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St. Landry floodwaters continue to flow toward Atchafalaya Basin

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ELECTION 2026

Letlow, Davis dominate Senate runoffs Support, spending led to candidates’ victories

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

A road closed sign stands where Snows Road becomes impassable due to floodwaters in the village of Palmetto on Friday. Floodwaters from Tropical Storm Arthur have inundated northern St. Landry Parish, causing evacuations and flooding over 100 homes.

BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer

St. Landry Parish residents have been playing a waiting game for the better part of a week. Recently, Tropical Storm Arthur dumped 20 to 30 inches of rain within 12 hours across southern parts of the parish, a likely 1,000-year rainfall event that caught most residents off guard. That water, which is not contained within rivers and canals, is now flooding parts of northern St. Landry Parish.

For most of the past week, a flood warning has been in effect for the parishes of Avoyelles, St. Landry, Evangeline and Rapides, according to the National Weather Service.

St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard issued voluntary evacuation recommendations for most areas of the parish north of La. 190 early in the week, and on Tuesday, water flowed across La. 10 in Palmetto. On Wednesday, he warned residents of Lebeau along U.S. 71 from U.S. 190

Benny and Sara Camp drive a four-wheeler through floodwaters on Veazie Road while leaving their home in the village of Palmetto on Friday. north to La. 10 that it was time to ated were able to find family and leave if they planned to evacuate. friends to stay with, and the shelter Though a Red Cross shelter opened was closed. for several days in Opelousas, Belä See FLOODWATERS, page 4A lard said most residents who evacu-

U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow rode President Donald Trump’s forceful support and an avalanche of campaign spending in the final week to decisively win the Republican runoff Saturday to be Louisiana’s next senator, after late polls had suggested the race might be neck-and-neck.

Trump didn’t just endorse Letlow, R-Baton Rouge. He lavished praise on her in two campaign videos and held a rally by phone with Letlow Letlow on Thursday that attracted 98,000 listeners, an official with her campaign said on Sunday. That was more than half the 179,000 votes she collected on Saturday.

Trump’s super PAC, Securing American Greatness, also contributed $1 million to an outside group, the AccountDavis ability Project, that battered state Treasurer John Fleming, Letlow’s Republican opponent, with a barrage of negative ads.

“I can’t wait to work with him (Trump) over on the Senate side,” Letlow, 45, told reporters at her Baton Rouge victory party after clinching the Republican victory.

“Great News!!!” Trump posted Saturday night on Truth Social. “Julia Letlow WON in Louisiana, beating conclusively a very strong and smart opponent.”

ä See RUNOFFS, page 5A

Lawmakers question if La. gives too much to college football Bill that was rejected would have funded early childhood education

ed to raise concerns that the state is too often putting football ahead of other priorities.

The debate comes after a legislative session during which the Louisiana House killed a bill that would have given more money to early childhood education programs; inBY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN stead, college sports programs will get that money.

Staff writer A second bill exacerbated tenAs Louisiana pours millions into sions by shielding from the public making LSU a football juggernaut, details of how state universities some state lawmakers have start- spend funds generated by athlet-

WEATHER HIGH 93 LOW 76 PAGE 10C

ics programs, including how they divide the money among different sports and top athletes.

“I don’t know if I’d call it a sacred cow. But it pretty much is a sacred cow,” state Sen. Beth Mizell, RFranklinton, said of col- Mizell lege football. “You can’t touch it. You can’t lessen what we put into it.”

Mizell sponsored Senate Bill 135, which would have changed how

sports gambling tax revenue is allocated. Currently, 25% of that revenue goes to an early childhood education fund, while 25% goes to an account that supports college athletics known as the SPORT fund.

According to state law, the money in the SPORT fund is distributed evenly among Louisiana’s public colleges that play Division I football. Schools may spend it on scholarships, in-

Classified .....................5A Living............................5C Nation-World................2A Comics-Puzzles .....7C-9C Lottery..........................4B Opinion ........................2B Commentary ................3B Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C

surance and medical coverage for student athletes, and to enhance facilities and settle lawsuits.

The early childhood education fund is capped at $20 million, but the SPORT fund has no cap. SB135 would have moved the cap to the SPORT fund, allowing the early childhood education fund to continue collecting revenue over $20 million.

The change would have

ä See FOOTBALL, page 4A

101ST yEAR, NO. 364

2A ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

BRIEFS

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Officials: Israeli strikes in Gaza kill at least 4

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip on Sunday killed at least four Palestinians, including a 13-year-old girl, local health officials said.

The first strike targeted a group of people in northern Gaza’s Beit Lahiya, killing two and wounding another, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

Another Israeli strike in southern Gaza killed a man, according to health officials at Nasser hospital.

And the 13-year-old girl, Eileen al-Farra, was killed by shrapnel from Israeli tank shelling in southern Gaza, according to Nasser hospital.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the strikes but said one of them targeted a “Hamas terrorist,” without elaborating.

Palestinians on Sunday reported heavy tank shelling across Gaza and quadcopters — a type of unmanned aerial vehicle — buzzing overhead.

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Iran strikes in Bahrain and Kuwait

Iranian Foreign Minister of their interim deal. The said air defenses inter- did not give details.

Tehran threatens Abbas Araghchi on Sunday Trump administration on cepted Iranian drones and the claim that Sunday said nothing has two missiles just after the Trump’s accusations to halt talks after reiterated Tehran must govern the been canceled and techni- U.S. strikes in Iran. There The U.S. military said U.S. attacks strait to the Persian Gulf cal talks are on track for were no reports of injuries it struck Iranian military

that once carried a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas.

“Any attempt to establish Associated Press new or separate arrangeDUBAI, United Arab Emirates — ments from those currently Iran again launched drone being carried out by the Isand missile attacks target- lamic Republic of Iran will ing Bahrain and Kuwait only lead to further complion Sunday followcations, delay the ONFLICT reopening of the ing new U.S. air- CO T Strait of Hormuz strikes against the IN THE and increase the Islamic Republic, MIIDDLE level of tension,” and threatened a EAST AST Araghchi said. “complete halt” in The strait has negotiations to end the war if Washington con- long been considered an international waterway tinues its attacks.

Efforts to reopen the despite its location in Iran Strait of Hormuz with- and Oman’s territorial waout Iran’s oversight has ters. In recent days, Iran sparked days of crossfire. has twice attacked vessels A multinational maritime going through a route near body overseen by the U.S. the Omani side.

Navy said Saturday it Pakistan, a key mediator, would expand a route near has said talks would reOman for inbound and out- sume Tuesday between the U.S. and Iran on the terms bound traffic.

BY JON GAMBRELL and MELANIE LIDMAN

Skydiving plane crashes in France, killing 11

TOMBLAINE, France — Families watched in shock as a skydiving plane carrying their loved ones on what was meant to be a thrilling introduction to parachuting crashed in northeastern France on Sunday, killing all 11 people on board, authorities said.

The dead included five parachuting instructors, five novice jumpers and the pilot, Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said.

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said it was France’s biggest aviation accident involving skydiving in about 30 years.

“Some of the victims’ families witnessed the aircraft falling with their own eyes. So there is tremendous emotion and an even greater psychological trauma,” Nunez said.

He refused to speculate on what caused the crash but said the plane dropped out of the sky suddenly. He said it had just taken off from the Nancy-Essey airfield on the outskirts of the city of Nancy when it came down about 300 yards from the runway.

Yves Séguy, prefect of the Meurthe-et-Moselle region, said the plane suffered a malfunction and “fell almost vertically,” narrowly missing a built-up area.

“Had it occurred just a few dozen meters away, the accident could have caused collateral casualties,” he said.

NASA races to save Swift telescope

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — NASA is racing to save an aging telescope from falling back to Earth with a daring rescue mission.

The $30 million salvage operation gets underway as soon as this week with the planned launch of a robotic lifesaver.

NASA hired startup Katalyst Space Technologies to boost the Swift Observatory to a higher orbit where it can continue hunting for some of the universe’s biggest explosions. A three-armed spacecraft built by Katalyst will chase after Swift once it takes off from an atoll in the Pacific’s Marshall Islands aboard an airplane-launched Pegasus rocket.

Liftoff could occur as early as Tuesday.

Scanning the cosmos since its launch in 2004, Swift has been sinking faster and faster because of recent intense solar activity.

It needs to get to a higher, more stable orbit as soon as possible to survive.

NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope — also at risk — could be next.

Like Swift, Hubble is losing altitude as the sun erupts with one flare after another. Katalyst Space CEO Ghonhee Lee said his company’s next-generation robot, still in development, could save the day for the much bigger Hubble in a couple years.

CORRECTION A story about Saturday’s BESE primary that appeared in the Sunday paper incorrectly stated that candidate Mike Hollis was former board member Paul Hollis’ son. They are brothers.

The Advocate regrets the error.

the coming days.

Talks include arrangements around the strait, the removal of a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports and sanctions on Iran, and the future of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

The two sides have 60 days from their signing of the memorandum of understanding earlier this month to work out details.

Continued conflict in Lebanon threatens the agreement, which says fighting must end on all fronts before certain issues can be discussed.

Strikes target Gulf states Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard claimed responsibility for the attacks in Bahrain and Kuwait.

Kuwait, which hosts a major U.S. military base,

or damage.

Bahrain said the Iranian strikes damaged a residential building near the international airport and no one was killed. Bahrain is home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. The damaged building was not near its headquarters.

Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry denounced what it called “a dangerous escalation that reveals that what Tehran is doing is not a passing act, nor an isolated incident, but rather a deliberate approach and a systematic pattern of repeated aggression.”

Later on Sunday, Qatar said a civilian had been killed, and another person was hurt, by shrapnel related to “military operations in the area” after a vessel didn’t return at its scheduled time on Saturday. It

“surveillance infrastructure, communication systems, air defense sites, drone storage facilities and minelayer capabilities” following an attack on a ship on Saturday. The Panamanian-flagged tanker Kiku carried crude oil for the state-run energy company of Qatar, another key mediator.

President Donald Trump on social media accused Iran of violating the deal and warned of a point where the U.S. may “be forced to militarily complete the job.”

“If that happens, the Islamic Republic of Iran will no longer exist!” Trump wrote.

The exchanges of fire began when an Iranian drone struck a merchant vessel off Oman on Thursday and the U.S. military retaliated.

VENEZUELA

Teams scramble to locate quake survivors

BY REGINA GARCIA CANO, JUAN PABLO ARRAEZ and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Local and international rescue teams raced against the clock to pull survivors from the rubble in Venezuela on Sunday, four days after two powerful earthquakes shook the northern state of La Guaira.

The government reported 1,450 dead from the quakes Sunday afternoon as it faced growing criticism from Venezuelans that its response was inadequate and overshadowed by civilian-led efforts to rescue people buried under collapsed buildings.

Thousands have been reported missing, according to multiple databases used by families searching for loved ones.

Even as the likelihood of finding people alive diminished with each passing hour, rescuers continued to free some survivors from mountains of debris, offering anguished families a sliver of hope.

The first 48 to 72 hours after a natural disaster are

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATIAS DELACROIX

Rescue workers carry a man rescued Sunday from the rubble of a building that collapsed in the earthquakes that struck La Guaira, Venezuela. crucial to rescue efforts, though survival can be extended if people have access to food and water.

More than 2,600 rescue workers from around the world had arrived by Sunday, the government said, noting that crews were being supported in their efforts by nearly 140 specially trained dogs.

“It’s been incredibly hard work, but we’re going strong,” said Jason Mercano, a civilian who was able

to communicate with family buried under the rubble via social media.

“We’ve never given up hope,” he added.

Masses of people gathered to watch as rescue crews from the U.S. and France pulled a man and his son from the ruins Sunday morning and carried them carefully on a black tarp into an ambulance.

Still, many Venezuelans are struggling to hold

3 firefighters killed, 2 hurt battling wildfire on Colorado-Utah border

BY TY ONEIL, MICHAEL R. SISAK and JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

BEAVER, Utah — Three firefighters were killed and two sustained burn injuries when they were overcome by flames from fast-moving wildfires in hot, windy conditions near the Colorado-Utah border.

The firefighters deployed emergency shelters for themselves during the socalled burnover — which occurs when a fire spreads and closes off all escape routes — on Saturday in Mesa County, Colorado, the U.S. Interior Department said.

They worked for the U.S. Wildland Fire Service and U.S. Forest Service and were part of an interagency response to the Knowles and Gore fires, which merged with other fires to form the Snyder Fire.

So far, about 44 square miles have burned.

The Wildland Fire Service, created earlier this year to streamline firefighting and fire reduction across public lands, said in a statement that it “stands united” with the Forest Service in grief and “in our unwavering support for the loved ones left behind.”

“Their bravery, dedication, and sacrifice will never be forgotten,” the statement said.

The names of the firefighters who perished were being withheld pending notifications to their loved ones, the Interior Department said.

Temperatures in Grand Junction — east of the fire — hit a high of 93 degrees, with winds gusting to 44 mph, according to the National Weather Service.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office was

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NOAH BERGER

Smoke rises Sunday from the Snyder Fire burning near Thompson Springs, Utah.

asking people to evacuate the potential path of the fire and to turn on irrigation water to saturate the land. The federal Bureau of Land Management closed public access to lands it manages nearby.

“Firefighter and public safety are the highest priority,” the agency said in a statement. “The temporary closing of the lands is to reduce exposure to hazardous situations due to the rapid rates of spread and fire behavior that the fire has exhibited. The public is to remain clear of these closed lands.”

Wildfire activity has intensified across the western United States, as consecutive days of hot, dry and windy weather have fueled flames in Utah, Arizona and elsewhere as new fires popped up across the region.

The largest blaze, the Cottonwood Fire, was burning in rugged terrain in southwest Utah. It ballooned Saturday to more than 144 square miles after marching through canyons and mountainsides, destroying part of a ski resort and other summer cabins along the way.

onto hope in an increasingly desperate situation. The one-two punch of 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude earthquakes that hit last Wednesday have left a trail of devastation.

A layer of dust coated coastal communities, and as the stench of decomposing bodies spread, more people began to wear masks.

Authorities said Sunday that more than 770 buildings had totally or partially collapsed from the earthquakes, twice as many as were reported destroyed or damaged on Friday. The risk of further damage remains as aftershocks continued to shake Venezuela; quakes measuring 4.2 and 4.5 hit Sunday morning.

Many living in disaster zones said they had seen little sign of their government since the quakes. But rescue efforts in La Guaira — the hardest-hit area — appeared significantly more organized on Sunday as international rescue missions arrived en masse. In previous days, residents there had expressed frustration and anger about the level of response.

The government reported on state television that more than 14,000 members of the military and police are now patrolling La Guaira state, where access is blocked and special permits are required to enter.

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U.S. lags in social media restrictions for children But reform push is growing

BY KAITLYN HUAMANI and BARBARA ORTUTAY AP technology writers

Amy Neville describes Kristin Bride as her “soulmate.” But the day that forged their bond — June 23, 2020 — was the worst of each of their lives.

Both Bride and Neville lost their teen sons that day.

Their kids lived a thousand miles apart and never met, but they both died from harms related to their social media use.

When the two mothers met, early in their advocacy work to protect other kids, Bride said she had felt “totally alone.” But they have since seen the online child safety movement blossom, with scores of other parents who lost kids pursuing stronger social media safeguards and legislation to protect children online.

With that momentum, advocates say the tide seems to be turning. A pair of landmark jury verdicts this year showed a way forward for holding tech companies accountable. And while the U.S. is nowhere near embracing social media bans for children like those seen from Australia to Indonesia, a push for regulation is simmering again in Congress.

“Moving forward for me, it’s this groundswell. We now have the court of public opinion on our side, and that is powerful. That has brought things to the next level,” Neville said in an interview.

Her son Alexander Neville

was “brilliant and intense,” Neville said, with an entrepreneurial spirit and “the best laugh in the world.”

When he was 14, a drug dealer connected with him on Snapchat and sold him the pill that killed him. Carson Bride was the “bright light” of his family, a funny and caring kid who loved connecting with people, his mother said.

He died by suicide at age 16 after severe cyberbullying.

The teenagers were honored in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday alongside 270 other children and young people who died because of online harms. It was the sixth anniversary of the boys’ deaths, a date their families have worked to establish as Social Media Victims Remembrance Day. Growing awareness of the dangers social media poses for young, developing brains has shown up in a wave of new restrictions globally.

Australia, the U.K., Turkey, Indonesia and others have passed bans on kids under 16 or 15 from using platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

In the U.S., the movement turned a corner with two jury verdicts against Meta and one against Google that galvanized proponents for kids’ online safety. Evidence in the court cases revealed some of the tech companies’ inner workings, including communications of employees who likened their products to drugs and casinos.

That the Los Angeles trial accusing social media platforms of causing deliberate harm to children was allowed to move forward was itself a watershed movement, said

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ROD LAMKEy

Kristin Bride, right, mother of 16-year-old Carson Bride, who died by suicide after being cyberbullied on an anonymous app on Snapchat, is joined by Amy Neville, mother of 14-year-old Alexander Neville, who died from fentanyl poisoning after being deceived by a drug dealer operating on Snapchat, during a Social Media Victims Remembrance Day memorial on Tuesday on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Matthew Bergman, head of the Social Media Victims Law Center, which represents more than 1,000 plaintiffs in lawsuits against social media companies.

Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act shields tech companies from legal responsibility for posted content. It has been a barrier to accountability but lawsuits are side-stepping its protections by focusing on the companies’ deliberate design choices rather than content.

“It is still a hurdle, but it is no longer a barrier,” Bergman said.

In the U.S., federal legislation of social media has moved at a glacial pace. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which took effect in 2000, requires kidoriented apps and websites

to get parents’ consent before collecting personal information of children under 13.

This week, lawmakers in the House unveiled a bipartisan deal called the Kids Internet and Digital Safety Act. It includes portions of the the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, which passed the Senate in 2024, but critics say it’s been stripped of its most important part — a provision called “duty of care,” a legal term that requires companies to take reasonable steps to prevent harm.

“Without a duty of care, Big Tech companies will maintain the status quo of putting profit before the safety of our children,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., said in a statement.

Bride said advocates have to employ a three-prong ap-

proach, utilizing legislation, litigation and education. That way, “when one stalls, like legislation,” Bride said, “then we have the trials and we have litigation. So we keep pressing forward. We’re not going to give up.”

Representatives from Meta, YouTube and TikTok did not immediately respond to messages for comment.

Snap said in a written statement that it works continuously to strengthen safety protections across its platform.

Over the years, social media platforms have introduced some safety features including separating minors into teen accounts and providing even tighter restrictions for younger teenagers.

Instagram, for instance, now restricts teen accounts to viewing content that aligns

with “PG-13” ratings and accounts are set to private and can’t be messaged by strangers. YouTube has a separate kids app and parental controls on its regular platform that allow for “supervised kid accounts” for preteens who have aged out of YouTube kids.

But child advocates say there’s still a long way to go.

“Their fundamental incentive to design products that maximize engagement has not changed,” Bergman said.

“Yes, there have been some improvements. A 13-year-old child is not by default provided with an open account for adult predators to prey upon.

So, you know, there are baby steps, but there are steps in the right direction. We just need more of them.”

Since 2024, the Senate has passed a resolution annually to recognize June 23 as Social Media Harms Victim Remembrance Day, which honors the lives of those who died because of online harms including suicide, drug poisoning, cyberbullying and dangerous social media challenges.

Alongside several parents and advocates who spoke at the event Tuesday evening — including Bride and Neville — senators called for urgent action.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, DMinn., advocated for the repeal of Section 230. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, DConn., said advocates and lawmakers need to “fight like hell for the living.” Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., assailed his fellow Congress members for not doing more, saying “we all know why” they haven’t acted.

France sees 1,000 more deaths amid extreme heat in Europe

BY KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and JOHN LEICESTER

lected, including for deaths at home.

The increase was sharpest in areas under red warn-

Associated Press

BERLIN — France saw around 1,000 additional deaths last week at the height of its record-smashing heat wave, the country’s public health agency said Sunday, as the head of the World Health Organization warned that Europe is now the fastestwarming continent and needs to do more to protect its citizens.

Temperature records were toppled in several countries on the weekend, wildfires were sparked in Germany and Berlin police used water cannons to cool down the crowds.

Meanwhile, the heat wave slowly moved toward eastern parts of the continent.

Germany marked a record for the third day in a row with 107 degrees in Neißemünde, near the border with Poland, which baked under its new all-time high of 104.9.

The Czech Republic also experienced its hottest day ever with 107.4, up from the previous record of 105.6 on Saturday.

A new study from the World Weather Attribution, a Europe-based collaboration of scientists, reported Fri-

Associated Press

A long and dangerous heat wave will blast a large swath of the central and eastern United States this week, the National Weather Service said, with temperatures rising ahead of the July Fourth holiday and feeling even hotter because of the high humidity that’s arriving with it.

Already, parts of the U.S., especially Phoenix and central Texas, and much of the Southwest were experiencing temperatures around 100 on Sunday, while the weather service warned of severe wildfire conditions developing across much of the West as new fires popped up across the region.

On Sunday, well over 130 million Americans across

heat wave. The agency said that 85% of the deaths involved people aged 65 and above.

Yo

u ar r M ts o He ve re

St

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALESSANDRA TARANTINO

People refresh in a fountain on Sunday after the Angelus noon prayer celebrated by Pope Leo XIV from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. day that the record-breaking heat and humidity in Europe this past week would not have been possible without climate change.

The rapid study found that the heat would have been virtually impossible just five decades ago, and is 200 times more likely today than it would have been 20 years ago.

France reported a surge in deaths last week, including a sharp increase at private homes, especially in the Paris region, the national public health agency said Sunday.

There were more than 1,200 deaths on Wednesday, when France was sweltering under its hottest temperatures, increasing to more than 1,400 deaths on each of the two following days, Public Health France said. In April and May, before the heat wave, France’s rate of deaths was about 900 to 1,000 per day.

The agency concluded that France experienced a total of at least 1,000 additional deaths during those three days alone, an estimate it cautioned is likely to increase as more data is col-

Meteorologists: Heat wave, high humidity to blast eastern U.S.

BY MARC LEVY

ings of extreme heat, it said.

Those warnings blanketed about three-quarters of the country at the peak of the

southern and Great Plains states were under moderate to severe heat risk conditions, according to weather service maps, with that area forecast to expand and temperatures to intensify as the week drags on.

Forecasters say several days of high temperatures — some above 100 degrees F — will settle in across the lower Great Lakes, the midAtlantic and the Mississippi and Ohio River valleys. Some record highs could be set in areas from the lower Great Lakes to the mid-Atlantic and New England later in the week, said weather service meteorologist Bryan Putnam.

A number of big cities could see their highest temperatures of the year so far as they host World Cup

matches and celebrations for America’s 250th anniversary.

Feeling the heat will be the East Coast cities of New York, Philadelphia, Washington and Baltimore, and Midwestern and Great Lakes cities including Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Detroit. Southern cities including Dallas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee, will also see high temperatures.

High heat will last into next weekend across the Great Plains, the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic, the weather service said.

Temperatures will reach well into the 90s and low 100 degrees, the weather service said. High humidity will lead to heat indexes of 100 to 110 degrees, and as high as 115.

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4A ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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FLOODWATERS Continued from page 1A

On Friday, Bellard said about 100 homes in the Palmetto area had already flooded and more may flood as the water from Avoyelles continues to make its way south.

“It already flooded up in Morrow and Palmetto, up in those areas,” he said Friday morning. “Now it’s coming down Highway 71 and down to Bayou Courtableau.”

Bellard said officials were hoping the flooding would peak by Sunday and then begin drying out within a week or 10 days.

Parish officials have been going house to house by boat, checking on residents and trying to get an assessment of damages to report to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Down Veazie Road in Palmetto, Sara and Benny Camp drove a four-wheeler down their flooded road before they hopped on a boat to make it to their front door.

The couple left Saturday when floodwater began creeping into their yard, Benny Camp said.

On Friday night, the water level jumped about a foot, reaching at least 4 feet.

Of the 15 or so houses on the street, about three homes flooded,

STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Veazie Street is impassable due to floodwaters in the village of Palmetto on Friday.

Sara Camp said. The Camps’ home was one of the lucky ones.

The same can’t be said for Sara Camp’s 72-year-old mother, who also lives along the street. Her home took on nearly 2 feet of water.

“I didn’t tell her yet. I mean, she’s tough,” Sara Camp said.

The couple said they have never

seen flooding like this in their lives.

“I was talking to the older folks, it was like early ’70s, they had a flood down this road,” Benny Camp said.

On Friday, KADN reported flood victims converged on a Louisiana Department of Insurance pop-up office in Lebeau seeking help.

Displaced residents spoke with representatives from the state Department of Insurance about federal, state and local resources available to them. Many were left with uninhabitable homes, with some forced to wade through kneehigh water to reach higher ground.

And many were facing the harsh

reality of not having flood insurance. The Department of Insurance reported that only about 2,300 of around 19,000 homeowners in the area carry flood insurance.

“In this area, unfortunately, there’s not a high takeup, so that means they are not going to have flood coverage because flood is not covered under your homeowners policy,” Louisiana State Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple said.

Temple urged flood victims without insurance to register their losses online, noting that the data collected could help Louisiana qualify for federal assistance.

“Go to damage.la.gov, let the government know how many people don’t have coverage. All of that amount gets totaled up, and then, that helps Louisiana figure out if it can qualify for federal assistance.

So, if you don’t have flood insurance, unfortunately, we are going to have to wait for local, state or federal assistance,” Temple said.

Bellard said water levels were expected to peak by Monday in St. Landry, but the storm’s effects were not expected to be limited to Avoyelles and St. Landry parishes.

Doug Kramer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said floodwaters from Avoyelles are expected to continue moving into St. Martin Parish and eventually into the Atchafalaya Basin.

The front yard of a home on Veazie Road is under several inches of water in the village of Palmetto on Friday.

FOOTBALL

Continued from page 1A

generated an extra $3.4 million annually for the latter fund, according to a fiscal note attached to the legislation.

That fund is used to create more seats in Louisiana’s Child Care Assistance Program, which helps families pay to put kids in early childhood education programs.

The initiative has received praise not only from education advocates but also from the business lobby; supporters say early childcare helps ensure parents can get to work and improves educational outcomes for kids.

But some lawmakers note that college football is an economic boon to the state.

State Rep. Dixon McMakin, R-Baton Rouge, who is also the PA announcer at Tiger Stadium, said strong athletics programs help generate visitors to the state who, in turn, spend money at local businesses.

“There’s no denying the economic impact that athletics has on all universities across the state when teams are performing well,” McMakin said, calling college sports programs “economic engines.”

Supporters of athletics Mizell’s proposal easily passed the Senate, but it died in the House Administration of Criminal Justice Committee when none of that panel’s members would make a motion on the bill. No one spoke publicly in opposition to

SB135 during that meeting, nor did any lawmakers explain why they did not want to move it forward.

Like many other Louisianans, Mizell said she loves football — but she also wants single moms in the poorer parts of her district to have access to childcare so that they can go to work. “(The colleges) would still be getting $20 million,” Mizell said. “I thought we were ready to acknowledge that OK, maybe we’ve given football enough money.”

Mizell noted that former head LSU football coach Brian Kelly received a $54 Kelly million buyout after LSU ousted him. The school then made Kelly’s replacement, Lane Kiffin, one of college football’s three highest-paid coaches, with an annual salary of $13 Kiffin million.

Supporters of the athletics programs say most of the money for sports is generated by the programs themselves or comes from donors. A single donor reportedly paid for most of Kelly’s buyout.

Tensions rise A week after SB135 died, another sports-related bill stirred debate in the Senate.

House Bill 608 by state Rep. Tehmi Chassion, D-Lafayette, which was billed as a way to protect student-athletes, exempts records that detail how colleges allocate so-called “revenue sharing”

funds to individual sports and athletes. That is money paid directly from the budgets of athletic departments.

HB608 easily passed the House with only four no votes, but it picked up opposition from a coalition of senators from across the political spectrum who said it was a blow to government transparency.

In addition to Mizell, state Sen. Greg Miller, R-Norco, and state Sen. Thomas Pressly, RShreveport, spoke against the bill when it was debated in the Senate on May 26.

“We’ve got ‘student-athletes’ that are getting paid $1 million, $2 million, $3 million, $4 million a year. We have lost sight of our priorities. We have jumped the shark on this,” said Miller.

“Who are we really trying to protect?

What we’re doing here has just gone too far.”

HB608 passed the Senate 22-13.

Revenue sharing is just one source of money for student athletes. They often obtain lucrative name, image and likeness, or NIL, deals, which generally involve advertising campaigns.

Chassion said HB608, now Act 818, was necessary to protect athletes from being targeted for their money. He also said it would make Louisiana sports teams more competitive, preventing other schools from learning a specific student athlete’s

salary and using it to poach that athlete.

“This is a protection for student athletes. Folks tend to think of these as rich college kids, when these are regular kids that happen to be able to play a sport so well,” Chassion said. “It’s not anyone’s business what an individual athlete is making.”

Scott Sternberg, a First Amendment expert and attorney who is representing a group of journalists suing

LSU for revenue-sharing records, said the exemption marks the first time the state is allowing the expenditure of public dollars to remain confidential.

Chassion argued that the revenue-sharing money should not be considered “taxpayer” dollars because it comes from funds that are “self-generated” by athletic departments.

Sternberg disputed that notion, saying taxpayer dol-

lars make it possible for institutions like LSU football to generate revenue.

“If a tollbooth collects a toll, that’s public money,” Sternberg said. “If LSU sells an advertisement or a ticket to the game, how is that not public money?”

Sternberg also represents The Advocate | The TimesPicayune in some legal matters. The newspaper is not a party to the lawsuit filed against LSU.

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● 5A

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Ukraine targets Russian oil facilities, fuels conflict tensions

Russian society and force Russia — Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson for export through Russia’s Black Putin acknowledges consequences.

“Our ‘long-range sanctions’ to halt, even if only briefly, the ad- and Zaporizhzhia. He rejected the Sea ports, including fuel oil, naphtwo oil refineries in Rus- vance of our troops along the line proposal, arguing it would allow tha and marine fuel. fuel deficit, vows to reached Zelenskyy also claimed that ansia,” Ukrainian President Volody- of contact, and create conditions Ukraine to relocate its forces that strengthen protection myr Zelenskyy wrote on the Tele- for launching a negotiation pro- are fighting Russian troops in oth- other Russian refinery, in the Yaro-

By The Associated Press KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine kept up its heavy drone assault on Russia, setting fire to a major oil refinery in the south, as President Vladimir Putin acknowledged for the first time on Sunday that the country was facing a “certain deficit” of fuel and vowed to strengthen protection of oil facilities and boost fuel output.

Ukraine has markedly stepped up its long-range attacks on Russian military industries and energy facilities in recent months, aiming to cut Moscow’s revenue for its invasion — now in its fifth year — and make Russians feel the

gram messaging app on Sunday.

“Each (strike) means a reduction in the resources that fuel the Russian war machine, and another step toward peace.”

The campaign has choked Russian fuel supplies, causing widespread shortages and long lines at gas stations across the country and prompting authorities in many regions to introduce fuel rationing.

According to Western analysts, it has also slowed Moscow’s efforts on the battlefield, heaping pressure on the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table.

Speaking to a Russian state TV reporter, Putin described the Ukrainian attacks on oil refineries as an attempt to “cause a split in

cess on terms advantageous to our adversary.”

“We will not give them that chance,” Putin said, adding that “strikes on our infrastructure, wherever they are directed, have absolutely no effect on the situation at the front, on the line of contact.”

He said for the first time that Ukraine has proposed a halt on deep strikes, arguing that Kyiv made the offer because Russian strikes deep into Ukrainian territory are more powerful and devastating.

The Russian leader added that Kyiv also offered to limit the fighting to the four regions that Russia annexed but never fully captured

er areas to let them focus on fending off the Russian attacks in the four southeastern regions.

Meanwhile, debris from downed Ukrainian drones sparked a blaze at the refinery in Slavyansk-naKubani, a town in Russia’s Krasnodar region, east of occupied Crimea, according to regional Gov. Veniamin Kondratyev. The falling debris killed one person in Slavyansk and wounded another in a nearby village, local authorities said.

The facility is one of southern Russia’s major refineries, processing close to 4 million tons of crude per year, according to its operator’s website. It is also a key source of petroleum products intended

RUNOFFS

Continued from page 1A

Davis secures nomination

Her triumph sets up a Nov. 3 general election against Jamie Davis, a farmer from northeast Louisiana, who overwhelmingly won the Democratic nomination over business owner Gary Crockett.

“We planted good seeds in fertile soils, and we started to harvest last night,” Davis said in an interview on Sunday.

Davis, 55, faces an uphill battle in a state where no Democrat has been elected to the Senate since 2008, and Republicans hold all of the statewide offices and twoSTAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON thirds of the seats in the Legislature. In the runoff, Julia Letlow addresses the crowd after winning the runoff in the Republican primary for U.S. 316,538 people voted in the Senate at a watch party in Baton Rouge on Saturday.

Republican runoff, while 196,190 voted in the Demo- campaign, for example, COVID Task Force, even the Accountability Project expected she would win by sharing with the media that and Hope in Action — which cratic one.

Davis said he is undaunted six or seven points, the cam- they ‘very frequently’ met transferred big dollars to together as they pushed the Accountability Project. by the naysayers and said he paign official said.

“We ran a strong camwill broaden his focus to apNew Orleans pollster Greg forced vaccines and forced peal to Republican voters Rigamer, who had conduct- masks on our kids, and shut paign,” said Jay Connaughwho could not vote ed weekly surveys down businesses.” The text ton, a St. Tammany Parishfor him in the justthroughout the race, ended with photos of Flem- based media strategist who concluded closed won public attention ing and Fauci. headed the Accountabilprimary elections. when he found in Landry raised money for ity Project. “It wasn’t just “Dr. Fleming’s votthe final days of the election that Flemers are out there,” he said. “So are Dr. ing had closed most Cassidy’s voters and or all of the 17-point Mr. Crockett’s vot- Crockett margin that Letlow had coming out of ers.”

Sen. Bill Cassidy was the May 16 primary, 45% to eliminated in the May 16 pri- 28%.

Rigamer released a poll mary when he finished third in the Republican primary. showing that Fleming held Cassidy had angered Trump a 1-point advantage among and MAGA voters when he those who voted early in the voted to convict the presi- Republican runoff but that dent of inciting the Jan. 6, Letlow held a 6-point advanSHOP TODAY! Pets 2021, attack on the tage among those U.S. Capitol by his expected to vote on Order newspaper supporters.

Saturday.

The overall turnRigamer expected page reprints Letlow to win the out of registered of any day runoff — but in “a voters in the runoff squeaker.” was 17%, according Fleming’s pollster, to Ed Chervenak, John Couvillon, re- CATS a political-science RAGAMUFFIN & RAGDOLL KITTENS www.CatsByFrancy.com/kittens professor at the Uni- Fleming ported that his poll store.nola.com $1500up! Reg. Shots & Guaranty 337-230-3150 several days before versity of New Orleans. That was down from the election showed Fleming up, 45% to 40%.

28% in the May primary.

THE CLASSIFIED The Letlow campaign According to unofficial reADVERTISING DEPARTMENT turns from the Secretary of saved its heaviest advertiswill be closed on State’s Office, Davis defeat- ing buys for the final three FRIDAY, JULY 3rd ed Crockett, 79.9% to 20.1%. weeks of the campaign, in observance of That result was not a sur- when more voters would be prise since Davis had much tuning into the race.

Outside groups also more money and important Democratic endorsements. stepped up their advertisAnd will be observing the following Early Deadline: “We’re talking grassroots, ing. Two of them — Ameripure grassroots, differ- can Mission and Save AmerDeadline: Run Dates ent organizations coming ican Freedom — spent over Tuesday 6/30 @ 2pm Friday 7/3 together to say, ‘This man $1 million total to promote Wednesday 7/1 @ 2pm Saturday 7/4 has it; this man has what we Letlow.

Wednesday 7/1 @ 2pm Sunday 7/5 want to see in the person Another group, the AcWednesday 7/1 @ 2pm Monday 7/6 who represents us,’ ” said countability Project — run Bonnie Byland, an orga- by allies of Gov. Jeff Landry As always, you may place your ad 7 days a week, nizer with Indivisible Baton — spent over $4 million on 24 hours a day online at www.theadvocate.com or call attack ads against Fleming Rouge.

Monday – Friday 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM At Davis’ election night — TV ads, radio spots, mail(225) 383-0111 party in Baton Rouge, she ers and texts. added, “There was tremenAt 12:52 p.m. on WednesPublic Notices Public Notices dous energy.” day, voters received a text Public Notices Bids/Proposals Bids/Proposals James Carville, the famed message from the group: Democratic political strate- “President Trump has sealed y sity Avenue, Lafayette, ensure their bid is deliv‐ gist, said of Davis, “He has our border and is keeping ilPublic Notices LA. Bids received after ered (whether electroni‐ the above specified time cally via Vendor Access, some guts and moxie. He legal aliens out. But RINO Bids/Proposals for opening shall not be in person, or via mail) to considered and shall be the Purchasing Division seems to be a successful John Fleming has found a returned unopened to prior to the scheduled farmer, which is a pretty workaround to bring more the sender. Bidders may date and time of the bid attend the bid opening in opening. Vendors may PUBLIC NOTICE good profile for a Demo- Mexicans into our country but are highly person, the bid package request --encouraged to virtually electronically from An‐ cratic candidate. His chal- his taxpayer-funded immijoin the bid openings via toni Hoyte-Small at ahs‐ NOTICE TO BIDDERS Zoom using the following mall@lafayettela.gov. lenge will be raising money. grant bus system.” https://us02web. link: Notice is hereby given zoom.us/j/87231695830?

Vendors submitting bids sealed bids will be that Democrats have no power At 10:43 a.m. on Thursday: received either electroni‐ pwd=5OfJhf2bfhASXHW are re‐ electronically u7y58IbxH2f8ybW.1 quired to provide the at https://lafayet in Louisiana. In politics, you “While you bust your butt cally same documents as bid‐ tecsdgovla.tylerportico. ders submitting through can have the best bio in the paying taxes, John Fleming com/va/vendor-access/ In accordance with the mail as soon as avail‐ registration or in the of‐ Louisiana RS 38:2212. able. Only a bid bond, of the Purchasing Di‐ world, but if you don’t have and his family were globe- fice may submit vendors check or certified vision at the Lafayette their bid electronically at cashier’s check shall be money, you can’t tell your trotting the world on your Consolidated Govern‐ the website listed above. submitted as the bid se‐ ment Building, located at story.” dime, and lobbyist money.” 705 West University Av‐ Bidders wishing to sub‐ curity. Electronic copies mit their bid electroni‐ of both the front and Lafayette, enue, At 1:12 p.m. on Thursday: Louisiana, until 11:00 am cally must first be regis‐ back of the check or bid tered within LCG Vendor bond shall be included Central Time on the 15th Behind Letlow’s win “Fleming is a fraud who day of July, 2026 for the Access at the website with the electronic bid. listed above. The regis‐ following: Letlow defeated Flem- can’t be trusted.” tration process can take Bids must be signed in some time; therefore, accordance with LRS & 230kV VOLTAGE At 3:06 p.m. on Friday: 138kV ing, 56.8% to 43.2%. That LCG recommends regis‐ Title 38:2212(B)5. A Cor‐ TRANSFORMERS days in advance of porate Resolution or Cer‐ 13.6-point margin was big- “John Fleming bragged and will, shortly there‐ tering the time that bids are tificate of Authority au‐ due. It is the sole respon‐ the person thorizing be opened and ger than most political ana- about working side-by- after, sibility of the bidder to signing the bid is re‐ read aloud in a room lo‐ h i bid i d li quired to be submitted lysts predicted. The Letlow side with Dr. Fauci on the cated at 705 West Univer‐ i h bid il b

slavl region around 435 miles from the Ukrainian border, was hit during the nighttime strikes.

There were no immediate reports from Russian authorities about the strike on the Yaroslavl refinery. Local Gov. Mikhail Evraev reported on Sunday morning that some roads between Moscow and the region’s capital, Yaroslavl, were temporarily closed due to “an enemy attack by Ukrainian drones.”

For months, Ukraine has been stepping up attacks on energy facilities deep inside Russia. Despite a raft of Western sanctions, Moscow remains among the world’s top exporters of oil and natural gas.

about the money. It was about the effective message. John Fleming was a flawed candidate. It made our job a lot easier.”

Fleming repeatedly said the ads were dishonest.

He declined to be interviewed on Sunday. Letlow did not respond to interview requests.

Letlow campaign volunteers made 100,000 calls to likely Letlow voters on the weekend before the election and 91,000 calls on election day, said the Letlow campaign official.

Where Letlow won According to a postelection analysis by Rigamer, Letlow ended up carrying 49 parishes, while Fleming won 14 — Orleans Parish and 13 more in a corridor that stretched from northwest Louisiana to Allen and Beauregard parishes, the area he represented in the U.S. House from 2009 to 2017.

“She just dominated,” Rigamer said on Sunday.

Fleming and Letlow tied in Bossier Parish, each with 4,351 votes, according to the Secretary of State’s Office.

Couvillon, who acknowl-

edged on Sunday that he misfired on his final poll, said Fleming’s campaign aimed in the runoff to receive two-thirds of the Cassidy voters from the primary — but collected only 45%.

“The Cassidy vote concluded there wasn’t a dime’s difference between the two runoff contenders, so they split their vote,” he said.

Roy Fletcher, Fleming’s campaign strategist, knew that his candidate had to take an early lead when the first batch of returns were released on Saturday night just after the polls closed at 8 p.m. Those figures tallied the early voters who, Rigamer’s poll showed, had given a slight advantage to Fleming.

Instead, Letlow took an immediate lead.

Fletcher was sitting in Fleming’s suite at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Baton Rouge.

“I said to myself, ‘That ain’t what it’s supposed to be,’ ” Fletcher recalled on Sunday. “I knew then that it wouldn’t go right. I walked to get two oatmeal cookies.

I thought it was time for sugar.”

.theacadianaadvocate.com

4th of JULY

Public Notices Bids/Proposals

q with bid. Failure to sub‐ mit a Corporate Resolu‐ tion or Certificate of Au‐ thority with the bid shall be cause for rejection of bid.

Copies of the bidding documents are available at the Purchasing Office located at 705 West Uni‐ Avenue, versity Lafayette, LA 70506. Tele‐ phone number (337) 2918263 (Attn: Antoni HoyteSmall). Bidding docu‐ ments shall be available until twenty-four (24) hours before the bid opening date.

Each bid shall be accom‐ panied by a certified check, cashier’s check or bid bond payable to the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the amount of which shall be five percent (5%) of the base bid plus additive alter‐ nates. If a bid bond is used, it shall be written by a surety or insurance company currently on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Financial Management Service list approved bonding of companies which is pub‐ lished annually in the Federal Register, or by a Louisiana domiciled in‐ surance company with at least an A-Rating in the latest printing of the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide to write individual bonds up to ten percent (10%) of policyholders’ surplus as shown in the A.M. Best’s Key Rating Guide, or by an insurance com‐ pany in good standing li‐ censed to write bid bonds which is either domiciled in Louisiana or owned by Louisiana resi‐ dents. The bid bond shall be issued by a company licensed to do business in Louisiana and counter‐ signed by a person who is under contract with re‐ siding in this state. The certified check, cashier’s check, or bid bond shall be given as a guarantee that the bidder shall exe‐ cute the contract, should it be awarded to him, in conformity with the con‐ tract documents within ten (10) days.

No bidder may withdraw his bid for at least fortyfive (45) days after the time scheduled for the opening of bids. Each bid shall be submitted only on the quotation form provided with the speci‐ fications.

Bids will be evaluated by the Purchaser based on the lowest responsible and responsive bid sub‐ mitted which is also in compliance with the bid The documents.

Lafayette Consolidated Government reserves the right to reject any and all bids for just cause in ac‐ cordance with LA R.S. 38§2214.B. The Lafayette Consoli‐ Government dated strongly encourages the participation of DBEs (Disadvantaged Business Enterprise) in all con‐ tracts or procurements l b h f

Public Notices Bids/Proposals p let by the Lafayette Con‐ Government solidated for goods and services and labor and material.

To that end, all contrac‐ tors and suppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐ prises in the purchase or sub-contracting of mate‐ rials, supplies, services and labor and material in disadvantaged which business are available.

Assistance in identifying said businesses may be obtained by calling (337) 291-8410.

PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISH DATES: 06-29-26; 07-05-26 DPR 1006200 192360-JUN 29-JUL 5-2T $101.26

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

PUBLIC NOTICE --MINUTES OF SPECIAL MEETING HELD AT SCOTT CITY HALL TUESDAY, June 23, 2026, AT 6:00 PM A public hearing was held to discuss the City of Scott amended Budget for fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 and for the new fiscal year ending June 30, 2027. A presenta‐ tion was given by Mr. Brad Kolder, CPA with Champagne, Kolder, Slaven, and Co. Mr. Kolder stated that ex‐ penses and revenues had stayed relatively flat, an increase in capital pro‐ jects tremendously but would be funded mostly by state capital funding.

No action taken. An op‐ portunity for questions, comments, or concerns was available but none from councilmen or pub‐ lic present.

Mayor Richard called the Special Meeting to order.

The Mayor and City Council Members met in special Session, Tuesday, June 23, 2026. Mayor Richard, all council mem‐ bers, was present.

Councilman Moreau mo‐ tioned to adopt Ordi‐ nance 2026-4, Amended Budget Ordinance FYE 6/30/26. No questions or comments from the pub‐ lic or council members.

Seconded by Councilman Goodwin, motion carried unanimously.

Councilman Montoucet motioned to adopt Ordi‐ nance 2026-5, the Budget for FYE Ordinance 6/30/27. No questions or comments from the pub‐ lic or council members.

Seconded by Councilman motion carried Roy, unanimously.

Public Notices Meet/Hear/Min

Councilman Roy intro‐ duced Ordinance 2026-7, An Ordinance amending 2017-11 to Ordinance adopt a salary schedule and pay plan for the em‐ ployees of the City of Scott Fire Department.

Ordinance 2026-7 is up for adoption at the next regular council meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 2, 2026, at 6pm.

Councilman Goodwin in‐ Ordinance troduced 2026-8, An Ordinance Ordinance amending 2017-15 to adopt a salary schedule and pay plan for the Municipal em‐ ployees of the City of Scott (excluding Police and Fire Departments).

Ordinance 2026-8 is up for adoption at the next regular council meeting scheduled for Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 6pm.

Councilman Moreau mo‐ tioned to adopt Resolu‐ tion 2026-17, a Resolution authorizing the mayor to terminate the contract for firefighting services between the City of Scott and the Scott Volunteer Fire Department dated May 1, 2025 and to exe‐ cute a new contract for firefighter services be‐ tween The City of Scott and the Scott Volunteer Fire Department. Mayor Richard stated that the annual amount funded by the City of Scott to the SVFD would increase from $75,000 to $100,000, the due date would and would changed annually.

Sec‐ renew onded by Councilman Montoucet, motion car‐ ried unanimously.

Councilman Moreau mo‐ tioned to adopt Resolu‐ tion 2026-18, A Resolution authorizing the mayor to contract with Neuner and Pate, Attorneys at Law to represent the City of Scott in that suit enti‐ tled: Racetrac, Inc. and Williams Scotsman, Inc. versus the City of Scott.

Seconded by Councilman motion carried Roy, unanimously.

There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 5:57 p.m.

Jan-Scott Richard, Mayor Shelley M. Gautreau, City Clerk 192653-JJUN 29-1T $38.54

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6A ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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1Bn

Iberville eyes reviving Bayou Grosse Tete

Parish wants to preserve its critical drainage role

BY AIDAN McCAHILL Staff writer

For all but a handful of her 84 years, Jeannie David has lived beside the bayou, the one locals say Louisiana’s founder, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville, named for a friendly man they say had an unusually large head — or, as the French put it, a “Grosse Tete.”

David’s screened porch overlooks Bayou Grosse Tete, where

she and her husband watch the constant hum of life. They count turtles sunning on logs, sometimes dozens at once. Fish jump, water snakes glide over the surface and herons wade. Alligator eyes crest then disappear.

“I just have a love for the bayou. It’s so pretty when it’s muddy, when it’s flowing,” said David, a former alderwoman for the village of Grosse Tete.

But the real origin of the bay-

ou’s name comes from its past as a “big shipping head,” she said.

Steamboats once passed through, and merchants docked house to house, selling everything from produce to furniture. On Sundays, she was told, a church boat made its rounds. Later, she remembers people using the bayou to water ski. Now, in some stretches during summer, the water dwindles to a trickle.

“It was a lot better and cleaner at

one time,” David said.

On a broiling day shortly before Tropical Storm Arthur soaked parts of Louisiana, John Clark pushed his flatboat off a launch near David’s home. As Iberville Parish’s director of environment and economic development, he has spent two decades trying to restore both the bayou’s health and its recreational draw — often alongside David.

“What we have can be the backyard playground for the capital region,” he said. “We would like to see more recreation, more people

getting out on the water, like they used to in the past.”

Clark is overseeing a nearly $1 million project to clear debris from the bayou. According to Parish President Chris Daigle, the work is part of a never-ending effort to keep the region’s primary drainage artery functioning, while also improving access for recreation.

“What we’re trying to do is maintain a long-term drainage plan,” he said. “In the past, they were very

ä See IBERVILLE, page 4B

State joins push to study psychedelic treatments Lawmakers support clinical trials for the drugs

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

For retired Maj. Gen. Glenn Curtis, the former top official at the Louisiana National Guard, it was the headaches and cloudy thinking caused by a neck injury, traumatic brain injuries and PTSD. And for his son Nicholas Curtis, it was the vertigo, light sensitivity and memory problems stemming from two head injuries.

That suffering — and their hope for an elusive cure — spurred the father and son to travel to Mexico together in early 2025 to take the psychedelic drug ibogaine after the younger Curtis heard about it on a podcast with Joe Rogan.

Both men said their symptoms disappeared after the treatment and haven’t returned since.

Inspired by the transformation, the father-son duo launched a nonprofit to help military veterans access ibogaine, psilocybin and ayahuasca to treat mental health conditions. But the drugs are largely illegal, and opportunities for clinical trials using them have been scarce.

Now, as a movement to increase access to psychedelic-assisted therapy has gained steam across the country, Louisiana is joining a growing list of states working to expand the use of the drugs to treat addiction, PTSD and other conditions. State lawmakers this spring unanimously approved a measure to cultivate research into psychedelics and support clinical trials.

A growing body of research shows that psychedelics can help address problems like trauma, addiction and depression, which can lead to suicide, and that’s especially relevant for struggling veterans, said Sen. Patrick McMath, R-Covington, who sponsored Senate Bill 43, now Act 956.

“I believe it will save lives,” McMath said of the new law. “Shame on us as legislators in this state if we don’t do everything that we can to create the regulatory pathways to safely administer this type of therapy.”

Psychedelics like ibogaine, psilocybin and MDMA are illegal under federal law, and are Schedule I drugs, the Drug Enforcement Agency’s most restrictive classification.

While they can’t be prescribed in standard medical treatment, scientists with a special Schedule I license can study the drugs in research trials.

Some of those studies have produced “a really remarkable effect,” said Kevin Murnane, a professor of pharmacology, toxicology and neuroscience and a professor of psychiatry and behavioral medicine at LSU Health-Shreveport.

“Many times the outcomes are really, really profound,” he said.

For example, people with conditions like treatment-resistant depression, substance use disorder or PTSD experienced remission for months or in some cases years after

ä See STATE, page 4B

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Auto Attention ABOVE: Lee Jones, left, shows his 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air to Harris Bellard during the inaugural Summer Showdown Car Show on Saturday at the Corner Bar in Lafayette. All proceeds from the $20 per car registration fee went to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital.

LEFT: Car enthusiasts view entries in the show.

La. ICE detention guard sentenced for sexual abuse Someone under control of an in Lafayette before U.S. quirement to register as a sex Man gets 36 months Friday authoritative figure like a guard, District Judge Robert Summer- offender.

Federal prosecutor Thomas he said, cannot consent. The hays, repeated earlier claims of prison time that he was in love with the Johnson requested Courvelle woman’s handwritten statement

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR

Staff writer

A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility guard in Louisiana who sexually abused a female detainee, whom he claims he was in love with, was sentenced Friday to 36 months in prison.

David Courvelle of Ville Platte was a contract employee at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center in Basile managed by the GEO Group when he began sexually abusing a Nicaraguan ward at the detention center.

Courvelle, prior to sentencing

woman.

He pleaded guilty in December to one count of sexual abuse of a ward or individual in federal custody.

Attorney Elbert Guillory, who represents Courvelle, asked the judge for mercy.

“He’s made one mistake and that was falling in love in the wrong place,” Guillory said. “In this case, there is no victim.”

The woman, who has been deported to Nicaragua, allegedly wrote to the court asking for mercy for Courvelle, according to Guillory, who requested six months probation and no re-

serve 18 to 24 months in prison considering Courvelle was entrusted to protect the woman and sexually abused her instead.

In the woman’s initial interview, Johnson said, she told officials that Courvelle would force her to provide him with sexual favors in a janitor’s closet at the detention center.

If Courvelle was not sentenced to time in prison, Johnson said, it would send a message to law enforcement officers across the state that such behavior is taken lightly.

“I don’t see this as a victimless case,” Summerhays said.

suggests she did not consent in full, he added.

Summerhays said sentencing guidelines in this case, 18 to 24 months, is insufficient under the circumstances.

He sentenced Courvelle to 36 months in a federal facility as close to his home in Ville Platte as possible. He must serve three years of supervised release and register as a sex offender.

Courvelle is to report to the U.S. Marshals Service in Lafayette on Oct. 2.

Contact Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

2B ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

YOUR VIEWS lll

AMERICA 250

As we celebrate the 250th birthday of our country, we asked readers to weigh in on what are some of the quintessential texts of American history. In addition, we received several letters about what the commemoration means to you.

America’s greatness is reborn in the dreams of newcomers

From Declaration’s promise to MLK’s speech, fight for equality was long The Declaration of 1776 outlined the Founders’ moral vision of a free society; its most important statement: “that all Men are created equal, and that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”

Although the word “slavery” will not be found in the Declaration, it dominated much of the debate among our Founders, as slavery drove the economic engines of the Southern states and required several compromises in drafting the U.S. Constitution in 1788.

Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution as originally drafted stated that “Representatives and Direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the states according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by the number of free Persons.” The Southern states wanted to include slaves, whereas the Northern states wanted them excluded. The heated compromise was to count only 3/5ths of the slaves, but they had to be called “other persons” as the North didn’t want to validate slavery nationally.

In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson called for a law banning the importantion of slaves. Congress passed it, and it went into effect in 1808. However, slavery continued to grow in the South.

In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that Black people were not citizens, but were inferior.

In 1861, the Civil War erupted.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which stated that slaves in states in rebellion would be free. By 1865, the war was over and all slaves were free (but not yet equal).

The battles to make the new freemen equal would take place over the following 100-plus years, highlighted by Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 address calling for a nation in which his children would not “be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.”

STEVE GARDES Lafayette

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

published identifying name and the writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and TO SEND US A LETTER, phone number SCAN HERE for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor, The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.

In light of the president signing the bill that gives an additional $70 billion to support his immigration and deportation agenda, it bears remembering words from one of President Ronald Reagan’s last speeches in January 1989: “... A man wrote me and said: ‘You can go to live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman.

You can go to live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, a Turk or a Japanese. But anyone, from any corner of the Earth, can come to live in America and become an American’ ... This, I believe, is one of the most important sources of America’s greatness. We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people — our strength — from every country and every corner of the world. And by doing so, we continuously renew and enrich our nation.

“While other countries cling to the stale past, here in America we breathe life into dreams. We create the future, and the world follows us into tomorrow. Thanks to each wave of new arrivals to this land of opportunity, we’re a nation forever young, forever bursting with energy and new ideas, and always on the cutting edge, always leading the world to the next frontier.

“This quality is vital to our future as a nation. If we ever closed the door to new Americans, our leadership in the world would soon be lost ... ”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MARK SCHIEFELBEIN

U.S. flags are planted in a field near the Washington Monument on June 22 in Washington.

To honor U.S., work together to fulfill nation’s promise

We are one nation — although sometimes that may be in doubt.

We will soon celebrate 250 years of freedom and prosperity. It is imperative that we honor our past by renewing our commitment to our founding principles: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”

My parents immigrated to this country to pursue the hope of a better life for themselves and their children. This is a dream that is shared by each of us today. It is the bond that holds us together.

Division never makes us stronger. The chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

Every opportunity that I have been blessed with has its roots in the kindness and support of others. It is a debt that I owe and an obligation that I carry to help those around me.

On the threshold of this auspicious occasion, let us find common ground and a commitment to work together to move each and every one of us forward to reach new heights and fulfill the promise that lies within each of us.

If not, our wish for a better future for your children and mine will never come true.

STEVE NELSON, M.D. Mandeville

Founders put our Constitution above anything else, so should we In 1964, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart coined the phrase “I know it when I see it” to describe his threshold test for obscenity. That phrase has populated my thoughts far too often lately as we jointly experience the effects of our current political environment.

I’m occupied by thoughts of corruption, incompetence, criminality and discrimination under the oversight of unprincipled, dishonorable “leaders.” The examples are too numerous to outline here, but in the words of Stewart, I know it when I see it.

George Washington, in his farewell presidential address, offered his thoughts on political parties, stating that “ ... they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines by which cunning, ambitious and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government ...” Does

that feel familiar?

Washington recognized this 230 years ago!

He understood the precious and fragile nature of our new republic. He fought for it. He bled for it. He sacrificed for it in ways few can dare compare to. He, as well as the other Founding Fathers and “the people,” put their lives on the line “to form a more perfect Union,” not for any political party.

I, and all citizens, owe a never-ending debt to those who enabled our Union to exist. I am a registered Republican. That means nothing compared to my allegiance to the Constitution, to all of “the people” and to those who paid the debt before me. I owe no debt to any party.

Speak up against those damaging our democracy. Who are they? Stewart was correct — you will know it when you see it.

SUE SABRIO Metairie

U.S. is not really 250 years old yet, but who’s counting?

On July 4, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. But it will not be our nation’s 250th birthday.

There was no American nation in 1776. The Declaration was an act of the Second Continental Congress, speaking on behalf of 13 independent British colonies in North America.

If we want to give a date for the birth of the United States, 1788 would be a better choice. That was when the Constitution was ratified, and the Constitution made the United States.

It is important to commemorate milestones in our nation’s history, but we need to get our facts straight.

STEVE PEARCE Mandeville

This is why Washington warned us about political parties As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of our nation, a reading of George Washington’s farewell address would help. In it, he expresses concerns that national divisions caused by political parties could lead to despotism.

He writes: “The alternate domination of one faction [political party] over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and

permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries which result gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation on the ruins of public liberty. … [T]he common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.”

SANFORD W. WOOD Eunice

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● 3B

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COMMENTARY Republicans aren’t dead yet By a number of conventional measures, the Republican Party should be headed for a huge loss in this November’s House midterm elections. But some experts think the results will be much closer than originally thought.

The problem for Republicans is that those experts still think the GOP will lose, just not in an old-fashioned blowout.

The traditional factors seem to point in slightly Byron different directions.

York Pointing toward a blowout is President Donald Trump’s job approval rating — long a predictor of a party’s performance in midterms. At the moment, Trump’s approval is 40.4% in the RealClearPolitics average of polls. In 2018, Trump’s first midterm, his approval rating was in the low 40s, and the Republican Party lost 40 House seats. More generally, defeat is usually in the cards when a president’s job approval dips below 50%.

But what kind of defeat? In the 2022 midterms, President Joe Biden’s job approval was in the low 40s, and Democrats lost just nine House seats. To Biden’s dismay, that was enough to lose the House. Now, with today’s super-thin GOP margin in the House, even if Republicans were to lose, say, five seats, that would be enough to lose control of the chamber.

Then there is the direction of the country. In the RealClearPolitics average, 59.3% of respondents say the country is going in the wrong direction, while 34.6% say it is going in the right direction. That sounds bad, but remember that most people, most of the time, say the country is going in the wrong direction. The current numbers are ugly, but they’re not the worst — in July 2022, during a particularly awful stretch of the Biden presidency, 75.5% said the country was going in the wrong direction. That was terrible. And yet Biden still lost just those nine seats.

Then there is the most potent issue: the economy. In a recent CBS News poll, just 31% rated the condition of the economy as very good or fairly good, while 63% said it was very bad or fairly bad. That number is quite close to the RealClearPolitics average for Trump’s approval rating on handling the economy: 35% approve, 61.3% disapprove. There’s no interpretation

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MANUEL BALCE CENETA

President Donald Trump speaks after touring the newly designated Air Force One presidential aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, Md., last week. of those numbers that is good for Republicans.

Then there is history. The president’s party almost always loses House seats in midterm elections. Since the 1930s, that has been the case in every midterm except two — the first time in 1998, during Bill Clinton’s impeachment, and the second in 2002, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

If the predictive value of that bit of history is fading, it hasn’t faded much.

There is one more traditional measure that seems to point toward a Republican loss but not a huge one. The generic ballot is the general question, “If the election for Congress were held today, would you vote for the Republican candidate or the Democratic candidate?” Today, Democrats lead Republicans by 4.8 points, 47.9% to 43.1%, according to the RealClearPolitics average. That’s a solid but not overwhelming lead. Back in 2018, heading into the defeat that cost Republicans 40 seats, Democrats led the generic ballot by 7.3 points. In 2010, a historic blowout in which Republicans won 63 seats, the GOP lead was 9.4 points. Today, things seem much closer.

Put everything together, and it seems to mean a non-massive Democratic victory is on the way. Why not a blowout? There are plenty of reasons that some of the more serious Republican

problems listed above might not be devastating to the party this year.

The biggest of those is the voting public’s low regard for Democrats.

In the RealClearPolitics average, the Democratic Party’s favorability rating is just 36.5%, while its unfavorability rating is 56.1%. For Republicans, the numbers are 38.6% favorable and 55.3% unfavorable — not much better than Democrats, but better. So even if Republicans are headed for a loss, the public’s greater dislike of Democrats could limit the margin.

Given all this, one can see 1) why the final result might be closer than some think, and 2) why Republicans fought for every possible seat available through redistricting. It probably still won’t be enough for the GOP to win, but it will make the election closer.

Right now, the indicators still seem to point toward a House controlled by Democrats, but by a small margin — say, 10 or fewer seats. Maybe the coming election will be a glimpse of the future, when the big wipeout midterm is something that happens less and less often.

But for Republicans and for President Trump, in particular, life will still be miserable with a Democratic House, even if the margin is small.

Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.

Separation of powers might be working The journalistic adage “we don’t forms to violate their speech rights by report planes that land safely” means removing, obscuring or otherwise disthat what is deemed newsworthy often criminating against their posts. involves dysfunction and folly. Now, In 2024, the Supreme Court struck however, comes evidence that “good down (6-3) an appellate court’s ruling news” is not always an oxymoron. A that federal pressure caused the cenjudicial ruling has prompted two sena- sorship and therefore transformed it into government action. tors to prod the legislative branch to Writing with characteristic precision curtail certain executive branch misand caution, Justice Amy Coney Barchief.

Texas Republican Ted Cruz is, figura- rett held that the court need not rule on tively speaking, to the right of the soup the merits of the plaintiffs’ argument because the plaintiffs lacked standing spoon. Oregon Democrat Ron Wyden to sue. They failed to establish is to the left of the salad fork. a causal relation between what Their bipartisan anxiety conthe government demanded and cerns First Amendment speech what the platforms did. The rights. platforms, being private entiTheir proposed legislation would inhibit government “jawties, can enforce whatever ediboning,” defined (by Merriamtorial policies they choose, and George plaintiffs did not establish that Webster) as “the use of public Will appeals (as by a president) to government clearly coerced the influence the actions especially platforms’ choices. of business and labor leaders.” The adJustice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined in jective “public” is underinclusive. One dissent by Justices Clarence Thomas and Neil M. Gorsuch, said, correctly, of the senators’ objectives is transparthat federal officials pursued a “covert ency about hitherto secret pressure. scheme of censorship.” They “continuDuring the pandemic, executive branch officials in the Biden White ously harried,” “implicitly threatened” House, FBI and elsewhere frequently and “persistently hectored” the plathectored social media platforms forms with “virtual demands” backed (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter) to adopt by credible threats of punishment. particular policies of “content moderaSpecifically, Alito wrote, internet platforms are “far more vulnerable to tion.” In plain language, censorship government pressure than other news was the officials’ goal and, often, their sources.” A president cannot put a achievement. (During the 2020 presihostile newspaper out of business. But dential election, the platforms also, absent government pressure, censored social media companies “are critically dependent on the protection” provided speech about Hunter Biden’s laptop.)

by Section 230 of a 1996 statute that The Biden administration thought shields them from civil liability for that content on the platforms was promoting “vaccine hesitancy” and doubts content they disseminate. Government pressure included implicit but clear about “social distancing” and shutthreats to repeal Section 230. downs generally. The officials wanted It is proper, indeed a duty, for the to suppress theories about COVID-19’s executive branch to explain to the origin (the lab-leak theory, now widely public its preferences. And explanation considered plausible). Two states and five individual social media users sued cannot be disentangled from advocacy.

But as Alito stressed, government ofdozens of executive branch officials and agencies, seeking an injunction ficials who pressured Facebook were against them for pressuring the platnot speaking to the public. They were

advancing a covert scheme using surreptitious demands revealed only later by plaintiffs’ discovery and a congressional committee’s subpoenas.

Some executives of these platforms were ideologically disposed to obey the Biden administration. Others, when exposed to government pressure, had spines as limp as cooked linguine. Alito tartly writes that Facebook representatives “whimpered” their promise to be more compliant.

The Cruz-Wyden bill is a response to executive misbehavior, and to judicial judiciousness, that requires Congress to legislate.

Their bill affirms the principle that the government may not do indirectly (e.g., censor speech) what it is forbidden to do directly. The bill: Would require government to make public certain kinds of communications with social media companies, artificial intelligence companies and broadcasters. And would establish that plaintiffs must prove only that government attempted censorship, not that its pressure by itself succeeded. And would provide for money damages, instead of mere injunctions, for plaintiffs when an offending official left office while a case wended its way through courts.

So, crude and sneaky overreaching by the executive was followed by the Supreme Court’s austere (and reasonable) refusal to overreach by ignoring principles of standing. This has prompted two lawmakers to respond.

If Congress makes that response a law, there will have been a minuet of actions and reactions driven by each branch’s prerogatives, responsibilities and incentives. The separation of powers will have functioned as intended.

The governmental plane will have landed safely. Given recent history, that is newsworthy.

What Big Oil is not telling students about CCS Here’s what Big Oil is not telling students about its CCS program. It isn’t pretty.

Like many here in Louisiana, I was not shocked to read that our state had invited the oil industry into our schools to “educate” young minds, teaching them that capturing carbon emissions at their refineries and storing them under our land is an example of their commitment to stop climate change.

But that had me wondering ...

Imagine we’re back in 1964 and the surgeon general just concluded that smoking cigarettes Bob causes cancer. But the cigarette Marshall industry offers this solution: There’s no need for the government to endorse reducing or banning smoking, we’ll just capture the secondhand smoke and bury it. Oh, and we’ll get the taxpayers to foot the bill — even those who don’t smoke.

That’s what the fossil fuel industry is trying to pull off with its version of CCS. It’s one of the greatest shell games and grifts in polluting history.

Because what they don’t tell students, or us, is this: While capturing emissions at their smokestacks, they will continue to make and promote the use of their products, resulting in many times the volume of emissions that they can ever capture, continuing to fuel the rapid increase in climate change impacts — including the drowning of the coastal homes of these students.

They are not really addressing their responsibilities for our climate crisis, simply extending the life of their industry at our expense.

Here’s what else they don’t mention.

They are not doing this for free. They are being paid billions of dollars in taxpayer grants and more billions in tax credits to capture some of their own emissions. And they are making healthy profits. Imagine getting paid by those you harm to stop harming them — something the Mafia used to do.

They still spend hundreds of millions to electt friendly members of Congress — $219 million in 2024 cycle alone — who’ll stop regulations that could slow climate change and make the air healthier for us. They do this to protect their profit margins.

They continue to support President Donald Trump and his congressional acolytes in a war on clean energy, scaling back or killing grants and tax breaks that were helping speed a transition from fossil fuels to clean energy.

They support Trump’s attempt to repeal the 2007 Supreme Court ruling that greenhouse gases are air pollutants, the legal unpinning for all climate regulations. If successful, it will end any hope of slowing climate change this century, and make our air more dangerous for all of us and deadly for people with breathing issues and heart disease.

If fossil fuel makers were seriously concerned about the future of the planet instead of making those they injure protect their bottom lines, they would be using their billions to support the transition to clean energy. All they are doing now is looking for ways to extend the future of fossil fuel consumption, which means the future of their high salaries, regardless of the crisis it will cause future generations.

It’s easy to equate today’s fossil fuel companies with the cigarette manufacturers of an earlier age. Our use of their products has caused this crisis, but their own research warned them of this decades ago, just as the tobacco industry knew about the deaths it was causing 40 years before admitting it.

But Big Oil is even worse.

In 1998, the tobacco industry settled with states for legal immunity by pledging billions to address the damage it had done.

Big Oil is getting its immunity for free.

Gov. Jeff Landry recently signed a bill that prevents Louisiana residents from seeking compensation from the industry for the damage it has done to their lives and futures.

Meanwhile, the state laid out the welcome mat for Big Oil to enter our schools and spread its misleading story to our children.

But is that really a surprise in the sad state of Louisiana?

Bob Marshall, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Louisiana environmental journalist, can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com, and followed on X, @BMarshallEnviro.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE ARE OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the

writer’s city of residence. The Advocate | The Times-Picayune require a street address and phone 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.

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4B ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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IBERVILLE

Daigle said. “When those types of unannounced tropical storms come in and sit over an area, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

Recent heavy rains have complicated the work.

Downstream, Clark ducked beneath low bridges where sparrows had built hanging mud nests. He then cut the engine at another impasse, where a floating barge and excavator sat idle. Beneath the surface lay trees slated for removal, he said. The

project began in May and was expected to be completed by August, but high water has halted the progress twice, and Clark is now seeking a federal extension.

“They’re having to fish for the logs that would normally be across the channel,” he said. “It essentially shut down the work, so we’re in a holding position.”

The water was an opaque olive, clouded by nearby tillage. Agricultural runoff, including fertilizers and pesticides from sugar cane fields and bacteria from pastureland, reduces oxygen levels and is one of the bayou’s most persistent problems, Clark said. He added that farmers have been cooperative, adopting practices like conservation tillage and vegetative ditches to catch runoff. But at the end of the day, the region’s intensive agriculture will always affect water quality.

“There is only so much you can do with that,” Clark said.

“It’s part of the heritage.”

Still, he believes a revival of the bayou is possible, if not due. The parish has added trails along the water and is investing in selfservice kayak launches. He envisions vendors setting up shop along routes stretching toward the Gulf for paddlers to stop and catch breaks. A broader ecotourism and drainage master plan is in development for Iberville, Clark and Daigle said.

David believes it is as simple as providing a source of fresh water. Proposals once existed to divert water from the Mississippi and False rivers, but concerns about flooding have stalled them.

“All we need is a little fresh water flowing down it all the time,” she said. “And I think more people would use it for canoeing and stuff.”

Near the launch, a group of teenagers stood neckdeep in the water, waving and hollering as the boat passed.

Clark smiled at what seemed to be a rare sight.

“You seen any alligators?” he asked.

“I ain’t worried about that!” one shouted back.

president responded that he would be supportive of FDA approval.

Trump said he got on board with the idea after asking U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who runs the Medicare and Medicaid programs, about the psychedelic.

The next week, the FDA for the first time authorized a clinical study of an ibogaine derivative to treat alcohol use disorder.

The FDA also said it was fast-tracking studies by three companies studying psilocybin and another MDMA-like drug to treat depression and PTSD.

Continued from page 1B reactive.”

History and hydrology As Clark idled upstream, some of the largest oak trees in the state arched over the water. Cloaked in verdant resurrection ferns, their branches cast a dense, much-needed shade.

Though the 58-year-old Clark describes himself as more woodsman, the burly former Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality biologist is also a practiced naturalist. Along the banks, he pointed out bright pink hibiscus blooms standing beside buttonbush, whose white, pincushionlike flowers once drew abundant tiger swallowtails.

Before the Great Flood of 1927, Clark explained, Bayou Grosse Tete functioned as a distributary of the Mississippi River, fed by overflows that delivered fertile “commerce silt” to the region’s sugar cane fields. But as levees were built along the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers, the bayou came to rely largely on rainfall and overflow from the False River. As a result, its freshwater input dropped sharply.

“You hear stories about how they used to catch so many fish,” Clark said, though catfish, gar and crappie still remain. “They still have some that run nets, but this was a big game fish deal a long time ago.”

Many residents, including David, also point to Babin Cut as a culprit. The channel diverts water into the Port Allen Lock, an alternate route to the Intracoastal Waterway constructed in the 1950s and ’60s. By diverting water away from the bayou, it is accelerating sediment buildup south of the channel, David said.

“Once they dug the Intracoastal Canal and cut Babin Cut, they literally ruined Bayou Grosse Tete,” she said.

Even so, the bayou’s high

STATE

Continued from page 1B

taking psychedelics with the right preparation and in a monitored clinical setting, he said.

At the same time, the field of psychedelic medicine is still in its early stages, he said, and most experts view the findings thus far as “promising but not definitive” due to the limited scientific research and clinical trial data that’s available.

“More research needs to happen,” he said, “but the potential is immense.”

Murnane cautioned that each psychedelic carries its own risks and potential harms. For example, MDMA could affect the supply of blood to the heart, while ibogaine can make patients extremely physically ill and impact the heart’s rhythms, and some drugs carry psychiatric risks like manic states or suicidality if used improperly, he said.

Psychedelics can also put people in a vulnerable, compromised mental state, he said, and he does not recommend taking them independently outside of a clinical setting.

Murnane is the principal investigator for two ongoing clinical trials with psychedelics, one studying psilocybin to reduce relapse in methamphetamine addiction and another studying a psilocybin-like compound to treat adjustment disorder triggered by a traumatic or major life change like a terminal diagnosis.

He said he hopes to expand the research to include ibogaine and MDMA at the clinical trials office at LSU Health-Shreveport, which built out a psychedelic dosing room with input from experts.

Murnane, who gave advice on some aspects of Act 956, said the law will position Louisiana to be a national leader in psychedelic research.

Legislation A new Psychedelic-Assist-

STAFF PHOTOS By JOHN BALLANCE

Barges haul trees downed in Bayou Grosse Tete, some of the estimated 350 clogging the waterway. banks remain critical. Today, it serves as a primary drainage route for Pointe Coupee, Iberville and West Baton Rouge parishes, eventually carrying water to the Terrebonne coast. It is still possible to paddle from the False River to the Gulf if you can navigate some lock systems and all the debris, Clark said.

Much of that debris comes from Hurricane Francine and a series of tornadoes that tore through bayou communities in 2024, toppling trees into the water.

In the aftermath, Daigle secured about $700,000 in federal Emergency Watershed Protection funding, with the parish agreeing to match 25%, to address the buildup.

The project spans 23 miles, from the Pointe CoupeeIberville parish line south to where the bayou meets the Intracoastal.

Though the parishes aren’t formally coordinating, Clark said, the timing worked out. Pointe Coupee recently wrapped up a multimillion-dollar clearing project on its portion of the bayou.

“Now that they’ve done all

of that, all that water that they got has to come to us.

It’s coming on us quicker,” he said.

Contractors have cleared roughly half the 354 targeted trees, Clark said, but new ones fall constantly, forcing parish crews to keep up.

“As soon as they get a mile down Grosse Tete Bayou moving south, there is a new tree that has already fallen,” Daigle said. “We’re going to do our best to remove it ourselves.”

The boat passed an abandoned flatboat, overgrown with shrubs; its deck looked more like a garden bed. Farther along, the channel narrowed into an impassable floating mat of limbs and trash: coolers, aluminum cans, old Jim Beam bottles.

Clark said most of it was decades-old trash that had accumulated in brush upriver, then washed down to Iberville when Pointe Coupee Parish cleared its banks.

He also has found cow and hog carcasses, as well as an old bottle containing what looked like voodoo writings.

“Because this drains mostly rural areas, you see crazy things,” he said.

ed Therapy Initiative will be housed in the Office of Behavioral Health at the state Health Department and led

by Dr. Vanessa de la Cruz, the office’s chief medical officer.

The program is tasked with identifying academic health centers conducting clinical trials of psychedelic-assisted therapy, helping identify potential study participants, and securing funding for the studies, including from Louisiana’s $600 million pot of money from a 2021 settlement with pharmaceutical companies over the opioid epidemic.

Academic health centers in Louisiana can now partner with drug manufacturers to develop clinical trials for psychedelic medications like ibogaine, psilocybin and MDMA to treat addiction and mental health conditions.

The measure became law this month without a signature or veto from Gov. Jeff Landry.

president’s executive order provide a valuable counterweight to the “cultural baggage” psychedelics have.

“It’s helpful when you’re conducting research trials or trying to advance them as medicine to be able to say that very responsible, ethical and credible people believe this is worth researching and studying,” he said.

At a news conference last week celebrating the new law, McMath said he first heard about ibogaine a few years ago talking to military veterans about PTSD, and then he learned more about it from an interview on the Rogan podcast with W. Bryan Hubbard, an ibogaine treatment advocate who has been gaining a national profile in recent months.

“We should probably start a Joe Rogan caucus,” McMath said jokingly. “There’s been a decent amount of legislation that has come from that show.”

Hubbard, a lawyer and former executive director of the Kentucky Opioid Abatement Advisory Commission, joined McMath at the news conference at a veterans wellness center in New Orleans.

“We are in an existential struggle for the survival of this country,” Hubbard said.

He pointed to things like the opioid epidemic, ongoing military conflicts since Sept.

11 and the high suicide rate among veterans.

Hubbard works with former Texas Gov. Rick Perry

A national movement Louisiana’s effort is part of a broader movement across the country to expand access to psychedelic drugs and to medicalize ibogaine for mental health treatment.

Blue states like Oregon, Colorado and California have passed laws expanding access to psychedelics for healthcare, but several red states including Texas, Tennessee and others are also following suit, according to data on state-level legislation compiled by the UC Berkeley Center for the Science of Psychedelics.

And in April, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at speeding up research and development for psychedelics.

“Psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine compounds, show potential in clinical studies to address serious mental illnesses for patients whose conditions persist after completing standard therapy,” the order says.

Murnane said both the Louisiana legislation and the

John Clark, Iberville Parish’s director of environment and economic development, talks about the downed trees that block Bayou Grosse Tete.

Slow work The concern isn’t that Bayou Grosse Tete will overflow (it has never flooded to Clark’s knowledge) but that blockages could prevent floodwaters in the north from draining into it. Daigle said the project is meant to prevent the kind of flooding seen in Avoyelles Parish after Tropical Storm Arthur, when intense rainfall overwhelmed local waterways.

“That could have very well been Iberville Parish,”

running Americans for Ibogaine, a national nonprofit group promoting medical and therapeutic use of the drug.

“Having recognized that the heart of trauma and addiction is profound spiritual affliction, mighty Texas has committed $100 million to achieve the moonshot of our time, the medicalization of ibogaine within the United States in order to serve and exalt the primacy of the human soul,” he said.

He said he is working to change state and national policy on ibogaine because “we have a profoundly broken mental, behavioral and addiction health treatment system.”

Hubbard and Rogan were at the White House and stood together behind Trump the day he signed the recent executive order on psychedelic research.

Rogan said he sent Trump a text message about ibogaine’s potential to treat opioid addiction, and the

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STAFF ILLUSTRATION By TANyA RAMIREZ/STAFF FILE PHOTOS

World Cup knockout stage set

THE GOLDEN R A B BY

And the winner is ...

The Rabbys chronicle the good, bad and expensive of LSU’s athletic year

T

he 2025-26 LSU athletic year is over.

I think everyone who is at LSU or follows LSU can be very glad about that.

Now that this year has slipped thankfully into the history books, The Rabbys are here to

make sense of it all.

Usually, this is a time and place to reward and remember the great achievements of the past 12

As matches heat up, some teams might feel like they’ve drawn short straw

BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — If the World Cup was the NCAA basketball tournament, then teams like Morocco and the Netherlands would have some serious anger toward the selection and seeding committee right now.

England, Mexico, Portugal and Spain might not be all that happy, either.

Lionel Messi and Argentina, on the other hand, probably wouldn’t complain much about their potential path to the World Cup final four.

The bracket is set for the knockout stage of the World Cup. There was no selection committee; slots were predetermined — Group A winner on this FIRST IN: line, Group D runner-up on this line, etc. — so it wasn’t Co-host exactly like how the NCAA Canada stuns tournaments go. And FIFA reseed like some South Africa doesn’t sports, so a couple of lower to advance to seeds are certain to get into Round of 16 at least the Round of 16.

So, when taking the 32 for first time, qualifiers for the knockout stage and ranking them Page 3C like it’s an NCAA tournament — essentially seeding the field 1 to 32 based on the FIFA live rankings entering Sunday — it’s easy to see why some “regions” might be tougher to navigate than others.

A breakdown of the World Cup bracket:

Foxborough Region Quarterfinal: July 9 • Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Round of 32 matchups: No. 12 Germany vs. No. 27 Paraguay, No. 2 France vs. No. 26 Sweden, No. 29 South Africa vs. No. 25 Canada, No. 7 Netherlands vs. No. 6 Morocco.

Outlook: Netherlands vs. Morocco in the Round of 32 means that at least one of the seven highest-ranked teams left in the tournament won’t even get to the Round of 16.

France and Germany — perennial European powers — could meet in the Round of 16. And Canada, who beat South Africa 1-0 on Sunday,

ä See WORLD CUP, page 3C

months.

This time, mostly what is needed and deserved are condolences and calls of “good riddance.”

How bad was it? By at least a couple of measuring sticks: historically bad.

This was the first time LSU ever fired its football coach, its athletic director and its men’s basketball coach all in the same athletic year. That figures, because it was also the first time in 50 years, since 1975-76, that LSU’s football, men’s basketball and baseball teams all had losing Southeastern Conference records in the same year.

About the only thing that saved the Tigers, other than some deep pockets that supplied the buyouts for Brian Kelly, Matt McMahon

Scott Rabalais and Scott Woodward (totaling close to $70 million), were LSU’s women’s sports teams. OK, some of the men’s teams like golf, tennis, track and swimming and diving also had good to great seasons, but this was the women’s year to shine.

Not that it was much of a horse race.

There were no championships won, but teams like gymnastics, women’s basketball, softball and tennis more than held up their end as the most successful programs on campus in an otherwise dismal year. Collectively, those four programs deserve The Golden Rabby — if there were such a thing.

We do have some traditional awards to hand out, starting with:

ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

AP PHOTO By MARK J. TERRILL

South Africa midfielder Sphephelo Sithole, left, and Canada forward Jonathan David go for a header during a World Cup round of 32 match on Sunday in Inglewood, Calif.

Canada beat South Africa 1-0.

STM safety Ortte ready to bring versatility to UL

BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer

Landen Ortte is capable of lining up anywhere on the football field for the St. Thomas More defense.

That versatility and a high level of productivity helped Ortte, a three-year starter at free safety for the Cougars, earn an offer from the UL Ragin’ Cajuns that the seniorto-be accepted with a recent verbal commitment.

“To be able to start as a sophomore is a rare feat, and to be able to do it at free safety shows the type of athleticism and hardnosed football player he is,” STM offensive STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRAD KEMP coordinator Shane Savoie said of Ortte.

“He’s a great tackler with great instincts.”

St. Thomas More safety Landen Ortte, left, As a junior, Ortte (6-foot-2, 195 pounds) tackles Cecilia running back Braylon Calais registered 100 tackles (50 solo) with two on Aug. 29 at the 73rd Annual Kiwanis interceptions and 10 pass break-ups for the Jamboree. Ortte is one of eight verbal Cougars, who are moving up to the local Class 5A district with teams such as Acadicommitments so far for the Ragin’ Cajuns.

ana, Lafayette and Southside.

“He has played back safety, inside linebacker and outside linebacker,” Savoie said of Ortte, who is also on the basketball team.

“He can do a whole bunch of things.

“That gives us the freedom to make sure we have the players we need. Against Acadiana, we might need him closer to the ball.

When we play Barbe, a team really good in space, we’ll need him in space.”

Nicholls State, Incarnate Word, Northwestern State and Brown of the Ivy League all offered Ortte, who made his commitment on the first round of UL official visits, a weekend that produced multiple pledges from 2027 prospects in early June.

“It feels really good,” he said of joining the Cajuns’ recruiting class. “It’s in the backyard, so I feel like I’m already at home. I love the coaching staff. I bonded with them.

I felt a good connection with them.

“I’m excited to go through this senior season and get on campus eventually.”

Defensive coordinator Jim Salgado handled much of Ortte’s recruitment for the Cajuns, with head coach Michael Desormeaux and recruiting coordinator Tim Leger also working to reel in his commitment for the Cajuns, who are up to 14 verbal pledges in the 2027 class.

“I truly feel I can play anywhere on the field,” Ortte said. “If we didn’t have two truly good linebackers in Walker Pugh and Tristan Klock, I feel like they would put me at linebacker.”

Ortte visited other schools but didn’t feel the vibe that he experienced at UL. “I’ve been to other places, but I never felt that kind of love,” he said. “Everybody knew who I was. And it’s South Louisiana — the hospitality is unmatched.”

As a senior, Ortte said it’s a “championship or bust” mentality for the Cougars, who have won five state titles with consecutive

ä See UL, page 3C

2C ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS On TV MLB 6 p.m.

Texas at Cleveland 8:40 p.m. San Francisco at Arizona

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WORLD CUP SOCCER Noon Brazil vs. Japan 3:30 p.m. Germany vs. Paraguay 8 p.m.

Netherlands vs. Morocco

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Jannik Sinner of Italy returns the ball during an exhibition match against Cameron Norrie of Great Britain on Wednesday at the Hurlingham Tennis Club in London.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH

Associated Press

LONDON — Jannik Sinner said he changed his physical workload after his French Open meltdown, when he felt ill and dizzy in a second-round loss.

So, he’s taking it a bit easier?

Wrong.

“Much longer sessions — both in the gym and on the court,” he said. “We did everything together but without any breaks. … Now we’ll see how I react on the court.”

Sinner spoke Saturday — in English and Italian — at Wimbledon as he prepares to defend his singles title. He opens against Miomir Kecmanovic on Centre Court on Monday, when the temperature is expected to be 77 degrees.

With Carlos Alcaraz sidelined by

a wrist injury, Sinner is the leading favorite — just like he was in Paris — to win at the grass-court major.

Following his early exit at Roland Garros, Sinner did take a week off — and did some testing.

“General tests to see healthwise how I was, to be sure that all is OK with the body, which is. All tests were really good,” he said.

And then it was back to work.

Sinner, who has struggled with heat and cramps in the past, said, “We need to practice in hotter conditions. I feel like everywhere where we play is going to be very hot. Every year is getting warmer and warmer. It is a very important topic.”

At the French Open, Sinner came within one game of concluding his second-round match in straight sets when he led 5-1 in

the third. But amid a Paris heat wave, he struggled with dizziness and was beaten by Juan Manuel Cerundolo 3-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1.

There’s no quick fix, he added.

“We are happy at the moment with what we are doing. The result we’re not going to see here. It’s a long process. There’s no magic behind it.

“I’m very happy with the work we did in the last two and a half weeks,” Sinner added. “Very long days. I feel well prepared.”

He spoke in Italian about the longer training sessions but added: “I don’t like to talk too much about exactly what we changed, but we changed the physical workload a bit.”

No warmups needed This week, Sinner said it was always his plan to not do warmup

tournaments ahead of Wimbledon.

“If you play a tournament before here, maybe it’s not going the way you would like to, you come here with some doubts,” he said.

“If you don’t play any tournament, you don’t have these doubts. You just go and play.

“Last year I lost second round in Halle. I came here and I played very well,” said Sinner, who beat two-time champion Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.

Benefits of being a champion A perk of being a Wimbledon champion is getting an All England Club membership.

“It’s a great honor for me. As I’ve always said, it’s the best tournament we have, the most prestigious, and so having this thing for my whole life is very, very nice,” Sinner said.

Ski star Vonn understanding of Serena’s comeback

BY ANDREW DAMPF Associated Press

LONDON — When Serena Williams played her first professional tennis match in nearly four years recently, another elite female athlete in her 40s was on hand for the occasion.

Skier Lindsey Vonn has a special understanding of what Williams is going through as she prepares to play both singles and doubles at Wimbledon at age 44.

After making her own comeback, Vonn was the top World Cup downhiller last season at age 41 until her horrific crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February left her with a severely fractured left leg.

“There is an increasing shift in what women can accomplish at later stages in their careers or life,” Vonn told The Associated Press. “I feel like we are in the same boat, where we don’t need to prove anything to anyone but we still have the ability to compete at an elite level. She (Williams) also told me that I played a role in inspiring her to come back, so that of course was meaningful to me.”

Vonn talked with Williams after the tennis standout’s doubles victory with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club in London, having watched the match from one of the VIP balconies.

“She was in great spirits. She’s having fun which I loved seeing, even more than her tennis,” Vonn said in a written response. “If it’s bringing her joy to play, I say play as long as you want!”

Vonn has undergone eight surgeries following her Olympic crash — which nearly led to a leg amputation — and needs at least one more to repair a torn ACL in that same knee. But she’s back in the gym and has resumed physical training, while still assessing whether she’ll compete again.

After nearly six years away from skiing, Vonn returned in December 2024 with a partial titanium replacement in her right knee. She had two victories and seven podium results last season.

On Centre Court at Wimbledon on Tuesday, Williams will play

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte Hornets are continuing their offseason overhaul.

The Hornets have agreed to trade forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round draft pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Phoenix Suns for guard Grayson Allen, forward Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press.

The trade comes on the heels of the Hornets sending star point guard LaMelo Ball to Minnesota as part of a deal that brought them Naz Reid, draft picks and pick swaps.

The 6-foot-7 Bridges, 28, was the longest-tenured player on the Hornets roster, joining the team as a first-round draft pick in 2018 out of Michigan State.

Reeve ties coaching wins record as Lynx beat Wings

Reigning champ Sinner ramps up training

BY KEN MAGUIRE

Hornets continue shakeup, send Bridges to Suns

ARLINGTON, Texas — Cheryl Reeve tied the WNBA record for career coaching wins as the Minnesota Lynx beat the Dallas Wings 85-77 on Sunday.

Reeve, who already owns the WNBA’s record for playoff wins, tied Mike Thibault for the most regular-season wins in league history at 378. Reeve was inducted Saturday night into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Natasha Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds, and Olivia Miles added 21 points and eight assists for the Lynx.

Howard went 9 for 17 from the field and added three steals for Minnesota (15-4), which improved to 9-1 on the road and 3-0 against Dallas this season.

Rangers put Langford on IL with strained hamstring

TORONTO — The Texas Rangers put outfielder Wyatt Langford on the 10-day injured list Sunday because of a strained left hamstring and activated outfielder Evan Carter off the IL. Langford had homered seven times in 20 games since returning from the IL on June 5 after missing 39 games because of a strained right forearm.

Langford is batting .278 with eight homers and 20 RBIs. Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said Langford will likely be out until after the All-Star break.

Langford felt sore after beating out a double in Friday’s 5-4 win and was scratched from the lineup Saturday.

S. Korea coach quits after criticism from president

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIN CHEUNG

Serena Williams arrives to practice on Sunday, one day ahead of the start of the Wimbledon Championships in London.

her first singles match since 2022 against 20-year-old Maya Joint of Australia. Then she’ll play doubles with older sister Venus Williams later in the week.

So what does Vonn expect from Williams at Wimbledon?

“It’s her first major singles tournament since retiring so I would expect for her to play well but not show all her cards yet,” Vonn said. “I’m sure she can still win, but I wouldn’t put any expectations on her. She’s the GOAT (greatest of all time) no matter what happens.”

Indeed, Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion in singles and has won 14 more Grand Slams in doubles — all with Venus as her partner. Vonn’s 45 World ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By MARCO TROVATI Cup downhill wins are the most Lindsey Vonn concentrates ahead of an alpine ski downhill training on by a male or female skier.

“It was kind of like riding a Feb. 6 at the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. bike,” Williams said Sunday of her first practice sessions back at No matter the outcome, Wil“You have to believe in yourself the All England Club. “Obviously liams shares Vonn’s credo of set- and go for any dream,” Williams when I play, I might have a lot of ting the bar high to create new said, “no matter how wild it may things come up.” standards. be.”

South Korea coach Hong Myungbo resigned Sunday after the team’s quick elimination from the World Cup drew a harsh condemnation from the country’s president, who called the coach “incapable” and ordered a complete review of the national team program.

South Korea won its opening match against Czech Republic, then lost its next two Group A matches to South Africa and Mexico.

The quick exit for a team that expected to advance left the national team program in turmoil and drew a sharp rebuke from President Lee Jae Myung. He leveled pointed criticism at the coach.

“As a former honorary professional football club chairman and, at heart, a member of the Red Devils, I feel not just surprise but deep bewilderment at this unexpected result,” the president said.

Raducanu withdraws from Wimbledon due to injury

LONDON — Emma Raducanu withdrew from Wimbledon on Sunday because of a stress fracture in her right leg, leaving the tournament without its highest-profile British player.

Raducanu, the 2021 U.S. Open champion, announced the decision on Instagram on Sunday evening.

She had been set to open play on No. 1 Court on Monday against Antonia Ruzic.

She had been dealing with the injury since a run to the final at Queen’s Club this month, but said earlier Sunday at a news conference that she still hoped to play at the All England Club.

Raducanu has not won a tourlevel tournament before or after her surprising run to the U.S. Open title as a qualifier at the age of 18.

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● 3C

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WORLD CUP

Continued from page 1C

will have to change time zones twice on its way to the quarterfinals, while Germany, Paraguay, France and Sweden will all be in either Massachusetts, New Jersey or Pennsylvania in the Rounds of 32 and 16.

If the seeds hold: France would play Morocco in the quarterfinal.

Inglewood Region Quarterfinal: July 10 • Inglewood, California.

Round of 32 matchups: No. 8 Portugal vs. No. 13 Croatia, No. 3 Spain vs. No. 18 Austria, No. 14 United States vs. No. 30 Bosnia and Herzegovina, No. 10 Belgium vs. No. 17 Senegal.

Outlook: The U.S. gets one of the lowest-ranked teams left in the tournament to open the Round of 32 and would remain in the Pacific time zone until the semifinals. Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal did not get an easy draw at all, with Croatia right off the bat and then potentially Spain in the Round of 16. (Can’t imagine Spain is too thrilled with this, either.) Belgium vs. Senegal is in Seattle, and the winner will stay there to play the U.S. match winner; that’s a big break for weary legs.

If the seeds hold: Spain would play Belgium in the quarterfinal.

Miami Gardens Region Quarterfinal: July 11 • Miami Gardens, Florida.

Round of 32 matchups: No. 5 Brazil vs. No. 16 Japan, No. 24 Ivory Coast vs. No. 19 Norway, No. 9 Mexico vs. No. 20 Ecuador, No. 4 England vs. No. 28 Congo.

Outlook: Mexico and England will be heavily favored in their Round of 32 matches, then would be in line to go head-to-head in the Round of 16 — in what would be a road game at Mexico City for England. And Mexico is one of only two teams not to surrender a goal in the group stage, with Spain being the other. Brazil gets a bit of an easier path to the quarterfinals, opening with Japan and then — if it wins — drawing the Ivory Coast-Norway winner.

If the seeds hold: Brazil would play

UL

Continued from page 1C crowns in 2023-24.

“That’s how we think around here,” he said. “We want to make it to the Dome at all costs and just want to go out with as much effort as we possibly can.”

Savoie said the Cajuns like the fact that Ortte could either be a safety or linebacker in college.

“That’s the beauty of the modern secondary,” he said. “Schools will take a lot of long athletes who can bulk up frame-wise if they need and move closer to the ball.”

Ortte is one of 15 current UL commitments.

Joining Ortte on defense are

England in the quarterfinal.

Kansas City Region Quarterfinal: July 11 • Kansas City, Missouri.

Round of 32 matchups: No. 1 Argentina vs. No. 31 Cape Verde, No. 22 Australia vs. No. 21 Egypt, No. 15 Switzerland vs. No. 23 Algeria, No. 11 Colombia vs. No. 32 Ghana.

Outlook: Again, there is no “selection committee,” but if there was, it would have gotten this one right by putting the best goalscorer in Argentina’s Lionel Messi against the tournament’s best story in Cape Verde in the Round of 32. And Messi gets to be at home in Miami Gardens, a few miles from Inter Miami’s stadium for that matchup. Australia or Egypt awaits the Argentina match winner, Switzerland-Algeria has potential for a lot of goals, and Colombia faces a Ghana team with nothing to lose.

If the seeds hold: Argentina would play Colombia in the quarterfinal.

Inside the bracket Tidbits about the Round of 32 matchups: France, Mexico and Argentina were the only teams to escape group play with 3-0-0 records.

There are four Round of 32 matchups between unbeaten teams: Netherlands (2-0-1) vs. Morocco (2-0-1), Belgium (1-0-2) vs.

Senegal (1-0-2), Brazil (2-0-1) vs.

Japan (1-0-2) and Argentina (3-00) vs. Cape Verde (0-0-3).

Expect some goals in France vs.

Sweden (combined 17 goals in the group stage), Netherlands-Morocco (16), Belgium-Senegal (14), Brazil-Japan (14) and U.S.-Bosnia and Herzegovina (13).

On the flip side, the first goal of Mexico-Ecuador might be that match’s decider. Mexico wasn’t scored on in group play and Ecuador surrendered only two goals in those three matches.

The semifinal matchups are the winner of the Foxborough quarterfinal against the winner of the Inglewood quarterfinal (at Arlington, Texas on July 14) and the winner of the Miami Gardens quarterfinal against the winner of the Kansas City quarterfinal (at Atlanta on July 15). The final is at East Rutherford, New Jersey on July 19.

defensive lineman Kobe Smith of Avoyelles, University High’s defensive lineman Maison Smith, linebacker Camron Alakija of Crawford, Texas, linebacker Omo Ayemere of Elkins High in Texas, safety Gavin Cooper from Rummel, safety Jabriran Blake of Wylie High in Texas and cornerback Caleb White of Summer Creek High in Texas.

The offensive commitments include tight end Bryce Coleman, tackle Adarius Hines of East View High in Texas, tackle Noah Ernst of Angleton High in Texas, tackle Philip Cenac of Vandebilt Catholic, wide receiver Robert Taylor of Ferriday, quarterback Tam Anderson of West Brook High in Texas and wide receiver John Walker of Plaquemine High.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANDRE PENNER

Canada defender Stephen Eustaquio celebrates scoring a goal against South Africa on Sunday during the World Cup round of 32 match in Inglewood, Calif.

Canada beats South Africa 1-0 in first knockout match With win, co-host advances to its first WC Round of 16

BY GREG BEACHAM AP sportswriter

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Stephen Eustáquio scored in the second minute of second-half stoppage time, and Canada beat South Africa 1-0 on Sunday for its first knockout match victory in a World Cup. A tense match at SoFi Stadium appeared to be headed for extra time until Eustáquio — who plays professionally for Los Angeles FC several miles away — put a stunning volley from outside the penalty area into the bottom corner of Ronwen Williams’ net.

Co-host Canada hung on with strong defensive play in the final minutes of the tournament’s first round of 32 match. Coach Jesse Marsch’s team advanced to face the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston on Saturday, July 4.

Marsch gathered his players in a huddle after the whistle and gave a spirited speech, declaring, “You guys are Canadian heroes! Canadian heroes for the future children of this country who play this sport.

This sport has a big future because of you guys. You should be so proud of who you are. You should be so proud of this game.”

Canada played its first three matches at home in Toronto and Vancouver while appearing in only its third World Cup, but was forced to become the first World Cup host to play on the road when

AP PHOTO By MANU FERNANDEZ

Canada coach Jesse Marsch reacts after winning a World Cup round of 32 soccer match against South Africa on Sunday.

it lost 2-1 to Switzerland last Wednesday.

The Canadians were still the clear crowd favorite in the Los Angeles area between their traveling fans and thousands of supportive locals, including several in Eustáquio’s LAFC shirt who couldn’t have imagined the day they were about to enjoy.

“We never stopped believing,” Eustáquio said. “And I think the goal is really something that we deserved.”

Williams made five saves for South Africa, which played with remarkable heart while hanging in until the final moments in search of another historic win for the team known as Bafana Bafana. Canada had the best chances all day, but underdog South Africa stayed firm defensively and created a handful of excellent chances itself.

“We lost the game because there

RABALAIS

was a lack of power and speed in our team when I compare that with our opponent,” South Africa coach Hugo Broos said. “We had a difficult game, certainly. But when we look back, we can be fairly satisfied with what we did. We are disappointed, and we wanted to win, but we don’t have to be too much disappointed. What we did was good, and I’m very happy and proud of my team.”

Canada finally broke through when Alistair Johnston’s long pass into the box was cleared directly into the path of Eustáquio, who chested it down, struck it purely and started to celebrate almost immediately.

After finishing second in their respective groups, both South Africa and Canada were playing for their nations’ first knockout victories at a World Cup when they opened knockout play with the only match of the day.

Canada got a boost in the 75th minute when star defender Alphonso Davies came on for his first World Cup action. The playmaking Bayern Munich defender missed group play after injuring his hamstring last month for the third time this year, but finally returned in the same stadium where he tore a knee ligament in March 2025 in CONCACAF Nations League play.

Davies immediately made the best pass of the day to set up Promise David for a golden chance, but the forward hit it wide.

South Africa reached the knockout rounds for the first time with a 1-0 victory over South Korea last Wednesday, arguably the highest moment in Bafana Bafana’s checkered international history.

26, when Kelly was ousted a day after LSU’s 49-25 blowout loss to Texas A&M in Week 8.

LSU ridiculously tried to wiggle out of paying Kelly for a time, claiming it had fired him for cause, but the Tigers are back on the hook for the full amount. That was followed by Kiffin’s $91 million, seven-year deal and the reported $40 million (reported by Kelly, of all people) LSU spent to build this year’s roster.

The real biggest surprise of all: When LSU wants to find the money, it finds the money.

Continued from page 1C

Team of the year LSU likes to call itself DBU, NILSU or the capital of strange things at tailgate parties that taste like chicken. In recent years, it really has become Gymnastics U. In April, the gymnastics Tigers came within one of Mike VII’s whiskers of winning their second NCAA championship in the past three seasons, falling just shy of Oklahoma. Still, a No. 2 finish, matching LSU’s preseason ranking, is nothing to be despondent about. Not considering some of the performances we saw from Jay Clark’s team (more on that later) throughout the 2026 season.

One of the best things for LSU is that the Tigers can be expected to be right up there again as a national contender in 2027.

first Tiger to do so in consecutive seasons since 2008.

Coach of the year

Athlete of the year

Clark would be an easy choice, but his trophy case is already full of Rabbys. This year, we’re going with a deserving new recipient: LSU women’s tennis coach Taylor Fogleman.

In four years coaching the Tigers, Fogleman has led them to four NCAA tournament appearances, Fogleman including consecutive appearances in the NCAA team championships.

That’s the equivalent of making it to the College World Series or gymnastics nationals or the Elite Eight. Cadence Brace earned AllAmerican honors, becoming the

Is there any choice but Kailin Chio? The Tigers’ super sophomore gymnast got shafted by not winning the Honda Award as the nation’s best gymnast, but she most definitely deserves The Rabby here.

We start with her 13 perfect 10s, including three in one meet against Arkansas in the only three events she did that night, a perfect 30.0 score.

“If you’d put her in on bars,” assistant coach Garrett Griffeth told Clark, “she’d have gotten a 40.”

Her 13 10.0 marks were one off the all-time single-season NCAA record, and by far led the nation.

She won 44 individual titles in all, including the SEC all-around crown. And Chio was named SEC

Surprise of the year: silver medal STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

New LSU football coach Lane Kiffin pumps his fist to a crowd while leaving the MMR hangar on Nov. 30 in Baton Rouge. gymnast of the year, beating out OU’s Faith Torrez, who beat her out for the NCAA all-around title and, unjustly, the Honda Award.

LSU’s Kaliya Lincoln also had a perfect 10 on floor in the NCAA Baton Rouge regional. There were 45 perfect scores across NCAA gymnastics this year, meaning 31% of them were by Tigers. That’s a wow, for sure.

this — remember, Nick Saban wasn’t Alabama’s first choice 20 years ago. But LSU got its man, shrugging off the slings and arrows of its critics and clearly doing all it can to return to national contention.

Kiffin recently declared LSU would win a national championship on his watch. For certain, everyone is watching.

Headliner moment of the year

Surprise of the year

It could be Chio’s three 10s against Arkansas, but we’ll go off the field for LSU’s hiring of Lane Kiffin in late November.

It caused a huge kerfuffle nationally, and folks at Ole Miss have spent the entire offseason sticking pins in little Lane voodoo dolls. But what a coup by new LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry. Rarely do schools land their first choice for a big job like

I’ll admit, I — like a lot of folks — figured even when things got rocky for Kelly midseason, there was no way LSU Kelly was going to have the means or the will to pony up $54 million to buy him out. He would be back as coach in 2026.

We were all proven wrong on Oct.

That would be bringing back Will Wade as men’s basketball coach. The same Will Wade LSU fired (for cause) four years earlier.

Wade That is the most LSU thing ever invented.

Newcomer of the year Bronze medalist for surprise of the year was MiLaysia Fulwiley transferring from hometown South Carolina to LSU in women’s basketball. She immediately paid dividends, starting only one game but coming off the bench to lead the Tigers with 14.6 points per contest.

Her game reminds one of the Tasmanian Devil in the Bugs Bunny cartoons, a whirling dervish of points, steals and turnovers. But you can’t look away.

Fulwiley put the capper on her first year as a Tiger by teaming with LSU’s Mikaylah Williams and two other players to win the 2026 FIBA 3x3 World Cup gold medal.

4C ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Van Gisbergen is NASCAR’s leading active winner The Associated Press SONOMA, Calif. — Shane van Gisbergen became the winningest active NASCAR Cup Series driver on road and street courses, dominating at Sonoma Raceway for the second consecutive year.

The Trackhouse Racing driver earned his second win this season on Sunday and the eighth of his career on the tracks that require left and right turns, breaking a tie with Chase Elliott. Fourtime Cup champion Jeff Gordon is the all-time leader with nine road course victories in NASCAR’s premier series, and van Gisbergen is tied with threetime champion Tony Stewart for second.

Working his way through the

field after starting sixth in his No. 97 Chevrolet, van Gisbergen led 74 of the final 83 laps on the 1.99-mile road course north of San Francisco.

Chase Briscoe made a charge in the closing laps but came up 0.357 seconds behind in second, his second consecutive runner-up showing at Sonoma.

Pole-sitter Ty Gibbs, Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell rounded out the top five.

down in 36th because of a power steering problem. That turned his first-round matchup into a walkover for 10th-place finisher Alex Bowman, who nabbed the 32nd and final seed in the In-Season Challenge despite missing four races with vertigo.

Hamlin vs. Dillon

Second-seeded Denny Hamlin advanced despite a 26th-place finish, avenging a first-round upset by Ty Dillon last year.

In-Season Challenge upset In a rematch, Dillon was ahead For the second year in a row, of Hamlin for most of Sunday’s the top seed was knocked off in race until he lost power steering the opening race of the In-Season with 15 laps remaining and fell to Challenge, the bracket-style tour- 35th.

Hamlin was spun from seventh nament that pits 32 drivers head to head with the top finisher advanc- on a restart with 46 laps remaining after being punted by Carson ing.

Tyler Reddick finished four laps Hocevar.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JEFF CHIU

Shane van Gisbergen drives during a NASCAR Cup Series race at Sonoma Raceway on Sunday in Sonoma, Calif.

SCOREBOARD Odds

Washington 4, Baltimore 3, 10 innings San Francisco 5, Atlanta 0 L.A. Dodgers 15, San Diego 3

Sports Betting Line MLB

Sunday’s Games

Monday

American League FAVORITE LINE at BALTIMORE -135 at N.Y YANKEES -144 at CLEVELAND OFF at HOUSTON -137 at SEATTLE -225 National League FAVORITE LINE Pittsburgh -116 at MILWAUKEE -157 at CHI CUBS OFF at COLORADO OFF at ARIZONA -138 Interleague FAVORITE LINE N.Y Mets -123 at BOSTON OFF LA Dodgers -123

UNDERDOG White Sox Detroit Texas Minnesota LA Angels

LINE +110 +118 OFF +113 +181

UNDERDOG LINE at PHILA -106 Cincinnati +127 San Diego OFF Miami OFF San Francisco +114 UNDERDOG at TORONTO Washington at ATHLETICS

LINE +102 OFF +102

Pro basketball WNBA Glance EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlanta New York Indiana Toronto Washington Chicago Connecticut

W L Pct 12 7 .632 12 7 .632 11 8 .579 9 10 .474 8 9 .471 6 12 .333 4 15 .211

WESTERN CONFERENCE Minnesota Las Vegas Golden State Dallas Los Angeles Portland Phoenix Seattle

W L Pct 14 4 .778 13 5 .722 12 7 .632 11 7 .611 8 10 .444 8 11 .421 7 13 .350 5 15 .250

Saturday’s Games

GROUP A Mexico South Africa South Korea Czechia

Thursday, June 11

GB — 1 2½ 3 6 6½ 8 10

Pct .524 .524 .471 .417 .412

GB — — 4½ 9 9½

Texas Seattle Houston Athletics Los Angeles

W 42 42 42 40 35

L 42 43 44 43 49

Pct .500 .494 .488 .482 .417

GB — ½ 1 1½ 7

United States Australia Paraguay Turkey

GP 3 3 3 3

W 2 1 1 1

D 0 1 1 0

L GF GA Pts 1 8 4 6 1 2 2 4 1 2 4 4 2 3 5 3

GP 3 3 3 3

W 2 2 1 0

D 0 0 1 1

L GF GA Pts 1 10 4 6 1 4 2 6 1 2 2 4 2 1 9 1

Saturday, June 20

Germany 2, Ivory Coast 1 Ecuador 0, Curacao 0

Thursday, June 25

Ecuador 2, Germany 1 Curacao 0, Ivory Coast 2

GROUP F

Netherlands Japan Sweden Tunisia

Sunday, June 14

GP 3 3 3 3

W 2 1 1 0

D 1 2 1 0

L GF GA Pts 0 10 4 7 0 7 3 5 1 7 7 4 3 2 12 0

D 2 2 3 1

L GF GA Pts 0 6 2 5 0 5 3 5 0 3 3 3 2 4 10 1

D 1 3 2 2

L GF GA Pts 0 5 0 7 0 2 2 3 1 3 4 2 1 1 5 2

Netherlands 2, Japan 2 Sweden 5, Tunisia 1

Saturday, June 20

Netherlands 5, Sweden 1

Milwaukee Chicago St. Louis Pittsburgh Cincinnati

L 31 38 38 42 43

Pct .617 .548 .531 .500 .476

GB — 5½ 7 9½ 11½

Pct .639 .531 .494 .415 .393

GB — 9 12 18½ 20½

L 30 38 42 48 51

N.Y. Mets 6, Philadelphia 2 Cincinnati 9, Pittsburgh 7 Tampa Bay 4, Arizona 2 Chicago Cubs 8, Milwaukee 2 Miami 5, St. Louis 1 Colorado 8, Minnesota 5

L GF GA Pts 0 8 1 9 1 6 6 4 1 5 7 4 3 3 8 0

W 2 1 1 0

D 1 2 1 0

L GF GA Pts 0 4 1 7 0 6 1 5 1 4 3 4 3 2 11 0

D 1 0 1 0

L GF GA Pts 0 6 2 7 1 5 5 6 1 2 2 4 3 0 4 0

Austria 3, Jordan 1

Monday, June 22

Argentina 2, Austria 0 Jordan 1, Algeria 2

Saturday, June 27

Jordan 1, Argentina 3 Algeria 3, Austria 3 GP 3 3 3 3

Tuesday, June 23

Portugal 5, Uzbekistan 0 Colombia 1, Congo 0

Saturday, June 27

Colombia 0, Portugal 0 Congo 3, Uzbekistan 1

GROUP L

GP 3 3 3 3

Sunday, June 21 Tunisia 0, Japan 4

Thursday, June 25

Tunisia 1, Netherlands 3 Japan 1, Sweden 1

GROUP G

Belgium Egypt Iran New Zealand GROUP G

GP 3 3 3 3

W 1 1 0 0

Monday, June 15

Belgium 1, Egypt 1 Iran 2, New Zealand 2

Sunday, June 21

Belgium 0, Iran 0 New Zealand 1, Egypt 3

Friday, June 26

New Zealand 1, Belgium 5 Egypt 1, Iran 1

GROUP H

Spain Cape Verde Uruguay Saudi Arabia

W 2 2 1 0

Tuesday, June 23

England 0, Ghana 0 Panama 0, Croatia 1

Saturday, June 27

Panama 0, England 2 Croatia 2, Ghana 1 ROUND OF 32

Monday, June 29

Germany 7, Curacao 1 Ivory Coast 1, Ecuador 0

W 50 46 43 42 39

Saturday’s Games

GROUP D

Sunday, June 14

GB — 3½ 6½ 8 15½

D 0 1 1 0

Brazil vs. Japan, noon Germany vs. Paraguay, 3:30 p.m.

Netherlands vs. Morocco, 8 p.m.

Scotland 0, Brazil 3 Morocco 4, Haiti 2

Germany Ivory Coast Ecuador Curacao

Pct .605 .560 .524 .506 .417

W 3 1 1 0

Canada 1, South Africa 0

Wednesday, June 24

GROUP E

L 32 37 40 42 49

GP 3 3 3 3

Sunday, June 28

Friday, June 19

Scotland 0, Morocco 1 Brazil 3, Haiti 0

Turkey 3, United States 2 Paraguay 0, Australia 0

W 49 47 44 43 35

W 53 43 41 34 33

Brazil 1, Morocco 1 Haiti 0, Scotland 1

Thursday, June 25

Atlanta Philadelphia Miami Washington New York

Los Angeles San Diego Arizona San Francisco Colorado

L GF GA Pts 0 7 1 7 0 6 3 7 2 1 4 3 3 2 8 0

Friday, June 19

National League

West Division

D 1 1 0 0

United States 2, Australia 0 Turkey 0, Paraguay 1

Chicago White Sox (Burke 5-4) at Baltimore (Baz 4-8), 5:35 p.m.

Detroit (Mize 2-5) at N.Y. Yankees (Weathers 3-5), 6:05 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (McLean 4-5) at Toronto (Yesavage 3-3), 6:07 p.m.

Texas (deGrom 6-5) at Cleveland (Messick 7-4), 6:10 p.m.

Washington (Mikolas 2-6) at Boston (Suarez 3-3), 6:10 p.m.

Minnesota (Matthews 3-5) at Houston (Lambert 6-4), 7:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels (Johnson 1-2) at Seattle (Kirby 6-7), 8:40 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Lauer 3-5) at Athletics (Jump 3-1), 8:40 p.m.

Central Division

Saturday, June 13

W 2 2 1 0

Australia 2, Turkey 0

Monday’s Games

GROUP J Argentina Austria Algeria Jordan

GROUP C

Sunday, June 14

L.A. Angels 4, Athletics 1 Tampa Bay 5, Arizona 1 Texas 3, Toronto 2 Washington 6, Baltimore 4 Minnesota 3, Colorado 2 Cleveland 6, Seattle 5 Kansas City 5, Chicago White Sox 4 Houston 7, Detroit 5, 10 innings N.Y. Yankees at Boston, n

Norway 1, France 4 Senegal 5, Iraq 0

Wednesday, June 17

United States 4, Paraguay 1

Sunday’s Games

Friday, June 26

England 4, Croatia 2 Ghana 1, Panama 0

GP 3 3 3 3

L GF GA Pts 0 10 2 9 1 8 7 6 2 8 6 3 3 1 12 0

Monday, June 22

Wednesday, June 24

Brazil Morocco Scotland Haiti

D 0 0 0 0

France 3, Iraq 0 Norway 3, Senegal 2

England Croatia Ghana Panama GROUP L

Friday, June 12

Boston 4, N.Y. Yankees 1 Houston 8, Detroit 6 Texas 7, Toronto 4 Chicago White Sox 2, Kansas City 1 Tampa Bay 4, Arizona 2 Cleveland 4, Seattle 3 Colorado 8, Minnesota 5 Washington 4, Baltimore 3, 10 innings L.A. Angels 5, Athletics 2

East Division

L GF GA Pts 0 7 3 7 1 8 3 4 1 5 6 4 2 2 10 1

Switzerland 2, Canada 1 Bosnia-Herzegovina 3, Qatar 1

L 40 39 45 49 50

Saturday’s Games

D 1 1 1 1

Switzerland 4, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1 Canada 6, Qatar 0

W 44 43 40 35 35

West Division

W 2 1 1 0

Saturday, June 13

Cleveland Chicago Minnesota Detroit Kansas City

Tuesday, June 16

W 3 2 1 0

GP 3 3 3 3

W 2 0 0 0

72-72-68-83—295 76-69-79-72—296 71-73-78-74—296 68-73-79-77—297 70-75-74-79—298 75-70-81-73—299 68-76-81-79—304

+7 +8 +8 +9 +10 +11 +16

Sunday

France 3, Senegal 1 Iraq 1, Norway 4

Wednesday, June 17

Canada 1, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1

GB — ½ 10½ 11 13

GP 3 3 3 3

Portugal 1, Congo 1 Uzbekistan 1, Colombia 3

Thursday, June 18

Pct .593 .585 .464 .459 .432

France Norway Senegal Iraq

GROUP B

Qatar 1, Switzerland 1

L 33 34 45 46 46

GROUP I

Wednesday, June 24

Friday, June 12

DICK’S Open

Uruguay 0, Spain 1 Cape Verde 0, Saudi Arabia 0

Colombia Portugal Congo Uzbekistan

GP Switzerland 3 Canada 3 Bosnia-Herzegovina 3 Qatar 3

American League

Friday, June 26

GROUP K

Czechia 0, Mexico 3 South Africa 1, South Korea 0

Major League baseball

Central Division

L GF GA Pts 0 6 0 9 1 2 3 4 2 2 3 3 2 2 6 1

Czechia 1, South Africa 1 Mexico 1, South Korea 0

No games scheduled.

W 48 48 39 39 35

D 0 1 0 1

Thursday, June 18

Monday’s Games

Spain 4, Saudi Arabia 0 Uruguay 2, Cape Verde 2

Wednesday, June 17

W 3 1 1 0

Mexico 2, South Africa 0 South Korea 2, Czechia 1

Minnesota 85, Dallas 77 Las Vegas 107, Chicago 99 Washington 124, Portland 123, 4OT New York at Golden State, n

Sunday, June 21

Tuesday, June 16

GP 3 3 3 3

Isabella Fierro C. L-Chacrra Coto Hinako Shibuno Megan Khang Jessica Porvasnik Nicole Felce Aline Krauter

Argentina 3, Algeria 0

Men’s World Cup

Sunday’s Games

Tampa Bay New York Toronto Baltimore Boston

Monday’s Games

Pittsburgh (Ashcraft 7-3) at Philadelphia (Nola 3-4), 5:40 p.m.

N.Y. Mets (Manaea 1-2) at Toronto (Yesavage 3-3), 6:07 p.m.

Washington (Mikolas 2-6) at Boston (Suarez 3-3), 6:10 p.m.

Cincinnati (Lodolo 2-2) at Milwaukee (Gasser 1-3), 6:40 p.m.

San Diego (TBD) at Chicago Cubs (Imanaga 5-6), 7:05 p.m.

Miami (Alcantara 8-4) at Colorado (TBD), 7:40 p.m.

L.A. Dodgers (Lauer 3-5) at Athletics (Jump 3-1), 8:40 p.m.

San Francisco (Mahle 1-7) at Arizona (Rodriguez 6-2), 8:40 p.m.

Soccer

GB — — 1 3 3 5½ 8

Phoenix 89, Toronto 80 Indiana 111, Los Angeles 87 Seattle 105, Atlanta 90

East Division

San Francisco 3, Atlanta 2 Tampa Bay 5, Arizona 1 L.A. Dodgers 4, San Diego 2 Washington 6, Baltimore 4 St. Louis 2, Miami 1 Minnesota 3, Colorado 2 Pittsburgh 9, Cincinnati 4 Philadelphia 5, N.Y. Mets 4 Chicago Cubs 4, Milwaukee 3, 10 innings

Monday, June 15

Spain 0, Cape Verde 0 Saudi Arabia 1, Uruguay 1

Golf KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Sunday

At Hazeltine Chaska, Minn.

Purse: $13 million Yardage: 6,760; Par: 72 Final Round Hae-Ran Ryu 73-64-68-70—275 Ina Yoon 63-69-75-70—277 Brooke Henderson 69-68-69-72—278 Dewi Weber 70-70-68-70—278 Allisen Corpuz 71-70-70-70—281 Auston Kim 71-70-69-71—281 Alison Lee 69-72-68-72—281 A Lim Kim 67-70-71-74—282 Sei Young Kim 72-71-70-69—282 Nelly Korda 70-68-71-73—282 Jeeno Thitikul 69-71-72-70—282 Karis Davidson 65-74-71-73—283 Gaby Lopez 71-73-71-68—283 Miyu Yamashita 72-70-70-71—283 Nasa Hataoka 70-67-76-71—284 Esther Henseleit 69-74-69-72—284 Lydia Ko 76-69-69-70—284 Alexa Pano 67-76-71-71—285 Ayaka Furue 69-71-72-74—286 Aki Iwai 70-72-71-73—286 Somi Lee 71-71-73-71—286 Dongeun Lee 69-69-72-76—286 Amy Yang 69-72-71-74—286 Briana Chacon 73-72-73-69—287 Hye Jin Choi 68-77-72-70—287 In Gee Chun 73-71-71-72—287 Perrine Delacour 71-71-74-71—287 Nataliya Guseva 70-72-70-75—287 MinJi Kang 72-73-72-70—287 Grace Kim 72-71-72-72—287 Shiho Kuwaki 72-71-72-72—287 Andrea Lee 69-72-73-74—288 Carolina Melgrati 72-71-72-73—288 Mao Saigo 72-71-71-74—288 Jenny Shin 71-69-73-75—288 Shannon Tan 72-72-71-73—288 P. Anannarukarn 71-72-71-75—289 Maja Stark 73-67-76-73—289 Patty Tavatanakit 71-68-74-76—289 Ruoning Yin 71-73-73-72—289 Weiwei Zhang 71-68-75-75—289 Anna Huang 73-70-73-74—290 Minami Katsu 72-72-71-75—290 Hyo Joo Kim 71-72-72-75—290 Jin Young Ko 72-71-73-74—290 N. Koerstz Madsen 69-76-71-74—290 Sung Hyun Park 72-73-71-74—290 Robyn Choi 72-71-73-75—291 Jiwon Jeon 72-71-77-71—291 Nastasia Nadaud 71-74-73-73—291 Jing Yan 69-71-73-78—291 Saki Baba 73-71-75-73—292 Manon De Roey 72-72-70-79—293 Wei-Ling Hsu 69-72-76-76—293 Leona Maguire 75-69-73-76—293 Anna Nordqvist 73-72-73-75—293 Pornanong Phatlum 74-71-71-77—293 Rose Zhang 73-72-73-75—293 Celine Boutier 75-69-76-74—294 Gemma Dryburgh 73-72-72-77—294 Yan Liu 74-71-74-75—294 P. Roussin-Bouchard 72-73-74-75—294

At En-Joie GC Endicott, N.Y. Purse: $2.2 million Yardage: 6,994; Par: 72 Final Round

(x-won on first playoff hole) x-Padraig Harrington x-Dicky Pride Matt Gogel J.J. Henry Fredrik Jacobson Timothy O’Neal Bo Van Pelt Richard Green Michael Block Miguel Angel Jimenez Darren Clarke Mathew Goggin Thongchai Jaidee Greg Chalmers Tommy Gainey Paul Stankowski Boo Weekley Stephen Ames Retief Goosen Jason Caron Ricardo Gonzalez Bernhard Langer George McNeill Tim Petrovic Rory Sabbatini Charlie Wi John Daly Steve Stricker Tag Ridings Vaughn Taylor Michael Wright Steve Allan Ryan Armour Angel Cabrera Alex Cejka Heath Slocum Doug Barron Chad Campbell Ken Duke Chris DiMarco Brian Gay Mark Hensby Rod Pampling Brett Quigley David Duval Scott Hend Craig Hocknull Robert Karlsson Colin Montgomerie John Rollins David Toms Y.E. Yang Michael Allen Joe Durant Paul Goydos Jay Haas Scott McCarron Kenny Perry Notah Begay Shane Bertsch Kirk Triplett Jeff Maggert Ken Tanigawa Billy Andrade Olin Browne K.J. Choi Fred Funk Mark Wilson Rocco Mediate Tim Herron Duffy Waldorf Woody Austin Lee Janzen Corey Pavin

65-67-66—198 63-70-65—198 69-65-65—199 69-66-65—200 66-69-66—201 71-65-65—201 66-69-66—201 67-67-68—202 66-70-67—203 70-66-67—203 65-73-66—204 70-65-69—204 66-67-71—204 67-71-67—205 65-70-70—205 70-65-70—205 67-69-69—205 67-69-70—206 69-71-66—206 69-69-69—207 69-71-67—207 69-71-67—207 69-67-71—207 71-67-69—207 70-66-71—207 69-67-71—207 73-63-72—208 69-71-68—208 70-71-68—209 70-70-69—209 72-71-66—209 68-72-70—210 72-69-69—210 76-65-69—210 71-67-72—210 70-71-69—210 70-68-73—211 71-73-67—211 73-72-66—211 68-70-74—212 67-73-72—212 71-69-72—212 73-74-65—212 69-68-76—213 74-70-70—214 68-66-80—214 74-69-71—214 71-69-74—214 72-71-71—214 72-72-70—214 76-69-69—214 72-68-74—214 70-73-72—215 68-71-76—215 72-71-73—216 76-71-69—216 75-67-74—216 69-70-77—216 71-73-73—217 72-72-73—217 71-72-74—217 73-74-72—219 73-74-72—219 73-72-75—220 76-70-75—221 73-73-75—221 73-73-75—221 77-72-72—221 74-71-77—222 72-73-78—223 76-74-73—223 76-73-75—224 70-75-79—224 75-75-74—224

-18 -18 -17 -16 -15 -15 -15 -14 -13 -13 -12 -12 -12 -11 -11 -11 -11 -10 -10 -9 -9 -9 -9 -9 -9 -9 -8 -8 -7 -7 -7 -6 -6 -6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -4 -4 -3 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 E E E E +1 +1 +1 +3 +3 +4 +5 +5 +5 +5 +6 +7 +7 +8 +8 +8

Auto racing NASCAR-O’Reilly Pit Boss/FoodMaxx 250 Results

-13 -11 -10 -10 -7 -7 -7 -6 -6 -6 -6 -5 -5 -5 -4 -4 -4 -3 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 E E E E E +1 +1 +1 +1 +1 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +2 +3 +3 +3 +3 +4 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +5 +6 +6 +6 +6

Saturday At Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, Calif.

Lap length: 1.99 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (1) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 79 laps, 0 points.

2. (30) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 79, 0.

3. (2) Brent Crews, Toyota, 79, 50.

4. (4) Anthony Alfredo, Chevrolet, 79, 43.

5. (5) Parker Retzlaff, Chevrolet, 79, 39.

6. (16) Carson Kvapil, Chevrolet, 79, 37.

7. (6) Corey Day, Chevrolet, 79, 36.

8. (9) Sam Mayer, Chevrolet, 79, 34.

9. (7) Jesse Love, Chevrolet, 79, 28.

10. (11) Sheldon Creed, Chevrolet, 79, 35.

11. (13) Sammy Smith, Chevrolet, 79, 35.

12. (37) Austin Green, Chevrolet, 79, 25.

13. (12) William Sawalich, Toyota, 79, 24.

14. (21) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, 79, 27.

15. (25) Ryan Sieg, Chevrolet, 79, 25.

16. (18) Josh Bilicki, Chevrolet, 79, 23.

17. (20) Will Rodgers, Chevrolet, 79, 24.

18. (19) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 79, 19.

19. (24) Alex Labbe, Chevrolet, 79, 21.

20. (23) Jeremy Clements, Chevrolet, 79, 17.

21. (22) Jeb Burton, Chevrolet, 79, 16.

22. (10) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 79, 20.

23. (29) Ryan Ellis, Chevrolet, 79, 14.

24. (32) Brennan Poole, Chevrolet, 79, 13.

25. (34) Patrick Staropoli, Chevrolet, 79, 12.

26. (8) Justin Allgaier, Chevrolet, 79, 11.

27. (26) Josh Williams, Chevrolet, 79, 10.

28. (17) Dean Thompson, Toyota, 79, 9.

29. (3) Taylor Gray, Toyota, 78, 16.

30. (27) Blaine Perkins, Chevrolet, 78, 7.

31. (28) Kyle Sieg, Chevrolet, 78, 6.

32. (31) Lavar Scott, Chevrolet, 78, 5.

33. (36) Dawson Cram, Chevrolet, 78, 4.

34. (35) Kyle Kelley, Chevrolet, 77, 3.

35. (33) Leland Honeyman, Chevrolet, garage, 71, 0.

36. (14) Brandon Jones, Toyota, 68, 1.

37. (15) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, garage, 29, 0.

38. (38) Brad Perez, Toyota, fuelpump, 0, 1.

Race Statistics Average Speed of Race Winner: 76.308 mph.

Time of Race: 2 hours, 3 minutes, 37 seconds.

Margin of Victory: 1.324 seconds.

Caution Flags: 4 for 11 laps.

Lead Changes: 8 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: S.Van Gisbergen 0-17; A.Alfredo 18-22; H.Burton 23-24; S.Van Gisbergen 25-32; J.Love 33; S.Van Gisbergen 34-42; C.Zilisch 43-46; B.Crews 47; S.Van Gisbergen 48-79 Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): S.Van Gisbergen, 4 times for 66 laps; A.Alfredo, 1 time for 5 laps; C.Zilisch, 1 time for 4 laps; H.Burton, 1 time for 2 laps; B.Crews, 1 time for 1 lap; J.Love, 1 time for 1 lap.

Wins: J.Allgaier, 5; C.Day, 2; A.Hill, 2; S.Creed,

1; T.Gray, 1; W.Sawalich, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. J.Allgaier, 847; 2. J.Love, 623; 3. C.Day, 609; 4. S.Creed, 607; 5. A.Hill, 591; 6. B.Jones, 572; 7. C.Kvapil, 567; 8.

S.Smith, 543; 9. P.Retzlaff, 494; 10. T.Gray, 476; 11. S.Mayer, 476; 12. W.Sawalich, 448; 13. B.Crews, 443; 14. R.Caruth, 439; 15. R.Sieg, 421; 16. B.Poole, 341.

NASCAR Driver Rating Formula A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.

The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.

NASCAR Cup Series Toyota / Save Mart 350 Results Sunday

At Sonoma Raceway Sonoma, Calif.

Lap length: 1.99 miles (Start position in parentheses) 1. (6) Shane Van Gisbergen, Chevrolet, 110 laps, 63 points.

2. (7) Chase Briscoe, Toyota, 110, 37.

3. (1) Ty Gibbs, Toyota, 110, 54.

4. (3) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, 110, 35.

5. (14) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 110, 50.

6. (16) Ryan Blaney, Ford, 110, 32.

7. (17) Connor Zilisch, Chevrolet, 110, 33.

8. (19) Ryan Preece, Ford, 110, 35.

9. (4) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, 110, 36.

10. (22) Alex Bowman, Chevrolet, 110, 32.

11. (2) Carson Hocevar, Chevrolet, 110, 33.

12. (13) William Byron, Chevrolet, 110, 25.

13. (23) Austin Cindric, Ford, 110, 31.

14. (5) Ross Chastain, Chevrolet, 110, 29.

15. (35) Brad Keselowski, Toyota, 110, 22.

16. (8) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, 110, 29.

17. (18) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, 110, 20.

18. (24) Zane Smith, Ford, 110, 24.

19. (15) Chris Buescher, Ford, 110, 18.

20. (27) Cole Custer, Chevrolet, 110, 17.

21. (33) Ricky Stenhouse Jr, Chevrolet, 110, 16.

22. (26) Bubba Wallace, Toyota, 110, 15.

23. (32) Erik Jones, Toyota, 110, 17.

24. (10) Joey Logano, Ford, 110, 13.

25. (20) John H. Nemechek, Toyota, 110, 12.

26. (9) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 110, 11.

27. (30) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, 110, 10.

28. (28) Josh Berry, Ford, 110, 9.

29. (29) Todd Gilliland, Ford, 110, 8.

30. (25) Riley Herbst, Toyota, 110, 8.

31. (21) Daniel Suárez, Chevrolet, 110, 6.

32. (34) Noah Gragson, Ford, 110, 5.

33. (36) Cody Ware, Chevrolet, 109, 4.

34. (12) Austin Hill, Chevrolet, 109, 0.

35. (31) Ty Dillon, Chevrolet, 109, 2.

36. (11) Tyler Reddick, Toyota, 106, 1.

Race Statistics Average Speed of Race Winner: 83.192 mph.

Time of Race: 2 hours, 37 minutes, 53 seconds.

Margin of Victory: .357 seconds.

Caution Flags: 3 for 8 laps.

Lead Changes: 8 among 6 drivers.

Lap Leaders: T.Gibbs 0-27; S.Van Gisbergen 28-52; T.Gibbs 53-56; S.Van Gisbergen 57-82; R.Blaney 83; K.Larson 84-85; W.Byron 86; R.Chastain 87; S.Van Gisbergen 88-110 Leaders Summary (Driver, Times Led, Laps Led): S.Van Gisbergen, 3 times for 74 laps; T.Gibbs, 2 times for 31 laps; K.Larson, 1 time for 2 laps; R.Blaney, 1 time for 1 lap; W.Byron, 1 time for 1 lap; R.Chastain, 1 time for 1 lap.

Wins: T.Reddick, 5; D.Hamlin, 4; C.Elliott, 2; R.Blaney, 1; T.Gibbs, 1; D.Suárez, 1; C.Hocevar, 1; S.Van Gisbergen, 1.

Top 16 in Points: 1. T.Reddick, 716; 2. D.Hamlin, 708; 3. R.Blaney, 583; 4.

K.Larson, 536; 5. T.Gibbs, 535; 6. C.Elliott, 534; 7. C.Buescher, 500; 8. D.Suárez, 478; 9. C.Hocevar, 476; 10. C.Briscoe, 431; 11.

B.Wallace, 429; 12. C.Bell, 422; 13. W.Byron, 421; 14. E.Jones, 372; 15. A.Cindric, 370; 16.

R.Preece, 367.

NASCAR Driver Rating Formula A maximum of 150 points can be attained in a race.

The formula combines the following categories: Wins, Finishes, Top-15 Finishes, Average Running Position While on Lead Lap, Average Speed Under Green, Fastest Lap, Led Most Laps, Lead-Lap Finish.

Tennis Eastbourne Open Results Sunday

At Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club Eastbourne, Great Britain Surface: Grass Results Sunday from Eastbourne Open at Devonshire Park Lawn Tennis Club (seedings in parentheses):

Women’s Doubles

Championship Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Stefani (1), Brazil, def. Jesika Maleckova and Miriam Skoch, Czechia, 6-1, 6-4.

Transactions Major League Baseball

American League BALTIMORE ORIOLES — Reinstated C Adley Rutschman from the 7-day IL. Reinstated RF Dylan Beavers from the 10-day IL. Claimed RHP Yosver Zulueta off waivers from the Chicago Cubs. Designated C Sam Huff for assignment. Optioned 2B Jeremiah Jackson and RHP Yosver Zulueta to Norfolk (IL).

BOSTON RED SOX — Reinstated 1B Romy Gonzalez from the 60-day IL. Transferred LF Roman Anthony from the 10-day IL to the 60-day IL. Optioned C Mickey Gasper to Worcester (IL).

CLEVELAND GUARDIANS — Reinstated RF Chase DeLauter from the 10-day IL. Optioned CF Petey Halpin to Columbus (IL).

DETROIT TIGERS — Reinstated RHP Jack Flaherty from the 15-day IL. Optioned LHP Enmanuel De Jesus to Toledo (IL).

HOUSTON ASTROS — Recalled RHP Miguel Ullola from Sugar Land (PCL). Optioned RHP Kai-Wei Teng to Sugar Land.

LOS ANGELES ANGELS — Sent RHP Grayson Rodriguez on a rehab assignment to Rancho Cucamonga.

MINNESOTA TWINS — Sent RHP Bailey Ober on a rehab assignment to Cedar Rapids.

TAMPA BAY RAYS — Recalled RHP Trevor Martin from Durham (IL). Optioned RHP Michael Grove to Durham.

TEXAS RANGERS — Reinstated CF Evan Carter from the 10-day IL. Placed LF Wyatt Langford on the 10-day IL. Sent RHP Chris Martin on a rehab assignment to Frisco.

National League CHICAGO CUBS — Recalled LHP Jordan Wicks from Iowa (IL). Designated RHP Vince Velasquez for assignment.

LIVING

T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M

|

M o n d ay, J u n e 29, 2026

TO OUR READERS:

We have made a change to our comics pages after Big Nate’ cartoonist Lincoln Pierce decided to end his daily comic strip on short notice. We have replaced it with ‘Rosebuds.’

H

5Cn

Stable living

A month-old pony moves to a 4th-floor apartment in Croatia. Neighbors don’t mind.

By The Associated Press

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

United States’ Weston McKennie dribbles with the ball during a World Cup Group D soccer match between the U.S. and Australia in Seattle on June 19.

Fit for the world stage

ROVINJ, Croatia — A month-old pony named Mile is the newest resident of an apartment building in the northern Croatian coastal town of Rovinj.

Mile has moved in temporarily to his owners’ fourth-floor flat because his mother rejected him at birth. He also needs round-the-clock care after undergoing an operation for a lifethreatening infection in neighboring Slovenia, where people donated to cover the costs of his treatment.

“Every two hours, we warm up his milk and feed him,” owner Andjelka Josipovic said. “If we forget to feed him, he wakes up, comes to us and rouses us up.”

Josipovic lives in a one-bedroom flat with her partner Kristijan Jelenic, her two sons, a dog and now Mile.

The unusual newcomer has drawn attention in the neighborhood, but no one has complained.

Josipovic is hopeful Mile will recover fully as he now eats well and has gained 2.2 pounds.

He seems cheerful with a “strong desire to suckle, eat, and fight,” she said.

“The first night, the vet thought there was no hope and wanted to put him down,” she recalled. “I said, let’s try until the morning.”

A look at the design of World Cup uniforms where national pride meets breathable mesh

BY CLAIRE RUSH

na, host nation Mexico and Colombia, also unveiled cooling gear for the tournament. Puma designed the kits for Portugal as well as Morocco and Senegal, the two finalists at the most recent African Cup of Nations.

While the three companies are behind most of this year’s kits, some teams are sporting uniforms designed by other apparel makers.

Associated Press

BEAVERTON, Ore. — Heat. Moisture.

National pride.

These were top of mind as Nike designed its uniform kits for this year’s World Cup, including for football powerhouses France and Brazil as well as the U.S. and Canada in their role as host nations.

In a tournament that has seen storm delays and temperatures hovering around 90 degrees Fahrenheit in some locations, the first step was to ensure players’ performance and comfort.

Phil McCartney, chief innovation, design and product officer for Nike, said the company worked with athletes, coaches and football federations to understand how uniforms affect the game.

“We also talk to fans — so what does it mean to wear a Uruguay jersey, what does it mean to represent France, what does it mean to play for Canada?” McCartney told The

Thermal chambers and robots On a recent morning, McCartney spoke from the sports research lab at Nike’s headquarters just outside Phil McCartney, chief innovation, design and product officer for Nike, Portland, Oregon, where experimentation helped the kits come to holds up the away jersey for France life. that the company designed for the The indoor facility includes a World Cup. 219-yard track, a small football pitch and a basketball court, with Associated Press. “We take that and hundreds of motion-capture camwe merge that with all the science eras placed throughout. Thermal and the innovation to make sure chambers replicate the effects that we have beautiful designs.” of heat and humidity on apparel Adidas, which designed jerseys ä See UNIFORMS, page 6C for defending champion ArgentiAP PHOTO By CLAIRE RUSH

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Owner Andjelka Josipovic poses with a pony named Mile at a ranch in Bale, Croatia.

The family runs a small ranch and a playroom for children in Bale, some 9 miles from Rovinj, with llamas, pigs, horses, and sheep.

Mile spends his days with the other animals at the ranch, but he returns to Rovinj — one of Croatia’s most popular tourist resorts — in the evening. The pony rides in the back seat of the family car. At the apartment, he sleeps on either a mattress or a sofa.

The family lives in a residential part of Rovinj, away from the main tourist zone in the old town, which is famous for its

ä See PONY, page 6C

The Owens family curse strikes next generation in ‘Practical Magic 2’

BY TRACY BROWN

Los Angeles Times (TNS)

LOS ANGELES — The Owens family curse strikes again — and this time it’s here for the next generation.

In the new trailer for “Practical Magic 2,” released June 24, Sally’s (Sandra Bullock) daughter Kylie (Joey King) learns about her family’s legacy and curse after her paramour is involved in an accident.

“It’s true, we’re witches and the curse is real,” Sally tells a tearful Kylie, who along with her sister (Maisie Williams) grew up being told stories where everyone who fell in love died. But the siblings didn’t believe they were actually cursed.

“I will never trust you again,” Kylie responds.

Directed by Susanne Bier, the sequel of 1998’s “Practical Magic” will follow Sally

and Gillian (Nicole Kidman) as they chase after Kylie who has set off to “fix the curse,” which will put her on a dark path. Along the way, the sisters encounter a mysterious “scholar of the craft” played

by Lee Pace.

The trailer also offers a glimpse into Sally and Gillian’s present lives — with the latter teasing the former’s

ä See 'MAGIC', page 6C

Cast members Sandra Bullock, left, and Nicole Kidman of the upcoming film ‘Practical Magic 2’ speak during the film’s Warner Bros. presentation at CinemaCon on April 14 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CHRIS PIZZELLO

6C ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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Seasonal affective disorder can hit in the summer Dear Doctors: When I hear about seasonal depression, it has to do with winter. Supposedly it’s because of the shorter days and the lack of daylight. But I feel the start of depression whenever summer comes, which can’t be about the light. Why would that happen? What can I do?

Dear reader: It’s true that when people talk about a downward emotional shift tied to a change of seasons, winter is most often the culprit. As you point out, the shorter days and longer nights play a big role. The steady decrease of daylight hours is believed to affect levels of melatonin and serotonin. These are brain chemicals that affect mood and sleep. With colder weather, more time is spent indoors. This can lead to fewer natural social

Dr. Elizabeth Ko Dr. Eve Glazier ASK THE DOCTORS

interactions and contribute to feelings of isolation. Repetitive winter tasks, like shoveling snow or dressing and undressing just to step outside, can each add a measure of stress. So can simply being cold.

While not as common as winterbased seasonal depression, the summertime blues you are experiencing are indeed a real thing.

It is part of a condition known as

seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. As with its wintry cousin, summertime SAD is marked by symptoms that can include anxiety, irritability, low energy, disrupted sleep and feelings of sadness or hopelessness. And because summer is supposed to represent a carefree and joyful stretch of time, people with summer SAD are sometimes also weighed down by guilt.

As with winter SAD, summertime depression is believed to involve both physiological and lifestyle triggers. Longer days mean later twilights. For some people, this can affect sleep cycles and contribute to the onset of depression. Longer days often also disrupt the routines that got us through the winter. These changes can be stressful. So can heat

TODAY IN HISTORY for tea.)

In 1776, the Virginia state Today is Monday, June 29, constitution was adopted, the 180th day of 2026. There and Patrick Henry was are 185 days left in the year. made the state’s governor.

In 1967, Jerusalem was Today’s highlight in history: On June 29, 2007, the first reunified as Israel removed barricades separating the version of the iPhone went Old City from the Israeli on sale to the public; over sector.

2.3 billion iPhones have In 2006, the Supreme been sold to date.

Court ruled, 5-3, that PresiAlso on this date: In 1613, London’s origident George W. Bush’s plan to try Guantanamo Bay denal Globe Theatre, where many of William Shaketainees in military tribunals violated U.S. and internaspeare’s plays were performed, was destroyed by tional law. a fire sparked by a cannon In 2009, disgraced finanshot during a performance cier Bernard Madoff reof “Henry VIII.” ceived a 150-year sentence In 1767, Britain approved for his multibillion-dollar the Townshend Revenue fraud. (Madoff died in prisAct, which imposed import on in April 2021.) duties on glass, paint, oil, In 2022, R. Kelly was lead, paper and tea shipped sentenced to 30 years in to the American colonies. prison for using his R&B (Colonists bitterly protestsuperstardom to subject young fans to sexual abuse. ed, prompting Parliament to repeal the duties on each The singer and songwriter was convicted of racketeerof the products — except

By The Associated Press

ing and sex trafficking the previous year.

Today’s birthdays: Songwriter L. Russell Brown is 86.

Singer-songwriter Garland Jeffreys is 83. Actor Gary Busey is 82. Former actor and politician Fred Grandy is 78. Rock musician Ian Paice (Deep Purple) is 78.

Singer Don Dokken is 73.

Rock singer Colin Hay (Men At Work) is 73. Actor Maria Conchita Alonso is 71. Actor Sharon Lawrence (“NYPD Blue”) is 65. Actor Amanda Donohoe is 64.

Violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter is 63. Producer-writer Matthew Weiner is 61.

Actor Melora Hardin is 59.

Actor Brian D’Arcy James is 58. Rap DJ and record producer DJ Shadow is 54.

Actor Zuleikha Robinson is 49. Rock musician Sam Farrar (Maroon 5) is 48. Actor Luke Kirby is 48. Singer and TV personality Nicole Scherzinger is 48.

and humidity. For some people, being included in — or left out of — summertime group activities can trigger social anxiety. Genetics may also play a role. Studies of identical twins have found that siblings often shared similar patterns of seasonal changes in mood and behavior. Newer research, still in the earliest stages, has identified gene variants that may alter how serotonin affects the brain.

A useful first step in steadying your summertime mood is to safeguard your daily routine.

Try to stick to the same sleep, meal and exercise schedule you follow the rest of the year. With later sunsets and early sunrises, the sleep part of the equation can become a challenge. That makes blackout curtains for the bedroom

a worthwhile investment. And try to steer clear of heat stress.

Use air conditioning and fans as needed in the house. When you can, save exertion and outdoor activities for the cooler parts of the day. There is also evidence that cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in managing seasonal mood swings. It’s a form of talk therapy that helps people flag and change harmful mental habits.

The good news is that even small lifestyle adjustments can help ease the summertime blues.

Send your questions to askthedoctors@mednet.ucla. edu, or write: Ask the Doctors, c/o UCLA Health Sciences Media Relations, 10880 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1450, Los Angeles, CA, 90024.

So-called friends keep canceling plans who leaned heavily on Dear Miss Manners: What manners, social skills and is the correct way to deal with being stood up for so- all matters of social recial plans? sponsibility.

Over the years, After being treatpeople have said ed like this, my tenthings to me such dency is to view the as, “I’m going to situation as the ball break off our lunch now being in their plans for today, OK? court. The only perJudith I’m going to lunch son whose behavior Martin I can control is my with someone else.”

MISS Or, “I can’t meet own. I say and do MANNERS you for breakfast nothing further and on Saturday like remain polite, but we’d planned; I’m going to at arm’s length. I no longer go and play golf with Dolo- reach out to them with res.” Or, at the last minute, friendly gestures and ef“I can’t go to see the play forts until they can prove with you this evening. My that it is a genuine, mutual, boyfriend says we’re going courteous friendship. someplace else.”

Perhaps this is a good Sometimes people simway to screen for friendply fail to show up for ships. plans made in advance, What are your thoughts without a word of apology on the subject? Any sugor explanation, ever. Upon gestions concerning what I next seeing them, they could or should be doing? behave as though nothing Gentle reader: Socializing had ever happened. If I with people who respect gently inquire about what you? happened, they engage in They are increasingly defensive, manipulative hard to find, Miss Manners behavior, gaslighting and realizes. The idea has gotoffering non sequiturs. ten around that it is charmAt such moments, I have ing to be spontaneous in always said kind and polite one’s social life, unbound things to these people, by the rigid code that rebut I have difficulty in quired making or declining understanding them. I was commitments, and then brought up with parents following through by show-

ing up — or not showing up, if one has declined.

There is something you can say to those lastminute offenders: “I wish you had bailed out earlier; I would have made plans of my own.”

Dear Miss Manners: Please explain how to administer a Cut, a Dead Cut, and a Cut Absolute.

Gentle reader: A Cut is pretending not to see someone who is obviously within sight. A Dead Cut is staring right at the person without any acknowledgment. And a Cut Absolute is whipping around upon seeing the person and walking away.

Miss Manners hopes that she is not fueling feuds by providing these definitions. She attaches to each of them a label that says, “Caution! Highly dangerous socially, with difficult side effects. To be used only in extreme cases.”

Send questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners. com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail. com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

PONY ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By CLAIRE RUSH

World Cup uniform kits designed by Nike are displayed at its headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., on June 22.

UNIFORMS

seen in the shoulder seams on jerseys for teams includContinued from page 5C ing France and Uruguay, the Guardian reported.

When asked by AP, Nike donned by people or robot said it was able to identify the issue before the start of mannequins.

“We take motion-capture the World Cup, and worked to see how they’re moving with federations “to ensure in the kit, how the kits are kits show up as intended.” responding,” McCartney said. “We also use the ther- Symbols of national pride mal chambers that we have While a kit’s physical attrito test the kit’s breathability, butes are important for athto test wicking and moisture letes, its appearance is just management.” as significant for fans who For the World Cup kits, sport the jerseys and want to Nike engineered a new feel connected to their team. fabric that it says is more “We take inspiration from breathable and made from lots of different places, from fully recycled materials. the past, from art, from muThe way the jerseys are sic, from culture, so anyknit, with mesh stitching in thing that gets us connected certain areas allowing more to the country we really air flow, helps “get that ther- want to harness,” McCartmal regulation that all the ney said. players have been asking France’s away kit, for exfor,” McCartney said. ample, is a light green akin Despite all the testing, the to the Statue of Liberty, rollout of the kit was still a which France gifted to the bit bumpy.

U.S. in the late 19th century.

During matches earlier The interior tag features the this year, bulges could be word “Liberté” inside a sil-

‘MAGIC’

Continued from page 5C apparent lack of love life.

It seems Sally is uninterested in tempting the fates since for generations those who have fallen in love with members of the Owens family have been cursed to die.

Even after things take a turn with the tragic accident, it’s clear that their sisterly bond

remains strong. While Sally seems worried about her daughters inheriting her powers, the clip also hints that there might be some happier times ahead.

Also returning for the sequel are Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing, who play Sally and Gilly’s aunts Jet and Franny Owens. In the original film, Jet and Fran are the witchy, eccentric aunts who took in their nieces after their parents

houette of the monument’s crown.

On the front of the jersey there’s a rooster — an emblem of the national team and the country itself — and two stars representing France’s two previous World Cup victories.

France’s home kit features a collar — as does Uruguay’s. The decision to use collars comes from the federations, Nike said, with France leaning into its history as a fashion capital and Uruguay looking to evoke a more classic football look. In previous decades, many uniforms included collars.

Key national symbols were also considered when designing kits for the U.S. and Canada. The home kit for the U.S. features horizontal red and white stripes reminiscent of a waving American flag, while Canada’s displays a prominent maple leaf.

“Especially in an event like the World Cup, we really play into national pride,” McCartney said.

died. The “Practical Magic 2” cast also includes Xolo Maridueña, who plays Kylie’s seemingly ill-fated love interest, and Solly McLeod.

Written by Akiva Goldsman, Georgia Pritchett and Kelly Marcel, “Practical Magic 2” is based on the 2021 novel “The Book of Magic,” the fourth and final installment of author Alice Hoffman’s “Practical Magic” series.

“Practical Magic 2” will hit theaters Sept. 11.

Continued from page 5C winding, Mediterraneanstyle stone streets dominated by a church.

Jelenic said having Mile at home at the moment is no different from having a dog or any other pet because he is still relatively small, weighing just 35 pounds.

“In about 20 days, this probably will no longer be possible,” Jelenic said.

“I hope he will be strong enough by then to be able to stay at the ranch.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Owner Andjelka Josipovic feeds a pony named Mile at a ranch in Bale, Croatia, on June 13.

YEARS

TONIGHT•7PM

KLPB 27

www.lpb.org

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The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● 7C

lll

FrAnK And erneSt

roSebUdS

zItS

zodIAC cAncER (June 21-July 22) Take your time, get the lowdown and hedge your bets before you make a move. It's up to you to ask questions and to barter on your behalf. An opportunity looks good if you are open-minded.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Pay attention to how you present yourself and your ideas.

Having confidence will encourage others to listen and contribute suggestions that are easy to implement. Show your leadership ability in order to highlight your profile.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Refuse to let anyone push you to change something that isn't in your best interest. Collect your thoughts, talk to experts and offer a heartfelt reason why you prefer to take the road that offers you something in return.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-oct. 23) If you are a good listener, you'll avoid interference.

Knowing what's expected of you and delivering what's necessary will help ward off criticism.

ScoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) You're in a better position than you realize. Speak up.

Refuse to let what others do deter you from following your heart and doing what works for you.

SAGIttARIuS (nov. 23-Dec. 21) A change will do you good. Invest time and money in yourself. Refuse to spend what you don't have or be tempted by a fast-talking salesperson trying to scam you or separate you from your cash. cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Keep what you cherish and get rid of what no lon-

ger matters. Letting go is your ticket to a new adventure. Shake off the old, revitalize what you plan to keep and head forward with a renewed faith in yourself.

AQuARIuS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your eyes wide open and your finger on the pulse of whatever you pursue. It's up to you to be the driver of your prospects.

Stop waiting for someone to do things for you.

PIScES (Feb. 20-March 20) Motivate yourself to get involved in a cause that concerns you, and someone you connect with will help you make a difference.

Having discipline will encourage you to change your lifestyle.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Be careful not to upstage someone who can influence your reputation or status. Getting along will be a necessity if you want to get ahead. Listen carefully. tAuRuS (April 20-May 20) Devise a plan and budget that add to your convenience and comfort. Stretch your imagination, but don't let anyone tempt you to spend more than you can afford.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Put pressure where necessary, and positive change will evolve. Don't hesitate to do the work yourself. You will make a difference to the outcome of whatever you are trying to achieve.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

For better or For WorSe WonderWord

peAnUtS

SALLY Forth

beetLe bAILeY CeLebrItY CIpher Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

toDAy'S cLuE: I EQuALS R

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

SherMAn’S LAGoon FAMILY CIrCUS

dooneSbUrY

8C ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

CurTiS

Hi and LoiS

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Sudoku InstructIons: Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

BaBY BLueS

BLondie

THe wiZard oF id

nea CroSSwordS

La TimeS CroSSword

The Acadiana Advocate ● theadvocate.com ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● 9C

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B.C.

Bridge

By PHILLIP ALDER Francis Bacon, an Englishman who a few believe wrote Shakespeare’s plays, said, “Truth comes out of error more readily than out of confusion.”

After a bridge deal in which your partner made a mistake, you hope that he sees the reason for his error; you do not want him confused.

In today’s deal, South is in three notrump after West has overcalled in spades. West leads his fourth-highest spade. How should South plan the play after taking this trick with dummy’s queen, the honor from the shorter side first?

North’s double was negative, promising four hearts (and maybe five or six if too weak to respond two hearts). His three-spade cue-bid asked South to bid three no-trump with a spade stopper.

South has eight top tricks: one spade, one diamond and six clubs. He can get his ninth winner from hearts or diamonds, but there is a risk that the defenders will run the spade suit first. Since trick one indicates that West has the spade ace, South must work to keep East off the lead.

At first glance, this might suggest taking two diamond finesses. However, that is confused thinking. If East has the heart ace, the defenders can always triumph. After a diamond finesse loses,

garfield

Pearls Before swiNe

hagar the horriBle

West can shift to a heart, and East can push through a spade, resulting in down two.

If West has the heart ace, though, the contract is safe regardless of the diamond position. The simplest approach is to cross to hand with a club, then to lead the heart four toward dummy. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

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

PiCKles

Previous answers:

mallard fillmore

word game InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3.

Additional words made by adding a “d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’S WoRD — cAnoED: kuh-NOOD: Traveled in a light narrow boat

Bizarro

marmaduKe

propelled by paddling.

Average mark 12 words Time limit 20 minutes Can you find 17 or more words in CANOED? SAtuRDAy’S WoRD — FRAGILIty fail fair fairly fairy fiat filar flag flair flat flay flirt

flirty flit frail frailty fray frit raft ragi rail ratify rift

agility airily airlift airy alit argil arty gaily gait gift gilt

girl glair graft grail gratify gray grift grit gyral lair laity

liar lift tail trail tray trial trig

loCKhorNs hidato Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

today’s thought “I acknowledge my sin to you, and my iniquity have I not hid.

I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord; and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah.” Psalms 32:5 It is wonderful to be forgiven by the Lord. Repent of sin and give it to God. G.E. Dean

10C ● Monday, June 29, 2026 ● theadvocate.com ● The Acadiana Advocate

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TODAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Mostly sunny and humid

A t-storm around in the p.m.

An afternoon t-storm; humid

Humid; a stray p.m. t-storm

Humid; a p.m. t-storm possible

A t-storm around in the p.m.

HIGH

LOW

HIGH

93° 76°

LOW

HIGH

93° 76°

LOW

91° 75°

Beaumont 92/77 Port Arthur 91/79

Baton Rouge 94/75

Lake Charles 93/77

New Orleans 94/78 Houma 92/75

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

0s

Hattiesburg 97/74

Alexandria 94/75

Lafayette 93/76

10s

20s

30s

40s

50s

HIGH

LOW

90° 75°

60s

70s

80s

90s 100s 110s

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

YESTERDAY

TODAY

READING 54 MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

MAIN POLLUTANT Particulates

Sunrise today Sunset tonight Moonrise today Moonset today

JUN 29

City

Austin Boston Dallas Fairbanks Honolulu Las Vegas Louisville Miami Nashville

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

HIGH

7:59p 2:02p 6:42a 9:51a 9:42a 8:58a 10:50a

6:09 a.m.

8:14 p.m.

8:26 p.m.

5:33 a.m.

LAST

NEW

JUL 7

Hi

98 78 99 63 87 93 94 94 96

FIRST

JUL 14

TODAY Lo

76 67 77 47 77 74 76 80 75

W

s s s c sh s pc sh c

JUL 21

Hi

97 89 99 64 89 93 97 93 99

MODERATE

PRECIPITATION

94°/77° 91°/75° 89°/74° 99° in 2023 62° in 1974

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

FULL

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

LOW

Lafayette through 5 p.m. Sunday

Jackson 95/74 Many 95/73

HIGH

91° 76°

TEMPERATURE

Longview 97/74

-0s

LOW

Monroe 96/75

Shreveport 97/75

-10s

HIGH

90° 74°

If you were hoping for cooler weather today, you won’t find it here. Expect a mostly sunny to partly cloudy, hot and humid day.

Temperatures this afternoon will be about average, rising into the low to mid-90s. Humidity will remain high, so temperatures will feel like 104 or greater. Rain chances are at 10%, so an isolated shower or storm is possible. The UV index this afternoon will be in the extreme range, so be sure to wear your hat, your shades and your sunscreen.

TUE. Lo

74 72 78 46 77 77 77 78 76

W

pc t s c sh s s t s

FT.

LOW

0.00” 7.87” 6.62” 34.41” 30.68”

FT.

HIGH

0.7 7:23a -0.1 1.6 12:45a -0.3 1.8 8:41p -0.5 2.0 12:05a 0.0 1.4 9:09p -0.2 1.7 7:26p -0.4 1.7 10:11p -0.3

---------------

FT.

---------------

SOURCE: LOUISIANA DEQ AND AIRNOW.GOV

LOW

---------------

FT.

---------------

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

MAJOR MINOR MAJOR MINOR

Today 11:30a 5:17a 11:55p 5:42p Tuesday 12:20p 6:08a ---- 6:33p Wednesday 12:47a 6:59a 1:12p 7:24p Thursday 1:39a 7:51a 2:03p 8:14p Friday 2:31a 8:42a 2:53p 9:04p Saturday 3:20a 9:31a 3:42p 9:53p Sunday 4:08a 10:19a 4:30p 10:40p

City

New Orleans Orlando Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh Raleigh St. Louis San Diego Tampa

Hi

94 97 88 103 87 90 97 71 94

TODAY Lo

78 76 67 78 71 68 78 64 80

W

s t pc s pc t s pc t

GOOD

Hi

93 91 92 100 94 92 99 71 92

TUE. Lo

78 75 71 78 75 72 78 65 79

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

W

t t pc s pc s pc pc t

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

FLOOD STAGE

34 48 48 35 27 22 17

SUN. 24-HOUR STAGE CHANGE

N.A. 38.57 41.42 24.95 16.03 11.80 7.65

N.A. +0.17 +0.12 +0.15 +0.33 +0.30 +0.22

40

31.77

+1.03

19

-1.27

-0.04

18 29 8

-0.52 12.00 1.70

-0.10 -0.34 -0.01

13 15

1.83 2.02

-0.06 -0.30

47 34 29 20 12 6

22.24 16.67 14.44 11.37 6.50 3.38

+0.74 +0.55 +0.61 +0.27 +0.10 +0.14

data as of 7 a.m. Sunday

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

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