 8:51a Thursday 9:29a Friday 10:10a Saturday 10:55a Sunday 11:44a

City

Los Angeles Miami Nashville New york City Philadelphia Phoenix St. Louis San Francisco Seattle

Hi

72 89 79 73 75 98 83 63 60

1:27a 7:58p 2:04a 8:35p 2:40a 9:12p 3:18a 9:51p 3:58a 10:33p 4:43a 11:20p 5:31a ----

TODAY Lo

58 78 68 61 63 74 62 53 48

W

pc s t sh r s c pc r

GOOD

Hi

72 88 81 78 80 97 82 64 62

1:48p 2:25p 3:01p 3:40p 4:22p 5:07p 5:57p

TUE. Lo

58 79 68 66 66 71 69 52 47

Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow flurries, sn-snow, i-ice.

W

pc s t pc pc s sh pc sh

MISSISSIPPI Memphis Vidalia-Natchez Red River Landing Baton Rouge Donaldsonville Reserve New Orleans OHIO Cairo COMITE Near Olive AMITE Near Darlington Denham Springs Port Vincent TICKFAW Montpelier Holden ATCHAFALAYA Simmesport Melville Krotz Springs Butte La Rose Bayou Sorrel Morgan City

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SUN. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

10.60 28.40 31.10 16.00 9.50 7.25 4.90

+3.34 -0.58 -0.80 -0.40 -0.10 -0.11 -0.02

40

29.64

+1.64

19

-0.30

-1.90

18 29 8

1.31 18.45 3.24

-0.88 -1.78 +0.15

13 15

2.96 3.74

-0.78 +1.71

47 34 29 20 12 6

14.68 10.09 8.61 7.47 5.60 3.24

+0.87 +0.12 none +0.04 -0.10 -0.14

data as of 7 a.m. Sunday

Forecasts and graphics, except for Damon’s Outlook, provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2026

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College football needs to learn from NFL Its current path leads to destruction

STAFF PHOTOS By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU first baseman Mason Braun drives the ball for a hit against Florida in the ninth inning on May 14 at Alex Box Stadium.

Offseason itinerary Johnson, LSU have several issues to address in offseason ANALYSIS

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

For the first time in 15 years, LSU baseball is not playing in June.

The Tigers are set to miss out on the NCAA Tournament this summer after posting a 30-28 record and falling to Auburn in the second round of the SEC Tournament. They went 0-16 against teams that finished in the top half of the Southeastern Conference, and they had a 22-28 record after

an 8-0 start.

So what’s next for coach Jay Johnson and the Tigers after the program’s worst season since at least 2007? Here are five places to start.

Who will LSU retain?

Mason Braun, Omar Serna and Cade Arrambide rush to the top

LSU catcher Cade Arrambide makes the throw to first against Oklahoma in the first inning on March 19 at Alex ä See LSU, page 3C Box Stadium.

College football has a problem. It’s currently being eaten alive by a disease it infected upon itself.

Pat Riley famously coined a phrase for the exact ailment destroying the sport: The Disease of Me. It occurs when the pursuit of individual glory, ego and greed completely consumes the collective good.

Today, disease is rampant across college Jeff football, where everyone Duncan is serving themselves and no one is serving the game.

The Big Ten and SEC are the worst violators. Their leadership had the audacity to pillage the Pac-12 and Big 12 for their most valuable members, and now they have the nerve to complain about the side effects of an unsustainable arms race. They broke the model, spent money like drunken sailors and are now staring at the wreckage wondering why the sport is in crisis.

Perhaps SEC commissioner Greg Sankey and Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti should spend less time trying to copy the NFL’s business model and more time studying the philosophy that actually built it.

Every day, college football tries to look more like a JV version of the NFL. Colorado coach Deion Sanders said as much, stressing that “Our sport should emulate the NFL game in every aspect.”

And college football appears to be doing just that.

Programs now employ highly paid general managers to navigate roster management and oversee milliondollar payrolls. Starting quarterbacks are bringing home staggering, prolevel salaries. If current market reports are accurate, LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt will pull down between $5 million and $6 million this season — roughly double what the Saints are paying Tyler Shough.

The problem is that college football wants the NFL’s money, power and prime-time profile, but it completely lacks the discipline and shared sacrifice required to sustain it.

The NFL’s modern juggernaut exists because its founders understood a fundamental truth: a rising tide lifts all boats. Since Pete Rozelle implemented league-wide revenue sharing in 1961, NFL owners have operated under the same

ä See DUNCAN, page 3C

Kostyuk wins at French Open after missile attack near home

BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswriter

PARIS — Marta Kostyuk’s firstround win at the French Open became one of her toughest matches after she found out beforehand that a missile almost hit her parents’ home in Ukraine.

Kostyuk fought back tears after beating Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-2, 6-3 on Court Simonne-Mathieu on the opening day of the clay-court Grand Slam at Roland Garros in western Paris.

“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career,” the 15th-seeded Kostyuk said.

“This morning, 100 meters away from my parents’ house, the missile destroyed the building and it was a very difficult morning for me ... I didn’t know how I would handle it, I’ve been crying part of the morning.”

She received a message at 8 a.m. and could not stop thinking about what could have happened.

“I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career This morning, 100 meters away from my parents’ house, the missile destroyed the building and it was a very difficult morning for me ... I didn’t know how I would handle it, I’ve been crying part of the morning.”

MARTA KOSTyUK “I felt sick,” she said. “If it was 100 meters closer, I probably wouldn’t have a mom and a sister today.”

Her mother, sister and great-aunt were in the house at the time of the strike, she said, among 17 people in total, so her relief was enormous that no one was injured.

“I don’t want to think what I would do if something worse happened, but I knew that this is the day to go out and play,” she said.

“It didn’t cross my mind today that I shouldn’t go out, because, you know, at the end of the day, everyone is alive.”

After the match, she thanked fans

and received an ovation. Then she explained how she found the emotional and mental resources to play.

“I think it’s important to keep going. My biggest example is Ukrainian people, I woke up in the morning today and,” the 23-year-old Kostyuk said, becoming tearful before repeating and finishing the sentence.

“I looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their life, kept helping people who are in need. I knew a lot of Ukrainian flags would be here today and a lot of Ukrainian people would come out, support. My friends from Ukraine

AP PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine celebrates after winning against Oksana Selekhmeteva of Spain during their first-round women’s singles match at ä See KOSTYUK, page 3C the French Open in Paris on Sunday.

2C ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Red-hot Knicks on historic run

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

The New York Knicks are one win away from reaching the NBA Finals. And they’ve gotten into this position on the strength of a 10-game winning streak like no other in team history.

Or NBA history, for that matter.

They trailed Atlanta 2-1 in Round 1, which seems like forever ago. They’re 10-0 since, after winning the final three games against the Hawks, then sweeping Philadelphia in Round 2, and now taking a 3-0 lead over Cleveland in the Eastern Conference finals.

It looks easy, but Knicks coach Mike Brown noted, “there’s nothing easy about this” and added having “a little bit of luck” helps as well.

“They’re doing the things I always talk about: They’re holding each other accountable, they’re believing in the process, they’re playing with a competitive spirit that is unmatched,” Brown said.

“If you do those things while focusing on the detail and communicating and bringing energy and effort you have a chance to string some games together.”

A look inside the numbers of this monthlong stretch by the Knicks:

+225 The Knicks have won these 10 consecutive playoff games by a combined 225 points. There’s never been such a one-sided 10-game stretch in NBA history — regular season or playoffs.

Before this playoff run, the most lopsided score differential in a 10-game winning streak for the Knicks came from Oct. 24 through Nov. 11, 1969 — 168 points. New York won the NBA title that season.

The most one-sided 10-game winning streak in playoff history was turned in by the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who outscored opponents by 171 during that stretch on their way to that season’s title. Among the assistant coaches on that Warriors staff was Mike Brown, now the Knicks’ head coach.

And the NBA record for point differential in any 10-game stretch, before now, was a

Rhyne Howard scored 21 points, Allisha Gray added 17, and Angel Reese recorded her third doubledouble of the season as the Atlanta Dream used a late surge to beat the Phoenix Mercury 82-80 on Sunday.

Reese finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Jordin Canada had 11 points and 14 rebounds for her first double-double of the season.

The Dream (4-1) used a 9-0 run in a span of 85 seconds to tie the game at 73 with just over a minute remaining.

Canada was fouled on a drive to the basket and converted a free throw to give Atlanta the lead.

Howard hit a 3-pointer to make it a four-point game with 24 seconds remaining.

Guerrero, Cease leave game early for Blue Jays

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SUE OGROCKI

New york Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, left, celebrates with teammates after winning Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday in Cleveland. ä Knicks at Cavaliers.

Finals, and again in 2001 when they topped Philadelphia for the 7:10 P.M. MONDAy, ESPN title.

The Knicks join Boston (2024), Cleveland (2016 and 2017), San 214-point margin by the Milwau- Antonio (2012) and New Jersey kee Bucks during the 1973-74 sea- (2003) in having 10-game winning son. The Bucks went 9-1 in those streaks in the same postseason.

Before this season, the Knicks’ games. The most lopsided differential during a 10-game winning longest playoff winning streak (in streak was also by the Bucks, the same season) was a six-game who outscored opponents by 212 run in 1999. points from Feb. 11 through Feb. Knicks scoring 24, 1971.

New York has scored 1,222 10-game winning streaks points during the winning streak.

New York’s 10-game winning The Knicks are the eighth team to streak is tied for the fifth-longest have scored that many points durin a single postseason. ing a 10-game postseason stretch.

Golden State started 15-0 in the Of the previous seven, five went 2017 playoffs. San Antonio won on to win NBA titles — Golden 12 straight in the 1999 playoffs, State in 2017, the Lakers in 1987, and the Los Angeles Lakers had the Lakers in 1985, Philadelphia in a pair of 11-game playoff winning 1967 and Boston in 1959. streaks — first in 1989, when they The two that did not — Denver got swept by Detroit in the NBA in 1985 and San Antonio in 1983.

Shooting during the streak The Knicks are shooting 53.8% during this 10-game winning streak, by far the best in the NBA since this run began on April 25.

Oklahoma City is shooting 50.1% since that date. No other team in the league is over 50% over those last four weeks.

Road warriors New York is 5-0 in its last five playoff road games — tying the longest such streak in team history. Last season’s Knicks also had a five-game road winning streak.

But all five of the wins in this Knicks streak have come by double figures — tying the longest such run in NBA playoff history.

Miami won five consecutive road games by double digits in 2013, and Golden State did it in 2017. Both of those clubs won NBA titles in those seasons.

Mitchell, Cavs fall into perilous 3-0 hole

BY TOM WITHERS

Associated Press

CLEVELAND — Donovan Mitchell has lacked his customary explosiveness and not looked like himself through three games of the Eastern Conference finals. Something seems off with the All-Star guard.

Same for the Cavaliers.

They may soon have time to heal. Like all summer.

Cleveland is on the brink of elimination.

The Cavs couldn’t match New York’s force, firepower or balance despite being on their home floor and lost Game 3 to the Knicks 121108 on Saturday night to fall into a perilous postseason hole in the best-of-seven series.

No team in NBA history has ever come back from an 0-3 deficit, and the Cavs aren’t showing signs of becoming the first in 164 tries.

Mitchell did what he could, scoring 23 points. But he didn’t have his burst and committed five of his team’s 18 turnovers as the Cavs couldn’t contain the Knicks, who were cheered on a by a raucous group of New York fans that invaded Rocket Arena.

Following the game, Mitchell sat in a chair behind the table before his media interview and stared blankly at a box score underscoring New York’s dominance.

Asked what it’s going to take to avoid a sweep and win Game 4 on Monday night, Mitchell was succinct.

“Let’s start with making some shots,” he said. “Let’s start with getting some stops and making some free throws.”

Reese’s double-double helps Dream pick up win

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SUE OGROCKI

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell controls the ball against New york Knicks guard Landry Shamet during Game 3 in the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday in Cleveland.

Mitchell’s first trip to a conference final after so many secondround exits hasn’t gone as hoped.

The Cavs, who were pushed to seven games by Toronto and Detroit earlier in the playoffs, blew a 22-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost Game 1 at Madison Square Garden.

They battled for much of Game 2 before fading and are now dragging physically after weeks of playing every other day. The Knicks, who had time to rest after sweeping Philadelphia in the second round, are taking advantage of Cleveland’s heavy legs.

“We did it to ourselves,” Mitchell said. “We can’t be mad now.”

Just as in the first two games, New York was the more aggres-

sive team in the early going, jumping to a 9-1 lead in the opening two minutes and forcing Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson to call a timeout. The Cavs regrouped, but their sloppiness combined with New York’s ability to get out in transition and score proved too much.

“Their physicality and energy level was higher than ours,” Atkinson said. “They were the more physical team and we couldn’t get to that level. Whatever the stats say, they were the better team.

They’re playing great basketball.

They’re on a hell of a run and we haven’t been able to stop the momentum.”

The Cavs had seized it in the series opener before a stunning col-

lapse that has already provided Mitchell with a lasting lesson.

“Don’t lose Game 1 after being up 22,” he said when asked about what’s soured his conference final debut. “But hey, it happened and now we have to find a way to get back from 3-0. We just have to find a way. We were up 22. It’s on us.”

In the closing minutes, thousands of blue-and-orange-clad New York fans were hollering “Knicks in 4!” and serenading Knicks guard Jalen Brunson, who scored 30 points and added six assists, with chants of “M-V-P” at the foul line.

Those moments normally belong only to Mitchell in Cleveland. But the Knicks are taking everything away from the Cavs.

Mitchell said the noise wasn’t unexpected.

“I’m from New York, this doesn’t shock me,” he said. “They do it in every arena. It’s like (Dallas) Cowboys fans. It’s just who they are. It wasn’t just a Cleveland thing. That’s how Knicks fans are.

I was one back in the day. That had nothing to do with what’s going on in Cleveland. We didn’t get it done for our home crowd tonight.”

Before the game, Atkinson described Mitchell’s physical issues as merely “bumps and bruises.”

The All-Star, who left the floor for treatment in the first quarter, is now dealing with the mental strain of a deficit that’s probably too large to overtake.

Mitchell, though, isn’t giving up.

“We have an opportunity to get one (win) on Monday,” he said.

“Then go back to New York and get one there and come back here.”

Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dylan Cease left Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the fifth inning because of a sore left hamstring.

First baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left in the bottom half after being hit on the right elbow by a pitch from Mitch Keller. Lenyn Sosa came in to run for Guerrero and took over at first base.

The Blue Jays said an X-ray of Guerrero’s elbow did not reveal a fracture.

Manager John Schneider said Guerrero reported feeling numbness in his arm and hand after being hit, but said the slugger could return Monday against Miami.

Schneider and head athletic trainer Jose Ministral came to the mound in the top half of the inning after Cease shook his leg several times between pitches.

Red Sox ace lefty Crochet making progress on return

Red Sox ace left-hander Garrett Crochet is set to throw batting practice off the Fenway Park mound on Tuesday as he returns from inflammation in his pitching shoulder.

Crochet was 3-3 with a 6.30 ERA when he went on the injured list on April 29. He had a bullpen session before Saturday’s loss to the Minnesota Twins, his fourth side session.

“Feeling good, feeling confident in the throw,” he said. “Mechanics are in a good spot. That’s kind of the sucky part of all this, is that’s all I have to focus on right now.”

Last year he went 18-5 with a 2.59 ERA in his first season with the Red Sox, who signed him to a $170 million, six-year contract.

Nationals place RHP Irvin on 15-day injured list

Washington Nationals righthander Jake Irvin was placed on the 15-day injured list on Sunday with a right shoulder strain, one day after he threw five hitless innings in a 2-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Irvin and Nationals manager Drew Butera said the diagnosis of a strain was good news after Irvin left Saturday’s game with soreness in the shoulder. Irvin acknowledged he has experienced discomfort before but “not like I did yesterday.”

The Nationals recalled lefthander PJ Poulin from Triple-A Rochester.

Irvin (2-4) said he felt tightness in the shoulder in the fifth inning and felt more soreness after throwing one warmup pitch before the sixth inning on Saturday.

Antonelli wins his fourth straight Formula 1 race

Italian teen star Kimi Antonelli charged to his fourth straight Formula 1 victory Sunday in a wild Canadian Grand Prix after Mercedes teammate George Russell was knocked out by an engine failure.

The title-chasing Mercedes drivers put on a show in a thrilling battle through 30 laps, trading the lead several times and coming dangerously close to making contact, until Russell ran into trouble.

That gave the 19-year-old Antonelli a clear path to victory ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, who overtook Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for second with six laps to go in cold and windy conditions at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Antonelli opened a 43-point lead over Russell in the season standings through five of 22 stops.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 3C

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Djokovic overcomes slow start to advance

BY ANDREW DAMPF AP sportswriter

PARIS — At age 39, Novak Djokovic can still wear opponents down.

Even opponents nearly half his age — and in front of a hostile crowd.

Djokovic came back from a set down for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 victory over 22-year-old home player Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard in the first round of the French Open on Sunday in his record 82nd Grand Slam appearance.

Grunting during long rallies and digging deep on the opening night session on Court Philippe-Chatrier, it wasn’t until 1 hour, 45 minutes in that Djokovic finally found a way to break his 6-foot-7 opponent and even the match at a set all.

The crowd was pumped for a potential stunner — after all, Djokovic hasn’t lost in the first round of a Grand Slam in 20 years. But after

two tense sets, Mpetshi Perricard seemed deflated.

Djokovic was just getting warmed up in only his second match on clay this year. In his other match on the surface this season, Djokovic lost to Croatian qualifier Dino Prižmic at the Italian Open after two months out due to a right shoulder injury.

Just by stepping on court two days after his 39th birthday, Djokovic set the men’s record for most Grand Slams contested — one more than Roger Federer and Feliciano Lopez. Djokovic has won a record 24 of those 82 Grand Slams.

Djokovic also tied French players Richard Gasquet and Antoine Gentian with a men’s record 22nd appearance at Roland Garros. He has reached at least the quarterfinals in 19 of the last 20 editions and raised the Coupe des Mous-

quetaires trophy in 2016, 2021 and 2023.

The 80th-ranked Mpetshi Perricard had plenty of crowd support and the fans erupted into chants of “Gio-vanni, Gio-vanni, Gio-vanni” when he ripped a forehand winner on his fourth break point to conclude a long rally during a tense game at 5-5 in the first set. Mpetshi Perricard then finished the set off with consecutive aces.

Djokovic couldn’t convert a break point until his 10th try when he concluded the second set with a drop shot that Mpetshi Perricard couldn’t get back. Then Djokovic held his hand to his ear to taunt the pro-French crowd.

Late in the fourth set after he pulled off a delicate half-volley winner, Djokovic skipped back to the baseline in apparent glee. And when it was over, Djokovic performed a celebratory wiggle on the baseline.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA

Novak Djokovic of Serbia returns to Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard of France during their first-round men’s singles match at the French Open in Paris on Sunday.

KOSTYUK

Fokina also struggled.

“I am coming from Hamburg Continued from page 1C with 10 degrees (Celsius and) it’s 22 degrees more,” the Spaniard said after beating Damir Dzumcame as well.” hur 6-7 (3), 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3. “I She next plays unseeded Ameri- didn’t expect that.” can Katie Volynets, and Kostyuk’s The opening match on Chacountrywoman Elina Svitolina trier saw No. 11 Belinda Ben— a recent winner at the Italian cic beating Sinja Kraus 6-2, 6-3 Open in Rome — faces Anna Bon- and 2024 runner-up Alexander dar on Monday.

Zverev, seeded No. 2, won 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 against Benjamin Bonzi.

Heat is on

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

High temperatures of 91 degrees contributed to Frenchman Arthur Gea taking an emergency bathroom break early into his first-round loss to No. 13 Karen Khachanov on Court SuzanneLenglen.

Spectators folded newspapers in half and fanned themselves to keep cool as players attempted to stay hydrated.

Canadian Gabriel Diallo said the heat was the main reason why he retired against Australian James Duckworth after losing the first set 6-3 and trailing 4-1 in the second.

“That’s mainly what it was,” he said. “It was getting worse and worse.”

No. 21 Alejandro Davidovich

Other results Former U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu and former French Open runners-up Sloane Stephens and Sofia Kenin all went out.

No. 26 Hailey Baptiste won 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2 against 2021 champion Barbora Krejcíková.

Baptiste is playing in the women’s doubles alongside American countrywoman Venus Williams.

No. 21 Clara Tauson lost while No. 27 Marie Bouzkova and No. 32 Wang Xinyu reached the second round.

In men’s first-round play, No. 23 Tomas Etcheverry lost against Nuno Borges but No. 26 Jakub Mensik and No. 28 João Fonseca advanced.

LSU catcher Cade Arrambide catches a pitch against Florida in the third inning on May 14 at Alex Box Stadium.

LSU

Continued from page 1C of Johnson’s priority list this summer, at least when it comes to retention on the position player side.

Braun hit .355 with a .990 onbase-plus-slugging percentage in SEC play. Twelve of Arrambide’s 18 home runs came against conference competition, and Serna posted a .602 slugging percentage against the same teams despite battling through injuries for much of the year.

Bringing back all three players — despite Serna and Arrambide playing the same position — creates a solid foundation for next year’s lineup.

Outside of that trio, the door will be open for John Pearson, Jack Ruckert and William Patrick — three Louisiana natives — to return. Ruckert is a candidate to start at second base, where he improved on both sides of the ball by the end of his freshman campaign. Pearson has to get better defensively, but Johnson values his right-handed bat. Patrick is the type of athlete LSU covets.

It’s unclear whether any of them will start, but all three will have a role on next year’s team if they’re back. Their Louisiana roots alone suggest that they’ll stick around As for the pitchers, LSU would be wise to bring back its starting rotation. Casan Evans and William Schmidt struggled through most of their first years as starters, but both right-handers missed a lot of bats — Schmidt struck out 42 hitters in 52 SEC innings, while Evans had 51 punch-outs in 362/ 3 innings — and have the talent to be elite starters.

Johnson also has said Cooper Moore will return. The Kansas transfer is draft-eligible in a couple of months, but the elbow fracture that sidelined him for most of the year opened the door for his return.

In the bullpen, Danny Lachenmayer said that he’ll be back in 2027, but LSU is still on track to lose a bunch of high-leverage arms.

Zac Cowan and Grant Fontenot are out of eligibility. Deven Sheerin, Gavin Guidry, Santiago Garcia and Mavrick Rizy — a draft-eligible sophomore — could be selected in the MLB draft.

Ethan Plog, Cooper Williams,

Zion Theophilus, Reagan Ricken, Marcos Paz and Jonah Aase are the remaining arms who are not draft-eligible. Paz’s talent and surge into the starting rotation put him at the forefront of Johnson’s retention list. Ricken’s athleticism and strong final outing against Florida mean he’s likely a player Johnson will want to keep in 2027.

Offseason needs Third base and all three outfield spots are obvious needs.

LSU never found a strong everyday option at third this year, rotating through Trent Caraway, Pearson, Seth Dardar, Tanner Reaves and Brayden Simpson. Finding a defensive upgrade for that spot should be a top priority, even if Pearson showed some promising flashes at the plate.

Three outfield starters are set to depart. Theoretically, Braun could occupy one of those spots, but the progress he made at first base means he’ll likely stay on the infield.

Johnson wants to infuse more defense, speed and athleticism into his position player group for next season. These four positions are where he can best imprint those traits onto the roster.

Shortstop could also be a major need, depending on what Steven Milam decides to do in July. He won’t be picked in the first round, but he had a strong finish to the year at the plate and was one of the best defensive shortstops in the nation.

Second base could be Ruckert’s to lose, depending on how Johnson views the progress he made this spring. LSU will, at the very least, look to add some depth at that position.

On the mound, Johnson will need to replace his high-leverage arms and potentially retool his left-handed relief group. Replacements for Cowan and Sheerin — elite relievers who can throw multiple innings — are a big need.

Transfer portal approach LSU got burned in the portal last offseason. Most of Johnson’s additions didn’t pan out, and Moore’s season-ending injury cost the Tigers their top transfer for most of the year.

But what Johnson can’t do is overcorrect his mistakes and ignore the portal. LSU will need veteran free agents to fill key roster needs, especially in the lineup.

The Tigers will need a third base-

man and at least two outfielders out of the portal. If Milam goes, they’ll also need a veteran shortstop. LSU will have to grab at least a few pitchers from the market as well.

LSU has a lot of needs. A big freshman class won’t be enough to mask them all.

Signees’ outlook LSU has 24 players committed to its 2026 class, 11 of whom cracked the top 150 of MLB.com’s draft rankings.

That means there’s a good chance that a chunk of LSU’s class never gets to campus. Of those 11 high school signees in MLB.com’s list, five cracked the top 100. Left-hander Logan Schmidt, right-hander Jensen Hirschkorn and first baseman Will Adams lead the way as top100 players in MLB, ESPN and The Athletic’s draft rankings.

The eight other commits who could realistically sign in July are outfielders Malachi Washington, Anthony Murphy and Nathaneal Davis; right-handers Kolby Stringer and Cooper Sides; left-hander Lucas Nawrocki; first baseman Dominic Santarelli; and shortstop CJ Weinstein.

Among that group, Weinstein may be the most likely to arrive on campus. He attended the same high school as Derek Curiel, and MLB.com reported that scouts question how willing he’ll be to sign during the draft.

Feeling a draft Curiel, Jake Brown and Sheerin are the most likely names to go in the MLB draft. Curiel is destined for the first round, while Brown will likely land in the second.

Sheerin is a top-90 prospect in ESPN’s draft rankings thanks to his premium fastball velocity and funky delivery.

Milam’s strong finish at the plate likely means he’ll be off to professional baseball as well. He hit .308 with a .949 OPS in conference play.

Out of the bullpen, Guidry, Rizy and Garcia are three names to watch. Their ERAs weren’t pretty, but they have traits that will allow them to get drafted in July if they choose to sign.

Guidry improved his fastball velocity and has a vast arsenal of pitches. Rizy is 6-foot-9 and throws hard. Garcia’s breaking ball and velocity from the left-handed side should help him get drafted in the first 10 rounds.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOHN RAOUX

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell answers questions at a news conference at the football owners’ meetings on Tuesday in Orlando, Fla.

DUNCAN

Continued from page 1C unwavering philosophical North Star — protect the shield at all costs.

Rozelle recognized the math from the outset. He knew that big-market giants in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles possessed an inherent economic advantage over small-market franchises in Green Bay, Kansas City and New Orleans. He leveled the playing field by splitting TV revenue equally, betting everything on the idea that competitive balance on the field was the true lifeblood of the business.

That one-for-all, all-for-one mindset allowed the NFL to mushroom into a cultural Goliath that dominates the American entertainment landscape.

As Jim Kensil, the NFL’s longtime PR executive, once noted: “Pete Rozelle knew that, for the strength of the league, they had to share the money equally or the league would go to hell.”

“Gone to hell” is a pretty fair description of the current college football landscape.

It reminds me of a story about current NFL commissioner

Roger Goodell. During a private meeting, he was asked why the league insists on such onerous rules for player safety. Had the league gone too far in its efforts to protect quarterbacks and defenseless receivers?

Goodell’s reply was telling: “If I didn’t, the players would kill each other.”

In other words, in a highly competitive environment, someone has to look out for the enterprise’s best interests. Left to their own devices, competitors will destroy themselves.

If college football is going to insist on stealing the NFL’s blueprint, it needs to learn the baseline lesson that made it work: Unchecked self-interest is a threat to the whole enterprise. The Michigans and Georgias need the Iowa States and Dukes just as the Cowboys and Rams need the Titans and Colts.

College football is racing toward the NFL model at full speed but is skipping the part that keeps the machine from flying apart. It is desperately begging for strong leadership and structural guardrails.

More than anything, it needs its own Pete Rozelle — now more than ever.

4C ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

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Rosenqvist wins closest Indy 500 finish in history

BY MICHAEL MAROT Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Felix Rosenqvist swung to the outside of David Malukas, then found a way past the Team Penske driver to win the closest Indianapolis 500 in history by a margin of 0.0233 seconds on Sunday.

Malukas looked like he was in position to win when he passed race leader Marcus Armstrong off the final restart with one lap to go while Meyer Shank Racing teammates Rosenqvist and Armstrong battled wheel to wheel down the back straightaway and through the fourth and final turn.

But Rosenqvist had just enough power to pull away from Armstrong and snake behind Malukas before making the decisive outside pass in the final 50 feet.

The closest previous finish came in 1992 when Al Unser Jr. beat Scott Goodyear across the yard of bricks by 0.043 seconds.

“The last five years I’ve been in the front and I’ve had a good enough car to probably win it, but today there was just something more,” said Rosenqvist, who had

been fast all month. “It was an absolute rocket this month and year; it was still there in the race.”

It was Rosenqvist’s second career win in 120 IndyCar races and comes after the recent birth of his first child. His last win was on July 12, 2020, at Road America, making this his first win on an oval. Rosenqvist joins Kenny Brack and Marcus Ericsson as the only Swedes to win the race.

The wild finish began with a red flag that came out with seven laps to go because of a scary crash involving Indy 500 rookie Caio Collet. Flames billowed out of the side of his car as it skidded to a stop in the grass.

When racing resumed after a 10-minute delay, Armstrong and Malukas sped past the top two cars — Rosenqvist and Pato O’Ward. But with 31/2 laps left, the yellow flag came out again when Mick Schumacher, the son of seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher, brushed the wall in Turn 2.

On the final restart, Lap 200, Malukas sling-shotted his way past Armstrong for the lead and started pulling away from the

two Meyer Shank Racing drivers.

But Rosenqvist finally caught the Team Penske driver to win the biggest race of his career in the same month he became a father.

Malukas said he couldn’t think of what else he could have done to hang on to the lead.

“I was given two options: either I lift or I crash with Felix,” said Armstrong, who finished fifth.

“I chose to lift. I don’t know if I could have done anything different.”

As Rosenqvist celebrated by sipping milk, then dumping it over his head, Malukas, a 24-yearold American, was consoled by his father in pit lane.

Malukas’ teammate Scott McLaughlin was third, and Rosenqvist’s best friend in racing, O’Ward, was fourth. O’Ward had two runner-up finishes and a third place in the past four years.

“I just don’t know what else we could have done,” Malukas said.

“We were driving 150% that whole time. We had the fastest car out there, loved that whole race. It was ours to win and I knew that, so I just never pushed like that my whole life.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Felix Rosenqvist, center, celebrates after winning the Indianapolis 500 on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. The Swede edged past David Malukas, winning by 0.0233 seconds.

IndyCar Indianapolis 500 Results Sunday

At Indianapolis Motor Speedway Indianapolis Lap length: 2.5 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (4) Felix Rosenqvist, Dallara-Honda, 200 laps, Running.

2. (3) David Malukas, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

3. (9) Scott McLaughlin, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

4. (6) Pato O’Ward, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

5. (16) Marcus Armstrong, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

6. (11) Rinus VeeKay, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

7. (1) Alex Palou, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

8. (5) Santino Ferrucci, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

9. (24) Romain Grosjean, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

10. (12) Takuma Sato, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

11. (20) Nolan Siegel, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

12. (8) Conor Daly, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

13. (17) Marcus Ericsson, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

14. (7) Kyffin Simpson, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

15. (10) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

16. (25) Kyle Kirkwood, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running.

17. (18) Christian Lundgaard, Dallara-Chevrolet, 200, Running.

18. (27) Mick Schumacher, 200, Running.

19. (29) Dennis Hauger, 199, Running.

20. (28) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running.

21. (21) Louis Foster, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running.

22. (33) Jack Harvey, Dallara-Chevrolet, 199, Running.

23. (31) Sting Ray Robb, Dallara-Chevrolet, 199, Running.

24. (30) Jacob Abel, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running.

25. (14) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 194, Did not finish.

26. (32) Caio Collet, 191, Did not finish.

27. (15) Christian Rasmussen, DallaraChevrolet, 144, Did not finish.

28. (23) Josef Newgarden, Dallara-Chevrolet, 124, Did not finish.

29. (19) Will Power, Dallara-Chevrolet, 91,

Did not finish.

30. (2) Alexander Rossi, Dallara-Chevrolet, 91, Did not finish.

31. (13) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Chevrolet, 26, Did not finish.

32. (22) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Chevrolet, 17, Did not finish.

33. (26) Katherine Legge, 17, Did not finish.

Race Statistics Average Speed of Winner: 162.021 mph.

Time of Race: 03:05:09.6471.

Margin of Victory: 0.0233 seconds.

Cautions: 7 for 51 laps.

Lead changes: 70 among 14 drivers.

Lap leaders: Rossi 1, Palou 2-4, Rossi 5, Palou 6, Rossi 7, Palou 8, Rossi 9, Palou 10-11, Rossi 12, Palou 13-16, Rossi 17, Palou 18-19, VeeKay 20-25, Grosjean 26, VeeKay 27-28, Grosjean 29-30, Collet 31-39, Daly 40, Palou 41-61, Dixon 62, Rasmussen 63-65, Palou 66-68, Dixon 69, Palou 70-71, Dixon 72, Palou 73, Dixon 74, Palou 75, Dixon 76, Palou 77, Dixon 78, Palou 79, Dixon 80, Palou 81, Dixon 82, Palou 83, Dixon 84, Palou 85, Dixon 86.

Points: Palou 237, Kirkwood 210, Malukas 185, Lundgaard 182, Newgarden 162, Dixon 148, O’Ward 148, Rahal 141, McLaughlin 141, Armstrong 123.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TONy GUTIERREZ

Wyndham Clark watches his shot out of a hazard on the 10th fairway during the final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament on Sunday in McKinney, Texas.

Clark’s 60 dazzles as he wins Byron Nelson

BY SCHUYLER DIXON AP sportswriter

McKINNEY,Texas —Wyndham Clark’s come-from-behind win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson was pretty much in hand when he decided to aim for the pin anyway on the final hole.

After that approach shot inside 3 feet, he became the first PGA Tour player to win twice with a closing 60.

The 2023 U.S. Open champion shot 11 under on Sunday, overtaking Si Woo Kim by three and pulling away from reigning champion Scottie Scheffler after starting the day tied with the top-ranked hometown favorite.

Clark didn’t know he was shooting a closing 60 for the win the first time he did it, in 2024 at Pebble Beach. There was supposed to be a final round the next day, but it was wiped out by weather. Clark was declared the winner when officials decided not to play Monday.

One other difference came to mind for Clark, who shot 30-under 254 and had a 28 on the back nine at the revamped but still vulnerable TPC Craig Ranch, about 30 miles north of Dallas.

Two years ago, Clark had an eagle putt for 59 on the iconic 18th green at Pebble Beach but settled for birdie. This time — in his first victory since then — Clark closed with four birdies over five holes, including that short capper at 18.

Clark’s ninth birdie matched Kim’s 60 from the second round when the 30-year-old South Korean was in position to shoot 59 but bogeyed the final hole. Kim, who started the final round with a two-stroke lead, shot 65 to finish 27 under.

“I look at Pebble, it was amazing, but that one, I was so close to shooting 59. At that golf course, that would have been just epic,” Clark said after his fourth PGA Tour win.

“This one, really 59 wasn’t necessarily in the cards. I’m just really proud of myself that I didn’t waver and I didn’t sit back and just try to hit to 20 feet and kind of leak my way in there. I was still very aggressive.”

Despite the addition of bunkers and significant changes to the contour of the greens on the Lanny Wadkins-led redesign, Clark was just one shot off Scheffler’s winning score of a year ago. Scheffler’s 31 under tied the tour’s 72hole scoring record of 253.

“I felt pretty comfortable, but I knew I had to put the pedal to the

metal and keep making birdies,” Clark said. “I made more than I thought I was going to make, that’s for sure.”

Clark went in front for the first time in the final round with an eagle at the par-5 12th and twice took two-shot leads with clutch birdie putts over the final four holes.

The 32-year-old had an emphatic first pump after his 45-foot birdie putt at the par-3 15th. Clark was a little more reserved, but pumping a fist nonetheless after another birdie 2, this one at the No. 17 stadium hole.

A few minutes after Clark’s long putt at 15, Kim was a shot behind when his 44-footer on the same hole slid by the right side of the cup. The deficit was two when Kim couldn’t match Clark’s birdie at 17.

“I think if I keep knocking on the door, something’s coming,” said Kim, a four-time tour winner looking for his first victory since 2023 at Waialae. “I think it’s pretty much best play golf I’ve ever had.

I’m a little frustrated, but nothing I can do. Wyndham played so good.”

Scheffler, who matched Kim’s 65 and was 25 under, briefly was tied for the lead on Saturday, but never caught Kim — his partner in the final pairing — or Clark one group ahead after the second hole in the final round.

The four-time major winner was two shots behind Kim and Clark at the short par-4 sixth when his second shot hit the pin and spun away after it bounced, ending up 54 feet away. Scheffler settled for par on a hole Kim and Clark birdied.

Jackson Suber was a career-best fourth, shooting 63 to finish 23 under. Keith Mitchell shot 64 and was a stroke back in fifth.

Brooks Koepka, still looking for his first win since rejoining the PGA Tour from LIV Golf, shot 68.

Jordan Spieth, the other hometown favorite alongside Scheffler, bounced back with a 66 and finished 15 under a day after fading from contention with a 73.

Scheffler almost became the only PGA Tour player since at least 1983 to go an entire tournament without a score of 5 or higher. That ended with his par 5 on 12, when he went bunker to bunker with his first two shots and missed a 12-foot birdie putt. It was his only 5.

“No,” Scheffler said when asked if he was aware. “But you know around this place, what did Wyndham finish out, around 30 under? If you’re going to play 30 under, you can’t be making too many 5s.”

Legge’s bid to complete racing’s Leader of the pack ‘Double’ ends with early crash

BY MICHAEL MAROT Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS — Katherine Legge’s attempt to become the first woman to complete “The Double” — racing 1,100 miles spread out over two tracks on one day — ended quickly Sunday when she crashed in the Indianapolis 500.

The English driver completed just 17 of the scheduled 200 laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s iconic 2.5mile oval before she ran into the car of Ryan Hunter-Reay, knocking both cars out of the race.

Legge H u n t e r- R e a y started spinning in the second turn and braked hard to keep his car off the wall, and the trailing Legge steered inside to try to avoid the 2013 Indy 500 winner.

But as smoke emerged from both braking cars, Legge’s car hit the inside wall.

“I’m fine, just gutted more

than anything,” she said after being checked and released at the track’s infield medical center. “Ryan spun in front of me, I think he was battling his car for a minute, I was just chilling, trying to save fuel and he spun down the track and started coming up the track, so I tried to go low and just didn’t make it.”

Legge is the sixth driver ever to attempt “The Double,” paring the Indy 500 with NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 in North Carolina, but the only one to complete it is three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart in 2001.

It’s been a week full of bad luck for Legge. Her flight from New York to Indianapolis was delayed, causing her to miss Indy’s annual media day. Then she had communications trouble in Friday’s final 500 practice, and after flying to Charlotte on Saturday, Coca-Cola 600 qualifying was rained out.

“Hopefully, we get all of the travel woes out of the way now before the weekend, and this weekend goes smoothly,” Legge told The Associated Press on

Thursday.

Her fortunes briefly looked like they might have changed when the speedway dodged the predicted prerace rain, allowing the race to begin on time. Then came the tangle with HunterReay, who was also was checked and released by IndyCar’s medical team.

“It was super tough out there,” Hunter-Reay said. “The whole time I was trying to keep it off the wall. Just super disappointing. That’s the busiest I’ve been around here in 16 years. I was trying to keep it off the wall the whole time and finally, one of those wiggles didn’t come back in Turn 2.”

At the 500, crashes and bad weather have been a theme in each of the past three “Double” attempts. A rain-delayed Indy start prevented two-time NASCAR champion Kyle Larson from making it to Charlotte in time for the start in 2024, and Larson crashed out of both races last year after another rain-delayed start in Indy.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT KELLEy

Kyle Larson leads a pack of cars into Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series race on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. The race ended after press time.

SPORTS

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The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 5C

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Sprinter says he’s clean for Enhanced Games

BY EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Sprinter Fred Kerley revealed that he is not taking performance enhancers as he embarks on the next phase of a career that officially kicked off Sunday at the Enhanced Games, where drugs are allowed.

Another surprise: The 2022 world champion at 100 meters, banned from the regular track circuit until August 2027 for missing tests required by a system he portrayed as disrespectful and intrusive, has every intention of being on another starting line.

“I will compete at the LA Olympics in 2028,” he said.

When Kerley signed onto the Enhanced Games roster, he became their most recognizable name and gave the new enterprise a headliner it had been missing.

Some six months later came his two-year ban by the Athletics Integrity Unit for missing tests, a violation of the antidoping code that doesn’t necessarily mean an athlete is taking drugs.

The 31-year-old Kerley, who bet on himself after the COVID-19 pandemic when he successfully gave up the 400-meter grind for the 100-meter straightaway, insisted it was the multimillion-dollar contract, not the prospect of taking performance enhancers, that led him to the breakaway league.

“I don’t need it,” he said. “God gave me fast feet for a reason. I’m here to showcase my talent. You still have to work. Drugs aren’t

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By Ty ONEIL

Athlete Fred Kerley speaks at a news conference ahead of the Enhanced Games on Friday in Las Vegas. going to give you an advantage if you’re not putting the work in.”

Agency, which still keeps a list of active athletes who could return to traditional events.

Doping control officers on hand “There’s a lot of scrutiny, not Most of the 50 athletes who com- only against me but against the Enpeted in track, swimming and hanced Games,” Armstrong said. weightlifting are taking perfor- “I want them to test me because mance enhancers under the watch- I don’t want there to be a single ful eye of doctors and trainers. A doubt that I’m a man of my word.” few, like Kerley and Olympic goldmedal relay swimmer Hunter Kerley says he will be ‘fast’ Armstrong, say they are not.

Kerley, who has a reputation as a Rick Adams, the former chief man of few words, has spent large of sport performance for the U.S. parts of 2026 using his social media Olympic team whose move to be- feed to rip into antidoping authoricome an executive for Enhanced ties, while teasing that a 9.4-secalso gave the enterprise a greater ond run could be possible. He has sense of legitimacy, said doping turned himself into maybe track’s control officers are on hand in most intriguing character this side Las Vegas this weekend, testing of Sha’Carri Richardson. on behalf of the U.S. Anti-Doping Ahead of the games, Kerley

was asked if thought Usain Bolt’s 9.58-second world record could be broken Sunday — a feat worth $1 million, in addition to a $250,000 first prize? “It’s going to be destroyed,” Kerley said.

How fast does he think he can go?

“Fast.”

How fast? “Fast.”

Does he have a time in mind?

“Fast.”

When Kerley’s ban for missing tests was announced in March, the easy conclusion was that he didn’t care about testing anymore now that he was part of the Enhanced Games.

But the reason, he explained, had to do with the 24/7 whereabouts requirements in antidoping. In essence, athletes in the testing pool have to spell out where they’ll be at all times and give drug testers windows when they’ll be available.

When the ban came down, Kerley argued he had no intention of answering phone calls that looked like spam from Mexico while he was in the U.S. Those, apparently, were from doping control officers trying to track him down.

But, he says, despite the ban and despite his presence with Enhanced, he continues to be tested by the AIU and USADA. He says the move to Enhanced had nothing to do with taking drugs, everything to do with signing a contract that h≠e suggested on social media would take $12 million-plus to top.

Like so many in his sport, he has grown tired of shoe contracts that place too many obligations on ath-

letes and sometimes go away if an injury hits or times falter.

“We’re training, basically, 365, and it hasn’t changed from back in the day when all the greats were running,” Kerley said.

Bracy-Williams comeback Also set to run in the 100 was Marvin Bracy-Williams, whose own curious doping case resulted in what could have been a career-ending 45-month ban but instead led him to the Enhanced Games where he said he is, in fact, taking drugs.

Bracy-Williams, who finished second at worlds to Kerley by .02 seconds in 2022, conceded that his sudden disappearance from track in 2023 came because he was doping after a series of injuries.

He ended up providing information to authorities that led to the arrest of a Florida man, who faces up to 10 years in prison for violating a law passed in 2020 that allows U.S. authorities to prosecute doping crimes involving international events.

The reduced ban wasn’t enough to salvage the 2028 Olympic hopes of Bracy-Williams, now 32, so he jumped when he saw the chance to go to the Enhanced Games.

“We get in these situations where the treatment is good when you’re good,” Bracy-Williams said, referencing a $100,000 reduction in his contract that came if he failed to make a U.S. national team. “But when you’re in a place where you’re not doing so good, it just goes away, and sometimes, for some people, that can be hard.”

Judge’s walk-off homer ends frustrating offensive skid

BY LARRY FLEISHER

Judge ended a career-high 11-game slump without an RBI, hitting a two-run NEW YORK — Aaron Judge homer off Kevin Kelly in hit a fly to right field, briefly the ninth inning that lifted watched the ball go over the the New York Yankees over wall and dropped his bat at the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 first base before starting his Sunday for their first win in five games this year against trot.

Judge’s long home run their AL East rival.

“That’s just a great swing drought was over, and there was a celebration waiting from him,” manager Aaron Boone said. for him at the plate.

Associated Press

Judge hit his first homer and drove in his first runs since going deep in the first inning off Logan Henderson in Milwaukee on May 10. In between homers, Judge had gone 8 for 43 and the Yankees lost seven of 11 games.

“There’s no frustration, I got a job to do,” Judge said.

“Obviously I want to get the job done and help the team win and we weren’t win-

ning, so I was mad about that. But no homers, RBIs, you can find other ways to help your team win. So that’s what I was trying to do.”

Judge’s 363-foot drive into the wind would have been a home run in just three major league ballparks: Citizens Bank Park and Great American Ball Park are the others. It was his fourth

walk-off homer and first since 2022 when he hit three game-ending homers and 62 overall, one more than Roger Maris’ previous AL season record.

“It really feels like a matter of time,” Bellinger said.

“This game is so difficult.

He’s literally one of the best hitters of all-time, so it was just a short little period.”

Judge homered three

days after saying “I’m not doing nothing at the plate” to describe a 1-for-24 slide that dropped his average to .246. He ended Friday’s 4-2 loss with a 396-foot flyout to left fielder Chandler Simpson.

In a 1-for-24 slide and hitless in 15 at-bats, he singled in the first inning Sunday before getting doubled off on Ben Rice’s flyout.

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6C ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

SCOREBOARD Odds

Championship: No. 1 Seed Southern Miss 11, No. 7 UL 7

SEC tournament

NBA Monday FAVORITE New York

MLB

At Hoover, Ala. LINE 2½

O/U (217½)

UNDERDOG at CLEVELAND

Monday

American League FAVORITE LINE Tampa Bay -129 Minnesota -114 N.Y Yankees -154 at TEXAS -137 Seattle -116 National League FAVORITE LINE Chicago Cubs -114 at MILWAUKEE -215 at N.Y METS -162 at SAN FRAN. -145 Philadelphia -129 at LA DODGERS -287 Interleague FAVORITE LINE at CLEVELAND -179 at TORONTO -169

UNDERDOG at BALTIMORE at CHI. WS at KANSAS CITY Houston at ATHLETICS

LINE +109 -105 +128 +115 -104

UNDERDOG at PITTSBURGH St. Louis Cincinnati Arizona at SAN DIEGO Colorado

LINE -105 +177 +136 +121 +107 +232

UNDERDOG Washington Miami

LINE +148 +141

UNDERDOG at MONTREAL

LINE +114

NHL

Monday

FAVORITE Carolina

Tuesday’s games

First round Game 1: No. 16 Missouri 10, No. 9 Ole Miss 8 Game 2: No. 12 Vanderbilt 8, No. 13 Kentucky 5 Game 3: No. 10 Tennessee 11, No. 15 South Carolina 6 Game 4: No. 14 LSU 6, No. 11 Oklahoma 2

Wednesday’s games

Second round Game 5: No. 8 Miss. State 12, No. 16 Missouri 2 Game 6: No. 5 Florida 8, No. 12 Vanderbilt 3 Game 7: No. 7 Arkansas 8, No. 10 Tennessee 4 Game 8: No. 6 Auburn 3, No. 14 LSU 1

Thursday’s games

Quarterfinals Game 9: No. 1 Georgia 5, No. 8 Miss. State 3 Game 10: No. 5 Florida 13, No. 4 Alabama 3

Friday’s games

Game 11: No. 7 Arkansas 8, No. 2 Texas 1 Game 12: No. 6 Auburn 7, No. 3 Texas A&M 0

Saturday’s games

Game 13: No. 1 Georgia 8, No. 5 Florida 7 Game 14: No. 7 Arkansas 2, No. 6 Auburn 1

Sunday’s games

LINE -136

Pro basketball

At Birmingham, Ala.

(Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

Eastern Conference New York 3, Cleveland 0

Tuesday: New York 115, Cleveland 104, OT Thursday: New York 109, Cleveland 93 Saturday: New York 121, Cleveland 108 Monday: New York at Cleveland, 7 p.m. x-Wednesday, May 27: Cleveland at New York, TBA x-Friday, May 29: New York at Cleveland, TBA x-Sunday, May 31: Cleveland at New York, TBA

Western Conference Oklahoma City 2, San Antonio 1

Monday: San Antonio 122, Oklahoma City 115, 2OT Wednesday: Oklahoma City 122, San Antonio 113 Friday: Oklahoma City 123, San Antonio 108 Sunday: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, n Tuesday, May 26: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, TBA Thursday, May 28: Oklahoma City at San Antonio, TBA x-Saturday, May 30: San Antonio at Oklahoma City, TBA

WNBA glance

W 4 4 3 3 2 3 1

L 1 2 3 3 2 4 6

Pct .800 .667 .500 .500 .500 .429 .143

GB — ½ 1½ 1½ 1½ 2 4

Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Los Angeles Portland Seattle Phoenix

W 4 4 3 4 3 3 2 2

L 2 2 2 3 3 3 4 5

Pct .667 .667 .600 .571 .500 .500 .333 .286

GB — — ½ ½ 1 1 2 2½

Saturday’s games

Minnesota 85, Chicago 75 Portland 99, Toronto 80 Los Angeles 101, Las Vegas 95

Sunday’s games

Atlanta 82, Phoenix 80 Dallas 91, New York 76 Washington at Seattle, n

Monday’s games

Portland at New York, 8 p.m.

Connecticut at Golden State, 10 p.m.

Hockey NHL playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS (Best-of-7; x-if necessary)

EASTERN CONFERENCE Montreal 1, Carolina 1

Thursday: Montreal 6, Carolina 2 Saturday: Carolina 3, Montreal 2, OT Monday: Carolina at Montreal, 7 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE Vegas 2, Colorado 0

Wednesday: Vegas 4, Colorado 2 Friday: Vegas 3, Colorado 1 Sunday: Colorado at Vegas, n Tuesday: Colorado at Vegas, TBA

College softball Super regionals glance x — If necessary

LSU vs. Alabama

At Tuscaloosa, Ala. Friday: No. No. 1 Alabama 7, No. 4 LSU 0 Saturday: No. 1 Alabama 4, No. 4 LSU 1 No. 1 Alabama advances

Texas Tech vs. Florida

At Gainesville, Fla. Friday: No. 3 Texas Tech 10, No. 2 Florida 8 Saturday: No. 2 Florida 10, No. 3 Texas Tech 2 Sunday: No. 3 Texas Tech 16, No. 2 Florida 7 No. 3 Texas Tech advances

Duke vs. Arkansas

At Fayetteville, Ark. Friday: No. 2 Arkansas 14, No. 3 Duke 5 Saturday: No. 2 Arkansas 10, No. 3 Duke 2 No. 2 Arkansas advances

UCF vs. UCLA

At Los Angeles Friday: No. 2 UCLA 9, No. 6 UCF 1 Saturday: No. 2 UCLA 14, No. 6 UCF 4 No. 2 UCLA advances

Oklahoma St. vs. Nebraska

At Lincoln, Neb. Friday: No. 1 Nebraska 8, No. 4 Oklahoma St. 1 (postponed from Thursday) Saturday: No. 1 Nebraska 9, Oklahoma St. 1 No. 1 Nebraska advances

Arizona St. vs. Texas

At Austin, Texas Friday: No. 5 Arizona St. 4, No. 1 Texas 1 Saturday: No. 1 Texas 4, No. 5 Arizona St. 3 Sunday: No. 1 Texas 5, No. 5 Arizona St. 0 No. 1 Texas advances

Georgia vs. Tennessee

At Knoxville, Tenn.

Thursday: No. 2 Tennessee 1, No. 3 Georgia 1 Friday: No. 2 Tennessee 1, No. 3 Georgia 1; Tennessee advances

Mississippi St. vs. Oklahoma

At Norman, Okla.

Friday: No. 5 Mississippi St. 11, No. 1 Oklahoma 9 Saturday: No. 1 Oklahoma 7, No. 5 Mississippi St. 1 Sunday: No. 6 Mississippi State 6, No. 1 Oklahoma 0 No. 6 Miss. State advances

College baseball Sun Belt tournament Tuesday’s games

Game 1: No. 7 UL 11, No. 10 Marshall 1 Game 2: No. 9 Georgia State 17, No. 8 ODU 1

Wednesday’s games

Game 3: No. 6 Texas State 6, No. 3 App State 5 Game 4: No. 7 UL 12, No. 2 Coastal Carolina 11 Game 5: No. 1 Southern Miss. 7, No. 9 Georgia State 6

Thursday’s games

Game 6: No. 4 Troy 11, No. 5 South Alabama 3 Game 7: No. 2 Coastal Carolina 8, No. 3 App State 2 Game 8: No. 5 South Alabama 7, No. 9 Georgia State 4 Game 9: No. 6 Texas State 4, No. 7 UL 3

Friday’s games

Game 10: No. 1 Southern Miss 7, No. 4 Troy 6 Game 11: No. 7 UL 5, No. 2 Coastal Carolina 4

Saturday’s games

Game 12: No. 4 Troy 11 No. 5 South Alabama 10 Game 13: No. 7 UL 12, def. No. 6 Texas State 6 Game 14: No. 4 Troy 11, No. 1 Southern Miss 10 Game 15: No. 7 UL 12, No. 6 Seed Texas State 6

Sunday’s games

Game 1: No. 3 Florida A&M 8, No. 6 Texas Southern 6 Game 2: No. 4 Alabama State 10, No. 5 Grambling 0 Game 3: No. 2 Southern 4, No. 7 Jackson State 3, 10 innings Game 4: No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6, No. 1 Bethune-Cookman 4

Thursday’s games

Game 5: No. 6 Texas Southern 8, No. 7 Jackson State 7 Game 6: No. 1 Bethune-Cookman 7, No. 5 Grambling 6 Game 7: No. 3 Florida A&M 15, No. 2 Southern 6

Friday’s games

Game 8: No. 4 Alabama State 8, No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 7 Game 9: No. 2 Southern 6, No. 6 Texas Southern 4

Saturday’s games

Game 10: No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13, No. 1 Bethune-Cookman 8 Game 11: No. 3 Florida A&M 5, No. 2 Southern 1 Game 12: No. 4. Alabama State 8, No. 8 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 5

Sunday’s games

Game 13: No. 3 Florida A&M, No. 4. Alabama State, n

Atlanta Indiana Chicago New York Washington Toronto Connecticut

WESTERN CONFERENCE

SWAC tournament Wednesday’s games First round

NBA playoffs CONFERENCE FINALS

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Championship Game 15: No. 1 Georgia 11, No. 7 Arkansas 1

Game 16: No. 1 Southern Miss 6, No. 4 Troy 2

Pro tennis French Open results Sunday

At Stade Roland Garros Paris Purse: €28,900,000 Surface: Red clay

Men’s Singles

First Round James Duckworth, Australia, def. Gabriel Diallo, Canada, 6-3, 4-1, ret.

Miomir Kecmanovic, Serbia, def. Fabian Marozsan, Hungary, 7-6 (0), 6-3, 6-4.

Karen Khachanov (13), Russia, def. Arthur Gea, France, 6-3, 7-6 (3), 6-0.

Marco Trungelliti, Argentina, def. Kyrian Jacquet, France, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Thiago Agustin Tirante, Argentina, def.

Pablo Llamas Ruiz, Spain, 6-3, 7-6 (6), 6-7 (5), 6-0.

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (21), Spain, def.

Damir Dzumhur, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 6-7 (3), 6-3, 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Tomas Machac, Czechia, def. Zizou Bergs, Belgium, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3.

Alexander Zverev (2), Germany, def. Benjamin Bonzi, France, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Jakub Mensik (26), Czechia, def. Titouan Droguet, France, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Dino Prizmic, Croatia, def. Michael Zheng, United States, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.

Nuno Borges, Portugal, def. Tomas Martin Etcheverry (23), Argentina, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Federico Cina, Italy, def. Reilly Opelka, United States, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4.

Alexander Blockx, Belgium, def. Coleman Wong, Hong Kong, China, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Joao Fonseca (28), Brazil, def. Luka Pavlovic, France, 7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-2.

Quentin Halys, France, def. Mattia Bellucci, Italy, 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3.

Hamad Medjedovic, Serbia, def. Yannick Hanfmann, Germany, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4.

Nishesh Basavareddy, United States, def.

Taylor Fritz (7), United States, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-7 (9), 6-1.

Valentin Royer, France, def. Hugo Dellien, Bolivia, 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

Novak Djokovic (3), Serbia, def. Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, France, 5-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.

Women’s Singles

First Round Marie Bouzkova (27), Czechia, def. Lucia Bronzetti, Italy, 6-3, 6-1.

Marta Kostyuk (15), Ukraine, def. Oksana Selekhmeteva, Russia, 6-2, 6-3.

Wang Xinyu (32), China, def. Lilli Tagger, Austria, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Belinda Bencic (11), Switzerland, def. Sinja Kraus, Austria, 6-2, 6-3.

Caty McNally, United States, def. Ajla Tomljanovic, Australia, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3.

Katie Volynets, United States, def. Clara Burel, France, 6-3, 6-1.

Yuliia Starodubtseva, Ukraine, def. Anna Blinkova, Russia, 6-3, 6-1.

Wang Xiyu, China, def. Danka Kovinic, Montenegro, 6-3, 6-1.

Magda Linette, Poland, def. Tereza Valentova, Czechia, 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (9).

Hailey Baptiste (26), United States, def.

Barbora Krejcikova, Czechia, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (6), 6-2.

Tamara Korpatsch, Germany, def. Sara Sorribes Tormo, Spain, 6-4, 6-2.

Magdalena Frech, Poland, def. Elena-Gabriela Ruse, Romania, 7-6 (5), 2-1, ret.

Mirra Andreeva (8), Russia, def. Fiona Ferro, France, 6-3, 6-3.

Francesca Jones, Britain, def. Beatriz Haddad Maia, Brazil, 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Solana Sierra, Argentina, def. Emma Raducanu, Britain, 6-0, 7-6 (4).

Sara Bejlek, Czechia, def. Sloane Stephens, United States, 6-3, 6-2.

Peyton Stearns, United States, def. Sofia Kenin, United States, 6-3, 6-3.

Daria Snigur, Ukraine, def. Clara Tauson (21), Denmark, 3-6, 7-5, 6-2.

Marina Bassols Ribera, Spain, def. Emiliana Arango, Colombia, 6-3, 6-4.

Sorana Cirstea (18), Romania, def. Ksenia Efremova, France, 6-3, 6-1.

Pro golf Sunday

At TPC Craig Ranch McKinney, Texas Purse: $10.3 million Yardage: 7,385; Par: 71 Wyndham Clark 66-63-65-60—254 Si Woo Kim 64-60-68-65—257 Scottie Scheffler 66-63-65-65—259 Jackson Suber 68-61-69-63—261 Keith Mitchell 64-66-68-64—262 Zachary Bauchou 67-64-66-67—264 Tony Finau 67-63-69-65—264 Tom Hoge 68-62-66-68—264 Max Greyserman 71-62-65-67—265 Sungjae Im 68-61-67-69—265 Stephan Jaeger 64-68-64-69—265 John Keefer 66-69-67-63—265 Jesper Svensson 63-72-65-65—265 Blades Brown 66-68-65-67—266 Brooks Koepka 63-69-66-68—266 Taylor Moore 62-69-69-66—266 Ben Silverman 68-66-67-66—267 Seung-Yul Noh 67-66-67-68—268 Pierceson Coody 68-65-69-67—269 A.J. Ewart 66-67-70-66—269 Steven Fisk 69-64-67-69—269 Garrick Higgo 69-67-70-63—269 Kensei Hirata 64-65-70-70—269 Ryo Hisatsune 67-68-65-69—269 Rico Hoey 67-66-68-68—269 Peter Malnati 69-65-67-68—269 R. Neergaard-Petersen 66-66-68-69—269 Seamus Power 66-65-71-67—269 Jordan Spieth 68-62-73-66—269

-30 -27 -25 -23 -22 -20 -20 -20 -19 -19 -19 -19 -19 -18 -18 -18 -17 -16 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15 -15

National League glance

American League glance East Division 66-67-66-70—269 66-66-71-67—270 68-67-70-65—270 65-69-69-67—270 66-67-69-68—270 67-66-68-69—270 68-64-71-67—270 68-65-68-69—270 64-69-70-68—271 66-65-71-69—271 64-66-72-70—272 65-71-65-71—272 66-66-70-70—272 67-69-67-69—272 66-70-67-69—272 66-70-69-67—272 67-65-69-71—272 69-67-70-67—273 66-67-69-71—273 67-69-68-69—273 68-68-67-70—273 68-66-70-69—273 67-67-71-68—273 68-65-69-71—273 68-66-69-71—274 68-67-68-71—274 68-67-69-70—274 67-67-68-72—274 68-68-71-67—274 67-69-69-70—275 67-66-73-69—275 67-67-70-71—275 68-66-71-71—276 70-65-69-72—276 65-68-71-72—276 71-65-69-71—276 65-69-72-71—277 65-69-74-71—279 67-67-71-74—279 70-65-72-73—280

-15 -14 -14 -14 -14 -14 -14 -14 -13 -13 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -12 -11 -11 -11 -11 -11 -11 -11 -10 -10 -10 -10 -10 -9 -9 -9 -8 -8 -8 -8 -7 -5 -5 -4

Auto racing F1 Canadian Grand Prix results Sunday

At Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Montreal, QC, Quebec.

Lap length: 4.00 kilometers (Start position in parentheses) 1. (2) Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Italy, Mercedes, 68 laps, 1:28:15.758, 25 points.

2. (5) Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Ferrari, 68, +10.768 seconds, 18.

3. (6) Max Verstappen, Netherlands, Red Bull Racing, 68, +11.276, 15.

4. (8) C. Leclerc, Monaco, Ferr., 68, +44.151, 12.

5. (7) I. Hadjar, France, Red Bull Racing, 67, 1L, 10.

6. (10) F. Colapinto, Argentina, Alpine, 67, 1L, 8.

7. (12) Liam Lawson, New Zealand, Racing Bulls, 67, 1L, 6.

8. (14) Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, 67, 1L, 4.

9. (15) C. Sainz Jr., Spain, Williams, 67, 1L, 2.

10. (16) O. Bearman, England, Haas, 67, 1L, 1.

11. (4) O. Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 66, 2L. 12. (11) Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Audi F1 Team, 66, 2L. 13. (13) Gabriel Bortoleto, Brazil, Audi F1 Team, 66, 2L. 14. (17) Esteban Ocon, France, Haas, 66, 2L. 15. (22) L. Stroll, Canada, Aston Martin, 64, 4L. 16. (21) V. Bottas, Finland, Cadillac, 64, 4L. 17. (20) Sergio Perez, Mexico, Cadillac, did not finish, 39, 29L. 18. (3) Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren, did not finish, 38, 30L. 19. (1) George Russell, Great Britain, Mercedes, did not finish, 29, 39L. 20. (19) Fernando Alonso, Spain, Aston Martin, did not finish, 23, 45L. 21. (18) Alexander Albon, Thailand, Williams, did not finish, 11, 57L.

Driver standings

1. A. Kimi Antonelli, Italy, Mercedes, 131 points.

2. George Russell, Great Britain, Mercedes, 88.

3. Charles Leclerc, Monaco, Ferrari, 75.

4. Lewis Hamilton, Great Britain, Ferrari, 72.

5. Lando Norris, Great Britain, McLaren, 58.

6. Oscar Piastri, Australia, McLaren, 48.

7. M. Verstappen, Neth., Red Bull Racing, 43.

8. Pierre Gasly, France, Alpine, 20.

9. Oliver Bearman, England, Haas, 18.

10. L. Lawson, New Zealand, Racing Bulls, 16.

11. Franco Colapinto, Argentina, Alpine, 15.

12. Isack Hadjar, France, Red Bull Racing, 14.

12. Carlos Sainz Jr., Spain, Williams, 6.

14. Arvid Lindblad, Great Britain, Racing Bulls, 5.

15. Gabriel Bortoleto, Brazil, Audi F1 Team, 2.

16. Esteban Ocon, France, Haas, 1.

17. Alexander Albon, Thailand, Williams, 1.

Manufacturers standings

1. Mercedes, 219.

2. Ferrari, 147.

3. McLaren, 106.

4. Red Bull Racing, 57.

5. Alpine, 35.

6. Racing Bulls, 21.

7. Haas, 19.

8. Williams, 7.

9. Audi F1 Team, 2.

10. Aston Martin, 0.

11. Cadillac, 0.

NASCAR-O’Reilly Charbroil 300 Results Saturday

At Charlotte Motor Speedway Concord, N.C. Lap length: 1.50 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (14) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 91 laps, 0 points.

2. (17) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 91, 49.

3. (6) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 91, 42.

4. (7) William Sawalich, Toyota, 91, 40.

5. (2) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 91, 45.

6. (5) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 91, 0.

7. (9) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 91, 34.

8. (29) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 91, 0.

9. (24) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 91, 30.

10. (10) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 91, 31.

11. (8) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 91, 26.

12. (31) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 91, 25.

13. (13) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 91, 24.

14. (21) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 91, 23.

15. (30) Leland Honeyman, Chevrolet, 91, 0.

16. (16) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 91, 21.

17. (37) Lavar Scott, Chevrolet, 91, 20.

18. (23) Patrick Staropoli, Chevrolet, 91, 19.

19. (22) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 91, 18.

20. (36) David Starr, Chevrolet, 91, 17.

21. (27) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 91, 16.

22. (35) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 91, 15.

23. (28) Joey Gase, Chevrolet, 91, 14.

24. (33) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 91, 13.

25. (26) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 91, 12.

26. (32) Nathan Byrd, Chevrolet, 91, 11.

27. (11) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 91, 10.

28. (20) Andrew Patterson, Chevrolet, 91, 9.

29. (1) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 91, 17.

30. (15) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 90, 7.

31. (25) Taylor Gray, Toyota, accident, 73, 6.

32. (12) S. Creed, Chevrolet, accident, 73, 6.

33. (34) D. Cram, Chevrolet, engine, 72, 4.

34. (38) JJ Yeley, Chevrolet, fuelpump, 64, 3.

35. (4) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 62, 6.

36. (3) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, accident, 61, 7.

Transactions BASEBALL

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson par scores

Final Round

Erik Van Rooyen Luke Clanton Eric Cole Doug Ghim Mark Hubbard Chris Kirk Mac Meissner Sam Ryder Emiliano Grillo Chan Kim Tyler Duncan Austin Eckroat Luke List Matthieu Pavon Adrien Saddier Neal Shipley Camilo Villegas Daniel Brown Patrick Fishburn Fabian Gomez Justin Lower John Parry Taylor Pendrith Patrick Rodgers Charley Hoffman Jeffrey Kang Tom Kim Troy Merritt Adam Svensson Jonathan Byrd Chad Ramey Jordan L. Smith Yongjun Bae Rasmus Hojgaard Hank Lebioda Thorbjorn Olesen Mackenzie Hughes Lanto Griffin John VanDerLaan Zac Blair

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Major League Baseball American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Reinstated LHP Grant Wolfram from the 15-day IL. BOSTON RED SOX — Reinstated LHP Danny Coulombe from the 15-day IL. Optioned LHP Tyler Samaniego to Worcester (IL).

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Designated RHP Peyton Pallette for assignment.

Recalled LHP Logan Allen from Columbus (IL).

DETROIT TIGERS — Placed LHP Brant Hurter on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 23. Recalled LHP Drew Sommers and RHP Ricky Vanasco from Toledo (IL).

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Placed RF Jonny DeLuca on the 10-day IL, retroactive to May 23. Recalled CF Victor Mesa Jr. from Durham (IL).

National League CHICAGO CUBS — Placed RHP Edward Cabrera on the 15-day IL, retroactive to May 21. Recalled LHP Jordan Wicks from Iowa (IL).

CINCINNATI REDS — Optioned RHP Chase Petty to Louisville (IL).

COLORADO ROCKIES — Sent RHP Ryan Feltner on a rehab assignment to Albuquerque (PCL).

MILWAUKEE BREWERS — Recalled RHP Carlos Rodriguez from Nashville (IL). Optioned LHP Robert Gasser to Nashville.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS — Recalled LHP Brycen Mautz from Memphis (IL). Optioned RHPs Ryan Fernandez and Matt Svanson to Memphis.

WASHINGTON NATIONALS — Placed RHP Jake Irvin on the 15-day IL. Recalled LHP PJ Poulin from Rochester (IL).

Tampa Bay New York Toronto Baltimore Boston

W 34 31 25 23 22

L 16 22 28 29 30

Pct .680 .585 .472 .442 .423

GB — 4½ 10½ 12 13

W 32 26 26 22 20

L 23 26 27 31 33

Pct .582 .500 .491 .415 .377

GB — 4½ 5 9 11

W 27 24 25 23 19

L 26 27 29 31 34

Pct .509 .471 .463 .426 .358

GB — 2 2½ 4½ 8

Central Division Cleveland Chicago Minnesota Kansas City Detroit

West Division Athletics Texas Seattle Houston Los Angeles

Saturday’s games

Houston 3, Chicago Cubs 0 Toronto 5, Pittsburgh 2 Kansas City 5, Seattle 0 Philadelphia 3, Cleveland 0 San Francisco 10, Chicago White Sox 3 Minnesota 4, Boston 2 San Diego 2, Athletics 0 L.A. Angels 5, Texas 2 Detroit at Baltimore, ppd.

Tampa Bay at N.Y. Yankees, ppd.

Sunday’s games

Pittsburgh 4, Toronto 1 Baltimore 5, Detroit 3, 1st game N.Y. Yankees 2, Tampa Bay 0 Cleveland 3, Philadelphia 1 Kansas City 8, Seattle 6 Minnesota 6, Boston 5 Houston 8, Chicago Cubs 5 Detroit at Baltimore, n, 2nd game San Francisco 8, Chicago White Sox 5 Athletics 5, San Diego 2 Texas at L.A. Angels, n

Monday’s games

Tampa Bay (McClanahan 5-2) at Baltimore (Bradish 2-6), 12:35 p.m.

Minnesota (Matthews 1-1) at Chicago White Sox (Kay 3-1), 1:10 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees (Warren 6-1) at Kansas City (TBD), 2:40 p.m.

Washington (Littell 3-4) at Cleveland (Bibee 0-6), 5:10 p.m.

Houston (Imai 1-2) at Texas (Rocker 2-4), 6:05 p.m.

Miami (Junk 2-5) at Toronto (Yesavage 2-1), 6:07 p.m.

Seattle (Castillo 1-5) at Athletics (Civale 5-1), 8:40 p.m.

East Division Atlanta Philadelphia Washington Miami New York

W 36 26 26 25 22

L 17 27 27 29 31

Pct .679 .491 .491 .463 .415

GB — 10 10 11½ 14

Milwaukee St. Louis Chicago Cincinnati Pittsburgh

W 30 29 29 27 27

L 20 22 24 25 26

Pct .600 .569 .547 .519 .509

GB — 1½ 2½ 4 4½

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

W 33 31 28 22 20

L 20 21 24 31 34

Pct .623 .596 .538 .415 .370

GB — 1½ 4½ 11 13½

Central Division

West Division

Saturday’s games

St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 1, 1st game Houston 3, Chicago Cubs 0 Toronto 5, Pittsburgh 2 Miami 4, N.Y. Mets 1 Washington 2, Atlanta 0 Philadelphia 3, Cleveland 0 San Francisco 10, Chicago White Sox 3 L.A. Dodgers 11, Milwaukee 3 Cincinnati 7, St. Louis 6, 11 innings, 2nd game San Diego 2, Athletics 0 Arizona 5, Colorado 4

Sunday’s games

Pittsburgh 4, Toronto 1 Cleveland 3, Philadelphia 1 Washington at Atlanta, n Miami 4, N.Y. Mets 0 L.A. Dodgers 5, Milwaukee 1 Houston 8, Chicago Cubs 5 Arizona 9, Colorado 1 San Francisco 8, Chicago White Sox 5 Athletics 5, San Diego 2 St. Louis at Cincinnati, ppd.

Monday’s games

Chicago Cubs (Brown 1-2) at Pittsburgh (Mlodzinski 4-3), 12:35 p.m.

St. Louis (McGreevy 3-3) at Milwaukee (Misiorowski 4-2), 1:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Lodolo 0-1) at N.Y. Mets (McLean 2-3), 3:10 p.m.

Arizona (Kelly 4-3) at San Francisco (Roupp 5-4), 4:05 p.m.

Washington (Littell 3-4) at Cleveland (Bibee 0-6), 5:10 p.m.

Philadelphia (Luzardo 3-4) at San Diego (Canning 0-2), 5:40 p.m.

Miami (Junk 2-5) at Toronto (Yesavage 2-1), 6:07 p.m.

Colorado (Freeland 1-5) at L.A. Dodgers (Sheehan 3-1), 8:10 p.m.

BOX SCORES Washington 2, Atlanta 1

Detroit 4, Baltimore 1

Washington Atlanta ab r h bi ab r h bi Wood lf 2 1 0 0 Acuña dh 3 0 0 0 Mead 3b 4 0 1 0 Dubón lf 4 0 0 0 Chaparro 1b 2 0 0 0 Olson 1b 4 0 1 0 García ph-1b1 0 1 1 Albies 2b 4 1 3 0 Abrams ss 3 0 0 0 Riley 3b 4 0 2 0 Crews rf 4 0 1 0 Harris cf 3 0 0 0 Lile dh 4 1 1 0 White rf 4 0 0 1 Young cf 3 0 1 0 Kim ss 3 0 0 0 Nuñez 2b 4 0 1 1 León c 2 0 0 0 Ruiz c 4 0 0 0 Mateo ph 1 0 0 0 Tromp c 1 0 0 0 Totals 31 2 6 2 Totals 33 1 6 1 Washington 000 010 010 — 2 Atlanta 000 000 001 — 1 E—Nuñez (6). DP—Washington 1, Atlanta 2. LOB—Washington 7, Atlanta 9. 2B—Lile (15), Olson (17). SB—Wood (8), Young (3).

IP H R ER BB SO Washington Griffin W,6-2 6 3 0 0 1 6 0 1 1 Alvarez H,2 11⁄3 1 0 2 ⁄3 2 1 1 0 0 Varland H,6 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 Lovelady H,4 2 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Ribalta S,2-3 Atlanta 1 2 2 Pérez L,2-3 52⁄3 5 1 1 ⁄3 0 0 0 0 1 Fuentes López 2 1 1 1 2 2 Carrasco 1 0 0 0 0 0 HBP—Griffin (Harris), Carrasco (Young).

ABS Challenge—Griffin (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Varland (Ball-Overturned to Strike).

Pitch timer violations—López (pitcher).

Umpires—Home, Brock Ballou; First, Scott Barry; Second, Tom Hanahan; Third, Ron Kulpa.

T—2:38. A—36,429 (41,149).

Detroit

Baltimore ab r h bi ab r h bi Vierling cf 5 0 1 0 Ward lf 4 0 1 0 McGoni. 3b 4 1 1 2 Henders. ss 4 0 0 0 Dingler c 3 1 1 2 Rutsc. dh 2 1 0 0 Greene lf 4 0 0 0 Alonso 1b 3 0 1 0 Jones dh 2 0 0 0 Basallo c 2 0 1 1 Keith ph-dh 2 0 1 0 Taveras cf 4 0 0 0 Torkelson 1b 3 1 1 0 Cowser rf 1 0 0 0 Pérez rf 4 1 1 0 O’Neill ph-rf 2 0 0 0 Lee 2b 3 0 0 0 Alexand. 3b 4 0 0 0 McKin. ph-2b1 0 0 0 Holliday 2b 3 0 0 0 Short ss 3 0 1 0 Totals 34 4 7 4 Totals 29 1 3 1 Detroit 200 020 000 — 4 Baltimore 000 100 000 — 1 LOB—Detroit 6, Baltimore 7. HR—Dingler (10). SB—McGonigle (8). SF—Basallo (1).

IP H R ER BB SO Detroit Melton W,1-0 52⁄3 2 1 1 3 3 Holton H,4 11⁄3 0 0 0 0 2 Anderson S,2-3 2 1 0 0 2 4 Baltimore 2 T.Rogers L,2-6 4 ⁄3 4 4 4 2 2 1 Kittredge ⁄3 0 0 0 1 0 Suárez 4 3 0 0 0 1 WP—Melton.

ABS Challenge—Melton (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Suárez (Ball-Confirmed); O’Neill (Strike-Overturned to Ball).

Umpires—Home, Lance Barrett; First, Alfonso Marquez; Second, Mike Estabrook; Third, Austin Jones.

T—2:28. A—19,735 (45,971).

Houston 8, Chicago Cubs 5

Arizona 9, Colorado 1

Houston

Colorado Arizona ab r h bi ab r h bi McCarthy cf 4 1 2 0 Marte dh 4 3 3 3 Freeman rf 4 0 0 0 Carroll rf 4 1 4 2 Rumfield 1b 3 0 0 0 Tawa 1b 0 0 0 0 Steve. ph-2b 0 0 0 1 Perdom. ss 3 0 0 2 Johnston lf 2 0 1 0 Arenado 3b 3 0 1 0 Tovar ss 4 0 1 0 Barrosa ph-rf1 0 0 0 S.Thomp. dh 3 0 1 0 Vargas 2b 3 1 0 0 Fulford c 1 0 0 0 Waldsch. cf 4 1 2 1 Julien 2b-1b 4 0 0 0 Fernan. 1b-3b 4 0 0 0 Karros 3b 2 0 1 0 A.Garcia c 4 1 1 1 Sullivan c-p 3 0 0 0 Troy lf 4 2 2 0 Totals 30 1 6 1 Totals 34 9 13 9 Colorado 000 000 010 — 1 Arizona 241 002 00x — 9 E—Castaño (1). DP—Colorado 0, Arizona 2. LOB—Colorado 6, Arizona 3. 2B—Marte 2 (10), Troy 2 (2). 3B—Carroll 2 (8), Waldschmidt (1). SB—Waldschmidt (5).

SF—Stevens (1), Perdomo (4).

IP H R ER BB SO Colorado Quintana L,2-3 11⁄3 6 6 6 0 0 Castaño 32⁄3 4 1 1 0 3 Halvorsen 1 3 2 2 0 1 Bernardino 1 0 0 0 0 2 Sullivan 1 0 0 0 0 0 Arizona Nelson W,2-3 8 6 1 1 3 3 Clarke 1 0 0 0 0 1 HBP—Castaño (Vargas). WP—Nelson(2).

Pitch timer violations—Quintana (pitcher).

Umpires—Home, Bruce Dreckman; First, Carlos Torres; Second, Nate Tomlinson; Third, Rob Drake.

T—2:18. A—30,037 (48,359).

Chicago ab r h bi ab r h bi Matth. 2b-lf 5 0 0 0 Crw-Arm. cf 1 1 0 1 Peña ss 4 1 1 2 Hoerner ss 5 0 1 1 Walker 1b 4 1 1 3 Busch 1b 4 1 2 2 Paredes dh 4 0 2 0 Bregman 3b 4 0 1 0 Meyers cf 4 1 1 1 Conforto lf 4 0 0 0 Smith rf 3 2 1 0 Suzuki rf 4 0 0 0 Dezenzo lf 2 1 0 0 Ballest. dh 2 1 0 0 Shewm. 3b 0 0 0 0 Kelly c 4 1 2 0 Vázquez c 4 0 0 0 Alcanta. pr 0 0 0 0 Allen 3b-2b 3 2 3 2 Amaya c 0 0 0 0 Ramirez 2b3 1 1 1 Totals 33 8 9 8 Totals 31 5 7 5 Houston 011 050 001 — 8 Chicago 030 000 200 — 5 DP—Houston 2, Chicago 1. LOB—Houston 2, Chicago 8. 2B—Smith (7), Ramirez (1).

HR—Meyers (2), Allen (1), Walker (14), Busch (5). SB—Allen (1). SF—Crow-Armstrong (1). S—Shewmake (2).

IP H R ER BB SO Houston Lambert W,3-4 5 5 3 3 4 5 Blubaugh 2 1 2 2 1 0 Abreu H,4 1 1 0 0 1 0 Pearson S,1-1 1 0 0 0 1 0 Chicago Imanaga L,4-5 6 7 7 7 1 6 Roberts 1 1 0 0 0 1 Maton 1 0 0 0 0 0 Thielbar 1 1 1 1 1 1 HBP—Lambert (Bregman), Imanaga (Allen).

ABS Challenge—Busch (Strike-Confirmed); Imanaga (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Pearson (Ball-Confirmed).

Umpires—Home, Bill Miller; First, Brian Walsh; Second, Chad Fairchild; Third, Chad Whitson.

T—2:40. A—40,048 (41,363).

THIS DATE IN BASEBALL May 25 1906 — Jesse Tannehill’s 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox snapped a 20game losing streak — 19 at home — for the Boston Red Sox. 1935 — Babe Ruth, winding up his career with the Boston Braves, hit three homers and a single at Pittsburgh, but the Pirates won 11-7. Ruth connected once off Red Lucas and twice off Guy Bush.

1941 — Boston’s Ted Williams raised his batting average over .400 for the first time during the season. Williams finished the season batting. 406.

1951 — Willie Mays, a highly touted rookie for the Giants, went 0-for-5 in his debut against the Philadelphia Phillies.

1982 — Ferguson Jenkins became the seventh pitcher to strike out 3,000 batters in the Chicago Cubs’ 2-1 loss at San Diego.

Jenkins reached the milestone by striking out Garry Templeton in the third inning.

2001 — Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs allowed one hit and struck out 14 in a 1-0 win over the Brewers. Wood took a no-hit bid into the seventh before giving up a leadoff single to Mark Loretta.

2001 — Hideo Nomo of the Boston Red Sox tossed a one-hitter and struck out 14 in a 4-0 win over Toronto. Nomo faced one batter over the minimum of 27, giving up a leadoff double in the fourth to Shannon Stewart.

2002 — Shawn Green of the Los Angeles Dodgers homered twice in a 10-5 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, setting a major league record with seven homers in his last three games.

2005 — The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 2-1, in 12 innings, as

manager Tony La Russa wins his 823rd game with the Cardinals, passing Whitey Herzog for second place on the franchise list. La Russa is 218 victories behind Cardinals leader Red Schoendienst.

2009 — Jim Thome passes Mike Schmidt for 13th on the all-time home run list, as the White Sox thump the Angels, 17-3.

2009 — Cleveland rallied from a 10-0 deficit in the fourth as Victor Martinez’s two-out, two-run single in the ninth capped a seven-run inning and lifted the Indians to an 11-10 victory over Tampa Bay. The Indians became the first team in the majors to win after trailing by 10 runs since the Texas Rangers rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 16-15 on May 8, 2004.

2011 — Andruw Jones hit a pair of tworun homers, Mark Teixeira also hit a two-run shot and Mariano Rivera made a milestone appearance in New York’s 7-3 victory over Toronto. Rivera pitched the ninth inning in a non-save situation, the 1,000th game he’s played for the Yankees. The 11-time All-Star closer became the first player in major league history to reach the plateau for one team and the 15th to make it overall. Jones homered in the second inning and Teixeira in the third off Jo-Jo Reyes, who matched a major league record by making his 28th consecutive start without a win.

2011 — Infielder Wilson Valdez wound up as the winning pitcher when the Philadelphia Phillies needed 19 innings to outlast the Cincinnati Reds 5-4.

Valdez threw a hitless 19th inning in his first professional pitching appearance.

He became the first position player to become a winning pitcher since Colorado catcher Brent Mayne on Aug. 22, 2000.

LIVING N O L A.C O M

|

M o n d ay, M ay 25, 2026

1dn

Shop and a show

A Latino grocery store in Delaware turns its produce aisle into a music stage

BY SAFIYAH RIDDLE and MINGSON LAU Associated Press

NEW CASTLE,Del.— A neat stack of 79-cent bananas and rows of colorful fruit flanked the bilingual alternative pop band Luna Luna as they performed for a small audience at a Latino grocery store in northern Delaware.

The show was part of the monthly Mercadito sessions put on by the Fiesta Fresh Market, a family-owned store in the Philadelphia metro-area city of New Castle, far away from the massive music industry hubs typically associated with artistic opportunity and exposure. But the excitement of new music, paired with the colorful, unassuming stage, has rapidly engaged an international following for the 2-year-old store — with up-andcoming bands traveling from far away to perform, and tens of thousands tuning in online.

Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia, one of the store’s owners, hopes the series highlights the persistence of joy and creativity in Latino communities at a time when they’re often only brought up on the news in the context of immigration crackdowns, he said.

Huey P. Long died in Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium in 1935. Where is his hospital bed?

T

BY ROBIN MILLER

|

Staff writer

he hospital bed in Louisiana’s Old State Capitol seems too narrow to accommodate someone as powerful as Huey P. Long.

Then again, some people may see it as a metaphor for how, circumstances aside, everyone born into this world eventually will leave it. Usually, the end is more ordinary than extraordinary.

And this seems to have been the case for Long, who died not on the marble floor of Louisiana’s State Capitol but on the thin mattress of the bed that’s now on display.

The sight of it gave Logan Smith pause.

“I saw the bed on a recent visit, and it struck me how this was a small ending for someone who was bigger than life,” the Pollock reader said. “But it also made me think about who had the foresight to save this bed in 1935 and how it came to the Old State Capitol.” ä See CURIOUS, page 2D

BAM! POW! KRAKOOM!

The everlasting allure of the American comic book

BY JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain — Pick one up.

Be seduced by its glossy cover.

Gaze upon the impossibly muscular body clad in a skin-tight suit.

Our hero or heroine will surely be soaring, shouting, blasting a villain into next week.

They are ridiculous. They are addictively great. Comic books,

of the superhero variety, are 100% American.

Compare the thin comic book to Europe’s graphic novels, and they come off looking flimsy, infantile. Compare the American comic to Japanese manga and they appear innocent in their fixation with heroism; they hark back to a departed American age.

ä See COMICS, page 2D

A Spider-Man figurine sits atop a facsimile copy of the May 1939 issue of the Detective Comics anthology series..

AP PHOTO By DARIO LOPEZ-MILLS

AP PHOTO By MINGSON LAU

Luna Luna band members Kevin Gonzalez and Caleb Powers perform in the produce section of Fiesta Fresh Market in New Castle, Del., on April 26.

Tiny Desk Concert inspired Jose Luis Aguilar Garcia has worked with both food and music for most of his life.

Born in Mexico, Garcia grew up in an apartment adjacent to where he would eventually open Fiesta Fresh Market. Garcia worked at farmers markets and grocery stores since he was a teenager, and ran a photography and videography company that also produced regional Mexican music like mariachi, corridos tumbados and banda.

“We did a lot of quinceañeras, weddings, that sort of thing.

Music was always like something I wanted to do as a passion project, but especially here in Delaware, there’s really no industry for that,” Garcia said.

In 2023, an artist on Garcia’s label — DannyLux — was invited to perform at NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, a semiprivate music series filmed in the middle of the radio station’s bustling Washington, D.C., bureau, and then distributed to a massive following on YouTube.

It was then that Garcia realized the special appeal of an unconventional, acoustic setup.

With the capital his label got from producing DannyLux’s music, Garcia opened the store in 2024 with his sister and father. And eventually, he used his experience with the Tiny Desk Concerts at the store too, merging the two otherwise disparate

ä See CONCERTS, page 2D

2D ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

lll

Diet, hydration can help slow kidney stone formation Dear Doctors: I recently passed a kidney stone. How likely am I to have a recurrence? I have been drinking more water as recommended, sometimes I eat fish but never red meat or poultry, and I get plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Also, do I really have to avoid nuts and peanut butter?

Dear reader: Kidney stones are bits of hard, pebblelike debris formed from the salts and minerals contained in the kidney. They range in size from smaller than a grain of sand to (yes, this is a Guinness World Records rarity) as large as a golf ball. Kidney stones are notorious for the pain they cause as they leave the kidney. This is because the tube that carries urine to the bladder has a limited ability to stretch. Known

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

as the ureter, it spasms to force the stone out. Depending on the size of the stone, the exit can take a few days to weeks. Very large stones can become stuck and require medical intervention.

Kidney stones are categorized by the crystals from which they are composed. Uric acid stones are linked to eating large amounts of animal proteins, and stru-

vite stones form in response to chronic urinary tract infections.

The most common are calciumoxalate stones, which are tied to urinary chemistry. This includes levels of calcium, sodium, citrate and oxalate in the urine. Also important is the amount of water in the urine. When you drink too little, urine becomes concentrated.

This creates an optimal environment for dissolved minerals and salts to form crystals. Drinking plenty of water keeps urine diluted, which helps prevent kidney stones from forming.

Managing your diet can also be helpful. Certain foods, such as spinach, Swiss chard, beets and rhubarb, are high in oxalate. These can add to the body’s oxalate load and may have an adverse effect on

urinary chemistry. Our bodies also produce a significant amount of oxalate. That means factors beyond diet, including genetics, also play a role in kidney stones forming.

As for your regret about giving up nuts and peanut butter, which are often included in lists of highoxalate foods, there is encouraging news. For many people, these foods do not need to be eliminated but can be enjoyed in moderation.

Pairing higher-oxalate foods with foods that contain calcium can reduce how much oxalate gets absorbed in the gut. This means less oxalate reaches the urine where stones form. Getting enough calcium in your diet can be protective. At the same time, it is important to limit excess sodium, which can increase the amount of

calcium excreted in the urine.

It is estimated that 10% of people will experience a kidney stone during their life. Unfortunately, having had one puts them at higher risk of another. You are making a wise choice by focusing on both diet and hydration in your effort to lower your risk. If, despite your best efforts, kidney stones recur, your doctor may suggest you do a metabolic evaluation.

This can help pinpoint the most effective prevention strategies.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

TODAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

STAFF PHOTOS By ROBIN MILLER

According to the Louisiana State Museum’s records, the pillow and sheets now covering the bed in which Huey P. Long died are not original to the piece. The bed has been in the State Museum’s collection since 2010 and is on loan to Louisiana’s Old State Capitol through the end of 2027.

CURIOUS

Continued from page 1D The bed is on loan from the Louisiana State Museum, which has had the artifact in its permanent collection since 2010.

It originally stood in Room 314 of Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium, which was located behind the State Capitol and where Long died on Sept. 10, 1935.

That building was demolished after the hospital, now called Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center, moved to its current Essen Lane location in 1978.

The bed was moved into the Old State Capitol two years ago.

The main attraction Long was shot on Sept.

8, 1935, in front of what once was the Governor’s Office in the back hallway behind the Louisiana State Capitol’s first floor elevator bank. Baton Rouge physician Carl Weiss is said to have been the assassin.

Meanwhile, authors and historians still argue whether the bullet that took Long’s life was fired from Weiss’ .32 caliber semi-automatic pistol or those fired

by Long’s bodyguards.

Either way, Weiss did face off with Long in the hallway. It’s said the doctor wanted to confront the former governor about the redesign of the judicial district of his father-in-law, Judge Benjamin Henry Pavy.

Weiss’ pistol once was the main attraction in an octagonal room within the permanent Long exhibit at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol. It was displayed in a thick glass case on the backdrop projections of old newspaper reports floating to a soundtrack medley of Samuel Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” and Castro Carazo’s “Every Man a King.”

Carazo was Long’s handpicked director for the LSU Tiger Marching Band. He not only composed Long’s campaign song but also the university’s fight songs.

And Barber’s piece? It was the same composition played at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy, whose life also was

cut short by an assassin’s bullet.

Bed takes center stage No music is piped into the room where the bed now takes center stage. Cases containing the gun, bullets removed from Long’s body, along with a watch belonging to one of Long’s bodyguards, also were moved into this new space two years ago.

The bed was part of the sparsely furnished hospital room in which Long spent the final days of his life in 1935.

“The hospital room was kind of a suite,” said Anne Mahoney, curator for Louisiana’s Old State Capitol.

“But Huey Long stayed in up to three rooms when he was taken to the hospital.

There was the room he was brought into before the operation, then the operating room. Then he was brought into Room 314.”

The exhibit also includes other items connected to Long’s hospital stay.

“We have some objects identified as being from Huey Long’s hospital room, but it’s not specified from which of the rooms he was in,” Mahoney said. “The display includes the bed, the mattress, the pillow and sheets with Our Lady of the Lake’s logo and the nightstand that was by the bed.”

The objects are on loan to the Old State Capitol through 2027, but they have the option to renew the loan.

State Museum’s research Louisiana State Museum historian Joyce Miller dug into the records documenting the bed’s journey from Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium and its new home on Essen before finally landing in the museum’s permanent collection.

Those records suggest that some parts of this hospital room exhibit were not located in Long’s room.

“After Huey P. Long was shot in the Louisiana State Capitol on September 8, 1935, he was taken to Our Lady of the Lake Sanitarium, where he died two days later,” the museum records state. “Following his death, the hospital salvaged the furniture purportedly used in Long’s hospital room: a bed, mattress, chest of drawers, stool, and night-

Today is Monday, May 25, the 145th day of 2026. There are 220 days left in the year.

Today in history: On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, a Black man, was killed when a White Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for 9½ minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and pleading he couldn’t breathe; Floyd’s death, captured on video by a bystander, would lead to worldwide protests, some violent, and a reexamination of racism and policing in the U.S. Also on this date: In 1787, the Constitutional Convention began at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia after enough delegates arrived for a quorum.

In 1935, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Babe Ruth, then playing for the Boston Braves, hit his 714th and final home run; his career

home run record would stand for almost 40 years.

In 1961, President John F. Kennedy told Congress: “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.”

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Griffin v.

County School Board of Prince Edward County, ordered the Virginia county to reopen its public schools, which officials had closed in an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown v.

Board of Education of Topeka desegregation ruling.

In 1977, “Star Wars” was released by 20th Century Fox; it would become the highest-grossing film in history at the time.

In 2008, NASA’s Phoenix Mars Lander arrived on the Red Planet to begin searching for evidence of water; the spacecraft confirmed the presence of wa-

ter ice at its landing site.

In 2012, the private company SpaceX made history as its Dragon capsule became the first commercial spacecraft to dock with the International Space Station.

Today’s birthdays: Actor Ian McKellen is 87. Country singer Jessi Colter is 83.

Actor-singer Leslie Uggams is 83. Filmmaker and puppeteer Frank Oz is 82.

Actor Karen Valentine is 79. Actor Jacki Weaver is 79. Rock singer Klaus Meine (Scorpions) is 78. Actor Patti D’Arbanville is 75.

Playwright Eve Ensler is 73. Actor Connie Sellecca is 71. Musician Paul Weller is 68. Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota is 66. Actor-comedian Mike Myers is 63. Actor Octavia Spencer is 56. Actor Cillian Murphy is 50. Football Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher is 48. Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Aly Raisman is 32. Actor Brec Bassinger is 27. NFL quarterback Cam Ward is 24.

CONCERTS

Continued from page 1D aspects of his life.

Showcasing culture

The night table that stood beside the bed in which Huey P. Long died also is on display at Louisiana’s Old State Capitol. The bed and night table are on loan from the Louisiana State Museum’s collection. stand. (The hospital) also donated a pillow and sheets, though these are unlikely to be original to the bed.”

Though the pillow and sheets are original to the hospital, they weren’t necessarily the linens that covered the bed when Long was there.

The records state that the furnishings were kept in the original facility downtown, but when the hospital relocated to Essen Lane, they moved Long’s hospital furniture with them.

The Louisiana State Museum donation was recommended by Sister Judith Ann Couturie, who was a board member for what is now Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and the hospital’s archivist.

“The artifacts were accessioned (by the museum) in 2010,” the records state.

Though the hospital room’s dresser and stool are part of this collection, they’re not included in the Old State Capitol’s exhibit.

The bed alone is enough.

It represents a part of the story rarely seen in previous exhibits — Long’s mortality in his last hours, something even power couldn’t conquer.

Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.

Garcia initially hoped the shows would attract business, but it was hard to sell local artists on performing in such a quirky context, Garcia said.

But soon, the premise caught on. All of the acts in an April show had heard about the small store on social media before they were asked to perform.

While the shows initially featured almost exclusively the Spanish-language music that Garcia produced with his label, the Mercadito sessions now showcase a broad range of artists and genres.

“I found that super interesting that no matter who the artist was that was playing, people would gather to hear,” Garcia said.

Global audiences Luna Luna, which has earned recognition from outlets like Billboard and Rolling Stone, was one of three bands performing at the late April show. It was a vastly different from the

COMICS

Continued from page 1D Once a nickel, a dime, a quarter, now the price of a latte, they are objects of American consumer capitalism. The comic is literature in junk-food version.

Candy for the eyes, candy for the mind.

Yet what truly makes them American objects is what plays out in their 32 pages month after month, decade upon decade.

When the Fantastic Four took their fateful space journey in 1961 and “cosmic rays” transformed the quartet into unwilling superheroes, comics entered a weird realm where the all-powerful were also the unwilling, decidedly modern victims of science and circumstance.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MINGSON LAU

A bassist performs in the produce section of Fiesta Fresh Market in New Castle, Del., on April 26. other stops on their sprawling United States tour.

Large piñatas hung from the ceiling above the group as they performed — a vastly different ambiance from the stages and lights that normally set the scene for Luna Luna’s hypnotic, indie-pop ballads. The performance was illuminated with the fluorescent grocery-store lighting, which customers used to shop in the background as Luna Luna sang in both Spanish and English.

The unconventional platform was part of the appeal for lead singer Kavvi Gonzalez, along with many

in the series’ rapidly growing fanbase, for whom the unique venue evokes a kind of nostalgia.

“I actually grew up shopping at stores like this, so to be able to play in one is kind of crazy,” said Gonzalez, who was born in Colombia and moved to Texas when he was 6.

The charm is in the surprising romance of the mundane, Gonzalez said.

“To see people just actually be shopping around and just living regular life while we’re doing a performance here, you know, it’s cool. It’s combining real life and music culture,” Gonzalez said.

Spider-Man, the Hulk, Wolverine (the list goes on) were given supernatural abilities that made them outcasts, obliging them to be flawed messiahs.

They were, by some quirk of the American character, bound to Peter Parker’s moral imperative: “With great power comes great responsibility.” They are versions of an American Sisyphus, bound to saving us over and over again.

What could be more American — that might, when lashed to a sense of justice, eventually, makes right? So honorable, so naïve.

To this day, though the tone is darker, Marvel and DC, the two mammoths of comics, continue to reimagine the American character.

Once side attractions in a world of leading White men, Gwen Stacy, Jean Grey and Susan Storm have in recent

years emerged as leaders to reinvigorate the SpiderMan, X-Men and Fantastic Four sagas. Absolute Wonder Woman has broken ground with beautiful art.

Miles Morales is Spidey for a new generation.

Yet the central fissures remain.

Bruce Wayne can’t connect with anyone other than his butler; he is the lonely individual in an atomized America. Steve Rogers bears the burden of representing the “Greatest Generation” from World War II. He is a Captain America forever out of place, even in his own land.

And could there be a more iconic tech magnate toying with humanity’s fate than Superman’s nemesis Lex Luthor and his delusions of grandeur? If only our world had a bespectacled Clark Kent keeping an eye on things. Just in case.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 3D

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FrAnK And erneSt

bIG nAte

zItS

zodIAC GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Walk away from whatever is holding you back instead of wallowing in a never-ending situation you cannot salvage. It's strength, courage and discipline that will carry you forward. cAncER (June 21-July 22) Emotional confusion will surface if someone pressures you or isn't specific regarding their intentions. Don't make assumptions, judge or take on someone else's responsibilities.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Listen, learn and let go of what's no longer necessary.

Express your plans and gather input from those you trust to point out something you may not notice. A partnership looks promising.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Focus on gathering information, testing what's valid and discarding what isn't, and being honest with yourself regarding what's feasible and what's unnecessar LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Emotions will fluctuate, causing uncertainty and overreacting if you aren't honest with yourself or others. Ask questions; what you see or how you react will not represent what's coming your way. scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Pay attention, channel your energy into something worthwhile, be open to new possibilities and gather information without judging or conflicting interests. Be more observant. sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Something interesting will push you in a new direction that suggests a lifestyle change. A chance to develop a healthy routine or

pastime that encourages looking and feeling your best will boost your confidence. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Take precautions. Read the fine print, observe and let your gut dictate your next move. Being a follower doesn't work for you. Be the one to lead the way and to decide how you reach your objective.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Your decisions are dependent on being comfortable.

You may be overdue for a change, but the extent and cost are what matter. A simple change to your routine or meeting someone new may be sufficient, depending on what stage of life you are in.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Listen and make suggestions, but put your time and energy into something that has more to do with safety, security and comfort, not entertaining or taking on too much debt or responsibility.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take a moment to reflect before you do or take on something new, extravagant or time-consuming. Protect your home, possessions and health from overload. tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Play the long game. Take your time; ease into what you want with adaptability and insight regarding what compensations will keep you in the running and protect your interests.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

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

toDAy's cLuE: y EQuALs H

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

4D ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

lll

Sudoku InstructIons: sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 5D

lll

B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Emily Oster, an economist with a B.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard, said, “Adhering to budgeting rules shouldn’t trump good decision-making.”

Adhering to bridge adages shouldn’t trump good trump-employment.

This week, let’s look at various uses of a trump suit. First, though, in today’s deal, what should North respond after South opens two spades, showing a respectable six-card suit and 6-10 high-card points?

With an apparent misfit, there might be an impulse to bid three no-trump. But that is unlikely to make. It is safer to bid four spades. North should hope for five trump tricks and his five winners, or, if South has a side-suit winner, four spade and six side-suit tricks.

Then, how should South plan the play in four spades after West leads the diamond queen?

The full deal suggests that South is doomed to lose two spades, one diamond and one club. But maybe he can take 10 tricks.

Declarer wins with dummy’s diamond king and plays a spade to his king. When it wins, he continues with the spade queen, discarding a club from the dummy.

East’s best defense is to duck smoothly, because if South plays a third trump, he goes down. However, let’s suppose that East takes the second trump and returns his remaining diamond. Now declarer should cash dummy’s heart ace, ruff

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

a heart in his hand, and cash the spade jack. When West pitches, South twice crosses to dummy with a club and ruffs two more hearts to take two high spades, one heart, two diamonds, two clubs and those three heart ruffs.

This way of taking trump tricks is called an elopement. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

wuzzles Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD = gOOD aFTErnOOn

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters 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 words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD — HERBAL: ER-bul: Derived from a plant.

Bizarro

marmaduKe

Average mark 13 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 18 or more words in HERBAL? sAtuRDAy’s WoRD — FoRtIEs fest fetor fire first fist foist fore forest fort forte fortis

foster fret fries frit froe frost osier refit resift rest rife

rift riot rise rite rose rote roti tier tire tore tries

trio serf serif sift sifter sire site soft softer softie sore

sort sortie stir store strife

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. G.E. Dean

6D ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ nola.com ✦ The Times-Picayune

muttS

roSe iS roSe

lll

Scrabble GramS dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus.

“Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

jump Start

For more information on tournaments and clubs, email naspa – north american sCraBBlE players association: info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visit our website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com.

Get fuzzy

Hasbro and its logo sCraBBlE associated logo, the design of the distinctive sCraBBlE brand game card, and the distinctive letter tile designs are trademarks of Hasbro in the United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. all rights reserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

animal crackerS

DuStin

InstructIons: 1 - Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating.

2 - The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners.

3 - Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Wallace the brave

Drabble

WiShinG Well breWSter rockit

luann

HErE is a plEasanT liTTlE gamE that will give you a message every day. it’s a numerical puzzle designed to spell out your fortune. Count the letters in your first name. if the number of letters is 6 or more, subtract 4. if the number is less than 6, add 3. The result is your key number. start at the upper left-hand corner and check each of your key numbers, left to right. Then read the message the checked figures give you.

The Times-Picayune ✦ nola.com ✦ Monday, May 25, 2026 ✦ 7D

lll

classifieds.nola.com Search & Place Ads Ads Onlines at classifieds.nola.com • Call Monday Us Monday - Friday 8AM - 5PMatat(504) (504)636-7435 636-7435 Search & Place Onlines at classifieds.nola.com - Friday 8AM - 5PM MUSIC INSTRUMENTS Recording studio desk. Keyboard case. Uprt piano 225-202-2177 Ms. B

Announcements Anyone having info. or knowing the whereabouts of the heirs/legatees of Anthony Crooks please contact Atty. Gina Recasner at 504.343.3673.

188686-5/23-24-25-3t $85.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Imani Gaudin-County please contact Attorney David J. Motter 3500 N. Hullen Street, Metairie, LA 70002; 504-388-7005 188598-5/23-24-25-3t $97.00 Anyone knowing the whereabouts of Kelvin Robey please contact Attorney David J. Motter 3500 N. Hullen Street, Metairie, LA 70002; 504-388-7005.

188602-May 23-25, 3t $97 Anyone knowing the whereabouts or contact information of any heir or otherwise interested party regarding a proposed interdiction of Sandra Zerangue or their representatives, please contact attorney Chris Short to protect your/her legal rights 504-828-3313.

This includes, but is not limited to alleged heirs: Samuel Zerangue Sr., Wanda Meredith, Illya Zerangue. A hearing to interdict Sandra Zerangue is set in the 24th JDC, No. 875-943, Div. H, on June 4, 2026 at 8:00 am to determine her competency.

188693-May 23-25, 3t $229

New Orleans Real Estate For Sale WEST ST. TAMMANY 59312 Pineridge Rd, Lacombe.

4Br/2Ba 1850sqft MH. 2.63 ac of cleared land. $165k AS IS By Owner 504-875-6864

New Orleans Rental CARROLLTON Rose Garden 1 BR Apt, enclosed w/bbq pit. $600 + dep. 504-415-1345 ESPLANADE RIDGE The Carson Company, Inc. 5900 Hayne Blvd., 1Bd/1Ba...........$695 2900 Third St., 1Bd/1Ba.................$700 1122 Columbus St., 3Bds/1Ba......$995 2300 N. Broad St., 1Bd/1Ba...........$995 1818 Gentilly Blvd. (DS), 2/1.......$1195 412 1/2 Manhattan, (Furn) 2/1..$1350 1221 N. Miro #1 (Sec 8 OK) 2/1..$1500 2016 Onzaga St, 3/1 (Sec 8 OK).$1500 2135 N. Tonti, (Sec 8 OK) 3/2......$1600 2560 Orleans Ave., (Furn) 2/1....$2990 821-1858 * 822-8432 * 427-4646 FRENCH QUARTER

WAYNE JOHN DESCANT or anyone knowing his whereabouts please call attorney Stephanie Quinlan 504 799-9222 or 504 267-9158 or smquinlanesq@bellsouth.net 188797-5/23-24-25-3t $97.00

1027 CHARTRES, UNIT F * $1,300/MO

ENGINEERING CIVIL ENGINEERING INTERN and SENIOR ENG DESIGNER/CADD TECH AutoCAD Civil 3D strong proficiency re‐ quired, Ability to produce CDs with PE Supervision. Civil Design for public works roads/bridges/water/sewer/ drainage/paving. LDOTD or USACE ex‐ perience a plus. Monday – Friday 8:30 to 5:30. Health, dental, life and disability; 401(k) and PTO. Email resumes to kpearce@n-yassociates.com

CEMETERY PLOTS Westlawn Cemetery Mausoleum, in the Chapel. Corr IV, Tier A, holds 6 interments $17,500. 504-259-0505

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS Online bids will be ac‐ cepted at centralauction‐ house.com. Sealed bids will also be accepted by the Lakefront Manage‐ ment Authority (LMA), 6001 Stars & Stripes Blvd., Suite 219, New Or‐ leans, Louisiana 70126 until 2:00 p.m. on Thurs‐ day, June 16, 2026.

FOR: LAKEFRONT MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MAINTENANCE MOWING Bid documents are avail‐ able at no charge from Central Auction House or by contacting: Lakefront Management Authority Attn: Laith Al Shamaileh, PhD, P.E. (504) 355-5990 lalshamaileh@ nolalakefront.com All bids shall be accom‐ panied by bid security (certified check, cashier's check, or Bid Bond per LA R.S. 38:2218) equal to five percent (5%) of the total bid, payable to the Authority.

The successful Bidder shall furnish a Perfor‐ mance and Payment Bond as described in the Bid Documents.

A NON-MANDATORY PREBID CONFERENCE will be held at 10:00 AM CST on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the New Orleans Lakefront Airport – 2nd Floor Conference Room, 6001 Stars and Stripes Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70126. A highly encouraged jobsite visit will follow.

Bids shall be accepted from Contractors li‐ censed under LA. R.S. 37:2150-2163 for Land‐ scaping, Grading, and Beautification.

The Authority reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause per La. R.S. 38:2212(A)(1)(b).

Advertise 3x The New Orleans Advocate: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 Monday, May 25, 2026 Monday, June 1, 2026 188102-may 19-25-jun 1-3t $109.03 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Supreme Court of Louisiana, Office of the Judicial Administrator, invites qualified Louisiana licensed attor‐ neys to submit proposals to serve as an indepen‐ dent legal consultant to the Louisiana Protective Order Registry. Vendors have until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026, to submit proposals. Pro‐ posals received after this deadline will not be con‐ sidered.

The Project Number for this request for propos‐ als (“RFP”) is RFP LASC2026-03. A complete copy of the RFP may be ob‐ tained from Maurine Laborde, Staff Attorney, Supreme Court of Louisiana, General Coun‐ sel’s Office, 400 Royal Street, Suite 1190, (504) mlaborde@ 310-2550, lasc.org.

A complete copy of the RFP has also been posted on the Supreme Court website (www.lasc.org).

This announcement does not commit the Court to award a con‐

Super FR QTR Location, One bed/bath, Cent A/H, Modern Appliances, Hardwood Floors.

In unit W/D, Lovely Courtyard, Pleasant Residential Complex. No dogs.

GARY WILLIAMS * 504-251-2047 FQR Realty 504-949-5400 JEFFERSON Apartment unfurnished above Causeway Blvd. Off Jeff. Hwy near Causeway Blvd back 1/2 br dupx 2 bdr, 1 bth, kit, livr, utilr, appliances, A/C All new $900 504-833-4885

Merchandise

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

10,000 Apt Homes and 75 Locations with Studio, 1, 2 & 3 Bedrooms Pools, Access Gates, Garages (504) 360-9347 METAIRIE 4101 Hessmer, Met. 1BR 1BA, Condo READY! $1095/m&d (504) 723-5300 MID CITY 8620 Pear St., 2BR, $1400mo,$800dep, email breakfast_8704@yahoo.com

DOGS AKC Pug Puppies, 2-Females, $800, Wormed, Ready Now! (228) 236-8040

177 W. 5TH STREET LAPLACE * $2,150/MO Renovated 3BR/3BA home w/ private baths, laminate wd flrg, TV's, appls, dishes, W&D, lawn care, & ample parking.

Furnished or Unfurnished.

Sandy Ward * 504-259-2616.

Re/Max Living * 504-475-1011. Ea ofc indpntly owned & operated.

WEST BANK 332 Layman St., Avondale 3Br/2Ba. Sec 8 wlc 502-644-1070

NEW ORLEANS 2827 Bruxelles, 2BR/1BA, kit furn, w/d hu $900m $800d. 504-940-9508

LA.

Pets

NEW ORLEANS EAST LITTLE WOODS SPECIAL 7819 SANDS STREET * 3 BD/2 BA Central A & H * Fenced Backyard Sec 8 Welcome. No Deposit. $1,200 504-241-6189 * 504-430-1162

KENNER 510 FARRAR AVENUE - 1/2 Duplex, 3 Bd, 2 Ba, All Electric, Central A/H, Off St Prkg, No Smoking or Pets!

Call: 504-458-9700

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

tract or to pay any costs incurred in the prepara‐ tion of proposals. The Court reserves the right to accept or to reject in full or in part all propos‐ als submitted and/or to cancel the RFP. Any con‐ tract awarded shall be based upon the proposal most advantageous to the Court. All contracts are subject to the avail‐ ability of funds.

188653-may 25-jun 1-8-153t $93.80 PUBLIC NOTICE --PUBLIC NOTICE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The Supreme Court of Louisiana, Office of the Judicial Administrator, invites qualified Court and Community liaisons to submit proposals to serve as an independent training consultant to the Louisiana Protective Order Registry. Vendors have until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, June 19, 2026, to submit proposals. Pro‐ posals received after this deadline will not be con‐ sidered.

The Project Number for this request for propos‐ als (“RFP”) is RFP LASC2026-04. A complete copy of the RFP may be ob‐ tained from Maurine Laborde, Staff Attorney, Supreme Court of Louisiana, General Coun‐ sel’s Office, 400 Royal Street, Suite 1190, (504) mlaborde@ 310-2550, lasc.org.

A complete copy of the RFP has also been posted on the Supreme Court website (www.lasc.org).

This announcement does not commit the Court to award a con‐ tract or to pay any costs incurred in the prepara‐ tion of proposals. The Court reserves the right to accept or to reject in full or in part all propos‐ als submitted and/or to cancel the RFP. Any con‐ tract awarded shall be based upon the proposal most advantageous to the Court. All contracts are subject to the avail‐ ability of funds.

188656-may 28-jun 1-8-154t $93.80

Clemency I, RODNEY TAYLOR, DOC #361396 have applied for clemency for my conviction of ARMED ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED RAPE, ARMED ROBBERY. If you have any comments, contact the Board of Pardons (225)342-5421.

188500 - MAY 25-27 3T $335

Legal Notices

PUBLIC NOTICE --NOTICE Pursuant to La. R.S. 22:691.4.E.(2) notice Is hereby given that on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, the Louisiana Depart‐ ment of Insurance, lo‐ cated at 1702 North Third Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70802 will hold a public hearing concerning the acquisition of Pellerin Life Insurance Company, Inc. by Louisiana Life Holdings, Inc. The Hear‐ ing will begin at 10:00 am in the Poydras Hearing room located on the first floor.

Any written comments or questions must be sub‐ i d h b d

Legal Notices

q mitted to the above ad‐ dress marked attention "Company Licensing" and be received no later than two days before the Hearing date. Email com‐ ments or questions can be submitted to public comments@ldi.la.gov.

Interested parties may also participate electron‐ ically by going to ldi.la. gov/public-hearings and clicking on the link pro‐ vided therein on the date and time stated above.

Timothy J. Temple Commissioner of Insurance Louisiana Department of Insurance 188017-may 25-26-27-3t $68.86 PUBLIC NOTICE --The Louisiana Office of the State Museum is re‐ questing proposals for a Public-Private Partner‐ ship project to design, build, furnish, operate, and maintain an in‐ door/outdoor café at the New Orleans Jazz Mu‐ seum. For more informa‐ tion go to opportuni‐ tiesinlouisiana.com.

188284-MAY 21-JUN 16 $139 PUBLIC NOTICE --UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT EASTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA IN THE MATTER OF MAGNOLIA MIDSTREAM, LLC, AS OWNER OF THE BARGE MAG 571, FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY CIVIL ACTION NO. : 26-753 ADMIRALTY- RULE 9(h) JUDGE: JAY C. ZAINEY MAGISTRATE JUDGE: JANIS VAN MEERVELD NOTICE TO CLAIMANTS OF COMPLAINT FOR EXONERATION FROM OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

CIVIL ACTION NO. 26-753 SECTION A (1) Notice is given that the above-named Limitation Petitioner has filed a complaint, pursuant to Sections 4281-4285, and 4289 of the Title 46 of the United States Code, 46 U.S.C. §30501, et seq., for exoneration from or limi‐ tation of liability for all claims for any loss, dam‐ age, or injury arising out of the incident involving Victor De La Fuente on or about April 30, 2024, as more fully described in the Complaint.

All persons having such claims must file their re‐ spective claims, as pro‐ vided in Rule F, including paragraphs (4) and (5) thereof, of the Supple‐ mental Rules for Certain Admiralty & Maritime Claims of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, with the Clerk of this Court at the United States Court House, 500 Poydras Street, Room C151, New Orleans, Louisiana, and must serve a copy thereof on attorneys for Limitation Petitioners on or before the 24th day of July, 2026, or be defaulted.

DOGS CKC YORKIES - with papers vet checked shot and worming standard and parti available meet in Gulfport $600 (334) 467-3416

DOGS Teacup YORKIES Maltipoos POMS Mini Goldendoodles POODLES Chihuahua 504-259-2222 for available now S/WUTD Teacups $995+. Puppy Pack $595+ (504) 259-2222

Automotive

DOGS German Shorthaired Pointer - Beau‐ tiful Registered German Shorthaired Pointer Puppies, Now taking de‐ posits of $100, born April 25th. $700 337-692-2179

DOMESTIC TRUCKS 2009 Toyota Tundra, needs transmis‐ sion $3700. 225-202-2177 Ask for Ms. B

DOGS Maltipoo’s, Dorkie’s, Yorkie’s - Maltipoo puppies, $350 & $400. Dorkie puppies $350 & $400 Reg. Yorkie puppies $700 & $800. $350+ 601-543-4232

NEWS

24/7

SIGN UP TODAY

CATS RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150

The Classified/Public Notice Department will be closed on

The Classified Advertising Department will be closed on

in observance of

in observance of

Memorial Day

And will be observing the following Early Deadline: Deadline: Thursday May 21 @ 3pm

Run Date Tuesday May 26 Wednesday May 27

Call (225) 383-0111 - Option 3 then Press Option 1 or email: Classifieds at ClassifiedAds@theadvocate.com or Public Notices at legal.ads@theadvocate.com

Legal Notices

Public Notices Sex Offenders

Date: Apr 27 2026 Carol L. Michel Name of clerk of court L. Guillot Deputy clerk's signature 186718-may 18-25-jun 1-84t $1,159

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation will introduce the 2026-27 budget and hold its first public hearing on the 2026-27 budget on May 14, 2026 at 5:30 pm at Edgar P Harney Build‐ ing located at 2503 Wil‐ low St., New Orleans, LA 70113 (LA R.S. 39:1307).

ReNEW-Reinventing Edu‐ cation is the charter school management or‐ ganization operating ReNEW Laurel Elemen‐ tary, ReNEW Dolores T. Aaron Elementary, ReNEW Schaumburg Ele‐ mentary, and ReNEW Moton Lakefront Elemen‐ tary. A physical copy of the 2026-2027 budget is available at 10001 Lake Forest Blvd., Suite 710, New Orleans, LA 70127.

Louisiana 188525, MAY 24-25 $250 I, GEORGE MICHAEL LANDRY, have been convicted of 14:42.1 Forcible Rape. Date Convicted: 02/26/2002.

15:542 - Failure to Register/Notify as a Sex Offender. Date Convicted: 02/02/2022.

15:542 - Failure to Register/Notify as a Sex Offender. Date Convicted: 08/13/2024.

My Address is: 2524 WHIPPLETREE DR HARVEY, LA 70058 Race: BLACK Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 22126411554 Height: 5'5" Weight: 172 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 188529, MAY 24-25 $250

I, SEAN A BYERS AKA SEAN BYERS, have been convicted of 14:81.1 - Pornography Involving Juveniles.

Date Convicted: 06/06/2016.

My Address is: 600 GARDEN RD MARRERO, LA 70072 Race: BLACK Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 10/2/1989 Height: 6'1" Weight: 220 Hair Color: BLACK Eye Color: BROWN Scars/Tattoos:

Public Notices Successions

My Address is: 208 10TH ST BRIDGE CITY, LA 70094 Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 5/29/1975 Height: 5'8" Weight: 169 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: BLUE Scars/Tattoos: Louisiana 188527, MAY 24-25 $250

My Address is: 2629 DOVE AVE MARRERO, LA 70072 Race: BLACK Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 10/31/1979 Height: 5'7" Weight: 170 Hair Color: BLACK Eye Color: BROWN Scars/Tattoos:

NEWS 24/7 ON

Run Date Tuesday May 26 Wednesday May 27

As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (225) 383-0111 Public Notices Successions

lines.

q

p

The improvements thereon bear the Munici‐ pal No. 52410 Midlothan Street, New Orleans, LA 70126.

An order authorizing Ad‐ ministrator to do so may be issued after ten (10) days from the date of the publication of this notice.

An opposition to the ap‐ plication may be filed at any time prior to the is‐ suance of such an order.

By Order of the Court, _____________________ CLERK OF COURT _____________________ ADAM L. LALIBERTE, LBN 39950 8020 Crowder Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70127 (504) 242-7882 adam@bayoutitle.com

PUBLIC NOTICE --CIVIL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF OR‐ LEANS STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 2005-11624 DIVISION “L” DOCKET NO. SUCCESSION

Public Notices Successions

DEPUTY CLERK NOTICE OF SUCCESSION NOTICE IS GIVEN that Rhowena Elizabeth Bur‐ rell, Executrix of the Suc‐ cession of Alvin Peter Burrell, is applying for authority to sell at pri‐ vate sale, on terms of FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 ($5,000.00) DOL‐ LARS under a sale, the immovable property owned by The Succes‐ sion of Alvin Peter Bur‐ rell, described below.

A CERTAIN LOT OF GROUND, situated in the City of New Orleans, in what is known as GEN‐ TILLY PARK PLACE in the THIRD DISTRICT, and as delineated on a survey made by B.S. Daniel, Civil Engineer, dated May 14, 1912, and which property is situated in that portion of the Third District known as Gentilly Boule‐ vard, to-wit:

y issued after ten (10) days from the date of the pub‐ lication of this notice. An opposition to the appli‐ cation may be filed at any time prior to the is‐ suance of such an order.

By Order of the Court, _____________________ CLERK OF COURT _____________________ ADAM L. LALIBERTE, LBN 39950 8020 Crowder Blvd.

New Orleans, LA 70127 (504) 242-7882 adam@bayoutitle.com 188765-may 25-1t $56.05

7 DAYS A WEEK

LOT 32 of SQUARE 5, bounded by Jasmine Street, Violet Street, Elaine Street, and Mid‐ lothian Street, Lot 32 measures 30 feet front on Midlothian Street by a depth of 110 feet be‐ tween equal and parallel lines.

ALVIN PETER BURRELL

The improvements thereon bear the Munici‐ pal No. 52410 Midlothan Street, New Orleans, LA 70126.

FILED: _____________________ _____________________

An order authorizing Ex‐ ecutrix to do so may be i d f ( )d

OF

Public Notices Successions

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

188528, MAY 24-25 $250

I, MARK J BOURG AKA MARK BOURG AKA MARK J BOURG SR AKA MARK FIRMIN AKA BOURG MARK, have been convicted of 14:81 - Indecent Behavior with Juveniles Sexual Motivation. Date Convicted: 03/12/2026.

188526, MAY 24-25 $250

Deadline: Thursday May 21 @ 3pm

188771-MAY 25-1T $56.39

Public Notices Sex Offenders

Louisiana

Memorial Day

And will be observing the following Early Deadline:

Louisiana

186911-may 9-aug 27 $956

I, DARRICK M SYLVE AKA DARRICK C SYLVE JR AKA DERRICK SYLVE AKA DINO SYLVE AKA EMMETTE SYLVE, have been convicted of 14:80 - Carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Date Convicted: 02/23/2005.

14:80 - Carnal knowledge of a juvenile. Date Convicted: 04/29/2002.

MONDAY ONDAY,, MAY 25TH 25T

Public Notices Sex Offenders

Date of Birth: 12/18/1992 Height: 5'6" Weight: 165 Hair Color: BLACK Eye Color: BROWN Scars/Tattoos:

If any claimant desires to contest either the right to exoneration from or the right to limitation of liability, he shall file and serve on the attorneys for Limitation Petitioner an answer to the com‐ plaint on or before the aforesaid date unless his claim has included an answer, so designated, or be defaulted.

NOW INTO COURT, through undersigned counsel, comes Magnolia Midstream, LLC (hereinafter “Limitation Petitioner”), as of the MAG 571 (the “Vessel”) to submit the following No‐ tice for publication: IN THE MATTER OF THE COMPLAINT OF MAGNO‐ LIA MIDSTREAM, LLC, AS OWNER OF THE BARGE MAG 571, FOR EXONERA‐ TION FROM OR LIMITA‐ TION OF LIABILITY

DOGS Beautiful AKC Wheaten Mini Schnauzer Puppies, Parents onsite s/w $Call (504) 390-2918

DOGS Morkie Puppies! 1st shots & wormed, $300, Adorable! 985-594-5687

MONDAY ONDAY,, MAY 25TH 25T

Employment

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

CATS Young Male Cat, Gray Colors, Have too many cats, Looking for another home for him. Please call 504-861-9617 ($50)

RIVPAR - EASTBANK

SUBSCRIBE TODAY

Angel Angello call Tommy please

Public Notices

METAIRIE

I, RONNIE LIM , have been convicted of 14:43.1 - Sexual Battery Sexual Motivation.

Date Convicted: 10/22/2020.

My Address is: 2341 CADDY DR MARRERO, LA 70072 Race: Asian or Pac. Isl. Sex: MALE

PUBLIC NOTICE ---

Something for everyone.

CIVIL DISTRICT COURT FOR THE PARISH OF OR‐ LEANS STATE OF LOUISIANA NO. 2006-5182 DIVISION “J” DOCKET NO. SUCCESSION OF MORRIS BURRELL, JR., and wife CLARA BURRELL FILED: _____________________ _____________________ DEPUTY CLERK NOTICE OF SUCCESSION NOTICE IS GIVEN that Eric C. Burrell, Administrator of the Succession of Mor‐ ris Burrell, Jr., and wife Clara Burrell, is applying for authority to sell at private sale, on terms of FIVE THOUSAND AND 00/100 ($5,000.00) DOL‐ LARS under a sale, the immovable property owned by The Succes‐ sion of Morris Burrell, Jr., described below.

A CERTAIN LOT OF GROUND, situated in the City of New Orleans, in what is known as GEN‐ TILLY PARK PLACE in the THIRD DISTRICT, and as delineated on a survey made by B.S. Daniel, Civil Engineer, dated May 14, 1912, and which property is situated in that portion of the Third District known as Gentilly Boule‐ vard, to-wit: LOT 32 of SQUARE 5, bounded by Jasmine Street, Violet Street, Elaine Street, and Mid‐ lothian Street, Lot 32 measures 30 feet front on Midlothian Street by a depth of 110 feet be‐ tween equal and parallel li

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