The Advocate 06-06-2026

STICKERSHOCK

Confusion,

BY IANNESALVOSA Staff writer

Jerome and Bridgette Johnson have been inspecting cars for more than35 years at JJ’sInspection on the corner of Plank Road and Glen OaksAvenue. But their long-running family business has been slowing to astopafter Gov.Jeff Landry signed off on abill to eliminate state vehicle safety inspections, saying

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

Along-delayed projecttobuild the United States’ firstfloating liquefied natural gasexportterminaloff the Louisiana coast has secured the $5 billion in financing it needs to move forward, company officials recently announced, further cementingthe state’s key role in globalLNG markets. Delfin Midstream aimstobuild the largest floatingLNG facilityinthe world connected to an underseapipeline the Houston-based firmisrepurposing to bring natural gasfromonshore to aplatform about40miles off

the tag is inconvenient with little impact to safety

Thesafety check will be replaced by a QR code that displays thevehicle identification number when scanned, costing $6 every time the vehicle’sregistration is renewed. The Johnsons fear the move will makeroads unsafe and drive up insurance costs due to higher risk.

“It may cost $6 to get the QR code, but it’sgoing to costthe state more in the

thecoast of Cameron Parish. Delfin’sannouncementcomes as Louisiana is emerging as the center of gravityfor theAmericanLNG boom

Thestate is alreadyhometofour operating export terminals, andthe planned floating terminal is the third to receive afinal investment decision so far this year “U.S.LNG production is thebiggest in the worldright now —particularly with our friends in Qatar shut in,”said Eric Smith, associatedirector of the EnergyInstitute at Tulane University “Arguably,Louisiana has more LNG export capabilitythananywhereelse on earth.”

long run,” Jerome Johnson said. Drivers in EastBaton Rouge, Ascension, Iberville,Livingstonand West Baton Rouge parishes will still need to fulfill emissions testingrequirements. The emissions test was conducted as part of thesafety test, and Jerome Johnson said whether emissions testingwill continue to bring in customers is unclear until the

The offshorefacility will initially produce 4.4million tons of LNG annually,enough to power about3million homes for afull year.The company hopestoeventually rampupproduction to 13.2 million tons, about half as much as someofthe state’slargest facilities.

Delfin CEO Dudley Poston described theinvestmentdecision as a“monumental achievement,” secured by a commitment from Global Infrastructure Partners,a subsidiary of private equitygiant Blackrock,which joined other global investors in the deal.

ä See LNG, page 6A

Statejudge

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

When the Louisiana SupremeCourt suspended astate judge last month for 20 days foraccepting a“$100 handshake” from alocal resident,the high court called the misconduct “a single isolated incident that nevertheless seriously tainted the integrity and reputation of the judiciary.”

Judge JohnReeves of the7th Judicial District Court had insisted that his pocketingthe moneywas outofcharacterashetestifiedlastDecember before the Louisiana Judiciary Commission. “I have an unbelievable record, and this is not like me,” he told the body, which recommends discipline for judges.

Yetinearly March, the commission again charged Reeves, aveteran judge in rural Catahoula andConcordia parishes, with afresh set of ethical lapses in four other instances.

Amongthem, Reeves in 2024 allegedly authorizedtwo court staff members to secure commissions as reserve sheriff’s deputies in Catahoula Parish so they could carry concealed weapons in the courthouse fortheir safety Their newbadgeswereswiftly rescinded when adefense lawyer sought to recuse Reeves,alleging an appearance of bias toward law enforcement.

TheJudiciary CommissionalsoaccusesReeves of violating several ethical rules in 2021 when he ordered adeputytopickupa childcaught in a

ä See JUDGE, page 6A

IMAGE PROVIDED By DELFIN MIDSTREAM Arendering shows atanker beside the DelfinFLNG 1, the first of three floating liquefied natural gasexportterminals planned to tap into an existing undersea pipeline and liquefy natural gasabout 40 nauticalmiles offthe coast of Cameron Parish.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Caleb Barrient, licensed inspector and hood technician, fills out paperwork while inspecting avehicle at Express Oil Changes and Tire Engineers on PerkinsRoad. He says the impact of the inspection elimination is up in theair due to thelackof communication from the state

3 Siberian tiger cubs born at Slovenian zoo

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia A zoo in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana

has presented its newest residents: three Siberian tiger cubs who were born there under two weeks ago.

The Siberian tiger is one of the world’s most endangered big cat species, with experts estimating that about 500 remain in the wild. Their survival is threatened primarily by habitat loss and poaching.

Zoo workers said the cubs were born to mother Arisa and father Ussuri, which arrived in Ljubljana in 2004, after careful planning and much hoping

“We were not really expecting, but hoping, working on it because we have a good breeding pair,” zoo curator Spela Strus said. Though the couple were introduced to each other at the right time “we weren’t completely sure,” she added.

“So we were also a bit surprised and of course very happy,” she said.

Breeding wild animal species in enclosed spaces is known to be hard and often does not succeed.

The cubs, born on May 27, are highly vulnerable and need to be isolated from others except their mother, but zoo staff and visitors have been able see them on a screen streaming live video footage.

According to Strus, tiger cubs open their eyes and begin hearing about two weeks after birth. She said the mother is expected to bring them out of the den for the first time when they are one month old.

Astronauts briefly take shelter during repair

NASA on Friday temporarily ordered astronauts to take shelter during repairs to fix a fresh leak aboard the International Space Station.

The five astronauts moved into the SpaceX capsule that is docked at the station while cosmonauts worked to fix the leak, which is on the Russian side of the orbiting laboratory.

The decision was made “out of an abundance of caution,” NASA spokesperson Bethany Stevens said via X.

The crew left the capsule and returned to regular operations after repair work was paused.

That part of the space station has suffered from cracks and leaks over the years. NASA said Roscosmos decided to do a more extensive repair after fresh problems were found.

The space agencies have been working to determine the cause of the cracks.

Trump to headline rally marking nation’s 250th

President Donald Trump said he would headline a rally in Washington on June 24 to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States, a week after several artists pulled out of planned shows on the National Mall.

“We don’t want singers with no talent, but big fees to put you to sleep, we’ve told them all to stay home,” Trump said in a social media post — a nod to the wave of cancellations by artists who said they wouldn’t be performing shortly after they were announced as featured acts.

“All we want is you, me, a few speakers, and the Greatest Music ever played, the same Music you have listened to for years!” he said.

At least five of the nine announced performers pulled out of the previously planned shows on the National Mall, saying the event was more political than they had been led to believe. Freedom 250, which is organizing the events, is a group described by Trump as a public-private nonprofit that also organized an overtly Christian prayer meeting on May 17 that included a video message from the president.

Cancellations for the Freedom 250 shows included country music icon Martina McBride, hiphop artist Young MC, The Commodores, Morris Day and The Time and Bret Michaels. Rapper Vanilla Ice defended the event in a social media video saying it was “not a political platform.” Trump said the musical acts for his own rally would include “God Bless the USA” singer Lee Greenwood and opera tenor Christopher Macchio.

Congo radio station battling misinformation

Fight against Ebola complicated by skeptism, attacks

BY JUSTIN KABUMBA and OPE ADETAYO Associated Press

BUNIA, Congo The rare Bundibugyo type of Ebola that Congo is battling took locals by surprise after weeks of spreading unnoticed. Hundreds of cases were suspected when Congolese authorities announced the outbreak on May 15, but many dismissed the news as a “Western conspiracy.”

At least 63 people have died from 397 confirmed cases, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday Yet the outbreak has been challenged by skepticism, attacks on health workers and misinformation.

Vérité Johnson, a journalist and editorial secretary at the Radio Télévision Mont Bleu station in Bunia, the capital city of the eastern Ituri province where the outbreak is concentrated, decided to produce a new program to combat rumors.

The radio show has emerged as a vital tool to win over some residents who have been unaware or skeptical about the facts of Bundibugyo.

Misinformation is dangerous

The 45-minute program runs daily at 10 a.m., reminding people of the dangers of Ebola and regularly featuring health specialists who provide updates and answer questions. The show’s jingles about the

virus play intermittently throughout the day and residents are able to call in with questions.

“So far, there’s still a layer of resistance within the population, and that’s where the media plays an important role,” Johnson said.

“Misinformation is almost as dangerous as the virus itself and spreads just as fast. Earning and keeping the trust of communities is at the heart of everything we do,” World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday as WHO and the Africa CDC launched an Ebola response plan with partners.

Tedros said the new plan aims to raise $518 million to “stop the outbreak where it is, support countries that are responding today and ensure that neighboring countries are ready to detect and act quickly if cases appear.”

Resistance to protocols during public health emergencies is common in Congo, which is battling its 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified there in 1976. There currently is no approved vaccine or treatment for the Bundibugyo type of Ebola, which has added another layer of fear Widespread rumors, often arising from fear and misinformation, discourage residents from adhering to health warnings or seeking medical help during an outbreak, health officials say

Mistrust leads to delays in care

Many residents remain distrustful of health authorities, with some alleging that officials are profiting from the outbreak.

“I can never take the vaccine, I prefer to die because if the vaccine arrives, it can scare us even more,” said Samson Gerson, a 52-year-old Bunia resident and father of seven children.

Analysts say some people in Congo have been receptive to disinformation due to mistrust of the healthcare system and because some local officials have not become actively involved in containing the disease.

“What is key is to involve the local actors at all levels. If we try to impose what we think is right to the community, we are running towards failure,” said Basile Rambaud, emergency programs director for Mercy Corps in Congo. “If people do not trust the response, they end up delaying to seek care, rejecting protective measures, or avoiding working with health teams, giving the virus more time to spread.”

Ituri province residents have launched at least three attacks against health centers, demanding the bodies of deceased patients.

Some people who are believed to have Ebola left the centers during the attacks and health workers could not account for their whereabouts.

Defense Department slashes religious designations list

Recognized traditions cut from more than 200 choices to 31

BY TIFFANY STANLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Department of Defense announced on Friday a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes.

The new list of 31 is down from more than 200 previously recognized traditions that troops could choose from The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans and Wiccans

“This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. “Rather, it is designed to allow chaplains to quickly look at the religious composition of their units and determine how they structure resources to best provide for warfighters of all faith groups.”

Parnell added the department values the free exercise of religion and chaplains facilitate service members’ “ability to freely exercise their religion of choice, or no religion at all.”

The list creates broad categories of some Christian traditions — Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist without specifying denominations within those traditions, which can span the theological and ideological spectrum. Service members can choose to identify as “no religion,” “other religions” or agnostic. Also included are Buddhism,

Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Unitarian Universalist Association, which was cut from the list, said in a statement, “This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need.”

The denomination said it is working on a strategic response to support UU service members.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has infused his evangelical Christianity with his leadership of the Pentagon, hosting worship services for employees and often speaking of the United States as a Christian nation.

He first announced the impending changes to the faith categories in December, saying the large number of faith codes had become unmanageable.

“Secretary Hegseth is not ‘streamlining’ anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command,” said the Rev Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive Interfaith Alliance. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths, and it certainly does not allow the Pentagon to decide which beliefs are worthy of recognition.”

The military is religiously diverse, and nearly 70% of troops identify as Christian, according to a 2019 congressional report. Almost a quarter of troops were listed as other, unclassified or unknown.

“As a member of a minority religion, I think it’s really important that we be counted,” said Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine Corps veteran. “It erases us, and so many of us have served so proudly, so well, and so honorably.”

Trump wants Pulte to cut office

President says national intelligence should be scaled back

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he wants his new acting director of national intelligence, Bill Pulte, to cut the office, which has already been significantly scaled back during his second term.

Trump noted that the size of the office has been “way too high for way too long” and that “if he cut, I wouldn’t mind that.”

“He’ll do a very good job,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he traveled to Wisconsin for an event on agriculture. “He’ll watch it closely, but Bill Pulte is very good, he’s very talented.”

The Republican president said in an earlier interview with The Wall Street Journal that he has asked Pulte to start the process of firing employees. In the interview, Trump said he has already conveyed his view to Pulte, who has served as head of the Federal Housing Finance Agency but has no apparent national security expertise. “I’d like to see it smaller. I think there are a lot of people in there that shouldn’t be there,” Trump said, which the Journal said was in reference to intelligence community officials who had served in the Democratic administrations of Presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama. Trump told the Journal that he wants Pulte to “start the process” of firing personnel and that the eventual permanent director of national intelligence should continue it. The president has indicated that he would not formally nominate Pulte for the position. “Frankly, it might be good for him to shake it up before people come,” Trump said “Because, if he (Pulte) reduced the size, in conjunction with me and in conjunction with possibly the person coming in he can do a lot of the hard work and we wouldn’t have to saddle somebody that goes in.”

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Verité Johnson works at a community radio station on Thursday, providing daily awareness and updates on Ebola in Bunia, Congo.

Senate OKs$70Bimmigration bill

Effortstoban

Trump’ssettlement fund were rejected

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK and JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate passedlegislation to fund President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement agencies early Friday,after weeks of delays and fierce backlash to an unrelated $1.776 billion settlement fund that threatened to derail the bill.

Senators voted 52-47 to pass the $70 billion legislation to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol for the next three years, through the end of Trump’sterm, after Democrats blocked the money for months. The bill will now head to the House, which is expectedto take it up next week. The final vote came just before 5a.m., after Republicans narrowly defeated multiple attempts by members of both parties to add language to the bill that would permanentlyban Trump’ssettlement fund for allies who believe they’ve been politically persecuted. Republicanscleared the last major hurdle overnight when they defeated an amendment proposed by one of their own members, Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, that would have redirected payments from the settlement to members of lawenforcement who were injured when amob of Trump supporters seeking to overturn his 2020 presidential election loss attacked the Capitol onJan. 6, 2021. The amendments were atest of party unity that complicated what should have been an easy vote for Republicans who wanted to keep the focus on immigration enforcement in an election year.Instead, they spent almosta full day haggling among themselves over whether to blockthe

around the fund,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune,R-S D ,said shortly before midnight. Thune himself has criticized the fund, which was part of asettlement that resolves Trump’s lawsuit against theIRS over the leakofhis taxreturnsand hasangered manyofhis GOP colleagues. But he has been pushing GOP senators for weeks to keep the bill focused on the funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcementand Border Patrol and to avoid adding new provisions thatcould complicateits passage in the House. Still, agroup of Republican senators pushed all day andintothe night to block thefund’spayouts through legislation. That effort came after Trump, who has been at odds with the Senate in recent weeks, raised new doubts aboutthe fund’s future on Wednesday when he toldreporters that itis “very important” and said “I don’tknow” whetheritis deadoronhold.

The final 52-47 vote on the billwas nearly partyline, with Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaskathe only Republican to oppose it. Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet of Colorado missedthe vote Senators push back on ban

The first vote on Thursday morning, aDemocratic effort to ban thesettlement fund, was held open for sev

Dan Sullivan of Alaska, both of whom are up for reelection this year —voted for it.

The Senate thenrejected asecond amendment from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolinathatwould also have banned thesettlement fundbut wouldhave moved themoney to aseparate anti-fraud fund at the DepartmentofJustice. Most Democrats voted against the amendment, guaranteeing its defeat, but more than10 Republicans supported it.

Tillis said the fund is apolitical liability for the party.

“If Blanche says this is largely inoperative, why not usethismomenttocodify that?” Tillis said.“Otherwise, you’reexposing every one of our members who are in cycletohavingtodeal withthis between today and Election Day,and thatmakes no sense for something that theDOJ says they’renot moving forward with.”

Cassidy’samendment to compensate the injured police officerswas apointed rebuke,aspayouts from Trump’sfund could have potentially gone to Trump supporters whobeat policeand attacked theCapitol on Jan 6. Cassidy lost reelection lastmonth after Trump endorsed aprimaryopponent He saidthat,despite Blanche’scomments, the fund is still part of an active settlement and “absolutely can be used.”

The Senate rejected sev

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., pauses for questions from reporters before votes on the immigration enforcement funding package at the Capitol in Washington on Thursday.

said Republicans arenow “leaving taxpayers to rely on nothing morethan apromise from Donald Trump’s personal fixer.That is not accountability.That is apermission slip.”

Moneydelayed formonths

Enactmentofthe bill to fund ICE andthe Border Patrol would end theblockadebyDemocrats who demanded policy changes after the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal agents in January

Senate Republicansused acomplicated procedural maneuver to getaround thefilibuster andpass the budgetlegislation with no Democratic votes. Butit took weekstoget the bill to theSenate floor as Republicans navigated various obstacles topassage created by Trump andthe White House —including a$1 billion proposal for White House security and Trump’s ballroom that they eventually scrapped and thefierce bipartisanbacklash to the settlementfund.

Democrats say any funding bill for the Department of Homeland Security should place restraints on federal immigration authorities, including better identification for federal officers andmoreuse of judicial warrants,among other asks.

Judgestrikes down immigrationpolicy

Administration’s strategy affected 39 countries

BY MICHAEL CASEY Associated Press

BOSTON Afederal judge on Friday struck down a Trump administration policy enacted afterthe shooting of two National Guard members that madeitharder forimmigrants from dozens of countriestostayand enterthe U.S.

In aruling harshly criticizing the administration, U.S. District Chief Judge John McConnell Jr.said the policy “threw the lives of countless immigrants living in the United States into indeterminate legal limbo,” and he accused the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services of ignoring the law

“In enacting its latest immigrationpolicies, USCIS: claims statutoryand regulatory authority that it does not possess; makes decisions without the reasonedexplanations that it must provide; actswithout regard forthe reliance interests of applicants that it must consider; and justifies its actions with pretextual concernsof‘national security’ that mask anti-immigrant sentiments that it is forbidden from letting influenceits decision-making,” he wrote. “Inlegal terms that meansUSCIS’sactions are contrary to lawand arbitrary andcapricious.”

Aspokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to arequest for comment.

Thepoliciesenacted after the National Guard shooting last year meant that immigrantsfrom 39 African, Asian, Latin American, and Middle Easterncountries have been “categorically barred” from receiving final decisions on, among other things, theirasylum, work

permit, green card, and citizenship applications.

“This ruling reaffirmsa basic principle: the federal governmentcannot shut down lawful immigration pathways or discriminate against people based on where they comefrom,” said Skye Perryman, president and CEO of Democracy Forward, whichrepresented the plaintiffs in the case. “These unlawful policies caused enormous harm to families, workers, asylumseekers, and communities across the country who were left in limbo,unabletowork, access protections, or move forward with their lives.”

Thepolicies applytoU.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services or USCIS, which approves applications forimmigrants to work andbecome citizens. The agency,whichis within the Homeland Security Department, often grants asylum,but only for those alreadyinthe UnitedStates when they apply.Immigration judges grantasylum to those stoppedatthe border; theruling does notaffect them,nor do thepoliciesthat sparked the lawsuit

The broad ruling would impact all pending cases at USCIS involvingpeople fromthe travelban countries, not just those included in the lawsuit,ShevDalalDheini, senior director of government relations at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

“It is an important legal victory to ensure that legal immigration pathways remain open and that USCIS is held accountable to doing their congressionally mandatedjob of adjudicating applications,” she said. It is part of an ongoing effort by the administration to tighten U.S. entry standards for travel and immigration, which criticssay unfairly prevent travel for people from abroad range of countries.

Lebanonlashesout at Iran

Leaderssay their countryshouldnot be used as ‘bargainingchip’

BY FADI TAWIL and HUSSEIN MALLA Associated Press

DIBBINE,Lebanon Lebanon’s president and prime minister criticized Iran on Friday for opposing the latest ceasefire deal between the Lebanese government and Israel, saying their country should not be used by Tehran as a“bargaining chip” in its talks with Washington.

The comments came as the Israeli military struck multiple parts of southern Lebanon and issued evacuation warnings for nine villages, including one that has sheltered thousands of people displaced by the three-month war betweenIsrael and the Iranianbacked militant group Hezbollah. The strikes killed nine people in six locations in southernLebanon, the state news agency reported.

Iran’sparamilitary Revolutionary Guard issued astatement Thursday vowing that “there will be no calm in the region” if Israel doesn’twithdraw its troops from Lebanon. In an interview with CNN, Lebanese President Joseph Aoun responded: “It’s not your job to interfere into our country.Ireject the statement totally because our people (are) being killed, our houses being destroyed.”

In separate remarks,Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called on the Lebanese people to put their country’sinterest first, saying that Lebanon “should not remain abattlefieldfor others.”

Both he and Aoun complained that Iran was treating their nation as “a bargaining chip” in talks with Washington about ending the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic. Iran has demanded that any lasting truce should extend to Lebanon.

Some return to ruined villages

Even as new evacuationwarnings forced hundreds of Lebanese families to flee from some areas, people elsewherebegan returning to their homes to survey the aftermathoffightingbetween Israeli forces and Hezbollah. Themilitant grouphas rejectedthe ceasefire deal and demands acomplete Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

An Associated Press team trav-

dayafter Israeli forces withdrewfollowing clashes with Hezbollah fighters.

eling in southernLebanon Friday saw multiple villages in ruins, including Dibbine, near Marjayoun town, from which Israeli troops withdrew aday earlier. It was the first time Israeli troops exited an area in southern Lebanon since the latest Israel-Hezbollahwar began in early March.

U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanese troopswere at an entrance to Dibbine, clearing rubble and opening roads. The Lebanese army set up barbed wire at oneofthe entrances,preventing some residents from returning At least onefamily arrived to searchthe rubble of its home along the road leading to thevillage, while the ownerofa petrol station in Dibbine looked at his destroyedproperty andcalled village residentsto report on thedestruction he saw from behind the barbedwire.

Shrapnel andpiecesofmissiles were seen in thewreckage of homes lining the road into Dibbine.Israeli troops entered the village weeks ago forthe first time and were engaged inheavy clashes with Hezbollah fighters in the area. The troopsreturned this week, before withdrawingThursday Theroad toDibbine was dotted withvillagesentirely emptied of residents anddestroyed by Israeli strikes, including Khiam. But no Israeli troops were visible from the road.

Nearby Christianvillageswere largely untouched, and manyof theirresidents decided to stay.The strategic Beaufort castle, recently captured byIsrael, appeared in thedistance, with aflag of the Is-

raeliGolani Brigade.Smoke from strikes around thenearbyNabatiyeh citybillowed above.

Newevacuationwarnings

The Israeli militaryissuedanew setofevacuation warnings on Friday,promptingpeople to leave the village of Anqoun and the area of Aarnaya,onthe edge of the predominantly Christiancommunity of Maghdoucheh, near thesouthern port city of Sidon.

Nearly threehours after the warning, Israeliwarplanes struck Lebanesevillages, including Anqoun. About 2,500 people displaced by the fighting were sheltering in Anqoun, the Lebanese news agency NNA reported.

Israelhad warnedLebanese residentsagainst returning to villages in thesouth, saying thearea is still acombat zone.

The U.S.brokered the ceasefire agreement Wednesday in Washington. Thedeal sought to pullLebanon away from Iran with astatement that anyagreementtocease hostilitiesmust be reacheddirectly through Lebanon and Israel “and not through any separate track.”

LebaneseParliament Speaker Nabih Berri, aHezbollahally who hasbeen actingasa mediator on behalf of the group, echoed the militants’ demands for abroadIsraeli withdrawal. In his first comments since theagreement was announced, Berri said theceasefire should be “complete and comprehensive,” without any exceptions for land, sea or air,and “without bulldozing and demolishing everything thatexists.”

Senate blocks extendingkey surveillance programusedbyintelligenceagencies

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate blockedanextensionearly Friday of akey surveillance program used by U.S. intelligence agenciesasconcerns mounted overPresident Donald Trump’sselection of federal housing finance regulator Bill Pulte to serve as director of national intelligence.

Some Republicans joined Democrats in the 47-52 vote against aprocedural motion that would have set up afinal vote on the extension next week,complicatingefforts to extend the critical program before it expireson June 12. The vote came after an overnight sessionon separate legislation funding immigration enforcement agencies.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said following thevote that the Senate “will takeanother run at it” next week butthat Democrats’ opposition is a“terribly irresponsible position.”

“The naming of Pulteto that position,although the timing arguablywasn’tthe best,Istill don’tthink it oughttoderail something that’sthis important,” Thune said.

The vote marked the latest setback for Trump and intelligence officials, who have spent months pushing to extenda key provision of theForeignIntelligence Surveillance Act that allows agencies such as theCIA, National Security Agency and FBI to collect communicationsfrom foreigntargets withoutawarrant. Concernsthatthe program

can incidentally sweep up Americans’ communications left Republican leaders only able to passshort-term extensions while negotiations continued. Critics wanted a warrantrequirement when thosecommunications are accessed.

SevenRepublicansenatorsjoined nearly all Democrats in voting against the bill, with Sen. John Fetterman voting for it Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democratonthe Senate Intelligence Committeewho had worked to negotiate the bill, voted against it. He said earlier Thursdaythat he and committee Chair Sen. Tom Cotton hadreached what he describedasa “compromise” on a“strong bill,” but that the “completeirresponsibility of puttingforward” Pultehad changed the equation.

Military says it shot down Iraniandrones

Weaponswere launched toward Strait of Hormuz

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE Associated Press

CHIPPEWAFALLS,Wis.—

TheU.S military said it shotdown four Iranian drones that were launched toward the Strait of Hormuz on Fridayand then struck some of theIslamic Republic’scoastal surveillance radar sites in response, raising the risk to ashaky ceasefire as the Trump administrationrampsup pressure on Iran.

“The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional maritime traffic,” U.S. Central Command said on social media. The military is enforcing a blockadeonIranianports in response to Tehran’schokehold on the crucial corridor for globaloil andnaturalgas shipments, which hassent energy prices spiking and posed political problems for President Donald Trump’sRepublican Party ahead of themidtermcongressional elections.

U.S. Central Commandsaid it hit the radar sites, including an island in the strait, “to defend against further attacks.”

It was the latest in back-andforth attacks that have strained the tenuous ceasefire in the war and efforts to reach adeal to extend that truce. Earlier this week,Iranian drones heavily damaged apassenger terminal at Kuwait’smain airport, killing one person,wounding dozens andbriefly closing the airfield.

Despitethe attacksraising newconcerns that the ceasefire could collapse,Trump told reporters Friday that “the situation with Iran seems to be going quite well.”

“We’re going to come out of Iran very quickly and it’sgoing to be very strong one way

or theother,whether it’s a piece of paper or the very tough way,”Trump said at an event with farmers in Wisconsin. “The very tough wayismaybe the easier way,but we’re going to come out, and your fertilizer prices aregoing to go way down, just like they were four months ago.”

Trumpincreasingly appears to be boxed in on aconflict that has settled into aholdingpattern U.S. and Iranian negotiators reached atentative agreement aweek ago to extend the ceasefire by 60 days andstartanew round of talks on Iran’snuclear program.But Trumphas called for unspecified changes and Iranian officials have shown no public signs of signing off on the deal.

Asked on Friday whyitwas taking so long, Trump told NBC’s“Meet the Press” it was because “it’savery hard thing forthem,” citing their “great independence” and the fact that “they’re strong, they’re proud.”

“There arethings they never thought they’d be doing that they’re going to have to do. They’ve got no choice, and it takes alittle while,” he said in the interview Trumpsaid theIranians still have 21%to22% of their missiles.

His administration also has touted the latest ceasefire agreed to this week by the Lebanesegovernment andIsrael after U.S.-brokered talks in Washington. However,the Iranian-backed Hezbollahmilitant group has rejected the agreementand new attacks have put it at further risk.

Besides the drone interception in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military said earlier Fridaythatits forces boarded asanctioned oil tanker linked to Iran in the Indian Ocean as the United States seeks to prevent Iran from profiting off its oil and other goods.

The U.S. also targeted Iran’s energy sector with new sanctions on agroup of people, firms and tankers.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By HUSSEIN MALLA

Lebanese soldiersdeployata road in front of destroyed houses in Dibbine villageinsoutheast LebanononFriday,a

President’s troop reversals in Europe could cost millions

Soldiers have been left in limbo

BY EMMA BURROWS, BEN FINLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The U.S. military is waiting for clarity from the Pentagon following President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on troop levels in Europe, upending the lives of military personnel and potentially costing taxpayers millions of dollars, two U.S. defense officials told The Associated Press.

NATO allies were bewildered in May when Trump said he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number pulled from Europe, following a spat with Germany’s Chancellor Friedrich Merz over the Iran war The Trump administration says troop reductions in Europe have long been planned and coordinated with allies.

The Republican president announced on social media two weeks ago that he was sending troops to Poland — the same day the Pentagon had officially ordered the cancellation of a rotation of soldiers heading there, one of the defense officials said.

The unit’s equipment was already on the way Sending it cost the military $32 million, said U.S. Transportation Command, the military agency largely responsible for moving troops and gear across the globe.

The abrupt changes are forcing the military to “retroactively engineer” a policy in line with the president’s latest pronouncement, the official said. Both officials were briefed on the decisions and, along with others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

The uncertainty is not only rattling European allies worried about the message being sent to Russia, but it also risks hurting morale among American troops some of whom had their rotations canceled shortly before departure — and comes as the Army budget

U.S. Army armored vehicles participate in a military exercise. President Donald Trump’s back-and-forth on troop levels in Europe has left military personnel waiting for confirmation on deployment.

is already strained

Changes add up

The rotational deployment to Poland of 4,000 troops from the Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas, was canceled in a memo sent to the military at the beginning of May European allies found out mid-month

Some of those troops were told shortly before traveling not to get on a flight to Poland, while those who had been sent ahead — initially around 1,000 troops are still waiting for confirmation they are being sent back, a U.S. military official said

The military also is still waiting for details from the Pentagon on how to satisfy Trump’s order to send 5,000 troops to Poland, that official said The working assumption is that they will come from units already in Europe, rather than an additional deployment from the U.S., the official said.

U.S. Transportation Command had chartered a ship to take the team’s equipment from Texas to Poland and transport a departing unit’s gear back to America. The incoming team’s portion of the cost was $32 million, including chartering the ship and loading and unloading the gear

Because the ship was chartered to take one unit to Europe and bring another back, it is hard to say if that amount would have been saved had the decision to halt the deployment been made before the new team had already begun moving overseas.

However, the military official said the unscheduled move of personnel and equipment back from Europe is most likely not a cost the Pentagon budgeted for and would be an additional expense.

Total costs of canceling the rotation are hard to quantify because of many factors, said Joe Costa, a former senior Pentagon official who now focuses on challenges faced by the U.S. military as director of the Atlantic Council’s Forward Defense program.

They most likely stem from returning equipment and troops sent ahead of the deployment and would probably be on the low end of the rotation’s overall cost, Costa said. The greater impact is on the readiness of troops who were trained for one mission and may be deployed on another he said.

U.S. military contracts with private companies to transport troops and equipment contain cancellation clauses that often add extra fees if a deployment is called off, said John Deni, a senior nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council who has studied such costs.

Argentina expands hantavirus probe,

BY ISABEL DEBRE Associated Press

BUENOS AIRES Argentina Argentina on Friday said it was expanding its investigation into the origins of the hantavirus outbreak that struck an Atlantic cruise ship last month, sending scientists to trap and test rats in the western province of Mendoza while lab results are pending from the southernmost city of Ushuaia. Argentine authorities said biologists from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were joining the mission next week in Mendoza

The rare outbreak on the MV Hondius was caused by the Andes hantavirus, a disease carried by rodents endemic to Argentina and Chile and the only hantavirus thought to be able to

spread between people in some cases.

Reconstructing the chain of transmission is difficult work, and Argentine authorities say it may never be possible to pinpoint exactly where the first known victims — a Dutch couple who died in April contracted the virus before boarding the cruise in Ushuaia. But experts say getting to the bottom of the outbreak will offer valuable information about how the rare virus spread and carry important lessons for management of the disease.

As repatriated cruise passengers from more than 20 countries have disembarked and entered specialized quarantine centers, epidemiologists are examining the 11 confirmed hantavirus cases, including the schedules of the three people killed, to better understand

the chain of transmission. Argentine scientists are working to retrace the path of the Dutch tourists, believing that the original source of the onboard virus to be the man’s exposure to rodent droppings or urine during their monthslong trip across Argentina and Chile before the ship’s departure.

Shortly after news of the outbreak emerged, Argentina’s Health Ministry identified Ushuaia as a possible source of the contagion and last month sent investigators from the Malbran government research institute to collect rodent samples in various wooded areas around the city

Local authorities in the tourism-dependent city of Ushuaia, famed for its location at “the end of the world,” have angrily disputed that the virus originated there.

Trump calls for military to accelerate use of AI

BY BEN FINLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump issued a memo Friday that calls for the U.S. military and national security agencies to accelerate their use of artificial intelligence, while acknowledging the need to protect civil liberties and maintain oversight over autonomous weapon systems.

The memo comes at a time of growing anxiety over AI in American society, from replacing people’s jobs to helping to identify targets on the battlefield The Trump administration has been pushing to unleash the power of AI for the U.S. military, while some military leaders and companies that contract with the Pentagon have been noting caution and calling for guardrails.

Trump’s memo addressed much of his Cabinet, including the secretaries of defense and homeland security as well as the attorney general and director of national intelligence.

Trump is requiring an updated directive on autonomous weapon systems to account for AI’s rapidly evolving capabilities. It directs the Department of Defense “to ensure the deliberate adoption of AI systems that respect the chain of command and operational authorities.”

The current directive, issued in 2023 under the Biden administration, states that such weapons systems will be designed “to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force,” according to the Congressional Research Service.

Trump’s memo also restricts the use of AI to “censor free speech, embed ideological bias, or conduct unlawful surveillance against the American people.”

“The use of AI by the national security enterprise must always be consistent with United States civil liberties and protections afforded by the Constitution and laws and regulations safeguarding the privacy of American citizens,” the memo states.

The Defense Department has already been accelerating its use of AI in recent years. The tech-

nology can help reduce the time it takes to identify and strike a target, while aiding in the mundane tasks of organizing equipment maintenance, supply lines and other logistics.

But concerns about protecting civil liberties and human oversight of autonomous weapon systems have drawn increasing attention. They’re at the center of a dispute that erupted this year as the Pentagon seeks to leverage the power of American tech companies to boost the military’s AI capabilities.

The company Anthropic said it wanted assurances in its contract that the military would not use its technology in fully autonomous weapons and the surveillance of Americans. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the company must allow for any uses the Pentagon deemed lawful.

Anthropic sued after Trump tried to stop all federal agencies from using the company’s chatbot Claude and Hegseth sought to label the company a supply chain risk, a designation meant to protect against sabotage of national security systems by foreign adversaries. Concerns about military use of AI arose during Israel’s war against militants in Gaza and Lebanon, with U.S. tech giants quietly empowering Israel to track targets. But the number of civilians killed also soared, fueling fears that these tools contributed to the deaths of innocent people.

U.S. military leaders who attended an annual special forces conference in Tampa, Florida, spoke about the benefits of AI as well as the need for human safeguards.

Adm. Frank Bradley, head of U.S Special Operations Command, told attendees that troops “have to be very careful about how we come to (AI’s) employment and its inspiration into the delivery of lethality.”

Bradley said he can see a future where AI determines what targets to hit but that “we, as humans, have to have the confidence that it’s going to deliver violence only where we intend it to be delivered.”

state separates the two. Safety isn’t the only risk. While some automotive service businesses also offer state inspections as a courtesy to customers, some small businesses like JJ’s offer inspections as their main service. On Friday morning, when the family would typically be inspecting cars, no customers were present, they said. “This is our livelihood,” Bridgette Johnson said.

The state will stop enforcing inspection stickers at the end of the month, and VIN QR codes will roll out Jan. 1. If drivers have their vehicle inspected prior to the QR code rollout, they do not need the QR code until they need to renew their registration. Only about 15 states still require annual safety checks for passenger vehicles, but the necessity of the inspections has been debated in some of those states.

The Johnsons, who are supporting two daughters in college, said they may be put out of business due to the recent change in the law Jerome Johnson, 64, worries that he won’t be able to make an income when drivers stop getting their vehicles inspected

“Who’s going to hire an old person like me?” he said.

Widespread confusion

oversight, he said. An auditor reviews the shop’s inspection data every couple of months, but the data entry receives little scru-

tiny

“It’s kind of more of a headache than it is good,” Barrient said.

High Tech Car Care on O’Neal Lane offers state inspections as a courtesy to customers and focuses on routine maintenance and repairs, business manager Keith McAllister said.

He disagrees with the end of state inspections and thinks the move will lead to more drivers on the road with unsafe brakes and lights.

“It is a mistake,” he said. Lack of communication

McAllister said he has received “zero communication” from the state on when to stop providing the safety portion of the inspection.

But some auto shops have already ceased the service. Benny’s Car Wash & Oil Change stopped providing inspections as of the beginning of June.

The bill axing the inspection stickers reached the governor’s desk earlier this week, but since its signing, local businesses have received little direction on how to proceed.

LNG

Continued from page 1A

The Delfin floating terminal project has been in the works for more than a decade and will involve pumping natural gas from onshore to a massive vessel with a ship-like hull and an LNG processing plant on top. Initially, the project will consist of one vessel The company hopes to eventually have five Delfin began working on the project in 2014, after purchasing an undersea natural gas pipeline, and received export authorization in 2017. But the project stalled in 2024, as the Biden administration paused new LNG approvals and required it reapply for a port license. President Donald Trump reversed those decisions after returning to office. His administration immediately issued an executive order to accelerate fossil fuel permitting, issuing Delfin a port license in March 2025 and rolling back environmental protections for the endangered Rice’s Whale in the Gulf. As envisioned, the floating ter-

JUDGE

Continued from page 1A

heated custody dispute and deliver the boy to his terminally ill grandfather who attended high school and played football with Reeves. Reeves only told the lawyers afterward. The boy’s mother complained, and Reeves soon recused himself from that case, according to records.

“As I understand it, you ordered 4 hours of visitation on your own motion?” the mother’s attorney, Clinton Andrew Magoun, messaged the judge later “Yes,” Reeves responded, ac-

Caleb Barrient, a hood technician and licensed inspector at Express Oil Change & Tire Engineers on Perkins Road, said the impact of the inspection elimination is “very up in the air” due to the lack of communication from the state.

minal will use a 42-inch pipeline that was built to carry natural gas from offshore wells to the shore and has not been used since 2012 and run it in reverse to push gas drilled inland from the coast out to a massive vessel. The natural gas will then be supercooled into a liquid form and loaded onto tankers bound for markets in Europe and Asia.

Unlike onshore liquefaction terminals, which require hundreds of acres of coastal land, regular dredging of channels and specialized pilots to navigate, Delfin’s vessel would be built at a Samsung Heavy Industries shipyard in South Korea. The company has argued in investor materials that it’s faster and cheaper to produce, while also mobile enough to get away from an incoming hurricane.

Tyler Gray, the director of energy innovation at the LSU Energy Institute and a former oil industry lobbyist, said the facility will need to do more than just reduce costs to be viable. It will also need to be dependable for buyers.

“I would not assume this model works everywhere. It works only where the system already exists,”

cording to the commission.

Another charge alleges Reeves issued an illegal verbal order over the phone in 2024 for a law enforcement search of a home. In a fourth, he’s accused of signing arrest and search warrants for a “longtime personal friend” and his property before stepping off the case.

Through an assistant, Reeves declined to comment on the allegations, saying judicial canons prohibit it.

The Judiciary Commission can recommend discipline of a judge or justice of the peace to the Louisiana Supreme Court. It has set an August hearing over the latest allegations against Reeves. Formal misconduct charges

He has noticed other businesses ending their inspection services, but he will continue to conduct inspections until there is official communication.

Many people have reached out to Barrient as an inspector to see what is next for the stickers, but he doesn’t have an answer, he said.

“Where are y’all getting this information?” he said of other busi-

Gray said. “You need pipeline access, offshore experience, available gas supply, federal permitting, customers willing to sign long-term contracts and enough redundancy to deliver cargoes reliably.”

Louisiana’s 50,000 miles of pipeline infrastructure and connections to interstate markets give it unique advantages. But the project will still need to solve the challenges of getting gas out to sea, keeping the pipeline intact, effectively liquefying it offshore, reliably loading it onto tankers and weathering hurricanes, Gray said.

While there are currently only eight operational floating LNG projects, there were another nine already under construction before the Delfin project finalized its financing. Delfin’s first vessel has already secured long-term agreements to sell LNG to companies including Vitol, Expand Energy, Centrica and Gunvor Company representatives said it has secured all the permits it needs and is scheduled to begin production in 2030, with hopes to secure financing for the second and third vessels over the next year

against judges don’t become public until after they are filed and a period of time has elapsed to allow the judge to respond. Reeves did not file a response to the latest charges, the court said.

When the Supreme Court considered the previous misconduct case against Reeves and then issued its 20-day suspension without a hearing on May 1, the justices were not likely aware of the other allegations lodged against him, said attorney Steve Scheckman, former special counsel to the commission.

In any case, the court couldn’t have taken them into account.

“It would be unfair of them to know These are unproven allegations,” Scheckman said. “If you

nesses ending inspections. Though the confusion is frustrating, Barrient said he supports eliminating the inspection requirement, since many drivers find ways to bypass it through other avenues like fake stickers, and Express Oil Change doesn’t rely on the commission from inspections.

The inspections also have low

But the project still faces legal and safety hurdles before Delfin can begin offshore gas liquefaction.

The Sierra Club, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Habitat Recovery Project have filed a lawsuit challenging the project’s license, arguing the government reversed its own denial without conducting any environmental review and without evaluating how the project had changed since it was initially approved.

“My hope is that the court will see that the Maritime Administration’s licensing of Delfin after previously denying it was egregious and without merit, given the project’s potential significant impacts and the substantial changes to it that have gone unevaluated in the 10 years since it was initially proposed,” said Devorah Ancel, senior attorney for the Sierra Club.

The environmental groups also argue that the Rice’s Whale, a critically endangered species discovered in the Gulf after the project’s initial authorization, was not taken into account. A three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral arguments on the case

turned all that over prematurely, that would be highly prejudicial to the respondent judge.”

The discipline the Supreme Court handed Reeves was less than the 30-day unpaid suspension the commission had recommended in that case. He was also ordered to pay $3,100 in commission costs. Reeves admitted accepting a folded C-note from a resident he had agreed to meet at the Concordia Parish courthouse in June 2023 to sign a petition to probate a will.

He at first turned down the money, but the man insisted “lunch is on me” and the judge took it, he admitted Another judge’s assistant reported the foul. Reeves told the

Chief Operating Officer Jason Lyon said the chain, which provided inspections at its Perkins Road and Coursey Boulevard locations, decided to stop offering the service when the bill passed, though the company is still confused on who to report to and how much to charge for the remaining emissions testing requirements since the state has not provided directions.

“The manner could have been more methodical,” Lyon said.

on Monday Matt Guy, a maritime attorney at Adams and Reese, said the nonprofits face an uphill battle, especially with recent U.S Supreme Court decisions that have narrowed the scope of environmental reviews.

“Generally, those are quite difficult to prevail,” Guy said. “From a legal perspective, it looks like it’ll move forward.”

There are also safety concerns.

In February a portion of Delfin’s pipeline network in Cameron Parish exploded during recommissioning work, injuring one worker and releasing about 56 million cubic feet of natural gas. The explosion blew a crater near Johnson Bayou and burned for hours. Days later, federal pipeline regulators issued a corrective action order, which included a series of steps Delfin had to complete before they would be allowed to restart the pipeline. Company representatives did not respond to questions Friday about its current status.

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah. meadows@theadvocate.com.

commission he knew it was wrong and told the giver he would donate it to church but never increased his usual tithe.

Reeves “agreed that he created the perception ‘that a little bit of grease on the wheels will make them turn smoother,’ which corrodes the image of the judiciary,” the commission wrote.

Chief Justice John Weimer wrote last month that he favored a less severe formal punishment for Reeves, in addition to “copious professional and personal embarrassment” over the $100 handshake.

“The record supports, and I believe this to be, an isolated and unfortunate, one-time incident,” he wrote.

STAFF PHOTO By IANNE SALVOSA

The owners of JJ’s Inspection on the corner of Plank Road and Glen Oaks Avenue say business has been slowing to a stop after Gov. Jeff Landry signed off on a bill to eliminate state vehicle safety inspections.

Nursing home staff: ‘Chained’ patient was among fire victims

Thirteen died in fire in Sri Lanka

BY KRISHAN FRANCIS Associated Press

GALPATHA, Sri Lanka

One of the residents killed in a fire at an unregistered nursing home in western Sri Lanka had been chained, while another was untied and saved, a staff member said Friday

Nursing home worker

Danuja Chathuranga’s comments came as public outrage grew over the treatment allegedly meted out to residents at the home in Galpatha, where 13 people are now known to have died in the blaze that started late Wednesday

“There were two who were chained,” said Chathuranga.

“You only have to take your eyes away for one moment, they run away One of them had gone one day with the chair he was tied (to) and was found entangled in a barbed wire fence. Another

with sores on (their) legs was brought back from a muddy field.”

“Our intention was not to harm them. They were patients receiving psychiatric treatment. If they run away or fall into a pit, well or get run over by a vehicle, we have to take that responsibility,” he said.

Building a burned-out shell

The nursing home for people with mental health condi-

tions was abandoned Friday Glasses cases, medicines and reclining chairs lay strewn around the burnedout shell in the small town about 34 miles southeast of the capital, Colombo.

The fire-ravaged nursing home and two other nursing facilities run by the same management are unregistered but government officials and institutions have worked with them.

Amala Rajapaksa, the

BY RYAN J FOLEY Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa Immigra-

tion and Customs Enforcement will no longer report deaths of detainees who have recently been released from its custody, in a change that could obscure the full human cost of the Trump administration’s mass detention policies.

The move rescinds a 2021 policy implemented by the Biden administration that required ICE to report to Congress and investigate deaths of detainees that occur within 30 days of their release. The goal of the 2021 policy

was to ensure that ICE could not avoid accountability for deaths by releasing severely ill people from custody Detainees who were brain-dead or suffering from infection, for instance, have died shortly after ICE released them in the past.

Two health experts who have investigated ICE custody deaths criticized the change Friday “Tracking deaths immediately after custody is a standard approach that allows health systems in jails, prisons and immigration detention to learn about gaps in care that may occur before a person leaves a facility,” said Dr Homer Venters, former chief medical officer of the New York City jail system. “Eliminating reporting of these deaths represents

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a willful act of ignoring the most serious health outcome that can reflect inadequacies in care or help track outbreaks.”

ICE detainees also routinely die at hospitals where they are taken for treatment after their conditions deteriorate inside detention facilities, records show Those detainees, however, have generally been considered to remain in ICE custody

The Washington Post first reported the policy change Thursday The Department of Homeland Security which oversees ICE, later confirmed the move in a statement that framed it as “common sense.”

“Under this updated policy, when an individual is no longer in ICE custody then ICE will no longer be re-

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Villagers walk on Friday through the debris of a nursing home which caught fire in Anguruwatota, Sri Lanka, on Wednesday. Thirteen died in the blaze.

ERANGA JAyAWARDENA

homes’ chief administrator, said residents include referrals from the state’s main mental hospital, courts and police. Government doctors visit the residents to treat them.

Authorities transferred 21 fire survivors to another nearby home run by the same management.

The area’s government welfare officer declined to comment on the arrangements, citing restrictions on

state employees to speak to the media.

Rajapaksa said she has managed the homes for 22 years and that her late husband first started a home in memory of his late father A few years ago, her stepson Isuru Anushka Perera, who is now in detention for negligence, became the director and popularized the homes through social media.

50 saved

Local television showed images of firefighters, police and residents trying to contain the raging fire. Police and soldiers put those rescued on buses to be taken to a safe location.

According to police, 71 people were staying at the home at the time of the fire, of which 50 were rescued by neighbors, firefighters and police. Seven remained hospitalized Friday

sponsible for monitoring or reviewing deaths that may occur,” the statement said.

The statement said ICE remained committed to transparency and that the revised policy includes procedures for “timely notification, review and reporting of deaths occurring in ICE custody.”

ICE did not immediately release its full updated policy

The decision to limit death reporting comes as a greater number of ICE detainees have been dying. At least 18 detainees have died since Jan. 1, which is on pace to surpass last year’s death toll, which was the highest in two decades. Detainees are dying by suicide at an unprecedented pace, and experts say many other deaths from natural causes likely would have been preventable with

timely medical care.

Dr Sanjay Basu, a University of California-San Francisco epidemiologist who recently published an analysis of more than 270 ICE custody deaths, said the policy change will “make the mortality statistics appear lower without any actual improvement in care.”

“The period immediately following release is when deaths attributable to inadequate care during confinement become apparent,” he said. “Missed diagnoses, interrupted medications, untreated infections, and decompensating chronic conditions don’t always kill someone while they’re still in the building.”

As of early April, ICE was holding more than 60,000 detainees across its national

Chathura Mihudum, director of Sri Lanka’s National Secretariat for Elders, said the facility was not registered as a nursing home and had been warned to follow laws and guidelines. He said it was overcrowded, with enough beds for about 15 people in a space where 71 people were living.

Amala Rajapaksa said the institution was in the process of being registered.

Chathuranga said it is thought the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in wiring attached to a water pump. “The fire initially caught a pile of mattresses and pillows and then quickly spread across the house,” he said, adding that the majority of the residents were rescued, but 10 people were caught in the fire and burned to death. Three others have since died in hospital. Perera, the director of the home, has been arrested on suspicion of causing death through negligence. He appeared in court Thursday and was ordered held for a week pending an investigation.

network of detention facilities, up from around 40,000 at the start of President Donald Trump’s second term. ICE denies allegations that detainees suffer from medical neglect, saying they receive comprehensive health care services.

Before announcing Thursday’s policy change, DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis told the AP on Tuesday that no detainees died in its custody in May That was the first month without a detainee death since November At the time, Bis did not address AP questions about whether any death reporting policies had changed.

“As we have repeatedly stated, deaths in ICE custody are exceedingly rare,” she said then.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Hawaiian Bros coming to Baton Rouge

BY TIMOTHY BOONE

Staff writer

Another restaurant is coming to the Long Farm Village development. Om Ohana Baton Rouge Realty LLC, an Illinois-based franchise operator, bought a 0.75-acre tract in the retail and residential development off Airline Highway on

Tuesday for $914,760, according to documents filed with the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court’s Office.

The sales documents say the plan is to open a freestanding Hawaiian Bros Island Grill location on the property that will open within 18 months of the transaction. True to its name, Hawaiian Bros specializes in island-inspired dishes — plate lunches with roasted

pork or grilled chicken, served with rice and macaroni salad.

The chain has 81 locations across the U.S., stretching from Oregon to Georgia, but this will be the first Louisiana restaurant for Hawaiian Bros.

“We’re always searching for new food options,” said Russell Mosely, the Long Farm Village developer “This is different from the other restaurants we have or that we are considering. We want to make this a place where people go every day

for food, and in order to do that, we have to offer a variety of options.” Hawaiian Bros is the fifth national or local restaurant chain to announce plans to open in Long Farm Village over the past couple of months. The restaurant will be located adjacent to a new retail building opening this summer in Long Farm Village, Mosely said. That new building will house Swig, which specializes in selling soda concoctions, a second local

ON THE SAFE RIDE

location of the cannabis-themed sandwich chain Cheba Hut, and Pho Viet, a second location

Campers with Front Yard Bikes ride on the Downtown Greenway from Terrace Avenue to the EBR River Center Branch Library in Baton Rouge to teach navigating the area safely on Friday

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

The Ascension Parish Council voted Thursday to rezone a section of the Woodstock Plantation from conservation to heavy industrial The approximately 150-acre parcel sits west of La. 405, roughly

1,300 feet south of Noel Road near Donaldsonville.

Two residents at the meeting expressed their opposition before the council’s decision. One turned in a written note saying he was opposed but did not want to speak. The other Harry Joseph of Donaldsonville, urged council members to consider the impact of continued industrial expansion on nearby communities.

“I just feel that people cannot live with y’all just rezoning heavy industrial everywhere. We’re go-

ing to get to the point where we have nowhere to live,” Joseph said. “Donaldsonville is not a big place where we can go from one spot to another spot. It’s not like that. And I don’t know why we are trying to destroy the areas that we have in our community and I just hope and pray that y’all decide and make the right decision on what y’all are doing on this side of the river, because people still live here.” MR Engineering and Surveying LLC applied for the rezoning in

December 2024, according to parish documents. Chad Stevens, vice president of engineering at MR Engineering and Surveying, said the land would be used as a laydown area to support unloading from another facility about 2 miles away He noted the property is in the West Bank Industrial Overlay Zone. The Woodstock Plantation was historically managed for sugar cane production. In the 1890s, the infrastructure was destroyed by a massive Mississippi River

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

State funding denied for Six Flags project

Developers say plan still on track

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

State lawmakers declined to put up any money in the capital budget for the redevelopment of the former Six Flags park in New Orleans East during the recent legislative session, but developers say they aren’t worried and the project remains on track.

Troy Henry, a partner with the Bayou Phoenix development group, said on Friday he is primarily focused on closing a $300 million private financing deal with an unnamed investment bank for the project, which consists of a youth

sports complex, water park, hotels, a film studio and other amenities.

He said expects that deal to close around September He declined to name the bank because of a nondisclosure agreement.

Bayou Phoenix is hoping to land $50 million in public funding, or 10% of the estimated development, Henry said. Securing private financing “will demonstrate the level of credibility they’re probably looking for,” he said referring to city, state and federal officials.

“It’s disappointing, but we think that there are multiple opportunities for the public sector to still support the project,” Henry said of the legislative session. “We are not deterred in any way, shape or form.”

The City Council put $5 million in the city budget for infrastructure work on the site. A spokesperson for Mayor Helena Moreno’s administration on Friday said that money will come from bond proceeds. Voters last year approved a $510 million bond package to fund a range of priorities. The administration did not immediately respond to questions about any future investments.

The 227-acre site has been vacant since Hurricane Katrina, and several redevelopment efforts have sputtered since then. Mayor LaToya Cantrell granted development rights to Bayou Phoenix in 2021 in the latest attempt, and progress has been slow since then. Public officials took nearly a year to negotiate a land transfer

from the city to the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, an independent state agency Another year passed before Bayou Phoenix and the redevelopment authority came to terms on a long-term lease and development agreement. The first visible signs of progress came in late 2024, when Bayou Phoenix demolished towering roller coasters that rotted on the site for two decades. Then, in March, Bayou Phoenix announced preliminary deals with national operators — Eastern Sports Management and American Resorts Management — for the sports complex and hotels.

Henry said those deals are still being finalized. Andrew Ballard, the chief operating officer of Eastern Sports, confirmed that deal is

still in the works. American Resort Management representatives did not respond to an inquiry on Friday Henry said failure to land public funding would probably diminish the scale of the project and force a reevaluation of its viability, but wouldn’t necessarily tank it altogether

“We would lose some asset in the mix, whether it would be the family entertainment center the water park, one of the hotels,” Henry said. “What does that mean as far as overall economic impact, as well as the overall return on investment for our investors? That would all have to be factored in.”

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

Gumball 3000 celebrity car rally coming to N.O.

Convoy travels from Miami to Mexico City

BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer

A convoy of 100 special automobiles driven by well-known actors, athletes and pop music artists has left Miami for a 3,000-mile road trip to Mexico City with a stop in New Orleans this weekend.

In the midst of the journey the fleet of street-legal sports cars, antique racers and other specialty vehicles, will pause in the French Quarter for a public exhibition.

The annual charity event, known as the Gumball 3000, is in its 27th year, founded by Maximillion Cooper, known as Mr Gumball.

The long-distance drive was inspired in part by American-style unregulated Cannonball runs, in which old-fashioned gumball machines were awarded as prizes, according to online sources. Gumball 3000 organizers are quick to point out that the current event is a rally, not a race. Gumball 3000 rallies have taken

place in Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as North America

This year’s celebrity drivers include former New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham, Cooper’s wife and rapper Eve, actor Michelle Rodriguez of the “Fast & Furious” movie franchise, electronic dance music icon deadmau5, soccer star Patrice Evra, Nigerian graffiti artist Olaolu Slawn and others.

Before reaching New Orleans on Saturday afternoon, the 2027 Gumball 3000 run plans a lunchtime stop in Gulfport, Mississippi.

The cars will assemble on Bourbon Street and Canal Street — no exact location provided at 6 p.m. with live music and guest appearances from 9 p.m. through 11 p.m.

The event has a permit from the city and is welcome in the Quarter, New Orleans Police Department Chief Anne Kirkpatrick said this week.

The celebrity caravan is expected to reach Mexico City on June 10 in time for the start of the FIFA World Cup 26 soccer championship.

Email Doug MacCash at dmaccash@theadvocate.com.

Crowley man accused of shooting at police

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON

Staff writer

A Crowley man was arrested after authorities said he shot at Eunice police officers and led them on a chase from St. Landry Parish into Acadia Parish following a series of violent crimes. Dusty Johnson, 35, is charged with two counts of attempted first-degree murder, attempted second-degree murder, armed robbery, carjacking, simple arson, two counts of hit-and-run driving, simple criminal damage

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Lane-Johnson said St. Vincent de Paul Baton Rouge also hopes to add a second community pharmacy

“To me, it’s kind of like the hub of the wheel. It’s going to provide a lot of things for us, and there’s also additional space available,” Johnson-Lane said. “It’s likely we’ll have another phase of development where we might even add more services.” The store will need around four or five volunteers each day to keep things running smoothly, and Johnson-Lane is excited to offer more volunteer opportunities to the community

to property, attempted aggravated kidnapping, aggravated flight from an officer and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

According to Louisiana State Police, Johnson drove a Chevrolet Trax to a home in Eunice, where he allegedly threatened a homeowner with a gun, attempted to kidnap the victim and stole a 2019 GMC Sierra pickup truck. Investigators said Johnson later went to a gas station and fired shots at a person in the parking lot, striking the victim’s vehicle. He then returned to the Eunice

residence, crashed into a vehicle parked in the driveway and intentionally set the Chevrolet Trax on fire, according to state police.

When Eunice police officers responded, Johnson allegedly opened fire on them. Officers returned fire, striking Johnson before he fled in the stolen pickup truck, authorities said.

The pursuit continued into Acadia Parish, where Johnson allegedly struck another vehicle before crashing near the intersection of North Parkerson Avenue and Odd Fellows Road in

PROVIDED PHOTO

St. Vincent de Paul is opening its newest thrift store and community outreach center on 6190 Greenwell Springs Road in North Baton Rouge Saturday morning

A ribbon-cutting will be held Saturday morning. The store will be open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday The site was donated to the or-

ganization by Baton Rouge business owner John Holmes, owner of Holmes Building Supply The

Crowley Johnson was taken into custody and transported to a hospital with injuries that were not considered life-threatening. He was later booked into the St. Landry Parish Jail after being released. Louisiana State Police detectives continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting involving officers from the Eunice Police Department, the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office and Louisiana State Police. The investigation remains ongoing.

building was previously one of Holmes’ supply buildings.

“It’s a really transformative moment for St. Vincent de Paul to have this type of space and to be able to serve our neighbors in this new way,” Lane-Johnson said.

The St. Vincent de Paul recently opened Rosalie’s Boutique, a curated high-end resale store located along Government Street Amid all the donations, some are slightly nicer than others and deserve a dedicated store to be displayed, Johnson-Lane said.

St. Vincent de Paul closed its Plank Road thrift store in March because of poor infrastructure and property damage. The new thrift store is not exactly taking its place, but it will be a more streamlined approach to helping the community Johnson-Lane said.

She said the group will announce plans for the old Plank Road location in the near future.

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the Governor’s Mansion just after midnight on May 13. Smith collided head-on with a 2023 Kia Telluride that was southbound in the left lane, according to the arrest warrant Smith and her front-seat passenger, Raven Williams, 23, were trapped in the car and had to be extracted. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene. Smith and the two people in the Kia were taken to the Our Lady of

the Lake Regional Medical Center for non-life-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, according to police. Police also allegedly found an open bottle of alcohol in the vehicle.

Officials: Toddler playing with lighter started fire

A 2-year-old who was playing with an illegal lighter disguised as a toy gun allegedly started a fire by accident in the Willow View Apart-

ments in St. George on May 13. The St. George Fire Department responded to the scene in the 8000 block of Ned Avenue about 2:15 p.m. to find the apartment with smoke coming out of one window Firefighters safely evacuated everyone from the building, but the damage was severe enough to displace eight people An investigation by the St. George Fire Investigation Bureau found the fire had been accidentally set by the child when they gained access to the illegal lighter The St. George Fire Department, St. George police and State Fire

Marshal’s Office’s Licensing Division launched a broader investigation to identify businesses selling the illegal lighters. Out of 17 businesses inspected, eight sold illegal lighters. The businesses voluntarily turned over all the illegal lighters to the authorities and received warnings. No arrests were made. The novelty lighters are illegal because they are intentionally designed to resemble toys, which, for children 10 or younger, could “blur the line between playthings and dangerous fire-starting devices,” the Fire Department said.

Shreveport women accused of Medicaid, SNAP fraud

BY BRIAN McCALLUM Staff writer

The Louisiana Bureau of Investigation has arrested two Shreveport women suspected of Medicaid and SNAP fraud amounting to more than $150,000.

Tanesha Bowman, 39, of Shreveport, was arrested Wednesday and faces eight counts of government benefits fraud along with seven counts of unauthorized use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, according to the office of Attorney General Liz Murrill. Juleah Seazer, 33, also of Shreveport, was arrested Thursday on suspicion of government benefits fraud, trespass against state computers, filing or maintaining false public records and malfeasance in office. An employee of the Louisiana Department of Health at the time, she has been booked into the Caddo Correctional Center According to Murrill’s office, Seazer helped Bowman, her friend, improperly get reinstatement of benefits after they had been canceled because of alleged misstatement of marital status and income. Seazer allegedly filed records on Bowman’s behalf in October 2025, knowing they included false information. Bowman surrendered Wednesday and was booked into the East Baton Rouge Prison. She is suspected of defrauding Medicaid in the amount of $121,182 and SNAP for $35,305.

PHOTO PROVIDED By GUMBALL 3000

The international Gumball 3000 road rally gets underway in Toronto.

Antoine, Lucy NewMountOliveMissionaryBaptist Church,1187 Rosedale Road in Port Allen, at 11 a.m.

Brooks,Nathan St.MarkBaptistChurch,132 MarquezStreet in Mt.Airy, at 10 a.m.

Butler, Fay

St.GeorgeCatholic Church at 10:30

a.m.

deVeer,Clara

Womack FamilyCemetery, on Womack Lane offHighway 621in Gonzales,at11a.m

Dunn, Etta

Winnfield FuneralHomeat11a.m

HidalgoJr.,Lloyd

Ascension of OurLordCatholic Church in Donaldsonville at 11 a.m.

Lee, Mary Gospel Temple,82Banks Lane in Pine Grove,at11:30 a.m.

Montague,Judy

Sacred HeartCatholic Church at 11 a.m.

MickensRoad, at 11 a.m.

Obituaries

Antoine, Lucy Mae

Lucy Mae Antoine passed away on Saturday, May 23, 2026,atthe age of 91. Affectionately known as "Dea", she was raised and educated in West Baton Rouge Parish school system. She was baptized at ayoung age. Her strong faith in God was the foundation for how she lived her life and loved others. She was alifelong resident of Port Allen, until she needed extra care in Baton Rouge. She was employed as a housekeeper, short order cook, and worked at a catering company. She later volunteered at the West Baton Rouge Council on Aging, serving food to those in need. Lucy is survived by her children, Ada Faye Slaughter, Emma (Clifford) Howard, Stefon (Schawanda) Antoine, and Theresa (Tate) Anderson; agranddaughter raised as a daughter, Myra Alexander; sisters-in-law, Joyce C. Murphy and Glandel Robertson; and ahost of grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, nieces, nephews,and cousins. Lucy was preceded in death by her parents, Beatrice Murphy and Robert Johnson, Sr.; husband, Leon Antoine, Sr.; children, Tyrone Alexander, Kato Eric Antoine, Sr., and Joshlyn Marie "Moo" Alexander; and siblings, Johnny Robertson, Gertrude Payne, Charles Johnson, Sr., Robert Johnson, Jr., and Percy L. Murphy. Services will be held at New Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church, 1187 Rosedale Road, Port Allen, Louisiana, on June 6, 2026, with the Visitation from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The Homegoing Service begins at 11:00 a.m. Special thanks to the compassionate staff and caregiversat Landmark Baton Rouge Services entrusted to Hall Davis &Son Funeral Service,9348 Scenic Hwy, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Dunn,Etta P.

August 2, 1949 -May 22, 2026. Homegoing Celebration, Saturday, June 6, 2026 at Winnfield Funeral Home of Baton Rouge, LA. Viewing begins at 10 a.m.until services at 11 a.m. Internment following at Southern Memorial Gardens.

Chris Graham,nee GloriaChristine Johnsonwas bornonJune 14, 1948 in Syracuse,NYand died peacefully on June 4.Chris with herfamilymoved to Ormond Beach, FL in 1963, and attended Seabreeze High School and University of Central Florida. Withan immense love forchildren, she beganteaching preschool whenshe movedtoBaton Rouge in 1978,teaching at St.Luke's Episcopal School, Christian LifeAcademy and University Methodist preschool Having moved with her familytoSugarland, TX, Birmingham, AL and Lutherville, MD, Chris returnedtoBaton Rouge in 2007.She is survived by daughterJennifer Parrenin (Nolan), Slaughter,LA, John Robin Graham (Naomi Dubin), Madison WI, granddaughterAmelia Parrenin, Slaughter, LA., sister Sally Minyard(Joey), Apache Junction, AZ, and former husband Robin Graham (William J. McLennan), Baltimore,MD. Sheispredeceased by her parents, Russell and Gloria Johnson. The family wouldliketo thankThe Hospice of Baton Rouge and the ButterflyWingfor an overwhelming quality of care. It is requestedthat flowersbe omitted.Memorialsmay be made in her memory to The Hospice of Baton Rouge, 3600Florida Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA 70806. A Celebration of Life, led by KeithMorris will be held Sunday, June 7atRabenhorst FuneralHome of Government St; the family willreceive friendsat2 pm with the Celebration at 4 pm.

Leona Mae 'Lee'

Leona MaeParsons,age 84, peacefully drew her final breath on Sunday, May 31st,ather home in Baton Rouge. Adevoted "Mama Bear"and retiredaddiction counselor, Miss Lee was born into poverty and chaosbut, through sheer willand sense of purpose, becamea beloved and influential memberofthe local recovery community. Shededicatedher lifeto helping otherswhile putting family at the center of her world. Lee found joyincooking forthose she loved, singing, dancing,painting, and celebrating life. She wasa proud sports-team volunteer mom who couldalwaysbe found cheering fromthe sidelines, and an enthusiasticmember of the Dancing Girls Mardi Gras troupe. She cherished her many colleagues, clients, friends, and family- and touched countless lives with her kindness, and compassion. She is survived by her sons, Mark and Jay; and her siblings, Edith and Raymond. A legacy of love, resilience, and service willberemembered byall who knewher.

his family,his friendships, and thecountless liveshe touched.His family finds peace knowing that he is in thearms of Jesus. BorninBaton Rouge, Louisiana, on March 7, 1996, Dylan was abeloved husband, father, son, brother, uncle,cousin, and friend whose life was marked by creativity, vision, and an entrepreneurial spirit.Hehad aunique abilitytodream, build, and inspire those around him. Whether throughhis work, his relationships, or his many pursuits,Dylan approached life with passion, innovation, and agenuine love forpeople.His unique creativegifting was most evident in his role as founderofBaggy Pants Golf, aclothing company, and hiscorporateleadershiproles as co-founderof Tour Caddy and VzionCreative.

Dylannever met a stranger. He was known for his quick wit, contagiousenthusiasm, and abilitytobring ideasto life.Hesaw possibilities whereotherssaw obstacles and encouraged those around himtodream biggerand live with purpose Hispresence left alasting impressiononeveryone he met, and hisimpact extendedfar beyond what he couldhaveimagined.

Agiftedathlete, Dylan attended Briarwood Christian School, where he competedinboth football and basketball.Throughout his life,Dylan treasured the friendshipshemadeand thelessons he learned throughsports and competition

Adevoted member of Church of theHighlands, Dylan's life was shaped by hisrelationship with God. He madecherished friends everywhere butprized his family members aboveall others. He enjoyed golf, design, and creating meaningful experiences with the people he lovedmost.

Aboveall,Dylan treasured his family.Becoming ahusband to Layne Stone RizzoonJuly 8, 2024, and a father to Redding Robert Rizzowere thegreatest blessingsofhis life.His love forhis family was evident in everything he did, and he cherished every moment spent with them. He felthemarriedthe most beautiful girl in the world and was proud to be Layne's husband.Redding's laughwas hisconstant pursuitand favorite noise He is survivedbyhis loving wife, Layne Stone Rizzo; his son, Redding Robert Rizzo; his parents, Dino and Delynn Rizzo; his sisters,McCall Haymon and IsabellaRizzo; his brother-in-law, Trey Haymon; his niece, Harlow Haymon; his grandparents, Wayne and Dee Austin;his auntsand uncles, Mitch and Candace Mula, Phil and SheilaTroutman, and Dena Rizzo; and his cousins,Roman Mula, Sierra Mula, Nathan Troutman, and Justin Troutman.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Robert and Gloria Rizzo, Ernestine York, and GertrudeAustin. Visitation willbeheldon Tuesday, June 9, 2026, at 12:00 p.m., followedbya CelebrationofLife service at 1:00 p.m. at Church of theHighlands, Grants Mill Campus, Birmingham, AL Areception willimmediately follow theservice. In lieu of flowers,contributionsmay be madeto theRedding Robert Rizzo Trust,established by friends of thefamily to support the future of Dylan and Layne's son, Redding For moreinformationorto make acontribution, please contact reddingrizz otrust@arcchurches.com.

Jeremiah 29:11 "ForI knowthe plans Ihavefor you," declares theLord, "planstoprosper youand not to harm you, plans to give youhopeand a future."

Rizzo, Dylan Robert With profound sadness

Graham, Gloria 'Chris'

Parsons,

BRIEFS FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS

Tech sell-off drags U.S stock market

The U.S. stock market had its worst day since October Friday as a sell-off in big technology companies weighed down the broader market and a strong jobs report boosted expectations that the Federal Reserve will be forced to hike interest rates at some point this year

Tech stocks dragged the broader market lower as companies that had powered the S&P 500 to a series of records the past two months saw losses. Nvidia fell 6.2%, Broadcom dropped 7.9% and Micron Technology slid 13.3% for the biggest loss among stocks in the S&P 500.

Shares in Meta fell 5.5% following a published report that the social media giant may seek to do a new stock offering to raise funds for spending on AI infrastructure.

All told, the S&P 500 fell 200.57 points to 7,383.74 on Friday The Dow dropped 695.15 points to 50,866.78, and the Nasdaq lost 1,121.53 points to close at 25,709.43. Markets were mixed in Europe after markets in Asia fell.

Anthropic urges ‘pause’ in AI development

Anthropic is proposing that the world’s top artificial intelligence companies come up with a coordinated way to pause development of advanced AI systems, warning the technology is improving so quickly there’s a risk humans would lose control.

The company behind the Claude chatbot said in a blog post Thursday that as cutting-edge AI gets increasingly faster at carrying out tasks, “it would be good for the world to have the option to slow or temporarily pause” its development.

Anthropic’s post comes as the company and ChatGPT-maker OpenAI race to sell shares on the stock market, in an IPO that could value Anthropic at nearly a trillion dollars.

Papernot notified Canadian cybersecurity authorities prior to releasing his report, which shows how researchers developed the worm in a laboratory by using an “open-source” AI tool that is easy for software developers to cheaply access and modify

Anthropic’s post comes after a different warning this week from a team of researchers at the University of Toronto who showed how AI tools could be used to create a new kind of AI “worm” that adapts its hacking strategy as it spreads from device to device and takes over a vast computing network.

“I think it’s really important that people understand that it’s not just the biggest, most powerful language models that pose the security concerns,” lead researcher Nicolas Papernot said in an interview Papernot agreed that there should be more collaboration between companies, government agencies and academic researchers to develop countermeasures as AIpowered hacking tools supercharge the search for computer vulnerabilities.

Micronuclear reactor reaches critical milestone

WASHINGTON — The Energy Department says a small nuclear reactor under development at a national lab has reached a crucial milestone that could allow it to produce electricity within a few years.

The microreactor being developed by Antares Nuclear Inc. at the Idaho National Lab reached “criticality” on Thursday Energy Secretary Chris Wright said The milestone occurs when a nuclear reactor achieves a self-sustaining chain reaction capable of producing a steady release of energy.

Antares is the first private company to bring an advanced reactor to criticality under a pilot program begun last year by the Trump administration meant to supercharge nuclear energy production in the U.S. The demonstration was conducted in partnership with the Energy Department and other contractors with support from the U.S Army While the Antares system is years away from commercial use, achieving criticality is a notable step

The

U.S. job market strong, but suffering

Americans face rising costs from the Iran war

BY PAUL WISEMAN and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writers

WASHINGTON The American job market continues to show surprising strength — good news for President Donald Trump who has taken a beating in the polls over the surging gasoline prices that followed U.S and Israeli attacks on Iran

Employers added 172,000 jobs in May roughly double what forecasters had expected — and the unemployment rate remained at a low 4.3%, the Labor Department reported Friday.

Job growth was down slightly last month from a revised 179,000 in April.

Hiring has bounced back this year from a miserable 2025, showing resilience in the face of economic uncertainty and painfully high energy prices since the Iran war started in late February

The job gains are broad-based. Local governments added 55,000 workers, restaurants and bars 48,000, healthcare companies 35,000.

In another sign of job market strength, Labor Department revisions added a combined

93,000 jobs in March and April

Job growth averaged 188,000 a month from March through May, marking the best three months of hiring since early 2024.

“The hiring recession is over. American firms are hiring again,” said Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union. “The job rebound is happening in almost every industry This is encouraging news for job seekers and for the U.S. economy The labor market has stabilized and is showing early signs of a genuine rebound.”

With just five months to go before consequential midterm elections in the U.S., Americans have grown increasingly frustrated

by rising costs, and it’s unclear if the strong job numbers this year will change their gloomy view of the economy Inflation data last week showed that in addition to gasoline, prices for groceries, clothing and electricity are also on the rise, indicating that inflation may be growing more entrenched.

Polls show that Trump’s approval rating on the economy is falling sharply after being reelected largely on the promise of taming inflation.

And despite the pickup in hiring, wage gains were modest. Average hourly wages rose 0.3% from April and 3.4% from May 2025.

Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge draws limited interest

Two

corporations bid on a handful of oil and gas lease sales

BY BECKY BOHRER Associated Press

JUNEAU, Alaska Two corporations bid on a handful of leases during the latest oil and gas lease sale in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge on Friday a showing critics described as tepid but one that further opens the door to possible development in the pristine region.

The Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority, a state corporation that already has leases in the refuge’s coastal plain, had the winning bid on three tracts and Hex Energy LLC on two, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced. The tracts cover about 72,000 acres. Nearly 690,000 acres had been offered. Winning bids totaled $3.7 million The federal agency’s state director, Kevin Pendergast, said a “new era of active leasing and exploration is just beginning to unfold.”

While there is no active drilling underway, the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority’s board last month authorized additional spending for a efforts including a seismic survey program aimed at locating oil formations, as well as lease purchases in this latest sale. A message seeking comment from Hex Energy was not immediately returned.

Opponents of drilling in the refuge’s coastal plain have pointed to a lack of industry interest in the prior two sales held there and ongoing changes in Alaska’s arctic region due to climate change as proof the region should be off-limits to drilling. There is pending litigation over the leasing program, dating to President Donald Trump’s first term.

The Gwich’in consider the coastal plain sacred because the caribou herd they rely upon calve there. The Gwich’in people’s reliance on the coastal plain “will be irreversibly damaged if it is disturbed,” Karlas Norman, first chief of the Venetie Village Council, said in a statement. “Even though we saw minimal bids, we will not rest until this sacred place is permanently protected for our children and for generations yet to come.”

But supporters of development see the coastal plain, which is roughly the size of Del-

aware, as a potential untapped resource that could boost U.S. oil production and generate new revenue and jobs. Voice of the Arctic Iñupiat, an advocacy group whose members include leaders from Alaska Native communities on the North Slope, hailed the sale a success. A statement from the group said the sale represented “the culmination of decades of advocacy by North Slope Iñupiat leaders, in particular leaders from Kaktovik, for their right to self-determination on their homelands, including responsible exploration and development.” Kaktovik is the only community within the refuge.

“The Trump-Vance administration is doing the right thing by advancing policies, including those that permitted the sale, supported by our community,” Kaktovik Mayor Nathan Gordon Jr said in the statement.

The Trump administration has taken a keen interest in Alaska, and his tax and spending bill passed by Congress last year included provisions mandating lease sales in three regions of the state. In addition to the refuge’s coastal plain, leases have also been offered in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and in Cook Inlet, an aging basin that has provided

Amazon wrestles No. 1 spot

BY ALEX HALVERSON

The Seattle Times (TNS)

For the first time in its three decades-plus history, Amazon is now No. 1 on the Fortune 500 list. The Seattle-based tech giant knocked Walmart down to No. 2, ending the Arkansas-based retailer’s 13-year reign on top. The list ranks 500 of the largest American corporations by revenue each year and only four companies have ever held the top spot since Fortune began publishing it in 1955: Amazon, Exxon Mobil, General Motors and Walmart. Though Amazon and Walmart are retail competitors, vying for hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue each year, Amazon also has its cloud-computing division, Amazon Web Services, that brings in billions in sales as well. Amazon reported $717 billion in

revenue for 2025, with AWS sales accounting for $129 billion of that. Walmart’s 2025 revenue came in near $713 billion. Despite seesaw tariff policies over the past year that have weakened consumer sentiment, retail sales for Amazon and Walmart showed steady growth each quarter But Amazon’s cloud revenue is growing faster than the company’s retail revenue. In 2025, AWS showed 20% sales growth year over year, double what the North American retail division reported. That trend is continuing this year, as AWS sales grew 28% in the first quarter year over year while retail sales in North America grew 12% Amazon dethroned Walmart based on last year’s revenue, the same year it kicked off a wave of layoffs. From October through January, Amazon ended the em-

natural gas for Alaska’s most populous region for decades.

There were no takers in the Cook Inlet auction in March. But there were hundreds of bids, including from major oil companies, for what was the first sale since 2019 in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska despite pending litigation challenging the leasing program. The Trump administration has moved to open more lands to drilling in the reserve and rolled back protections there. The petroleum reserve is where ConocoPhillips Alaska is developing the large Willow oil project.

On Alaska’s vast, petroleum-rich North Slope, the major oil fields of Prudhoe Bay and Kuparuk lie between the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

The arctic refuge’s coastal plain could contain 4.25 billion to 11.8 billion barrels of recoverable oil, according to U.S. Geological Survey estimates, but there is limited information about the amount and quality of oil.

The coastal plain, bordering the Beaufort Sea in northeast Alaska, features rolling hills and tundra and provides habitat for wildlife including musk oxen and migratory birds.

away from Walmart

ployment of 30,000 workers in a bid to reduce the number of managers throughout the company. While Amazon is pouring billions of dollars into artificial intelligence, the company maintains job-cutting isn’t to offset the capital expenses, but rather part of CEO Andy Jassy’s fight against bureaucracy Further down Fortune 500’s list were more examples of the incongruity between tech’s financial health and the waves of layoffs in the industry Microsoft, which laid off 15,000 employees last year, reached its highest ranking at No. 11, climbing three spots from last year The company reported $281.7 billion in revenue in 2025, a 15% increase from 2024. Meta, which has undergone multiple waves of layoffs last year and this year climbed five spots from last year to No. 17, its highest rank-

ing ever The company’s reported $2.16 billion in revenue in 2025 was a 22% year-over-year increase. Other Seattle-area companies high on the list were Costco at No. 13, one spot down from last year and Boeing at No. 47, which climbed 16 spots.

Costco’s modest revenue growth may be the reason companies, including Microsoft, leapfrogged it on the list. Costco reported $2.75 billion in sales last year, up 8.2% from 2024.

Boeing’s rise up the ranks was due to increased airplane production, after a rough year in 2024. The company’s revenue in 2024 suffered due to

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

The Kaktovik Lagoon and the Brooks Range mountains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge are seen in Kaktovik, Alaska

America’s150th birthday marked acalmbetween twostorms

On Sunday,July 4, 1926,America marked its 150th birthday.Itcame during aperiodofcalmbetween two storms of history, not long afterWorld WarIand shortly beforethe GreatDepression.

That year,the U.S. economy boomed, and cities swelled. Auto travel, consumerism, technology and business expansion defined theera.Though the “Roaring Twenties” wouldcrash three yearslater, IndependenceDay in 1926 was still amomenttolook back, reflectand celebrate

The main event on Independence Day was the SesquicentennialExposition in Philadelphia, where PresidentCalvin Coolidge, the only U.S. president bornon the Fourth of July,reaffirmed America’s founding principlesina speech

“It was notbecause[the Declarationof Independence] was proposedtoestablishanew nation, but because it was proposedtoestablish anationonnew principles, that July 4th, 1776, hascometoberegarded as one of the greatest days in history,”saidthe normally reticent president. “Welive in an age of scienceand of aboundingaccumulationofmaterial things. Thesedid not create our Declaration. Our Declaration created them. The things of the spirit come first.” Coolidge firmlycast the American Revolutionasa breakthrough based on fundamentally conservative precepts to secure God-givenliberties.Hecontrasteditwith fomentingviolent unrest abroad.

Beyond speeches, the Philadelphia expositioncelebratedthe Fourth in sundry ways: an 80-foot replicaof the Liberty Bell with 26,000 lights, an amusement park, religious ceremonies, a“Freedom” pageant, baseball games and golf tournaments. Anew bridge spanning the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Camden, New Jersey,helped moved the crowds

The sail-powered USS Constellation,built in 1854, was anchored in the SchuylkillRiverfor public viewing. A300acre military encampment showcasedthe nation’s latest weaponry,while veterans from the CivilWar,the SpanishAmerican Warand World WarI held convivialreunions. Humorist and writer CoreyFordcapturedNew York’s Independence Day paradein Vanity Fair: “Hours before theparadeisdue, the crowds along the curb have swollen totruly gigantic proportions, lining the street onboth sides for blocks, milling and shoving and indulging freely infistfights in the gutter.Peopleare besidethemselves with excitement, waving small Americanflags andblowinghorns …asight that they will neverforget.”

Not everyparade float was built to thrill, however,as some bore numbingtitles like “Post-War Conditions in the Linoleum Business” and“The Sister Spirits of Osmosis andCapillary Attraction.” Mardi Gras, it wasn’t.

In NewOrleans, an early evening showbyHarry Mendelson’sConcert Band was held in City Park, alongwith an address by federal clerkof court A. DallamO’Brien Jr.and areading of the Declaration byMrs. Rene Salomon. In addition to usual picnic fare,there weresteaming pots of gumbo and jambalaya, with dancing, film screenings and fireworkstofinish.

Louisiana’sgovernor in 1926 was HenryL.Fuqua, one of the state’sfour chief executiveswho woulddie in office. Before seeking the governorship, Fuqua owneda large hardware store in Baton Rouge and later managed theLouisiana State Penitentiary atAngola Arthur J. O’Keefe was mayor of New Orleans. Abusinessman, he previously servedasthe city’scommissioner for public finance.Heassumed the office upon the death of Mayor MartinBehrman. Afew yearsafter taking office, O’Keefe resigned for health reasons. O’Keefe was the grandfather offormer stateSenate President MichaelH.O’Keefe and great-grandfatherof former LSU Chancellor andNASA administration Sean O’Keefe.

In Baton Rouge, Wade Bynum was mayor. He would become the longest serving mayorofLouisiana’scapital city,holding office in two stretchestotaling 24 years.

In 1926, WBNO andWJBWradiobegan broadcasting in New Orleans, the State PalaceTheatre was built and Tulane Stadium opened. In Baton Rouge, LSU’snew campuswas dedicated. Like other milestone birthdays, the nation’s sesquicentennialreflectedthe times, the progress thathad been made and the challenges ahead.

As Satchel Paige, who coincidentally beganhis professional pitching career that year, asked, “How oldwould you be if you didn’tknow how old you are?”

That’swhy we celebratethe milestones.

This column is third in aseries about America’s milestone birthdays,asweheadtoward the250thJuly 4. Ron Faucheux is anonpartisanpoliticalanalyst, pollster andwriter based in Louisiana.

For nearly adecade, the newspaper’s editorial board has been remarkably consistent: pro-Coastal Master Plan, pro-science, pro-CPRAindependence, pro-sediment diversion and increasingly alarmed at the political shortcircuiting of the planning process.

The headline “La. should redouble coastal protection efforts” suggested continuity with that record.The substance did not. Iread with profound disappointment an editorial offering volunteersbagging oyster shells as the antidote to studies calling for wholesale community relocation.

Volunteerism is an important way to build public understanding and support; oyster-shell recycling is a common-sense practice, but it will not save us. To fallback on volunteerism when Louisiana built the nation-leading, unanimously supportedprogram designedtoharness theMississippi River’sown land-building power? That is acop-out.

Three months ago, theeditorial, “Don’t let coastal progressslip away” warned against accepting smaller projects as consolation for the canceled

Mid-Barataria andMid-Breton sediment diversions, calling it evidence of “how far off track we’ve gone.” In April, theboard insisted policymakers use“harddata, not political pressure to guide spending. This latesteditorial says nothing about either canceled diversion. Nothing about theCoastal Master Plan unanimously approved in 2023. Nothing about the half-billiondollars already spent on Mid-Barataria.

This newspaper once fieldeda deep bench of journalists who coveredthis challenge with the rigor it demands. That reporting wasitself the rebuttal to alarmist studies andhand-wringing about whether saving these communities was worth it. Iknow; Iwas the program officer overseeing national foundation investmentinthat work.

“Let’sget to work” is the right call. The workisthe science-based, scalematched Master Planthis board has championed for years —not aretreat intovolunteerism. Hold the state,and yourselves,tothatstandard. KRISTINTRACZ NewOrleans

Notsoeasyfor campstoswitchtosolar

Iamwriting in responsetothe May 7 letter related to camp electrical power

The writer,Mike Norton, madeitsound so simple for thecamps to switch to solar power.The main issue here is the stateallowing the electric utilitytoabandon thecamps after providing power for decades.

The letter failed to mention the approximate$30,000 cost to each camp, let alone the potential that someone would steal their system. The utility should be madetopay,installand maintain these solar systemsascamp compensation.

ROBERT WEILER Destrehan

GOPknows it can’twin afairelection

In case you haven’tnoticed, our democracy is being dismantled.

President Donald Trumpand his MAGA followers know they can’twin afair election because we Americans don’twant his Iran war,like we didn’t want him to tear down theEast Wing, like we don’twant his name on theKennedy Center and don’twant his ballroom, gold statues, arches and gilding of the WhiteHouse.

He can’twin afair election because our prices are sky high, and he just said he doesn’tcare about the financial suffering of Americans: Hisagenda is all that matters, and the next gold statue of him, and his name on more of our nation’s monuments

It’ssickening that our politicians lack thecourage to stand up to his grandiosity. Andnow his faithful follower Gov Jeff Landry is doing allhecan to take away voting rightseventothe point of maneuvering, so the legitimately elected Calvin Duncan is deprived of theclerk’soffice.

The axiom is clear: Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely Remember,Trump said we won’tneed to vote, just leave our future in his greedy reckless hands. If we want to save what’sleft of our democracy now is the timetoprotest these attacks and protect our right to vote.

JIM O’NEILL Metairie

Electricity and gas bills are becoming too expensive for manyfamilies in our community.Every month, hardworking people are struggling to keep up with rising utility costs while also trying to pay rent, buy groceries and care fortheir families. For many households, the pressure is becoming overwhelming. Recently,myutility bill increased so much that it becamedifficult to manage other important expenses. Many people are now living in constant fear of disconnection notices or late payment fees. This situation affects senior citizens, low-incomefamilies and working individuals the most.

Electricity is not aluxury; it is abasic necessity.Families need power to cook, preserve food, stay safeduring extreme weather and support children with school activities. No one should have to choose between keeping the lights on and meeting other basic needs.

Ibelieve utility companies and policymakers must work together to provide fairer rates, stronger consumer protections and expanded assistance programsfor struggling residents. There should also be moretransparency in billing and better communication with customers. Our communities deserve affordable and reliable energy services. Iencourage local leaders to listen to the concerns of residents and take meaningful action before morefamilies fall deeper into hardship.

KLAUS SAM NewOrleans

Ron Faucheux

A

‘Star’ is born?

Saints defender Sanker takes on more responsibilities in possible new role

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

As complex as his new position is, and as important as it is to the New Orleans Saints’ defensive scheme, safety

Jonas Sanker said playing the “Star” basically comes down to two simple ideas.

“Cover well,” Sanker said “But also tackle well.”

The Saints need a player who can do both. After losing cornerback Alontae Taylor in free agency, they believe Sanker a second-year safety is the man for the job.

Sanker will have to nail down the spot in training camp, but it is telling that throughout this offseason, the coaching staff has given the 23-year-old the first opportunity to see whether he could handle it

Last year, Sanker unexpectedly emerged as a solid starting safety after veteran Julian Blackmon suffered a season-ending injury in Week 1 Blackmon himself was a late addition after Tyrann Mathieu’s surprising retirement.

The Saints trust that Sanker can handle the most important position in coordinator Brandon Staley’s defense.

It’s a spot that historically has been filled by some of the biggest names in football. Before Taylor — whose performance earned him a three-year $58 million contract from the Tennessee Titans — Staley relied on All-Pro safety Derwin James with the Los Angeles Chargers and All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey with the Los Angeles Rams.

They were stars capable of handling the Star which is Staley’s version of an inside cornerback. Sanker has yet to reach that level of stardom, but excelling in the role could help him get there.

“The toughest thing about Star is you’re a safety, you’re a corner or you’re a linebacker maybe a (defensive) end based on a call,” Saints safeties coach Terry Joseph said “It’s a lot of different jobs that you’ve got to be versed in to be a really good Star

“And I think that’s where we’re at right now: We’re getting him up to speed of the different personalities based on the call.”

The complexities underscore why the position is so important to the Saints. Joseph said the Star has to not only handle motion adjustments — when a receiver runs from one spot to another before the snap but also be flexible enough to either play the deep middle of the field, the boundary or near the line of scrimmage. Other positions are “pretty much anchored,” Joseph said. The Star relies heavily on a player’s intelligence.

So how did the Saints land on trusting Sanker to replace Taylor? Coach Kellen Moore said Sanker’s college film gave the team confidence.

At the University of Virginia Sanker spent his freshman and sophomore seasons as a nickel cornerback, which

World Cup superfans cite cost, politics as reasons for staying away

BY R.J RICO Associated Press

ACC foes in challenge set for LSU hoops teams

BY

The LSU basketball programs each added a compelling nonconference matchup to their 2026-27 schedules on Friday, when ESPN unveiled the pairings for its annual ACC/SEC Challenges. The LSU men will face Wake Forest at home on Dec. 1 and the women will take on North Carolina on the road Dec. 2. The women’s matchup is one of four known nonconference battles already set for the 2026-27 season. For the men, it’s one of five.

face North Carolina in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2.

BY TOYLOY BROWN III

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints safety Jonas Sanker right, celebrates his interception of a pass by New york Jets quarterback Brady Cook left, during a game Dec. 21 at the Caesars Superdome. New Orleans is looking to Sanker to fill the important ‘Star’ position after losing cornerback Alontae Taylor in free agency

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSU women’s basketball coach Kim Mulkey and the Tigers will

REED DARCEY and TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writers

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

1:30 p.m. U.S vs. Germany TNT TRUTV SOCCER (WOMEN’S)

4:30 p.m. Brazil vs. U.S TNT,TRUTV TENNIS

5 a.m. French Open TENNIS

Zverev earns another major shot

Second-seeded player seeks first Grand Slam title

BY ANDREW DAMPF AP sportswriter

PARIS Jannik Sinner lost early Carlos Alcaraz withdrew because of an injury

The pressure has been on Alexander Zverev to finally win an elusive Grand Slam title and now the second-seeded German is only one victory away from raising the French Open trophy Zverev reached the fourth major final of his career after beating 20-year-old Jakub Mensik 7-5, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 in the Roland Garros semifinals on Friday

In Sunday’s final, Zverev will face 14th-ranked Flavio Cobolli Cobolli advanced when 104thranked Matteo Arnaldi withdrew before their all-Italian semifinal because of a virus.

Arnaldi spent 19 hours, 42 minutes on court to reach the semifinal more than anyone at a Grand Slam since 1991. He said he was vomiting overnight.

“I tried to get ready but every time I get up I feel dizzy,” Arnaldi said. “I can’t move and I can’t eat and I can’t drink. So there was really no way that I will be able to play.” Zverev has been an overwhelming favorite for the title ever since the top-ranked Sinner struggled in the first week’s heat wave and wasted a two set and 5-1 lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo in the second round.

Alcaraz, the two-time reigning champion, withdrew before the tournament with an injured right wrist. The 27th-ranked Mensik, who was playing in his first Grand Slam semifinal, struggled with five double faults on Friday Mensik overcame post-match cramps that landed him in a wheelchair last week, got past Andrey Rublev in five sets and beat rising Brazilian João Fonseca in straight sets in the quarterfinals. “He beat so many unbelievable

BY SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP sportswriter

PARIS Mirra Andreeva could not hold her nerve at Roland Garros last year

Facing the unheralded Lois Boisson for a spot in the French Open semifinals, the Russian teenager lost her temper, losing in straight sets after receiving a warning for angrily hitting a ball into the stands.

There has been no such meltdown over the past two weeks. Still only 19, Andreeva is in her first Grand Slam final. The pressure remains but she knows how to handle it.

“Now I’m also nervous when I play matches like this or when I’m up in the score and I’m serving and the opponent breaks me,” she said after stopping the best clay court player of the season, Marta Kostuyk, in the semifinals. “Before I was thinking, ‘Oh, my God, if I lost my serve, it’s like the end of the world.’ But now I feel like if she broke me, well, so what? I will try to break her back.”

The approach has been working out fine.

The eighth-seeded Andreeva has dropped just one set en route to the final, where she will meet the 114th-ranked Maja Chwalinska, a qualifier It’s Chwalinska’s first appearance in a major final, meaning a new Grand Slam champion will be crowned at the Court Philippe-Chatrier on Saturday

Andreeva has been competing at the highest level since she was 15, and it has taken some time for her to manage her temper emotions and the pressure that ac-

players. I knew it was going to be the toughest challenge that I had so far And I managed. I won I’m happy,” Zverev said. It will be Zverev’s second French Open final, having wasted a lead of twosetstooneagainstAlcarazinthe 2024 championship match. Zverev had an even bigger advantage — two sets to none in the 2020 U.S. Open final and lost that one, too, to Dominic Thiem. He was also beaten in straight sets by Sinner in the 2025 Australian Open final.

“That’s in the past,” Zverev said of hislosstoThiem.“Idon’ttrytothink too much about it before Sunday.”

Despite overcast and windy conditions at the start, the roof was open on Court Philippe-Chatrier and both players struggled with mishits early on. Mensik relied often on serveand-volley tactics while Zverev

was more solid from the baseline of the red clay court. Mensik double-faulted twice late in the first set, leading to the first break. Zverev broke again early in the second after running down a drop shot from Mensik and then went ahead 5-2 when Mensik double-faulted again.

Early in the third, Mensik had his neck treated by a trainer and then left the court for a medical timeout. When play resumed, Zverev moved Mensik off the court with well-angled shots and the Czech player threw his racket in desperation at a ball he knew he couldn’t reach.

There were more shouts for “Sascha” — Zverev’s nickname — but the crowd attempted to help Mensik back into the match with chants of “Let’s go, Mensik, let’s go.” When Mensik produced two

well-executed drop shots to finally break Zverev’s serve and take a 4-2 lead in the third, he pumped his fist as the crowd came to life It was just the second set Zverev dropped in the tournament.

“He started playing amazing the third set,” Zverev said. “This is best-of-five-set matches: You know things (are) going to happen. Opponents are going to play better You have to deal with it. You have to manage it. I did. And I hope to play another great match on Sunday.”

When Mensik rushed the net after a slice serve to the deuce court midway through the fourth set and Zverev used his long wingspan to produce a looping crosscourt return that dipped over the net beyond his reach, Mensik just smiled — perhaps realizing in that moment that Zverev simply had too much game for him.

ä French Open Women’s final 8 A.M. SATURDAy,TNT TRUTV HBOMAX

companies her massive ambition. Finally, it appears she is ready to step forward and stake her claim for the biggest titles.

“I have been trying to work on me being more calm, more positive,” she said “I’m very focused, and I felt like recently I have been trying to do a lot of different stuff. Maybe now I have found what’s been working very well for me.”

In 2024, Andreeva became the youngestGrandSlamsemifinalistin more than a quarter-century when, in her sixth major tournament, she defeated Aryna Sabalenka. Andreeva appeared pretty much insouciant at the time. She said

she would devise plans with her coach, 1994 Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez, only to forget everything during matches.

“Now I feel like I completely trust what my team tells me, and now it’s easier for me to do,” Andreeva said. “Whatever they tell me, I will just do it. I just feel like I’m able to trust them fully and not doubt anything.”

Winning the title would make her the youngest French Open women’s singles champion since 18-year-old Monica Seles landed her third straight Roland Garros crown in 1992.

Andreeva and Chwalinska will meet for the first time.

Chwalinska’s best result at a major before the French Open was the second round at Wimbledon in

Cards activate outfielder Nootbaar for season debut

St. Louis outfielder Lars Nootbaar was activated from the 60day injured list on Friday in time to make his season debut in left field as the Cardinals began a weekend series against the Cincinnati Reds. Nootbaar, 28, had surgery on both of his heels in the offseason and has not played in the majors this season. He is a career .242 hitter Last season in 135 games, he hit .234 with 13 home runs and 48 RBIs. In 12 games during his 20-day rehab assignment for Triple-A Memphis, Nootbaar hit three home runs and had a .409 on-base percentage, a .543 slugging percentage and a .257 batting average in 44 at-bats. In other moves, the Cardinals optioned infielder Thomas Saggese to Triple A-Memphis and recalled right-handed pitcher Matt Svanson from Memphis.

Broncos LB Cooper arrested following fight

Denver Broncos outside linebacker Jonathon Cooper was jailed Friday on domestic violence charges stemming from a fight with his girlfriend.

Cooper, 28, was held on suspicion of two counts of domestic violence and one count of criminal mischief, according to Douglas County jail records.

The Broncos said in a statement that they “are aware of the matter and are gathering information.” Cooper’s arrest stemmed from an argument between him and his girlfriend, who was also arrested, according to a police affidavit. Cooper’s girlfriend accused him of cheating and threw his phone against a wall in Cooper’s apartment and a physical struggle ensued, according to the report.

Poston aces conditions to take Memorial lead

J.T Poston had eight birdies in a round of 7-under 65 on Friday at the Memorial a score best measured by the fact he was nine shots better than the field average — enough for a one-shot lead over Ryan Gerard going into the weekend at Muirfield Village. Poston was at 9-under 135, a score not many saw coming.

The quality of his round could be measured by the comments of some of his peers. The interview with Tommy Fleetwood began with a statement that it seemed tougher out there.

“Is that a question?” Fleetwood replied. “Yeah, we’ll expand on that. It was pretty brutal, actually.” That wasn’t the case for Poston, who played brilliantly to grab the lead.

Serena adds second date on comeback schedule

Serena Williams’ comeback to tennis will include a stop in Berlin this month.

Maja Chwalinska reacts during a semifinal match against Diana Shnaider on Thursday in Paris. Chwalinska advanced to the final, where she will face Andreeva

2022. She is the second qualifier to make a Grand Slam singles final in the professional era (1968), joining Emma Raducanu, who won the 2021 US Open. In Paris, the Polish player has caught the eye of observers not only for her unexpected deep run but also for the variety of her shots and the kind of old-fashioned tennis she plays, peppered with stunning lobs and drop shots. Her tennis is a stark contrast to Andreeva’s sheer power “I know that I’m playing different tennis than most of the girls on tour,” the slightly-framed Chwalinska said. “I don’t have the (physical) conditions to play strong, so I need to develop different kinds of weapons for myself. I’ve definitely played differently, and I think it helps me a lot against these players.”

Berlin Open organizers said Williams will compete in doubles at the grass-court event starting on June 13 Her partner and the date of her first match will be announced later

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion stepped away from tennis in 2022. She has yet to say whether she plans to play at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.

She will make her return to professional tennis playing doubles alongside Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club next week. Berlin is the week after Wimbledon is two weeks after that.

“Every tournament I add to my schedule right now feels special, and Berlin is no exception,” she said.

FIFA cancels mistakenly free tickets to World Cup

FIFA has canceled World Cup tickets issued to about 60 fans who mistakenly got them for free because of a website error

The tickets were “allocated at no charge due to a prior payment issue during the checkout process,” FIFA said in a statement Thursday.

“FIFA regrets the error and any inconvenience caused,” soccer’s ruling body said. “The tickets requested by these fans remain reserved, and the affected fans have been invited to complete payment of the correct amount.”

It is the latest glitch in an often controversial World Cup ticketing program that the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey are investigating for possible violations of consumer protection laws. The mispriced tickets were sold through the official World Cup site.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AURELIEN MORISSARD

Alexander Zverev returns to Jakub Mensik during a semifinal match at the French Open on Friday in Paris. Zverev advanced to Sunday’s final where he will face 14th-ranked Flavio Cobolli.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By EMMA DA SILVA Mirra Andreeva returns to Marta Kostyuk during a French Open semifinal match on Thursday in Paris.

WORLDCUP 2026

Iranianteam approved to play in U.S.

BY COLLINBINKLEY, SEUNG MIN KIM and MATTHEW LEE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Members of the Iran World Cup soccer team have been granted visastothe United States,two U.S. officials said Friday,clearing them to enter the United States from theirtraining base in Tijuana, Mexico,aheadof their first two matches near Los Angeles this month. The team’sparticipation in the World Cup has been complicated by Iran’swar with Israel and the United States. Problems with processing visas hadearlier ledIran to move its training base from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana, which is on Mexico’sborder withCalifornia.

One U.S. official said all players on the Iranianteamwere approvedfor visasand were in the process of receiving them. Asecond official said visas had been issued for players,coaches, trainers and some support staff. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorizedtodiscuss thevisas publicly Thesecond official could not say whether any Iranian applicants had been denied. It was not

Iran’splayers work outduring atraining session on

“Sports transcends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitorsand fans from aroundthe world.”

TOMBARRACK, U.S. ambassador to Turkey

immediatelyclear when theIranianteam’spassports would be returned to them to allowthem to travel, but theofficial said it could be as earlyasFriday or Saturday

The squadhas been preparing for the WorldCup at atraining camp in Antalya, Turkey,before departing forTijuana. The team said it has already received visas

fromMexico’sembassy in Ankara

U.S. ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack credited the U.S. Embassy in Ankara for processing visas for theIranian team “Sportstranscends borders, and we look forward to welcoming competitors and fans from around theworld,” Barrack wrote in asocial media post Friday Iran plays its first two games in Inglewood, California, against

U.S. hopefultop defender Richards healthyfor WC

BY JAYCOHEN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO Chris Richardsjoined the U.S. for training on Friday in Chicago in apositive sign for the top Americandefender as he tries to make it back in time for the World Cup.

Richards tore two ligamentsin his left ankle while playing for England’sCrystal Palace on May 17. He has been ruled outfor Saturday’sfriendly againstGermany, but the U.S. is holding out hope that he might be able to play in itsWorld Cup opener next week against Paraguay

“Chris Richards is on the right path to coming back andbeing completely with the squad,”midfielder Weston McKennie said. “I think everyone trusts his body and what he feelsand thecoachingstaff as well. He’sanimportant piece of the group, (with) his energy,his leadership on and off the field. And so obviously we’re just all behind him and can’twait to have him back and out with the group.”

During the15-minute portion of practice that was open to the media, the 26-year-old Richards showed no signs of any issues as he warmed up with the rest of the team at Endeavor Health Perfor-

WORLD CUP

Continued from page1C

associationinsoccer-mad Uruguay said his company has arrangedtourpackages for about 3,000 fans, significantly fewerthan recent World Cups.

Priced out

The number of fans able to travel and take weeks off of work to cheer on their team during the World Cup understandably skews to the wealthy.But previous tournaments have remained accessible for fans who, in some cases, would save for years for their flights and match tickets.

Four years ago, lower-tier Category 3tickets to group stage matches were $69. This year,FIFAhas been sellingthemfor as much as $265. The last twotournaments in Russia and Qataroffered match-going fans free transportation among host cities,though many matches weremuchcloser than the vast area coveredbythe 16

mance Center,the practice home for Major League Soccer team Chicago Fire.

Richards, who missed the2022 World Cup because of ahamstring injury,isconsidered the bestcentral defender for the United States.

“Histraining and his evolution is well, but he still is notreadyto competeand to play,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettinosaidbefore practice.

Pochettinoand the U.S.are running out of time whenitcomesto making adecisiononRichards.

They can replace injured players on their 26-man roster until Thursday.

“Maybe this is the finalofthe World Cup, maybe he can play,” Pochettino said of Saturday’sgame at SoldierField, “but theadviceofthe medical area is not to play.”

TheU.S. iscomingoff a3-2 victory over Senegal on Sunday.After itsmatchup with Paraguay, theU.S. also has Group Dgames against Australia on June 19 and Turkey on June 25.

Germany also is playingits last friendlybefore its World Cup opener on June 14 against Curacao. It also has GroupEgames against the Ivory CoastonJune 20 andEcuador on June 25.

“We’ll be going into this game with alot of players that haven’t

stadiums hosting matches across the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Andwhile fans therewere not permitted by FIFAtosell their tickets on theofficial resale site for above face value, thesportsgoverning body has taken adifferent approachthistime— encouraging fans to resell tickets for as highastheywant, with FIFA pocketing 30%in fees along theway.FIFAdid not respond to arequestfor commentThursday but previouslyhas defended ticket prices asa reflectionof “record-breaking”demand Tomonori Akutsu, who lives outside Tokyo,said if he hadrealized howexpensive this tournament would be when he started making plans, he might have reconsidered attendinghis sixth straight World Cup

Without question,hebelieves,the U.S.has been the worst host, and tournament organizers have demonstrated a“completelack of hospitality in every aspect,” citing things such as ticket prices, aninflated resale market, expensive hotel prices andfan festivals that

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILEPHOTO By JEFF DEAN

United States defender Chris Richards controls the ball during afriendly match against Japan on Sept. 9inColumbus, Ohio. Richardsjoined the U.S. for training on Friday ahead of the WorldCup.

played against them yet, andplayersthat have,” McKennie said, “so Ithinkthe newenergy,the new style, thenew,just circumstances in generalleading into aWorld Cup, Ithink it’s going to be agreat test for us.”

TheU.S.has 13 players who were on Gregg Berhalter’sroster for the2022 World Cup, including 11 whomadeanappearance in Qatar.Berhalter was fired 10 months into his second stint as U.S. coach, but he took over the Fire when he was hired as head coach and director of football in October 2024.

cost money to attend.

“Simply,myimpression is this is America, theultimate capitalism,” Akutsu said.

Becerra spent $1,100 to see Argentina defeat France in the 2022 final in Qatar Forthe past threeWorld Cups,hefollowed Argentina through theknockout stages.

Not this time.

This year,hepaideven more —$1,200 —for aresale ticket to see Argentina’s match against low-ranked Jordan in Dallas.

“It’sabsolutely crazy.It’s just agroup stagematch,” said Becerra,a64-year-old ophthalmologist who lives in Neuquén.

Becerra will head home before theknockout stage begins.The prices,hesaid, are “justnot possible for me.”

Wilson said he and his friends opted to skip this summer’s tournament because they couldn’tjustify spending theprices they were seeing.

Wilsonnever hadspent more than $200 for any World Cup match—a price that, on the resalemarket,

Berhalter got achance to catch up with his son, Sebastian, amidfielder on theU.S.team,and some of his former playerswiththe Americans practicing at the Fire’sfacility.

“When Igot them,they were young. They were babies andthey were just learning what it takes to be aprofessional athlete,” Gregg Berhalter said. “And now when I see them,they’re men.They have kids. They’re adults, andthey knowexactly what it means to maintain themselves as professionals. Andit’sanamazing thing to see.”

barely buys anosebleed seat at agroup stagematch between two obscure teams this year.Instead, he and his friends have booked aPortugal getaway For Wilson, the World Cup is more about theatmosphere than the matches.

“That’sthe great thing aboutthese tournaments: You’re sitting at ahostel, chatting withU.S.fans, and then yougotoa barupthe road and thereare loads of Chileans who have just taken over theplace,”Wilsonsaid, recallinga memorable night in Johannesburg in 2010.“It’s stufflikethat which makes the World Cup. But now they’ve just priced everyone out.”

Some notdeterred

There is at least one group of supporters that appears determined tocome regardless of the cost: the Scots, whoare eager to see their team competeintheir first World Cup in 28 years.

Campbell Lewis and his friends beganbookingrefundable accommodations across theU.S. as soon as Scotlandqualified last year

NewZealand on June 15 and Belgium sixdays later,thenheadsto

Seattle to face Egypt on June 26. Iran and the U.S. could meet in the round of 32 on July 3inArlington, Texas, if both teams place second in their groups. President Donald Trump in March had discouraged Iran from participating in thetournament, saying he didn’tthink it was “appropriate” and raising concerns over players’ “lifeand safety.” Aday later, Iran’snationalteam pushed back, saying “no one can exclude” it from playing.

Iran finalized its team Monday, including 17 home-based players whose clubs have notplayed sinceFebruary because of the war. Star forward Sardar Azmoun wasdropped in March, reportedly because of asocial media post that angeredIranianauthoritiesduring the war

Iran’ssports minister said in March that it would “notbepossible”for theteam to participate in the World Cup, but the republic’ssoccer federation said in May it was moving ahead with ateam The federation hadinsisted that all players and staffbegranted visas, including thosewho hadmilitary serviceinthe Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

FIFA to allow factory-sealed, disposable water bottlesinto some stadiums

The Associated Press

FIFA announced on Fridaythat it will now allow fans to bring theirown water bottles to some stadiums during theWorldCup, adjustinga policy that hadbarred spectators frombringing refillable water bottles into the tournament’s 16 stadiums across NorthAmerica, including somewith limited or no shade from the sun. FIFAinasocial media post said fans will be permitted to bring one, soft, plastic, 20-ounce, factory-sealed,disposable water bottle into any match taking place in the United States or Canada. In avideo releasedbyFIFA, chief operating officer Heimo Schirgi saidfans will still not be permitted to bring in hard sided, reusable water bottles “due to safety and security reasons.” FIFAstated, “forthe avoidanceof doubt, reusable waterbottles may not be brought into the stadium.” FIFA’sstadium rules stated that fans could bring in atransparent, reusable bottle up to one liter,or 33.8 ounces capacity.OnThursday, the “Stadium Code of Conduct” update wascriticizedbya fan group, which argued FIFAhad given assurancesoncarrying emptyplastic bottles to fill with freely available water at atournamentwhere heat is expected to be afactor

before prices rose.

With thousands of Scottish fans expected to attend, tickets fortheir team’s matches have proven harder to get.

Butafter prices began to drop in recent weeks, Lewis boughttwo tickets for Scotland’ssecond match forhim andhis 10-year-old son. He and his friends are still waiting until the final days to get tickets to the team’sopener against Haiti, though. As of Thursday,the cheapest resale ticket for that match outside Boston exceeded $600.

“Fora lotofScottish people of my generation, this is aonce-in-a-lifetimething,” he said. “Wewere all kids thelast time we qualified. And even though the prices have gotten out of hand, there’s just this determination that we wanttogo.”

U.S. travel concerns

U.S. entry requirements also maybelimitinginternational visitors.

Unlike Russia in 2018, whichwaivedvisarequirements for ticket-holders, and Qatar in 2022, which streamlinedentry forfans,

many traveling to the U.S. still face strict visa requirements. Until the U.S. reversedcourse last month, ticket-holding fans from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegaland Tunisia were even going to have to pay as muchas$15,000 in bonds to enter the country Carlos Pera, president of Uruguay’stravel agency association, recentlytold Uruguay’sSubrayado that U.S.visarequirementswere among the reasons fewer Uruguayans are going. U.S. officials have pushed back on concerns about visitors encountering an unwelcome environment, andthe White House’sWorld Cup task forcehas highlighted efforts to prioritize visa interviews forfanswithtickets. Andrew Giuliani, who leads the task force, dismissed concerns Thursday that traditionaltraveling supporters maybestaying away “Wewant superfans and first-time visitors alike to know: Americawelcomes youtowhatwill be the greatest World Cup yet,” he said in astatement.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByKHALIL HAMRA

TuesdayinAntalya, Turkey.Members of the Iranian soccer teamhavebeen granted visas to the United States ahead of the WorldCup.

agame againstthe Cleveland Guardians on TuesdayinNew york. Judgewas placed on the 10-dayinjured list Friday.

Judgetomisssignificant time with fracturedrib

BY LARRYFLEISHER

Associated Press

NEW YORK The New York Yankees placed Aaron Judge on the 10-day injured list Friday,a day afterannouncing the slugger has astress fracture in one of his ribs that will keephim off thefieldindefinitely

The three-time AL MVP will rest andhavelimited activity before getting re-evaluated andhaving additional imaginginabout four to six weeks. The Yankees said in astatement that Judge is expected to return “at some point this season.”

“Very disappointed,” Judge said before the Yankees opened athreegame series against the RedSox on Friday.“That’swhy we went through every measurewecould to get an expert to take alook to see what wasgoing on in there, but definitely not what youwant to hear —any fracture or anything like that.”

“He really is going to have some downtime,” general manager Brian Cashman said. “So once hegets cleared to have the imaging and stuff like that, hopefullyitcomes back positive at that pointand then we can start mapping out areturn

to playprotocol and expect him back and get aclearer picture of when that would be.”

Judge underwent aCTscan on Thursday and had an MRIearlier in the week when he met with a specialist. The Yankees initially said Judge had shoulder soreness before clarifying the injury was to arib on hisright side, which was first revealed when Judge underwent testing on Monday, the team’s offday Judgesaidhefirst experienced pain while making adiving catch on April26inHouston and added that crashing intothe right-field fencetocomplete acatch on May 3againstBaltimore “didn’thelp.”

The pain intensified last weekend, when hewas 2for 12 against the Athletics, leading to an array of tests and findings.

“I kind of felt the symptoms for thepast month and we did everything we could to make sure we couldbeout there,”Judge said. “InSacramento, it just gotalittle worse. So, Ifought it as longasI could.”

Including astint on the COVID-19 injuredlist in July 2021, Judgeisonthe IL for the 10th time since debutingAug.13, 2016. He missed 45 games with afractured

right wrist in 2018,54games with a strainedleft oblique in 2019 and 42 games withafractured toe in 2023 after crashing into awall while making acatch at Dodger Stadium.

In 2023, the Yankees went 19-23 while Judge wasonthe injured list

“Obviously,you’re not going to replace Aaron Judge, and we all know how important he is to our club, but we’re also very confident in our ability to go out there and absolutely have theexpectation to continue to win games,” manager AaronBoone said.

The Yankees recalled Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre for his second stint with theteam to replace Judge.

The 34-year-old Judge is hitting .248 with 17 home runs and 38 RBIs. But he hasjust one homer in his last 18 games since May 10 andended an 11-gamehomer and RBI drought withagame-ending, two-run drive on May 24 against theTampa Bay Rays.

Judge entered thegame against TampaBay in a1-for-24 slump thatdropped his batting average to .246. He was hitless in 15 at-bats before singling in thefirst inning.

“That was probably the biggest thing,” Judge said. “I just couldn’t swing theway Iwanted to.”

STAFF FILE PHOTO By

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier,left, is tackledbyNew Orleans Saints safety JonasSanker after running for a firstdownduring agame on Nov. 23 at the Caesars Superdome.

SAINTS

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taught him the basics of playing inside. That versatility was enoughthat Moore said he’d have felt comfortable puttingSanker there last year,ifneeded. (Taylor played all 17 games and96% of the defense’ssnaps.)

The Saints also saw a“mental toughness” in Sanker last year that assured them he’d be up for the task, Joseph said. The Saints observed it from the moment Sankerwas called on to be astarter in Week 2. And then Sanker’s play further developed,with Joseph praising the safety’sspeed, athleticism and ability to hold up in coverage. “All of those are the characteristics of agood Star,” Joseph said.

ThroughoutOTAs, theSaints have tested Sankertosee whether their intuition was right. During 7-on-7 drills, New Orleans routinely willsendreceivers in motion, which often forces Sanker to travel with them. Then, when the ball is snapped, quarterback Tyler Shough hasn’tbeen shy in targeting the optionnearest Sanker But Sankerisholding his own. Safety Justin Reid said Sanker’s speed was instrumental to his rookie year, calling it a“superpower” that helps him make plays.Hesaid at the end of the year,hestressed to Sanker thathe shouldn’tdoanything that takes away from it “Aslong as he canrun,hecan play,” Reid said. Though he has spent most of his time learning his newposition, Sanker hasn’tabandoned playing free safety, either.The Saintsuse

Bearsplanningto move forwardwith Indianastadium

BY JAYCOHEN AP sportswriter

CHICAGO

The Chicago Bears are looking to build astadium in Northwest Indiana after aproposal to provide financial incentives for theNFL team to build its new home in Illinois stalled in thestatelegislature.

The Bears’ boardofdirectors votedThursday to moveforward withastadium development project in Hammond, Indiana. The team hadbeen doing its due diligence on atract of land near Wolf Lake, but it said Friday that an exact site had not been selected.

“Webelieve aworld-class stadium project in Hammondwill transform the region, connectingNorthwest Indiana to the South Side of Chicagothrough the Loopand across neighborhoods andsuburbs stretching north of the city,” the Bearssaid in astatement thatthe team attributed to chairman George McCaskey andteam president Kevin Warren.“It will bringChicagoland together anddeliver new opportunities to its residentsand businesses.”

Indiana Gov.Mike Braun welcomed the team’sannouncement.Acommittee in the Indiana House of Representatives passed abill in February that establishedaNorthwest Indiana Stadium Authority to finance, construct andleaseastadium.

“Welook forward to building a partnershipasstrong as the ’85 Bears defense, creating opportunities and economic growth that will benefit our state and the Bears organization for decades to come,” Braun said in a statement. “An NFLfranchise in Northwest Indiana will be an economicboost to theentire

regionlike we haven’tseen before.”

The Bears, acharterNFL franchise, have played in Illinois sincethe team’s founding in 1920 as the Decatur Staleys. They moved to Chicago in 1921 and called Wrigley Field home before they started playing at SoldierField in September 1971. TheBears’ leaserunsthrough 2033, but they can paya fee to break thelease early. Soldier Fieldisabout 40 miles south of HalasHall—the team’s headquarters in LakeForest, Illinois —and Hammond is about 20 miles south of the team’slakefront stadium.

Matt Hill,a spokesperson for IllinoisGov.JBPritzker,said the governor “remains open to asensible solutionthatprotects taxpayers.”

“The Bears have built astoried legacy in Illinois for over 100 yearsbut have spent the last six years, andespecially the last few months, shifting their position on astadium location,” Hill said in astatement. “Thathas hindered their progress. Todayappearsto be anotherinstance of thatafter Illinois leaders have been working with the Bears in good faith.”

The Bears also had been considering Arlington Heights about30milesnorthwest of Chicago —asapotential location for their newstadium.

The Illinois Senate passed a bill early Mondaymorning that would have cleared the way for Arlington Heights and Chicago to createlocal stadium authorities,creating apathway for the Bears to avoid paying property taxes on anew stadium in Illinois. But the House adjourned without taking up the measure on the last day of the state’s spring legislative session.

SOUTHERN

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andfive interceptionswhile leading Hutchinsontoan11-1record.

The team’sonly loss wasa 28-10 defeat to Iowa Western in the national championship game. Christian Johnson originally signed withUL-MonroeinDecember but reopened his recruitmentafter notattending the school during the spring semester, according to apost he made on X. He will competefor the Southern starting jobwith the other quarterbacks ahead of Southern’s season opener against Alabama State on Aug. 29 in Birmingham, Alabama. Curtis Johnson said the battle remains wide open entering camp

“Noone knows yet,” he said.

“We’ve got quite afew guys, and trainingcampwillweed it all out. It’ll be agreat quarterback competition this fall.”

Sankerathis oldspotwhenthe third-string defense is on thefield, perhaps as away to make sure he stays sharp if needed to go back there. Blackmon, who is now the starting free safety,has alengthy injuryhistory

Last year,the Saints reliedon Taylor’s versatility by having himlineupasanoutside corner in their base defense. Similarly there’sachance Sanker could be asked to play safety inbase, if Blackmon goes down again.

But Sankerisonboard with switching roles. He saidhegladly embracedthe change when his coaches asked whether he’d be open to the shift

“A lotofthe way we use the nickel is to setthe force,”Sanker said.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

The Southern quarterback room includes returning senior Ashton Strother andredshirt freshman Dillon Compton, who didnot appear in agamelast season. The Jaguars also signed VashaunCoulon(St. Augustine), Mario Litmer (Highlands High School in Kentucky) and Wyatt McCauley,who spent his freshmanyear at Long Beach City College Strother was oneofthe team’s two primarystarters last season under former coach Terrence Graves.

In 10 games as ajunior,Strother completed 89 of 171 passes

The Bears have played in Illinois since1920 and started playingat SoldierField in September 1971.

for 1,111 yards, four touchdowns andfive interceptions. He also rushed for94yards andfour touchdowns on 50 attempts.

Faulk told TheAdvocateata charitygolfevent which quarterback hadthe edge after spring practice.

“Right now, Ashtondid agreat job,and Iwould put himahead of Wyatt right now,”Faulk said April 22.

He said that theresult wasn’t too surprising given thedifference in experience

“I just think it waskind of unfair,” Faulk said.“Youknow, Wyatt’sa redshirt freshman and Ashton’sasenior.Obviously, Ashtonbeing able to manage the game, to deal with the things that youwanta quarterback to (do), just looked the part. He did that better.But all in all, Istill like where Wyattis.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back said during spring practicethatheprefers to name astarting quarterback as early as possible,a shift from the previous regime’s approach.Last season’sstarter wasn’tknown aquarterbackwas on thefield during the opener against North Carolina Central.

“They understand it’sabattle,” Faulk said on March 16. “We’re notgoingintothe fall with acompetition. It’stoo late. We’re going to figure this out this spring and alittlebit of thesummerwith what we call player-led practices,PLPs, howtheyhandle those. And we’re going to make adecision.

“If No. 2beatshim outbeyond that, it happens. But No. 1has to knowhe’sNo. 1.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ADAM HUNGER

Newyork yankeesright fielderAaron Judgelooks on fromthe dugout during the seventh inning of

AP FILEPHOTO By KAMIL KRZACZyNSKI

DAVID GRUNFELD

Knicks takecontrol

‘Spurs Nuns’havespecial relationship with franchise

BY TIM REYNOLDS

AP basketball writer

SAN ANTONIO Victor Wembanya-

ma stepped off the court for amomentbefore Game 1ofthe NBA Finals, accepted greetingsfroma handful of well-wishers in San Antonio Spurs jerseys, then bowed his head to join themina quick prayer They’re the Salesian Sisters of St. John Bosco. On game nights, they’re called the Spurs Nuns.

New York has Ben Stiller,Tina Fey and Tracy Morganamong its superfans; San Antonio has a group of nuns who wear Spurs jerseys over their habits. It’s arelationship that goes back at least 20 years or so,and to the sisters it makes perfect sense.

“We’re serving the poor and theyoung,” said Sr.Bernadette Mota, the director of the department of missionadvancement forthe Salesian Sisters.“And in order to reach the young where they’re at, you have to love what theyloveand then they’ll love who you love. So,wehave that affinity with the Spurs because it gives us an avenuetodoour mission with the youngpeople that we serve.”

As the story goes, acouple of decades ago some of the retired sisters —who happened to be native Texans and big Spurs fans —would watch the games on TV or listen on the radio, some even doing so while hospitalized. They would cheer for all the players and for coach Gregg Popovich. But Popovich would sometimes seem a bit angry on the sidelines, prompting some of the sisters to reach out with letters.

“They would write tocoach Popovich and let him know when they thought he was doing great and let him know when he lost his temper —but they were really supporting him,” Mota said. “He’s the one that actually responded back to them, thanking them for their support for him and for the Spurs. It was really just avery organic conversation that started all of this.” Yes, it’strue: The nunswould scold Pop forbad behavior

“Theywould —inanice way,ina veryniceway,” Mota said. “They’d be like, ‘Coach, you lost your tem-

Continued from page1C

Tennessee.

The LSU men, who are 2-1 in ACC/SEC Challenge matchups so far, lead Wake Forest4-2 in the all-time series and have won the last three matchups, one ofwhich came during Wade’sfirst stintin Baton Rouge. The last meeting was an 86-80 overtime win in 2023 during the fifth-place game of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, South Carolina

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERICGAy

The Salesian Sistersgreet Victor Wembanyamaprior to Game 1ofthe NBAFinals between the Newyork Knicks and the SanAntonio Spurs on WednesdayinSan Antonio.

per there, come on, we’re praying for you, you can dobetter.’ ” Popovich and the Spurs have kept arelationship with the sisters since. Popovich’slate wife Erin, whodied in 2018, also had close tiestothe sisters and their work. It has been amutually beneficial relationship; the Spurs love having thesisters at games, and thestory of whatthe nuns do when they’re notwatching basketball hasled to many peopleoffering to help their mission.

“We’ve had anumber of individual people reach out and they’ve been donating anywhere from $10 to $100, and we’ve had afew who have larger capacity reach out,too,” Mota said. “All of this is divine providence,God’s gift,because we’re actually very much in need. Our mission,werely on the generosity of people who are our partners and collaborators in our mission.”

Thesisters aren’tthe only fan group that the Spurs have embraced. This season also brought the Jackals —agroup that was envisioned by Wembanyama with hopes ofsimulatingwhat happens in European soccermatches, with organized chants,drummingand the likethroughoutthe game.

Thenuns pray.The Jackals chant “Olé, Olé, Olé.” Different approach, same inten-

The LSU women are 3-0 in the ACC/SEC Challenge, andtheylast met North Carolina in 2016. The two programs also faced offin theElite Eight in 2008, when the Tigers won 56-50 to secure their fifthtrip to the Final Four Wade,aheadofthe first season of hissecondstintwith the Tigers, is overhauling the program’sentire roster.Mulkey, ahead of hersixth season in charge at LSU, is replacing star Flau’jaeJohnson and two guards who decided to transfer: JadaRichard (Ole Miss) and Bella Hines (TCU). So far, Wade andhis staffhave

LSUlands

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU baseball landed its first two transfers out of the portal on Thursday and Friday Gonzagafreshman right-hander LandonHood signedwithLSU, multiple sources confirmed to The Advocate on Thursday Then on Friday,Texas State shortstop Dawson Park announced on social media he is coming to Baton Rouge. Hood posted a2.48 ERA in 541/3 innings in his first collegiate season, acampaign strong enough for himtowin the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year award and becomeasecondteam All-WCC selection.

He’s from Goodyear, Arizona,anareaofthe country LSU coach Jay Johnson is certainly familiar with. At Gonzaga, Hood missed alot of bats, striking out12.9 batters per nine innings while mostly limiting freepasses. He walked 9.3% of the batters he faced and hit six hitters.

Hood was mostly used as areliever at Gonzaga.Only four of his 16 appearances werestarts, and he had five saves. The Tigers areset to lose at leastseven right-handedpitchers from thisyear’steam, andHood should help fill the gap. Park hada .962 on-base plus slugging percentageand 13 home runs as asophomore at Texas State. He committed 10 errors andexperienced aspike in his power thanks to an elevated fly ball rate that rose from 31.1% as afreshman to 45.9% as asophomore. Park played in only 48 games this season after leaving the program in early May,after he reportedly gotintoanon-field altercationwith ateammate during Texas State’sloss to South Alabama on May 3. With Steven Milam possibly off to MLB, Park could take his spot at shortstop. He could also help theTigers at secondbase, aposition where they have only one player projected to return in Jack Ruckert.

tions.

“I’veknown for yearsthat the Spurs communityhad this strength in them,” Wembanyama said. “Now tofinally see it being channeledintosomething organizedand efficientand effective it’sa great joy.”

Joy.That’sthe word thesisters use as well.

It wascertainly notedbythose around the Spurs that the sisters gave Luke Kornet aspecialblessing during the Western Conference finals, andhecame up with an incredible chase-down block midway through the fourth quarter of Game 7inOklahomaCity,helping to ensure that San Antonio would win thatgame and earnthis NBA Finals trip

Divine intervention? Maybe.

It’s also notlostonthe sistersthat PopeLeo XIV’sprayer intention for June is on thevalueofsports andhow they can promote peace and respect across the globe.

“I don’tknowifhis people who helped himout in terms of creating prayerintentions were also in tune withwhat’sgoing on with the sisters and the San Antonio Spurs,” Mota said. “Maybe, maybe not.I have no idea. But Ijust thought it was pretty awesome thathis prayer intention for June is for sports.”

landed fourinternational players andfourDivisionI transfers. They also reportedly have acommitment from RJ Luis, aformer Big Eastplayerofthe year who’sappeared in NBApreseason games.

Mulkey is adding onefreshman —McDonald’sAll-American wing Lola Lampley —and three transfers, including former Iowa Statepoint guard Jada Williams. She was one of the 2026 transfer cycle’stop players.

The tipoff time and TV network details for each ACC/SEC Challenge matchup will be announced at alater date.

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

Joe Dumars, executive vice president of basketball operationsfor theNew Orleans Pelicans, continuestoassemble his staff. The Pelicans hired Amanda Green as executive director of strategy and analytics, the team announced Friday Green, whospent 11 years with the Oklahoma City Thunder,returns to the NBA after spending this pastyear as theassociate general counsel at Vanderbilt University Shespent four of her12years with the Thunder as vice president of team counseland strategic alignment. Vanderbilt athletic director Candice Storey Lee had this to say about Green when the school hired her last year:

“She’shelped shape championship environments from the benchtothe boardroom andunderstands how successful organizationsembraceopportunity by working together to maximize potential,” Lee said on the school’s website. Green earned her bachelor’s degreeineconomics from Duke in 2006 before obtaining her law degree from Georgetown in 2010. During her time in Oklahoma City,she wasinstrumental in helping make sure oneofthe NBA’s most successful franchises

complied with theleague’s collective bargaining agreement. Prior to her timewith the Thunder,Green worked for the NBA as an intellectual property associate. She got her start in the NBA as a basketball operations intern with theSan AntonioSpurs.Inher role there, she supported the front office with analytical and logistical data. She worked there with Sam Presti, who is nowthe general manager for theOklahoma City Thunder Green’shiring is the second one the Pelicans have announced this week.

On Thursday,the Pels named Thomas Scott as general manager of the LaketownSquadron, theteam’sGLeague team. The Squadronwill playthis season in Kenner afterspending the past five seasons in Birmingham Scott brings awealth of experience in everything from basketball operations to player development to coaching andtalent evaluation.

He was director of basketball operationsfor the BIG3, theprofessional 3-on-3league founded by rapperand actor IceCube His GLeague coaching experience includes stops with the Erie BayHawks, Cleveland Charge, SouthBay Lakers, Mexico City Capitanes and GLeague Ignite. It’s areturn to NewOrleans for Scott, whose NBAcareer began as an assistant video coordinatorwith the then-NewOrleans Hornets. He also hashad player development coaching roles with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers.

AP PHOTO By LACHLAN CUNNINGHAM Gonzagapitcher Landon Hood pitches during agame against Saint Mary’sonApril17inMoraga, Calif. Green

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERICGAy San Antonio Spursguard Dylan Harper dunks as Newyork Knicks center Karl-AnthonyTowns, right,and guard LandryShamet lookonduring the firsthalf of Game 2ofthe NBAFinals on Friday in SanAntonio. The Knicks won105-104.

Help teens navigate life nowthat they’remore exposed

Afew months ago, Iwas speaking to agroup of parents when afather saidsomething I’ve been hearing more and more lately “I just don’tthink kids today are as resilient as we were.” Several heads nodded. Iunderstood what he meant Many adults look at the rising rates of anxietyamong young people and wonder what happened. We rememberriding our bikes until dark, settling disagreements face-to-face and figuring things out without needing atherapist. Compared to that, today’steenagerscan seem more emotionallyoverwhelmed.

But after spending more than two decadescounseling adolescentsand theirfamilies, I’m not convinced today’steensare more fragile.

Ithink they’re more exposed. Most of us got to survive adolescence without carrying our peer group around in our pocket.When Iwas growing up, if you weren’tinvited somewhere, you might eventually hear about it on Monday morning. It stung, but there was some distancebetween the eventand thedisappointment

Today’steens find out in real time. Aphoto gets posted. A story goes up. Agroup selfie appears online. Within seconds, ateen knows exactly whowas there, who wasn’t, and where they stand —oratleast where they think they stand. Many adults underestimate how exhausting that canbeand what atoll it can take on an adolescent’smental health.

Imagine if every awkward moment from your teenage years had the potential to be photographed, recorded, shared, commented on andrevisited. Imagine if popularity came with numbersattached to it. Followers. Likes. Views. Streaks. Most adults would struggle under those conditions.

Teens today aren’tweak They’re navigating an environment we neverhad to face. Their developmental tasks haven’tchanged that much They’re still trying to answer the same questions they always have: Who am I? Do I belong? Am Ienough? What’schanged is the volume. The comparison is louder The pressure is louder.The audience is larger.And unlike “our day,” it rarelysleeps. When we judge teens as fragile or “snowflakes” it shows we don’tunderstand their reality.When we don’t understand what someoneis going through, they’ll resist our influence. And influence is the ballgame when it comes to teens. There are already so many obstacles to influencing them positively,wecan’tafford another. Understanding isn’tthe same thing as excusing. Teenagers still need accountability.They still need boundaries. They still need adults who challenge them to take responsibility for their choices. But they also need adults whounderstand the world they’re navigating One of the greatestgifts we can offer young people is a place where they don’thave to perform, manage an image, compete for attention or worry about being judged. Aplace where they can simply be themselves.

Servedsparkle

Chasingthe unusual, BatonRouge’s Supper Club adds $5,000 cocktail to itsmenu

BY NATALEIGH PARKER

Contributingwriter

Four yearsin, the swanky Supper ClubinBaton Rouge continues to delight diners fromnearand far withintention, whether that’sinits A5 wagyu with 24K gold Ossetra Caviar, creme brulee flamed tableside or the new $5,000 cocktail.

During LSU’sgraduation weekend in May, one Alabama guest in town to celebratea family member was so impressed with therestaurant that she Facetimed her husband back hometo show him themenu and the dining room’ssleek design.

While she was showing him the menu, he noticedthe $5,000 martini. Afterthey hung up, he called therestaurant, gave thenameof the reservation and his credit card and ordered thedrink —and the diamond tennis bracelet that comes withit— for his wife.

“It’sveryimportant that our guests haveacertainexperience

when they come here. From the momentthey pull intothe parking lot to the time they are leaving, we want to controlevery aspect,” executive chef Leighton Carbo said.

“So we think of every possible thingtomakethat happen. Carbo saidthose aspects aim to

Korean conveniencestore

Seoul stop is opening asecond location on Siegen Lane.

enhance all five senses.

Intimidation coupledwithnerves

SupperClub isn’tlike most restaurants in Louisiana, let alone in Baton Rouge, but that difference is

SCOTT Staff writer

STAFFPHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

The DiamondsAre Forevercocktail is a$5,000 martini servedatSupper Clubthat comes with adiamond tennis bracelet from Anton’sFine Jewelry.

STAFFFILE PHOTOByLAUREN CHERAMIE

RoyPetitfils

Carbo

Former classmate keepsbringingup decades-oldhistory

Dear Miss Manners: In my senior year of high school, Igot pregnant, and back in those times, Iwas not allowed to graduate. Imarried my child’s father and raised two children withhim. We weredivorced many years later,mostly because we had not finished growing up when we married. Idid go on to attend classes at alocal community college, and later married another man.Wehad 30 wonderful years together,and were very successful in our marriage, our life and with the multiple businesses we built together. Ihave been blessed with wonderful children and grandchildren, all of whom either have successful careers or are college-bound.

comparison —or wondering why your life turned out so well.

In any case, Miss Manners agrees that it is her problem, not yours. And politely acting as such and showing concern will have the added benefit of only annoying her more.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Dear Miss Manners: There was asocial media post about awoman who wore ablack three-piece suit, with awhite shirt, to her brother’swedding.

Thebride,groom and bridesmaids treated the woman rudely,stating thatitwas because she was wearing awhite shirt, which was inexcusable. Ultimately,itescalated to the groom’smother intentionally spilling red wine on her,and with the groom stating “You’re dead to me”because shewore the white shirt

Chef Leighton Carbo chills

MARTINI

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Ahigh school friend, who married and lives well, cannot see me without bringing up, in some fashion, that Idid not graduate when we werein high school. At areunion, her comment in the group where I was standing was, “Oh, you had achild by the time you were 18.” Ismiled and said, “Yes, I did.”

Ihave no idea why she refuses to let go of this —and how does it affect her life, anyway? Truthfully,Ifeel it is her problem, not mine. Because we attend common interest functions, Isee her three or four times ayear.I’m certain that Miss Manners would not wish for me to be terribly forward with her,but after 50 years, I’ve had enough.

Gentle reader: Next time she points out your history,try saying,“Yes, you mention that frequently.Isthere areason? Is everything OK in your family?”

Although she may not be willing to admit it, this woman is likely dissatisfied with her own choices andtrying to make herself feel better in

Obviously,guestsshould not wear white dresses to weddings unless asked to do so. Does this stricture extend to wearing white shirtsunder suits? If so, does it only apply to women?

Gentlereader: Apparently Because otherwise, Miss Manners feels certainthat most of the men attending would now be wearing red-stained shirts as well.

So this reaction is absurd as well as vicious. Because it was so awful, Miss Manners will delicately refrain from noticing thatthe black suit part was also incorrect. Black attire at awedding looks funereal, and was traditionally considered a protest

Then again, perhaps this guest was anticipating her hosts’ atrocious behavior

Send questions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www. missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@ gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO64106.

RELIGION BRIEFS FROM STAFFREPORTS

St. Francis Episcopal Church plans 2events

St. Francis Episcopal Church, 726 Maple St., Denham Springs, will host apet memorial service of prayer and remembrance at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday

In honor of International Pet Memorial Day,the service will provide an opportunity to remember and celebrate beloved pets and animal companions who have enriched lives. Attendees are invited to email aphoto of their pet to saintfrands@gmail.com for display during the service or bring a photo with them.

The church will also collect pet food donations for the Den-

TEENS

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ham Springs Food Pantry,which assistslocal familiesand their pets.

Thecommunity is invited.

The chuch also will hold its semi-annual garage sale from 7a.m. to 3p.m. Friday-Saturday, June19-20.

Shoppers will finda wide variety of treasures, including clothing, toys, home décor,tools, housewares and more. Proceeds will supportthe mission and ministry of the church.

Thepublic is invited to the sale, as well as to Sunday worship servicesat10a.m.

For more information on the events, call(225) 665-2707 or visit www.stfrands.org.

theobjective.

On Fridays,the servers come in 30 minutes early to learn new details,whether theeducation is on wineornew items. Thegoal is to enhancetheir knowledge andcapabilitiestoprovide an elevated level of service. With acombination of top-tier service, high-qualityingredients and asophisticated, upscale environment,the restaurant setsitself apart from others.

“We’re not really trying to competewithanyone in town,” Carbo said. “We’re trying to be completely different.”

The initialsuspense of Supper Club starts from the outside —it’s anondescript cement building hiddenoff of Perkins Road.The building may seem intimidating to guestsasthey open the gigantic door “It’sanintimidation and almost gives you butterflies if you’ve never been here,”Carbo said.

Co-owner Mackenzie Landry, alongwithhusband Brandon Landry, worked with aluxury design team to build an environment that’ssophisticated, yet playful, to create aworld apart from theordinary

Afew,well-thought-out details include the chainwalls —handmade in Barcelona, Spain —as well as the chandeliers purchased from Milan.

Carbo introduced “goodie fries,” asmall gift from the kitchen to welcome the guests in and provide comfort.

Pushingthe envelope

To maintain its edgy,mysterious and unapologetic reputation, SupperClub consistently adds new menu itemstokeep guestsontheir toes

Thenewestcocktail, Diamonds Are Forever,upped theante—not necessarily for thedrink, but for thethree-carat tennis bracelet from Anton’sFine Jewelry that’s presented withit. Supper Club doesn’tdotraditional marketing,

SEOULSTOP

Continuedfrom page1D

Carbo said. The purpose of the $5,000 cocktail is to push the envelope, elevating the customer experience

The inspiration camefrom Papi Steak,arestaurant in Miami, Florida,thatsells a$33,000 martini with aBirkin bag. Supper Club decided to make the cocktail “fit”Baton Rouge by giving theirown take on it with Diamonds Are Forever

“It’snot on themenufor us to sell abunch of them.It’snot on themenutobelike ‘man,this is going to generate abunch of sales, andthisisgoing to make so much money,’ ”Carbo said. “Weactually don’teven makemoney on the necklace.” Alot of psychology went into putting the cocktail on the menu, said Noah Trahan, aSupper Club bartenderand server. The restaurant already has steep prices, so the$5,000 martini makes the $200 steak look “normal.”

“What that does is, when you see somethingthat’ssoexpensive like that, it makes everything else feel less expensive,” Trahan said.

Despiteputting the cocktail on the menu with theinitialthought that it wouldn’tsell, six have sold in the six months it has been on the menu.

Supper Club’s ‘why’

The presentation of thecocktail

isn’tonly an experience for the guest who purchased it, but for every guest in the restaurant. The lights go dim, immediately generating suspense, while the song “Diamonds Are Forever” from the James Bond franchise plays over the speakers.

While the martini is being crafted with Belvedere 10, aluxury Polish vodka brand, flashlights shine over thecocktail. Once created, the staff follows the server who presents the cocktail with sparklers and flashlights.

To complete thepresentation, the server puts on awhite glove andcarefully places thediamond bracelet on the guest’swrist.

“A lotoftimes, especially after the presentation, I’ll go back to my tables, and they always ask, ‘What was that?’ and I’m like,‘Well, that is the Diamonds Are Forever,’ ” Trahan said.

Supper Club has earned its reputation as ahigh-end dining experiencebycreating one-of-a-kind dishes using premium ingredients —leaving each guest witha new taste and story.Nomatter the person or theoccasion, the“why” behind Supper Club remains top priority

“You’vegot to have awhy,” Carbo said. “And our whyisthe guest experience.”

Jan Risher contributed to this report.

They’re nota weaker generation.They’rejust more exposed. As we adults cometounderstand that reality we’ll be better equipped to help them

The encouraging news is that Isee resilience in teenagers every day.Isee it in my counseling sessions, in schools andin conversations after parentpresentations. Isee young people whocare deeply,persevere throughdifficultcircumstances and continueshowing up despite enormous pressures.

“The second location will be more large in terms of square footage,” Kim said. “We’re going to be able to offer more variety of deli foods. We’regoing to have afull kitchen.”

Amongthe offerings are Korean beautyproducts, aK-pop section, Korean stationery and two photo booths. New food items include Korean corn dogs, fried foods and Korean side dishes also known as banchan. Manyofthe offerings at theoriginallocation will also be at thenew spot, suchasfruitsandos(oneof Kim’sfavorites), apopular dessert sandwich made with whipped cream and fruit. Thefinalfood

menu is still in theworks, Kim said. Another of Kim’sfavorites is the spicy sausage bun madewith amilk bun, sausage and drizzled withaspicybuldakcarbonarainspired sauce. Inside, there’ll be adining area with 30 seats, and the outside patio will have about 16 seats. “It’sgoing to be fun, andit’sgoing to be great,” Kim said. “We’re looking forward to it.”

STAFFPHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

amartini glass before serving the DiamondsAre Forevercocktail, a$5,000 martini that comes withadiamond tennis bracelet from Anton’sFineJewelry,atSupperClub on May29.

The DiamondsAre Forevermartini is crafted with Belvedere 10, aluxury Polish vodka brand, while flashlights shine over the cocktail

LISTEN UP

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ Associated Press

NEW YORK Yoselin Sanchez has been in chronic pain since she was bornwith cervicalscoliosis. While little eases the discomfort, she’s found ways todistract herself from hurting. She practices yoga. She performs free flow dance. And while she works, she frequently listens to house music tuned to 432 hertz, a frequency lower than typical concert pitch.

Music recorded in 432 hertz is taking offonsocial media platforms and music streaming services, where userscan find an increasing number of tracks and playlists employing the alternate tuning, everything from meditation soundscapestoreggae songs recorded by Ziggy Marley

Scientists say there’sno robust evidence that music tuned to 432 hertz has any special benefits or healing properties. Some musicians and listeners say it helps them connect with nature, relax or concentrate.

versity.“For most of music history, peopleare just singing within their own vocal range,” she added.

“There are frequencies going on right now that are higher than what we can hear and lower than what can hear.And they’re not special because they’re one of the billions and billions of frequenciesthat we’rereceiving right now,” said Susan Rogers, aBerklee College of Music professor emeritus who worked as Prince’ssound engineer during the 1980s. “Toset one aside and say that it is the frequency of the universe is, as far as the science community is concerned, nonsense.”

To Sanchez, who provides telehealth services for ahealthcare management organization in California,itdoesn’t matter if the feelings shehas while listening to 432 hertz music have ascientific explanation

“It helps me focus and be engaged with the patient I’m assisting, and it also helps me relax,” she said. “When it comes to music, it could activate different feelings in people, the vibrations of it. It’snot like aone-size-fitsall.”

Thestory behind 440, 432hertz

Throughout history,as people sang or played music together,they tuned theirinstrumentstothe samepitchto create aharmonioussound. Singers andmusiciansoften chosea musical note —typically the Aabove middle C on apiano —asareference point.

The music genre knownas“432 Hz” is characterized by its tuning, in which the Aabove middle Cispitchadjusted to vibrate at 432 hertzinstead of the standard 440 hertz. The lower frequency is noticeabletothe naked ear,sounding like slightly lower notes. Some people feel the alteration produces awarmer,more harmonious sound that resonates with the human body and the natural world Most orchestras and musicians now tune their instruments to 440 hertz. But that wasn’talways the case. Until the 19th century,musicians tuned instruments according to local standards, which variedfromone country to thenext, said Fanny Gribenski, amusic historian at New York Uni-

Eventually, therewereorchestras andmusical groups tuning to higher frequencies, and some composersbecameconcerned that singers would be unable to perform music from the past, Gribenskisaid

“Theideathat it should be mainly alower frequency than the ones that wereinuse at thetimeisreally the cultural concern for protecting music from the past, protecting thevoices of singers,” shesaid.

At the same time, as international travel became more widespread, the desire for acommon tuning frequency grew. In 1939, representatives from multiple European countries andthe U.S. agreed to accept 440 hertz as the international standard.

Artists continuedtoexperiment with pitch over the decades that followed.

In the 1980s and ’90s, sound engineers sometimes took arecorded song and sped it up or slowed it down to achieve abrighter or slowersound, moving away from thefrequency of 440 hertz,

Rogers said

But Rogers doubts that retuning a whole band or orchestra to 432 hertz would improve its sound since many modern instruments weredesigned to sound prettiest while tunedto 440 hertz.

“Some of those instruments might sound alittle sweeter,but it’s likely that mostwon’t,” she said.

Higher pitch generally meansmore brilliance, or perhaps alittle more power in some instruments, Gribenski said.For those listenerswho appreciate the lower 432 hertz music, “I wonder if there isasense of deceleration, slowingdownslightly,and also taking onestepdownfromthe bright sounds of modernity,” she said.

Workingand 432hertz music

Fans of working while accompanied by a432 hertz soundtrack cite avariety of reasons.

Amelia Beamer,who handles marketing at the North Carolina pharmacy her parents own, Andrews Apothecary, says she thinkstaking work breaks to

listen to music tuned to 432 hertz helps with herattention deficit hyperactivity disorder.She’snoticed thatshe feels morefocused if she listens before she startsa project.

Beamer works for 25 minutes, takes afive-minutelistening break and then returnstothe task at hand. She also listenstoother frequencies,such as music tuned to 528 hertz.

“It definitely helps me feel more grounded and morecentered,” Beamer said of 432 hertz music. “Ithelps me slow down andtotakesome intentional space and timefor myself.”

Diana Wolf Torres, whocreates videos and writes anewsletter about robots, frequently gets migraines and is sensitive to noises. If agardener is using aleaf blower next door,she has difficultyignoring it.Listening to music tuned to 432 hertz or other sounds suchaswhitenoisewhile wearing noise-canceling headphones helps.

“I just want to be there and get it done and feel like I’m doing my best writing possible, andanything that keepsmeinthe zone is afantastic tool,” Torres said. Torresdoesn’tthink there’sany science or special properties behind 432 hertz musicbut that“maybe somepeople find this lower tuning more soothing.”She noted thatmostlisteners won’t knowifmusic labeled432 hertz on social media is labeled accurately “What does it matter? If you’re getting an effect, are you really going to check the resonance? Do you care?” Torres asked.

Sanchez, the telehealth worker,also enjoys listening to tunes fixed to other alternative frequencies, suchas528 hertzand 963 hertz.

“It’ssomethingworth exploringand finding out for yourself whether it has anybenefits or not,” Sanchezsaid. “For me, Ifind thatgrounding is beneficial to my overall wellbeing, so Isee how it helps my livelihood.”

Share your stories and questions about workplace wellness at cbussewitz@ap.org. Follow AP’sBe Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health at https://apnews.com/hub/be-well

By The Associated Press

Today is Saturday, June 6, the 157th day of 2026. There are 208 days leftinthe year

Todayinhistory: On June 6, 1944, during World WarII, nearly 160,000 Alliedtroops landedinNormandy, France, on D-Day as they launchedOperationOverlord to liberate Germanoccupied Western Europe. More than4,400 Allied troopswerekilled on D-Day,including 2,501 Americans.

Also on this date:

In 1844, the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) was founded in London.

In 1889, an industrial accident sparked adevastating fire in Seattle, Washington, destroying 120 acres of the city center,including the majority of the city’scommercial district and waterfront.

In 1912, Novarupta, a volcano on the Alaska peninsula, began athreeday eruption, sending ash nearly 19 miles high; it wasthe mostpowerful volcanic eruption of the 20th century and the largest ever recorded in North America.

In 1933, the first drive-in movie theater opened, in Camden, New Jersey

In 1939, the first Little League Baseball gamewas played as Lundy Lumber defeated Lycoming Dairy 23-8 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

In 1966, James Meredith wasshot and wounded by asniper early in the civil rights activist’smarch from Memphis, Tennessee, to Jackson, Mississippi, to raise awareness about racial injustice in the U.S. South. (Meredith would recover from his injuries and rejoin the march, which had swelled from asmallgroup to 15,000 marchers, the day before reaching Jackson.) In 2015, American Pharoah becamethe first horse in 37 years to claim horse racing’sTriple Crown, winning the Belmont Stakes by 51/2 lengths. Today’sbirthdays: Singersongwriter GaryU.S. Bonds is

AP ILLUSTRATION By PETER HAMLIN

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Put pressure on yourselftodobetter. How you present your beliefsand thechangesyou want to bring about will make adifference to the outcome. Do your research.

cAncER (June 21-July22) Don't waffle; the sooneryou take care of your responsibilities,the easieritwill be to deal with criticismorsomeonetrying to makeyou look bad. Carefully choose the informationyou share.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Liveandlearn.Experienceisthebestteacher.Yourgenerous attitude and helping hand will put youin the spotlight, impressingsomeoneyou'll enjoygetting to know better.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Timing is everything, and by picking the right moment, you canswayhow others feel and what they choose to do. Akind gesture, remark or offerwillset the stage for what's to come.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Bypassanyone whostands in your way. Make unexpected changes that will separate you from the crowd. Social settings will give you achance to pick up on what others areupto.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Explore your options, and put your energy into something you lovedoing. Whether it's physical,mental or expanding your options through networking,educationalpursuits or travel, pursue what makes you happy.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Invite change into your life. You need to shake things up if you want to getwhatyou

desire in your life. Focus on eliminating what brings you down and holds you back.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Fixupyour surroundings to makeyourlife easier. The difference afunctional space makes will encourage you to entertainmore and ensure those you live with appreciateyour thoughtfulness.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Money management will pay off. What youbudget for will help bring about changes at home that make your life lesscumbersome. Take one stepata time; get your factsstraight.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Youmay feel like celebrating, but before you do, consider the cost involved andthe laborintensive recovery you are likely to face. Choose your battles wisely and only change what's necessary. ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Take amoment to digest what's unfolding around you. Question, assess and saynotoanything that causes doubt. Be passionate about what you do and say, and you'll be the one to captivate your audience.

TAuRus(April 20-May 20) Deep breaths in and out will help you ward off anxiety that comes with uncertainty. When something isn't clear, askfor more details. Align yourself withpeople who areonthe same page as you.

Thehoroscope, an entertainmentfeature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Thomas J. Watson, aformer head of IBM,said,“Wouldyoulikemetogiveyou aformula for success? It’s quite simple, really. Double your rate of failure. You arethinking of failure as the enemy of success. Butitisn’t at all. You can be discouraged by failure —oryou can learn from it.Sogoahead and make mistakes. Make all you can. Because, remember, that’s where you will find success.”

Youwill have trouble finding bridge partners if youmake alot of mistakes. Butifyou learn from them and turn your rate of failure nearly to zero, you will become very popular.

In today’s deal,though, “double” is the key word. East opens four hearts, showing agood eight-card suit and limited high-card power. Then,whenhis opponents cruise into sixspades, he doubles. What messagedoes that transmit to West? What should West lead?

Doublingaslambecauseyouthinkthat it’s going down is mathematically inadvisable. When the opponents are nonvulnerable,you turn plus 50 into plus 100. But if the slam makes, you have changed minus 980 into minus 1210.

So,manyyearsago,TheodoreLightner had the idea of using the double as leaddirecting. It says thatEasthas avoid somewhere and hopes his partner can finditwithhis opening lead.

wuzzles

In this deal,Westclearly expectshis partner to have adiamond void. Therefore, he should lead his diamond ace. Then, though, when everyone follows suit, West should rethink. East’s void must be in clubs. West should shift to thatsuit at tricktwo, here defeating the contract.

©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word,phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample: NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of

that acquire

or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed.

ToDAy’sWoRD PLEnARy: PLEN-un-ree: Complete in every respect.

Average

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard

Anyone knowingthe whereabouts of ArshealBarnes, RichardKnighten, John HarrellHolloman, Shedrick Cedric Holloman, FrankRobinson, Cedric UlyssesHolloman, ChristopherVernard Knighten and EdithStappleasecontact Atty Benjamin Beychokat(225) 906-0050 190143-June 6-8, 3t $133

part by federalorother funds whichare notreadily availableatthe time bids arereceived, theaward of this Contract is contin‐gent upon the granting of linesof credit,orthe sale of bondsbythe Bond Com‐missionorthe availabil‐ityoffederal or other funds. TheState shall incurnoobligationto theContractoruntil the Contract Between Owner andContractorisfully executed Act751 –Louisiana Com‐munity andTechnical Colleges is aparticipant in theSmall Entrepre‐neurship (SE) Program (the Hudson Initiative) andthe Vet‐eran-Owned andServiceConnectedDisabledVet‐eran-Owned (LaVet) SmallEntrepreneurships Program Biddersare encouraged to consider participation. Informationisavailable from itswebsite at https://www.doa.la.gov/ doa/fpc/ If youhavea disability andwould like to request an accommodationin ordertoparticipate in this meeting, please con‐tact Cheryl Schilling at Cheryl Schilling@la.gov or (225) 342-6060 as soon as pos‐siblebut no laterthan48 hoursbeforethe sched‐uled meeting. ACT751- LOUISIANA COMMUNITY ANDTECH‐NICALCOLLEGES VICE PRESIDENTOFAD‐MINISTRATION TOBY R. COMEAUX, MPA FEBRUARY 2026 188935-may 28-jun11

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that Bohler,LLC hasap‐pliedfor a401 Water QualityCertification to clear, grade, excavate andplace fill to con‐struct theResilientTech‐nology Park,a develop‐ment focusing on hightech industries,including data centers. Thecurrent site developmentplanin‐cludes theconstruction of seven(7) buildings with associated parking, powerinfrastructure, dri‐veways,roadways, a temporaryelectricalsub‐station, apermanent electrical substation,an electrical switchyard a wastewater lift station, an elevated waterstor‐agetank, detention basins,and otherassoci‐ated infrastructure.All work will occuroff Greenwood Road in Shreveport,Caddo Parish.Bohler, LLCisap‐plying to theLouisiana Department of Environ‐mental Quality, Office of EnvironmentalServices fora WaterQuality Certi‐fication in accordance with statutoryauthority containedinthe LAC 33:IX.1507.A-Eand provi‐sionsofSection 40 Iof theClean WaterAct Comments concerning this applicationcan be filedwiththe WaterPer‐mits Division within ten days of this notice by ref‐erencing WQC260217-01, Al 250276 to the following address: LouisianaDepartmentof EnvironmentalQuality WaterPermits Division P.O. Box4313 BatonRouge,LA 70821-4313 Attn:Water QualityCerti‐fications Commentsmay be sub‐mitted by emailto DEQWaterQualityCertificatio ns@la.gov. Acopyofthe application is availablefor inspec‐tion