The Advocate 06-18-2026

Officials release details of Iran deal

Agreement calls for dilution of enriched uranium, waiving of sanctions, reopening of Strait of Hormuz

BY MICHELLE L. PRICE, MATTHEW LEE, JON GAMBRELL, SAMY MAGDY and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

WASHINGTON A draft agreement by the United States and Iran calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and would waive, but not permanently end, sanctions on the country, according to U.S. officials who read the language of the memorandum on ending the war to journalists.

The agreement would also open the Strait of Hormuz toll-free for two months and affirm a commitment to Lebanon’s territorial integrity in the face of Israel’s invasion against the Hezbollah militant group

U.S. officials dictated the language to journalists Wednesday after days of secrecy, speaking on condition of anonymity Iranian state TV later released text that largely tracks what the U.S. put out.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who helped mediate the initial deal to end the war, said it is taking “immediate effect” after leaders from both countries signed it, but that there will still be a formal signing ceremony on Friday Though officials had said President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance had digitally signed the agreement Sunday and that a ceremonial signing would be held Friday in Switzerland, a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity to share details about the agreement said Trump signed the deal while at Versailles on Wednesday

La. allows telehealth obesity care

State lifts ban on treating condition via technology amid GLP-1 boom

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

As GLP-1 medications have revolutionized the treatment of obesity over the last several years and become increasingly available, Louisiana has lifted a ban on treating the condition via telehealth.

Two pill versions of the medications Foundayo and Wegovy are now approved by the Food and Drug Administration for obesity and weight loss, along with injectables like Zepbound.

“The demand is real,” said Dr Clayton Runfalo, a family medicine doctor in the Baton Rouge metro area who cares for patients with obesity “Up until now, the supply has been a challenge.”

The U.S. official said Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also signed it Wednesday, though Iran did not immediately comment. It wasn’t immediately clear if that act started a 60-day negotiating clock to reach a final deal. It was also not clear how Trump’s signing of the deal at Versailles differed from his digital sign-

ing on Sunday “It’s signed,” Trump said as he left Versailles, the historic palace where he dined with French President Emmanuel Macron following a trip to the Group of Seven summit in France. According to the officials, the draft agreement includes language that Iran agrees not to develop or procure nuclear weapons. It also addresses Tehran’s highly enriched Iranian uranium, requiring that it be downgraded on site as a minimum. In return, the U.S. will move to

ä See DEAL, page 5A

“The demand is real. Up until now, the supply has been a challenge.”

For years in Louisiana, doctors had been banned from treating obesity via telehealth under old state regulations that targeted the prescription of certain stimulants, like the appetite suppressant phentermine, a controlled substance that has the potential for abuse or addiction. But with the advent of GLP-1 weight loss medications, which are not classified as controlled

BR police seek help in finding missing teen

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

Baton Rouge police are offering a $10,000 reward to anyone with information on Ja’Derrius Minnieweather, a 15-year-old boy who has been missing for nearly two weeks.

Police said if someone comes forward with information in the next 48 hours, they will receive a cash reward.

Minnieweather

In a news conference Wednesday afternoon, police officials said they usually do not offer rewards for missing people, but the nature of this case changed things.

Mayor-President Sid Edwards pleaded for someone to come forward with any small bit of information they might have to bring home this “son of Baton Rouge.”

ä See MISSING, page 4A

New state law cracks down on attacks on restaurant workers

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

Standing behind a McDon-

ald’s counter in Baton Rouge on Wednesday morning, Gov Jeff Landry signed a law he says will help protect restaurant workers from attacks.

House Bill 1238 by state Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, enhances criminal penalties for assault and simple battery when those crimes are committed

against employees in food and retail establishments.

“This is one of those bills that you’d think we wouldn’t need in society,” the governor said. “These are people that are actually out there trying to serve the public, trying to get you a meal, trying to just get you on your way.”

In Louisiana, people convicted of simple battery face fines of up to $1,000 and prison sentences of up to six months, and those convicted of simple assault face fines of up

to $200 and prison sentences of up to 90 days.

HB1238, which became Act 342 with Landry’s signature, stiffens those penalties. When the victim of a simple battery is a restaurant or retail employee, the perpetrator could have to pay up to $2,000 or spend up to two years in prison. The maximum penalties for assaults against such employees would increase to fines of $1,000

ä See ATTACKS, page 4A

State Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, speaks during a bill signing at the McDonald’s on Dawnadele Avenue in Baton Rouge on Wednesday as Gov. Jeff Landry looks on.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AMIRHOSEIN KHORGOOI

The Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the war with Iran started, would open toll-free for two months as part of the draft agreement between the United States and Iran.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VADIM GHIRDA

President Donald Trump, center, is flanked by Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, left, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during a news conference at the end of the G7 summit in France on Wednesday

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

DR. CLAyTON RUNFALO, family medicine doctor

Washington wildfire forces evacuations

High winds drove a wildfire into an eastern Washington neighborhood, forcing the evacuation of about 1,500 people and destroying some homes, fire officials said Wednesday

It’s unclear how many homes were lost in Spokane. Fire officials were working Wednesday to determine the number and the full extent of the damage, said Matthew Vinci, fire chief for Spokane County Fire District 9 He confirmed Tuesday that some homes were engulfed in flames.

The evacuation order for the 1,500 residents remained in effect Wednesday, said Chandra Fox, deputy director for Spokane County Emergency Management.

The blaze started just after noon on Tuesday and quickly moved up a hill, said fire district spokesman Robert Gray Winds then shifted, sending flames into a neighborhood, Gray said. Spokane is about 280 miles east of Seattle near the border with Idaho.

Fire crews from Washington state and Idaho attacked the fire from the ground and air, but it quickly grew to 225 acres. It was 10% contained Wednesday morning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center

DHS: ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ detainees transferred MIAMI — All detainees at an immigration detention center in an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades, known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” have been transferred to other facilities, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said, citing concerns related to the hurricane season

The South Florida Detention Center has been praised by President Donald Trump. But its conditions have been harshly criticized by lawyers, families and human rights groups, who have persistently denounced the mistreatment of detainees since the center opened 11 months ago, during the Atlantic hurricane season.

DHS said that all detainees at the Florida state-run facility had been transferred but did not specify how many or where they were taken. Nor did it say whether the facility would close permanently or only temporarily.

“For the safety of the illegal alien detainees we transferred them to other facilities,” department spokesperson Lauren Bis said in an emailed statement.

The hurricane season spans six months, from June through November The detention facility opened on July 3, 2025, one month after the start of that year’s hurricane season, which concluded without any storms making landfall in Florida. It has been operating since then Ancient teeth rewrite the plague’s timeline NEW YORK Scientists have found the oldest known evidence of the plague, which sparked deadly outbreaks dating back about 5,500 years ago — some 200 years earlier than previously thought.

The disease has sickened humans for thousands of years and wiped out a significant chunk of Europe’s population in the 14th century during what’s known as the Black Death. Though rare, the plague is still around today and is treated with antibiotics.

“To understand our own history, we believe that understanding the history of plague is extremely important,” said study co-author Eske Willerslev, an evolutionary geneticist with the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. Willerslev and other researchers looked for traces of plaguecausing bacteria in remains from four cemeteries near Siberia’s Lake Baikal. They found remnants of plague DNA in teeth from 18 ancient huntergatherers.

Dating the carbon in the bones revealed that the plague triggered two outbreaks, with the first cases detected around 5,500 years ago. The team found that the prehistoric plague developed in stages and infected several small families, according to the study published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

16-month-old, mother recover from Ebola

196 have died since the outbreak was declared in May

BY JUSTIN KABUMBA Associated Press

BUNIA, Congo A 16-month-old baby and his mother have recovered from Ebola in eastern Congo, a rare positive development as Africa’s top health body warned the outbreak of the deadly virus could become the worst on record if it continues to spread.

The two left the Rwampara Treatment Center on Tuesday, near Bunia, in Ituri province, the epicenter of the outbreak, along with five other people who also recovered from Ebola.

“The joy is immense given the state he was in at first,” Kahindo Mireille Pierrette said of her infant. “If you had seen him before, you wouldn’t believe he could have this strength now,” she added.

Pierrette said she brought her child to the treatment center at the end of May, after he started bleeding from the mouth and nose and could barely move.

Modet Camara, a doctor at the center, said the baby was treated

with antibiotics after a PCR test came back positive for Ebola on his second day at the hospital. Congo’s Ministry of Health said Tuesday that 837 cases of the virus have been confirmed so far, including 196 confirmed deaths. However, the number of cases is believed to be higher because the outbreak was confirmed on May 15, weeks after it is suspected to have begun.

Since the outbreak was declared in mid-May, 49 have recovered, the ministry said.

The outbreak is caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine.

The more common Zaire virus, which now has a vaccine, was responsible for most of Congo’s past 16 outbreaks of the disease.

More than 90% of the cases in the current outbreak are concentrated in Congo’s eastern province of Ituri. Cases have also been recorded in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces and have spread across the border to Uganda.

The head of Africa’s Centres for Disease Control and Prevention

warned Tuesday that the outbreak could become the worst on record, noting that tens of thousands of contacts of infected patients have yet to be traced.

“If we don’t stop the outbreak very soon it will be worse than what we had in West Africa and eastern DRC,” Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said during a virtual meeting of African heads of state.

An outbreak a decade ago across several countries in West Africa was the worst on record, with more than 28,000 cases and more than 11,000 deaths.

Nearly a million people have been displaced by years of conflict in Ituri, according to the U.N. humanitarian office, making contact tracing difficult as people flee attacks or move frequently in the vast province with dense forests, poor roads and remote villages that can take days to reach.

Tracing is also difficult among the thousands of miners who regularly move among remote sites in the mineral-rich region.

Trump’s pick to lead FEMA pledges to be fair

If confirmed, Hamilton says he would do what he could to speed up decisions

BY GABRIELA AOUN ANGUEIRA Associated Press

WASHINGTON Cameron Hamilton, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Emergency Management Agency pledged to senators Wednesday to be “fair and reasonable” in assessing requests for disaster aid as he seeks to run an agency roiled by the administration’s threats to dismantle it.

Hamilton appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee at a hearing where lawmakers assessed a group of 10 nominees for administration posts.

“My focus will be to ensure that FEMA is objective, is fair and reasonable, follows the law, and is consistent” in how it reviews disaster declaration requests, Hamilton told Michigan Sen. Gary Peters, the top Democrat on the committee. Peters had asked about partisanship in granting major disaster declarations.

Hamilton had a brief tenure as FEMA’s temporary leader early last year but was ousted after defending the agency’s existence. At a House hearing in May 2025, he said he did not “believe it is in the best interest of the American people to eliminate” FEMA. He was fired the next day

His nomination comes as the Republican administration has increasingly signaled it is backing away from promises to dismantle an agency that has been heavily criticized by the president.

If confirmed, he would be FEMA’s first permanent administrator in Trump’s second term. He will need to lead FEMA

through what is expected to be a busy summer disaster season, while answering to Trump, who is likely to expect major changes after a council he appointed recommended sweeping moves at the agency that is part of the Department of Homeland Security

Nominees did not give opening statements, but Hamilton received the bulk of lawmakers’ questions while appearing with four others in the first half of the hearing.

His answers suggested a departure from some of the more aggressive policies considered and enacted during Kristi Noem’s turbulent leadership at DHS. FEMA’s workforce has been worn down by mass staff departures, policies that hamstrung operations and a protracted DHS shutdown.

Hamilton expressed confidence in the FEMA staff and praised the recent opening of 350 positions to counteract some of the cuts. He said that if confirmed by the Senate, he would do what he could to speed up disaster declaration decisions and reimbursements to states, tribes and territories.

“We owe you answers, I think, much faster,” he told Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., adding that many FEMA processes needed to be simplified.

Hamilton disavowed a recommendation he included in an April 2025 memo to quadruple the threshold of financial damages a state needed to prove to receive FEMA public assistance He also noted the importance of resilience funding, despite halting billions in resilience grants during his previous tenure. Republican and Democratic senators at the hearing expressed support for FEMA’s mission, despite Trump’s early threats to eliminate it. “I think what your agency does is hugely important,” Hawley told Hamilton.

Mangione to assert psychiatric defense in state trial

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press

NEW YORK Luigi Mangione plans to assert a psychiatric defense at his state murder trial, claiming he was suffering from extreme emotional disturbance when he gunned down UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, a judge said Wednesday It wouldn’t absolve him of the Dec. 4, 2024, killing, but could free him from prison sooner If a jury accepts that defense, the panel would convict Mangione of manslaughter and he would face up to 25 years in prison. Alternatively, the jury could reject the extreme emotional disturbance defense and convict him of murder, which carries a potential life sentence. That defense isn’t available in his federal case. Judge Gregory Carro announced the decision in court Wednesday, two weeks after holding a secret hearing on the matter at the defense’s request. He said he will release a transcript from that hearing and other records once redactions are made.

Carro said Mangione’s lawyers first notified him in a sealed letter last September that they planned to pursue a psychiatric defense and confirmed the decision at the June 3 hearing. But, the judge warned, they’re “coming close to not being able to put forth that defense” after prosecutors complained that Mangione’s lawyers had yet to give them details about what they say triggered their client’s extreme emotional disturbance. Prosecutors need to know that before they have their own psychological expert evaluate him, Carro said.

“Nothing is going to be a surprise,” Carro told Mangione’s lawyers. “I’m not going to let you surprise the People on the eve of trial. So, get it done.” Carro said he didn’t expect the development to delay Mangione’s trial, which is scheduled to start Sept. 8. The federal trial, which involves stalking charges, is set to begin on Oct. 13. Mangione, 28, has pleaded not guilty in both cases.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MOSES SAWASAWA

Kahindo Mireille Pierrette, an Ebola survivor, center, poses with her 16-month-old baby and health workers after they were declared to have survived Ebola and discharged from the Rwampara Treatment Center in Ituri, Congo, on Tuesday.

G7 leaders back deal to end war

Allies support agreement to end economic instability

BY AAMER MADHANI, SYLVIE CORBET and DARLENE

SUPERVILLE Associated Press

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France

Leaders at the Group of Seven summit on Wednesday threw their support behind U.S. President Donald Trump’s tentative agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and extend a shaky ceasefire.

Closing the three-day summit, French President Emmanuel Macron called it a “very good deal,” adding that U.S. allies in the G7 support it “because it’s an agreement that puts a stop to a situation of great instability that had terrible consequences for our economies.”

At his own news conference, Trump hailed the deal as “historic” and said other G7 leaders say “they love this deal because they want to see it over.”

U.S. officials meanwhile dictated the text of the deal to journalists, with details released after the summit ended.

The accord, due to be formally signed in Switzerland on Friday, lays out that the U.S. would work to end all U.S. and United Nations sanctions imposed on Tehran if a final agreement addressing Iran’s nuclear program is reached.

“I think it’ll be done. They want to sign. They want to get back to a normal life,” Trump said earlier Wednesday

The final day of G7 talks at a lakeside resort in the French Alps started late with Trump, the last to arrive, saying “I’m the boss” as he entered and sat next to Macron. The assembled leaders laughed, and Trump grinned.

The formal talks of the leading industrial democracies closed with sessions on the future of artificial

intelligence and fostering economic growth. They discussed concerns that China is flooding export markets with subsidized products, unfairly out-competing their own industries and destroying jobs. Leaders of India, South Korea, Kenya and Brazil joined the meeting.

Trump later attended a glitzy dinner at the Palace of Versailles outside Paris before he was scheduled to return to Washington. Before entering the palace, Trump complimented both Macron and his wife, Brigitte, whom the U.S. president greeted with a kiss on the cheek and called “amazing.”

Resuming traffic on strait

Trump still has to sell the deal to some members of his own Republican party who doubt it will defang Iran’s nuclear program. At the same time, he faces an anxious international community looking for him to follow through on his promise that the deal will reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic and keep it open.

The G7 leaders said an international maritime mission led by France and the U.K. “can play an important role to facilitate the resumption of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz by

protecting merchant vessels, reassuring commercial shipping operators, and supporting verification that all mines are removed.”

Iran effectively closed the strait early in the war that began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Isreali attacks.

The deal also calls for an immediate end to all fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon.

The agreement that U.S. officials dictated to journalists on Wednesday also has provisions to ensure “territorial integrity” of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory

In their declaration, G7 leaders said they supported “through an immediate robust ceasefire” Lebanese efforts to disarm Hezbollah, and protect Lebanon’s territorial integrity and sovereignty

Israeli strikes in Lebanon have killed nearly 4,000 people and displaced more than 1 million since fighting there began on March 2.

“Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many

people are being killed,” Trump said.

Leaders vow support

In a flurry of unanimously agreed declarations, the G7 leaders stressed their support for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion and agreed to increase deliveries of air defense systems They also said they would bolster sanctions on Moscow including on Russia’s oil and gas industries.

Trump called the conversations on ending the war in Ukraine “productive” and said both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy want to “do something.”

“They just don’t know how,” he said.

Leaders also pledged to step up the fight against the multibillion-dollar international drug trade.

Trump has been waging his own battle against drug traffickers. United States military strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats transiting in Latin America have killed more than 200 people since September, when the Trump administration began an operation it has justified as necessary to stem the flow of drugs.

Critics have questioned the legality of the strikes.

BY JOHN LEICESTER and KELVIN CHAN Associated Press

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France

French President Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday urged the world’s wealthy democracies to work together on regulating advanced artificial intelligence systems, speaking at a high-level meeting that included top AI executives.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman issued a similar plea at the Group of Seven summit of major industrialized nations in France, saying an “international forum” is needed for countries to draw up AI guardrails. He said the task of AI safety should not be left to tech companies.

Overshadowing the discussion on AI was President Donald Trump’s administration’s directive last week, preventing foreign nationals from using Anthropic’s newest and most powerful artificial intelligence models.

Macron said it was a “good thing” that U.S. officials recognize that socalled frontier AI models could be dangerous, but he also criticized it as a “strictly nationalist” reaction.

The remarks followed a G7 working lunch that brought together AI industry figures, including leaders of three of the most powerful AI companies — Altman, Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — on the theme of “ensuring a safe, rapid and

effective deployment of artificial intelligence.”

Feud with Anthropic Ahead of the meeting, the White House’s dispute with Anthropic fueled distrust in Europe about American dominance of AI and tech ecosystems.

The company was forced on Friday to take its latest artificial intelligence models, known as Fable 5 and Mythos 5, offline to comply with the directive. The AI giant said it did not believe the steps taken by the government were warranted by the concern it flagged about a potential security issue.

When asked by a reporter whether France and other G7 countries had asked Trump to permit access to Anthropic’s latest AI models, Macron said he made a forceful plea for the U.S. not to keep cutting-edge AI to itself.

Macron warned of a possible drop in value for U.S. firms pioneering the disruptive technology if they switch off access like a light switch. Macron backed his appeal for partnership among key democracies with an insurance policy: France, he said, will boost funding for its own AI industry so it’s not

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By THIBAULT CAMUS

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from left, U.S President Donald Trump French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney listen during a working session at the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, on Wednesday.

Cassidy blasts Trump’s peace deal with Iran

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON

U.S. Sen Bill Cassidy condemned President Donald Trump’s 14-point deal pausing hostilities with Iran, which is slated to be signed Friday in Switzerland.

“Reagan is rolling over in his grave,” Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge, wrote on X Wednesday afternoon, referring to President Ronald Reagan. “Iran’s nuclear ambitions were not curbed, and they have learned that threatening the Strait of Hormuz works and will undoubtedly leverage it in the future.

Now Iran gets to build brand-new infrastructure under this deal.

Cassidy continued: “Before the war, the strait was open, Iran was being crushed by sanctions, and 13 service members were still alive.

Now, 13 Americans are dead, families have paid billions at the pump,

sanctions will be lifted, and the bombing has stopped. This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”

The other seven members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation weren’t immediately prepared to comment until after studying the text of the memorandum of understanding, which was released Wednesday afternoon.

Before the text was released, Cassidy had been making critical statements over the past few days based on what was being leaked publicly, though he had cautioned that he had not seen the details.

Cassidy told Louisiana reporters in a phone conference Tuesday:

“This is a bad deal, if the details remain the same. The deal, as I’ve heard it, makes your allies weaker and Iran stronger.”

During a Capitol hallway interview Wednesday morning, Cassidy

the ceremony would take place, Trump said: “You never know with deals, do you? But you’re going to find out pretty soon.”

told a reporter with Nexstar Media Group, a Texas-based chain of television stations across the country: “This will go down as a tremendous foreign policy blunder.”

Since losing reelection in the May 16 closed party primary, Cassidy has been much more vocal in questioning Trump and some of his policies. TrumpbackedU.S.Rep.JuliaLetlow, R-Baton Rouge, in the contest.

Letlow faces state Treasurer John Fleming, R-Minden, in the June 27 party primary runoff to determine with Republican would face the Democratic candidate in the Nov 3 election to decide who will replace Cassidy when the new Congress convenes in January Early voting in the primary runoffs began June 12 and ends Saturday

Initially, Trump said the details wouldn’t be released until after the agreement is signed on Friday

gram, and reopening the strait, the crucial passage for the world’s oil and natural gas and whose closure created a historic energy crisis.

But parts of the memorandum were reported Wednesday morning by national news outlets And Trump answered questions Wednesday about the agreement during a news conference in France, where the president is attending a G7 economic conference.

Details were released after Trump’s news conference.

The memorandum terminates all military operations for 60 days while the parties negotiate how Iran gets rid of fissionable nuclear materials.

“If it doesn’t happen in 60 days, we go back to bombing,” Trump said.

Israel’s attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would end. Iran also agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow tankers to ship crude oil around the world. Iran would be allowed to sell its oil.

Additionally, the U.S and other

ing at them, dropping bombs.”

nations in the region would guarantee financing of about $300 billion to rebuild Iran. The U.S. would not contribute any money, Trump said though the release of frozen assets and investments from private companies could be included. At the beginning of the conflict, Trump said he was seeking regime change and denying Iran any nuclear capabilities.

Though he was one of the few to speak publicly about his reservations, Cassidy’s theme tracks what several of his GOP colleagues are telling reporters.

After Cassidy voiced his criticisms, Sen Ted Cruz R-Texas publicly raised concerns.

“History teaches that giving billions of dollars to theocratic lunatics who want to murder us is not a good idea. I think the president is receiving some very poor advice on this deal,” Cruz told The Hill.

waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran once the deal is signed. The agreement also secures free passage of the strait for only 60 days, and it does not preclude fees in future, according to the U.S officials and the Iranian draft.

The document also has provisions to ensure the territorial integrity of Lebanon after Israel’s latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory Israel has rejected the prospect of withdrawing from Lebanon, but the agreement expressly states in its first point that military operations in Lebanon must stop with the signing of the memorandum.

Under the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran that Trump pulled out of in his first term, Iran also agreed to restrictions on its nuclear program and promised never to build an atomic weapon. The Islamic Republic maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful.

Trump, meanwhile, cast some uncertainty on whether the signing would happen as planned. Asked how confident he was that

The U.S. and Israel went to war on Feb. 28 in part to prevent Iran from ever getting a nuclear weapon, although Trump’s goals in the conflict have repeatedly shifted.

The interim deal stops the war before securing that goal. Instead, it opens a two-month period for nuclear negotiations and appears to offer Iran several benefits up front while extracting little in return.

The U.S. agreement to immediately allow Iran to sell its oil freely and the offer to eventually lift all sanctions represent major concessions that go beyond the terms of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. Trump withdrew America from that pact in his first term, declaring it the “worst deal ever.”

The accord likely will draw intense opposition in Washington, and it appears to be a major setback for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has come under criticism at home from the media, his opponents and even some allies as details emerge. Much of the agreement would restore the status quo before the war, including ending hostilities, restarting talks between the U.S. and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear pro-

The deal includes an end to the fighting in Lebanon between Israel and the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. That is one of the most delicate parts of the agreement because Israel has maintained it will continue to defend itself and to occupy vast swaths of Lebanon. Iran has said Israel must withdraw under the deal.

The White House and other American officials have not published the terms and did not immediately respond to questions.

Trump has cited various goals for the war, including at times vowing it would end Iran’s nuclear and missile programs and its support for Hezbollah and other proxy groups in the region. He also suggested it could lead to toppling the Iranian government.

The interim deal falls short of all of these goals, but Trump hailed it Wednesday “Nobody knows what it is, but it’s very strong,” Trump said in France, where he attended a Group of Seven summit.

But he also opened the door to abandoning it: “It’s a memorandum of understanding, and if I don’t like it, we’ll go back to shoot-

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Some concessions to Iran — including the full lifting of sanctions and the release of frozen assets — would happen gradually and be linked to progress in the nuclear talks, according to officials from Pakistan, a key mediator They outlined some of the deal’s major points on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.

But in the meantime, the U.S. will issue waivers to sanctions that allow Iran to sell oil freely

The Islamic Republic’s oil export revenues in 2024 were more than $46 billion. Its main buyer of oil, China, is believed to have bought at below-market prices because of its willingness to ignore the sanctions.

Granting oil waivers at the start of the 60-day talks strips the U.S. of a major point of leverage. Only at the conclusion of the overall deal in 2015 were sanctions on Iran’s oil lifted.

The interim deal also opens the door to ending all sanctions Iran faces from the U.S. and at the U.N. — including those over Tehran’s weapons programs and human rights abuses — though it says the schedule for that will be worked out later Still, that far surpasses the 2015 deal, which only lifted some sanctions in exchange for Iran

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drastically reducing its enrichment and stockpile of uranium.

The accord would also provide Iran with at least $300 billion to rebuild — an extraordinary figure and another major benefit for Iran. The money also appears dependent on the progress of further negotiations.

Vance has said Gulf Arab nations would invest that amount But Gulf countries would likely be reluctant to help Iran after Iranian attacks in the war destroyed oil facilities and other sites in their territory Trump reiterated Wednesday that the U.S. would not contribute and said it was up to other countries if they wanted to invest.

The deal provides a major win for the global economy the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of all oil and natural gas traded once passed before the war began. Since then, Iranian attacks on shipping and the threat to vessels effectively shut the strait.

The strait’s closure drove up energy prices around the world and made many basics, including food, more expensive. Iran let out some vessels that paid tolls, something never done before in the strait, which has long been considered an international waterway

BatonRouge

Tuesday, June 23

PocheLaw Office 4960 Bluebonnet,Ste.C 11:00am-1:30pm LunchProvidedAfter

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Thursday,June25

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IMPORTANTGUIDELINESFOROURWORKSHOPS:Allofourlearningworkshopsemploystrictsocialdistancingstandardsforeveryone’ssafety.Workshopsare opentoFIRST-TIMEATTENDEESONLYandaregearedtowardspeoplewhowantorneedyourlegalestateplaninplacequickly.(*)Pleasehaveyourpersonalcalendarhandy atthe workshop so you canchoosetostart your plan NOW!Ifmarried,bothspouses must attend aworkshoptoensurethatall decision-makers areinvolved in your family’s coordinatedplan. Allpeoplewho attend will receive aFREEcopy of thesecond editionofLaura Poche’sBook, “EstatePlanning Advice by aWoman forLouisianaWomen: AGuideforBothMenandWomenAboutWills,Trusts,Probate,PowersofAttorney,Medicaid,LivingWillsandTaxes.” *Non-Louisianaresidentsmayattendforanominalfee

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FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks sink on worries about interestrate hike

NEWYORK U.S. stocks slumped Wednesday on speculationthe Federal Reserve may hike interest ratesthis year to keep alid on inflation. Higherrates can tap the brakes on accelerating prices at cash registers, but theyalsoslow the economy and hurt prices for investments.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury bond, which influences rates for mortgages and other loans going to U.S. households and businesses, rose to 4.49% from 4.43% late Tuesday. The two-yearTreasury yield, which moreclosely tracks expectations forFed action, jumped to 4.21% from 4.05%.

Traders upped their betsfor at least one increase to the federal fundsratethisyearand nowsee an 84% probability of it, up from 59.5%a day earlier,according to data from CME Group.

Highyields in bond markets worldwide caused by worries aboutinflation have already beenthreatening to slow economies andundercutprices for all kindsofinvestments.

In the stock market, SpaceX erasedanearly gain and fell 4.9% for its first loss since its ballyhooed debut on theU.S stock market lastweek.

Dropsof3.8%for Microsoft, 3.5% for Amazon and 1.3% for Nvidia were three of the heaviest weights on theS&P 500.

They helped overshadow a jump of 14.8%for La-Z-Boy, which reported strongerprofit and revenue for the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Japanese trade officials raid 6ice cream makers

TOKYO— Japanesegovernmentfair trade watchdog officialshaveraided six major ice cream makers on suspicion of price fixing.

Tokyo-based Meiji Co.said in astatement Tuesday thatithad been raided on suspicion of violating anti-monopolylaws.

“Weaccept with sincerity the fact that our company was raided, and we promise to cooperate fullywiththe Japan Fair Trade Commission investigation,” it said. Five other companies Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Morinaga& Co., Lotte Co., Ezaki Glico Co. and Akagi Nyugo Co. —issued similar statements. It wasn’tclearwhenthe raids took place In addition to ice cream, the companies make various food items, dessertsand confectionery goods, including pudding, chocolate bars andchewing gum, sold widely at supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.

Japanese media calledit“a price cartel.”Top managersat the companies were in touch with each other over several years to coordinate raising ice cream prices by 6U.S. cents,for instance, as well as the timing of suchhikes,the reportssaid Protestersblock copper exports from Mongolia

ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia Protesters blocked copper exports froma huge RioTintominein Mongolia on Wednesday, partiallycutting off the supply of a mineral vital to China’srenewable energy ambitions. The protest group, calledthe Radical Reform Movement, is pushing for agreater share of mining revenue for Mongolians, along-runningdemand in anation where poverty persists despite the exploitation of its mineral riches. Copper is needed for electricvehicles and solar and wind power installations, all industries where China is aworld leader

The Oyu Tolgoi mine is a massive undertaking to tap a vast reserve of copper deep in theGobi Desert. About 50 miles north of the border with China,italso has largegold deposits and is expectedtobe thefourth largest copper mine in the world when fully operational, Rio Tinto has said. The British-Australian mining giant owns 66% of the mine, with the Mongolian government holding the other34%.

Fedkeeps keyrateunchanged

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve kept its key rate unchanged Wednesday yetalmost half the central bank’s policymakers said they could support arate hike later this year.

Theunexpectedlyaggressive tilt toward higherrates would disappoint President Donald Trump and suggests heightened concerns about persistent inflation among Fedofficials.

In an unusually short statement

after theirtwo-daymeeting, the officialsdropped languagethat had suggested theirnext move would be to cut the key rate.

Thebrief statement re flect s the influence of newchair Kevin Warsh, appointed by Trump, who has previously criticized the Fed for commenting toobroadly on the economy

Still,Warsh’s18colleagueson

theFed’srate-setting committeesent aclear message in aset of quarterly projections released Wednesday: Nine signaled they supported higher rates this year, with sixofthose supporting two quarter-point increases. It’sasharp change from March, when no policymakers penciled in ahike and the committeeasa wholeforecastone cutin2026.

Thechange is an acknowledgment that inflationisatits highest level in three yearsand many officials have said in recent speeches that if inflation doesn’tdecline, higher

rates maybenecessary in the coming months.

Warsh, in his first news conference as chair,also underscored the Fed’sdetermination to bring inflation downtothe central bank’s2% target.

TheFed typically seekstocombat inflation by lifting interest ratestoslowborrowing andspending and cool the economy.Yet taking such astep would likely attract the ire of the White House, and could lift the cost of mortgages, auto loans, and other borrowing, just before the midterm elections.

Sandersunveils plan to give public direct ownershipofAIcompanies

$7Tsovereign wealth fund wouldbeusedfor housing, healthcare,education

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON— As artificial intelligence companiesreshape the economy andrace toward trillion-dollar valuations, Sen. Bernie Sanders is proposing asweeping transfer of wealth and power from the industry to the American public.

Thelegislation,shown first to TheAssociatedPress, would create asovereign wealth fund overseen by an independent commissionand financedthrough aone-time 50% tax on thestock of thelargest AI companies.

Sanders estimates that the tax would create anearly $7 trillion fund that would generate hundreds of billions of dollars annually in direct payments to Americansand programs such as healthcare, education and housing.

“Thebenefits cannot simply go to the handfulofwealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people,” the independent Vermont senator said in an interviewWednesday

The idea of giving thepublic astakeinAI hasrecentlydrawn interestfromfiguresas ideologically diverse as President Donald Trump and OpenAI CEO SamAltman.But Sanders’ proposal goes much further,calling for public ownership of half of the largest AI companies and direct influence overcorporate decision-making.

“The public has got to have asignificant seat at the table to makesurethat terrible thingsdonot happen to ordinary people, and that in fact, AI benefits ordinary people, not hurtsthem,” Sanderssaid.

Howthe fund wouldwork

Sandershas previously proposedthe sovereign wealth fund, but thebill summary obtained by the AP is the first legislative attempttomake it areality

The 50% tax would apply to AI companies that reach $200 million in annualAIsales. Any new AI company that reaches that benchmark would alsobesubject to the tax. It would create asovereign wealth fund similartothose used by countriesaround the worldand some U.S.states— that Sanders estimateswould be worth around $7 trillion. Unlike atraditional tax, the proposal would require companies to transferstock rather than cash, effectively making theAmerican public amajor shareholderinthe country’s largest AI firms.

Aseven-personindependentcommission nominated by thepresident andconfirmedby the Senate —would manage thefund and use its voting shares “to block decisions thathurt theAmerican people andtopush for policies that help them,” thebill summary says.

Sanders proposes that a5%annual dividend from thefund would provide direct payments of morethan $1,000 toevery

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByJACQUELyN

Sen.Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks about topics including politics and artificial intelligence June 8atthe National Press Club in Washington.

American.Ifcompanies grow,the gains would be used for public goods such as education, housing and healthcare. Sanders arguestaxpayers would not bear thelosses if AI company valuations decline.

“We’re not going to lose any money,even if there is abust in thebubble,” Sanders said. The commission would be directedto“to block decisions that hurt theAmerican people and topush for policies that help them,” according to thesummary Sanders emphasized thatthe proposal is just astart. “Wethink this is thebest that we could do at the moment, and it’s certainly a major,major,major step forward fromgiving unilateral and total power to ahandful of multibillionaires,” he said.

Supporters in WhiteHouse,Silicon Valley Sanders is not alone in pushing for apublic stake in the companies that develop AI Trump, whorecentlysignedanorder to have new AI models voluntarily vetted by the government,has alsomused aboutthe government owning astakeinthe companies that develop AI,saying“there’ssomething very interesting about it, where it almost becomes apartnership withthe American public.”

OpenAI —led by Altman —inApril proposed to “create apublicwealthfundthat provides every citizen —including those not invested in financial markets—with astake in AI-driven economic growth.”

Anthropic,one of OpenAI’s topcompetitors andrecently valued at $965 billion, has been open to similarideas,withCEO Dario Amodei writing recently that “universal basicincomecould be financed throughtaxes on relevant companies.”

Still, Sanders’ push is much more aggressive than any of these.InSanders’ meeting with Altman,they remained far apart on how large of astake the public would get, accord-

ing to those in the room

“I think people like Sam Altman and Trump (who) maybesympathetic to this are saying: ‘OK, look,we’re making zillions of dollars so we’re going to be nice guys and maybe we’ll buy off the public. We will give 5% of our profits back into the government,’” said Sanders. “That’snot what we’re talking about. Whatwe’retalking aboutare twovery different things.”

Taking the fighttovoters

Asked whether he plans to make AI ownership and wealth inequality part of that messageonthe campaign trail, Sandersresponded, “Absolutely.”

It’samessage other candidates are using ahead of the midterms as they tap into voters’ angstabout thetechnology. Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Mallory McMorrow unveiled aplan to “protect workers in the ageofAI,” while NewYorkDemocratic House candidate Alex Bores has also madeAIregulation acampaign issue.

Data center projects across the country have drawnoppositionfromresidents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption and environmental impacts. Some states once eager to attract the facilities, including Ohio andVirginia,havemoved to reconsider tax incentives.

On college campuses, commencement speakers have been interrupted by boos when discussing artificial intelligence About70% of collegestudentssee AI as a threat to their jobprospects, according to a 2025 poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“Workers will be thrownout of theirjobs while billionaires, multibillionaires become even richer,” Sanders said. “The American people areaware of thatand don’twant to see it happen.”

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP retail writer

NEWYORK— Shoppers stepped up their spending in Mayand surpassed expectations as temperatures warmedand gasoline prices leveled off. Retail sales rose 0.9%, up from a revised 0.4% gain in April, according to Commerce Departmentdata released Wednesday. Salesgot a boostfromgenerous government tax refundsinbothApril and May, though economists say that cash cushion is startingtofade. Excluding sales at gasstations, retail sales in May rose 0.7%.

Thefigures aren’t inflationadjusted so higher prices likely helped boost sales. But economists point to healthy spending with increases thatwere broad-based. Business at clothing, accessory andfurniture stores allposted sales gains. Online sales rose 1.5% Electronics and appliance stores and department stores both registered slight sales declines. The data offers only asnapshot of consumer spending and doesn’t include activities like travel and hotel stays. The lone services category —restaurants —registered a 0.1% decline. That might have reflected how high gas prices forced

shoppers to cut back on driving, according to Sam Tombs, chief U.S.economist at Pantheon Macro. But the so-called control group —which excludes food services, autos, building materials and gas station sales and is used to calculate economic growth —rose 0.7%. That suggestssolidspending, economists said. Consumers are the engine of the American economy,driving most of the nation’s economicgrowth. And the latest retail sales report underscores that spending has remained resilient so farthis year despite rising prices. Solid increases in hiring have also buoyed

spending, economists said.

“The stronger-than-forecast and broad-basedgains in Mayretail salesshowthatconsumerscontinued to spend strongly despite higher gasoline prices in the month,” Nationwide ChiefEconomist Kathy Bostjancicwrites. “The largetax refunds and overall tax reductions for households this year and the recent strengthening in employment growth helped buffer thenegative drag from higher gasoline prices.” Tombswas more cautious about the spending outlook.

“The sugar rush from biggerthan-usual tax refunds will wear off soon,” Tombs wrote in areport.

Warsh

MARTIN

Trump delays confirmation of national intelligence nominee

Move fuels tension with fellow Republicans

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK, ERIC TUCKER and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday derailed the confirmation process of his own nominee to head the nation’s intelligence agencies, an extraordinary move that upended Senate efforts to renew a crucial surveillance program and fueled fresh tensions with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. In an overnight social media post from the Group of Seven summit in France, Trump declared he was delaying the nomination of federal prosecutor Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence just hours ahead of his scheduled hearing, despite bipartisan praise for the nominee and Republican efforts to speed him through the confirmation process.

Senate Intelligence Committee

Chairman Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Republicans would go ahead with the Clayton hearing anyway “unless the president directs him not to appear or withdraws his nomination.” But later he postponed the hearing, saying it was “regrettable” that Trump had directed Clayton not to appear “Mr Clayton is a patriot and a highly qualified nominee, as the president has said repeatedly,” Cotton said. “While today’s hearing is now unfortunately postponed, I look forward to proceeding with his confirmation in the near future.”

Trump’s attempt to delay Clayton makes it more likely that his temporary pick for the intelligence job, top housing official Bill Pulte, will take over when outgoing director Tulsi Gabbard leaves office on Friday Republicans and Democrats in Congress have sharply criticized Pulte, a Trump loyalist who has no known national security experience and has used his current administration perch to target perceived adversaries of the president.

Trump has defended Pulte, calling him “fair” and “talented.” Speaking to reporters in France,

Trump called the speedy process to get Clayton formally installed a “rush act by the Democrats.”

“Why are they afraid of this guy? They’re so afraid of him,” Trump said, referring to Pulte. “They’ll do anything not to have Pulte go in there.”

Caught in the middle is the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, bipartisan legislation that aims to prevent terrorist attacks by monitoring the communications of targeted foreigners located outside the United States. Democrats had said they would not provide the necessary votes to pass the bill unless Pulte’s temporary appointment was withdrawn. The current surveillance authority expired last week.

Further complicating matters, Trump said in his social media post that he would not sign the FISA renewal without his legislation to require proof of citizenship for all voters which does not have enough votes to pass the Senate — and that he does not want to remove Clayton from his current position as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York until his replacement, James McDonald, is approved.

Trump’s post sent Senate Republicans scrambling, and it was unclear if and when Clayton’s nomination would move forward.

We’ll just have to take it a day at a time until we get more clarity on what the White House position is on this,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters Wednesday morning. He said he didn’t know why Trump was holding up the effort.

Escalating tensions

Virginia Sen. Mark Warner, the

The nomination of federal prosecutor Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence is on hold.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, called Trump’s move an “extraordinary display of dysfunction from a president who seems determined to turn America’s national security into a political bargaining chip.”

“The biggest obstacle to resolving these issues has not been Senate Democrats or Senate Republicans,” Warner said “It has been the chaos and confusion coming from the White House itself.”

It was just the latest in a series of standoffs between Trump and Senate Republicans this year

A funding bill for Trump’s immigration agencies was delayed several weeks when Republicans revolted over a $1.776 billion “antiweaponization” fund and a $1 billion security request for the White House, including his new ballroom. The bill passed after acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the settlement would not move forward, and GOP leaders decided to drop the security money from the bill.

Trump then appointed Pulte as interim intelligence director just as the FISA renewal was moving toward passage, upsetting bipartisan talks. Republicans urged the White House to pull the appointment, to no avail.

Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said that Trump’s recent moves are “undermining the results he wants.”

“Jay Clayton was on the brink of having a very good hearing and probably getting some Democrat support, and now we’re in a posture to where it may be the reason that 702 doesn’t get reauthorized,” Tillis said. “That’s a mistake.”

Tillis called Pulte a “sycophant” to Trump.

BY CLAUDIA CIOBANU Associated Press

WARSAW, Poland A senior Polish defense official said Wednesday that the United States has expressed interest in potentially establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Poland.

Cezary Tomczyk Poland’s deputy defense minister, spoke to The Associated Press a day after the Polish government approved steps to allow such a U.S. permanent base in Poland, on NATO’s eastern flank. He said the government’s resolution about the base Tuesday is an invitation to the Americans.

“The Americans are interested in the Polish offer to place a permanent base here,” because it would be financed by both countries, Tomczyk said in an interview at the Defense Ministry in Warsaw When asked about the remarks, U.S. Defense Department officials in Washington said they had nothing new to announce.

Polish Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said that Poles are doing everything in their power to have such a permanent base but that “the decision will always be on the side of the Americans.”

Around 10,000 U.S. troops are typically stationed in Poland, the majority on a rotational basis.

The Polish government is hoping that thousands of U.S. troops be stationed permanently as the U.S. rethinks its military presence in Europe, both in personnel and weaponry

In May, the U.S. suddenly halted the deployment of 4,000 soldiers to Poland despite the Trump administration considering the country a “model ally” for reaching its NATO target for spending on defense.

U.S. President Donald Trump previously had threatened to pull troops out of Germany That was attributed to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticizing the U.S. on Iran, but the reduction of troops in Poland caused widespread confusion on both sides of the Atlantic.

Tomczyk was part of a Polish team immediately dispatched to Washington for talks. He was still in the U.S. capital when Trump wrote on social media that U.S. would send an additional 5,000 troops to Poland.

Since then, the U.S. has confirmed that it is reorganizing its troop presence in Europe but has given no further clarity about which troops are going where. However, multiple statements from Polish defense officials since then indicate they believe Poland has a chance to see an increase in permanent U.S. troops.

“Sometimes a rotating model can change into a permanent model and this is always much better,” Defense Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz said in mid-May Asked whether the Polish resolution came because the U.S. side signaled clear interest in having a permanent base in Poland, Tomczyk said Poland and the U.S. are “in a working dialogue” and that “the next step, after the two sides confirmed they are interested in this, is the official offer from the Polish state.”

“We can’t tell fortune from tea leaves,” Tomczyk said. “But we are a serious state which is presenting a serious offer to the Americans, in connection with the dialogue we are having with the Americans.”

Georgia GOP leaders reject call for 2028 redistricting

Republican lawmakers cited concerns of moving too quickly

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

ATLANTA Georgia’s Republican legislative leaders on Wednesday

rejected Gov Brian Kemp’s call to redraw congressional and legislative districts during a special session, citing concerns about moving too quickly after a U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened federal Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters.

The aborted effort to reduce non-White voters’ representation contrasts with other Southern states where Republican majorities moved quickly to redraw congressional boundaries ahead of the November midterms, partly in response to President Donald Trump’s pleas to shore up the GOP’s fragile House majority.

Civil rights activists and Democrats, especially Black and other non-White lawmakers, celebrated the development and claimed victory after exerting weeks of pressure and gathering hundreds of citizens at the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday ahead of the session

“Today showed that ordinary people don’t need to wait until November to make their voices heard and protect our democracy,” said U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, the state’s first Black senator who returned to Atlanta from Washington to be at the Capitol “We can stand up and speak right now.” Kemp had not asked his fellow Republicans to reopen Georgia districts ahead of November. Instead, he wanted them to redraw congressional boundaries for the 2028 election. But the governor, in the final months of his second term, also called on lawmakers to redraw their own districts — a move that would have made Georgia the first state to apply the Supreme Court’s Louisiana v. Callais decision to its legislature.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE

People listen and cheer as lawmakers speak about redistricting during a special legislative session at the Georgia state capitol on Wednesday.

State House Speaker Jon Burns sent Kemp a letter hours before Wednesday’s special session was set to begin, informing him that legislators would not consider redistricting at all during the session. He announced the decision publicly shortly after, as demonstrators filled the Capitol with chants of “Black voters matter!”

Kemp said he believes Georgia’s current districts are unconstitutional, and he sees no reason to delay redistricting “Legislative districting, however, is the responsibility of the General Assembly, and it is within their discretion to defer the issue until a later date,” Kemp said in a statement.

Burns said lawmakers want to take their time after the Callais decision, which struck down Louisiana’s congressional map as an illegal racial gerrymander and laid the groundwork for legislatures to reduce the number of districts where Black and other non-White voters hold most sway

The speaker said it was more important for lawmakers to focus on economic matters rather than “partisan games.” He also cited pending litigation over existing Georgia districts and the need to understand the full ramifications for how race can or cannot be used in redistricting.

Privately, Republicans had expressed concerns that a rushed

process that diminished Black and other minority voters’ political power could cause a backlash. And they worried that redrawn districts could unintentionally create more competitive jurisdictions that Democrats could win, especially around Atlanta.

Still, Georgia Republicans did not rule out revisiting redistricting later this year

Democrats activists opposed Minority voting rights are especially salient in Georgia, where the Capitol complex includes a statue of the Rev Martin Luther King Jr and sits blocks from where the assassinated civil rights icon lived, preached and led the movement that yielded the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Warnock, who is also minister at the Atlanta church where King once preached, invoked the civil rights icon as he led demonstrators who criticized the Supreme Court’s reasoning in Callais that it was discriminatory to draw districts to allow minority voters a chance to elect their preferred representatives.

The senator compared the possibility of scaling back non-White representation to the long Jim Crow history of poll taxes and literacy tests. White conservatives in the South once called those policies “race neutral,” too, Warnock noted.

BY ALLAN OLINGO Associated Press

MOMBASA, Kenya — Fifteen countries from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and the Pacific adopted a declaration on Wednesday to step up efforts to combat illegal fishing, a practice that experts say costs the world economy up to $50 billion annually

The Mombasa Declaration, named after the Kenyan city hosting the 11th Our Ocean Conference, calls on governments to improve access to information on fishing vessels, ownership and licensing, and to strengthen data sharing to better track fishing activities and enforce regulations.

Out of the more than 30 countries represented in the summit, Belgium, Cameroon Chile, the Dominican Republic, France, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Republic of the Congo, Somalia and South Korea signed the agreement.

The signatories said in a statement the measures are intended to curb illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, also known as IUU fishing, which threatens marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on fisheries.

“In my country, our very existence depends on fish,” said Ghana’s fisheries minister, Emelia Arthur “Over 60% of our animal protein comes from fish, and 10% of our population depends on the fisheries value chain for livelihood.” Arthur added that fisheries are a matter of culture and national security for Ghana, noting that the declaration gives governments a platform to “fight together for transparency in the fisheries sector.”

Illegal fishing disproportionately affects coastal communities and small-scale fishers, particularly in developing countries, by depleting fish stocks, undermin-

ing food security and distorting markets. Experts also link it to human rights abuses, including forced labor and unsafe working conditions aboard fishing vessels.

The declaration builds support for the Global Charter for Fisheries Transparency, a set of 10 policy principles aimed at improving governance through low-cost reforms, including modernizing vessel registries and publishing fishing authorizations.

French Minister Delegate for the Sea and Fisheries Catherine Chabaud said international cooperation was essential, with her country leading European nations in supporting the agreement.

“We will not be able to effectively combat illegal fishing without greater transparency and international cooperation,” she said. “Limited transparency in vessel ownership, tracking, and fishing activity and supply chains allow these illegal practices to thrive, making stronger access to reliable fisheries data and accountability mechanisms essential to protecting marine ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.”

Conservation groups welcomed the agreement, saying it reflects growing global momentum for greater accountability at sea.

“For too long, illegal fishing has thrived in the dark,” said Tony Long, CEO of nonprofit Global Fishing Watch. “When governments commit to transparency, they create an interconnected network where bad actors have nowhere left to hide.”

Beth Lowell, vice president of the environmental advocacy group Oceana, said the declaration signals that governments are “ready to act against illegal fishing and work together for a more transparent, equitable and sustainable ocean.”

The countries that signed the declaration are expected to begin implementing their commitments immediately

STEWART

GALLEGOS

Noah Johnson, 6, uses all his might to shovelsandinto abag,held by his mother Janice Gibson, at Cadillac Street Park on Wednesday. Baton Rougeispreparing for Tropical Storm Arthur as it movesinland,bringing threats of flash flooding,strong winds and heavy rainfall through Thursday. Residents are urged to staycautious and monitorlocal announcements closely

Area braces for Tropical StormArthur

Threat remains despiteshift in track

Staff report

Baton Rouge spentWednesday brac-

ing for the worst of Tropical Storm Arthur,which despite an afternoon shift to thenorth was still expected to bring flash flooding and strong winds across southeast Louisiana.

Arthur,with peak winds of 45 mph, moved inland into southeastTexas on Wednesday,achangefrom predictions that it would skirtthe coastlinein the Gulf of Mexico and make landfall in Louisiana,according tothe National Hurricane Center

Louisiana should still brace for flash flooding, heavy rains and the possibility of tornadoes, power outages and road closures through Thursday,according to the center

“Heavy rainfall and life-threatening flash flooding remain the primary hazard,and it is stressedthat this threat extends well away from thecenter and will persistevenafter Arthur dissipates,” centersenior forecaster Brad Reinhart said.

Flash flooding chances are still high through Thursday night in Baton Rouge, Lafayette,New Orleans and along the MississippiGulf Coast Rain chances have fallena bit as the storm’strack shifted. The greatest accumulation of up to6 inchesisnow

predicted on the northshore,while NewOrleans, Baton Rouge andLafayette face 2to4 inches of rain or more through Thursday Heavy stormswere forecast to reach Baton Rouge on Wednesday evening. Thursday will bring a70% chanceof

rain during theday,with a30% chance of rainfall at night. Thethreat of tornadoes was in the forecast for portionsofthe Gulf Coast region through Thursday,including

Locallyfocused market coming to Gonzales

Farmers, bakers, artists,

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

What started as asmall popup market on a10-acre farm hasgrown into anew business venture forone Ascension Parishfamily Lexus Chatagnier andher family are preparing to open the Chatagnier Community Market in Gonzales, ayear-round marketplace designed to give farmers,bakers, artists andsmall businesses apermanent place to sell their products under one roof. The family,which has afarm

in Gonzales, previously hosted pop-up marketsonits property Butzoning restrictions preventeditfrom havingmoreand promptedittolook for acommercial location.

Thefamily received the keys to the 1,300-square-footstorefront at 14210 Airline Highway aboutamonth ago and has since begun renovations, transforming theformer dance apparel store. Sincemaking theannouncement, Chatagnier said she has received more than 172 vendorapplications. Thoseinclude Wild Oak Farms, which produces meat and freshmilk; Fleur-De-Licious Bakery& Treats, whichspecializes in sourdough and desserts; and Holistic Roots, which creates homemade herbal remedies.

“The response has shownus just how much demand there is for ayear-round vendor space

dedicated to supportinglocalentrepreneurs,”she said. “I have had so much positivityfrom the community that Ifeel like they are going to show up for us, and there are so manyvendors.” She said what setsher market apart is its heavyfocusonlocal food.

BREC to host July public meeting

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

Following atense communitymeeting last week, Baton Rouge residents could getachancetopublicly comment on the future plan forCityBrooks Park next month.

Ameeting will be from 5p.m.to 7p.m.July 14 at BREC headquarters on Florida Boulevard, BREC Director of Communications Robyn Lott confirmed Tuesday Aspects of the meeting, like how the public can share their comments on theproject,havenot been confirmed yet. Lott said theagencyisfinalizing thedetailsand workingonanannouncement to be released soon. Parish residents for the past few months have expressed strong opinions over the master plan aimed to transform City-Brooks Park “into aworld-class, centralparkexperience,” according to the parish’sparks agency Sasaki Associates, the firm hired to createthe master plan for the park, has recently proposed two designs that keep the nine-hole golf course as akey part of the park. But both plans carve afew hundred yards from the course and propose newservicesfor the park, such as expanding pedestrian space and adding new features. On Thursday,emotions flared among thelarge groupofpeople at thecommunity meetingoverdesign proposals for the park andgolf course. The meeting was set up as a presentation, and there was no designated public commentportion of the

ä See MEETING, page 2B

Big changes proposed to update Bakerparks

City wantscommunity input before construction begins

BY AVERYWHITE Staff writer

“While we will have handmade goodsand artisan products, our vision is much more than atraditional arts and crafts vendor market. We want to createa destination wherecustomers can shop local produce, meats, eggs, baked goods, specialty foods and other Louisiana-made products alongside items from local makers.”

ä See ARTHUR, page 2B Waites

Unlike traditional vendormarkets, Chatagnier said the goal is to create agrocery store-style experience centered on local food with “no cluttered booths or flea market feel.”

Phaseone of themarket is expected toopen in August, initially offering drygoods andshelfstable foodswhile the family installs apermitted kitchen. A second phase, expected to open in November,will include apermanentkitchen andexpanded food offerings.

Changes are on the wayfor Baker as the parish’sparks commission plans improvements to thecity’srecreation centers. BRECpresented adeck of proposed improvements to residents on Monday evening with an eye toward the city’sfuture economic potential. The changes aim to update antiquated parks and make Bakera locationfor outdoor sports programming,and the city wanted communityinput before constructionbegins early next year

“The future’sbright for Baker,” Mayor Darnell Waites said. Most of BREC’s proposals were welcomed, while someraisedconcerns they would not do enough in termsofpark improvement. Baker officials, in collaboration withBREC, identifiedareas in need of improvement, highlighting several parks and roadways earmarked forupcoming projects.

One of the biggest undertakings will likely be an anticipated

ä See CHANGES, page 2B

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER

PHOTO PROVIDED By THE NATIONAL OCEANICAND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION Satellite imageofTropical StormArthur

N.O. businesses beg S&WB to finish work

‘We’re almost there,’ director says of utility project

BY BEN MYERS Staff writer

Struggling small-business own-

ers in the French Quarter are pressing Sewerage & Water Board officials to speed up underground utility work that has choked off vital foot traffic for more than a year

Gathered at the Original French Market Restaurant and Bar on Tuesday evening, around two dozen business owners and others complained of inconsistent contractor hours, confusing communications with the S&WB and seemingly unnecessary street closures. They also echoed Mayor Helena Moreno’s criticism of the S&WB’s decision to tear up several blocks of the lower French Quarter at once, as opposed to moving block by block.

“We have not had a contractor on site in three weeks, said Lisa Saladino, owner of Forever New Orleans, a gift shop at the corner of Royal and St. Peter streets, along one segment of the project. “We’re going to hit the worst time of the year, when our funds are the lowest and when times are the toughest.”

The $9.8 million project along three blocks of Decatur and one block of St. Peter was originally planned to wrap up in May, one year after groundbreaking, but the

S&WB says numerous hurdles will force work to continue through September. Three businesses have closed and their owners have blamed barricades, fenced off sidewalks and other obstacles to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.

Rhonda Findley, owner of Pop City, a boutique shop on Decatur, said the annual Creole Tomato Festival last weekend was the worst in terms of sales in nearly two decades. She called on the S&WB to compensate struggling businesses.

“This project is actually devastating this whole area economically,” Findley said. “It is your moral obligation to step in and financially assist these small businesses.”

S&WB Executive Director Randy Hayman promised to look for ways to finish ahead of the latest schedule and to regularly meet with business owners until the project is complete. He highlighted the critical nature of the work, which will replace water sewer

The Sewerage & Water Board project to replace water mains continues on Decatur Street in the French Quarter on June 10.

By

and drainage lines that are past their expected life span and could cause even greater disruption if allowed to fail.

“We are near the end of the project. I just ask you to be patient just a little bit longer, and you will be there. You will have new lines, new water drainage, sewer and a new paved street. We’re almost there,” Hayman said.

Hayman noted that high Mississippi River levels caused the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to issue a stop-work order around the start of the project, delaying excavation After that, the discovery of historical artifacts triggered federally mandated reviews that further stalled the work.

As for compensating businesses, Hayman said he’s open to ideas but cautioned the S&WB faces legal constraints when it comes to giving money to private individuals.

“I hear you, but I also want to say that we’re public servants. The

Sewerage & Water Board is not a for-profit business,” Hayman said.

Moreno criticism

Moreno has repeatedly criticized the S&WB in relation to the project over the last week. She told reporters on June 11 that the S&WB should have taken a blockby-block approach, adding that projects in the French Quarter can never happen like that again.”

Hayman said on Tuesday that the S&WB would have preferred to open one block at a time, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency end-of-2025 deadline for reimbursing the work compelled the agency to get as much done as quickly as possible.

“We had only a small amount of time to do the work and to be reimbursed, and so it was best to get the shovel in the ground and to get that going,” Hayman said.

The work is not included in the $1.7 billion FEMA settlement for road and utility projects across the city That funding was recently extended to mid-2028, but the S&WB’s request to extend the French Quarter project is still pending. S&WB officials say that hasn’t caused any work stoppages.

In a social media video on Sunday Moreno said the S&WB isn’t capable of handling the communications, outreach and administration of small-business grants that are needed to remedy the problems caused by the project.

“I’m just going to step in and take it all over,” Moreno said.

Though she didn’t provide de-

Trombonist Ronell Johnson dies at 49

Musicians remember his joyful spirit, legacy

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Trombonist, sousaphonist and vocalist Ronell Johnson a Preservation Hall stalwart whose playing and personality embodied the joyful spirit of New Orleans music, died Sunday of complications from a heart attack he suffered in April. He was 49. Johnson was an integral member of Preservation Hall’s extended family of musicians for nearly 30 years. He performed at the St. Peter Street venue multiple times a week when he wasn’t on tour, either with the main Preservation Hall Jazz Band or Preservation Brass. He was a “once in a generation talent and human being,” Preservation Hall creative director Ben Jaffe said on social media “His joy was infectious. He made us all better His heart was too big for this earth.”

A third-generation musician, Johnson started playing music at age 6 and turned pro at age 12. In the 1990s, he co-founded Coolbone, a New Orleans brass band infused with hip-hop. He also played with the DejaVu Brass Band and other groups.

But Preservation Hall was his primary professional affiliation. His animated performances with Preservation Brass on Monday nights at the Hall or at tour stops all over the world gave him countless opportunities to connect with listeners.

“Music wasn’t meant to be enjoyed alone,” Johnson told a WWLTV reporter in 2021. “I came up literally with music all around. I love

CHANGES

Continued from page 1B

$4 million to $5 million reconstruction of the ball fields at Baker Park. BREC and Waites presented two concepts to residents. Along with proposed new restrooms and concessions, the plans offered a survey to see whether residents preferred two high school-sized fields or one larger field paired with a mix of other fields that could be used for softball or T-ball.

The facilities are designed to be tournament-level, encouraging more travel teams to come to the city for games year-round. Waites believes the new construction can bring in economic growth, like in Zachary and Central, which have the facilities to host tournaments that bring in hundreds of people on the weekends. He also underscored the importance of improved recreational facilities for the city’s own kids. Instead of kids going to other cit-

Ronell Johnson plays the trombone as the Preservation

perform during a Veterans Day commemoration ceremony at The National WWII Museum in New Orleans on Nov. 11, 2021. Johnson died Sunday of complications from a heart attack he suffered in April. He was 49.

jazz, always did.”

Not surprisingly, Johnson’s Santa Claus-like presence made him a natural for Preservation Hall’s pandemic-era “Holiday Grams.”

With music venues still closed, fans could book a musician to play a short set outside a home or business.

“It couldn’t have came at a better time, to start bringing some joy when we desperately need it,” Johnson said at the time.

Via Preservation Hall, Johnson interacted with a litany of A-list musicians, from the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl to Taylor Swift.

But his musical merits stood on their own. He is part of the core band for Preservation Hall’s acclaimed 2013 album “That’s It!” and 2017’s “So It Is,” the first albums of all-new compositions in

ies for athletics, better fields and opportunities will keep them in Baker

“It’s not just recreation; it’s about building young men and young women,” Waites said. “We wanted our kids to grow up in our recreation program; we got tired of waking up in the morning, reading the paper and seeing kids that live right down the street scoring 50 points for another team. We’re going to stop all that poaching and all that stealing.”

Residents were supportive of the proposal, noting that improved recreation could help kids outside of school.

“That’s what they’re trying to get back to, getting the kids involved and doing sports and, you know, staying out of trouble and giving them some direction,” resident Mark Greggs said.

Magnolia Park was also a topic during the meeting. While the ballpark plans were further along in the design process, BREC wanted to hear what residents want to see for the improve-

the band’s history He appears throughout “A Tuba to Cuba,” the 2018 documentary film about the Preservation Hall Jazz Band’s journey to Cuba. His trombone is prominently featured on “For Fat Man,” the Grammy-nominated 2025 Preservation Brass album on Sub Pop Records dedicated to the memory of bass drummer Kerry “Fat Man” Hunter

As news of Johnson’s death spread, social media tributes poured in from fans and fellow musicians.

Responding to Jaffe’s Instagram post, Jon Batiste expressed his feelings to his 1.9 million followers with three broken-heart emojis. David Shaw, the singer for The Revivalists, posted, “This one hurts. I’ll never forget the first time I heard his heart through that horn

ments, proposing more walking trails, hangout spots or a dog park. The city’s two recreation centers are a part of BREC’s parishwide project to improve and revitalize city rec centers. The first step for many is to install air conditioning, a plan that drew concern from residents. Because the Baker Recreation Center underwent air-conditioning renovations and other improvements in 2017, the focus will be on T.D. Bickham Jr Park, a largely outdoor facility. The city wants to add an air-conditioned space with additional activity rooms.

Some residents and City Council members noted that they didn’t feel the 2017 renovations were enough of an improvement and did not compare to the surrounding city rec centers.

“(Children) see all these children with nice community centers, and then they come back to Baker, and the center that we have is nowhere comparable to them,” council member Rochelle

tails in the video about how she plans to oversee the project, Moreno’s special counsel, Andrew Tuozzolo, said in an email the mayor is making sure the S&WB work schedules are appropriate, is demanding better communication and is developing “new financial relief opportunities for businesses.” He did not provide additional details about financial relief.

Lawsuit coming?

Lawyer Bob Ellis said he is representing around 15 business owners, employees and residents who plan to soon file for a court injunction to force the S&WB to work more efficiently He noted, for example, that the 500 block of St. Philip is currently blocked off even though no work is occurring there.

A lawsuit for damages will be coming “down the road,” Ellis said, “but I’m trying to get something done right now.”

The St. Philip Street closure, which includes a locked gate at the end of the block, is causing headaches at the Original French Market Restaurant and Bar and others near the corner of St. Philip Street and Decatur Street. Christina Marullo, the restaurant’s owner said she has missed deliveries and has to walk a block and a half to empty the trash.

“We have residents. There’s no ambulance access. There’s a lock on the gate,” Marullo said.

Email Ben Myers at bmyers@ theadvocate.com.

MEETING

Continued from page 1B

Pure joy and elation.”

To cellist Helen Gillet, Johnson was “one of the kindest, uplifting and generous men I ever met.”

Guitarist and social media personality Joshua Starkman, who often collaborated with Johnson, praised his “love and connection with everyone he came across. I have never seen a musician with such enthusiasm to entertain and bring joy to everyone around him. What an inspiration. New Orleans and the world are going to miss him dearly.”

Veteran rock photographer Steve Rapport, who has photographed numerous local musicians since moving to New Orleans four years ago, described Johnson as “an extraordinary and immensely talented musician with an incredibly happy and gregarious personality who quite literally lit up each and every room he wandered into. He gave so much of himself every minute of every day.”

Beyond Johnson’s technical virtuosity, Rapport was impressed that “every note was infused with his joy of life and his unquenchable passion for music. And the same can be said for his fabulous singing, which was always accompanied by goofy dancing and trombone shenanigans.”

One fan recalled that on her first trip to Preservation Hall, “we were in the front row and joked with him that his (trombone) slide was going to hit us in the head. He was so sweet when I was overcome with emotion during the performance and gave me a big hug.”

Survivors include his wife, Rachel Johnson. Funeral arrangements are incomplete. A GoFundMe account has been established to help defray medical and funeral costs.

Dunn said “BREC has for the last 10, 15, 20 years, y’all been around us, little ol’ Baker and we have not received a center When it comes down to it, you’re going to say we have air conditioning; I really just can’t take it.” Council member Desiree Collins also raised the possibility that Baker may only be getting attention now because of the election later this month, where the parish will vote to renew a 10-year tax funding BREC’s operations.

BREC’s 3.96-mill property tax on the ballot this month has been renewed every 10 years since 1987, with funds from the tax going toward day-to-day operations maintenance, staffing and community programming.

The funds from the tax are not used to fund building projects like those proposed in Baker; rather, funding comes from the Capital Improvement Program millage that was approved last year, BREC Director of Planning and Engineering Angela Harms said

night, but some BREC and project leaders were available for one-onone conversations after the presentation.

A vocal majority of people Thursday strongly advocated for leaving the park as is, especially the golf course. However, other residents want to see the layout significantly changed, with more wide-ranging features added to the park. Previously in the spring, two rounds of a public survey about the master plan received more than 3,000 comments from parish residents. Suggestions to preserve the golf course as it is now and creating more family-friendly and everyday recreation led the responses, according to Sasaki.

ARTHUR

Continued from page 1B

New Orleans. East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sid Edwards said his office is continuing to monitor the tropical storm and expects heavy rainfall.

“Throughout this event, we will closely monitor our drainage and flood control systems to ensure they are operating at full capacity,” Edwards said.

“Residents should also remain cautious and avoid low-lying areas and locations prone to flooding. Please do not drive through flooded roadways.”

Several Baton Rouge-area school districts announced closures on Thursday, including Zachary West Baton Parish, Livingston Parish, Ascension Parish, St James Parish and Pointe Coupee Parish. Sandbags are available for pickup in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, St. James and West Feliciana parishes.

While Friday is predicted to be mostly sunny, a 40% chance of rain is predicted during the day, with a 30% chance of rainfall Friday night, the National Weather Service said.

Rain is expected to continue into Saturday, with a 50% chance during the day and 20% that night.

LOTTERY

TUESDAY, JUNE

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Hall All Stars

STAFF PHOTO

SOPHIA GERMER Edwards

Barrow, Joseph Immaculate ConceptionCatholic Church,865 Hatchell Ln Denham Springs,LAat11:30am

Crane, James Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street,at10a.m

Currier,Charles

St.John Catholic Church,15208 LA Highway 73, Prairieville,LAat12:30 PM Jackson, David Richardson FuneralHomeinClinton La.at11am. StevensJr.,Roland Grace WorksChurch,16131 Highway 44 in Prairieville,at6 p.m

Obituaries

Claxton, James Levi

James Levi Claxton, 81, "JL" "Bubba", aresident of St. Francisvilleand Lake Rosemound died on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. He was anative of Booneville, MS. There will be avisitation on Friday, June19, 2026at Charlet Funeral Home, Inc. in Zachary, LA from 9:00am until funeral services at 11:00am, conducted by his brother William "Dud" Claxton. Burial willbeat Feliciana Cemetery. He is survived by his daughter Tammy Herring and husband Jimmy of St. Francisville; oneson, Chris Claxton and wife Angela of St. Francisville; sister Margie McLin of Hammond; sister Frances Venable of Greensburg;six brothers: William Dudley Claxton and wife Jean of Greensburg; David Venable of Atlanta, GA; Roy Venable of New Roads; Marlin Venable and wife Tawana of Greensburg; Jeff Venable and wife Tammy of Morganza; Daniel Venable and wife Cindy of Greensburg; eight grandchildren: Amanda Oliveaux, Randy Herring, Derick Herring, Joshua Herring, Mark Claxton, Kristen Ann Claxton, Lacie Herring Manieri,CJ Claxton; great-grandchildren: Mason and Natalie Oliveaux; Isaac, Arabella, Elle and Owen Herring; Lydia and Louis Manieri; Truett and Ivory Stewart; Paxley May Richard. He was preceded in death by his wife, Catherine Ann Ballard Claxton; mother and step-father Davis and Annie Bell Cooksey Venable;father James "PeeWee"Claxton;mother-inlaw Jo Etta Ballard; sister Geneva Easley; brother Bill Joe Claxton;and brother-in -law Michael Ballard. Pallbearers willbeDerick Herring, Joshua Herring ,CJ Claxton, Mark Claxton, Jake Manieri and Jeff Venable. Honorable pallbearers will be Roy Venable, David Venable, Marlin Venable,and Daniel Venable He was aretired lineman who worked for Demco, Henkles and McCoy, and Par. He was amember of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Union Local 995 of Baton Rouge He loved camping and fishing and was ago-to handyman for the Lake Rosemound area. The family would like to thank Hospice of Baton Rouge and Grace NursingHome for their compassion and care. Sharesympathies, memories, and condolences at www.CharletFuneralHome. com.

Raymond Haynes Garrett, Sr. leftthis world peacefully on June 15, 2026 to join his heavenly father Raymond was 77 years old, born on August 27, 1948in New Roads, LA. He graduated from St. Joseph Academy in New Roadsin 1966. He attended LSU in Baton Rouge and then went on to graduate from Northeast Louisiana University in Monroe, LA as a Pharm-D. He worked in

many locations in Louisiana beforeopening his own drugstoreinNew Roads. He operatedRaymond'sFamilyPharmacy forover 30 years. He also served as NewRoads City Councilman for 10 years. Raymond was preceded in deathbyhis parents, S.N, Garrett, Jr.and his wife Johnnie Ruth Haynes; asister, Ann Elizabeth Garrett He is survivedbyhis wife, Carol CorleyGarrett; his sons, RHaynesGarrett, Jr. andwife, Annie, and Nelson Garrett. He also leaves behind his grandchildren, Izabell, Emma,and Grayson Garrett, Ayden Sheppard and Jayden Warren. Raymond's surviving siblings are BarbaraG Roberts, LucilleSt. Romain and husband, Kenneth, Aimee G. Sansing and Stephen N. GarrettIII and wife, Cindy.

The visitation willbe held at Niland's Funeral Home in New Roads on Friday, June 19, 2026 from 9:30 am until the religious service begins at 11:00am. The entombment willfollow in St.Mary's Catholic ChurchCemetery.In lieu flowers donations can be made to American Lung Associationand St. Mary's CatholicChurchCemetery fund

Hollis T. Hodges, affectionately known asPops and Skeeter, passedaway on June 12, 2026,atthe age of 90. Holliswas anative of NewOrleans anda resident of Baton Rouge.Hollis devotedmany yearsofservice to his community through his career, retiring from Louisiana DOTD and Gulf Engineers and Consultants. His life reflected dedicationand aconsistent sense of responsibility, carriedout with the kind of reliability that leaves alastingmark on those who workedalongside him. An avid hunter and fisherman, Hollis found deep enjoyment in the outdoors.Hollis is survived by his loving wifeof 70 years, Margaret F. Hodges; daughter, Elizabeth H. Phillips (Jeffrey)of Baton Rouge;son, Hollis T. Hodges, Jr.(Danielle) of Baton Rouge; daughter, Susan H. Sevier (David)of Ethel, and brother, Clyde E. HodgesofBaton Rouge Grandchildren: Chris Ransome(Toni),Jennifer Hurst (Doug),JessicaHodges, SamanthaHodges, NathanielHodges, DanyelleH.White (Todd), Jonathan Sevier (Lauren), RachelS.Dallery(Will), and Jacob Sevier;and by his great-grandchildren, Andrew Ransome, Saylor Severio, Ryker Hodges, OwenKnutson,and Bellamy Sevier. Numerous nieces and nephews, too many to list. Hollis was preceded in deathbyhis parents, Harry H., and Idell T. Hodges; son,Paul D. Hodges;brother,Harry H. Hodges,Jr.;and hissisterin-law, Doris Hodges.Visitationwillbe held at Rabenhorst Funeral Home &Crematory East, 11000 FloridaBoulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70815, on SundayJune 21, 2026, from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm, visitation will resume on Monday June 22, 2026, from 10:00amuntilFuneral Service at 12pm. Burialwill immediately follow at Greenoaks MemorialPark

Mouton, BeverlyAnn

Beverly Ann Mouton, a beloved sister, aunt,devoted dogmom, caregiver, storyteller,and proud Cajun woman, passed away on June 8, 2026, at the age of 89. Beverly was an incredibly independent woman, well-traveledand wellread, with acurious mind, agenerous heart,and a spirit allher own. Shedevotedmuch of her life to caring forothers as a nurse, working at OurLady of the Lake as well as in private practice with her favorite doctor, Tip. But her giftfor caring reached farbeyond her profession. She had away of seeing the best in everyperson and every situation, and

she madethe people around her feelseen, valued,and loved.

AdevoutCatholic, Beverly's faith was aguiding forcethroughout her life

She wasdeeplyinvolvedin her church community, where she gave her time, her presence,and her heart.Her faith was not onlysomething she practiced;itwas something she livedthroughkindness, service, compassion andlove.

She was deeplyproud of her Cajun heritageand couldtellyou theentire history of theCajuns, right down to everybranchof her family tree,withall the love and excitement anyone couldmuster. To sit with Beverlywas to learn something new, something interesting, unexpected, and often wonderfullyexciting.She was akeeper of stories, family history, and memories,thoughshe seldomspoke much about herself.

Beverlyloved her family deeply, especially her siblings and their children. She lovedher parents, Alfred and Henrietta, and carriedtheir memory and influence throughout her life.She lovedcelebrating special moments with her YaYa cousins.Her love extendedtoseveral dogs named Tiger,aswellasto her LSUTigers. For Beverly, Christmas was her favorite time of year, fulloflight, beauty, and wonder.

She leavesbehinda legacy of independence, faith, compassion, family pride, curiosity, sparkle and love

Beverlyissurvived by her sister, Catherine MoutonLarriviere; her sister-in -law, JaneMouton; her dear friend, Cornelia Washington; and many nieces and nephews who are all better forknowing her.

She was preceded in death by her beloved parents, Alfred and Henrietta Mouton; Morris Parrino; Gerald Mouton; Jacqueline Mouton; and Jeanette Coats.

Our family wouldliketo express our heartfelt gratitude to thenurses and staff at Maisonde Lafayettefor thecompassionate care, kindness, and dignity they showed throughout Beverly's time there. Theirdedication, patience,and support brought comfort notonly to her, butalso to our entire family.Weare deeply thankful forthe relationship they builtand theexceptional care they provided In Beverly's memory, thefamily invitesthose who knew her to share a story, cherish their family history,celebrate Christmas with alittleextra sparkle, and cheerloudly forthe LSUTigers.

CarrieM.Rosamond passed away on Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at theage of 93. She is survived by her sons, Georgeand Rickie Aucoin; seven grandchildren;18great-grandchildren;and twogreat-greatgrandchildren. Carrie is preceded in deathbyher twohusbands, MarionAucoinand AlvinRosamond; son, MarionAucoin, Jr.; parents, Josephand Noelie Cavalier; six siblings; and daughter-in-law,Pam Aucoin. Visitation willbeat Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 FloridaBlvd., Baton Rouge, LA,onSaturday, June 20, 2026, from 11am until thefuneral service at 2pm. Familyand friends

are invited to signthe online guestbook at www.gre enoaksfunerals.com

Dorothy "Dot" Sanders anativeofBogalusa, Louisiana, and aresident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana passed away on June 10, 2026, at theage of 79. Dot was alovingwife,mother, sister, grandmother,great grandmother and foster parent whose kindness touched countless lives. She cherishedfamily gatherings, lovedcollecting angels, and was delightedin spoiling other people's children. Overthe years, she openedher heartand home to 19 foster children, providing love,support, and stability to those in need. Her doorwas always open, and everyone was welcome.

Dotgenuinelyloved people and they lovedher in return. She believed in thegoodnessofothers, and approached life with compassion,warmth,and an open heart.Many in the community knew Dot for her gentle demeanorwhile working as acashier at Albertsons and Walmart. Childrenwere especially drawntoher kindness; they often brought her drawings, which she proudly displayedather register forall to see Dot's loving spirit, generosity,and unwavering belief in thegoodnessof people willberemembered by allwho had theprivilege of knowing her. She willbedeeplymissedand forevercherished by her family,friends, and the many livesshe touched Dot is survivedbyher daughter, DorothyHebert (Paul Kuber);two grandchildren, Franky Hebert (Mallory) and Samantha Hebert;two great-grandchildren, Ethan McDowell and Brock Hebert;her brother, Charlie O'Bryant (Kathy); and numerous fosterchildren, close friends, nieces and nephews.

Dot willbejoining the love of her life,Travis, her parents, Abe and Geneva Crockett O'Bryant; hersisters ElizabethTrimble, KathleenHalbert, and Sally GormanousinHeaven.

Avisitationwillbeheld at Greenoaks Funeral Home on Friday, June 19, 2026, from 9amuntil funeral service at 12 pm. Burial willfollow in Franklinton LA.Receptionatthe home of Travis and DotSanders afterwards.All are welcome. Pallbearers willbe Franky Hebert,BrettGormanous, Christian Mizell, LukeCatalanattoJr., Steven O'Bryant, and Gage Wilcoxon. Honorary pallbearerswillbeCharlie O'Bryant,PaulKuber, and AlvinRoundtree Visitwww.greenoaksfun erals.com to leave condolencestothe family

Wilkinson,Anthony

day—andnot only to me, butalso to all whohave longedfor hisappearing." 2Timothy4:7-8. Anthony(Tony) Wayne Wilkinson, 56, anative of Walker andresident of Lillie, Louisiana, passed away peacefully at his home on June 15, 2026. Tony wasthe successfulowner and pharmacist of Thrift Town Drugs. He was also aman of deep Baptist faithand an avidhunterand fisherman.Some of hisfinest days were spent on his belovedpropertyinLillie, enjoyingthe outdoors he lovedsomuch. He also lovedplayinggolf and spendingtimewith his family. He is survivedby hiswife of 32 years, Jennifer BennettWilkinson; daughters, Taylor Wilkinson and Sarah Wilkinson; sisters, Missi Woods(Jeff), andJoelleShelton (Eddie) parents, Sammy andAnn Wilkinson; mother-in-law, Erma Bennett, loving family members and friends. He waspreceded in death by hisgrandparents,Herman and Aline (Wilkie) Wilkinson and Alan and Beatrice Peak; father-inlaw,Frankie Bennett;and nephew,Matthew Woods. Agravesideservice willbe held at MintonCemetery in Walker on Friday, June 19, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Services will be conductedbyAnnetteGordon.Pallbearers will be Jeff Woods, Jeff Fletcher, Colby Bennett DanielFarrar, DwayneFerguson, SpencerCoburn,Eric Elliott, Calvin Barcomb and honorary pallbearer JerryBarron.The family wishes to extendtheir deepestgratitude to Southern GraceHospice for theircompassionate care,support,and kindness during Tony's final days. In lieu of flowers, Tony requesteddonations be made to theLouisiana Baptist Children'sHome,a ministrynearand dear to hisheart.Donations canbe made online through their website

Alfred Leon Wyble, Jr., 91, passedawayJune14, 2026. Born July 11, 1934, in Rosa,Louisiana, he graduated from Baker High School andservedeight years in theUnited States AirForce,including during theKorean conflict. He workedatLouisiana Creamery wherehemet ElsieGremillion, thelove of hislife. They were married 58 years untilher passing in 2021. Al later worked nearly 30 years at Exxon Chemical before retiring. He andElsieraised two sons in Baker, Louisiana, before movingtoHammond to be closer to their grandchildren.

Al is survived by his sons Rich (Tammy) and Steve (Miriam); grandchildren Jordan (Delaney) and Julia; sister Bessie Hayward; and brotherJim (Ivy) Wyble,along with numerousnieces and nephews. He wasprecededin death by hisparents, his wife Elsie, sister Carol Nahser, and brotherMike Wyble Al enjoyed fishing, hunting, camping,travel, and time with his family. Familyand friends will be received at Harry McKneely& SonFuneral Home -Hammond,2000 N. Morrison Blvd,Hammond, Louisiana 70401, on Saturday, June 20, 2026, from 11:00 am until thefuneral service beginsat1:00 pm. Intermentwillfollow at Rose Memorial ParkMausoleum in Hammond, Louisiana. Arrangements have been entrustedtoHarry McKneely &Son Funeral Home and Crematoryof Hammond andPonchatoula. An online guest book is availableat www.harrymckneely.com.

"I havefought thegood fight, Ihavefinished the race, Ihavekeptthe faith. Nowthere is in store for me thecrown of righteousness, which theLord, the righteous Judge,will awardtomeonthat

Wyble, Alfred Leon

Aldridge,Creecy

Sanders, Dorothy 'Dot'

Hodges, Hollis T.

Rosamond,Carrie M.

Wayne'Tony'

Garrett Sr., Raymond Haynes

Editor’snote:Inhonor of theJuneteenth observance tomorrow,weare reprinting an editorial about the holiday that has been publishedin previous years.

As the Civil Warcontinued, President Abraham Lincoln issued the EmancipationProclamation —effective Jan. 1, 1863 —making it clear to Confederate states fighting to keep slavery that enslaved people “shall be free.”

Though famous since that day,the proclamation was really awartimemeasure that only appliedto slaves in rebelstatesunder arms,not atotal end to slavery. It was rather specific, designating whichcountiesand parishesthe proclamation would cover.“Idoorder anddeclare that all persons held as slaveswithin said designated States, and parts of States, are, andhenceforward shall be free,” Lincoln wrote. Elsewhere in the proclamation, the presidentmadeitclear that non-Union Confederatestates werethe areas being targeted. That includedLouisiana, but 13 parishes wereexempt from theproclamation: Ascension, Assumption, Jefferson,Lafourche, Plaquemines,St. Bernard,St. Charles, St.John, St. Mary,St. Martin,Terrebonne,and “Orleans, including the CityofNew Orleans.” Slavery was not fully abolished until the 13th Amendment waspassed by CongressonJan.31, 1865, then ratified on Dec. 6, 1865. Still, Lincoln’s proclamation sent an importantsignal, albeit one that was slowtospread.

There was no nightly news, nointernet and certainly no social media to quickly andwidely share the breaking news that theEmancipation Proclamationhad been signed andslaveryhad ended. It took more than two years —until June 19, 1865—for enslaved people in GalvestonBay to learn that they wereamong the250,000 in Texas and 4million nationally who were freed by order of the president.

Enslaved people who were freed celebrated, starting aTexas tradition that eventually spread to other states acrossthe nation. “June”and “19th” were combined to create“Juneteenth.”

In 2021, Juneteenth becameafederalholiday, and Louisiana also made it astate holidaythat year.Today,Juneteenthisrecognizedasa holiday, observanceorremembrance in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Though June 19 fallsona Friday thisyear, and that is the federal holiday,traditionally, Juneteenth has also been observed on thethird Saturday of June by many Black Americans. Opal Lee, recognized as the grandmotherof Juneteenth because she started anational effort to have the day recognized as afederal holiday when she was 86 years old, grew uplessthanan hour away from Shreveport inMarshall, Texas, before moving to the Fort Wortharea. Lee has said she envisioned the holidayasa celebration of freedom for everyone, not just those whose ancestors endured slavery On Juneteenth, we remember all thoseAmericans throughout history whohavemoved this country toward the “more perfect union”articulated by our founders. We urge everybody to celebrate the day dedicated to cherishing the freedoms that were, for many Americans, much too belatedly won.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

After reading the half-page for the menhaden fishing industry in theJune 7 newspaper,I’m convinced the Legislature is siding withthe menhaden fishing companies over the thousands of local fishermen and guides in Louisiana.

The article states that lawmakers strengthened accountability for certain violations. What ajoke! Example: bycatch.

The industrial harvest nets between 20 million and 37 million pounds of nontarget fish (bycatch) each year.This includes tens of thousands of breedingsize redfish and hundreds of thousands of speckled trout, and untold numbers of flounders, black drums and tarpons.

The Marine Stewardship Council said themenhaden are not overfished. Well, when they disappear,sowill the big menhaden boats. Ourfishing will no longer be “Louisiana Sportsman’sParadise,”and it will come to that! Why doesn’tthe LouisianaLegisla-

Iran is acountry governed by rabid religious zealots. Its government has slaughtered and imprisoned 30,000 of its citizens who protested the decrepit economy; hanged people publicly,and stoned people to death. The Iranian government has assassinated Iranian dissidentsliving in other countries and funds the terrorist organizations of Hezbollah and Hamas as well as the Houthis.

Allowingsuch agovernment anuclear weapon is sheer folly.Itcould easily set off anuclear race among other Arab states and allow Iran tobully theworld by imposing an expensive tariff on the Hormuz Strait,skyrocketing theWestern world’sinflation.

Appeasement has already been tried by two U.S.administrations withthe unfreezing of billions of dollars in Iranian funds —freezing that took place because Iran was the foremost state sponsor of terrorism.

Does this sound familiar?A longstanding government-sponsored program providing jobstosome and apublic service to manyisabruptly closed. Planning for and communication during theaftermath are minimal. This is but one example of how our governor’sstyle of leadership mimics that

ture listen tothe other Gulf states with their menhaden fishingrestrictions? It’sall about the money.Next time I catch one too many redfish and agame officer wants to givemeaticket, maybe Ishould say that fish was “bycatch” and so Ishould get no ticket. Louisiana can’thave alaw that has twodifferent enforcements, one forindustry and one for regular fishers. That 3.6% by weight bycatch is scary when the total of their catch of menhaden is hundreds of thousands of pounds per year.Remember that next timeyou can only catch and keep four redfish daily Louisianaisimplementing new regulations to protect its red drum stocks. What ajoke. Oh,wait —that’sfor local fishermen, not thecommercial industries Shameonthe Louisiana Legislature. FRANCIS MESTAYER Baton Rouge

No nukes for our time did not work, just as no peace for ourtime did not work with Hitler.The Iranian government, unfortunately supported by enough Iranians to keep it in power, believes in theannihilation of its perceived enemies. That is us.

Have theAmerican people becomeso weak-willed that they cave in to allowing this rogue country to have nuclear weapons because they will temporarily suffer inflation —which hurts, but does not kill like anuclear weapon would?

There should be little doubt that a government such as the Iranian one would use anuclear weapon.

President John F. Kennedy once said that domestic policy could hurt you and foreign policy could kill you. We need to seriouslythink about what allowing Iran to have anuclear weapon would do.

HERBERT CANNON Baton Rouge

of our president: It is impulsive, poorly thought out and self-serving. Whether inspection stickers should stay or go is not thepoint; how people are governed is. Ihear there is arecall petition Ican sign.

CAROLYN

DEYO Baton Rouge

The newspaper recently ran an article from The Associated Press about American comic books, focusing on the centrality of superheroes. Ithink there is abigger story about comic books in other countries.

Iwas in Saudi Arabia in 2009 with the World Leader’sSymposium through my connection to Rice University.Wemet with a psychiatrist whoproudly showed us the comic book he had created. He was proudest of his decision to not only celebrate asuperhero from his own country but also the creation of different superheroes from all the Arabian countries to foster community in the Middle East.

He even included ahero from the United States, who, sadly,was in awheelchair.Weall questioned this decision, thinking it quite Freudian or merely wishful thinking.

He defended his choice, explaining it was culturally appropriate. The reason our superhero wasin awheelchair was that he had been injured by adrunken driver.We were all taken aback.

So, there is alot going on out there in comic books that might makeaninteresting series from the world around us.

MARSHA REICHLE Baton Rouge

Alas, during the 2025-26 academic year,LSU’s sports teams wonnary asingle national championship. Coaches keep talking about recruits and building forthe future. Perhaps it would be better to have morerecruiting foracademic accomplishments and building forfuture scholarship.

HENRYBRADSHER Baton Rouge

Politiciannames on public worksisfreeadvertising

When workers scraped Donald Trump’sname off the DonaldTrump and John F. Kennedy Performing Arts Center,they should have kept going. They should have taken Kennedy’s name off as well and restored the building to its original, simple title, the National Culture Center

After President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963, Congress renamed the center after him. The New York International Airport, charmingly referred to as Idlewild, suddenly became the John F. Kennedy International Airport. Andhundreds of schools acrossthe country plastered “John F. Kennedy” on their facades.

It is one thing to name airports, bridges and other public works after the handful of great presidentswho saved the country: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower

It’sanother to similarly memorializeordinary politicians for posterity, even those who did amostlygood job. Why did they change the short, descriptive name of Washington National Airport to the convoluted Ronald Reagan WashingtonNational Airport?

Both Reagan and JFK were popular presidents, but neither left behind achievements monumental enough to justify turning airportsintotheir shrines. Kennedy was young, charismatic and died tragically,but as president, he did not-good things. He authorizedthe Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, afiasco. He didn’tstart U.S. involvement in Vietnam, but he greatly expanded it. And he was aserial womanizer,insome cases, risking national security

But Kennedyand his circle were masters at peddling their era as Camelot, the myth of agolden age outofKing Arthur.Inaninterview shortly after the assassination, JFK’s widow,the glamorous Jacqueline Kennedy,quoted the “one brief shiningmoment” line from themusical “Camelot.”

Since then, Kennedy after Kennedy has run for office off the curated glow

Most were elected and some were competent. But this free promotion of

“America’sroyal family” drowned the arguments of more-qualified, hardworking public servants who wanted thejobs. Now we have JFK’sgrandson, Jack Schlossberg, running for Jerry Nadler’scongressional district covering Manhattan’swealthy Upper East and Upper West Sides Whatever Democrat secures the nomination is almost sure to win in November. Schlossberg has arguably less than zero qualifications. His chief achievement at age 33 is as an “influencer” on social media, posting lots of selfie videos and whatever draws clicks. Nonetheless, New York tabloids areputting the words “Camelot” and “Kennedy Mystique” in theirheadlines about his campaign. One political writer gushed that “a Kennedy” wasrunning. Former HouseSpeaker NancyPelosi made afool of herself endorsing Schlossberg on aTVad with the tagline“Believe in something again.” Everyoneknows the handsome fellow is theson of Carolyn Kennedy

Another Kennedy,Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is busyputting Americans’

lives at risk as head of the Depart-

ment of Health and Human Services. RFK Jr.isacrackpot famous for bashing life-savingvaccines.

On taking over HHS, he fired all 17 members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, booted about 20,000 employees and slashed cutting-edge medical research

Why did Trump choosehim? “Bobby” is acolorful kook who endorsed Trump in the2024 election. What makes him extra fun for the unserious is that he’s“aKennedy.”

To bring this full circle, RFK Jr.is theson of Robert F. Kennedy.New Yorkers driving toward what they still call theTriborough Bridge see that it’s now called the Robert F. Kennedy Bridge, named for Bobby’sdad, after he was assassinated. The elder RFK moved into the state theday he proclaimed his candidacy to representNew York in theSenate.

Politicos naming public works after other politicos, or in Trump’scase, himself, isaracket. It is free advertising on tax-supported government structures. Stop it.

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

The late broadcast journalist David Brinkley once observed: “Objectivity is impossible to normal human behavior.Rather,weshould strive for fairness.”

Fairness is at the heart of the ongoing shake-up at CBS News and especially at the legendary “60 Minutes.” Since television is abusiness that requires high ratings and credibility to attract advertisers and make money,itismore important what viewers think about a program than what those producing it think about themselves.

ing. Public trust and confidence in themassmedia to report the news fully,accurately andfairly is at a record low.Gallup’spolling reveals Americans’ trust in the media has fallen from arelatively high of 68% in 1972 to today’s record low of 28%,the first time it hasgonebelow 30%. Until Bari Weisswas hired, networks ignoredthistrend.

Correspondent Scott Pelley violated acardinal principle,not justin journalism, but in any job. He bit the hand that had been feeding him. In astaff meeting, Pelley reportedly excoriated management for having the temerity to shake up the news division, which Bari Weiss, the new editor-in-chief, was hired to do. Reading an interview Pelley did for The New York Times after his firing reveals the attitude of many journalistsatthe top of the profession. Pelley thinks it’sall about him, not the audience. It appears he believes his decades at the network entitle him to stay on until he expires or resigns. I have been fired —ormyshows canceled —from NBC, CNBC and Fox News. Ididn’tcomplain. In fact, on my final Fox show Isaid: “It’stheir network; they can do as they please.” What has become collectively known as “the media” are selling what much of the public isn’tbuy-

The 2022 American Journalist Study,asurveyofU.S. journalists, found that about 36% of journalists identifiedas Democrats, compared to just 3.4% who identified as Republicans. A plurality ofjournalists— nearly52% —identified as Independents. No one will convincemethatone’s political worldviewdoesn’t influencewhich stories are covered (and which are ignored) and howtheyare reported. Ihave spent manyyears in newsrooms and at journalist gatherings. It has been my experience that most people claiming the title of “journalist” are liberal Democrats who have asecular-progressive worldview. The conservative Media Research Center (MRC.org) hascompiled some examples of Scott Pelley’sbiased reporting, including this gem: “It’stoo soon to tellhow serious President Trump is in defianceofthe Constitution. In his first 28 days, he signedan ordertonullify birthright citizenship for some —aright guaranteed by the 14th Amendment. And he hasclosed agencies and frozen spending that

Congress mandated by law.” (Feb.16, 2025). Abalanced report might have mentioned that while the goal of the 14th Amendment was primarilyto protect formerlyenslaved people after the Civil War, it was written to applytoall Americans. The Trump administration, however,has challenged the constitutionality of birthright citizenship. TheSupreme Court is expected to decide shortly whether Trump or theConstitution have the finalsay

Here’sanother Pelleyism: “Joe Biden is amongthe longest-serving politiciansinWashington. If there is lessbounceinthe stepthanthere once was, if the words don’tflow liketheyused to, maybe there’s something to be said for know-how, five decades on theHill andinthe Oval. …You have liveda long lifeof triumphand tragedy.InNovember, you’llbe80. And Iwonderwhatitis that keepsyou in the arena.” (Sept. 18,2022) This at atimewhenitwas becomingincreasingly evident to many except perhaps Jill Biden, Kamala Harris and others who didn’twant people to believewhattheysaw and heard—thatthe president hadlost more than astep. Maybe Bari Weisscan makechanges that will drawmore viewers and improve credibility at CBS News.If she succeeds, will ABC and NBC follow herexample?

Email CalThomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com

This week’sstorm in the Gulf of Mexico should focus the state Legislature’sattention on the operations of Louisiana’smost prominent levee board. To be specific, the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee should convene ahearing to analyze apparent chaos at the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, which provides flood control forparts or the whole of Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes. State legislative committees are allowed to hold oversight hearings even when not in session, although they can’tactually vote on pending matters.

The levee board has been riven by very public controversy forabout 18 months. Gov.Jeff Landry and his friend, businessman Shane Guidry,have tried to exert control of the board that post-Katrina reforms tried to insulate from political agendas. Whatever the governor’sintentions, the result has been ahigh degree of discord.

Hired directors forced out. Vague allegations from the Guidry camp that board members or members of the nominating committee are corrupt or racist. Mass resignations in protest against the new regime. Threatened fisticuffs in public meetings. Abattery charge filed by the authority’s robust police chief, Joshua Rondeno, against the rather petite then-board member Deborah Settoon. Large staffturnover.Alarge stretch of time in which Rondeno handled manyofthe executive functions usually done by the authority’sdirector And more.

Atop all that, the last five months have featured major controversy about Rondeno’srole and salary.First, Rondeno wasallowed to drafthis own contract, with amassive salary increase and a whopping $910,000 severance package if he is fired. After legislative and public blowback, the severance provision wasremoved and the salary wascut back from $250,000 to $197,000, farmore than his predecessor’s$110,000.

Then, in anew,bizarre twist, Rondeno went from his highly exalted and remunerated position to being put on administrative leave on June 3, according to Guidry,“pending an investigation that we can’tdiscuss while it’sgoing on.”

Between all this turmoil and the loss of experienced engineers and other key employees, the actual workofthe agency may be compromised. At least that’swhat former board member Settoon said on June 8inaninterview with WVUE-TV, echoing concerns Ihave heard privately from other knowledgeable sources. Settoon questioned if the agency really is ready forhurricane season —avivid reminder of which is this week’shighrainfall storm in the Gulf

“I don’thave alot of confidence,” Settoon said. “I’m very worried. Ithink the public should be worried.

Then she added some very on-targetadvice,saying the public “should be calling their legislators and saying, ‘Get this thing cleaned up once and for all.’”

To his credit, state Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, used hearings in this year’sregular session to focus apt attention on Rondeno’scontroversially growing role and was credited with forcing Rondeno’sdraftcontract to be altered in amore reasonable direction.

Those hearings led Sen. Patrick Connick, RMarrero, wholong has shownadmirable interest in the levee board, to begin drafting abill fornext year that would take the policing function from the board and put the levee police under the state police instead.

“That’sthe long-term plan: to separate the two,” Connick told me. “Let the levee board concentrate on preserving levees. Let the police protect and serve.”

Connick said he still needs to work out the details of how the levee police’s“funding can follow the police in someform or fashion.”

Connick’sidea seems good. As he explained, much of the turmoil at the agency has revolvedaround a push-and-pull between policing desiresand the authority’sbasic flood-control duties. If the financing details can be solved, his proposal merits passage. Nonetheless, Settoon’swarning about hurricane unreadiness should spur the Governmental Affairs committee to hold morehearings now.The goal should be to ensure, right away,that the main flood-protection job is done wellthis year.Isthere merit to Settoon’sconcerns? If so, what can be done to alleviate them? Do the agency’sengineering functions need bolstering in the short term?

And, forthe longer horizon, aside from separating the police from the levee board —ifConnick’s proposal is adopted —what else can be done to ward off the sorts of dysfunction we’ve seen for18 months?

For all of southeastern Louisiana, the levee and floodwall systems are amatter of sheer survival. Until the levee board shows that its disarrayhas been solved, the Legislature should keepa keen watch.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@theadvocate. com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAHMATGUL

Aworker tends agarden in front of the John F. KennedyCenter for thePerforming Arts asits sign remainscovered by atarp in Washington.

Froma Harrop Cal

Thomas

Quin Hillyer

Trumpadministrationbuys back offshore wind leases

Costofbuyouts reaches$2.6B

BY JENNIFERMcDERMOTT Associated Press

The Trump administration said Wednesdayit’sbuying back another energy company’sU.S. offshorewindleases forfourmorewindprojects, as it seeks to discourage the expansion of wind energy in favor of fossil fuels

The latest deal brings the total amount spent on these agreements to nearly $2.6 billion.

Chicago-based Invenergy hasagreed to end its four offshore wind leases that were very early in development in exchange for reimbursements of lease fees totaling $765 million. The company had already canceled the largest of the four in November,Leading Light Wind off New Jersey’scoast. Theothers are off the coasts of Maine and California.Itwill invest that money in natural gas and geothermal ventures that can be builtmorequicklyinstead. By buying back leases, the Republican administration is stoppingoffshorewind farms that President Donald Trump does notsupport, and redirecting the money to fossil fuel projects thathe does. It adopted this strategy after federal courts thwarted Trump’sefforts to stop offshore wind development through executive action. Trump has frequently talked about his hatred of wind power and callsturbines ugly

“Under PresidentTrump, companies are shifting investment back toward dependable, secure energy infrastructure that canpower our economy and lowerutility costs,” Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in astatement. “Weapplaud Invenergy for recognizing the importance of baseload powerand investing in energy solutions that deliver real benefits to

American consumers.”

Hillary Bright, executive director of offshore wind advocacygroup Turn Forward, said these buyouts are not one-for-one “swaps”for another kind of energy, since thefossilfuel projects won’t deliver power to thesame states as the offshore wind farmswould have.

“Replacing coastal offshore wind with geothermal or natural gasinfrastructure in another regiondoesnothing to addressrising ratepayer affordability concerns, reliability challenges or potential gaps in power supply in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic,” she said in astatement.

Eightprojectsstopped

Under the first deal announced in March, French company TotalEnergiesis getting nearly $1 billion essentially arefund of its two offshorewind leases —if it invests the money in fossil fuels instead. Those leases were off thecoasts of North Carolina and New York.New York is leading a lawsuit challenging the TotalEnergies agreement and DemocratsinCongress are investigating it.

Golden State Wind and Bluepoint Wind agreedin April to end theirleases in exchangefor reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million, providedthey invest equally in fossil fuels. California is investigating the deal that ended Golden State Wind,a floating offshore wind farm proposed off the state’s central coast. Bluepoint Wind was an offshore wind farm in theearlystages of development off thecoastsofNew Jerseyand New York

Invenergy is North America’slargest privatelyheld independent power producer.Ithas fouroffshore leases: alarge lease area for Leading Light Wind, which would have used traditional turbines that affix to the seafloor; two leases for projects

with floating turbines in the Gulf of Maine; and alease for afloating project off California’scentralcoast.

For Invenergy,the deal offered away to moveforward withenergy projects that could bring power to thegridmorequicklyfor its customers than thedormant offshorewind leases.Trump haserected roadblocksfor permitting wind energy whiletryingtospeed up fossil fuel development

Thecompanyleft thedoor open to reentering the offshore wind industry in the future. Daniel Runyan, senior vice president fordevelopment at Invenergy,said in astatement that at atime of unprecedented energy demand, they “will deploy additional capital into projectsthat can be delivered on acommercially reasonable timeline and meet customer demand while continuing to evaluate opportunities as market conditions evolve.”

Leading Light Wind was targeted for as much as 2.4 gigawatts to power more than 1million homes. Invenergy toldthe New Jersey Board of Public Utilities in November it was canceling LeadingLight Wind because of challenges withthe supply chain, equipment and vendors, and changing regulatory requirements.

The floating projects were so early in development that Invenergy hadn’tyet calculated how much power those sites could provide.

Invenergy,a major player in the natural gas sector,has 14 operational natural gas facilities. It’sexpanding into geothermal energy,with 45 leases totaling 144,000 acres in Nevada, Idaho,California, Utah and New Mexico. Invenergy plans to usethe $765 millionfromthe agreement for natural gas facilities in Indiana, Wisconsin, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, and geothermal development in theWest.

CH KS CH G

Saints excitedbybig playsrunning back Etiennecan breakoff

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

It had been alongwhile since theNew Orleans Saints made atrue splashinthe free agent running backmarket —solong that running backs coach Joel Thomas, now entering his 11thseason withthe franchise, has come to just notexpectitinfreeagency

So when the Saintssigned Travis Etiennetoamassive four-yeardeal on theopening dayoffree agency,Thomas said it is fair to say he was excited to land anew prize.

“Tell me any coach thatgets aplayer thathas been as productive as him thatisgoing tobebummed out,” Thomas said. “I’mthoroughly excited.”

In Etienne, the Saints signeda running back who has compiled three 1,000-yard rushing campaigns in his four professional seasons— anot insignificant number to a franchise in the Saints that hasn’thad a1,000-yard rusher

BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. Angel Reese looked like aperfect fitfor Atlanta when she was traded from the Chicago Sky tothe Dream. Dream guard Rhyne Howard predicted before the season that Reese “could be exactly what we were missing.” After 13 games, the fit still looks perfect. As it prepares for back-to-back games against Caitlin Clark and theIndiana Fever,Atlanta has one of the best recordsin the WNBA. Reese has been on adoubledouble tear,providing the inside presence on the boards and clutchpoints to keep the offense balanced even while All-Star center Brionna Jones continues to recover from aknee injury Reese andthe Dream arewinning and the two-time All-Star can’tstop smiling, especially when she interacts with new teammates.The wins and smiles mean the trade has delivered just as Howard expected. “Yeah, for sure,”Howard said. “I think

since 2017, although Alvin Kamara has comeclose.

Etienne was one of the more explosive running backs in theNFL last season,recording 26 runsof10ormore yards last season. The entire New Orleans running back group managed 20 such runs last season. Eveninthe limitedsettings of organized team activities andminicamp —nopads, no tackling —Etienne’s explosiveness has been evident. While the Saints’ ability to generatemore chunk plays on the ground will fall on thecollective unit, Etienne has theskills to makethe big blocks count

“He’slooking to get the extra yard,” Thomas said. “He plays with great pad leverage, and all of asudden you getsomeone thatmis-hits you, youmakea mistake on him it’s an issue.He’sgot thelongspeed to getitgoing.”

ä See SAINTS, page 3C

Kiffin discusses expectations, Orgeron’s impact

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

As Lane Kiffinwrapped up apodcast with legendary LSUdefensive back Tyrann Mathieu, the Tigers’ first-year coach delivered apromise.

“I don’tknowhow fast it’s gonnahappen. We’re gonna winanational championship,” Kiffintold Mathieu, whoplayed in aBCS title gamein2012, “and we’re gonna have the teams and the rosters back to the way that they were playing when they were great.” The wayitused to be when Kiffin was an offensive coordinator at Alabama from 2014-16. Atime whenthe LSUdefenseswere so tough, he knew “it was on” when the Crimson Tide linedupacrossfromthe Tigers,even with NFL-boundrunners Derrick Henryand Josh Jacobs, and future Super Bowl-winning quarterback Jalen Hurts on his side. Kiffinjust hoped Alabamawasn’tplaying at LSU. And if it was anight game?

“Now we’re like, ‘Are we even gonna score at all?’” Kiffin said. “Becausethese guys are gonna be on elite speed, mindset, physical.” He promises to bring that back, but even Kiffin’stime spent withMathieuwas afulfillment of apromise. Last month, LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry toldUSA Todaythat Kiffin would be more accessible, more “connected” than his predecessor Brian Kelly with LSUalumni andthe program’s donorbase. Kiffin might stir thepot in someinterviews, but everyone would be talking about LSU

LSUfootballcoachLane Kiffinspeaksduring

there’salot of gameswhere in the past we would have let them slip away.The tenacity that she brings,the firethatshe brings, is forcing us to match her energy Youknow she’salways gonna work hard, she’s always gonna be adog, and we’re gonna always have her back. So if she’s goingout to play hard, we’re also gonna play hard for her.” Reese has filled in for Jones at center.When Jones is healthy,Reese willmove back to forward, making theDream’s lineup even more daunting. With Howard leading the league in steals and 3-pointers,Jordin Canada ranking among the assists leaders, and Allisha Gray and Howard ranking among the top-10 scorers, Reese is surrounded by talent. Atlanta (9-4) is ahalf game ahead of the Fever (9-5) before Thursday night’s game at Indiana. The teams playagain on Saturday atAtlanta’sState FarmArena. The Dream hasbecomeaccustomed to moving itsbiggest games, including visits

Notes on agolf scorecard while pondering what Imight shoot at Shinnecock Hills under this week’sU.S. Open conditions, wishfully thinking Icould break 125 (averaging atriple bogey per hole)

Lane andLeavitt

Scott Rabalais

LSU coach Lane Kiffinhas been strangely absent from social media lately.The last timehebroke “radio silence” on Xwas May 11, about the timethat now rather infamous Vanity Fair cover story on him came out. That doesn’tmean Kiffin has clammed up completely This week he did apodcast with former LSU great Tyrann Mathieu, telling the recently retired Saints cornerback that the Tigers would winanational championship on his watch.

Joe Namath-like guarantees are easy to declare in June, but Kiffinknows the ground onto which he is throwing down this gauntlet. He wasonNick Saban’s national championship-winning staffin 2015 at Alabamaand was part of the team that played foranother title the following

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Saints running back Travis Etienne runs across the field after catching aball during minicamp at theteam’sindoor practicefacility on TuesdayinMetairie.

STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK

On TV GOLF

5:30 a.m. PGA Tour:U.S.Open USA

2p.m. LPGA Tour:LPGA ClassicGolf

4p.m. PGATour:U.S.Open NBCSN

5:30a.m.PGA Tour:U.S.Open (Friday) NBCSN HORSE RACING

7:30 a.m. Breeders’ Cup Challenge NBCSN NoonAmerica’sDay at the Races FS2

Justin Rose, of England, hits his tee shot on the 11th hole during apractice round forthe U.S. Open on Wednesdayat Shinnecock Hills golf club in Southampton, N.y.Officials are expecting wind of more than 20 mph Thursday with gusts over 40.

BROADCASTHIGHLIGHTS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

12:30 p.m.Toronto at Boston MLB

5:30 p.m. N.y. Mets at PhiladelphiaMLB WORLD CUP

11 a.m.Czech Republic vs.S.Africa Fox

2p.m. Switzerland vs. BosniaFox

5p.m. Canada vs.Qatar FS1

8p.m. Mexico vs. South KoreaFox

SOFTBALL

6p.m.Talons at Volts ESPN2

8p.m.Spark at Cascade ESPN2 SWIMMING

5p.m.TyR: Pro Swim SeriesNBCSN TENNIS

5a.m.London-ATP,Halle-ATP Tennis WNBA

6:30 p.m.Atlanta at Indiana PRIME

Sure as thewindblows

U.S. Open bracingfor gustyShinnecockHills

BY DOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y.— The final day of practice for the U.S. Open brought amost unfamiliar sight Wednesday morningatShinnecockHills: The nine USGA flagsatopthe grandstand behind the 18th green, and the largeAmerican flag atop the century-old clubhouse, hung limply Just not for very long. Wind at Shinnecock Hills is as inevitableastrafficalong the Montauk Highway from the infamous “tradeparade.” And that’swhat has everyone nervous —not only the players,but USGA officialsincharge of the course —going into the126th editionof golf’s second-oldest championship.

“Problematic,” is how John Bodenhamer, the chief competitions officer at the USGA described excessive wind. “This year Ibelieve the wind will impact our championship unlike many others.”

Adding to the concern arethe previous two trips to Shinnecock Hills, whenthe wind and warmth dried out the course in aNew York minute and caused the greens to be borderline unplayable

It got so bad on the finalday in 2004 thatno onebroke par and 28 players failedtobreak 80. Treacherously slick greens andquestionable pin positions on Saturday in 2018 kept the last 44 players to tee off from matching par That was the day Phil Mickelson hit amoving ball on the 13th green to avoid it rolling back into the fairway

mixture of excitement and trepidation.

ScottieScheffler andRoryMcIlroy, Nos. 1 and 2inthe world, both start in the morning wave on oppositesides of the course. Scheffler is bidding for the career Grand Slam with the U.S. Open the only major title he is lacking.

Scheffler first picked up agolf club in his nativeNew Jersey.Hemoved to Dallas when he was 6and honed his game in the wind at Royal Oaks.

Butthere is wind, and there is wind at Shinnecock Hills,situated between the Great Peconic Baytothe north and the Atlantic Ocean to thesouth.

IN BRIEF FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Former LSU, TexasA&M trackcoachHenry retires

COLLEGE STATION, Texas Pat Henry, one of the mostdecorated coaches in NCAA track and field history, announcedhis retirement Wednesday after 54 years of coaching. Henry,74, won 27 national championships at LSU from 1988-2004 and10more at Texas A&Mfrom 2005-26.

Aseven-time NCAAcoach of the year,Henry led the LSU womento 17 nationalchampionships (seven outdoor,10indoor) and the men to eight (five outdoor,three indoor). Henrytookoverthe Aggies’program after the 2004 season and became the first coach to lead ateam threeconsecutive outdoor national titles (2009-11). Anative of Albuquerque,New Mexico, Henry began his career as ahigh school coach in Hobbs, New Mexico, before moving on to Blinn Junior College in Brenham,Texas. He washired at LSU in 1987.

SouthernCalifornia pitcher Velazquez commits to LSU LSUbaseballlandeda commitment outofthe transferportal from Southern California righthanded pitcher Diego Velazquez, LSU coach Jay Johnson revealed on Tiger Rag radio on Tuesday Velazquez made theBig Tenallfreshman team this past season, posting a4.26 ERA in 312⁄3 innings. He struckout 39 and walked nine in 15 appearances with five starts. Velazquez also played 23 games as an infielder andhit .167 in 18 at-bats

Coming out of high school, he wasthe No.55player in the nation and atop-15 player in California, according to Perfect Game Velazquez is the sixth player and second pitcher LSU has added out of the transfer portal in June.

TheUSGAnow is taking extreme caution.

Bodenhamer said thegreens wouldberoughly 101/2 on the Stimpmeter —the original plan was between 11 and 12 —and thecourse is being kept as soft as possible to get through the next four days.

“I would saythe course is about as enjoyable as I’ve seen it,” said Justin Rose,who joins Adam Scott as theonlyplayers to have competed at Shinnecock thepast two years.

“There’snot many golf coursesyou couldturn up to on any given week and play championship golf, and Shinnecock is oneofthem,” he said. “I thinkIlike the waythe approach is this year Potentially what I’m hearing is some slightly different protocols this week make sense to me.

And Ithink it’sset up to be agreat tournament.”

It all starts to unfold at 5:35 a.m.Thursday —10minutes earlier thananormal start so the grounds crew has time to douse thegreens with water before the afternoon wave —witha

Bodenhamer said the expectation was for windgreater than 20 mph Thursdaywithgusts nearly twice that strong throughout the afternoon. The forecast was less windonFriday, then wind strong and from adifferent direction Saturday,then abit calmer on Sunday Bodenhamer saida key strategy in setting up thecourse is to be “toughbut fair.”

“Wecould brutalize this place thenextfew days if we wanted to.That’snot what we’re about,” he said. “Wereally want it to be fair and we want it to be what Shinnecock Hills has always been. It will be tough enough.”

Scott, whoisplaying in his 100th consecutive major,considers this course among his favorites in the world. He has yet to see Shinnecock Hills on the weekend, at least during aU.S. Open. TheAustralian knows whattoexpect, and he liked what he has seen so far.

“It lookslike they’re being cautious at the moment. They know the wind is going to be a factor this week,” Scott said. “Hopefully,we canget thegreenstofirm up over theweekend, and we’ll see some of the greatness of Shinnecock wherethe shots in are so important to hit these small areas, andthenyou’llget agreat champion.”

LSU sophomore outfielder Curiel wins Gold Glove LSU center fielder Derek Curiel wasawarded aGoldGlove forhis defensiveprowessthisseason, Rawlings announced Wednesday Georgia shortstop Kolby Branch and Texas catcher Carson Tinney were the other two players from the Southeastern Conferenceto winaGold Glove. Curiel hadtwo errors in 58 games this season.Hemoved from leftfield to center as asophomore and thrived, tracking down fly balls with precise routes and making multiple diving catches. Heading into the season, MLB evaluators wondered if Curiel could play center field at thenextlevel Curiel likely answered those questions withhis defense this season. Curiel is aprojected first-round pick in the MLBdraft in July

Quarterback Sorsby plans

July workout forNFL teams

Brendan Sorsby is tentatively planning to workout forNFL teams before the supplemental draft following the quarterback’s decision to endanunprecedented legal fight to retain hiseligibility after he acknowledged making impermissible bets while playing college football.

Sorsby plans to hold his pro day on July 10 at aDallas-area high school, aperson familiar with the situation told The Associated Press on Wednesday

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y.— Miles Russell is certainly not theyoungest player to compete in the U.S. Open. He’snot even the only 17-yearold in the field at Shinnecock Hills —Giuseppe Puebla alsomade it through a36hole qualifier at thesame site. They are Nos. 1and 2inthe Americanjunior ranking.

State, along withgolf buddy Charlie Woods, the son of Tiger Woods. Charlie Woods caddied forRussellduring the U.S. Open qualifier

The USGAhas given him a favorable tee time.Russell will play the openingtwo rounds with PadraigHarrington,a three-timemajor champion,and former British Open champion Cameron Smith.

Syringeisnew buzzword

It’snot an entirely newexperience being around tour players.

Pursegrows to $22.5million

But there is alot more hype when it comes to Russell. Along with being top-ranked in the American Junior Golf Association, he is No. 7among allamateurs in the world.

This is his first U.S. Open.

“It’sstill another tournament,” Russell said Wednesday.“I’m going to treat it like if it was an AJGA, where I’m just trying to come here and play good golf and see where my game lines up with some of the best players in the world.” Russell is headed to Florida

Russell tied for 50th in the Puerto Rico Open on thePGA Tour this year,and he made two of three cuts in the Korn Ferry Tour events he has played. The U.S. Open will be his sixth PGA Toursanctioned event. What he has learnedishow boring they can look. He meant that as acompliment

“You watch them play and you’re, like,‘Man,thisguy plays pretty boring.’ Andatthe end of theround, you’re seeing the score and he shootslike65. You’re like, ‘I did not see you shooting 65 out there.’ But it’sjustsokind of hohum and alot of fairway,greens.

It’s nothing special.

“Then when they have those special rounds,they’ll go out and shoot 63, 62, and you say, ‘That was fun to watch,’ and you shake their hand at the end of the day.”

TheUSGAsaidWednesday it was increasing the purseby$1 million to $22.5million, with the winner receiving $4.5 million. That keepsitequalwith the Masters, whichalso hada $22.5 million purse this year.Mike Whan, the CEO, said the increase wasnot adirect response to AugustaNational. It was more pride. No othermajor offers more prize money than theU.S. Open or Masters. The largest purse among regular tournaments is $25 million at The Players Championship. Thelast time the U.S. Open wasatShinnecock Hills in 2018, Brooks Koepka won$2,160,000 from a$12 millionpurse.The runner-up will get more this year The prize fund forthe first U.S. Open at Shinnecock? That was $335, and James Foulis won $150.

Aphrase often heardinthe U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and Pebble Beach is “marine layer,” what most people refer to as fog. The buzzword for Shinnecock Hills? Thatwould be “syringe.”

It’sa strange choice of words for watering the greens, but that’s keyatShinnecock because the greenstendtodry quickly on putting surfaces exposed to thewind And yes, the greens will be “syringed” this week. John Bodenhamer, thechief competitionsofficer forthe USGA,said the first tee times Thursday and Fridayhas been moved up 10 minutes to allow the greenstobedousedbetween the morning and afternoon waves.

“Itinvolvesa very lightapplication of water to hydrate the grass leaf blade to prevent wilt,most importantly,topreserve turf health, andtoreduce stress on these poa annua greens,” Bodenhamer said.

“Poa annua reacts differently and more quickly than mostother grassesinthese typesofconditions,sowethink syringing is very important.”

Thedeadline for applying for the draftisMonday, butthere were stillprocedural issuesrelated to aTexas districtcourt’stemporary injunction that had cleared the way for himtoplay for TexasTech this fall

Sorsby,who is from the Dallas area, would have to be ineligible from NCAA play to be able to apply forthe NFL’s supplemental draft.

WNBA expanding league schedule to 50 games

NEW YORK The WNBA is expandingits schedule to 50 games per team next season —the most in the league’s30-year history The newcollective bargaining agreementthatwas ratifiedearlierthisyear allowsthe league to play up to 50 games for the next twoseasons. There can be up to 52 regular-season games in 2029 and forthe rest of the CBA. The league is playing 44 games againthis season.Overthe next fewseasons theWNBAisadding three teamsthrough expansion. Cleveland is joining in 2028, Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia in 2030. Connecticut is moving to Houston next year When the leaguefirst started in 1997, teams only played 28 games.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByDAVID J. PHILLIP

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG Scottie Scheffler chips to the green on the 12th hole during apractice round forthe U.S. Open on Wednesday.

STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Saints slowly taking bubble wrap off rookies

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

For the most part, theplayers whom the New Orleans Saints held out during organized team activities had asimilar workload for the team’s two-day mandatory minicamp that wrapped up Wednesday There were some notable exceptions.

Second-round defensive tackle Christen Miller had progressed enough from his hamstringinjury that the Saints gave him ahandful of reps in practice—with the starters. And he’snot the only rookie to start to turn acorner: First-round wide receiver Jordyn Tyson was allowed to participate in the team’s half-speed walkthrough, admittedly asmall step but one that’s nonetheless noteworthy

To this point, the Saints effectively had kept Tyson and Miller in bubble wrap as they work their way back from hamstring injuries. But peeling back the wrap slowly this week is agoodsign that they could be ready to go when the Saints convenefor training camp next month.

“Man, Ifelt better weeks ago,” said Miller,who estimated he received about eight snapsinteam drills. “But the Saints want to take careofme, makesureI’m ready to go on Sundays and make sure my body is good. They’re just trying to make sure Itake the steps in the right direction and not go back (to being hurt).”

Millersaidhehad hurthis hamstring while training in his lead-up to the draft. The Georgia product added he didn’teven realize he wasinjured until the Saints’ medical staff members flagged the injury when they inspected him before rookie minicamp in May The Saints then took acautious approach to avoid aggravatingthe ailment further Tyson echoed asimilarplan.

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

But the excitement is about more than Etienne’sconsiderable physical talent. Of all the additions the Saints made this offseason, Etiennemay be theRosetta Stone who unlocks the full version of coach Kellen Moore’soffense.

In him, Moore seesa true“any down, every down” player with ahigh football IQ, someone who doesn’thave to rotate offthe field because of any deficiencies in his game. That is helpful for several reasons, not the least of which being that it allows Moore an additional layer of deception.

“When all of asudden you putX playerinthere and they’re known as asub protector,the defense is makingtheir pressure callstoattack that or they’re not really worried about the run,” Thomassaid

“You still have the threat to runthe ball when (Etienne) is in there on third down.” The Saints might also just look different when they line up. They were in the shotgun on about 75%

Speaking at his locker,the wide receiver said his hamstring “feels amazing”and that he didn’texpect the Saintstoput him on this type of routine, but he agrees with the approach “Very,very player-friendly,” Tyson said. When they were worked intothe fold, aclearerpicture of how the Saints want to usetheir talented rookies started to emerge. During the walkthrough,Tyson lined up in several spots —including theslot, which waslargelyoccupied by wideout Chris Olave and tight end Juwan Johnson. And in team drills, theSaints rotated their interior defensive linemen so that Miller couldworkwith BryanBreseeand Vernon Broughton Miller wasn’tfazed to workwith the 1’sright away “The season ain’there yet,” he said.“Thingscan be changed. It’s an honor,but that comes with alot of load, alot of responsibility.It’s just astandardhere thatI’ve got to uphold. Thestandard here is to play fast,play physical and play as ateam

“I’m just trying to embody that.” Attendance,rostermoves

Aday after signing his one-year contract,defensive endCam Jordan wasatpractice but did notparticipate in team drills as the Saints look to get him back into football shape.

Likewise, Olave and running back AlvinKamara were again sidelined during 11-on-11 periods. Olave is workinghis way back from last season’sblood clot, while Kamara was given alimited workload after skipping most of the voluntary practices.

The Saints were without running back Kendre Miller (ACL); wide receivers Devaughn Vele,Mason

“. Ifeel likecoach (Moore) does agreatjob of disguising things and scheming guys open.”

TRAVIS ETIENNE, Saints running back

of theiroffensive snaps last season, and onlythe Cincinnati Bengals ran more shotgun snaps than theSaints (824 to 813).

There was areason forthat: New Orleans was one of theNFL’s least effectiveteams while operating the under-center offense, compiling an abysmal -0.19 Expected Points Addedper play (only the Raiders, at -0.28, were worse).

Moore said some of that was “recency bias”dating from his experience with the Philadelphia Eagles, who won the SuperBowl with ahigh-powered offense that spenta lotoftimeinthe shotgun. Butexpect that to change, at least some, this season Etienne spent the 2025 campaign with theJacksonville Jaguars, who ranked in the topeight in undercenteruse rate, and he sees alot

Son’swishhelped lead Jordan back to NewOrleans

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Moments after he signed his contract to returnfor a16thand final season with the New Orleans Saints, Cam Jordan made sure to have his 11-year-old son, Tank, step up to the lectern first.

Becauseultimately, the signed paperwork might nothavebeen possible without alittle nudge that took place two weeks earlier

The calendar had turned to June, andJordan still was unemployed for thefirst time in his NFL career.And after theJordans, as a family of six, had moved to Arizona months earlier,Tank had a birthday wish he shared with his father He wanted to return to New Orleans. He wanted his dad to resign with the Saints.

“Hewas like, ‘You’reaffecting ourlives here,’ ”Jordan said.

Tiptonand Bub Means(lower body); running back Devin Neal; cornerbacks Dalys Beanum and Jayden Price; anddefensive lineman Zxavian Harris.

The Saints also hadseveral new faces at practice after aseries of roster moves. The team signed quarterback HunterDekkers, wide receiver Jalen Moreno-Cropper and kicker Tanner Brown. The team also cut defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, cornerback Deshawn Jones, kicker MasonShipley and wide receiverDamien Alford thelatter of whom was waived with an injury settlement. Dekkers, fresh off astint in the UFL, spent agood chunk of last season withthe Saintsasadevelopmental quarterback who floated on and off the practice squad. Brown presents as an interesting challengertoincumbentCharlie Smyth. The 26-year-oldbecame thefirst kicker to maketwo attempts of at least 60 yards in one gameduring this past UFL season.

Rapid fire

As theSaintswrapupmandatory minicamp, Tyler Shough started to find his groovewith severaltightwindowthrows on Wednesdayduring apractice that emphasized endzone and two-minutesituations.

Rookie wide receiver BryceLance had avery strong afternoon with twotouchdowns,and it makes sense he thrived in thered zone as a6-foot-3target. …Running back Audric Estime shouldn’tbeforgotten in the Saints’ running back competition later this summer He hadastrong spring. …We’ll see whatthe pass-rush rotation turnsinto with Jordan returning, but Chris Rumphflashed alot during these sessions, even over new acquisitions Tyree Wilson and Anfernee Jennings.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

of similaritieswith what theSaints want to do this year

“I feel like (Jaguars coach Liam) Coen was alot under center,and I feel like coach Moore is doing alot moreunder center this year,” Etienne said. “Fromthat standpoint, the motions,disguising things on offense, presenting to the defense a differentlook butrunning the same plays, making the defense’seyeslie to them— Ifeel like coach (Moore) does agreat jobofdisguisingthings and scheming guys open.”

It’simportanttonote that under center does not necessarily mean running withthe football. Thomas noted the league trend toward using under-center playstocreate advantages in the passing game, somethingthe Saintsmay also try to lean into with heavier personnel packages this season.

And Etienne shouldplay apartin that, as well.

“I told him this when he got here: Where Ifelt his game improved is thestuff that goesunnoticed in passprotection, being an outlet out of the backfield,” Thomas said. “Thatstarted to arise last year,and he’sjust built on thatsince he’s been here.”

“When you look at these four beautiful kids growingup, their whole lives have been here. When youhad that conversation,Iwas like,‘All right, let me humble myself here and let’sget this done.’ ” The end result led to Tuesday, with Jordan officially announcing his return to the Saints for what he declared wouldbehis final year in the NFL. The last part of Jordan’sdeclaration may take timetoset in. Asked whether this truly would be his finalseason, the 36-yearoldinitially gave along-winded answerthat required the question to be repeated. Is this really it?

“I’m going to treat it as if it’s (my) final season with intention,” Jordan said. Butfirst, Jordan has another season to play andmore goalsto accomplish. And he’lldoitinthe black and gold that he’s worn over the course of hisentire career Jordan, whohas 132 sacks, said he believes he’s done enough to earn his spot in the Hall of Fame, but more than anything else, he’s still chasing his first Super Bowl. Ever the optimist, Jordan talked aboutthatpossibilitywith a straight face Tuesday.Heraved aboutthe moves the Saints had made in his absence and the growth that he expects from quarterback Tyler Shough. Jordanadmitted, even as afree agent, he couldn’tfully disassociate himself from the Saints. He closely watched every pick the team made in thisyear’sdraft,

particularlywondering whether the Saints were going to draft an edge rusher For all his optimism, however, there were times throughout Jordan’sfree agency when thedefensive end very much doubted that areturn to New Orleans was possible. He said sarcastically that he had never considered an offer from another team And he said, given how last seasonunfolded—which sawJordan bounce back with his first doubledigit sack campaign since2021 Jordan said he owed it to himself to test the market. The Saints and Jordan didn’tinitially see eye-toeye on his contract, either Throughout theprocess, the twosidesnever stoppedstaying in touch. That, Jordansaid, matteredtohim. He hadanofferon the table, one that remained even as the Saints addedtwo others (Tyree Wilson and Anfernee Jennings) at his position.

“The loyalty streak has always run deep with me,” Jordan said. “A couple yearsago,meand (general manager) Mickey (Loomis) sat down and he said, ‘The way youhandle yourself, you’ll always have ajob here.’

“Now it maynot be what Ithink I’mworthorwhateveritis, but (there’s) always been this idea that we’ve had an open line of communication.”

Theterms of Jordan’sdealwere not disclosed, but the contract is reportedly laden with incentives that would mirrorastructure to last year when Jordan earned $2 million due to his 101/2-sack total. The twosides also found common ground: Jordan said there were a “couple of bumps that got cleared up recently” that helped facilitate adeal.

So on Monday, Jordandecided his son’spestering needed to stop. In Miami for aWorld Cup match, the defensive end called Loomis. By thenextmorning,Jordan andhis family were in NewOrleans to commemorate thedeal When the contract was finally signed, and his kids joined him at the lectern, Jordan urged his son to speak. But ashy Tank didn’t seem to know how to begin. That’swhenJordan prompted him witha question: Where did you want to go for your birthday? “Here,” Tank said.

Burrow says Bengals remind himof2019LSU

BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH Associated Press

CINCINNATI Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow saidhefeels similarly aboutthis year’s Cincinnati team to how he felt about theLSU squadthathewon anational championship within2019.

“I’msoexcited to get started andget moving,” Burrowsaid.

“I wish we ramped this right into training campsowecan continue to improve.Ifeel like there’sso much greatness we’ll be able to achievethis year that I’mjust excited to get going.”

TheBengals have hadanaggressive offseason,rebuilding thedefense through free agency andadding veteran leaderswith winning experience. With new players Dexter Lawrence, Jonathan Allen, Bryan Cook and Boye Mafe, Burrow said the Bengals have everything they need to contend.

During the spring program, he said that he was impressed with thetypesofplayers that the Bengals brought in.

“Wehave guys that have been there and done that and also guys who have had alot of individual success and not necessarily the team success that we’re looking for,” Burrow said.“Guys like Dexter (Lawrence) and guys like Jonathan (Allen), bringing guys like that in is so advantageous to alot of different people. Players tryingtoimprove makesiteasier on coaches. We have guys with so much talent andI’m just excited to put it all together.”

TheBengals had full attendanceinOTAsand minicamp, and coach Zac Taylor canceled thefinaltwo practices of mini-

camp with the Bengals having gotten in the work he was looking to see. The Bengals bring back all 11 starters on offense from last season. Burrow said the unit looks “great.”

“All the guys are putting in a lot of work to trytoimprove,” Burrow said. “With the veteran players we have coming back, they’re doing agreat job of setting an example forthe younger guys and trying to teach them how to be great. Ithink the spring has gotten everybody better.Weneed to continue that over thenextmonthbefore we come back.”

Burrowsaid that with alot of urgency entering 2026, he hasbeen consciousabout his leadership style this spring. Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher used the word “blunt.” Burrow used the word“mean.”

“This offseason, Ireally focused on trying to bring urgencytothe room andtry to just get everybody to understand thelevel of urgency that we have this year; the level of play that’sgoing to be requiredfromevery individualwho stepsonthatfield,” Burrow said. “I’ve tried to communicate that. I’ve tried to be alittle more vocal in amean way.Ithink that’salittle out of my comfortzone, but that’s somewhere that I’m improving. Maybe it’sgood and maybe it’s bad, but we’ll find out.” The Bengals haven’tbeen in the playoffs since the 2022 season.

Saints rookie Christen Miller runs across the field during minicamp on Tuesday

Jordan

Burrow

Congostuns Portugal in 1-1draw

Ronaldofails to score in surprising outcome

By The Associated Press

HOUSTON Cristiano Ronaldo

and his Portugal teammates were surprisinglyheldtoa 1-1 draw by Congo on Wednesday in their opening match at the World Cup.

Congo, which wasplaying at the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, became the second African nation to make astrongstart in the tournament against European competition following Cape Verde’s0-0 draw with Spain on Monday

“The World Cup is atournament where this happens,” said Portugal coach Roberto Martínez, aSpaniard who coached Belgium to the semifinals at the 2018 tournament. “At times the performance is not up to the challenge.”

Playing in front of acrowd of 68,777 spectators at NRG Stadium, which was mostlyfilled with Portugal supporters, Congo earned its first point at the World Cup after losing all three of its previous matches.

ManyCongolese were prevented from traveling to the United States for this year’stournament because

of restrictions tied to Ebola.

“There was not enough blue in the stands, but the players are tough and they know howtoovercome challenges,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabresaid. “ButI’m sure that many Congolesepeople are proud of their team today.”

João Neves gave Portugal an

early lead in the sixthminute. The 5-foot-7 midfielder headed in a cross from Pedro Neto.

But Yoane Wissa equalized for Congo witha header in stoppage time at the end of the first half off across from Arthur Masuaku, delighting the small pocketsofblueclad fans. It was thefirst World

Stakes ratchetupasteams play theirsecondgroup-stage games

BY JOHN MARSHALL AP sportswriter

Every team has played agame in this oversized World Cup filled with big surprises

The stakes rise quicklyasthe 48 teams begin playing their second group-stage matches. Cape Verde, Qatar and Congo have earned points for the first time in the World Cup, raising hope for an improbable run to the knockout round.

Spain, Portugal and Brazil, among the pre-tournament favorites to win it all, need winstokeep up in their groups afteropening with draws. Belgium, the Netherlands, Croatia and Switzerland are in the same boat.

On Thursday,hosts Mexico and Canada, along with Switzerland

and South Korea, will be amongthe teamsplaying for asecond time.

Mexico facesSouth Korea Mexico will look to take control of GroupA against South Korea followingathrilling start as World Cuphost.

Four years after amajor disappointment in Qatar,the Mexicans roared out of the gate with a2-0 win over SouthAfrica. The dominant victory thrilled acapacity crowd of 80,824 at famed Azteca Stadium and drew 7.1 million viewers in theUnited States, making it the most-watched opening match for an English-language broadcast.

The next matchmay be alittle tougher.South Korea opened its 12th World Cup appearance by scoring twiceinthe second half for a2-1 win over the Czech Republic.

While Mexico will have to travel 600 miles from Mexico City for itssecondmatch,South Korea remainedinGuadalajara following its opener Mexico also will be without defender CesarMontes, whoreceived oneofthreered cards in the match against SouthAfrica.

Short-handed SouthAfrica

South Africa willbeshort-handed for its GroupAmatch against theCzech Republic in Atlanta.

SphepheloSithole andThemba Zwane both received red cards against Mexico, whichcarries an automatic one-game suspension.

Zwane’ssuspension was increased to thee games on Wednesday, deeminghis contact to the face of Mexico’sRobertoAlvarado to be serious foul play

Cup goal forCongo in its history

“It’scrazy,” Wissa said. “Fiftytwo years later we are here, we are back.It’sbeen long, it’sbeen difficult.

“Soscoring that goal, it means alot for allCongolese, forme, for my family,for the fans who showed up today.”

ENGLAND4,CROATIA 2: In Arlington, Texas, HarryKane scored twiceto equal the Englishrecord for World Cup goals, Jude Bellingham added another twominutes into the second half and England beat Croatia.

Martin Baturina and Petar Musa answered each of Kane’sfirst-half goals in arematch of the 2018 semifinal gamewon by Croatia. Musa’sgoal cameonthe final play before the whistle ending the first half

AfterBellingham’sgoal, Marcus Rashford padded the lead in the85thminute. Kane is up to 10 World Cup goals. ThattiesGary Lineker’smarkfrom the 1986 and 1990 tournaments.

GHANA1,PANAMA 0: In Toronto, Caleb Yirenkyi tapped in across from BrandonThomas-Asante in the fifthminute of second-half stoppage time, and Ghana beat Panama in the teams’ World Cup opener At the end of agamethat saw few chances for either side,Thomas-Asante got loose on the leftside andfired theballacross the goal mouth.

Yirenkyi knocked it in, sending his teammates streaming onto the field. Ghana played without midfielder Thomas Partey,who was deniedentry intoCanadawhile he awaits trial on rape charges in England. The late goal denied Panama its first World Cup point.

vs.Iran,

vs.Saudi Arabia,11a.m

Wednesday

Portugal 1, Congo 1

Uzbekistan vs.Colombia, n

June 23

Portugal vs.Uzbekistan, noon

Colombia vs.Congo DR,9 p.m.

June 27

Colombia vs.Portugal,6:30 p.m.

Congo DR vs.Uzbekistan, 6:30 p.m.

GROUP L GP WD LGFGAPts

England 11 00 42 3

Ghana 11 00 10

Panama 10 01 01

Croatia1 00 12 40

Wednesday

England 4, Croatia 2

Ghana 1, Panama 0

June 23

England vs.Ghana, 3p.m.

Panama vs.Croatia, 6p.m.

June 27

Panama vs.England, 4p.m.

Croatia vs.Ghana, 4p.m.

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

KANSAS CITY,Mo. Lionel Messi used the frontofhis white-andblue,sweat-soaked jerseytowipe thetears from his eyes, aflood of emotions cracking his usually calm,confident demeanor after he gave Argentina an early lead in its World Cup opener against Algeria. Then he scored again. And again. Suddenly,any questions about Messi’s hamstring injury,or whether he could help Argentina become the third team to win consecutive World Cups —even as his39th birthday approaches next week —had been answered. With abrilliant hat trick in a3-0 win over Les Fennecs, Messi moved intoatie with Germany’s Miroslav Klose for the career scoring record at the men’sWorld Cup. “My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’trelated to football. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi saidafterward, withoutelaborating.“Ithank my teammates, thecoaching staff andthe delegationfor helping me.”

Messi scored that emotional first goalinthe opening minutes on anifty feed from Inter Miami teammate Rodrigo De Paul, the second offanopportunistic rebound early in the secondhalf, and the third on acrisp strike moments before subbing out to a

standing ovation from acrowdof 69,045 tilted heavily toward the three-time World Cup champions.

“Ata loss forwords about Leo What can Isay?” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “He’sincredible.”

Hisincredible trio of goals came 20 yearstothe daythat Messi madehis World Cup debut in amatch against Serbia and Montenegro —hescored in that one, too —and madethe pride of Rosario only the second player to score in five editions of the men’s tournament. Messihas 16 goalsinhis record sixWorldCup appearances overall, and it seems inevitable thatKlose’s recordwill fall in the comingweeks. The hattrick was the 61st of Messi’scareer,his 11th while playing in his national team colors and his first in the World Cup. It also was the fifth straight WorldCup gameinwhich Messi has scored.

“Itmakes me very happyto have lived through everything that camemyway.What I’m livingthoughnow is thecherryon top,” Messi said. “I’m very happy an grateful for this wonderful group. Ienjoy it so much.” Messi upstaged twoofsoccer’s other stars —Kylian Mbappé of France and Erling Haaland of Norway —who had big games of their own on Tuesday.Mbappé scored twice in France’s3-1 win over Senegal to moveinto atie for fourthonthe men’sWorld Cup

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByASHLEy LANDIS

Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldoreacts during aWorld CupGroup Kmatch against CongoonWednesday in Houston.Ronaldohad afrustrating day, failing to score in adrawagainst underdog Congo.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTOByEDZURGA Lionel Messi of Argentina celebrates after scoring the opening goal during aGroup Jmatchagainst Algeria on Tuesday in Kansas City,Mo. Messi scored three goals in Argentina’s3-0 win.

LSU football adds three high school commitments

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU football’s active summer on the recruiting trail continued Wednesday as the Tigers added two more top recruits to their 2027 class and a prospect to the 2028 class.

Five-star edge rusher Chris Whitehead and four-star running back Trey Martin from the Class of 2027 both announced their commitments on Wednesday on social media. Whitehead is the top player in Virginia, per the 247Sports composite, and Martin is the No. 6 player in Louisiana.

LSU holds the No. 19 recruiting class in the nation after Whitehead and Martin’s commitments

The Tigers also gained a pledge from Whitehead’s brother Isaiah, a three-star recruit and Class of 2028 offensive tackle.

At 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, Chris Whitehead is the No. 31 player in the nation. He and his brother attend Lloyd C. Bird High, and Chris is the No. 4 edge rusher in the nation. He picked LSU over South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Ohio State. He also holds scholarship offers from Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and others.

Between Whitehead and four-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

A conversation between Kiffin and Mathieu was destined to generate some interesting quotes. Here are some takeaways from their 40-minute chat.

Kiffin understands expectations

LSU didn’t invest $54 million to sever ties with Kelly and another $91 million to poach Kiffin from Ole Miss if it didn’t want to win now In his six months in Baton Rouge, Kiffin has heard those desires expressed quite often.

“Coach, we love you’re here. Just please win,” Kiffin recalled hearing from locals who live in an “aligned, one-program football state.” Even his Georgia native linebacker, Whit Weeks, returned for his senior year because he wants to see LSU reestablish itself before he departs.

“I wanna leave it the way that I grew up watching it,” Kiffin heard Weeks say “I wanna be part of that, I wanna feel that dominating LSU defense people are scared to play And you might be OK, but you’re gonna be sore on Sunday.” LSU certainly invested in that defense, bringing in the likes of edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen (Ole Miss), linebacker TJ Dottery (Ole Miss) and safety Ty Benefield (Boise State) via the transfer portal.

The offensive guru Kiffin also acquired quarterback Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), left tackle Jordan Seaton (Colorado) and a plethora of receivers, including Winston Watkins (Ole Miss), Jayce Brown (Kansas State) and Jackson Harris (Hawaii). Winning as quickly as possible is the expectation. Kiffin is fully aware. At the same time, he recognizes SEC programs can’t “stack” talent like Alabama in the 2010s. Kiffin posed a hypothetical where a backup linebacker from Georgia is offered a starter’s salary at Kentucky; he will inevitably transfer

“When you were playing,” Kiffin told Mathieu, “there’s a couple of schools you played, it’s like, ‘All right, if we do our job, it’s probably going to be all right.’ That’s not the case anymore because everybody has players.” Prime targets

A thought about a transfer safety popped into Kiffin’s head before his interview with one of the great LSU defenders.

“Get Ty up here,” Kiffin told Jeff Davis, the LSU director of player personnel, because Kiffin wanted Benefield to meet Mathieu.

“I think Ty’s gonna be one of those legends to play here,” Kiffin said. “He’s wired right. Unbelievable range, great ball skills. I’m like, ‘You gotta get him up here to meet you,’ just to connect it. Like, you’re gonna be these iconic names, hopefully.” There has been buzz about Benefield, a first-team All-Moun-

star edge rusher KJ Green, LSU has two of the 10 best edge rushers in the nation. Whitehead is the second-highest rated recruit in LSU’s class trailing only fivestar tight end Ahmad Hudson. Whitehead is LSU’s eighth outof-state commitment and its first pledge from Virginia. Martin, meanwhile, is the No. 12 running back in the nation.

At 5-10 and 202 pounds, Martin attends Franklin Parish High in Winnsboro and is a top-200 prospect in the nation

Martin chose LSU over Ole Miss and Florida. He also has scholarship offers from Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State.

He’s the third running back to commit to LSU and the second ball carrier to give his pledge to the Tigers in as many days. LSU landed a commitment from fourstar running back Tre Segarra on Tuesday and earned a pledge from three-star running back Brennan Lacey last week.

With Martin on board, LSU has commitments from four of the top six players in Louisiana.

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

STAFF FILE PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK LSU coach Ed Orgeron watches from the sideline during a game against Texas A&M on Nov. 27, 2021, at Tiger Stadium.

tain West player, since his arrival

But categorizing him as a potential “legend” is high praise.

Kiffin was also asked for a player who could surprise in 2026. He came back to another transfer: former Wisconsin running back Dilin Jones.

“We haven’t done tackling yet but really good feet and body control. Really smooth runner,” said Kiffin, who noted Jones doesn’t have “notoriety” because of an injury-shortened 2025 season where he rushed for 300 yards. “Everybody knows about (tight end) Trey’Dez (Green) and Whit Weeks and TJ. So there’s a lot of names they already know about. But I think Dilin has got a real chance.”

Jones’ ascension certainly would help LSU, which returned a pair of talented rushers, Harlem Berry and Caden Durham, but needs all the help it can get after finishing 124th nationally in rushing yards per game last season.

Coach O’s impact

If Ed Orgeron’s life was a story, Kiffin said its current chapters needed to place “Coach O” back at LSU He “belongs” there, Kiffin added Orgeron’s month on the job recruiting has solidified Kiffin’s stance.

“He’s always the best recruiter I’ve been around. But now when you put him here — before he’s just recruiting for the place he’s at, using all of his recruiting skills — now you feel it in here,” Kiffin said. “He talks about, especially to a Louisiana kid, it’s in your DNA. At some point, you wanted to play for LSU, you wanted to be a Tiger But you feel it in him. Because that was him.”

The same day Mathieu posted his Kiffin interview, a four-star running back from Louisiana Trey Martin, committed to the Tigers. LSU has secured nine of its 13 commits in the 2027 class since Orgeron’s return. Some of this recruiting momentum could be coincidental. But maybe not all of it

“If you recruit someone and you have the passion and you had their story,” Kiffin said, “the parents, the kids are like — it’s cool.”

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com.

LSU loses key shortstop Edwards to transfer portal

BY JIM KLEINPETER

Contributing writer

LSU softball appears set to lose another key player as shortstop Kylee Edwards has entered the NCAA transfer portal, she announced Wednesday in a social media post.

Edwards transferred to LSU from Mississippi State last offseason and became one of the team’s top hitters with a .341 batting average, 10 homers and 40 RBIs. On April 3, she became the first LSU player to hit for the cycle in a 16-4 win at Missouri.

“After a lot of thought and con-

REESE

Continued from page 1C

from Clark, to State Farm Arena because its primary home, Gateway Center Arena in College Park, has a capacity of 5,000 fans. Clark and the Fever were already a big draw, but Reese’s rivalry with Clark — which created headlines in college and has continued in the WNBA — makes the matchup even more attractive. The Dream acquired Reese from Chicago on April 6. Atlanta gave up first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028 and received the right to swap second-round picks with the Sky in 2028. Reese is averaging 14.6 points and leads the WNBA with 12.3 rebounds per game. The averages are nothing new. After all, Reese led the league in rebounds in each of her first two seasons with Chicago. What’s new is the winning atmosphere that she missed in Chicago. Reese is all smiles as she is sur-

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

season (Kiffin left for Florida Atlantic before Bama lost the CFP title to Clemson).

Brian Kelly rattled similar sabers and came nowhere near that level of success, but the fact remains the three coaches before Kelly Saban, Les Miles and the recently returned Ed Orgeron — all lifted the trophy at LSU.

The game has changed enormously since Orgeron and Joe Burrow won it all in 2019, but LSU’s potential remains undaunted. Kiffin knows that and has made no bones about that being why he came.

Will the first year under Kiffin be the year?

LSU’s shot improved greatly with Kiffin telling Mathieu that quarterback Sam Leavitt is fully cleared to participate in summer workouts.

This was the hoped for timetable with Leavitt, but to hear Kiffin say it is still significant. Kiffin hinted at Leavitt’s recovery from November foot surgery at the SEC spring meetings last month, saying the former Arizona State transfer recently had been clocked running at 21 mph.

It’s crucial for Leavitt to get to work this summer with his skill players, who like him come to LSU from all over the map. No one doubts Kiffin and staff have assembled an impressive collection of talent, bringing in the nation’s No. 1 transfer portal class plus some highly touted high school recruits, but developing timing and camaraderie is essential.

sideration I have decided to enter the transfer portal for my last year,” Edwards wrote on her Instagram account. “This was not an easy decision, I’m super thankful for my time at LSU, but I feel like this is the best decision for myself and my family!” Edwards is the second starter and third key player to enter the portal.

First baseman Tori Edwards, who led the team with 12 home runs, entered June 8. Left-hander pitcher Jayden Heavener also has departed, committing to Texas Tech last week. Tori Edwards has yet to choose a landing spot. LSU, which lost to Alabama in the super regional round, also has had outfielders Destiny Harris and Jaydn Laneaux, catcher Jada Phillips, infielder Gradie Appling, pitcher Lauren Soeken and utility player Maddox McKee enter the portal. McKee committed to Texas A&Mk, but the others have not selected a new school yet. Tori Edwards, a sophomore with two years of eligibility, is another portal prize. She was SEC Freshman of the Year in 2025 with a .383 batting average, 18 homers and 73 RBIs. Her numbers dropped to .284, 12 homers and 45 RBIs last season.

rounded by talent and depth that makes the Dream look like a championship contender

When asked whether the camaraderie with her teammates or the winning record are the best part of her first season in Atlanta, Reese beamed and said: “Oh my You said everything. I don’t know, I’m just really happy

“I’m in a lot of joy just being able to be here, be surrounded by so many great people and every day I just show up to work and I don t have to think about anything else.

That’s probably the best thing, just being to show up at work and take care of my job and everything feels great.”

Through 13 games, Reese already has nine double-doubles. Her 59 career double-doubles are the most in WNBA history through 76 games.

Reese set a career high with 11 offensive boards, one shy of matching the WNBA single-game record, and finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds in Atlanta’s 10277 win at Toronto on Sunday She appears to be peaking just in time

From Iceland, with golf

A couple of LSU Tigers who definitely will break 125 in the U.S. Open will tee it up in Thursday’s first round at windswept Shinnecock Hills. Gusts could reach up to 40 mph. Glorious. And yes, as my friend Charles Hanagriff likes to say, I’m rooting for the golf course.

Former LSU All-American Sam Burns and current Tiger Arni Sveinsson are in the field. Burns, who led going into the U.S. Open’s final round last year at Oakmont before tying for seventh, is inching ever closer it seems to that elusive but attainable first major He also hovered around the lead all week in April at the Masters tournament before finishing tied for seventh.

It’s a major achievement of another kind for Sveinsson, a junior on the LSU team. A historic achievement, actually He is the first golfer from Iceland ever to play in the U.S. Open, surviving a sudden-death playoff in a qualifier two weeks ago near Columbus, Ohio, to earn his spot.

“It’s pretty surreal, obviously, being around here,” Sveinsson told reporters at the U.S. Open. Believe it or not, there are about 65 golf courses in Iceland, most of them nine-hole tracks. That’s a lot for an island nation of about 402,000 people, which is less than half the population of metropolitan Baton Rouge.

If Iceland can have 65 courses, you’d think we could keep City Park golf course intact, wouldn’t you?

Burns tees off at 6:41 a.m. Thursday on No. 10, while Sveinsson goes off on No. 1 at 1:20 p.m.

So long, Sorsby

The Brendan Sorsby saga at

for important back-to-back games against Clark and the Fever Reese also has contributed to Atlanta’s strong defense.

“We love that our team takes pride in defense, and that has been pretty consistent in every game,” Dream coach Karl Smesko said. “That we’re willing to compete each possession, and we understand that we wanna work to make sure that we don’t give up anything easy at any time Angel is somebody who’s very serious about her defense and wants to learn to have every advantage defensively.”

The Dream-Fever matchups will be important as Atlanta tries to remain close to the top of the Eastern Conference. Reese said she’s trying to be patient as she seeks her first winning season in the league.

“Probably just telling myself, give myself as much grace as I can,” Reese said. “I’m a player that really wants results to happen fast, and I’m sure every player wants that, but I have to give myself grace and pace myself.”

Texas Tech thankfully has ended, with the embattled quarterback declaring for the NFL supplemental draft.

I wrote earlier during this appalling episode that hopefully a silver lining might come out of all of this: an impetus to embrace college sports reform. Well, the silver lining may have turned out to be the rest of the Big 12 standing up to Texas Tech and telling its misguided leadership it would face serious consequences if Sorsby played this fall. The precedent could be powerful the next time this happens — and it will. Hopefully Sorsby continues to seek and receive support for his gambling addiction, which is truly a serious problem. Whether Texas Tech can heal from its obvious addiction to winning at all costs — an entrenched affliction in sports — is another question. The school cloaked its desire to win games in the guise of wanting to help Sorsby, never admitting in its blinding ambition it could have helped him just as well as a nonplaying regular student. Colorado coach Deion Sanders cut to the heart of the matter in a recent interview

“Somebody’s gambling on a sport they’re playing,” Sanders said. “You don’t think something’s wrong with that? Just say that to yourself: ‘This guy on my team is gambling on the sport, in the competition, that we’re about to go out there and have.’ Something’s wrong with that.” Indeed there is, coach. Hopefully the folks at Texas Tech will now, finally, come to that realization.

I definitely have a better chance to break 125 in the U.S. Open than that happening.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

LSU shortstop Kylee Edwards dives for a ball hit up the middle in the fourth inning of an NCAA regional game against Akron on May 15 at Tiger Park. Edwards announced Wednesday she entered the transfer portal.

BY LINDAGASSEHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

Ilove the light,savory sauces used in Vietnamese-style stir-fries. They’re arefreshing change from the heavier, thicker sauces often foundin other versions. For this quick meal, Iuse thinly sliced pork tenderloin and delicate dried rice noodles. The noodles and broccoli are briefly cooked together in boiling water for just three minutes, then tossed into the stirfry,where they absorbthe fragrant sauce and come together in afresh, flavorful dish HELPFUL HINTS:

n Any type of thin noodles can be used.

n Green beans can be used instead of broccoli.

n Canola oil can be used in-

Vietnamese Pork Stir-Fry Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer

4garlic cloves, crushed 2tablespoons brown sugar

3tablespoons reduced-salt soysauce

3teaspoons ground ginger

3tablespoons water

¾poundpork tenderloin, thinly sliced ½cup sliced onion 4ounces thin dried rice noodles

2tablespoons sesame oil

4cups broccoli florets

1. Combine garlic, sugar,soy sauce,ginger and 2tablespoons water in amedium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmerand cook 5minutes or until sugar is melted.

2. Remove from heat and add pork to sauce and let sitfor 5 minutes, turning the meat over 2or3 times.

3. Meanwhile, bring amedium saucepan ¾ full of water to a boil and add the rice noodles. Boil for 3minutes, then addthe broccoli to the water for 1minute. Drain.

4. Heat oil in awok or large frying pan over high heat. Add theonion and saute 2minutes Add the pork with thesauce. Cook, tossing the pork with the onion for 2minutes.

5. Add the broccoli and rice noodles. Toss all the ingredients together for 2to3minutes. Divide in halfand serveon2 dinner plates.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 643 calories (25 percent from fat), 18.2 gfat (2.4 gsaturated, 10.1 g monounsaturated), 108 mg cholesterol, 46.6 gprotein, 73.1 g carbohydrates, 5.1 gfiber,1008 mg sodium.

LIVING

of akitchen redo.

FORTHE OCCASION

BY APRIL HAMILTON Contributingwriter

My husband did aDIY renovation of the kitchen in our first home, literally at the turn of the century The simple and inexpensive changes were ahuge upgrade, and Irecall cooking up astorminthe newspace, withtwo little girls underfoot.With alate May unveiling of the expanded new kitchen in our Baton Rouge home, the glee is tenfold after being confined for nearly 10 years into an 8-squarefoot space. Cooking has never been more joyful. Throughout thedecade of cooking in my tinybut mightykitchen, Iimagined the walls coming down but couldn’t fathom anew layout or enduring the upheaval of arenovation. Enter Chad Blanchard and his team with Highland Construction Services,who turned my dread into giddy anticipation. From the first With

Shrimp and Tasso Saute

Makes 4servings. Recipe is from “Cooking Up aStorm,” edited by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker

1. Heat the oil in alarge skillet over medium heat.Add the onions, bell pepper, celery,salt, cayenne, Tabasco and tasso and saute over high heat forabout 5minutes, or until the vegetables are wilted and slightly brown.

2. Add the mushrooms, garlic, shrimp, stock and white wine andcook,stirring often, for5minutes.

3. Add the green onions and parsley and adjust the seasonings.

4. Serve over rice or your favorite pasta.

NOTE: In my preparation, Iused homemadeshrimpstock madewith the shells from peeling the shrimp. Idoubled the amount called for, and to make it alittle saucier,addedin2tablespoonsofcold butterinto the liquid in theskillet, whisking to emulsify into asauce.

Gluten-freemeatballs featurebeef, spinachand

meatballs recipe, choppedfrozen spinach, which is naturally high in moisture, is used to bind the meat.

TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Younglawyerneeds to show confidence

Dear Miss Manners: Iama25-yearold-lawyer who worked as alaw clerk for ayear before passing the bar exam. When Iaccompany the partner to hearings where aclient is present, Iinvariably get asked whetherI am still in law school or how Ilike being aparalegal. What is the appropriate response? Also, when Iam in the office, sometimes potential clients will walkinand ask me to make copies for them (assuming the secretary is not there). Iusually do this graciously,but Iamwondering if thereis something Ican say to establish

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

the fact that Iamanattorney Gentle reader: That you werewilling to make the copies forthe client shows your heart was in the right place— which Miss Manners agreesisnosmall thingafter three years of law school and ayear of court. Butunfortunately,she hastosay that your head was not. If you think the partner,having observed either of these interactions with clients, was goingtoshout,“Promote that person immediately we need more people who put the clientfirst!” you would have been wrong

What he or she was really thinking was, “If that person cannot even explain to aclient that they are not thesecretary or aparalegal, how are they going to stand up to an angry judge?”

from social manners, and most lawyers areused to being contradicted without taking offense. They may even recognize the courage it took foryou to speak up.

The correct thingtosay to the client at the office is, “How do you do? I’mSo-and-so, an attorney here at the firm.But let me find you asecretary who can help you.”The answer to the client at thehearing is, “I am really enjoying being an associate here at the firm.” Then give areason why the work you are doing for thefirm is even more interesting than your clerkship —throwing in thename of the judge you worked for Business mannersare different

STAFF PHOTOSByMICHAEL JOHNSON April Hamilton stirs ingredients on the stovetop while preparing adishinher newly completed kitchen.

RENOVATION

Continued from page1D

iteration of the design to the final finished punch list, as if Iwaved amagic wand, they knocked it out with finesse Iflashed back to my kitchen remodelyears ago and desire to cook around the clock. It is arerun of your favorite show.Shop, chop, cook, share the bounty and repeat. Iwas eager to have adinner party and thank the team who made it happen. Iinvited my friend Lori and her husband Matt, who had guided us to the contractor team, and my friend Canette and her husband Chris, who helped with so many details when Iwas incapable of another decision, to join us for a toast and afeast

The scheduled gratitude dinner coincided with an assignment to sample some beloved recipes from The Times-Picayune cookbook, “Cooking Up aStorm,” a collection of recipes lost and found post-Katrina. I selected theShrimp and

Shrimp mixes withotheringredients on the stovetop while April Hamilton prepares shrimp and tasso saute.

Tasso Saute to highlight local seafood paired withthe tasso from Jacob’s Smokehousethat mycontractor stashed in my freezer after atrip to his hometown, LaPlace. The recipeisjust asMarcelle Bienvenupromises in the headnote: “It packs together alot of different flavors, theingredientsare usually readily at hand, and it’sgreat when you need to whip somethingupatthe

last minute.” I’ll add that it is special occasion-worthy When Ireceived my copy of this treasured cookbook, Iwas in the midst of unpacking my decades-old cookbook collection to display on mynew shelves. Without hesitation, Iprominently placed this new-tome book on itsown shelf so it will be in easy reach as I continue cooking from its story-rich pages in my new kitchen.

Spinach and Feta Meatballs

Serves 2-4. Recipe is adapted from “What Goes with That: 100 Recipes, 20 Charts, Endless

by Julia Turshen.

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line abakingsheetwith parchment paper

2. Place drained and squeezedspinach in alarge bowlwith feta,garlic powder,dried oregano and 1 teaspoon kosher salt.Stir well to combine

3. Add beef and mix well (I used my hands).Divide themixture into adozen portions,shaping them into balls. Imadethem slightly smaller andgot 16 balls.

and firm to the touch, about20-25 minutes. You can always crack oneopen to make sure it’scooked enough,ifyou need some reassurance.

6. Meanwhile, place yogurt in asmallbowland whisk in garlic anddill. Addzestand juice of 1 lemon, stir to combine, then season totaste with salt and cayenne, if using.

Pinch of cayenne,

orzo,

MEATBALLS

Continued from page1D

4. Space them evenly on the sheetpan andspray with cooking spray

5. Roast until browned

7. Serve meatballs hot, warm or at room temperature over rice or orzo, with thesauce and additional lemon slices forsqueezing over

Imade them in my oven, but you also could cook the meatballs in an air fryer at 400 Ffor 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Dear Miss Manners: Iama female homeowner wholives in atwostory house. Mostly the living area is upstairs, after a15-step staircase with asmalllanding before theturn.

If someone comes to my house who has never been, or aworker to do arepair or something, who do Ilet walk up the stairs first, looking at the other person’sbutt?

The male stranger,the female stranger,orme?

Gentlereader: Etiquette is neutral

on wholeads, unless the passage is challenging, in which case you would wanttogofirst to act as guide.

As to what there is to see along the way,Miss Manners hopes that whoever followswill have the common courtesy,ifnot the common sense, to follow at amodest distance and with eyes elsewhere —noifs,ands, buts or butts.

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

Weighing theprosand cons of usingsocialmedia

Dear Harriette: Iamstruggling withsocial media. I am making acareer pivot, so it is abeautiful time for me as Imake new discoveries and explore new skills, but it is also ascary and intimidating chapter Social media has its pros and cons for this season that I’m in, and I’m trying to decide whether thegood outweighs thebad. On one hand, posting about my work, passions and projectshelps me meet and interact with people who are also breaking into my industry as well as seasoned professionals. On theother hand, Ifind myself making alot of comparisons. It causes meto second-guess myself, my talent, my progress, my path, my belongings and more. Iamgrappling with whether this vast network —which could lead tocontinued work and learning opportunities —ismore important than my mental health. Is there something Ican do to continue utilizing social media as atool without compromising my self-worth? —Social Media Dear Social Media: Think of social media as atool, not acrutch.Use it to share

good news aboutyour career andpersonal life as yousee fit. Compare yourself to yourself rather thantoothers. Think aboutyourgoals, andcurate your content to match those goals. Considerhiring someone to help youwith your social media strategy Youmay even find acompanyorindividual who can post foryou.That will help to take you away from the day-to-day,which can make it easiertoavoid the comparisons. Dear Harriette: “First Time” —your reader whowants someone to talk to about taking the next step with her boyfriend —needs an old crone in her life. After my sons were grown and out of the house, the young ladies next door and their friends used to come over and pester me with questions that Igladly answered. We had somewonderful gatherings where I told them things that their parents never had —or things that they didn’tfeel they could ever even ask their parents. Every person whoisanadult but not yet elderly needs acrone in their lives. Notonly

have we been there, done that (or at least known people whohave), but we have no cares lefttogive about propriety,and we will not turn away from any subject due to discomfort. —Kat FromKansas City Dear Kat From Kansas City: I love your sentiment. Ialso had to go to the dictionary to learn the meaning of “crone.” For those who don’tknow,itused to mean an old woman, but is more commonly knowntoday as awise, postmenopausal womanvenerated forher lifetime of experience, judgment and knowledge. Kat, Isay YES to the crone. We wise women have alot to offer others. It’s funny.Inmany cultures, it wasunderstood that the older womenin the community weretobe heralded fortheir wisdom People regularly came and sat at their feet to learn and to process whatever wasgoing on in their lives. This is apractice that would be great to revive. Thanks forthe reminder

Sendquestions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/oAndrewsMcMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St.,Kansas City,MO 64106.

Keepingknotinnecktie intact

Dear Heloise: I’ve enjoyed and learned from your column for years. If you’re like me, tying anecktie can be frustrating. When Iget atie with aknot that has thestyle and length Ilike, I’ll take it off by loosening it just enough toget it off my neck and over my head. Then Ihang it up intact on atie rack that Ihave on thewall. So, thenext time Iwant to use it, it’salready tied and ready for me to put on. —MikeD., in Indiana Keyfob hint

Dear Heloise: Most cars

ByThe Associated Press

comewith two key fobs, and the key fobs have abutton to set off an alarm on your car.Assingle woman living by myself, I keep the extra key fob on my nightstand. If someone broke into my home, or Ihad amedical emergency and couldn’tget to the phone quick enough for help, all Ineed to do is press the alarm button on the key fob. All of my neighbors would immediately hear the noise. Ilet my neighbors know about this plan, and if they hear the alarm sounding, they would call me to find out if Ineeded help. Most of my neighbors thought that this wasagreat idea and are doing the same thing with their extra key fob. —CherylM., in Omaha, Nebraska Freezing milk

Dear Heloise: Iread about the womanwho purchases twohalf gallons of milk and freezes one. Idon’t drink alot of milk, so Ibuy aquart. But sometimes ahalf gallon only costs a little more, so Ifreeze half of it. It freezes quite well. —MaryG., in California Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Today is Thursday, June 18, the 169th day of 2026. There are 196 days left in the year

Todayinhistory: On June 18, 1812, the War of 1812 began as the United States Congress approved, and President James Madisonsigned, adeclaration of war againstBritain.

Also on this date: In 1778, American forces entered Philadelphia as the Britishwithdrew during theRevolutionary War.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte was defeated in the BattleofWaterloo as Britishand Prussian troops defeated the French Imperial Army in Belgium.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter and Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev signed theSALTIIstrategic armslimitation treaty

in Vienna. In 1983, astronaut Sally Ride becameAmerica’s first womaninspace as she and four other NASA astronauts blasted off aboard the space shuttle Challenger on asix-day mission.

In 1986, 25 people were killed when atwin-engine plane and ahelicopter carrying sightseers collided over the Grand Canyon.

In 1992, the U.S. SupremeCourt, in Georgia v. McCollum,ruled that criminal defendants could not use race as abasis for excluding potential jurors from their trials.

In 2007, nine firefighters died when they were overwhelmed by afast-spreading fire in afurniture showroom and warehouse facility in Charleston, South Carolina. It wasone of the deadliest days for firefighting since the 9/11

attacks in the U.S. In 2018, President Donald Trumpannounced he wasdirecting the Pentagon to create the Space Force as an independent branch of the United States Armed Forces. In 2023, the submersible vessel Titan, on an undersea expedition to view the wreck of the

Hints from Heloise

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Makeanofferand follow through. Living up to your promises, requests and words will helpyou gain the confidence of others. Show how disciplined and fruitful you can be.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Stick to what works bestfor you. If youfollow someone, you'llbedisappointed with the outcome. Place more faithand trustin yourself andyour ability to finish what youstart.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Payattention to relationships, conversations, thevalidityoftheinformationyoureceiveandthe intentionsofthepeopleyouencounter.If youhaveapositiveimpact on someone, it will reflect.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Suggestions and offers you receivewill generateexcitement and adesirefor change, but before taking aleap of faith, consider the outcome. Make sure your budget can withstandthe overhead costs.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Procrastination is whatholds you back. Excuses are far-fetched anddownright depressing, putting you into acatatonic state of mind that's stopping you from living your dream

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Rethink your strategyonhealth, love and earning potential. Perhapsit'stimetorethinkand update your direction, skills andconnections. Mix business with pleasure.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Setyourself up, let go of the past and stabilize your future. Choose yourspace wisely. Put in thetime to ensure youfeel comfortable.

How much and howwell you produce what's important to you in life depends on your surroundings.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Deal with what irks youand put it to rest. Letting matters fester will put you in avulnerableposition.It'stimetolet go of what's not working foryou and to engage in what soothes your soul.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Start with love, enthusiasm and afun-filled agenda. The more excited you are, the easier it will be to tempt others to join in. Creativity is on the rise. Look for an outletthatcan make you money or bring you joy

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March20) Your best effort will develop if you participate in events or activities that stretch your mind and helpyou build relationships with people who bring out thebest in you. ARIEs (March21-April 19) Thinkoutside thebox. It's OK to be unique and to stand out when you have something to offer. Refuse to let anyone ruin your plans. Expect someonetooverreact or tempt you to go overboard with your intentions.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Put more time and effort into home,familyand lifestyle changes. An adjustment to your routine that sets you on theroad to better health will distance you from bad influences and emotionally draining situations. The horoscope, an entertainment feature,isnot basedonscientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

CeLebrItY CIpher

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains thesame number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

nea CroSSwordS

TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER

Jack Youngblood, amember of thePro Football Hall of Fame who played for the LosAngeles Rams for14years, said,“I visualizethingsinmymindbeforeIhave to do them. It is like having amental workshop.”

The most skillful bridge players can get inside theminds of their opponents. They can visualize exactly what that player would do from various holdings.

Today’s deal is an example of this. Southisinthreeno-trump. West leads the heart three anddeclarer calls for dummy’sfive. What should East do?

The auction wasstraightforward. South did not like to open one no-trump without aheartstopper, but the bid gave as accurateadescription of his hand as possible. Yes, he might have opened one diamond, planning to rebid onespade over aone-heart response, but partner would have had amuch fuzzier picture of South’shand. The only makable game here is four spades,which is tough to reach.

Let’s return to East’s predicament. If South has ace-doubleton of hearts, East mustput in his10, finessing against partner(this week’stheme). But if South has jack-doubleton, East must win with his king. Which is correct?

Get into South’s mind. If he had acedoubleton, which heartwould he have played from theboard?

that, he cannot have the heart ace. So East should confidently put up his king, expecting to winthe trick. And fivehearttricks later, the contract is down.

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

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

Previous answers:

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four

what is aman profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall aman give in exchange for his soul?” Matthew 16:26

Right —the queen. He would have hoped theopening lead was away from the king and tried to take asecond heart trick. When he does not do

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

PearlsBefore swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles