Issuu

NICK SABAN TESTIFIES

Pro hockey staying in BR

Team

will have new owners and maybe an old name

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

Baton Rouge Zydeco forward Scott Shorrock races into the zone with the puck in a game in 2024. Minor league hockey got a revival in Baton Rouge three years ago when the Zydeco came to town, but the team folded earlier this year.

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

About a month after the future of professional hockey locally darkened when the Baton Rouge Zydeco team president and owner left the organization, Mayor-President Sid Edwards and ofﬁcials with the Raising Cane’s River Center announced the team will remain under new ownership. At a news conference Wednesday, it was announced that the owners of the

Binghamton (New York) Black Bears will take over control of the team. The Black Bears have won the last three championships of the Federal Prospect Hockey League, the same league the Zydeco compete in.

The ownership group will include Jacob Hector, a Baton Rouge native who owns Tiger Nutrition, Happy Scoops Ice Cream Parlor and Badger Mechanical, and Binghamton owners Matt Pace, Andreas Johansson and Ted Goldthorpe.

River Center general manager Wayne Hodes said after the Zydeco folded — which was a mutual agreement — he engaged in negotiations with many teams and leagues to continue hockey in Baton Rouge prioritizing obtaining a new owner, management and brand. The new hockey team will have a three-year lease at the River Center, with a requirement to sell an average of 3,000 tickets per

ä See HOCKEY, page 4A

House votes to stop war with Iran

Approval of resolution a rebuke of Trump

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON The House for the ﬁrst time

Wednesday approved a war powers resolution that would halt the U.S military action against Iran, defying President Donald Trump as a handful of Republicans joined with Democrats to end the threemonth-long conﬂict that has reordered politics at home and abroad.

House Speaker Mike Johnson had tried to prevent an outcome that would show the mounting opposition to the war, abruptly shutting down floor action two weeks ago when the resolution was on the verge of approval. But displeasure has only grown as the conﬂict drags on and as Trump struggles to negotiate a plan for peace.

“Enough is enough,” said Rep Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who led the effort.

“It is time for the president to do the right thing,” he said. “The people are tired of suffering because of his war of choice — suffering at the gas pump, suffering at the supermarkets.”

The roll call Wednesday was 215-208, but next steps are uncertain. Trump would likely reject any measure from Congress to limit his commander-in-chief authority Still, the tally, with four Republicans joining Democrats, was a rebuke of the president’s war strategy, and cheers erupted in the House chamber

It’s the fourth time the House has tried to curb the U.S. war against Iran. The Senate advanced its own war powers resolution last

ä See HOUSE, page 5A

N.O., BR areas retain rules for safety checks

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Vehicle inspection stickers will no longer be required for

Louisiana.

or two. Instead, they’ll have to get a new Louisiana Vehicle Identification Program sticker, which will have a QR code that lists the vehicle identiﬁcation number when scanned. Drivers will get the new QR code sticker when registering a vehicle. It will have an annual cost of $6 that will be collected by the Ofﬁce of Motor Vehicles at the time of

registration and again every time the registration is renewed, which could be at one-, two- or four-year intervals. For example, someone who renews a registration every two years will pay $12. The state’s new QR code sticker listing the VIN will be rolled out beginning Jan. 1. Before that date, drivers do not need to visit the OMV to get the

ä See STICKERS, page 5A

BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER and MATTHEW ALBRIGHT Staff writers

A federal judge has reopened a lawsuit challenging how East Baton Rouge Parish’s Metro Council districts are drawn, a move that comes as Black elected officials across the country test how they can still sue under the Voting Rights Act after a seismic Supreme Court ruling. A group of Black elected ofﬁcials and residents sued the

parish in 2024, arguing the voting map discriminated against Black residents because it had seven majority-White, Republican-leaning districts — even though East Baton Rouge is no longer a majority-White parish.

U.S. District Judge Shelly Dick, in Baton Rouge had administratively closed the case while the Louisiana v. Callais case played out Now that the Supreme Court has ruled, she restarted the proceedings. The high court’s April decision dramatically changed how the Voting Rights Act is interpreted, making it much harder for plaintiffs to overturn a voting map. For decades, courts could undo voting maps if they

See VOTING, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

many vehicles in

MICHAEL JOHNSON

Ford issues recalls for several models

Ford is recalling almost 420,000 vehicles because of a seat belt issue that may result in an injury if a crash occurs.

The National Highway Trafﬁc Safety Administration said in a report Tuesday that the recall includes certain Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles with model years 2018 through 2022.

The issue involves seat belts that may lock inadvertently, not allowing them to retract or extend Vehicle owners will receive a notiﬁcation in the mail about the recall. They can take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have both front seat belt retractors inspected and to replace retractors involved in the recall for free.

Ford also issued a do-notdrive warning for thousands of Bronco Sport and Maverick due to problems with the vehicles’ suspension systems.

The NHTSA said that the front lower control arm ball joints may have been incorrectly installed or incorrectly repaired at an assembly plant, and the control arm could disconnect from the front wheel knuckle.

Dealers will inspect and repair the front lower control arm ball joints as necessary, for free.

Owners may contact Ford customer service at (866) 4367332 or the NHTSA at (888) 327-4236 for more information about the recalls

Child dies after inflatable castle tossed into air

MONTREAL A 3-year-old girl died from injuries she sustained when strong winds tossed an inﬂatable castle into the air during a party at a Montreal park last weekend.

Eleven people were injured with six of them sent to hospital when a bouncy castle and a tent were tossed by high winds on May 31 at Parc Ouellet in LaSalle, a borough in southwest Montreal, emergency medical services said

The government agency Environment Canada said wind speeds were up to 31 miles per hour on Sunday afternoon during a party held by a church.

Coroner Martine Lachance has been assigned to investigate the causes and circumstances surrounding the death.

Cathy Denis, owner of an inﬂatable-structure rental company in Quebec, said she doesn’t install or operate bouncy castles or similar inﬂatables when forecasts call for wind speeds exceeding 24 miles per hour

She said that limit is important because inﬂatables present a large surface area and sudden gusts can move the structures, even when they are properly installed.

Germany seizes tons of cocaine, arrests suspects

BERLIN German authorities said Wednesday they have seized more than 8 metric tons of cocaine from a container that was supposed to be carrying cacao beans, and two suspects were later arrested in Spain. German customs investigators put the street value of the cocaine seized in the North Sea port of Wilhelmshaven at about $582 million.

The drugs were seized on Feb. 9. The arrests were made in El Ejido, in the Spanish province of Almería, on May 14.

The container had arrived from West Africa and was destined for Spain, investigators said in a statement. Instead of cacao beans officials found more than 400 packets wrapped in black foil, each containing about 20 blocks of compressed cocaine.

The shipment was destroyed in Germany before the container was sent on its way to Barcelona. Investigators identiﬁed two suspected organizers of the shipment and arrested them during a handover of the container

One of them, the manager of an import company, has been linked to a previous cocaine shipment by Spanish customs, the statement said. The pair could face prison sentences in Spain if tried and convicted

Trump admits calling Israeli PM ‘crazy’

Israel, Lebanon agree to renew fragile ceasefire

BY KAREEM CHEHAYEB, MATTHEW LEE, JOSH BOAK and SARAH EL DEEB Associated Press

BEIRUT President Donald Trump acknowledged criticizing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as “crazy” in a phone call that involved expletives, saying he was “a little bit perturbed” that Israel’s ﬁghting with Hezbollah militants in Lebanon was holding back peace talks with Iran.

But even as the U.S. president conceded the tensions in an interview released Wednesday he insisted that his relationship with Netanyahu was solid and that they connected, in part, because they are both “wartime” leaders.

“We’ve worked very well together I like Bibi a lot. And I work very well with him,” Trump told The New York Post’s “Pod Force One.”

In an interview on the American business-news channel CNBC, Netanyahu responded that he and Trump sometimes have “tactical disagreements” but have “common goals” and “agree on the main things.”

“He respects me. I respect him We always ﬁnd a way to work out our differences,” the prime minister said.

The president’s comments about the Monday call offered a sign of the growing pressure he faces to resolve the Iran war as higher energy prices and economic uncertainty threaten Republican prospects in the midterm elections and hamper global commerce.

Talks have dragged on for weeks and have been strained by Israel’s broadening war with the Iranian-backed militia group in Lebanon The conﬂicts have become increasingly intertwined as Iran insists that any potential truce in the war there must also quell the ﬁghting in Lebanon.

Israel, Lebanon renew ceasefire

Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to renew their fragile ceaseﬁre and create a number of “pilot” security zones inside Lebanon from which Hezbollah militants would be banned.

In a joint statement released after a fourth round of U.S.-mediated talks at the State Department, the two sides said

the ceaseﬁre “is contingent on a complete cessation of Hezbollah ﬁre and the evacuation of all Hezbollah operatives” from areas south of the Litani River It was not immediately clear how the security zones would be established but the agreement calls for the Lebanese army to take full control of those areas.

“These steps will enable progress towards a comprehensive peace and security agreement,” the statement said.

“All countries reafﬁrmed that the future of the relationship between Israel and Lebanon must be decided by the two sovereign governments They rejected any attempt, by any state or non-state actor, to hold Lebanon’s future hostage.”

The latter is a reference to Iran, which supports Hezbollah and has insisted that Israeli attacks on Lebanon be halted as part of a tentative agreement with the U.S. to end the conﬂict with Iran.

Hezbollah is not part of the Israel-Lebanon talks, which have been held at the ambassadorial level in Washington since the beginning of last month.

“All parties condemned Iran’s attacks on countries in the region and ongoing activities that undermine stability throughout the Middle East, whether through support for proxies and all other acts of aggression,” the statement said.

A new round of discussions will be held during the week of June 22 with an eye toward “reaching a comprehensive agreement.”

Military warning rattles coastal city

Israeli strikes over southern Lebanon continued, especially in and around the battered cities of Tyre and Nabatiyeh. Two overnight strikes near Tyre, a coastal city, killed four Syrians and two Palestinians.

Israel warned the Christian neighborhoods in Tyre that Hezbollah members were among them Many Lebanese Shiite Muslims ﬂed to those areas in recent days because they were spared from the aerial bombardment along the Mediterranean coast.

After the warning, the Lebanese army deployed to the Christian district of Tyre in an effort to prevent Israeli attacks there and to show that Hezbollah has no armed presence in the area.

600 firefighters battle fire at the U.S.-Mexico border

BY KAREN KUCHER

The San Diego Union-Tribune (TNS)

SAN DIEGO

Six hundred firefighters, aided by helicopters and air tankers, were battling a stubborn brush ﬁre along the U.S.-Mexico border Wednesday that so far has charred more than 2,600 acres of vegetation on both sides of the border

The blaze, which sparked Monday afternoon in Mexico before crossing into the U.S., south of Dulzura, was reported to be 5% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire ofﬁcials.

Aerial mapping of the burn area estimated total acreage at 2,617 acres early Wednesday Officials said 1,625 acres were in the U.S. and 992 acres were in Mexico.

One night-flying helicopter worked up until midnight making water drops on the fire, and officials ordered two air tankers and four helicopters to make water and fire retardant drops Wednesday, said Cal Fire Capt. Oscar Sotelo. He said the fire was burning east and was expected to grow after the marine layer burned off.

“The ﬁre did go down in intensity and they are expecting the intensity to pick

up during the day,” Sotelo said.

Although no structures were immediately threatened, the ﬁre is about a mile from Tecate Peak, where radio communications equipment is housed, and a mile from a high-voltage power line that feeds San Diego. Sotelo described the area as being “a pretty rural, inaccessible area.”

Evacuation warnings were issued around 5 p.m Tuesday for businesses and homes north of Conchera via Road at Cochera via Drive, south of state Route 94, east of Little Tecate Road at SR-94 and west of U.S. Border Patrol Road at SR-94. The Red Cross opened an overnight shelter at the Spring Valley Community Center where residents and their pets were welcomed.

According to Baja California Civil Protection officials, the fire began shortly after 2:15 p.m. Monday near Rancho Las Uvas and the border fence, between Tijuana and Tecate. Mexican officials on Tuesday had said the fire charred more than 520 acres south of the border and reported it mostly under control there. Sotelo said Cal Fire was told Mexican officials are moving their resources to fight the fire on the east side.

Pentagon hires convicted rioter for military post

Man was freshman at Citadel when he joined attack

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration has given a man convicted in the Jan 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol a job in the Pentagon’s policy ofﬁce, according to ofﬁcials and internal records.

“Mr Elias Irizarry is a qualified, patriotic young professional, and we are proud to have him as a political appointee,” acting Pentagon press secretary Joel Valdez said in a social media post this week.

Irizarry, whose appointment was first reported by The Washington Post, was convicted in 2023 of a misdemeanor trespassing charge after a mob of President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol. He showed contrition when he was sentenced to two weeks behind bars in 2023, court documents show Internal Pentagon records described to The Associated Press show that Irizarry has been assigned to the ofﬁce of the undersecretary of defense for policy which is tasked with providing national security advice and support on military strategy and planning to the defense secretary It was not clear from Valdez’s statement how long Irizarry had been in the post, and the Pentagon declined to provide more information.

Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said on social media:

“This administration thinks a convicted Jan. 6 rioter should be doing that kind of work?????”

Irizarry was a 19-yearold freshman at the Citadel military college in South Carolina and a Civilian Air Patrol cadet when he joined the attack on the Capitol, court documents show He climbed through a broken

window, entered a conference room, carried a metal pole through the Capitol and took photos before leaving the building, the records say

“Because of his training, Irizarry was undoubtedly aware of the safety threat posed by a mass of angry rioters to the Congressional members and staff inside the building,” prosecutors said in a court ﬁling.

Irizarry pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor trespassing charge in October 2022. In March 2023, U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan sentenced Irizarry to 14 days behind bars. Before learning his sentence, Irizarry told the judge he brought “great shame upon myself, my family and even my country,” according to a transcript.

“The idea of Americans being willing to ﬁght other Americans and tear down the very institutions that millions of other Americans sacriﬁced and built and protect is horrible. It is something I have to live with being a part of,” he said.

Irizarry is not the only convicted participant of the Jan. 6 riot to ﬁnd a job within the Trump administration. Jared Wise, a former FBI agent charged with joining the crowd, was hired at the Justice Department last year to serve as an adviser to the department’s pardon attorney Wise was on trial in Washington when Trump returned to the White House in January and immediately pardoned, commuted prison sentences or ordered the dismissal of cases for all of the nearly 1,600 people charged in the attack. The case against Wise was dismissed before the jury reached a verdict. He announced on social media in April he had resigned from the department, saying: “I returned to Washington to fully expose the abuses by the FBI and DOJ against J6 defendants, but it became clear that this will only happen from outside of government. So I left and will do so.”

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Rescue workers use an excavator on Tuesday as they search for victims under the rubble of a building that was hit Monday in an Israeli airstrike in Tyre, Lebanon.

DOE backing away from addressing civil rights

Efforts to address inequities are cast as discriminatory

BY ANNIE MA AP education writer

WASHINGTON For genera-

tions, the federal government enforced civil rights laws with an eye toward remedying historic, systemic discrimination against Black people and other people of color The Department of Justice pressed schools to desegregate The Department of Education worked to promote equal opportunity and held schools accountable for racial bias.

But under the Trump administration, efforts to address deep-rooted inequities for students of color are being cast as discriminatory against White students. Programs that have long withstood legal scrutiny are now quick to be deemed “illegal DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion — by the White House. Schools that do not comply have faced threats to their funding, and in some cases, lost federal grants.

Civil rights lawyers describe the Republican administration’s actions as a complete inversion of legal history

“It’s literally ﬂipping the purpose of civil rights law on its head, not just harming Black students and students of color, but entire school communities,” said Michael Pillera, director of the Educational Opportunities Project at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law “It’s unmoored from the actual history of our country and untethered to the reality of life in this country.”

The administration has opened investigations or joined litigation over a wide range of efforts to address racial inequality President Donald Trump’s Justice Department is investigating

Civil Rights opened an investigation.

Sarah Parshall Perry, senior legal fellow at Defending Education, said it reﬁled the complaint after district leaders were recorded saying the program had not materially changed, despite the new criteria.

“Our goal is not to make L.A. Unified a target, but rather to make sure that when people say that they are eliminating racially discriminatory aspects of programs, that they’re actually making good on their word,” Perry said.

In a written statement, the school district said its programs are aligned with state and federal laws and are open to all students.

school.

A program counselor directed her toward college preparation programs, which made it possible for her to visit the University of California-Berkeley, and Stanford, colleges where she is thinking of applying.

Psychologists and social workers she connected with have helped her navigate pressure and anxiety

“I think that the things a lot of critics are saying are so unreasonable,” she said. “They’re saying that a program that’s meant to help Black students, other students of color, is discriminatory We’ve been discriminated against in school systems basically our entire lives.”

in California.

“When you provide teachers and school personnel with knowledge and skills to help your lowest performing students, everyone wins,” said Tyrone Howard, an education professor at UCLA who consulted on the initiative.

Organizers worry pressures on the program will slow efforts to address inequities for Black students.

programs to increase the number of teachers of color in Rhode Island and Iowa. Grants to districts to train teachers or recruit school mental health workers have been discontinued for mentions of diversity in recruitment.

In a statement, the Education Department said programs receiving federal money must follow the law, which prohibits discrimination based on race.

“Serving student needs and following the law are not irreconcilable mandates. Advocates and educators have no reason to stress if they abide by the law,” said Amelia Joy a department spokesperson.

The administration investigated Chicago Public Schools and withheld more than $20 million when the district refused to end its Black Student Success Program, which aims to increase access to advanced coursework for Black students and reduce overly harsh discipline.

Complaints find traction A similar effort to close racial achievement gaps in Los

Angeles is under the same pressure.

The Los Angeles Uniﬁed School District created the Black Student Achievement Plan after an outpouring of student activism following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. It supports schools with extra teachers, counselors and curriculum in Black history

Initially, the district chose schools partially based on the number of Black students enrolled. In 2023 Defending Education, a Virginia-based conservative group, ﬁled a complaint to the Education Department, alleging discrimination against non-Black students. The district said it would no longer consider Black enrollment and instead focus solely on metrics such as high absenteeism and low test scores, emphasizing that all students could take part.

After the changes, the Education Department in 2024 said it saw no evidence of a violation. But when Defending Education ﬁled its complaint again this year, the department’s Ofﬁce for

Makeda Walker-Deen, a junior at Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, said the program has supported her in several ways through high

The district has seen signs of impact. In recent state testing, Black students in the district outperformed the average Black student

“Where is the uproar about the failings of the public education system for Black children?” said Christian Flagg, director of youth organizing at Community Coalition, which lobbied for the creation of the achievement plan. “We have had this student group at the bottom for so long, these massive gaps for so long. But when we do something to try to address it, there’s a problem.”

BethanyChristian School admits students of anyrace, color, national andethnicorigin to allthe rights,privileges, programs,and activitiesgenerallyaccordedormadeavailable to students of theorganization. It does not discriminate on thebasis of race,color, national andethnicorigininadministration of itseducational policies,admissions policies,scholarship programs,and other organization-administeredprograms.

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HearinginMangionecaseshroudedinsecrecy

BY MICHAELR.SISAK

Associated Press

NEW YORK Ahearing in Luigi Mangione ’s state murder case in the killing of UnitedHealthcare

CEO Brian Thompson was heldin secret Wednesday after the judge shut out the press and public without explanation.

New York Judge Gregory Carro said he sealed the virtual proceeding at the request of the defense but provided no other details, raising questions about transparency in the closely watched case.

Court hearings in the U.S. are

HOCKEY

Continued frompage1A

gameafter the ﬁrstseason. Ifthe teamdoesnot meetthe threshold, the River Center can cancel the lease, Hodes said.

“Yesterday,wecame in, we signed our agreement, so now they’re going to move forward with full force,” Hodes said The new team will playinthe 2026-27hockey season,creating atighttimelinefor the owners to whip the organization into shape. The groupwill retain the Zydeco roster but will participate in a draft.

Pace saidthe new ownership group willwork on earning the trustofthe Baton Rouge community by engaging with fans and partneringwith local businesses. He said the group became interested in investing in Baton Rouge hockey duetothe region’sability to “rally behind its winners.”

“Whileweare the ownership of thisteam on paper, this isn’tour team,”Pacesaid. “It’syourteam. This is Baton Rouge’steam.”

There hasbeen speculation the team willberebranded as the Baton Rouge Kingﬁsh, butHodes and Edwards said they wouldannounce the name of the teaminthe coming weeks, alongwith providing ascheduleand ticketinformation. Whether there willbepublic input in the namingprocess will be determined by the new owners, Hodes said.

presumptively open to the public, butjudgesare permittedtoclose them in certain circumstances, suchastoprotect sensitive or conﬁdential information.

Carro held the hearing in his chambers at the Manhattan courthousewhere Mangioneisset to go to trialonSept. 8. Mangione, his lawyers and prosecutors all appeared viavideoconference. A lawyer representing news organizations sentalettertoCarro asking hisreasons for sealing the hearing but wasignoredbythe judge and rebuffed by his staff.

When the lawyer,Jeremy Chase,

called Carro’schambersWednesday morning, he said thejudge’s clerktold him: “Wedon’t read emails or letters at night. We go home.” Shethenhunguponhim he said in an emailtonews organizations obtained by The Associated Press. AfterWednesday’s hearing, Carro returned to the courtroomand announced it’s“sealed at the moment.” He scheduled an in-person hearing for June 16. That one, he said, will be open to the public. Spokespeople for Mangione’s defenseteamand forthe Manhattan districtattorney’sofﬁce,

which is prosecuting the case, declined to comment. Amessage seeking comment was leftfor aspokesperson for New York’s state court system.

Laura Italiano, aveteran New York City courts reporter whowas in Carro’scourtroom on Wednesday,said this is the thirdtime in six months that the judge andcourt staff have silenced or ignored journalistsseeking access to evidence or proceedingsinMangione’scase. At apretrial hearing in December,court officers ejected areporterfromthe courtroom after she tried objecting to Carro’sde-

and early 2000s.

cision to seal certainevidence. In February,Carro held a27-minute, off-the-record benchconference during an otherwise publichearing. Reportersemailed the judge to no avail andasked acourt ofﬁcer to relay anote to him, but the ofﬁcer refused.

“We’re seeing serious transparency problems and the trial hasn’t even begun,”Italiano said. “There’s huge public interest in this caseand the judge is carrying on as if that were notthe case.”

Carro scheduled Wednesday’s hearing at the end of Mangione’s last court appearance on May 18.

for games, raking in $8.1 millionin economic impact forthe city

But the teamsaw attendance drop in subsequent seasons. In the most recent season, just under61,500 fans showed up for games,whichcaused the Zydeco to rank eighth in attendance out of the FPHL’s 14 teams. The team ﬁnishedinsecond-to-last place in their division, ending up with 17 wins and 39 losses.

Success on the ice is just one componenttoasuccessful team, Johansson said. Fan engagement is crucial to the organization,and he feelsconﬁdent aboutrebuilding the trust in BatonRouge,whichhesays has strong support for hockey

“This building andthe city deserve to have the team,and hearing that it might go away just didn’t feel like it was—itwasn’tgoodfor the league, it wasn’tgood forother teams, and certainly it wouldn’tbe good forBaton Rouge,” he said.

Before Donald Lewis,the team president, announced his departure in early May,fans already mourned thelossofthe team as they suspected their downfall was imminentdue to struggles with team management. Abooster club that supported the team shuttered in August due to conflicts with Lewis. Lewis lefttowork full-timewith theTopekaScarecrows, another FPHL team that he owns.

VOTING

Continued from page 1A

found they diluted minority voting power —now,the high court has ruledthat plaintiffs must prove map-drawers intentionally discriminated on the basis of race.

Attorneys for the city-parish, who had already ﬁled for dismissal, argued the Baton Rouge lawsuit can’tsurvive the court’snew precedent because theplaintiffs “fail to disentangle race from politics” under the new,stricter standards

But, in court filings last week, William Most —the attorney for council members CleveDunn Jr., Carolyn Coleman and Darryl Hurst, and former council members Chauna Banks and LaMont Cole —says his clients still have acompelling argument. Former Zachary City Council member La’el Montgomery and former presidentofthe Baton Rouge

Theteam came to Baton Rouge in part thanks to asizable investmentfrom theadministration of then-Mayor-President Sharon WestonBroomeand the Metro Council. Edwards saidhe’sinterested in helpingthe new team.

“We’ve tightened our belts in thecity-parish, butIamcommit-

In advance of Wednesday’s newsconference, the local hockey team’s ofﬁcialFacebook fanpage was renamedthe OfficialBaton Rouge Kingfish Fan Group on Tuesday.YouTuber Fed East Flash, whocoversthe FPHL,saidthe Kingﬁsh will return under anew ownership group at the River Center in avideo posted Wednesday The Kingfish played in Baton Rouge in thelate 1990s and early 2000s before moving to Victoria, Canada. Minor league hockey got a revival in the Capital Region three years ago when the Zydeco came to town.

chapterofthe NAACPEugene Collins are also plaintiffs.

“Undoubtedly,Callais represents amajor change to voting rights litigation, and may result in the dismissal of many cases across the country,” Most wrote. “But for the reasons described above, this case should not be oneofthem.”

Most points out that the new map didnot change the partisan balanceonthe council—itkept seven Republicansand ﬁve Democrats. But it did change the racial makeup ofthe districtsfromsix majority-White districtstoseven.

That’sdifferent from how the Louisiana Legislature redrewthe state’s congressionalmap last month in response to the Callais ruling.Republicans in the Legislature eliminated one of the state’s two majority-Blackdistricts but argued they were doing so to create another GOP-controlled seat andtoprotect Republican incumbents— without basing it on race.

“Plaintiffs will be able to satisfy

ted,and I’ll speak for ourcouncil as well. Whatever help and assistance this new organization needs, we certainly want to work with them,” Edwards said.

Hector grew up watching the Kingﬁsh, he said, andwill serve as alocal voice on theownership team, makingupfor thestruggles of the Zydeco. He attributes part of the Zydeco’sdemise to previous owners not owning up to their

the Callais directive to disentangle race from politics,” Most wrote. Dick will soon need to decide if the case hasstanding followingthe Callais decision.

Splitbyraceand party

In 2022, the Metro Council approvedanew district map—despitecriticism from advocacy groups, including the NAACP, which saiditwas not representative of the parish’smakeup and dilutedthe power of Black residents. The mapwas implemented last year

Mostargues thenew map packs large numbersofBlack voters into afew minority-Black council districts and splits up remaining Blackvoters among majorityWhitedistricts.

Another major argument made in the original ﬁling also still has standing, Most says.

In 2022, demographer Mike Hefner was hired to redraw districtlines and presented several

faults andsaid the new owners will emphasize communicationwith fans and local businesses.

“A lot of people were mistreated, andI don’twant to go in too much on that in detail, but we’re very excited to change thenarrative,” Hector said.

In the ﬁrst season of operations, theZydeco broke the league recordfor season attendancewith more than 110,000 fans showing up

options to the council. Only two retained seven White-majority districts. Hefner—who is White —pointed to onethat he thought would fairlyrepresent the parish’s Black population, but the council’s seven Republicans instead adopted one that would retain aWhite majority on the council.

That is plausible evidenceof intentionaldiscrimination, Most argued.

“The Metro Council’swhitemajority overrode their owndemographer’srecommendation, and choseamethod of counting Black citizensthatthe UnitedStatesSupremeCourt has said is not appropriate,” he wrote.

‘Egregious’deficiencies

Prior to Callais suspending the local lawsuit, the city-parish already sought to have the case dismissed.

Attorney Christopher J. Vidrine, who represents the city-parish in thesuit,again made arguments

FPHL owners owning multiple teamshas long been aconcern for fans, and Johansson says the other owners will lead in the stewardship of the team and he will lend expertise to ensure he can dedicate energy to all of his teams. He recentlybecame theowner of the Mid-South Monarchs in Southaven, Mississippi, whichwill start playing in the upcoming FPHL season.

“There’s beenother owners that ownmultiple teams, and it hasn’t always workedout well, andIdon’t want to be thenextguy that allof asudden goes from focusing on one thing and doing very well to spreading myself too thin, so it is avalid concern,” Johansson said.

to have it thrownout last week, claiming that the SupremeCourt’s recent decision only strengthens the council’sdefense.

He argues that the facts laid outinthe lawsuit aren’t strong enough to warrant ajudge allowingthe case to proceedand that the plaintiffs do not sufﬁcientlydemonstrate harm to support it.

“In light of Callais, thesedeficiencies are even moreegregious,” Vidrine wrote.

He noted themap preferredby Democrats would have separated parish communitiestoachieve the goal of asixth Black-majority district, arguing that it violates theconditions imposedbythe SupremeCourt in the Callais ruling.

“As such, it is nigh-impossible that Plaintiffs could ever prevail on their asserted claims,” Vidrine said.

Email Patrick Sloan-Turner at patrick.sloan-turner@ theadvocate.com.

STAFFFILE PHOTO

The Kingfish playedinBaton Rougeinthe late 1990s

month when a handful of GOP senators broke ranks with the Republican president in a rare show of political pushback from his party. Each time Democrats have pushed forward the war powers resolution, the vote tallies have inched higher as political unease with the U.S. war swells Trump had campaigned for the White House on a promise to end U.S. entanglements abroad and focus more on domestic issues, but the war has shifted attention back to the Middle East.

Johnson insisted Trump is “laser focused” on the domestic front, particularly ahead of the midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

The speaker said he spent three hours at the White House with the president this week and Trump is calling on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and resume the ﬂow of commerce.

Since the U.S. joined Israel in launching the Feb. 28 strikes on Iran, Americans have seen gas prices spike at the pumps, adding to inflationary pressure on consumer spending.

Iran has been able to interrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital channel for a large segment of the world’s oil, natural gas and related products such as fertilizer “We’re working on that final piece,” said Johnson, R-Benton.

“The entire world has an interest in the Strait of Hormuz being reopened for commerce. That’s what he’s working on.”

While a ceasefire in the conflict was declared in April, it remains uneasy and uncertain. Talks for a more durable end to the fighting

STICKERS

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QR code sticker. Instead they will simply get the new sticker when their registration is up for renewal in the coming months or years.

Drivers in some major metro areas however will still have to periodically trek to inspection facilities to comply with requirements there.

have dragged, increasingly complicated by Israel’s broadening war with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon. Meanwhile, military strikes between the U.S and Iran continue to ﬂare.

The war powers resolution from the House would not immediately stop the war, but it would provide a symbolic — if not legal — step against further military action.

The resolution next goes to the Senate, where four Republican senators last month joined Democrats in advancing a similar mea-

The cities of New Orleans, Kenner and Westwego run their own local vehicle inspection programs.

The new state law does not impact those local programs.

“The city is currently reviewing the legislation that removes the requirement for brake tags and vehicle inspection stickers,” said Jonah Gilmore, spokesperson for New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. “We are evaluating the law and its potential impact on operations within Orleans Parish to deter-

sure to curtail the U.S. campaign against Iran. The Senate has yet to take a ﬁnal vote to approve or reject its own war powers resolution.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Wednesday at a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing that the Iranians would think that the administration’s “hands are going to be tied” if Congress approved a war powers resolution. He said they would think “we won’t be able to do anything to them, so why make a deal?”

mine how the city will proceed.”

And the capital region — the parishes of Ascension, Iberville, Livingston, East Baton Rouge and West Baton Rouge — are still subject to federal Clean Air Act emissions testing requirements.

“In these parishes, vehicles will continue to obtain emissions control stickers and pay the associated $8 fee,” according to a ﬁscal analysis of the legislation. About 314,000 emissions control stickers are sold annually, the analysis

It’s not the only action Congress is taking in the national security arena as Democrats, in the minority, work to peel off Republican support for measures beyond the war against Iran.

The House also voted Wednesday on another Democratic-led effort, a procedural step toward a measure that would authorize U.S. support for Ukraine’s military operations as it battles Russia and would help reconstruct the wartorn country That vote is expected later this week. The House also

says. Drivers in the New Orleans area and capital region will also be required to get the new Louisiana Vehicle Identiﬁcation Program QR code, according to the OMV Starting on June 30, law enforcement officers will be prohibited from issuing tickets for not displaying an inspection sticker Under the legislation, House Bill 1085, personal vehicles will no longer need state inspection stickers effective Jan. 1, but commercial

vehicles and school buses are still required to do regular safety inspections.

A spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Insurance said it has received no indication from auto insurers that ending the inspection sticker requirement will affect insurance rates and that department has “no reason to anticipate that it would.” Staff writer Marco Cartolano contributed to this story.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By J SCOTT APPLEWHITE

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, prepares to talk to reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday.

U.S. stocks halt their record-breaking rally

NEW YORK Oil prices rose Wednesday following the latest flare-up in fighting to threaten the U.S.-Iran ceasefire and U.S. stocks retreated from their records.

The S&P 500 fell 0.7% from its all-time high for its ﬁrst drop in 10 days The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 620 points, or 1.2%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 0.9%.

Weighing on the market was a climb of 1.9% for the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, which brought it back to $97.81. It rose after both the United States and Iran said they launched retaliations for earlier attacks or attempted ones.

Palo Alto Networks helped drag the market lower, and it fell 5.6% even though it reported proﬁt for the latest quarter that topped analysts’ expectations Investors may have been looking for even more after its stock came into the day with a surge of 61.3% for the year so far, more than quintuple the S&P 500’s already big 11.2% rise.

Airport could soon run on 100% solar power

A large solar array is being planned to fully power Northeast Philadelphia Airport

A bill that still needs approval by City Council would authorize a contractor to build a 1.5-megawatt solar farm. In return, the city would purchase the energy for the airport for 25 years at a set rate. It would become the largest municipal on-site solar project within city limits. There are larger privately run solar arrays. The plan is a partnership between the city’s Department of Aviation, which manages both PNE and Philadelphia International Airport, and the Philadelphia Energy Authority

“The Department of Aviation is committed to purchasing or generating 100% renewable energy through collaboration with the City of Philadelphia Office of Sustainability,” Jessica Noon, sustainability manager for the airports, said at a hearing Tuesday by the council’s Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities Noon said Reactivate LLC, a subsidiary of Chicago-based Invenergy, will own the solar array It will be responsible for construction, daily operations, and long-term maintenance. EU launches tech sovereignty initiative

BRUSSELS European Union leaders, worried about the continent relying too heavily on American companies for AI and cloud computing services and Asia for microchips, are pushing back.

The 27-nation bloc unveiled a “tech sovereignty” package on Wednesday with measures to promote homegrown European alternatives to Big Tech services and hardware.

The efforts by Brussels have gained urgency as leaders worry about dependence on technologies from foreign providers, which they say could be “weaponized” against Europeans. Those fears crystallized after the International Criminal Court’s top prosecutor was sanctioned by the Trump administration, which led to Microsoft canceling his email account, sparking fears of a “kill switch” hidden in U.S tech services.

“Europe wants to be in the position to make its own choices, avoiding risky dependencies on single dominant suppliers, one company or one third country,” European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen, who oversees tech sovereignty, told reporters in Brussels.

“Because we live in a world where geopolitics and technology go hand in hand. Those who champion technological innovation will shape the future, and we must ensure that Europe plays a leading role in this.”

Dallas Neiman Marcus to close

Iconic location to shutter in September

BY BRIAN WOMACK

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

DALLAS Neiman Marcus will close its downtown Dallas department store, ending months of speculation and delivering another blow to the central business district landscape.

The iconic store is set to shutter at the end of September as the company turns its focus on the NorthPark Center amid a bankruptcy process with Saks Global,

which acquired Neiman Marcus at the end of 2024. The closure will close the chapter on a multidecade run for the shop that had acted as a fashion beacon for the region.

“It is not an easy decision, but it is a ﬁnal decision,” said Geoffroy van Raemdonck, CEO of Saks Global. “ The rationale is really we’ve looked at multiple criteria, but it’s mostly the criteria of what are the customer preferences and where is demand, and what we see is that there’s a shift in the retail map in Dallas.”

The downtown Dallas store was a flagship property for Dallas-

founded and headquartered Neiman Marcus until the chain was purchased by upscale competitor Saks Global in 2024. For more than a century, the building the epicenter of luxury retail in North Texas and welcomed some of the world’s biggest names in fashion such as Christian Dior, Sophia Loren and Gloria Vanderbilt. With the change, Neiman Marcus plans to infuse elements of the downtown store and its history into the NorthPark site, according to the company This includes reimagining the Neiman Marcus Cafe into The Zodiac Room and celebrating other pieces of its history

The downtown store was first set to close at the end of March in 2025 after weeks of back and forth between city and business ofﬁcials and the company amid a lease dispute. Yet an 11th-hour announcement staved off the shuttering with the site set to be kept open through the holiday shopping at the end of last year — and then the lifeline was extended into 2026. The NorthPark business does more than 10 times the sales of the downtown business, van Raemdonck said. And sales, despite the attention the store attracted last year, declined in 2025.

Trump administration seeks new path forward with tariffs

First attempt hit legal roadblocks

BY PAUL WISEMAN and ELAINE KURTENBACH AP business writers

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is in a hurry to rebuild the tariff wall the Supreme Court tore down less than four months ago. The administration this week has proposed slapping double-digit tariffs on products from dozens of major U.S trading partners after an investigation into imports of goods allegedly made with forced labor And more tariffs are likely coming. Under the proposal released in Washington late Tuesday 16 economies including Canada, Mexico, the European Union, Taiwan and the United Kingdom — would face 10% levies for allegedly failing to enforce bans on forced labor Another 44 trading partners including China, Japan, India, South Korea and Switzerland — would be hit with 12.5% import taxes.

The tariffs are part of Trump’s push to replace revenue lost when the U.S. Supreme

Court struck down sweeping global tariffs he’d imposed last year. This latest barrage is likely to unsettle key trading partners that have been hit with waves of tariffs since Trump returned to the White House early last year

“The failure of our most important trading partners to address the importation of goods made with forced labor is unacceptable,” U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said in a statement. “This creates a dynamic where American workers are forced to compete globally on an unlevel playing ﬁeld.” Greer’s ofﬁce said failure to prevent such imports is “unreasonable and burdens or restricts U.S. commerce.”

Trump’s tariffs are paid by U.S. importers who usually try to pass along those higher costs to customers.

The administration, mindful that Americans are growing increasingly unsettled by high prices with midterm elections just months away said that it would limit the impact by exempting from the latest proposed tariffs a long list of products, including aircraft parts, food products (from coffee to beef) and rare earth minerals crucial in the production

of smartphones and cars. Also spared would be products from Canada and Mexico covered by a North American trade pact.

The new tariffs would not take effect immediately They are subject to public comment and review Public hearings on the proposed duties are due to begin on July 7.

The plan drew immediate pushback. A Chinese government spokesperson denied the forced labor allegation and called for resolving economic issues through dialogue, saying a trade war doesn’t serve anyone’s interests.

“There is no such thing as forced labor in China, and we oppose using it as an excuse to engage in political manipulation,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing.

The U.S. has long said imports of goods that include material from China’s farwestern Xinjiang are at risk of using forced labor Beijing denies allegations of forced labor in the Muslim majority region.

But critics saw the proposed tariffs as a pretext to reinstate tariffs on dozens of countries across the globe that hadn’t passed legal muster

Humanoid robots are learning to do your job — in the kitchen

BY NILESH CHRISTOPHER

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

Fernando Flores can spend eight hours a day pouring the same cup of coffee

He is not a barista. He’s a robot puppeteer, trying to train humanoids He manipulates mechanical controllers to make nearby robot arms pick up a pot of coffee, pour it into a mug and put the pot back in the coffee maker. Flores checks for spills, then empties the mug back into the pot by hand and does it again — hundreds of times. “The repetitiveness, it can cause some discomfort,” said Flores, who has the title of senior robotic pilot

at San Francisco startup Encord. “It becomes second nature after a while.”

This Sisyphus of Silicon Valley is on the front lines of a rapidly expanding industry of robot trainers, preparing to teach and operate the army of humanoid robots scheduled to march out of nearby factories in the coming year Encord practices, records and sells data about movement to the companies racing to bring humanoids to homes, ofﬁces and factories. If tech companies’ optimistic plans are to be believed, a swarm of American-built robots is about to hit the market Tesla’s Fremont factory stopped car production this year to make

way for production lines for its Optimus robots, with unbelievable plans to ramp up capacity to 1 million units a year Palo Alto-based 1X Technologies is already manufacturing its 66-pound, 5-foot-6 humanoid named Neo at its factory in Hayward. The company received 10,000 preorders, and its ﬁrst shipment is expected later this year

Figure AI’s humanoid factory in San Jose has increased its manufacturing capacity to produce one Figure 03 robot an hour, with the goal of producing 12,000 a year Goldman Sachs projects the global market for humanoids could reach $38 billion by 2035. The AI of these humanoid robots needs an immense amount of data

on human movement. How humans write, speak, code and compose was easily scraped off the internet, but the bots need more information to master how to stand, step, lift, squeeze, pour and perform other physical movements That is where companies like Encord come in. The $10 billion invested in robotics in 2026, according to CB Insights, has spawned an industry focused on training robots Initially, that meant humans strapping iPhones to their foreheads, recording actions like cooking, cleaning and performing household chores. That, however, doesn’t capture the exact torque, force and grip required for a robot hand to work ﬂawlessly

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AURELIEN MORISSARD

U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer arrives May 6 for the G7 trade meeting in Paris.

Bessent refuses to say if Trump is

Treasury secretary

won’t clarify president’s IRS immunity

BY FATIMA HUSSEIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON Treasury Secre-

tary Scott Bessent refused to say Wednesday whether President Donald Trump and his family would still get immunity from IRS audits after the administration abandoned plans for a $1.776 billion compensation fund that would have beneﬁted the president’s allies.

“There’s continuing litigation, and I’m unable to comment on ongoing litigation,” Bessent told lawmakers at the Senate Finance Committee hearing.

It was a frustrating answer for Democratic lawmakers looking to get answers from Bessent at a hearing ostensibly focused on the Treasury Department’s budget and came a day after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche seemed to indicate that the portion of the settlement dealing with the IRS audit immunity would still be in effect for the Republican president.

After several failed attempts to get Bessent to answer, Sen Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., said, “It’s been very clear you’re dodging this and you’re trying to use it as an excuse. It’s just outrageous on behalf of the American republic.”

A White House representative did not respond to an Associated Press inquiry about the status of the settlement. In the Oval Ofﬁce on Wednesday, Trump did not conﬁrm whether the compensation fund had been scrapped or was simply on hold. “I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know,” he told reporters. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a beautiful thing,” he said.

The administration decided to scrap plans for the compensation fund, which could have included payouts to participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, after bipartisan outrage and a fierce political backlash that

exempt

threatened to stall key elements of the White House agenda. Still, the status of the IRS immunity deal as part of the controversial settlement crafted to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS remained unclear, though Blanche said Tuesday that “nothing has changed” in that regard.

Last week, a federal judge in Florida overseeing Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS, who had initially dismissed the case, reopened the case and ordered the president’s attorneys to respond to allegations that Trump abandoned his claims to avoid the court’s scrutiny of the deal.

When she initially dismissed the case, Kathleen Williams, the judge handling the lawsuit, admonished the Justice Department for a lack of transparency and said no agency “submitted any settlement documents nor filed any documents ensuring that the settlement was appropriate where there was an outstanding question as to whether an actual case or controversy existed.”

Matt Platkin, a former New Jersey attorney general now at the law ﬁrm Platkin LLP, which is representing lawmakers and judges challenging the settlement agreement, called it “one of the greatest scams in American history.”

He told The Associated Press that Blanche’s testimony on Tuesday over plans to scrap the weaponization fund and grant Trump audit immunity “underscores the need for the court to continue its inquiry in Florida.”

Lawmakers on Wednesday tried to grill Bessent on the agreement without success.

“Secretary Bessent owes the committee an explanation of what the Treasury knows about the dirty settlement. That’s because his department was involved from beginning to end,” said Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore.

Wyden asked Bessent: “Does the IRS audit immunity given to Trump, his family and his businesses still stand?”

Bessent declined to answer, citing the unresolved legal dispute.

Senate begins vote on funding

Legislation was delayed for weeks

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK, KEVIN FREKING and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Republicanled Senate is moving forward with legislation to fund immigration enforcement agencies after forcing the Trump administration to say it will drop its settlement fund for political allies and stripping a separate proposal for White House security from the bill.

The Senate voted 53-46 on Wednesday to begin debate on the roughly $70 billion bill to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Border Patrol. The legislation was delayed for weeks as Republican senators navigated the various obstacles to passage created by President Donald Trump and the White House, but they are now moving quickly to pass it after paring it back to its original form.

“Right now, the goal is to get the base bill across the finish line,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

Still, Republicans will need to ﬁnd enough votes to beat back multiple amendments that Democrats — and some Republicans say they will offer to permanently ban Trump’s $1.776 billion settlement fund.

After fierce Republican pushback, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche told House lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday that “we are not moving forward with the fund, period.” But shortly after the Senate voted to move forward with the bill on Wednesday, Trump repeatedly defended the settlement in response to reporters’ questions at the White House.

When asked directly whether the fund is dead or just on hold, Trump responded: “I’d have to ask the lawyers, I don’t know.”

“I love it,” Trump said of the settlement. “I think it’s so important.”

Republicans are using a process called budget reconciliation that enables them to pass the legislation without any Democratic votes, but they must ﬁrst wade through

enforcement

a long series of amendment votes that could pose problems for the bill. That process is expected to start on Thursday Amendments test unity

Republicans said they felt reassured by Blanche’s promises to scrap the fund, which was part of a settlement resolving Trump’s lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. GOP senators had revolted and left town two weeks ago after the Justice Department announced the payouts, which could potentially go to participants in the violent Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and other Trump allies.

Democrats say they want it written into the law

“It is only a matter of time before Blanche and Trump go back on their word,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., predicted Wednesday morning.

After Trump’s comments, Schumer posted on X that “this is EXACTLY why” Democrats would be forcing votes to ban it.

Some Republicans also planned to try and put Blanche’s promise in writing. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., has said he will offer an amendment to block any attempt at resurrecting the fund.

“We’ve got a sufﬁcient number of Republicans who have been

very clear they’ve got concerns there,” said Tillis.

Thune said earlier on Wednesday that Blanche’s comments were “extremely helpful” and that he thought most GOP senators were satisﬁed. He said he was working with Tillis and others who have discussed amendments as he tries to ensure he has enough votes for a simple majority in the 53-47 Senate.

“Keep in mind, we’ve got to keep them all together, make sure we’ve got 50 votes for it,” Thune said. Money dropped for ballroom

The legislation was also delayed by the opposition to $1 billion in security funding for the White House, including for Trump’s new ballroom, that was added to the original bill. Democrats and some Republicans questioned using taxpayer money for the massive project in a time of economic hardship for many voters. Democrats had planned amendments to strip that language, as well. As various side issues temporarily derailed the legislation, Republicans have said their top priority is passing the ICE and Border Patrol funding that Democrats have blocked for months in protest of the administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown.

But success requires GOP unity in the Senate and the House before it can reach Trump.

Poland, Lithuania conﬁrm exploring nuclear deterrence

Countries are considering larger role in NATO’s efforts

BY CLAUDIA CIOBANU, SAM MCNEIL and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WARSAW Poland Poland and Lithuania conﬁrm they are participating in discussions about their potential role in NATO’s nuclear deterrence efforts, which are built around U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe.

While talks are in early stages, expanding U.S. nuclear deterrence in Europe could reassure continental allies of continued U.S military support at a time when President Donald Trump has led an effort to reduce his country’s conventional defense involvement in Europe.

“We are talking, in order to create better conditions for nuclear deterrence and for Poland to play an important role in that,” Polish Deputy Defense Minister Paweł Zalewski told Polish Radio on Wednesday Poland, however, has denied any plans to host nuclear weapons. That would be “an extremely serious matter, which is serious in terms of political consequences,” he said.

“Discussions are indeed taking place. I do not want to go into details at this point as they are classified, but discussions are ongoing, and Lithuania is certainly not standing on the sidelines,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said Tuesday according to press agency BNS.

Both ministers were replying after anonymous sources cited Tuesday by the Financial Times said the United States had signaled openness to deploying elements of its nuclear arsenal in new European countries, in addition to the six currently thought to host nuclear weapons.

The FT reported that Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the NATO members located closest to Ukraine, were interested in potentially hosting bases for U.S. dual-capable air-

craft, which can carry either conventional or nuclear warheads.

The Pentagon declined to comment, but a Defense Department official said the U.S. and NATO “continuously assess the security environment” and work to keep effective deterrents. The ofﬁcial was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity Nuclear weapons in Europe

The United States has stationed nuclear weapons in several European countries for decades as part of its security guarantees to NATO allies.

In recent years, Russia’s war against Ukraine and the broader threat Moscow poses to NATO have prompted discussions about the possibility of expanding the U.S nuclear cooperation with Europe.

“Work to assess and potentially adapt NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture has been ongoing for several years and is not linked to any decision taken by the U.S. to adjust its conventional posture in Europe,” an official tasked with communicating for NATO but not authorized to be publicly named told the AP

The NATO nuclear sharing program includes U.S. nuclear weapons deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey and Britain, as well as dualcapable aircraft owned by both the U.S. and its allies. The U.S. maintains full control over the nuclear weapons.

Poland has expressed its willingness to participate in the U.S. nuclear deterrence program since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with former president Andrzej Duda even welcoming the hosting of nuclear weapons. The current government led by Donald Tusk has been more cautious, speaking only about a bigger role in nuclear deterrence.

The U.S., however, has repeatedly indicated that placing nuclear weapons in eastern countries of NATO would be too provocative for Russia, Artur Kacprzyk, a nuclear deterrence analyst with the Polish Institute of International

Affairs in Warsaw told the AP

“There might be a middle ground there, which could be called ‘nuclear sharing light’. You would have, for example, Polish planes, certiﬁed for carrying U.S. nuclear weapons, but the weapons won’t be deployed in Poland. This aircraft from the east could be a sort of backup if, let’s say, German or Dutch aircraft are destroyed before they can use those nuclear weapons.”

Efforts are complementary

Earlier this year, Poland said it would be one of several European countries to join France’s initiative of coordinating its nuclear deterrence efforts with European allies. France has been the only nuclear power in the European Union since Britain’s exit from the bloc in 2020.

The French-initiated cooperation is “complementary” to the U.S. deterrence, Kacprzyk said, but it has a different nature.

Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Sweden, Denmark and Norway also have said they were interested in the French initiative, which allows for the temporary deployment of France’s nuclear-armed aircraft to allied countries. It also allows partners to participate in France’s deterrence exercises and allows allies’ non-nuclear forces to participate in France’s nuclear activities.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz told Polish broadcaster TVP on Tuesday that nuclear deterrence would be discussed during a NATO meeting in Brussels on June 18. He said both the French initiative and the U.S. program are part of those efforts.

Increasing nuclear cooperation in Europe might help the U.S. offset conventional reductions but it cannot fully substitute the forward presence of conventional troops, especially in countries bordering Russia, Kacprzyk said.

“Communicating ‘I might risk nuclear war to defend an ally but I don’t want to send my soldiers into the ﬁght’ is a conﬂicting signal,” he said. “You need coherent signals at all levels of deterrence.”

N. Korea unveils plant to produce nuclear fuel

Factory in line with leader’s vows to expand weapons program

BY HYUNG-JIN KIM and KIM TONGHYUNG Associated Press

SEOUL, South Korea North Korea on Thursday unveiled a new facility to produce nuclear bomb fuels, with leader Kim Jong Un announcing plans to bolster the country’s nuclear forces “at an exponential rate.”

The official Korean Central News Agency said the facility used “more sophisticated technology” but didn’t provide further details, such as where it is located and when it began its operation. State media photos showed what appeared to be a large centrifuge hall, indicating the plant is likely used to enrich weapons-grade uranium.

The disclosure of the new factory is in line with Kim’s repeated vows to expand its nuclear weapons program to cope with what he called escalating U.S.-led military threats.

KCNA said Kim visited the nuclear facility on Wednesday to learn about its operation indices and its long-term production plan.

KCNA quoted Kim as saying the urgency for bolstering up the country’s nuclear war deterrent, both in quality and quantity, has grown because of confrontations with “the most ferocious enemies,” an apparent reference to the United States and South Korea. Kim cited other unspeciﬁed threats and crises as a need to boost North Korea’s nuclear capability, it said.

Kim claimed that North Korea’s weapons-grade nuclear materials production capacity has more than doubled compared with five years ago, according to KCNA. There are virtually no ways to independently verify his claim.

After a meeting at the facility, Kim said that he and other top ofﬁcials “conﬁrmed the order of

priority for implementing the ambitious future plan designed to beef up our state’s nuclear forces at an exponential rate,” KCNA said.

KCNA photos showed Kim walking through narrow aisles lined with dense rows of silver tubes and pipes, in what appeared to be a centrifuge hall. Another image showed him speaking with senior ofﬁcials in a meeting room, where a blurred graphic depicting a cone-shaped object was spread across a table. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the graphic showed a warhead design.

The facility’s revelation came less than two years after North Korea unveiled another covert uranium-enrichment plant in September 2024, in its ﬁrst public disclosure of such a facility since showing one at the country’s main Yongbyon nuclear complex to visiting American scholars in 2010.

Kim delivered a similar message during his visit to that facility in 2024, calling for an increase in the number of centrifuges to “exponentially” expand the country’s nuclear arsenal and urging the development of more advanced centrifuge systems.

Last September, South Korean Uniﬁcation Minister Chung Dongyoung said that North Korea was operating a total of four uranium enrichment facilities including the Yongbyon complex, and that they were running everyday Nuclear weapons can be built using either highly enriched uranium or plutonium, and North Korea has facilities to produce both at Yongbyon.

North Korea has focused on enlarging and modernizing its nuclear arsenal since Kim’s highstakes diplomacy with U.S. President Donald Trump collapsed in 2019. Kim has since rebuffed U.S. and South Korean offers to restart diplomacy In April, International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi told reporters that his agency had conﬁrmed “a rapid increase” in activities at nuclear facilities in North Korea.

After search, LSU names new leader

Messina to be provost, senior vice chancellor

BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer

After a nationwide search, LSU has named Joseph Messina, currently a dean at the University of Alabama, as its next senior vice chancellor and provost.

In his new role at LSU, which begins on Aug. 3, Messina will

serve as chief academic officer, responsible for academic affairs, faculty development, student achievement, research partnerships and strategic initiatives, LSU said in a news release Wednesday “LSU is one of the country’s great flagship institutions, and the opportunities ahead are ex-

traordinary,” Messina said in the statement. “I am honored to join the LSU community, as we continue building upon that momentum.”

Messina has served since 2019 as dean of the J. Frank Bareﬁeld College of Arts and Sciences at Alabama. Before joining Alabama, Messina spent nearly 20

years at Michigan State University in various leadership roles.

Messina

Messina is the second of two recent LSU hires from the University of Alabama, the ﬁrst being Jim Dalton, who was named LSU’s new chancellor in November Messina earned a doctorate in

HEART AND SOLE

geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s in geographic and cartographic sciences and a bachelor’s in biology, both from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

Troy Blanchard, who served as interim senior vice chancellor and provost, will be returning to his role as the dean of humanities and social sciences, an LSU spokesperson said.

Owner Lionel Holmes hammers on a new sole to an old shoe at Holmes Shoe Hospital on May 27. Holmes, who transformed his uncle’s shoe repair shop into a thriving business in Baton Rouge, showcases the artistry and necessity of quality shoe repairs in a disposable society.

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

A former employee of the Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice has been accused of coercing a teenage detainee into having sex with her and using disciplinary “write-ups” to keep him from being released.

Keyana Nash, who worked as a juvenile justice specialist at the Acadiana Center for Youth in Bunkie, has been sued alongside the Ofﬁce

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON Wade Petite listens to Gonzales Mayor Tim Riley on July 24 in Gonzales.

attorney general has OK’d Riley’s hiring of Petite

without City Council action.

STAFF PHOTOS By CHRIS GRANGER

125K attend gathering of tall ships in New Orleans

Room occupancy in city up compared to 2025

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

Historic sailing ships from Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Sweden and the United States Coast Guard lined the French Quarter wharf last weekend. New Orleans was the ﬁrst stop in a ﬁve-city exhibition of the old-fashioned vessels called Sail 250, which is part of the country’s semiquincentennial celebration.

The event was a big hit, with long lines of land lubbers climbing the gang planks to tour the picturesque vessels. There were 125,000 people at Sail 250 from May 28-31, based on data derived from Placer.ai, a digital marketing analytics company, according to the New Orleans & Company tourism bureau.

That’s about double the daily attendance of this year’s New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

“Sail 250 showcased what we have always known, Louisiana is a key part of our country’s story,” Gov. Jeff Landry said in a statement. “From the Mississippi River that drives our economy to the culture and history that deﬁne our people, we were proud to welcome the world to New Orleans and kick off America’s 250th anniversary celebration.”

The riverfront attendance ﬁgure was 500% higher than over Memorial Day weekend last year, when there was no similar event, said New Orleans & Company Senior Vice President for Communications Kelly Schulz. Throughout the entire city Schulz said, the number of visitors was 454,000, an increase of 140,000 over 2025.

Sail 250 was certainly an important factor in the increase, she said, but there were also other events, including the Louisiana Department of Education convention that drew 7,000 attendees, the North America’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony, and the normal holiday weekend visitor uptick.

The influx of tall-ship fans was also a boon to hotels across the city, Schulz said. Based on data from the Smith Travel Research Report, room occupancy was mostly up compared to 2025, though Sunday’s figures are not yet available For example, on Memorial Day, hotels were 49% full, compared to 33% in 2025. Only Saturday night’s occupancy rate was lower Schultz pointed out that hotel occupancy figures provide only part of the picture, since they do not account for day trippers, short-term

CHIEF OF STAFF

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The opinion also found that Gonzales city ordinances cannot infringe on the mayor’s authority to delegate administrative duties to municipal ofﬁcers and employees. “We expected the opinion to be what it was,” Petite said Wednesday “To be honest, we are busy around here, and we were pleasantly surprised when it arrived in the mail. We are glad to have it recognized.” Riley could not be reached for

Sheriff: Man broke into home, assaulted 11-year old

A man broke into a house in Napoleonville on Tuesday and punched an 11-year old child after accusing someone in the house of stealing from him, the Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said. Duncan Wiggins, 39, of Napoleonville, was arrested for cruelty to juveniles with force, aggravated battery with a dangerous weapon and home invasion.

driving the wrong way.

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports

Deputies responded to the house on the 100 block of Georgette Street on Tuesday afternoon when the complainant said Wiggins broke into her house and punched her child.

Wiggins went to the home because he thought someone had stolen from him, deputies said. Wiggins forced entry to the home through the front door, which struck the child, and proceeded to also punch the child.

Wiggins was located by deputies on Louis Lane near Napoleonville. He was booked into the Assumption Parish Detention Center and is awaiting a bail hearing.

Woman accused of DUI on I-10 in fatal crash

a five-city exhibition called Sail 250, part of the country’s semiquincentennial celebration.

rentals and visitors staying with friends or family

“It was incredible to welcome ships from around the world and see families, residents and visitors come together along our riverfront for a truly memorable celebration,” Mayor Helena Moreno said in a statement. “Events like this give us a unique opportunity to showcase the culture, hospitality, and spirit that make New Orleans unlike anywhere else in the world.”

Anecdotally, some downtown businesses beneﬁted from the tall ships’ visit.

With approximately 3,000 sailors and cadets enjoying shore leave, the French Quarter buzzed with activity, even after the onboard tours ended at 5 p.m. each day

As general manager of Port of Call on Esplanade Avenue, known for its staggering Monsoon cocktails, Mike Mollere said the place was packed with uniformed mariners and sail ship enthusiasts.

“It was a holiday-like atmosphere,” Mollere said, “Mardi Gras-like.”

Mollere acknowledged that “the name Port of Call may have had

comment.

Still, some council members argue that the opinion does not settle questions about funding. In budget amendments for the 202627 ﬁscal year, salaries in every department were itemized with no chief of staff position listed. “An appointment alone does not create a funded position,” council member Terri Lambert said in a statement. “The council has the legal responsibility to appropriate taxpayer dollars, and without council approval of the salary in the budget, the appointment is essentially unfunded and cannot move forward. So how has this position been funded?”

something to do with” the sailors ﬁnding their way to the establishment at the edge of the French Quarter But they visited other watering holes as well.

At Laﬁtte’s Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon Street, the crowd “was amazing,” according to manager Kenny Burque. They were “all in uniform” and “well behaved, every one of them,” he said.

Mostly the visiting mariners drank beer, he said. But at Tropical Isle, home of the Hand Grenade cocktail, visiting sailors sipped “a little of everything,” said bartender Tray Fray They also rarely had to pay for their beverages. As in other establishments, patrons often picked up the tabs for the visiting seafarers, who were polite and grateful.

“They said, ‘Thanks, no need to do that’ and that sort of thing,” Fray said.

On Thursday, Frey said, he saw clusters of sailors standing beneath balconies where some residents tossed them beads. “We were glad to have them,” he said.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Riley and Petite met over a decade ago. They ran against each other in 2016 for a council seat. When Petite lost, he supported Riley Petite’s hire later on caused disputes over the council’s budget powers and whether his role could exist without council action. In July 2025, the council voted against the budget proposed by Riley’s administration Council members again raised concerns about Petite’s hire. In late August, the council passed the budget with amendments that excluded salaries of four new roles and two existing positions proposed by the mayor

Alaja Smith, 23, is wanted for vehicular homicide two counts of vehicular negligent injuring, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless operation of a vehicle and possession of alcoholic beverages in a vehicle Smith was allegedly driving north in the southbound lane of Interstate 10 near the curve at the Governor’s Mansion just after midnight on May 13. Officers responding to the scene found Smith’s Nissan Sentra severely damaged Smith and the frontseat passenger, Raven Williams, 23, were trapped in the car and had to be extracted. Smith had collided head-on with a 2023 Kia Telluride that was traveling south in the left lane, the arrest warrant said.

Upon impact, the Nissan rotated clockwise and rolled several times before landing further south down the interstate, police said.

Baton Rouge police are looking for a woman who allegedly was drunk and high when she killed her front-seat passenger and injured two others in a collision with another car on Interstate 10 while

LAWSUIT

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times over a period of months.

Nash “took a sexual interest” around February 2025, the suit says, with the alleged abuse continuing through May 2025. The victim, who turned 18 prior to Nash’s advances, was coerced into having sex with her ﬁve times during that period.

The detainee said the rapes took place in an area inside the Center for Youth known as “the cut,” which was located in the “bulldog” dorm of the building.

The victim claims to have been made to sit next to Nash, to grope her and to sexually pleasure her numerous times in both the “day area” and the bathroom of the Center for Youth.

Nash is accused of telling the teenager at one point: “You’re not going home if you don’t come in the cut and have sex,” according to the suit.

The suit also says Nash purposefully schemed to keep the teenager in custody at the Center for Youth in order to continue her abuse. She allegedly carried this out by repeatedly disciplining the victim with “write-ups” that could endanger his release date.

Nash would also use mace and beat up the victim and other incarcerated juveniles, the suit says. She kept up communication with the victim both in person and on jail phone calls while she was off, the detainee said.

The victim attempted multiple times to make authorities aware of the abuse he was experiencing, the suit claims, noting that the teen had called the Prison Rape Elimination Act hotline multiple times to no avail.

The Acadiana Center for Youth is accused of then removing Prison Rape Elimination Act informational signs, which itself violates the act.

The victim recorded the abuse in

GUILTY

Continued from page 1B

the door to ﬁnd Smith, who stated he wanted the $10 the victim owed him.

The victim told Smith that he didn’t know who he was and didn’t owe him any money, at which point Smith stepped back from the door and stated, “You don’t want to give me my money?” according to the arrest warrant.

Smith then produced a firearm and began firing into the residence where the victim was standing, shattering the home’s glass front door Smith then fled the scene on a bicycle, headed south on North 35th Street. No injuries were reported in the warrant, and it is unclear how many times Smith fired into the home, although multiple shots were reported.

The following day the victim was able to identify Smith in a photo-

Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith and the two people in the Kia were transported to the Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center for nonlife-threatening injuries. Smith tested positive for THC in her system and had a blood-alcohol level of 0.19%, more than double the legal limit to drive. Police found an open bottle of alcohol in the Nissan.

a journal, which was seized by the Avoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce during its investigation.

Only after the teen and his mother spoke with his youth counselor were they able to make Judge Adam Haney of the East Baton Rouge Juvenile Court aware of the abuse during a court hearing on May 29, 2025, for a different matter, the ﬁling says. Nash was arrested that same month and booked on a count of malfeasance in office sexual conduct.

The civil suit filed against her last week seeks damages greater than $10,000, alleging sexual battery, sexual assault and intentional inﬂiction of emotional distress. Nash’s position was considered a “guard” under Louisiana law and is thus not allowed to have sex with inmates, the suit argues.

“Defendant Keyana Nash’s acts are the exact acts PREA (the Prison Rape Elimination Act) sought to prevent,” the suit reads. “The imbalance of power prohibits any offender, much less a youthful offender, to consent to sexual acts while incarcerated.”

Nash’s case isn’t isolated either, the suit claims. Another guard, Khy Winbush, was arrested around the same time as Nash and accused of having sex with juvenile inmates at the Acadiana Center for Youth.

In August, guard Regina Holmes was also accused of criminal sexual acts with an inmate at the center “The decision-making leaders at Acadiana Center for Youth, Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice allowed these guards free rein to control these young teenagers and manipulate them for their sexual desires,” the suit claims. “Any supervisor would know or should know of the rampant sex crimes occurring on his watch by the guards because these sex acts could not occur unless the supervisors either knew of them or were completely incompetent.”

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

graphic lineup, and an arrest warrant was granted

In November 2024, Smith was arrested on simple burglary after allegedly being found with stolen property from a storage container on Plank Road. Smith was sentenced with credit for time served, but no possibility for probation or parole.

Email Quinn Coffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

LOTTERY TUESDAY, JUNE 2, 2026

PICK 3: 9-5-9

Crowds gather around the tall ships docked on the Mississippi River along Woldenberg Park in New Orleans for the last day of Sail 250 on Monday.

New Orleans was the first stop in

Tall ships rise next to the French Quarter on the last day of Sail 250 in New Orleans on Monday

2p.m

Obituaries

Brooks, NathanPrevalent

On May 22, 2026, Prevalent Brooks, aresident of Baker, Louisiana, and anativeson of Mt. Airy, Louisiana, embraced the promise found in 2 Corinthians 5:8: "We are confident, Isay, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

Prevalent was the devoted husband of Ellen Grant Brooks; son of Clara Clark Brooks and Nathan Brooks; father of Arin Styles, wife of Sadarius Styles, and Lauren Griffith; brother of Natheldia Brooks Broadway and Nathis Brooks; and stepson of Shirley Brooks. Prevalent was the sonin-law of Glendora Grant; brother-in-lawofGogi Grant Laurent, Eric Grant andCharlene Grant; godfather of Ashton Broadway; and godson of Thyogest "TJ" Butler. Best friends and cousins, Courtney Clark, Darren Clark, Hubert Combre, and Vince Edwards. He was "Uncle P" to his niecesand nephews His life willbecelebrated on June 6, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Members of St. Mark Baptist Church, St. John Baptist Church, Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church, and Promised Land Baptist Church; SecondDistrict Missionary Baptist Association; East St.John High School Classes of 1983 and 1984;Baton Rouge AlumnaeChapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated; Lallie Kemp Medical Center; Capitol House Nursing and Rehabilitation Center; former employees of Earl K. Long Hospital; as wellas family and friends, are invitedtocelebrate his Homegoing Service at St. Mark Baptist Church, 132 Marquez Street, Mt. Airy, Louisiana. Viewing will be held from 8:00 a.m. until the time of service. Interment willfollow at St. PeterCatholic Church Cemetery, 1550 Highway 44, Reserve, Louisiana 70084. On Friday, June 5, 2026, a public viewingwill be held at Bardell's Mortuary, 3856 LA Highway 44, Mt. Airy, Louisiana 70076,from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., followed by Chapter Invisible Services from Baton Rouge Alumnae Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Incorporated beginning at 6:00 p.m. Bardell's Mortuary has beenentrusted with the arrangements.

Farrow Haynes was born January 23, 1958in Woodville,Mississippi.He departed this life on May 25, 2026inthe Butterfly Wing of Baton Rouge GeneralMemorial Hospital.Funeral Servicesbeheld from11:00 AM to 12:00PM onJune 5, 2026at Saintsville C.O.G.I.C.Prayer Center,8930Plank Road., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70811

Klotz, Charles Lester 'Les'

Charles Lester "Les" Klotz, Jr., age82, passed awaypeacefully on June 1, 2026, surrounded by the love of his family. Born in NewOrleans, LA, Les was the son of Ruth Brunig Klotzand Charles Lester Klotz. He wasprecededindeath by hisparents,his brother,John Klotz; and his belovedwife ofmore than 40 years, Patricia Goudeau Klotz. He was adevoted father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He is survived by his children, Charles LesterKlotz III (Sherrie) Michael Klotz (Mary) Katherine Weaver (Todd) Philip Messina (Brenda) Christopher Messina(Robin). He was the proud grandfather of 13 grandchildrenand 12 great-grandchildren, each of whom brought immense joytohis life.

Les graduatedfrom John McDonogh High School and laterearned his Master's degree from Southeastern Louisiana University, wherehebegan preparing for alifelong career in education and publicservice.

Les began his career as ahighschoolteacher and coachinthe New Orleans area before relocating to BatonRouge. He served as Superintendent of Louisiana Special Schools and Superintendent of the City of Baker School System. His commitment to education and public service left alastingimpact on countless students, educators,and families Outside of his career,he loved drag racing at State Capital Raceway in Erwinville, Louisiana.Hewas known for his lifelong affection for BassetHounds (Snoopy,Peaches,and Tootsie)

Les was afaithful parishioner and longtime supporterofSt. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Baton Rouge. Hisunwavering faith in God, generous spirit, and gratitude for life's blessings servedasaninspirationtoall who knew him.

Louis, Howard Lincoln 'SweetLou'

Howard LincolnLouis, 81, of Addis, LA,passed peacefully on May 20, 2026 at his home. Viewing and funeralservices will be held Friday, June 5, 2026 at SaintFrancis Xavier CatholicChurch, 1120 MyrtleStreet, Baton Rouge, Louisiana70802. Viewing and Rosary 9:00-10:00 am. AMass of Chrisitianwillbe held at 10:30 am. Interment at LouisianaNational Cemetary. In lieu of flowers, please makedonations to SFX Catholic Church, 1120 Myrtle Street Baton Rouge,LA70802. Arrangements entrusted to HallDavis &Son Funeral Service.

AllenStevens Sr., age92, anativeofNorwood, LA, entered into eternal rest on May 26, 2026. He was a committed,hardworking laborer formany years before transitioning to acareer in landscaping with his cherished sonAllen Jr. and grandsonChristopher He lovedbeing outdoors, attending church, and spending time at his childhoodhome in Norwood.

He leaves to cherish his memories:children Angela Stevens, Evelyn Stevens, and AllenStevens, Jr. (Letha); grandchildren CaceyStevens Bester (Christopher), Derrian Green, Martina Webb,Candice Webb, ErnieBlanson, Jr., and his devoted sidekick and absolutepride and joyChristopherPlain; great-grandchildren Cayden, Jayden, and Raelyn Addison and Jordan Bester; sister-in-law Bessie Clark; and ahost of nieces, nephews, lovedones, and friends

He was precededin death by his loving wife of 59 years, JaneStevens, his parents Mack and Ida Stevens, one son that died at birth, his twin brother Alvin"Boot",and his siblings Hillard,Louise "Rooster", Mack Jr. "Redd", Florence,Omie, Doretha, and John Davis "J.D."

The family extends a specialthanks to Irma Chambers, Greater Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church Family, Pinnacle nurse MoniqueBell, and Pinnaclestaff members Drunella Bradleyand Amanda Robinson, who all providedcare and love to Mr. Stevens.

Visitationwilltakeplace at Greater Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church, 8064 Mickens Road,Baton Rouge, LA on Saturday, June 6, from 9-11 a.m.,followed by religious service at 11 a.m. Burialwillfollow immediately at Southern MemorialGardens, 3012 Blount Rd Baton Rouge LA

Deeann KellyPaisan passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the ageof84. She was bornon November 11, 1941, in New Orleans, Louisiana, and welcomed by her mother Lillian Kelly. Deeann went to Louisiana StateUniversity, as well as theUniversity of North Texas, from which she graduated.She went on toworkasanoffice manager forthe FBI in SanJuan, Puerto Rico,until her retirement. Deeann enjoyed spending time with friends and family,and she lovedall her extended family,greatly. She liked talking politics and being of maximum serviceto others. She is survivedby her former husband of 15 years and greatfriend JuanJ.Paisan;children, Elisabeth Deeann Paisan Colon, John JosephPaisan, and Michael George Paisan;grandchildren, Michele Colon, Gilbert Colon, NicoleColon, Gabriella Teixeira, Isabelle Paisan,Arianna Paisan, and Geneva Paisan;greatgrandchildren, Emilia Paisan,ColeTeixeira, and Carter Teixeira; and cousin, Mary Fetters. She is precededindeath by her mother, LillianKelly.Services will be held on Saturday, June 6, 2026, at Resthaven Funeral Home, located at 11817 Jefferson Hwy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70816. Visitation willbefrom 1:00 to 2:00 PM,withMemorial Service beginning at 2:00 PM.Inurnment willfollow in Resthaven Gardens of Memory.

Katherine LeBlancWool, age80, passed away peacefully on May1,2026. Shewas born on January 14, 1946, in Baton Rouge Louisiana, to ArthurLeon LeBlancJr. andAudrey Clement LeBlanc. Katherinewas preceded in death by herparents;her brother,Arthur Gordon LeBlanc; andher belovedson, Bryant Hammack. As a child, Katherine moved with herfamilytoDenham Springs, whereshe loved beingpartofthe large and livelyClementfamily. She attendedDenhamSprings High School andLouisiana State University. Herlocal claim to fame wasbeing Miss Pine Tree Festival Queen.Katherine enjoyed reading,gardening, decoratingher home, hosting holidays andgatherings, and spending time with familyand friends. Some of herfavorite organizations that she participated in were theDenhamSprings GardenClub, theKrewe of Romany,and theSuburban ReviewersBook Club. Knownlovingly as "Kaki" by hergrandchildren, Katherine treasured every momentwith them.They broughtimmense pride andjoy to herlife, and she cherished everyschool event, holiday celebration, andfamilytriptogether Sheissurvived by herdevotedhusbandof42years, WarrenAugust Wool;her daughter, Laura Hammack Gautreauxand husband ChristopherAlexander Gautreaux; herson,Jason BryantHammack and wife Kristy Bruce Hammack; and herbeloved grandchildren,JohnAlexander "Jack" Gautreaux,William Alexander "Will" Gautreaux, Katherine Claire Gautreaux,Devin Tyler Hoover,Isabella Jewel Hammack, and Grayson Alanson Hammack. Sheis also survived by hersister, Anne LeBlancPentecost; hernephew,Van Lowery "Trey" Pentecost III;and many treasured family members and dear friends, especially hercousins BillieClementParkerand Ann ClementKemp,her sissy Angela O'Neal Mashon, and herlifelong best friend,

Family and friends are invitedtocelebrate Les's life on Friday, June 5, 2026, at St. Alphonsus Catholic ChurchinBaton Rouge. Visitationwillbegin at 10:30a.m. AMassofChristianBurial willbecelebrated at 12:00noon. Interment willfollow at 2:30 p.m. at Greenwood Cemetery in New Orleans. Inlieu of flowersplease donate to the St Alphonsus

Wool,Katherine

Paisan, Dee Ann

OPINION

On this D-Day anniversary, we honorthe heroes whofoughtto preserve freedom

Editor’snote:This editorial, slightlyrevised, is published annuallyasatributetoD-Day

Whenthe United Statesput itsyoung men ashoreonD-Day 82 years agoSaturday, they were not alone

Although Americans remember Omaha Beach, where our troops saw some of the bloodiest ﬁghting and suffered manycasualties, young men from at least adozen other countries fought and died on other beaches —all in the common cause of freedom.

By late spring 1944, after years of combat and human sacrifice, the tide hadbegun to turn against Adolf Hitler’sGermany.Evenasthe risks of the D-Day invasion weighedheavily on Gen. Dwight Eisenhower,who drafted —just in case —a statement of responsibility forfailure, victory in Europe was finally in sight. Yet, many more died before it finally came. The hammer blows landed against theReich on D-Day made up history’slargest amphibious operation. The United States, Great Britain and Canada provided most of the troops,but they were joined by forces from every Alliednation that had suffered during thewar: Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Greece, the Netherlands,New Zealand, Norway andPoland.

Theirheroiccampaign is memorializedatthe National WWII Museum in New Orleans. Now asprawling campus that has welcomedmore than 10 million visitors since it openedin2000, it began life as the National D-Day Museum, dedicated to telling the stories of those whoanswered history’scall thatstormyJune morning so far fromhome.

Louisiana is honored to host those whopass through its doors, especially themembersof our country’sGreatest Generation who served. Today,asalways, agratefulnation honors their struggles and sacriﬁces.

We also remember the dramatic innovations that sprang from America’sarsenals of democracy, particularly Louisiana’sshallow-draft Higgins boats, which madepossiblethe D-Day landings and those in the Paciﬁc.

Perhaps the most enduringoutcomeofWorld WarII, one embodied in theplanning andexecution of D-Day,isAmerica’srole as aworld leader.The late University of New Orleanshistorian Stephen Ambrose, who conceived the World WarIIMuseum, said that thedeﬁning quality of Americans is our sense of optimism.It’swhat enables us to lead with hope,strength and adetermination to meet any challenge.

Those qualities may seem sadlylackingtoday.But by commemoratingsacriﬁce made by thousands of young men whopiled outofboats and onto beaches in service of agreater cause we honor their heroism andremind ourselves of the courage that freedom demands. Now, just like then, we must not forget that challenges far from our borders can have profound effects here at home. As it did on D-Day,meeting thosechallenges will require the best from allofus.

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Lovingfathers teachyou lessonsyou maynot realize

If you grew up when Idid, you probably had to hold thelight.Ilearned so much from my daddy by holding the light.“Daddy,can Ihelp? Can Ihold the light?Please Daddy,let me hold the light.” Iwould plead with big brown eyes.“Ok, go getthe light.” Ilearned the power of persuasion. He would get the light and the tools In my eyes, there was nothing thatman couldn’t ﬁx. We had socket wrenches, crescent wrenches,needle nosepliers—you name it.“Daddy,doweneed this?” “No, put that back.” “Daddy,do we need this?” “No, put that back.” I learned to use theright tools. About half asecond into holding the light, Iwas done. “OnmyGod, why did Iever want tohold thelight?Why? This is so boring. Are we done yet?”The thing about holding thelight is, once you’re holding it, there is no going back,

and the jobwill lastforever.Ilearned commitment, endurance and patience. When you hold the light, it was to be in an exact spot. “A little higher up. A little to the left,hold still.” Ilearned to hold my position.

“Get your head out of the way.” When you hold thelight,you want to see what is going on. What’s he doing? Is it goingtowork? Let me getalittle closer “Move your head.” The one holding the light is not theone who gets to see. I learned Icould not always be in charge and to trust the process even if Icould not see it. As Igot older,Irealized that he didn’t need me to hold thelight, he just wanted to spend time with me.The lessons wereabonus.Ilove you, Daddy,and thanks for letting me hold the light.

TRACIEELSWORTH Denham Springs

Utilitypricing makesnosense

Accesstoaffordable electricity and gasisbecoming one of the biggest concerns for many households today Families areworking hard, budgeting carefully and still finding it difficult to keep up with rising energycosts. Energy is notsomething people can simply live without. Families rely on electricityfor lighting, cooking, preserving food, medical equipment, internet access and staying safe during severe weather conditions.When bills become too expensive,the emotional and financial stress on households becomes overwhelming. There needs to be moreaccountability and transparency regarding utility

In response to your editorialcartoon by Lisa Benson publishedon May 26, the following should be run as the Republican ballot2026, also showing an angry mainstream American voter 1. Signiﬁcant inﬂation in the cost of gas, groceries andservices 2. “Rich America First” agenda 3. Taxcuts for thewealthiest 4. Reduced healthcare for the middle class and poor 5. Unlimited campaign funds from thebillionaires and corporations

pricing. Residentsdeserve to understand why rates continue to increase and what is being done to support consumersduring difficult times. State and local leaders should work together withutilityproviders to createlong-termsolutions that protect residents from excessive financial pressure. Assistance programs, energy efficiency education and fairer rate structurescould make ameaningful difference for thousands of people. Every family deserves the dignity of living in asafe and poweredhome without constant fear of financial hardship. MENSAH CLAND NewOrleans

6. Disregard theU.S. Constitution and the rule of law

7. Destruction of the U.S. DepartmentofJustice

8. Destruction of one man/one vote principle by dilution of minority voting rights

9. Abandoning/threatening our traditional allies

10. An unnecessary warinthe Middle East without consultation of Congress or the American people.

FRANK W. DAWKINS Lafayette

Ratepayers deservestronger protections

My electricbill keeps climbing, and no onecan clearlyexplainwhy Each monthI open my utilitystatement expecting stability, but instead I see another increase that strains my householdbudget. What’smost frustrating is thefeeling that everyday familieslike mine have littlesay in the decisionsdriving these costs.

Recentutilityproposalsand largescaleenergyprojects raise serious questionsabout who is ultimatelypaying forinfrastructure upgrades. When massive newdevelopmentsare added to thegrid, thecost should notautomatically fall on ordinary customers who are already struggling withhigh bills andunreliableservice.

Iamcalling forstrongerprotections forratepayers before anymajor utilityexpansion or fast-tracked approval is granted.Regulators should require full transparency aboutcost distribution andensurethatlargecommercial energyusers paytheir fair share, rather than shifting expenses onto residentialcustomers.

We also need independent reviewof anyproposalsthatcould signiﬁcantly increase demand on thepower grid. Communitiesdeserveclear answers, notrusheddecisionsthat prioritize corporate interests over householdaffordability.

No family shouldhave to choose between paying theirelectricbill and meeting other basicneeds. It is time forutilityregulators andpolicymakers to put fairness, accountabilityand transparency ﬁrst.

LAUREEN DOUGLAS NewOrleans

Time forBlack athletes to take astand

Black athletes should refuse to take the ﬁeld at LSU, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and any predominately White school in this state and any other Southern state that is attempting to silence the Black voter Don’tworry about money,you cannot miss something that you never had. And don’tbelieve that you cannot reach the NFL or MLB, NBA from aGrambling, Southern, or Jackson State. If you got talent, they will ﬁnd you.

GENE GREENE Shreveport

Sensible La.districtlines would benefitneither race

or party

Quin Hillyer

Amidst the racially charged arguments surrounding Louisiana’scongressional districts, the reality is that the population distribution within Louisiana isn’tnaturally conducive to either political side’sfondest wishes. It’svirtually impossible to create asecond Blackmajority district without majorgerrymandering that violates traditional districting standards. Then again, aneutral application of those same standards naturally would produce asecond district in which aDemocrat, including amoderately liberal Black candidate, would be slightly favored to win.

One can reach this conclusion using race-blind principles along with parish population numbers readily available online. The point of this exercise wasn’t arithmetical exactitude butinstead to get within afew thousand people in each district ofthe average Louisiana congressional district size of 777,000 residents. Admittedly,Isaved hours of research time by using Chat GPT and Wikipedia for searches and arithmetic, while crosschecking their numbers against each other —and again, the principles, not exact numbers, are the point here.

With those caveats, here’swhat I found, using the court-recognized districting principles of compactness, contiguity and existing parish lines or obvious geographical features such as rivers or lakes.Inordinarylanguage, this means the maps should keep parishes whole to the greatest extent possible, while each district should appear as reasonably concentricshapes. Without racial gerrymandering, the lower part of Louisiana’stoe —the parishes of Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Lafourche and the West Bank of Jefferson, with sliversfrom Terrebonne and St. Charles —naturally creates not aBlack majority district, but at least a Black plurality one that, when combined with Hispanicvoters,forms anon-White majority. Also considering the voting patterns of tens of thousands of liberal White Democrats in New Orleans, an overwhelming likelihood is that aBlack Democrat would win.

The top of the toe, surrounding most of Lake Pontchartrain, would be, as now, a strongly Republicandistrict consisting of the parishes of St. Tammany,Washington, Tangipahoa, St. John the Baptist and

most of St. Charles, plus East Jefferson. Alongand inland from the southcentral coast, the “Cajun parishes” easily form another Republican-leaning district. The western portion of the state from the Gulf to the Arkansas line, roughly aslightly bulbous rectangle includingbothLake Charles and Shreveport, forms another such district —but with asigniﬁcant Black population in Caddo Parish. Alas, the numbers mean that one major parish can’tstayintact,so Rapides, inthe middle of the state,does getbisected The ﬁfthofmydistricts is largely rural, so naturally it encompasses by far the largest amount of territory.Apart from the cities of Monroe and Ruston, it essentially takes in every non-Cajun, non-major-urban parish in the state,plus half of the Florida Parishes—the Felicianas, St. Helena and Livingston. (The tinyFlorida Parishes jut is unfortunate, but necessary for the numbers to work.) Thatwould leave one more district that would be hotly contested. Not perfectly concentric, it nonetheless is far more compact and geographically sensible than the crazy-quilt District2 the Legislatureactually produced. In essence, it’s aMississippi Riverdistrict, plus some borderline Cajun parishes. It would include both East and West Baton Rouge parishes, along with Avoyelles, Point Coupee,Iberville, Ascension, Assumptionand St. James. For those from either side who obsess about race or partisanadvantage, this district would cause nervous nights. By

my wiki-aided count (again, the general trend, not the exact numbers, are what’s important), the district would have roughly 360,000 Whitevoters, 303,000 Black voters and just over 100,000 of “other” or “mixed” races, with Hispanics clearly predominating among those. Plus, asignificant percentage of the Whites would be Democrats. Meanwhile, some of us insist, with significant evidence, thatrace is not entirely determinative of political victory. Witness Mobile, Alabama, which for six consecutive elections chose amember of the then-minority race as itsmayor twice electing aBlack Democrat when the citywas majority White, thenfour timespicking aWhite Republican after the cityhad become majorityBlack. The “river district”above would almost assuredly mimic Mobile’sexperience, in which successful coalitionbuilding is rewarded. That’sa situation thatisfair,one thatinspires confidence in the system. The broader point:Aneutral computer programmed for compactness, contiguity, parish lines and geographical features would produce something similar to the plan above, without any racial or partisan thumbonthe scales Fora healthy representative democracy, one in which no group thinks the game is rigged against them, that’sthe sort of approach legislators henceforthshould take.

Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Chronicpilot shortages, ancient planes —Air Forceneeds upgrading

Does it matter what Helen of Troy looked like?

It’s the controversy that has launched athousand Xposts.

Elon Musk, whoisafan of Homer,has kicked up afussbyobjecting to ﬁlmmaker ChristopherNolan casting the Black actress Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy in his forthcoming movie versionof“The Odyssey. The epic production presumably won’trise or fall based on its depiction of Helen, the legendary beauty who precipitated the Trojan War. That conﬂict is portrayedin“The Iliad,” while “The Odyssey” follows the Greek warrior Odysseus on his return home after the war,a story thatdoesn’tfeature Helenprominently

The casting of Nyong’o,though, has raised the perennialquestion of whatHelen looked like,aswellasthe more pedestrianmatterof what the standard should be foractorsplaying people of adifferent race or ethnicity (or, these days, gender).

Helenwas aSpartan woman, married to Menelaus, the king of Sparta. When she left him forParis of Troy,itstartedthe long battle between the Greeks andTrojans.

Everyone who saw her instantly understood why ayearslong war over her was worth it: “No wonder the Trojansand well-greaved Achaeanshavesuffered long for such awoman —she is terribly like an immortal goddess to look at.”

The genius of Homer’sdescription of Helen is thatheleaves it vague, and therefore up to the imagination. We know,though, that she wasn’tblack

The co-host of “The View”Sunny Hostin slammed allthe critics of the choice of Nyong’o as ignoramuses for not realizing that Africawas supposedly the sourceofAncient Greece. In so doing, she reliedona discredited book called“Black Athena”thatmaintained thatancient Sparta and Phoenicia colonized Ancient Greece. There is no evidencefor this whatsoever— onescholarly critic compared its highly politicizedclaims to “the Aryanscience of the Third Reich or the Lysenkoite geneticsofStalinist Russia.”

Ancient Greece wasIndo-European in origin; people who livedinthe area back thenlooked by andlarge,like people who live there now. Homer says thatHelen was“white-armed,” suggesting thatshe wasfair-skinned, and otherancient sources can be interpreted as saying thatshe hadlight hair and blue eyes, although there’s debate about this.

U.S. Air Force B-52s have been busy in thewar against Iran, as they were in Vietnam, and when they were crucial Cold Warcomponents of the nation’s nuclear triad of air,land and sea-based deterrence. Wars are mostly fought by young people, but today,geriatric machines participateinthe wild blue yonder Of the 76 extant B-52s, the youngest was built in 1962, before the Beatles’ first album and the Cuban missile crisis. According to Joseph Trevithick of the WarZone, adefensenews and analysis website, current planning envisions these heavy bombers in service until 2050, when the youngest will be 88 and will have outlasted today’sB-1sand B-2s. The B-52s have undergone many upgrades and are now in amodernization program: new engines and avionics. But as Trevithick writes, “At some point, the airframes will simply age out.” Retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, now dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, writes in Forbes “the bulk of our Air Force”—10 aircraft types, more than 2,600 aircraft, twothirds of the entire force— “consists of geriatric fighter,bomber and trainer aircraft that were designed and built before the internet was invented,” having had their first flights morethan 50 years ago Former defense secretary Robert Gates, one of our wisestnationalsecurity thinkers, was imprecise when in 2024 he lamented that “our Air Force has stagnated in size.” The situation is worse than that. Since Operation Desert Storm (1991), the number of fighter squadrons has declined from 134 to 56, the number of fighter pilot flight hours per month has declined from 22.3 to under 10, and theaverage age of fighter planes has increased from 9.7years to 30.3years. What the AirForce calls its“advanced” trainer first flew in 1959 —the Eisenhower administration.

The Iran war hashighlighted the weakness of the nation’sdefense industrial base andthe precarious condition of its munitions stocks. The American Enterprise Institute’sMackenzie Eaglen, writing in the Dispatch, reports that U.S. forces expendedmore than1,000 Tomahawk cruise missilesina few weeks. Because average annual production has been 90 to 100, she says, “absent acceleration, replenishing this key armament …would take roughly 10 years.”

Ouradversaries in Beijing and Moscow know this, and know the production of sophisticated weapons cannot easily be surged. Readers of the 2024 report by the U.S. Commission on the National Defense Strategy knowthat today’sthreats are the most serious “since 1945 and include the potential for near-term major war.” Deptula notes that the Air Forceis older,smaller and less ready to deter or win amajor war than at any timesince it became an independent service in 1947.

Thepilotshortage is now chronic. Today the game is more than2,000 short of requirements. The Mitchell Institute’s Heather R. Penney writes that the Air Force “has been unsuccessful in meaningfully improving its pilot retention rates for over twenty years.” To those who say unmanned systemsare radically reducing the importance of pilots, she says: “Algorithmsand software, no matter how sophisticated, cannot replace

the creativity, initiative, and judgment to decide and act through the fog and frictionofwar thatonly human cognition at the forward edge of the battlespace can provide.”

The war to defang Iran has been areminderthatthere are things, such as regime change, thatairpower alone cannot accomplish. But consider what airpower has done to implement the U.S. political objective of reducing that regime’s capacityfor projecting threats against other nations.

The Washington-based Institute for the Study of Warnotes thatU.S.and Israeli operations achieved air dominance over Iran in 72 hours, partly because of Israeli attacks on Iran’sair defense radars in Apriland October2024. And the Iranian missile force is muchmore thanmissiles and launchers. It is crews, communications and computer networks, productionand logistical facilities. Airpower has struck one of the few ball bearing plants (crucial for ballistic missile guidance systems), at least 69 facilities associated with the production of missiles warheads and explosives, and at least 11 research and development facilities Rebuilding its production chain will take many years. All this without “bootson the ground.” Most developed democracies contentedly assumeperpetual peace, and are ever more casualty-averse.That this social-political fact converges with myriad military facts (the force structures of China and Russia) adds urgency onto making U.S. airpower again adequatefor its many missions.

Email George Will at georgewill@ washpost.com.

Certainly,depictions on ﬁlm have favored this interpretation. The 2004 movie “Troy” castthe gorgeous, blonde-haired, blue-eyed German actress Diane KrugerasHelen. All thatsaid, whatthe role most requiresis luminous beauty,and there’s nothing inherently wrong with casting actorsinroles thatdon’t match their ethnicity.Macbeth wasn’tAfrican American,but DenzelWashington played him compellingly in amovie version.

The problemisthat such casting decisions can be distracting, or even parodic. The Churchill movie “Darkest Hour” had the wartime prime ministertaking arandomtrip on the LondonUnderground and getting apep talk fromablack laborer.Why insult everyone’sintelligence with this kind of pandering? Also,there should be auniform standard. Whenever awhite actor or actress is cast in anotherethnic role it is condemnedas“whitewashing.”There wasa furorwhenScarlett JohanssonplayedMotokoKusanagi in the movie versionofthe Japanese manga series“Ghost in the Shell,”even though the character is a cyborg. Johansson had to back outofanother project where she was cast as atrans mandespite herself being acis woman. Aheadline in Allure magazine at the time read, “Scarlett Johansson Is Facing Major Backlash forSaying She ‘Should Be Allowed to Play’ Anyone.” What’sgood forLupita Nyong’o should be good forScarlett Johansson, and vice versa. But Hollywood wants to put its ﬁnger on the scale; it has preposterous, bean-counting standards forwhat ﬁlmscan be considered for Oscars based on the inclusion of “underrepresented groups” on screen and in other ways. If Nolan has done his job, this controversy will be overwhelmed by the power of Homer’s work, perhaps the second greatest story ever told.

RichLowry is on X@RichLowry

George Will

Rich Lowry

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Sen. JayMorris, R-West Monroe, holdsupa proposed congressional map during a House andGovernmental Affairs Committee meeting on May21.

BY MARCIA DUNN

AP aerospace writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The group leading the charge in the search for extraterrestrial life has given the all clear: An interstellar comet looks to be completely natural and free of any alien tech.

The SETI Institute said Wednesday that extensive radio scans by its telescope in Northern California found no signs of otherworldly technology from our solar system’slatest interstellar visitor

The object labeled 3I/Atlas was discovered last summer sweeping through our neck of the cosmic woods. Scientists quickly identiﬁed it as acomet that migrated from another star,although afew insisted withoutevidenceit might be associated with intelligent life.

It’sonly the third known object from afaraway star —all deemed of natural origin —toventure into the sun’sturf. Several NASA spacecraft

observed thecelestial iceball as it swung past Mars last October,venturing within 19millionmilesof thered planet. Theclosest it ever got to Earth was in December at awhopping 167 millionmiles away SETI said it conducted more than seven hours of observations in July soon after the comet was discovered, searching throughawide range of radio signals. The team identified nearly 74 millionnarrow-bandradio signals.

Afteraccountingfor human interferenceorsignals matching theobject’smovement, only slightly more than 200 signals remained, allofwhich “traced back to technology onthe surface of the Earth or ourown Earthorbiting satellites,” accordingtoSETI.

Results were published in theAstronomical Journal. These results “show how realistic it is to detect asignalwith thetechnology we have today,” co-author ValeriaGarciaLopez of Furman University said astatement

“That is why it is important to keep searching fortechnosignatures, even from objects we might not expect to have signals.”

SETI’s SofiaSheikh, the lead author,and herteam pointedout thatNASA’s Voyager spacecraft will one daybecome extraterrestrial objects in neighboring star systems. Launched in the 1970s,the twin probes are themost distant spacecraft from Earth, drifting in the space between stars.

“Voyager andsimilar probes will eventually become interstellar objects in other stellar systems. We thus knowthatnoextrapolation is needed forthe idea of interstellar technological objects, as we haveaproof by existence,” they wrote. Almost 1billion miles away nowasitmakes

SPORTS

RUNNING IT BACK?

surprisingly showsupto OTAs,says‘no beef’withSaints

BY MATTHEWPARAS

Staff writer

Alvin Kamara didn’ttell anyone on the New Orleans Saints thathewas planning to show up to Wednesday’s offseason workout. The Saints running back, whohas awell-documented historyofskippingthese voluntary sessions, wanted the surprise to speak for itself. Mission accomplished.

“I walked in thismorning and Iwas just talking (trash) to some dudes and they looked up,like,‘Man …who the (expletive)?’ ”Kamara said, recalling hisarrival.“They were like, ‘Oh (expletive), AK!’” His coach deﬁnitely was not in on the surprise “Obviously alittlebit unexpected,” coach Kellen Moore said. Afterweeks of uncertainty

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The secondofthreeorganized team activities is in the books forthe New Orleans Saints, and this week’sedition included asurprise guest in running back Alvin Kamara. This has been an interesting offseason for the Saints star, who is coming offhis worst seasonasaprofessional. New Orleanssignedrunning back Travis Etienne to abig contract in the early stagesoffreeagency, thenproceeded to further muddy the waters surrounding Kamara’sstatus with the team by refusing on multiple occasions to state thathe would be part of the team in 2026. From Kamara’svantage point, everything had been all quiet until Wednesday when he showed up for the voluntary workout with the rest of the squad. This alonewas newsworthy,asithad been years since Kamara participated in any of the Saints’ voluntary offseason work. His participation Wednesday felt like atacit acknowledgement of all that has transpired this offseason, even if he declined to add any fuel to the speculation when speakingwith reporters after practice.

Kamara said he ﬂew from Miami to New Orleans late Tuesday night. He wentthrough light workwith his teammates Wednesday,taking second-team reps during thewalk-through period and going through drills with the rest of the running backs during someindividual position periods. It is deﬁnitely tooearly to saythere has been any sort of resolution between the two sides, but Kamara making an appearance this week does at least feel like the start of something.

Onto the observations.

Attendance

The following players were not seen during the open practice viewing period: running back Kendre Miller,wide receiver Chris Olave, defensive linemanZxavian Harris, defensive lineman Nathan Shepherd anddefensive endChase Young

The followingplayers attended practice butdid not participate in anything

Legendarycollege football coach Woody Hayes once said there were three things that can happen when you pass the ball and that two of them were bad. If Hayes,who died in 1987, were still around, he might say college athletics is facing two prospects, and both ofthem are bad. Unfortunately,collegesports leaders —coaches,athletic directors, school presidents and conference commissioners have only themselves to blame for being where we are in 2026. EitherNCAAschools must embrace federal legislation to curb their ills, which likely will bring with it plenty of unintended consequences. Or they can allow unchecked spending to continue, possibly bringing many schools (notjust athletic departments) to ﬁnancial ruin and deﬁnitely resulting in college sports programs being cut all over the country The bipartisan Protect College Sports Act, unveiled last week by Sens. TedCruz (R-Texas) and Maria Cantwell (D-Washington), aims to do what NCAA schools have been unable or unwilling to do: address major issues facing college athletics today,most of

them relating to money In an age when Republicans and Democrats can’tagreeon what color the sky is, what does it say when both sides of the aisle believe college sports needs ﬁxing?

They held ahearing on Capitol Hill on Wednesdaywith numerous major college sports ﬁgures testifying in regardstothe proposed bill.The most prominent wasformer LSU and Alabama football coach NickSaban Sabantalked about howNIL budgets went from $2.7 million nearthe endof his tenure at Alabama to $40millionfor some college football teams today.“Some teams,” if former LSU coach Brian Kelly is to be believed,includesthe Tigers.

“It’sbecome an arms race,” Sabansaid. “Who spends the most hasgot the best chance to win. But Ithinkit’sarace to the bottom, because if you don’tspend to win you lose yourfan base and youdon’thaveany revenue.”

The ProtectCollege Sports Act, among other things,would seek to limit athletestoaonetime transfer withoutpenalty, prohibit former professional athletes from playing in college, cap eligibility at ﬁve years and prohibita coach from leaving for another schoolbefore

JOEY CAPPELLETTI and EDDIE PELLS Associated Press

WASHINGTON Former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and others testiﬁed Wednesday in support of abipartisanbillaimed at overhauling acollege sports system where players can increasingly earnmillions of dollarswhile moving freely between schools.

Theleaders of the Senate Commerce Committee held the hearing as theypush legislation unveiled last week that supporters hope can break thecongressionalgridlock over howtoregulate collegeathletics. But it’salready facing criticism from some senators andthe twomost inﬂuential conferences in college sports.

The bill, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., would regulate paymentstoathletes, limit them to one “free” transfer during their careers and create a“Lane Kifﬁn Rule”restricting coaches from leaving programsduring theseason. Cruz touted the proposalas “the last, best hope we have to save college sports.”

“If youhad the biggest, baddest Ferrari thatyou could ever have and it was going 150 miles an hour toward the Grand Canyon, somebody needs to tap the brakes.And

Ithink that’swhat we all need to do here,”Saban said in his opening remarks Notably absent from the the witness list,which included the Notre Dameathletic director and the commissioner of the newly reconstructed Pac-12 Conference, were anyrepresentativesfromeither theBig TenorSoutheastern Conference. Saban won seven national championships at SEC schools Alabamaand LSU but said he was not in Washington to represent any conference or team. The SEC and the Big Ten, the two most powerful conferences in college sports, oppose the bill, arguing it “leaves critical issues unresolved.” Asked after the hearing about opposition from the SEC and Big

Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler,left, and runningback

Alvin Kamara embrace during an OTApractice in Metairieon Wednesday.

STAFF PHOTOSByBRETT DUKE

Saints running back AlvinKamara runs adrill during an OTApractice in Metairie on Wednesday.

FRENCH OPEN

Top-ranked Sabalenka falls flat

BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswriter

PARIS After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible.

“Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the quarterﬁnals on Wednesday

“We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.”

Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while serving for the match at 5-4. What followed was a complete collapse as she lost 12 of the last 13 games against a player appearing in her ﬁrst Grand Slam quarterfinal, looking increasingly frustrated and forlorn in the windy conditions.

Just like her loss to Coco Gauff in last year’s ﬁnal, when she also won the ﬁrst set before becoming undone with a slew of unforced errors, this one will take some time to get over

“You know those rooms where you just go in and you smash everything,” Sabalenka said. “Probably I will spend a whole day tomorrow over there destroying stuff. Maybe it will help, maybe not.”

Shnaider next faces Maja Chwalinska, who extended her remarkable Roland Garros run by beating No. 22-seeded Anna Kalinskaya 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Sabalenka stood still and screamed loudly after losing a point to fall 0-30 down in the sixth game of the decider and, although she saved two match points at 0-40 down, she lost when she sent a shot into the net.

“I just think it’s combination of everything,” Sabalenka lamented. “You overthink, then you make easy mistakes, then you miss opportunities.”

Her struggles were reminiscent of the match against Gauff, when

she remonstrated loudly, shouting to herself and glaring at her team box.

“I just have to sit back and openly think about what’s going on in my head in those tough moments,” Sabalenka said, recalling that match. “Because I’m quite an experienced player I have been through so many things, and I overcome so many things.”

Sabalenka had already looked agitated when serving for the ﬁrst set but still looked in control as she served for the match in the second, holding a 30-15 lead.

“Of course I saw some moments of her frustration,” Shnaider said. “I know Aryna, that she’s a very emotional person.”

Shnaider, who was already on her best run at a major, broke Sabelenka before taking complete control.

“Well, honestly I am speechless.

Super happy,” Shnaider said. “I feel like I was trying to focus point by point. Not thinking about the score. She is the world No. 1, so I just trying to do my best. I just had to ﬁght for every point.”

Sabalenka looked increasingly frustrated as the third set wore on and when she missed a volley

at the net in the fourth game of the decider she crouched and rested her head on her racket.

From qualifier to contender

The unseeded Chwalinska came through three qualifying rounds to become only the second Polish woman to reach the semiﬁnals at Roland Garros, along with Swiatek.

Chwalinska said British player Emma Raducanu’s run to the 2021 U.S. Open title as an 18-year-old qualiﬁer had inspired her

“It was such an impressive run, you know,” Chwalinska recalled.

“Also, she was so young.”

When Kalinskaya’s big forehand from the back of the court went out, the 24-year-old Chwalinska had her biggest win, having never been beyond the second round at any major before this tournament.

Chwalinska’s total prize money heading into Roland Garros was $864,030 and reaching the last four here earns her 750,000 euros (about $872,000).

Italian men’s finalist

In the men’s quarterﬁnals, 10thseeded Flavio Cobolli beat No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime 4-6, 6-4 6-4,

6-4 and will face fellow Italian Matteo Arnaldi for a spot in the ﬁnal. Arnaldi advanced when Matteo Berrettini, yet another Italian, retired due to a left hip injury with Arnaldi leading 7-5, 5-2. Berrettini had his hip treated during a medical timeout earlier in the second set.

The strong Italian showing comes despite top-ranked Jannik Sinner getting stunned in the second round.

Second-seeded Alexander Zverev and No. 26 Jakub Mensik will meet in the other semiﬁnal.

Another upset

It was another big upset in a tournament where defending champion Gauff (third round) and fourtime winner Iga Swiatek (fourth round) already tumbled out. Sinner last year’s runner-up, served for the match in a secondround defeat, and 24-time major winner Novak Djokovic wasted a two-set lead in a third-round loss. That opened things up for lesserknown players. According to Opta, this is the ﬁrst major without a former champion in either the men’s and women’s semiﬁnals since the French Open in 1977.

Korda charges into U.S. Women’s Open on a roll

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES Nelly Korda fell just short of her ﬁrst U.S. Women’s Open title a year ago, coming up second to Maja Stark in a ﬁnish that was painfully appropriate for her inexplicably winless calendar year But that disappointment at Erin Hills is a primary reason Korda arrived at venerable Riviera this week as the world’s No. 1 player and a favorite to raise the trophy at the 81st Open.

“I was just hungry for more,” Korda said of last year’s Open experience. “Last year was just a weird year of kind of not necessarily playing my best, but also when I did, not getting the bounces or just missing by a centimeter here and there. But I also learned a lot about myself. It made me hungrier to be in those positions.”

Korda has been eating this year, all right. A dominant major title at The Chevron Championship. Three victories overall. Three more secondplace ﬁnishes, and an emphatic return to the top of the rankings.

Korda says she welcomes the pressure that accompanies her success, and she is thrilled to be under the spotlight and playing for the richest prize pool in women’s golf at the ﬁrst women’s Open ever held at Riviera, the 100-year-old country club nestled in Paciﬁc Palisades and patronized by decades of Hollywood royalty

“I’m just motivated to put myself into that position, to grind on off weeks, to just play the game,” Korda said.

“It’s really hard to explain, but there’s nothing better when you’re a very competitive person than being in the hunt on a back nine at a tournament. There’s a really big rush of emotions. Even if it doesn’t

three weeks ago.

First starts

Megha Ganne is beginning her pro career at Riviera just one week after last year’s U.S. Women’s Amateur champion led Stanford to another NCAA title, making the winning putt to beat USC down the coast in Carlsbad, California. Trojans star and Irvine native Catherine Park is also making her pro debut at Riviera.

Ganne played in the ﬁnal group of the 2021 Open as a 17-year-old high schooler at Olympic Club in San Francisco, eventually ﬁnishing as the top amateur As her pro career approached, she has been leaning on her LPGA Tour friends, including three-time major champion Lydia Ko.

“Being a professional is about the little stuff, and the stuff you can’t really see, like invisible little details,”

Five-star edge rusher flips from LSU to Miami

Five-star edge rusher Jaiden Bryant has ﬂipped his commitment from LSU to Miami, he revealed on social media

Wednesday Bryant is the No. 2 edge rusher in the country and a top-20 recruit nationally in the Class of 2027, according to the 247Sports composite. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound edge rusher had been committed to LSU since January He attends Irmo High School in Columbia, South Carolina, and is the topranked player in the state. Bryant was the second-highestranked recruit in LSU’s 2027 class, trailing only five-star tight end Ahmad Hudson. LSU has four commitments in its class after losing Bryant’s pledge, with four-star quarterback Peyton Houston, four-star athlete Braylon Calais and four-star wide receiver Ah’Mari Stevens in the fold.

QB Williams strikes a pose for Madden NFL ’27 cover

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was announced Wednesday as EA Sports’ cover athlete for Madden NFL 27.

On the standard cover, Williams is depicted in a position similar to his pivotal, scrambling, fourth-and-8 jump pass to Rome Odunze in a stirring comeback victory over Green Bay in a wild-card playoff game on Jan. 10.

With his arm cocked to throw and his feet spread, Williams appears to soar above a silhouette of the Chicago skyline. The deluxe edition features a tight shot of Williams with arms crossed over his white game jersey, a dark, night-like background and snow falling around him.

Being featured on the cover is “like my childhood dream was coming true,” Williams said in a statement.

Prosecutors drop charges against Falcons WR Branch

ATHENS, Ga. — Prosecutors in Georgia have dropped two misdemeanor charges against Atlanta Falcons third-round draft pick and receiver Zachariah Branch.

The former Georgia player was arrested in Athens the weekend before the NFL draft and was charged with obstructing public sidewalks/streets and the obstruction of a law enforcement ofﬁcer. He was released on a combined $39 bail.

At the time, the Athens-Clarke County Police said they were summoned to an early morning incident in which a large crowd had gathered outside a bar in Athens and was blocking the entrance to the building.

Branch’s attorney, Kim Stephens, issued a statement conﬁrming that the charges had been dropped.

Padres designate outfielder Castellanos for assignment

PHILADELPHIA — The San Diego Padres designated outfielder Nick Castellanos for assignment on Wednesday, one day after he received a video tribute in his return to Philadelphia. Castellanos was released by the Phillies in February just ahead of their first full-squad workout at spring training. The Phillies released him even though they owed him $20 million for the final season of a $100 million, five-year contract. The Padres took a flier on him and spent only the league minimum of around $780,000 for him this season. Castellanos never returned to his two-time All-Star form in limited action with San Diego. He hit .191 with a .560 OPS, four home runs and 20 RBIs in 39 games for the Padres.

work out, you constantly want to put yourself back into that, because all that work that you’ve put in in your off weeks. That’s what makes it worth it.”

Korda took the past two weeks off to make sure she was fully rested and prepared for the Open and for Riviera, a course she had played only once before this week. This tournament has never been held anywhere in Los Angeles County, easily the most populous in the U.S.

“It’s amazing out here,” Korda said. “I mean, the vibe of the place, knowing that so much history has been played out here, it’s a great place for us to play.”

Stark had been on the fringes of the LPGA Tour ﬁeld before her victory last year at Erin Hills but after securing her tour status with a major win, the Swede promptly missed the cut in ﬁve of her next seven tournaments. She’s now paying more attention to the mental side of her game, hiring a therapist and a sports psychologist.

The results are promising: Stark is up to 23rd in the world after making seven cuts in eight starts this season, ﬁnishing 16th in Cincinnati

Stark contrast Stark began the week by returning the trophy she won by holding off Korda last year at the Open, but she wasn’t sad to comply with tradition. “I did kind of want to let it go, because it’s weird — it’s like I had it sitting in my room, and I just saw it every day,” Stark said “And I’m like, ‘Oh, this is cool.’ But I just want to move on I want the challenge again. It was fun to have it, but it’s more fun to play for it than to have it I guess.”

Ganne said. “That stuff comes with experience, time, maturity and having a good team around you.”

No matter how her debut goes, Ganne is graduating from Stanford next week.

Wie’s back

Michelle Wie West is coming out of retirement to play her ﬁrst tournament since the 2023 U.S. Open.

The former wunderkind’s only major victory was at the Open in 2014, and the 36-year-old mother of two used her ﬁnal year of exemption for a spot in this ﬁeld.

Her husband, Jonnie West, will caddy for her at Riviera, while daughter Makenna will be watching.

“Last time I retired at Pebble Beach, Makenna was 2 and doesn’t really have any memories,” she said. “Hopefully being 6 now, she’ll have a lot more memories of being here this week.”

Mets option Tong, recall Gerber to refresh bullpen

SEATTLE The New York Mets optioned right-hander Jonah Tong to Triple-A Syracuse on Wednesday before their series ﬁnale against the Seattle Mariners. Righty Joey Gerber was recalled from Syracuse in a corresponding move.

Tong, the No. 35 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s rankings and second in the Mets organization, pitched 31/3 innings in Tuesday’s 8-3 loss, allowing four runs on ﬁve hits while striking out four and walking two. Tong, 22, appeared in three games this season as a bulk reliever after being called up May 22. In 10 innings, he posted a 3.60

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ASHLEy LANDIS

Nelly Korda hits during a practice round ahead of the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMMA DA SILVA

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus reacts after losing a quarterfinal match against Diana Shnaider of Russia at the French Open in Paris on Wednesday.

LEFT PHOTO: Scottie Scheffl

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS

Skill trumps power

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

DUBLIN, Ohio Scottie Schefﬂer and Rory McIlroy think the same way about Muirﬁeld Village, and what it takes to succeedatthe Memorial Tournament.

This is abig golf course, but it’s not all about power

“Here it’smore about placing the ball in the right spots and taking your opportunities when you can get them,” said Scheffler,who speaks from the experience of winning the past two years.

“For being such along golf course, Ifeel like it takes the driver out of my hand alot,” said McIlroy,who played for the14th time without ever getting that winner’s handshake from tournamenthost Jack Nicklaus off the 18thgreen.

The Memorial is one tournament McIlroy can’tseemtowin —he’shad onlyfivefinishesin the top 10 and never areasonable chance to win.

And it’sthe one tournament Schefﬂer can’tseem to lose.

Schefﬂer,the world’sNo. 1player,sets out this week to try to join Tiger Woods as the only players to win three straight times at the tournament Nicklaus built.

Nicklaus was asked why he thought Scheffler played so well at Muirfield Village, beyond the obvious of having great control of hisshots.Nicklaus raised hisright index finger and tapped the side of his head.

tacular from a standpoint of looking at balance the pathway of his clubisvery good. But he doesn’t put himself in position to make doubles and triples.”

Scheffler and McIlroy,Nos. 1and 2inthe world,lead another strong ﬁeld at theMemorial withthe U.S. Open looming two weeksaway.Both went to Shinnecock Hills on Monday on their way to central Ohio —theydidn’tplay together —to scout the U.S. Open course.

It’snot likethey run in the same circles or even play in the same events. This is the 12th event for Schefﬂer thisyear, the10thfor McIlroy.But they have played the same tournament only six times, two of them majors and The Players Championship

Both have won this year,McIlroy’svictory being far more meaningful.Heheld off Schefﬂer at Augusta National to become only thefourth back-to-back winner ofthe Masters.

Scheffler,coming off another dominant season,won his first tournament of theseason at The American Express. Therestofthe year has been closecalls —three runner-up finishes in arow,three other finishes in thetop five.

LHSAAmoving3ofits titlegames to newsites

Boys basketball setto return to Cajundome

BY CHRISTOPHERDABE Staff writer

The LHSAA announced three venue site changes for state championships beginning with the 202627 academic year

The boys basketball state championships will move to theCajundome after 13 seasons at Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

The state wrestling tournament will take place at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans after being held in Bossier City and Baton Rouge in recent years.

Thepowerliftingstate championships move to the West Monroe Sports &Events Complex after

two seasons at the Pontchartrain Center in Kenner

The boys basketball tournament has been held in Lake Charles since 2014 and willreturn to the Cajundomefor the ﬁrst timesince 2011 —exceptwhenselect schools held their tournament games at the Cajundomein2022.

The LHSAA in arelease said that moving the boys basketball tournament to Lafayette put it in “a centralized location forschools and fans traveling from every corner of the state.”

Moving the state wrestling tournament to will improve“accessibility for asigniﬁcant portion of the state’swrestling community,” the LHSAA said in its release.

Contact ChristopherDabeat cdabe@theadvocate.com

MAJORLEAGUEBASEBALL

can kind of swing you in atournament.”

McIlroy has thecareer Grand Slam, andit’scherry-picking what else he would like to win. Courses mean alot to him. There’salso an Olympic gold medal to chaseonce everyfour years,and Riviera and MuirﬁeldVillage— the tournaments hostsare Tiger Woods and Nicklaus —are on his list

“I’ve been luckyenoughtowin at BayHill, but not while Arnold (Palmer) was alive,” McIlroy said.

“SoIalways thought it would be cool to win here and takethat little walk up thehill off the 18th green and shake Jack’shand. Also, Jack and Ishare anice history.I’ve known him for nearly 20 years. He’sbeen nothing but great to me andmyfamily.So, yeah,thisis certainly oneI wouldlovetoget done.”

McIlroy skipped last year and playedthe RBCCanadian Open instead.Healso missed in 2017 when he was tending to sore ribs from an injury earlier in theyear But he’s playedall the rest of them at Muirﬁeld Village, just not with anything to show for it.

By The Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. Earlier this season, Los AngelesAngels right ﬁelderJoAdell hadanincredible night to remember on defense, when he robbed the Seattle Mariners of three homeruns

This time,hewas on thewrong end of aplay to forget.

Adell misplayed aflyball into abizarre homerun offhis head Tuesday,a ﬁelding blunder reminiscent of José Canseco’sembarrassing gaffe 33 years ago with the Texas Rangers.

Adell reached up to catch TJ

Rumﬁeld’sdeep ﬂyfor theColorado Rockies in the fourth inning, but the ball grazed theoutside of his glove before bouncing off his head and over the wall for asolo homer

“He thinks his way aroundthe golf course,” Nicklaus said.“His golf swing is certainly not spec-

“I felt likeI haven’tbeen as sharp as Iwould have liked to have been,” Schefﬂer said. “When you look at the margins in this game,they’re quite small. Ithink statistically I’m probably notfar offfromwhere I’ve been thelast couple years, it’sjust acouple shots here or there, acouple of those momentum shotswhere it

That’snot unusual in golf. Woods never ﬁgured out how to win at Riviera,the Los Angeles masterpiece that’sone of his favoritesand nowistournament host for the Genesis Invitational. Nicklaus was runner-up seven times at the Canadian Open. His only win in Canada was as PresidentsCup captain in 2007.

“Obviously agreat list of champions on awonderful golf course,” McIlroy said of the Memorial. “I haven’tquite ﬁgureditout yet. It’s frustrated me over my career.But hopefully,thisisthe week that I put it all together.” Schef

NewPGA modeltoexpandﬁelds at eliteevents, restore36-hole cut

BYDOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

“I was toward theline and Ifelt like Ihad alittle bit longer way to go thanI normally do on aroute like that and just missedit,” Adell toldMLB.com. “Ithit off my hat Idon’t know if Ioverran it and took astep over.But it was kind of the icingonthe cake becauseI was (bad) all the way around the whole day today.”

There was brief confusion on the field when the ball caromed offa digital scoreboardabove the fence and back into theoutfield. Rumfield stopped at second base, initially unsure of the ruling, before proceeding around the bases to give Colorado an 8-0 lead on the way to an 8-2 victory.

“It’sone of those thingswhere how it happened looks crazy,” said Adell, who alsowent 0for 4atthe plate with two strikeouts.“It looks like I’ve never played in the ﬁeld before, which is disappointing, because it’s beyond thetruth.But it is what it is

“I’m the only one thatreally knows what happened. Iwas out there, and it happened to me,soit is what it is.I’ve got to just keep going, and as ateam,we’ve got to keep going.”

It wassimilar to an infamous

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO Los Angeles Angels right fielder Jo Adell misplays aball hitby ColoradoRockies first baseman TJ Rumfield that hithim in the head and then bounced out for asolo home runduring the fourthinning on TuesdayinAnaheim, Calif.

play on May 26, 1993, whenCanseco lost track of along drive hit by Cleveland’s Carlos Martínez. The ball bounced off Canseco’s head andoverthe right-ﬁeldwall for ahomerun.

Rumﬁeld’sgift homer ended the night for Angels starter Grayson Rodriguez, whogave up three homersand eight runs in 32/3 innings

Theplay also stood in stark contrasttosomeofAdell’s ﬁelding exploits this season, including that April game in whichhestole three would-be homersfromthe Mariners —including one in the ninth inning —topreservea1-0 victoryfor the Angels

After that one, former Gold Glove outfielder Torii Hunter, now aspecial assistant to the general manager for the Angels,said Adell had “probably thegreatest defensive gameI’ve ever seen.”

“He robbed three homersinone night this year,soit’sbaseball, and it’sa crazygame,” Rodriguez said. “Things happen. Obviously, he didn’tdothat on purpose.

“All you can do is really just move on.”

DUBLIN, Ohio The PGATour is making what CEO Brian Rolapp called substantial progress on a revamped model that would restore 36-holecuts to all the top tournaments. He said Wednesday the finished product probably won’tbeready until 2028 and would be asystem “that outlives any player.”

The tour is moving toward a model of two tracks thatRolapp first mentioned in March. The top track for the top performers would be roughly 16 tournaments, not including the majors or postseason. Track 1would have around 120 to 130 players. Track 2would be forthose aspiring to get to Track 1. Thepurses would be smaller and the title sponsors would pay less, though Rolapp sounded conﬁdent there would be sponsors willing to spend less for such tournaments Still under discussion is whether players could move up to Track 1inthe middle of the season depending on their performance, such as winning multiple times Key to anew model, Rolapp said, wasbringing back the36-holecut, which would make sense if the ﬁelds are going from72players

to 120 players or more. The tour nowhas “signatureevents” with 72 players and a36-hole cut at only threesuch events hosted by golfgreats.

“Atthe end of the day, sports is about how good the athletes are andwhat the competitive consequences are,”hesaid. “I think you’ll see that in Track 2. And I think you’ll seepeople fighting to stay on Track 1. And Ithink we have lost alot of that with the smaller ﬁeld, no-cutevents.”

He said the tour wants to get back to thecompetitive meritocracy that makes golf unique.

Rolapp has leaned on the pillars of scarcity, simplicityand parity since he ﬁrst appointed aFuture Competition Committee in August, leading to speculation that tour wouldgotoasmaller,more streamlined schedule that would create fewer opportunities.

Rolapp painted adifferent picture Wednesday while meeting with asmallgroup of reporters.

“I think when you see wherewe land, you’renot going to see that,” he said. “Butwhat you are going to see is an elevation of tournaments. Andyou’regoing to have a collection of Track 1that are special, that are bigger.I think what we have found as we’ve talked to sponsors both forTrack 1and Track 2, there’salot of demand for both.And the price points will be different

“The bigger events not everyonecan afford andmay not be

sort of consistent with their business goals,” he said. “That’sgreat. There’sother pricepoints too for it, and Ithink there’splenty of demand forbothTrack 1and Track 2inthat regard because there’s deﬁnitely people who want to invest differentamounts in these events.”

The postseason formatalsois being revamped. Rolapp said he invited all the PGATour’sbroadcast partners and even those with whom thePGA Tour does not have contracts, such as streaming services, to provide insight into the tour’sthinking towarda newmedia rightsdeal. Rolapphas pointed toward June 23 —a dayafter thenextboard meeting—for afull update.

“I feel good where we are, but Ialsohad expectations that it wasn’tgoingtobeeasy,”Rolapp said. “You don’thave agood process if there’snot tension. That meansyou’re not asking the right questions.”

Stillunderdiscussion aredetails that include which tournaments are going on Track 1and Track 2, the courses theyplay and perhaps going to bigger markets thetour is not in, such as New York,Chicago, Boston, Denver and Philadelphia, for example.

There also is the issue of players whodefected to LIVGolf, arival leaguethathas itsown setofissues now thatthe Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia will stop paying for it after this year

By The Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY Teagan Kavan

pitched acomplete-game threehitter,Katie Stewart hit her fourth home run in as many games, and Texasopened theWomen’s College WorldSeries championship round with a7-3 victory over Texas Tech on Wednesday night. TheNo. 2seed Longhorns (52-12) can wrap up their second consecutive nationalchampionshipwith avictoryinGame2onThursday night Eleventh-seeded Texas Tech (61-9) took a1-0 lead on aone-out solo home run by Mihyia Davis in the first inning. The lead didn’tlast long as Texas scored five runs in thebottom of the first. Stewart’stwo-run homer that clearedthe bleachersincenter field gave Texasa 2-1lead.It washer seventh career home run in the World Series, including one in each of the past four games. The Longhorns tacked on three runs on arun-scoring infieldsingle by

Kaiah Altmeyer and atwo-run triple by Ashton Maloney Kavan cruised into the ﬁfth, not allowing another hit until Mia Williams wentdeep to straightaway center ﬁeld forher 27th homerun of the season, atwo-run blast that madeit6-3.

Kavan (29-6), the WCWS most outstanding player in the Longhorns’ run to the 2025 championship, ﬁnishedwith six strikeouts, twowalks and ahit batter Kaitlyn Terry (24-3) allowed four runs in 11⁄3 innings.

Texas Tech coach Gerry Glasco took NiJaree Canady,the two-time national pitcher of the year,out of the game after she faced six batters in reliefinthe ﬁrst andsecond innings. She is the Red Raiders’ presumptive starter in Game 2. Texas defeated Texas Tech in three games in the 2025 championshipround. This is the ﬁrst championshiprematch since UCLA defeated California in 2003 and ‘04, thelast two title games before the championshipseries was implemented

Rolapp

Nicklaus

er hits from the 17th tee during the third round of the PGAChampionship on May16inNewtown Square, Pa RIGHT PHOTO: RoryMcIlroywatches his shot on the 11th fairway during the final round of the PGA Championship on May17inNewtown Square,

49ers prepare for Garrett after Rams trade

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The initial news of Myles Garrett’s trade from Cleveland to the Los Angeles Rams hit San Francisco 49ers offensive line coach Chris Foerster like a “gut punch.”

The game’s most fearsome pass rusher was joining the Niners’ division rivals, setting up two head-to-head matchups this upcoming season beginning with the opener in Australia

So Foerster went right to work to study Garrett and ﬁgure out how to deal with the reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year “It was kind of a little gut punch at first, you’d feel like, gosh, here we go,” Foerster said Tuesday “But then I woke up really early this morning, earlier than usual. I came in and just watched tape. I said, he’s a tough football player He’s going to be a challenge for us to take care of. But we had a plan last year

You’re going to do the best you can Everybody has good players, and he’s a great player It’s good for them and it’ll be a good challenge for us.”

player is a different way to do it.

I’m not saying they’re the same guy Myles Garrett is an all-time great pass rusher He’s an unbelievable talent. But he’s still an edge rusher.”

Quarterbacks coach Mick Lombardi took the big trade in stride, saying the Niners are used to going up against tough competition every week.

“Every game’s hard,” Lombardi said. “They have Myles Garrett. It is what it is. New players, free agency, trades, it’s so common nowadays. Everybody plays for different teams all the time. They have good players. I feel like every team we play has good players. But every week’s a challenge, so we’ll go out there and see what we can get done in the ﬁrst week of the season.” Roster shuffling

San Francisco played Garrett three times over that span, including a matchup last season when Garrett had one of his NFL single-season record 23 sacks to go along with eight quarterback pressures.

After that 26-8 win by the 49ers in Week 13, 49ers star left tackle Trent Williams told Garrett he

The 49ers haven’t had to deal with Garrett often as he spent his ﬁrst nine seasons in the AFC playing for the Browns before the trade on Monday to Los Angeles for young pass rusher Jared Verse and a package of draft picks that Foerster said “came out of left ﬁeld.”

Beckham understands need to earn his spot

The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J Odell Beckham does not expect to have a roster spot handed to him after returning to the New York Giants.

“I know I’ve got a lot of work to do,” Beckham said Wednesday after his ﬁrst offseason workout practice with the team since signing Monday “I came here to earn anything Everything in my life, nothing was given to me. I came here to earn it, work hard every day and be the best I can for the team.”

Beckham, 33, worked out for the Giants in April, and coach John Harbaugh said the conditions would have to be right for a reunion. Returner/receiver Gunner Olszewski tearing his right Achilles tendon last week precipitated the move to bring in Beckham, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Braxton Berrios.

“Try to be aggressive and give ourselves as many opportunities

KAMARA

Continued from page 1C

about whether he’ll be on the roster next season, Kamara’s surprise appearance Wednesday was the latest twist in a saga that already has taken its fair share of turns. But the situation, even with the visit, is far from settled.

The Saints have indicated they would like to address Kamara’s contract, but speaking to reporters for the first time since last season, the Saints’ all-time leading rusher said he hasn’t talked with general manager Mickey Loomis, nor has he been approached about taking a pay cut.

Kamara is entering the last year of his contract and holds a cap hit of nearly $10.5 million, which was already reduced earlier this offseason when the Saints restructured the deal using an unconventional salary cap tactic called the 50% rule. The Saints also seemingly signed his replacement in March by giving a four-year, $52 million contract to Travis Etienne. Kamara, who reiterated that he had no problem with Etienne’s signing, said he’s “going to be ready” to play for the Saints next season. He also acknowledged there are some “conversations that may need to be had” to determine his status.

“Look, I’m prepared,” Kamara said. “I’m under contract. I still got my locker That’s really why I came. My locker’s still here. My ﬁngerprint still works at the door Like I guess I’m here, right?

“That’s what that means. You know what I’m saying? So yeah, man, I’m good.”

If Kamara’s unexpected attendance was a way to put pressure on the franchise to make a decision, the running back did not con-

as we possibly can to have the strongest roster we can,” Harbaugh said. “They’ll be competing for roles. They’ll be competing for their opportunity, just like everybody else. Let’s see how it goes.”

There is signiﬁcant uncertainty at the position, with Malik Nabers working to rehab a torn ACL in his right knee. There is lingering doubt about Nabers being ready for the season opener Sept. 13 against Dallas Beckham making the team is no guarantee, but this isn’t just about nostalgia in New York after getting drafted by the Giants in 2014 and spending his first five NFL seasons with them He has not played a game in the league since Dec. 8, 2024, with Miami after serving a six-game suspension last year for failing a performance-enhancing drug test.

He took time away from football and has been working out since to get in optimum shape.

ﬁrm the tactic. He said he wanted to show up at some point because of the number of teammates who had checked up on him over the last several months. Kamara said he made the decision to book a late ﬂight Tuesday and arrived in New Orleans at 1 a.m. before showing up to the facility in the morning.

The Saints seemed unprepared for Kamara’s arrival New Orleans had the five-time

Pro Bowler participate in individual drills but chose not to include him in any 7-on-7 work or team walk-throughs. During individual drills, Kamara’s reps came notably after Etienne and several other backs.

Moore said Kamara’s workload would be lighter since he has to go through an “acclimation process” of getting up to speed.

“I’m excited to be able to spend a little bit of time with him and just kind of see where he’s at,” Moore said. “But it’s good to see him.”

Even Wednesday, Moore appeared noncommittal about Kamara’s future. The coach said Kamara could ﬁt in “really well from an offensive standpoint,” but he deﬂected when asked several times whether the Saints had decided to keep him around for next season.

The lack of a decision has been polarizing. Former Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu criticized the franchise for not acting in “good faith,” arguing the Saints were mistreating their all-time leading rusher Mathieu suggested the Saints don’t have “the balls to outright cut him” and would rather Kamara retire.

Second-year running back Devin Neal said he had been speaking with Kamara “pretty consistently” this offseason, which is why he wasn’t completely shocked the

wouldn’t mind if he never had to face Garrett again and called him the “best ever.”

Now Williams and the Niners are scheduled to face him twice this season alone.

Foerster said looking back at that game, he felt as if the 49ers offense had a plan that allowed them to be successful despite the presence of Garrett.

Now Garrett joins a much

more formidable team in the Rams, who came up one win shy of reaching the Super Bowl last season. While Garrett provides a clear upgrade, the approach for the 49ers won’t change much.

“We had to take care of Jared Verse. We have to take care of Myles Garrett. It’s an edge player,” Foerster said. “It’s different than when it was Aaron Donald. To take away an interior

The 49ers signed safety Ashtyn Davis to a one-year deal to add depth at the position. Davis grew up nearby in Santa Cruz and played in college at California before being drafted by the New York Jets in the third round in 2020. In six seasons with New York and Miami, Davis has 217 tackles, 19 passes defensed, nine interceptions, ﬁve forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries in 84 games. The Niners waived running back Jermar Jefferson, who was signed last week.

Wilson conﬁrms retirement from the NFL to join CBS Sports

The Associated Press

NEW YORK Ten-time Pro Bowl quarterback Russell Wilson conﬁrmed Wednesday in a video posted to social media that that he’s retiring from the NFL to take a job with CBS Sports. Wilson’s announcement came two days after news broke that he was ﬁnalizing a deal to become an analyst on CBS’ Sunday NFL pregame show

“As I enter this next chapter with CBS Sports and ‘The NFL Today,’ I’m so blessed to continue doing what I love most being around the greatest game in the world,” he said in the video.

Wilson played 14 seasons after being taken by Seattle in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft out of N.C. State. He spent his ﬁrst 10 seasons with the Seahawks, leading them to their ﬁrst Super Bowl championship in the 2013 season. He was traded to Denver after the 2021 season and spent two rocky years with the Broncos before play-

veteran showed up to practice this week Neal said Kamara had told him he planned to attend at some point, though he did not specify when.

“Just to hear his thoughts about everything going on — the elephant is deﬁnitely in the room,” Neal said. “Just to see what’s going on, what’s he’s gonna do, what we’re gonna do with him.” Kamara said he isn’t confused by how the Saints have acted over the last several months. He also disagreed with the idea that the franchise was acting disrespectfully by not providing a clear answer about whether it plans to keep him.

“I’ve been through a lot in my life, man,” Kamara said. “I learned not to take things personal. Man, I’m blessed. Like it is what it is. We’re in a business that’s unique to a lot of spaces in the world. Nothing catches me off guard, man.”

So would Kamara be open to taking a pay cut to stick around?

“I haven’t had any conversations in regard to that, so I don’t know,” Kamara said. “I think there’s a time and a place for everything. If that conversation comes up then I’ll have an answer for you when it comes up.”

For now, Kamara was set to embrace the people he hadn’t seen since the end of last season. Before practice began Wednesday, he hugged defensive coordinator Brandon Staley and enthusiastically greeted several other teammates. He said afterward he even had a chance to catch up with Moore.

“On my side, I feel no pressure,” Kamara said. “There’s no beef or bad blood, I don’t think. I’m just doing what I do every year, working. Whatever decisions have got to be made, they’ll be made.”

AP FILE PHOTO By JULIO CORTEZ

Seattle Seahawks quarterback

Russell Wilson holds the Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XLVIII on Feb 2, 2014, in East Rutherford, N.J

ing one season in Pittsburgh and another for the New York Giants. Wilson threw for 46,966 yards, with 353 touchdown passes and 114 interceptions. He joins Peyton Manning and Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks to throw at least 20 touchdown passes in each of their ﬁrst three seasons

SAINTS

Continued from page 1C

outside of walk-through: wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, defensive lineman Christen Miller and tight end Oscar Delp.

Shough starts strong

Let’s get the caveat out of the way: These are spring workouts and therefore are not necessarily indicative of anything that will happen from here on out. The Saints practiced without pads, and the most competitive thing they did was a pair of 7-on-7 periods. That being said, Tyler Shough made some impressive throws in those limited competitive settings — the sort of throws that show the strides he’s made since his rookie season ended. Last year around this time, Shough had the look of a player who was trying to play within the structure of an offense that did not want him to do too much. There were a lot of check-downs, even in 7-on-7 periods, in which Shough was taking the easy outlet rather than attacking the defense. That was not the case Wednesday, when Shough pushed the ball downﬁeld to his targets. Working without his presumptive top two wideouts — Olave and Tyson — Shough still made several big completions downﬁeld in his 10 competitive reps His best throw came when he found Ja’Lynn Polk streaking near the right hash mark about 20 yards down the field on a deep over route. Shough quickly worked through his progression on the play and hit Polk in rhythm for a big gain. On the next play Shough hit Kevin Austin in al-

and is one of seven quarterbacks to be selected to 10 Pro Bowls Wilson is the only player in NFL history with at least 30 touchdown passes and fewer than 15 interceptions in four straight seasons. He also had three seasons with at least 30 TD passes and 500 yards rushing, which is the most in NFL history Wilson is the shortest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl.

Wilson will replace Matt Ryan, who joined the Atlanta Falcons as president of football after two seasons on “The NFL Today.” Wilson had considered returning for a 15th season, telling the New York Post last month that he was mulling an offer to join the New York Jets and back up Geno Smith. His video featured highlights from his career and footage of him visiting patients at Seattle Children’s Hospital. It ended with him thanking his wife, Ciara, and the sport he dedicated his life to.

“I thank you, football. I am forever grateful,” he said

most the exact same spot after a scramble drill for another big gain. In all, Shough completed six passes, with four of them coming in the intermediate part of the ﬁeld. The only true deep shot he attempted landed just out of the reach of receiver Bub Means. Odds and ends Defensive back Martin Emerson secured the lone turnover of the day when he intercepted a Spencer Rattler pass intended for Bryce Lance. The interception came on a batted ball and Emerson was in the right spot to make the play Emerson signed with the Saints in late April, and he is an intriguing player in the defensive backfield. He’s 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds and started 33 NFL games. If he can bounce back from an Achilles injury that cost him all of last year, he could play some meaningful football in New Orleans.

Speaking of Lance, he had the biggest play of the day when he beat the defensive back across from him with a double move before hauling in a deep touchdown from third-string quarterback Zach Wilson. That is precisely what the Saints want to see out of the speedy fourth-round pass catcher Devaughn Vele didn’t have a ton of action as a receiver Wednesday — he caught one of his two targets but, interestingly, he did see the ﬁeld as a holder for kicks. That role presumably will belong to punter Ryan Wright, but with Wright not present, Vele handled those duties.

Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KyUSUNG GONG

From left, Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Snead, defensive end Myles Garrett and coach Sean McVay pose for a photo during a news conference after the team’s practice on Tuesday in Woodland Hills, Calif.

SABAN

Continued frompage1C

the present school’sseason is completed. The latter was labeled the “Lane KifﬁnRule” for the new LSU coach who leftbefore Ole Miss’ ﬁrst game in the College Football Playoff. The one about former pro athletes certainly could pertain to LSU men’sbasketball coach Will Wade’sstill growing roster

There are many other provisions in the bill, among them giving cover to the NCAAand the new College Sports Commission to basically enforce aspending cap on how much each school can pay its athletes and pooling media rights for the various conferencesthat the bill’ssponsors argue would create more revenue Saban admitted the bill isn’t perfectand needs “adjustments.”

The Southeastern Conference and Big Tenagreed. The two mega conferences, who essentially hold all of the power over the CFP,can’tagree how bigthe CFP should be. But they do agree the Protect College Sports Act needs work and declined to give it their support in ajoint statement released Tuesday

The SEC and Big Tenhave a point —toapoint. The bill isn’t perfect. But their motivation, quite transparently,appears to be the protection of their media rights.

“The posture of these twocommissioners indicates thatthey do not care about the fate of the other conferences or smaller schools,” Cody Campbell, aTexas Tech billionaire booster and head of its board of regents, said earlierthis year. “Nor do they care about the lifechanging opportunity provided to women and to athletes in our Olympic sports.”

Not long afterCampbell’s comments, Arkansas announced plans to cut its men’s and women’stennis programs. They have since been rein-

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

Ten, Cruz said he remains conﬁdent the bill can pass Congress.

“We’re going to get the votes,” Cruz said. “If we do nothing, there is no alternative. As every witness testiﬁed, college sportsis facing acrisis.”

Cantwell said at Wednesday’s hearingthatthe legislationisintendedtorestore competitionto college athletics by ensuringsuccess is determined by how universities “build ateam, and not because theyhave abillionaire in their back pocket.” She also addressedthe conferences’ opposition directly, suggesting they fear amore level playing field and the idea “that somebody’sgoing to come in and rearrange the deck chairsof those conferences,steal the eyeball schools, and then basically leave everybody with everything else.”

Englandturns to aGermantoend WorldCup drought

BY JAMES ROBSON AP soccer writer

MANCHESTER, England In abid to end its decades-long wait to win asecond World Cup, England has put itsfate in the hands of aGerman It’s fair to say theappointment of Thomas Tuchel was not universally well received.

“I’m sorry IhaveaGerman passport,” the serial-winning former Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea and Bayern Munich coach quipped at his ofﬁcial unveiling in 2024.

He hadwoken up that morningto someunﬂattering headlines in the British media. The Daily Mail described it as a“dark day for England” and said the national team had gambled on a“GERMAN.The leader of the right-wing Reform Party Nigel Farage asked on X: “Why can’twehaveanEnglish manager?”

Never mind thatTuchel wasa Champions League winner who hadlifted trophiesinthreedifferentcountries. Or the fact that England hasgone down the foreign route before: aSwedish coach in Sven-Goran Eriksson and an Italian in Fabio Capello.

Time willtellwhether Tuchel is portrayed as ahero or villain at the World Cup. If England fails, his nationality might be raised again. ButEngland managers of thepasthavebeenthe subject of brutal criticism by fans and media, regardless of what it says on their passport.

Tuchel’spredecessor Gareth Southgate was widely credited withmaking England fans fall back in love withthe national team during hiseight-yearspell,yet he faced atorrent of abuse from sections of supporters during the 2024 European Championship, with plasticbeer glassesthrown in his direction after one match.

Southgate departedafterleading England to back-to-back Euros ﬁnals andthe World Cup semiﬁnals in 2018.

He goes down as the nation’ssecondmostsuccessful manager afterAlf Ramsey,who ledEngland to the World Cup victory in 1966. If Tuchel can endEngland’strophy wait, he would become anational treasure.

“Everyone in the squad, the staff, everyone believes we can win it,” midﬁelder Kobbie Mainoo said.

Sen. TedCruzR-Texas, Chairmanofthe Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, speaks during ahearing to examine collegesports, supporting student athletes, and fair competition on Capitol Hill on WednesdayinWashington.

stated because of the backlash, but the threattonon-revenue programs —basicallyeverything outside of football, men’s basketball and afew baseball teams —isreal.

Kirby Smart said at lastweek’s SECspring meetings that he’s a proponent of theSEC making its own rules to make itsprograms more stable. Idisagree with that, but he alsosounded the alarmto the real threat to Olympic/nonrevenue programs

“My biggest concern for our sport is that we willruinall the other sports,” Smart said “People say,‘That’sjust the way it is.’ Idon’tagreewith that. We developOlympians. We (football players) sit in classrooms next to someone who swims anddives.”

Maybe you don’tcarewhether colleges continue tolavishunchecked dollars on footballand men’sbasketball because that’s where the money is, at theex-

pense of everything else. But that’snot theintent of college athletics or thecollegeexperience.

LSU offers 330 differentdegreeprograms. ShouldLSU only offer degrees in business, prelawand medicine because that’s where themoney is?Ofcourse not.

College sports spent itsway into this ﬁnancialpickle. It won’t ﬁgure away outwithout some oversight from somewhere. It may sound comical to think the federal government, which has created theenormous national debt, should be able to help.But college athletics clearly has provenitcan’t help itself.

“We’re allgrasping for somebody to give us some direction on what to do,” LSUwomen’s basketball coach KimMulkeysaid at the SEC spring meetings. Sometimes, youhavetograsp for the least badoption

TheSEC and Big Tenhaveapoint —toapoint.The bill isn’t perfect. But their motivation,quite transparently, appears to be the protection of their mediarights.

While Cruz and Cantwell, the two top-ranked lawmakers on the Senate Commerce Committee, support the bill, passage through theSenate isfar from certain.

President Donald Trumphas yet to comment onthe bill publicly

Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, an ally of Trump’s, said he had “grave concerns” about the bill. He saidhis most important concern was “itdoesnothing about protecting biological women from competingwith men and sports” —anissuethatTrump has dealtwithvia executive orders but that has not come up in anyversion of these bills.

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., aformer college football coach at Auburn,said Tuesday that “there’sgoingtohave to be some changes” to the bill for himto support it.

House Republicanleader-

ship had been working toward avote on its own college sports bill, known as the SCOREAct before the Congressional Black Caucus announced its unanimous opposition. The CBC said the legislation should not moveforward after a recent SupremeCourt ruling that effectively disabled akey provision of the VotingRightsAct. They say athletic leaders are failing to address concerns about the decision’simpact on Black political representation. On Wednesday,the CongressionalBlack Caucussentaletter to Cruz andCantwell urging the committee to pauseconsideration of theirbill as well.

“Meaningful engagement and action by college athletics leadership should be viewed as a necessary ﬁrst step,” the letter stated.

Apoint of contention wasthe fact thatGermany has long been England’sbiggest soccer rival. Since winning the1966 World Cup ﬁnal againstWestGermany,England hasoften struggled against the Germansinmajor tournaments. Some England fans have brought 20th century history to the rivalry with provocative chants taunting Germany aboutWorld WarII.

Debate aboutTuchel’snationality,however,dissipated quickly, helpedbyhis easygoing charm when dealing with the media and aperfect winning record during England’sWorldCup qualifying campaign.

According to professor Jan Rüger,authorofthe upcoming book “Great Powers: AHistory of Britain and Germany,” the wider reactiontoTuchel’s appointment pointstoachange in Anglo-German relations after the tensions that prevailed in the decades following two world wars.

“There were questions, but it certainly hasn’tturned into an ongoing saga in theway in whichit would have in the 1990s or even around the turn of thecentury,” Rüger said. “Then it would have been unthinkable to have aGerman manager

“Germany really isn’tthe bad guyanymore. That’slongsince passed. Idon’tthink it worksportraying Germany as thebogeyman.”

Tuchel is the14th coach tasked withthe challenge of ending England’s trophy drought, which now stretches to 60 years.

After Southgate’sdeparture, the English Football Association saidit was looking for acandidate to “win amajor tournament.”

Southgategot closer than anyonesinceRamsey despite amodestcoaching career before being handed the national job.

His successappeared to be groundedindeveloping aconnection both withinhis squad and with supporters. As aformer player who missed apenalty in asemiﬁnal shootout defeat to Germany at Euro 1996, his emotional understanding of what it means to represent England appeared to resonate with anew generation.

As aforeign coach, Tuchel cannot bring that samedynamic to the role.

He does,however, ﬁtthe description of awinner of major tournaments, having led Chelsea to the ChampionsLeague in 2021.Hewas also aChampions League ﬁnalist with Paris Saint-Germain.

“I love the difﬁcult decisions and Ilove the tough decisions because they bring in the end clarity,they bring acertain edge, and it’swhat you need to go all the way,” Tuchel said. “FromDay One, we said we will always try to select and build the best group, whichismaybe not necessarily just to collect the best talents.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

WIGGLESWORTH

photo before the startofthe

soccer match between England and Japan in London on March31.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERICGAy

Newyork Knicks center Karl-AnthonyTowns shoots between SanAntonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama, right, andforwardJulian Champagnie during theﬁrsthalf of Game 1ofthe NBAFinals on Wednesdayin San Antonio. TheKnicks won105-95.

Alittle prep goes a long way forchicken thighs with veggies

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Tribune News Service(TNS)

For this easy,hands-offdinner,the oven does all the work Bone-in chicken thighs, coated in rich pastasauce, roasted on asheet pan will stay tender, juicy and full of ﬂavor

To save time, the potatoes and asparagus get ahead start in the microwave before ﬁnishing alongside the chicken soaking up all those delicious pan juices. Lining the sheet pan with foil makes cleanup easy.Itjust needs aquick rinse and you’re done.

Creamer potatoes are small, about ¾inch in diameter,and new potatoes are alittle larger and measure about 2inches in diameter.Both are tender, ﬂavorful potatoes that havea short spring season. Either can be used.

HELPFUL HINTS:

n Any type of pasta sauce can be used.

n Green beans can be used instead of asparagus.

the potatoes and asparagus to the empty side of the sheet.

5. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the chickenand place the sheet back in theoven. Bake 5minutes.A meat thermometer should read165 Ffor the chicken.

6. Divide the chicken, potatoes and asparagus in half and place on two dinner plates.

NUTRITIONINFOPER SERVING: 547 calories (34 percent from fat), 20.5 gfat (4.4 gsaturated, 7.6 gmonounsaturated), 167 mg cholesterol, 44.0

BPHOTOSByLIZ FAUL

Beandonthere, ethat

Goingbeyondthe

eans are having amoment. Lately,they seem to be in thecultural zeitgeist.

At local markets in New Orleans, Ihave seen awidevariety of heirloom beans on the shelves.

Lastmonth, Iwent to adelicious bean popup, called “Luci’s Beans,”bychef Luci Winsberg at Really Really Nice Wines on Magazine Street.

America’s Test Kitchen.

FOR THE DIP: 1teaspoon oliveoil 4green onions (scallions), white and lightgreen ends chopped 2(15-ounce cans) small white beans, likecannellini beans (drained and rinsed) 1lemon, zested and juiced 1teaspoon ground cumin 1tablespoon olive oil(or lemon

olive oil)

½teaspoon salt

LEMONFENNEL TOPPING: 2teaspoon fennelseeds (toasted and crushed)

1teaspoon lemon zest

1fennelbulb,cored and sliced thin 1teaspoon olive oil(optional drizzle on top)

Lastweek, Iread areport by National PublicRadio titled “What’sEating America.” It discussed the resurgence in popularity of beans amongst Americans. The renewedpopularityoflegumes was attributed to the fact that they are versatile, inexpensive and healthy In Louisiana, we don’tneed to be convincedofthe value or ﬂavor of beans. Red beans and rice is aclassic New Orleans

1. In apan over medium heat,add theolive oil, then the chopped green onions; stir until the green onions are lightly brown.

2. Addthe drained beans, lemon juice, garlic, cumin andsalt. Turn the heat down to low and stir the ingredientstogether

3. In the bowl of afood processor,orblender,add thewarm white beanmixture from thepot along with olive oil and blend until smooth. Thenspoon the blended bean mixture into aserving bowl.

4. For the topping, dry

toastthe fennel seedsin asmall pan, over medium to low heat, for 2minutes. Once the seeds are cool, pour them out of the pan and crush them using a mortar andpestle(or just roll them with arolling pin). This step will unlock thesweet, warm licoricelike aroma from the fennel seeds.

5. Addthe crushed fennel seeds, lemon zest and sliced fennelbulb over the top of the dip. Add asmall drizzle of olive oil. Serve with sliced fresh vegetables, crackers or chips.

TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER

CowboyCaviar (akaTexas Caviar)

Serves 10-12. This recipe is adaptedfromarecipe from America’s Test Kitchen.

2(15-ounce) cans of black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed

1(15-ounce) can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1red bell pepper,stemmed, seeded and chopped

1green bell pepper,stemmed, seeded and chopped

1jalapeño chili pepper,stemmed, seeded and finely chopped

1celeryrib finely chopped

3garlic cloves

½cup fresh cilantro

½cup fresh parsley

½cup olive oil

¼cup red wine vinegar

½teaspoon salt

2teaspoons of green jalapeñohot sauce (optional for additional spice)

1. In alarge serving bowl, addthe drained and rinsed black-eyed peas, black beans, chopped bellpeppers jalapeño pepperand chopped celery.Stir the beans and vegetables together

CowboyCaviar (aka TexasCaviar)

2. In the bowl of afood processor, or blender,add 3garlic cloves, cilantro, parsley, olive oiland red wine vinegar; blend on alow speed until the herbs are finely chopped and mixedwith the oil and vinegar.Add the salt, taste, addmoresaltifneeded. Add jalapeño hotsauce foradditionalspice 3. Pour the herb sauce/ dressingover the bean and

PHOTO By LIZ FAUL

pepper mixture. Mix it all together so thedressing covers the beans and vegetables. 4. Chill for at leastone hour beforeserving with your favoritenacho chip.

Black Bean Cakes with Sour Cream Serves 10-12. Recipe is by Liz Faul.

1-3 tablespoons cooking oil

1onion, chopped

2garlic cloves, chopped

1teaspoon ground cumin

1teaspoon dried oregano

½teaspoon cayenne pepper

½teaspoon salt

½cup pankobreadcrumbs (or finely ground nacho chips)

2(15-ounce) can of black beans, drained 1egg SERVE WITH: Sour cream

Tajin spice blend

Sliced lime

Sliced avocado (or guacamole)

Should guests help cleanup?

Dear Miss Manners: My husband and Ihosted abrunch gathering of about 10 people at our home. We offered awide spread of food and drinks, and we used paper plates and napkins to makecleaning up alittle easier —and also because I’min my third trimester and frankly,the idea of cleaning that many dishes had me feelingexhausted. It was awonderful time and agreat opportunity to spend time with friends before thebaby arrives. Butthroughout theparty, there was something that bothered me. People ate and moved freely throughout the house, and as they went, they left behind dirtyglasses, paper plates, wadded-up napkins and empty (or half-empty) cans of seltzer Whenever I’m aguest in someone else’sspace, Idomybest to clean up after myself. Ithrow away

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

trash, recycle what Ican and take any dishware in need of washing to the sink. By the endof the party,Iwas frustrated andalso questioning myself. Whatare the expectations for cleaning up after oneselfasa guest? Were my guests right, or am Iright to be frustratedbywhat Iperceive as their lack of consideration?

Gentle reader: Technically, your guests are correct, because they have no business barging uninvited into private family spaces such as akitchen. That would, of course, be modiﬁed by your situation, though, since no well-mannered guest would watch apregnant womanstruggling under aload of plates without intervening.

The thinking is that everyone takes aturn being host, and the cleaning you do now will be balanced by your carefree timeas

aguest in the future. But Miss Manners realizes that dates to atimewhen people reciprocated hospitality —and did not do half of their entertaining in the kitchen. She hasnoobjection to youand your friends having adifferent understanding, so long as two fundamental points are preserved—points about which she believesyou to be in agreement. First, thatthe guests areconsiderateand grateful —even if thatdoes notmean taking outthe trash. And second, thatthe hostess’s primary concernisthat herguests enjoythemselves—not who is right or wrong.

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

3. Place thebreadcrumbs in ashallowbowl. Setthe bowl of breadcrumbs aside to coat theblack bean cakes

4. In the bowl of afood processor, addthe drained black beans, the egg and the cooled onion/spice mix. Lightlypulse the food processor to combine all theingredients, but stop before the mix is asmooth paste. It iseasier to work with athicker mix. If the bean mix is toothin, try adding some of

1. In alarge panover medium heat, add 1tablespoon of cookingoil. Then addthe onion andcook for about 2-3 minutes. Addthe chopped garlic. Stir the onion mixture. 2. Addthe cumin, oregano, cayenne and saltand stir the spicesinto the onionmix Turn off the heat andlet the onionsand spices cool.

LEGUMES

Continued from page1D

that has been enjoyed in homes and in restaurants for generations.

After eating Winsberg’s creative bean dishes, Iwas inspired to think more about cooking with beans at home Ilooked through cookbooks and, considering what Ihad in the pantry,Imadecowboy caviar,awhite bean dip and black bean cakes.

Cowboy caviar,orTexas caviar,isthe perfect side dish for asummer barbeque. This dish does not contain any caviar,itisjust aname thatwas created by Helen Corbitt to make it more elegant. Ihave eaten this dish for yearsbut I never thought to look up its origin story.Iwas delighted to learn that this popular bean salad was created by a fellow dietitian.

Corbitt began her career in the 1930s as ahospitalbased nutritionist in New Jersey and New York. However,she was not satisﬁed

in that position,and looked to do something morewith food andnutrition.She found ajob in Texas teachingand developing new recipes andcookbooks. Corbitt sought to use local fresh ingredients and present them in atasteful way.She didnot care for traditional black-eyedpea dishes,so shecreated this tangybright alternative beansalad that has endured thetest of time. Imakecowboy caviar by mixingbeanswith fresh bellpeppers andjalapenos Then Imakeadressing that is essentially similar to achimichurri sauce with oliveoil, red wine vinegar and alot of herbs to bind the ingredientstogether.It is best made in advance and chilled before serving. Ifoundtwo cansofwhite beans in my pantry and decidedtomakeawhite beandip.Iwas guided bya recipe from America’sTest Kitchen that simply blended thebeanswith oliveoil, lemon juice and spices. I hadafennel bulb in the refrigerator anddecided to

Guinness Macand Cheese

Serves 6. Recipe is from marydisomma.com. This ﬂavorful super-easy stovetop mac and cheeseismade with Guinness stout, sharp Irish cheddar and atouch of Dijon mustard. It’s creamy and cheesy with an optional crunchy breadcrumb topping.Best part: It takes only about 20 minutes. FOR TOPPING:

4tablespoons unsalted butter 4garlic cloves, minced ¾cup breadcrumbs 1tablespoon chopped fresh Italianparsley FORMAC AND CHEESE: 2¼

half and

grinds of black pepper

1tablespoon Dijon mustard

3ounces cream cheese, cut intopieces

3¾ cups grated Irish cheddar cheese

1. Begin by making the topping: In a medium skillet, melt 1tablespoon of butter

2. Add minced garlic andcook, stirringconstantly,for 30 seconds. Do not brown the garlic! Add breadcrumbsand cookonlow heat until theyturn agolden brown. Next, add the Italian parsley. That’sit—transfer the topping from theskillet into abowl and set aside.

the breadcrumbs to help you form the bean patties.

5. Form the bean patties, add each pattyinto the breadcrumbmix, coat both sides, and thenplace all the formed patties on aplatewhile you prepare the pan to fry them.

6. In alarge panover medium-high heat, add1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil, then carefully add thepatties. Cookthe bean cakes until golden brownonboth sides, or for about 2minutes per side.

7. OPTIONAL: Serve theblack bean cakes with lime and sour cream, or your choice of avocadoorguacamole. I sprinkled tajinespice blend over them for an extra bright ﬂavor

add fennel and lemon zest to thetop of the dip to add taste and texture. Ilove fennel because it has amild refreshing taste. Fennel is also thought to help with digestion. For this reason, fennel is an ideal herb to pair withbean dishes.

Black bean patties can be madesmall andserved as an appetizer or snack. They also can be madea bit larger and served on a hamburger bun as atasty alternative to meat. It can be trickytoblend thebeans to theright texture to form patties that hold together To add extra ﬂavor,try blending nacho chips in a food processor until they are the texture of breadcrumbs. The nacho crumbs serve to bind thebean cakes together and they add atoasted corn taste. It helps to chill the bean mixture in the refrigerator before forming thepatties.

Black bean cakes taste great withsour cream,lime and sliced avocado. These bean cakes are packed with ﬁber and protein, but more importantly,they taste good.

3. Bring apot of water to aboil. When thewater is boiling, add 2teaspoons of salt. Cook the elbow macaroni until it’s al dente.

4. Remove 1cup of the pastawater andset itaside(you’ll need this later when you’re making the sauce). Drain and rinse the pasta,then set it aside while you prepare thesauce.

5. In alarge saucepan over medium heat, melt 2tablespoons of butter Once it’smelted, whisk in ﬂour.Whisk for 1minute to create arouxfor the sauce.

6. Continue to whiskasyou slowly add Guinness stout, followed by milk, half andhalf, remaining ¼teaspoon salt, black pepper and Dijon mustard.

7. Bring to asimmer and cook, whisking now and then, until the sauce thickens. This willtakeabout 2minutes.

8. Addcream cheese and 2½ cups of grated cheese. Stirthe mixture until thecheesesare incorporated.

9. Add cooked pastafollowed by theremaining 1¼ cup grated cheese. Stir gently until the remaining cheese is melted and the pasta is heated through. Sincethe mac andcheese does not go in the oven, it is essential that thepasta is reheated in the sauce. If thesauce seems too thick,drizzle in alittle bitofthe reserved pastawater

10.Place the hot mac and cheese in a serving bowl, sprinkle on thetopping and serve.

Soundthe horn to ﬁndthe car!

Dear Heloise: The key fob for my 4-year-old Toyota can be pressed to lock or unlock my car,and it can also be pressed to sound thehorn. If Ican’t ﬁnd my car in a large lot, Ihold thekey fob over my head, press the horn button,and follow thesound. This is especially helpful because my car is white, which is apredominantcolor for vehicles —JoM.K., in Houston Lookingfor asign

Hints from Heloise

Dear Heloise: It’s impossible to get lostinan airport. Everywhere you go, there’ssignage. Even if you’ve never been to a

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, June 4, the 155th day of 2026. There are 210 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On June 4, 1989, hundreds, perhaps thousands, of prodemocracy demonstrators and dozens of soldiers are estimatedtohave been killed when Chinese troops crushed aseven-week-long protest by demonstrators occupying Beijing’sTiananmenSquare.

Also on this date: In 1919, Congress approvedthe 19th Amendment to theU.S. Constitution, which said that the right of Americanstovote “shallnot be denied or abridged by the United States or by anyState on account of sex.” (The amend-

Guinness Brownies

Makes 16-20 brownies. Recipe is from sallysbakingaddiction. com. These Guinness brownies are made from reduced Guinness stout.They’re fudgy,rich and topped withespresso-and Guinness-infused frosting.

FOR BROWNIES:

1(12-ounce)

bottleGuinness Draught Stout

¾cup unsalted butter

8ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

1¼ cups granulated sugar

3largeeggs, at room temperature

1teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1cup all-purpose flour

½teaspoon salt

½teaspoon espresso powder

FOR FROSTING:

½cup unsalted butter,softened to room temperature

2cups confectioners’ sugar

2–3 tablespoons reduced Guinness

1teaspoon espresso powder

½teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¼teaspoon salt

1. In asmall saucepan, bring theGuinness to aboil over medium-high heat.Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer until reduced down to 2⁄3 cup, about12–15 minutes. Set aside tocool for at least 10 minutes. Youwilluse ½ cupinthe brownies andthe rest

particularairport before, youwon’t getlostaslong as youcan read.Why don’thospitals followthis example?! Hospitals are mazes, and ﬁnding your waythrough most of themis alogisticsnightmare. Hospitals, geta clue! —Meg D., in St.Louis Microchipped pets

Dear Heloise: Anne M. recently wrote to you with asuggestion about calling animal control for stray cats. As ashelter volunteer,I must say that here in Tucson, Arizona, we and the Humane Society have insufﬁcient resources to pick up healthy

TODAYINHISTORY

ment was thensenttothe statesfor ratiﬁcation.)

Also in 1940, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill declared in aspeech to the House of Commons: “Weshall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.”

In 1942, the World War II naval Battle of Midway began, which resulted in a decisive American victory against Japan and marked aturning point in the war in the Paciﬁc.

In 1990, Dr.Jack Kevorkian carried out his ﬁrst publicly assisted suicide, helping Janet Adkins, a 54-year-old Alzheimer’s patient from Portland, Oregon, end her lifein

TNS PHOTO By GRETCHENMcKAy

in thefrosting.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F andgreasea9-inch square baking pan or line with aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the ﬁnishedbrownies out(makes cutting easier). Setaside

3. Place butter and chopped chocolate in alarge microwavesafe bowl. Melt in 30-second increments, whisking after each, untilcompletely smooth.

4. Whisk in the sugar and ½ cup of reduced Guinness until completely combined. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.

5. Finally,whisk in the ﬂour, salt andespresso powder (if using). The batter will be thick andshiny.Pour/spread evenly into prepared pan. 6. Bake for32minutes, then

cats. Instead, we recommendtaking afriendly stray to any vet clinic to check foramicrochip (which is free) and search forthe owner Also, apost online (such as on Nextdoor or Lost.PetcoLove.org) and/or ﬂyers in the neighborhood might help reunite amissing cat with their family —Carol G., Pima Animal Care Centercat volunteer Carol, this is an excellent idea to return acat to its owner! And forthose whohave cats, have them microchipped the next timethey get their shots. —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Oakland County,Michigan. (Kevorkian died in 2011.) In 1998, afederal judge sentenced Terry Nichols to lifeinprison without parole forhis role in the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in OklahomaCity,which killed 168 people.

Today’sbirthdays: Actor Bruce Dern is 90. Golf Hall of Famer Sandra Haynie is 83. Singer-actor Michelle Phillips is 82. Jazz musician Paquito D’Rivera is 78. Actor Parker Stevenson is 74. Actor Keith David is 70. Singer El DeBarge is 65. Opera singer Cecilia Bartoli is 60. R&B singer Al B. Sure! is 58. Actor Scott Wolf is 58. Comedian Horatio Sanz is 57. Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah is 55. Actor Noah Wyle is 55. Actor Angelina Jolie is 51.

test the brownies witha toothpick. Insert it into the center of the pan. If it comes out coated with wetbatter, the brownies need moretime. If there are onlya few moist crumbs, the brownies are done.

7. Remove from the oven and place on acooling rack to cool completely in the pan before frosting or cutting.

8. Make the frosting: In alarge bowl using ahandheld or stand mixer ﬁtted with awhisk attachment,beat thebutter on high speed until completely smooth andcreamy, about2-3 minutes Add theconfectioners’ sugar, beating on low at ﬁrst then increasing to high speed.

9. Once creamy and combined, beat in 2tablespoons of reduced Guinness, the espresso powder, vanilla extract and salt. Taste. Add the remaining reduced Guinness if needed. If you want thefrosting alittle thinner, beat in asplash of milk.

10. When cool, lift the brownies out by gripping the parchment overhangs andtransfer to acutting board. Spread frosting over cooled brownies. Usea sharp knifetocut into squares.

11. Coverand store leftover brownies at room temperature forupto1week.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/

Guinness Brownies

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Change the dialogue to reflect your needs. Ask questions, show interest and charmyour way forward. Your input, dedication andcreativitywillhelpyououtshineanyonewho wants to challenge you.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Be honest with yourself and others. It's easy to dwell on the negative,but it's far more productive to letgoofwhatisn't working for youand embrace something that is.

LEO (July23-Aug. 22) Puta plan together and participate in something that addresses issuesofconcern. Achange to howyou thinkand what youare willing to do will commence once you get your head wrappedaroundwhat'shappening.

VIRGO (Aug.23-Sept. 22) Don'tfeel pressuredtomakeamoveordecisionprematurely. Concentrate on how to help yourself first and then parlay your findings intohelping those less fortunate.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) You'll have decisions to make thatconflict withyour time, schedule and whatyou want to do.Don't commit to something to avoid opposition. Offer what's doable, affordable and within your capabilities.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Let your questions and responses be your ticket to a brighter future. Send out resumes, sign up for courses to update your qualifications and connect withpeople whocan help you make your way forward.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Keep the momentum flowing, and you'll do great. Fixing up your space, vying for anew

position and higher pay or participating in something thatintrigues you will all lead to changes in how you do things and who you associate with.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) When opportunity knocks, open the door. Achance encounter will make your heartskip a beat. Focus on home, family,love and romance, and less on outside influences trying to lead you astray.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Put the past behind you, and structure your schedule to enhance your chance to useyour talents for something lucrative and constructive.

PISCES(Feb.20-March 20) Holdontowhat youhave, andmakesure youare doing what's best foryou. Someone will lead you astray if you aregullible. Put more thought into making positive changes to your space.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Don'tlet confusion set in. Take astepback, ask questions and evaluate what'snecessary. When in doubt, take apass anddon't look back. Focus on how you earn your living.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Pumpitup;work those muscles. Implement exercise into your routine or drum up entertaining activities you can do with friends.Participatingingroupactivitieswillbroaden your vision.

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

SALLYForth

beetLe bAILeY Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

bIG nAte

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers Theobjectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty levelofthe Sudoku increasesfrom Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

U.S. Rep. George Miller, from California, said, “Thetroublewitheating Italian food is that five or six days later, you’re hungry again.”

Thetrouble with 5-6hands is deciding in which order to bid the suits. Look at today’s Southhand. Would you open one spade or one heart?

With arelatively weak hand, it is better toopenonespadeanddescribeyourhand asa5-5.Butthishandhasveryfewlosers if partner hasafit in one suit (or, even better, in both suits). So South should plan to bid hearts, spades andspades again to describe his 5-6. Notethat his two-spade rebidisa reverse because partner, to show preference for the firstbid suit(hearts),has to go to thethreelevel. There are twoother pointsabout the two-level reverse. It guarantees that thefirst-bid suitislonger than the second-bid, and it shows extra strength, instigating agame-force.

So North quietlysupports hearts beforeusingthe Grand-Slam Force, asking South to bid seven heartswith two of thetop three trumps. (Roman Key Card Blackwood would also do the job.) Surely South has the spade king for histhreespade bid.

HowshouldSouthplayafterWestleads thediamond king to dummy’s ace?

wuzzles

Just in case the breaks arebad, declarer should play alow trumptohis ace.

When West discards, Southleads a spade to dummy’s ace, returnsaspade to hiskingand ruffsaspade withdummy’s heart queen. Then he plays aheart to his nine, draws trumps and claims. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle whichcreates adisguised word, phrase,name, place, saying, etc. For example:NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previousanswers:

word game

InsTRucTIons:

ToDAY’s

Average

Timelimit

people draws near to me with their mouth, and honors

with their lips; but their heartisfar from me.” Matthew 15:8

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer today’s thought

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles hidato mallard

COUNCIL

ROUGE

WEST

MEETING GOVERNMENTBUILDING 880 North Alexander Avenue, Port Allen Thursday,May 14, 2026 5:30 PM TheFollowing Minutes AreSummarized For Brevity, For Precise Meeting Information Please Refer To Meeting Audio Or Video.

1. CALL MEETINGTO ORDER&REQUEST ALL ELECTRONICDEVICES BE SILENCED ARegular Meeting of the West BatonRouge Parish Council was held on Thursday,May 14,2026 and called toorder at 05:30 PM. Council Chairman Carey Denstel asked that all electronic devices be placed on silent.

2. OPENING PRAYER Councilman Atley Walker Jr.led everyoneinan opening prayer.

3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Chairman Denstel recognized Council Member Gary Josephwho led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.

4. LOG ATTENDANCE

The following members wererecorded as being present: Messrs. Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, AtleyWalker, Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Gary Joseph, and Mrs. Katherine Andre. Absent: Mr.Alan Crowe

Also present were, Mr. JasonManola,Parish President, Mr.Phillip Bourgoyne, ExecutiveAssistant, Mr.Chance Stephens, Director of Finance, Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne, Director of Public Works, Ms. Kristen Canezaro, Special Legal Counsel, and Mrs. Michelle Tullier, Council Clerk.

5. MINUTES APPROVAL

A. Approval of Minutes from the Regular Meeting of April23, 2026. No Council or public comments werepresented.

Amotion was made by Council Member Brady Hotard, seconded by Council Member Katherine Andretoapprove Approval of Minutes from the Regular Meeting of April 23, 2026. The vote was recorded as follows:

YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Alan Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None)

As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed.

6. CONSIDER ANY AMENDMENTSTOTHE AGENDA Therewerenoitems to consider at this time

7. PARISH PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Mr.Phillip Bourgoyne was recognized andnotified the Council that the Parish President was out of town for the night, sohewould be covering this item. He covered the following: Recent rain event totals for the parish; Loup Lane culvert project; American WaySpeed Limit signs; Lukeville Lane DOTD Light issue. Councilman Hotardand Allain bothrecognized the outstanding work of theRoads and Drainagedepartments after the recentstormevents.

8. PUBLICCOMMENTS Therewerenocomments from the public at this time.

9. COMMUNICATIONSWITH COUNCIL MEMBERSAND/OR ELECTED OR APPOINTEDOFFICIALS Therewerenocommunications at this time.

10. PUBLIC HEARING ON PREVIOUSLY INTRODUCEDORDINANCES

A. An Ordinance Amending Chapter 104 Zoning, to Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 EstablishmentOfDistricts, Official ZoningMap For Rezoning Request Of TMI Enterprise LLC. Regarding Parcel #’s: 045000009311,045000009300, 045000009600, 045000009605, Port Allen, La 70767. File #26-0011: Described by the WBR Assessor as:TRACT B-4 CONT 18.75 AC SEC 43 44 &45T6S R12E 5096E; LOT A-13-B CONT 33.21ACINSEC 43 T6S R12E BEING P/O LORIO TRACT 50-93 ;LOT A-13-ACONT19.93 AC IN SEC 43 T6SR12E BEING P/O LORIO TRACT 50-93K ;P/O LOT BCONT

12.06 AC IN SECS 43 44 &45T6S R12E P/O LORIO PROP 5096.Rezoning approximately 84 ac from AG (Agricultural) to I-2 (ModerateIndustrial). Master Plan Change.

The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item

Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne was recognized andexplained in detail the aforementioned request,notingthe location, residential surroundings and noted the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial by aunanimous vote.

Mr.Court Bradfor was in attendance representing Mr.Louie Veilee, noting that his client did not have any details for this property at this time, he was just trying to see what he could do with the property, but added he would look into adding fendcing and tress and or shrubbery to buffer from the residential.

Mr.Gerald Allain was recognized andexplained he was against this being rezoned to I-2 right next to all the residential, along withMs. Amanda Rodrigue who owns River Road Daycare,which shares a property line with some of the parcels listed in this rezoning request. No further public comments for or against said ordinance were presented. No written protests opposing the ordinance were received. TheCouncil Chairman at this point declared the Public Hearing closed.

Amotion was made by Council Member Daryl “Turf” Babin, seconded by Council Member Kenneth Gordon to deny An OrdinanceAmending Chapter 104 Zoning, toIncorporateAmended Zoning Designation Map(Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official Zoning Map For Rezoning Request Of TMI Enterprise LLC. Regarding Parcel #’s: 045000009311, 045000009300, 045000009600, 045000009605,Port Allen, La 70767. File #26-0011: Described by the WBRAssessor as: TRACT B-4 CONT 18.75 AC SEC 43 44 &45T6S R12E 50-96E; LOT A-13-B CONT 33.21 AC IN SEC 43 T6S R12E BEING P/O LORIO TRACT 50-93; LOT A-13-A CONT 19.93 AC IN SEC43T6S R12E BEING P/O LORIO TRACT 50-93K; P/O LOT B CONT 12.06 AC IN SECS 43 44 &45T6S R12E P/O LORIO PROP 50-96. Rezoning approximately 84 ac from AG(Agricultural) toI-2 (ModerateIndustrial). Master Plan Change

The vote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf” Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Alan Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of the votes, the motion Passed,and the request was denied.

B. An Ordinance Amending Chapter104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section 104-3 Establishment Of Districts, Official ZoningMap For Rezoning Request Of BSC Industries LLC. Regarding 4021 Hwy 1 South Port Allen, La 70767. File #26-0012: Described by the WBR Assessor as: 10.28 AC SEC 3T8S R12E &SEC 78 T7S R12E 54-3. Rezoning approximately 2.93 ac from AG (Agricultural) and C-1.2 (Community Scale Commercial) to C-1.4 (Industrial Transitional Commercial) with aSpecial Use Permit. Master Plan Change. The Chairman opened apublic hearing for the purpose of receiving comment regarding the aforementioned item.

Mr.Brandon Bourgoyne was again recognized andexplained this rezoning request, noting his recommendationonthe use of this property,and also explaining the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended denial of this rezoning request. No public comments for or against said ordinance werepresented. No written protests opposing the ordinance werereceived. The CouncilChairman at this point declared the Public Hearingclosed.

Mr.Steve LeBlanc was recognized as representing the applicant, noting they arerequesting 60K square feet of outside storage and a waiver for the fencing to be metal and vinyl screen.Chairman Denstel spoke on this item and explained the process of the temporary Special Usewhich was granted and why,also noting thereisnoIndustrial South of Beaulieu Lane, other than Cinclare, which is grandfathered in.Therewereafew Council Members withquestions and comments. Chairman Denstel stated he would make the motiontoapprove the C-1.4 with the special use, but for only 2acres totaland for only the 30Ksquarefeet of outside storage and no waiver on the fencing, noting the fencing will be installed all the way around the property as required.

Amotion was made by Council Member Carey Denstel, seconded by Council Member Kirk Allain to approve An Ordinance Amending

ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of thevotes, themotion Passed. Ordinance 17 of 2026 can be found at theend of theseminutes 11.RESOLUTIONS A. Resolution To AcceptProposals And Contract ForProfessional Services ForThe Preparation And SubmissionOfAnApplication, To AuthorizeThe Submission Of An Application For Financial Assistance For InfrastructureProjects Through The U.S. Pipeline AndHazardous Materials SafetyAdministration, And To Proceed With The InfrastructureProjects Upon Receipt Of Grant Funding.

Mr.Adrian Genre, Director of Utilities,was recognized and explained the reason for theaforementioned resolutionrequest. Therewerenocomments from thepublic and no concerns from the Council.

Amotion was made by Council Member Brady Hotard, seconded by Council Member Gary Joseph to approve aResolutionToAccept Proposals And Contract For Professional Services For The Preparation And Submission Of An Application, To Authorize TheSubmission Of An Application For Financial Assistance For Infrastructure Projects ThroughThe U.S. Pipeline And Hazardous Materials Safety Administration,And To Proceed With The InfrastructureProjects Upon Receipt Of GrantFunding

Thevote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf”Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon,Carey Denstel, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Alan Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of the votes,the motion Passed.

Resolution12of2026 can be found at theend of theseminutes

B. Resolution of The West Baton Rouge Parish Council Designating the Official Journal From July 1, 2026 To June 30, 2027

Mrs. Tullier explained to theCouncil that TheAdvocate was theonly Journal whobid on this item.Therefore, this resolution, per state law would identifyThe Advocate as theOfficial Journal of WBR parish Council for theaforementioned time period. Therewerenocomments from thepublic or theCouncil.

Amotion was made by Council Member Brady Hotard, seconded by Council Member Katherine Andretoapprove The ResolutionofThe West Baton RougeParishCouncil Designating theOfficial Journal as

The Advocate From July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Thevote was recorded as follows:

YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf”Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon,Carey Denstel, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Alan Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None)

As aresult of the votes,the motion Passed. Resolution13of2026 can be found at theend of theseminutes

12.NEW BUSINESS A. Considerapproving the attached list of IT Department items as scrap/surplus. Mr.Chance Stephens was recognized and explained theitems on theattached report wereneeding to be designated as scrap/surplus

Therewerenocomments on this item from thepublic or theCouncil.

Amotion was made by Council Member Kirk Allain, seconded by Council Member Kenneth Gordon to approve the attached list of IT Departmentitems as scrap/surplus

Thevote was recorded as follows: YEAS: 8(Kirk Allain, Daryl “Turf”Babin, Atley Walker,Brady Hotard, Kenneth Gordon, Carey Denstel, Katherine Andre, Gary Joseph) NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Alan Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None)

As aresult of the votes,the motion Passed.

13.CONSIDER STATUS REPORT, CHANGEORDER AND/OR OTHER MATTERS AS REQUIRED ON CURRENT PROJECTS

Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.

14. CONSIDER SUBDIVISION PLATS, CONDEMNATIONS, WAIVERS AND MATTERS RELATED THERETO Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.

15. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES Therewerenoitems to consider at this time.

16.CORRESPONDENCE REPORT Correspondence Report from Council Clerk, Mrs. Michelle Tullier included thefollowing items: •May 15 Deadline for Financial Disclosures; •Planning &Zoning Meeting Tuesday,May 19, 2026 at 5:30pm; •Council Meeting Thursday,May 28, 2026 at 5:30pm.

17. ADJOURN Therebeing no further business, amotion to adjournwas made by Council Member Brady Hotardand was adopted by acclamation at 06:31 PM.

ALL MEETING INFORMATION INCLUDING MINUTES AND VIDEOS CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITEWBRPARISH.ORG

FOREGOING

AFTER HAVING BEEN SUBMITTED TO APUBLIC HEARING WASCONSIDERED, ANDUPON MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CAREYDENSTEL, WHICHWAS SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER KIRK ALLAIN.THE

NAYS: 0(NONE)

ABSENT: 1(CROWE)

ABSTAIN:0 (NONE)

WHEREUPON the ordinance was declared adopted on the 14th DayofMay, 2026.

ATTEST:

RESOLUTION 12 OF 2026

Resolution To Authorize The Submission Of An ApplicationFor Financial Assistance For InfrastructureProjectsThrough The U.S. D.O.T Pipeline And Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

WHEREAS West Baton Rouge Parish, desires to identify and secureadditional outsidefunding for multipleinfrastructureprojectstoserve the residents of the Parish;

WHEREAS,West Baton Rouge Parish desires to requestfunding from the federal government for replacements and improvements to itsnatural gas distribution system through the U.S. D.O.T Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA); and

WHEREAS,West Baton Rouge requiredpreliminary engineering and administrative assistance to supportdevelopment of the grant application, including preparation of conceptual project maps,preliminarycostestimates, and other planning level materials necessaryfor submissionofthe application; and

WHEREAS,SHK, INC.and McKim &Creed, INC. have agreed to assist West Baton Rouge withsuch preliminarygrant application supportservices; and WHEREAS,West Baton Rouge acknowledges that any engineering design, bidding, construction administration, or other professional services associated with any awarded funding shall be procured in accordance withall applicable federal, state &local procurement regulations.

NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the West Baton Rouge Parish Councilthe “Governing Authority”), acting as the governing authorityofthe Parish of West Baton Rouge, State of Louisiana, that:

SECTION 1. The Governing Authority hereby authorizes the West Baton Rouge Parish President to submitanapplicationfor grant funding through the D.O.T.PHMSA program; and

SECTION 2. authorizes the West Baton Rouge Parish President to sign all submittal documents

The foregoing resolutionhas been read and considered, upon motion by CouncilMember Brady Hotard, which was seconded by CouncilMember Gary Joseph, and avote being taken, the following result was had:

YEAS: 8(Hotard, Joseph, Allain, Babin, Denstel, Walker,Gordon, Andre) NAYS: 0(None) ABSENT: 1(Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None) As aresult of the votes said resolutionwas adopted by thosemembers present.

CERTIFICATE

I, Michelle Tullier,CouncilClerk of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is true and correct copy of a resolutionadopted by said body at itsRegular MeetingofMay 14, 2026 at which meeting amajorityofthe memberswerepresent and voting.

RESOLUTION 13 OF 2026

Resolution of The West Baton Rouge Parish CouncilDesignating the Official Journal From July 1, 2026 To June 30, 2027

WHEREAS per Louisiana State LawRS43:141 &43:150, each parish shall file with the Secretary of State the name andaddress of its official journal, the effective date andthe period for whichthe selection is effective THEREFORE the West Baton Rouge Parish Council desires to designate the official journalfor the Parish as required.

BE IT RESOLVED,upon consideration of the foregoing laws, the West Baton Rouge Parish Council designates The Advocateasofficial journal from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

AMOTION TO ADOPT the above resolution was made by Council Member Brady Hotard,secondedbyCouncil Member KatherineAndre, andresultedinthe following vote: YEAS: 8(Hotard, Andre, Allain, Babin, Walker,Denstel, Gordon, Joseph)

NAYS: 0(None)

ABSENT:1 (Crowe)

ABSTAIN: 0(None) Passed by amajority vote of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council on the 14thDay of May,2026

CERTIFICATE

I, Michelle Tullier, Council Clerk of the West Baton Rouge Parish Council do hereby certify thatthe above andforegoing is true andcorrectcopy of aresolution adopted by said body at its RegularMeeting of May 14, 2026 at whichmeeting amajority of the members werepresent andvoting.

Chapter 104 Zoning To Incorporate Amended Zoning Designation Map (Zoning Plan) Under Section104-3 Establishment Of Districts,Official Zoning Map For Rezoning RequestOfBSC Industries LLC. Rezoning 2.93ac +/- From AG (Agricultural) and C-1.2 (Community Scale Commercial) to C-1.4 (Industrial Transitional Commercial) NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED by the West Baton RougeParish Council in legal session that Chapter 104 Zoning, Sec. 104-3 Establishment of Districts,Official Zoning Map of theCompiled Ordinances of the Parish of West Baton Rouge, Louisiana is amended and re-enacted to read as follows: Sec.104-3. Establishment of Districts,Official Zoning Map For Rezoning Request of BSC Industries LLC. Regarding 4021

and C-1.2 (Community Scale Commercial) to C-1.4 (Industrial Transitional Commercial) with aSpecial Use for Laydown Staging Yard/Light. BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the West Baton RougeParishCouncil that this Ordinance