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FEMA says it’s ready for hurricane season But turmoil, proposed changes worry some
BY MARK BALLARD staff writer
sTAFF PHoTos By JAVIER GALLEGos
Ph.D. student Emma McCarthy and Christopher Marvel, assistant professor in the department of mechanical and industrial engineering, hold samples of moon dust alloys near the equipment used to create them in the powder metallurgy lab at LsU on May 19.
Scientists at LSU study moon dust
Research could help sustain space exploration missions BY HALEY MILLER staff writer
A key problem for NASA to solve in maintaining a presence on the moon, or even Mars, is providing the resources necessary for long-term survival. The more scientists pack on a spacecraft, the heavier it is and the more fuel it uses. Resupply missions are costly. But LSU researchers are exploring how to extract materials from the moon itself. Mechanical engineering Ph.D. student Emma McCarthy is investigating the possibilities of lunar regolith, the dust and debris that make up the lunar surface. “Getting materials from Earth and resupply from Earth is very expensive,” McCarthy said. “Energy costs are very high for that, so we want to try to use as much as we can from the moon already.” Overseen by Christopher Marvel, assistant profes-
The materials can then be used to build or repair structures on the moon, McCarthy said. Astronauts also could harness the energy from the chemical process, called a thermite reaction. Her research is funded by NASA to further its “in situ resource utilization” initiatives, which focus on how to use local resources at mission destinations as opposed to relying only on what a spacecraft can carry. “That’s really big for supthe Artemis misPh.D. student Emma McCarthy holds up samples of alloys porting sion right now,” McCarthy made from moon dust in the powder metallurgy lab on said. “This stuff could be May 19. applied for a future Mars mission and transferred to the Mars dust.” “This stuff could be applied for a future Mars For their experiments, mission and transferred to the Mars dust.” the researchers grind simEMMA McCARTHy, LsU mechanical engineering Ph.D. student ulated lunar regolith into a fine powder using a ball mill. They purchase samsor in the Department of ing lithium hydride to ples from Space Resource Mechanical and Industrial isolate valuable elements Technologies, which speEngineering, McCarthy found in moon dust — like cializes in simulating the experiments with using a aluminum, iron and silicon ä see MOON, page 5A chemical reaction involv- — from oxygen.
U.S., Iran ceasefire talks show progress
Israel expands assault in Lebanon BY WENDY BENJAMINSON, DANA KHRAICHE and GALIT ALTSTEIN Bloomberg News (TNs)
The U.S. and Iran traded messages over the weekend seeking changes to a draft agreement that would extend a ceasefire and open the Strait of Hormuz, but it was unclear if the sides were making much progress. As the diplomatic exchanges continued, Israel expanded its ground assault in Lebanon, shattering a brittle truce with its northern neighbor.
smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the southern port city of Tyre, Lebanon, on sunday. AssoCIATED PREss PHoTo
WASHINGTON — Given the recent chaos at the Federal Emergency Management Agency and last year’s reorganization at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness, some are fretting about what happens if one of the two predicted hurricanes or tropical storms comes ashore in Louisiana this summer. “We don’t know if FEMA is prepared,” U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, said Friday. “There are vacancies and staff turnover in the same leadership positions, including multiple changes at the director level. Additionally, there Cassidy was distrust of its mission by the President and the first Secretary of Homeland Security. We have to hope after the poor response to the flooding in Texas that they understand America needs a prepared and mission-focused FEMA.” “Hurricane season starts Monday,” said U.S. Rep. Troy Carter Sr., D-New Orleans, also noting massive layoffs at FEMA and the lack of a full-time leader. “Right now, we are at-risk of weakening FEMA and leaving Louisiana communities even more exposed when the next storm hits. That is unacceptable.” The National Hurricane Center expects fewer storms — eight to 14 — for the 2026
ä see FEMA, page 4A
Climate plan still in place despite state’s rightward shift Landry maintains stance on issues
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL staff writer
Three years ago, the administration of then-Gov. John Bel Edwards finished a broad plan to cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions through 2050 and help industries transition to low-carbon production. That plan is still technically on the books despite the state’s right-wing shift under Gov. Jeff Landry, and lawmakers hoping to ditch it altogether are learning that doing so is not a simple matter. Landry, who has ques- Landry tioned human-caused climate change, has staked out a quiet middle ground — not supporting the plan’s emissions reductions but remaining open to related projects that his administration says have “broad support.” This position has run headlong into rural and conservative opposition over carbon capture and sequestration, a method of mitigating climate change by injecting carbon dioxide emissions permanently underground. LSU scientists say it is safe technology, and big Louisiana industries see it as a way to lower the carbon intensity of their
ä see CEASEFIRE, page 5A
WEATHER HIGH 91 LOW 74 PAGE 6B
Classified .....................6C Deaths .........................7A Nation-World ................2A Comics-Puzzles .....3C-5C Living............................1C opinion ........................8A Commentary ................9A Metro ...........................6A sports ..........................1B
ä see CLIMATE PLAN, page 4A
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