The Advocate 07-08-2026

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

prosecutor

BY JON GAMBRELL,FATIMA HUSSEIN and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates

TheU.S military launched newstrikes against Iran early Wednesday,hours after three merchant ships were struck in the Strait of Hormuz, in the latest exchange of fire to threaten the interim deal to end the fighting between the two countries.

The strikes were expected tohit a variety of military sites and port facilities, U.S. officials said

The renewed attacks were sure to add to thedifficulty of the negotiations aimed at fully reopening the strait, rolling back Tehran’sdisputed nuclear program and reaching apermanent end to thewar launched Feb. 28.

In astatement posted to social media, U.S. Central Command said American forces launched the strikes “to impose heavy costs for targeting and attacking commercial shipping crewed by innocent civiliansinan international waterway.”

One U.S. official said the military is targeting Iranian air defense systems, coastal surveillance systems, groundto-air missiles as well as launch sites for anti-ship cruise missiles and drones. Iranian portfacilitiesare also being targeted, the officialadded. The second official said the strikes would likely last for hours.

Both officials spoke on condition of anonymitytodiscussanongoing military operation. Iranian statemedia reported the sound of explosions in Qeshm and Bandar Abbas.

Asimilar spate of Iranian attacks on shipping and U.S. retaliation occurred late last month, while the new strikes

Summer beachescapes not immune to rising prices

‘It’snot

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

On theGulfCoastbeaches where they have long vacationed, many visitors from Louisiana andaround theSouth areencountering achallenge this summer Almost everything, it seems —fuel, food, lodging —isgetting moreexpensive. And that’sforcing vacationers to get creative as they seek affordable escapes.

Travel agents say some visitors are vacationing in bigger groups to split the cost of accommodations, or trading Florida’s beaches for cheaper stays at casinosand

Murrill White

Police: ICE officer fatally shoots man in Houston

A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a man in Houston after he attempted to evade arrest in his vehicle during an operation Tuesday, the agency said.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the man ignored commands to stop and attempted to ram an agent who fired his weapon in self-defense. The man’s car struck an ICE vehicle, according to the department, which oversees ICE.

The statement identified the man as a Mexican national, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, and said he was living in the country without legal permission. It said federal agents were conducting a targeted enforcement operation against Araujo and that he died at a hospital.

The FBI’s Houston field office is investigating a potential assault on a federal law enforcement officer, said spokesperson Connor Hagan. In addition, representatives of the office’s evidence response team responded to the shooting at the request of DHS to process the scene, he said.

SPLC pleads not guilty in federal fraud case

MONTGOMERY,Ala.— The Southern Poverty Law Center best known for monitoring hate groups, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to federal charges that it defrauded donors by not disclosing that some of the money would be used to pay informants in extremist organizations.

Attorney Abbe Lowell entered the not guilty plea on behalf of the organization to a superseding indictment that adds details about the charges first announced in April.

The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of funding extremist groups while publicly claiming it was working to dismantle them.

The SPLC has denied wrongdoing and said the informant program provided critical intelligence about the work of the groups information it regularly provided to law enforcement agencies.

The SPLC has accused the Justice Department of carrying out a vindictive prosecution as part of a retribution campaign against President Donald Trump’s perceived political enemies

The superseding indictment alleges that $4.1 million in donations were used to pay informants inside extremist groups. Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies

Tornadoes, storms in China kill at least 11

BEIJING Tornadoes and storms hit central China, killing at least 11 people and injuring hundreds, state media reported on Tuesday, while areas in the south suffered record-breaking rain Thunderstorms battered parts of Hubei province’s eastern region on Monday night, affecting 14,600 people, the official Xinhua News Agency reported. More than 330 people were injured, and one person remained missing, the agency said, adding that over 20 houses collapsed and 4,800 others were damaged

A rare EF2 tornado swept through the city of Huanggang, where a logistics company and a warehouse were hit hard and multiple trucks were lifted and displaced by winds as much as 98 feet, Xinhua reported A video posted by Shanghai Daily on X appeared to show people on the ground floor of a building screaming as high winds blew open the glass doors, shattering one Tornadoes are usually recorded in southern and coastal provinces such as Guangdong and Jiangsu, according to China Weather News, which is run by the China Meteorological Administration. They are rare in Hubei and multiple factors, including the remnants of Tropical Storm Maysak, contributed to those that swept the region on Monday night, meteorological expert Wang Xiaoling told the Hubei Daily newspaper

Columns buckle at Manhattan high-rise, forcing evacuations

ing is constructed, “it would not be a total collapse, it would be more of a localized collapse.”

Firefighters had rushed to the area at around 8 a.m. after reports of falling bricks

BY PHILIP MARCELO and ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press

NEW YORK A Manhattan highrise remained unstable Tuesday after officials found that columns buckled and floors sagged while it was being converted to luxury apartments, forcing evacuations in and around the Midtown construction site.

The former headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Pfizer is in a busy corridor just down the street from New York City icons like the Chrysler Building and Grand Central train station. Drones and city officials were busy checking out the building.

“This is a minute-by-minute assessment,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani told reporters near the scene.

Fire Chief John Esposito said the way the steel-framed build-

However, the city’s building commissioner, Ahmed Tigani, said officials hadn’t found evidence that anything came off the building.

Later Tuesday, Leila Bozorg, one of Mamdani’s deputy mayors, told reporters that emergency workers were assessing the building “floor by floor” in order to “finalize a plan for how they’re going to reinforce the structure,” adding “it is encouraging.”

Still, nearby buildings and streets remained evacuated, including a school and the Israeli consulate just across the street. With more than 1,600 units, the developers say the project is the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city’s history Gensler, the architectural firm leading the project, says on its website that it is transforming a pair of 1970s-era office buildings by adding more than a dozen stories and redesigning an adjoining tower Buildings department records show the project has been fined by the city for several safety violations, including glass and metal falling off the

Far right Le Pen says

building, along with an incident where a worker fell off a ladder Spokespersons for Gensler and MetroLoft, the project developer didn’t return messages seeking comment. But in a statement to The New York Times, MetroLoft stressed that the building itself is not at risk of collapse and that no debris fell from the building.

Fire officials said two columns appear to have buckled and there were multiple cracks and sagging floors between the 21st and 26th floors. From the street below, a badly bent column could be seen through a large glass window The fire department also posted images of the column.

First responders and city officials were working closely with the project engineer to develop plans to shore up the impacted flooring, Mamdani said. If it’s deemed to be secure, engineers will enter and begin making repairs.

The building commissioner said workers will need to add emergency beams and columns to stabilize the compromised ones.

“Our top priority right now,” the mayor said Tuesday morning, “is the safety of those who live in this area and the safety of those who work in this area.”

she’ll

run for French presidency

She’s currently under court-ordered monitor

BY SYLVIE CORBET, JOHN LEICESTER and SAMUEL PETREQUIN Associated Press

PARIS — Far-right leader Marine Le Pen

says she’ll run for the French presidency next year despite being sentenced Tuesday to wear a court-ordered electronic monitor for embezzlement.

The decision by the 57-year-old veteran of three presidential races sets up a fourth campaign like no other: potentially seeking votes while subject to monitoring and with a judge possibly deciding how, and for how long, the punishment is applied

Le Pen said she will appeal the ruling to France’s highest court and that the process will suspend the sentence that she be electronically monitored for a year

the Court of Cassation will vindicate her

“My hands are clean,” she said.

The highest court previously said it would be able to rule before the presidential election, with the first round in April and a knockout round in May

“I want to pursue all the legal avenues available to me so that I can defend my innocence,” she said.

A similar situation arose in former President Nicolas Sarkozy’s corruption case. An appeals court sentenced him in 2023 to serve part of his sentence under electronic monitoring. Sarkozy appealed to the Court of Cassation, which suspended Sarkozy’s sentence pending its review before ultimately upholding the conviction. He wore an electronic ankle monitor last year

“I will therefore campaign without an electronic bracelet,” she said in a television interview Tuesday night. “Tonight, I am a candidate for the presidential election.”

The appeals court ruling earlier Tuesday cleared the way for Le Pen by shortening a ban handed down by a court last year that kept her from seeking public office for five years.

But it also said she must wear an electronic monitor, a constraint Le Pen previously said would make campaigning impossible.

But after huddling for hours with other leading figures of her National Rally party, Le Pen made clear Tuesday night that she believes she won’t be subjected to monitoring at all, and that her appeal to

The appeals court ruled that Le Pen oversaw years of misuse by her National Rally party of European Parliament funds by paying staff with money intended for European Union parliamentary assistants. She denied criminal wrongdoing but said during the trial that the party had made a “mistake.”

The ruling upheld guilty verdicts for all 11 accused, including Le Pen and other party members. The party itself also was declared guilty The court ruled that it embezzled $3.2 million over more than 11 years.

“The facts are serious,” said the chief judge, Michèle Agi.

But the court scaled back punishments handed down by a lower court last year

From five years handed down in March 2025, Le Pen’s ban on seeking office was cut to 45 months, with two-thirds of it suspended. Le Pen has already served 15 months of the ban, meaning that the potential obstacle is now removed.

Declared dead,

toddler is found alive in hospital morgue

Phoenix boy pulled from backyard pool, police say

BY JACQUES BILLEAUD Associated Press

PHOENIX A toddler discovered in a backyard pool in a Phoenix suburb in February was declared dead before being found breathing hours later in a room that serves as the hospital morgue, according to recently released police records.

Two Gilbert police officers saw possible signs of life multiple times, but the child was still taken to the hospital’s “cold room” after being treated by staff, according to the documents.

“Please do your thing and let me do my thing,” Dr Aryan Toosi told an officer at one point, according to the report. “I went to medical school for a reason.”

First responders were dispatched to the home at about 5:30 p.m. on Feb. 8 in response to a reported drowning. They performed life-saving measures on the child before taking him to a hospital where the boy was pronounced dead about an hour later

About five hours later, police were notified that the child was indeed breathing, and he was flown to another hospital. The boy ultimately survived and has been released.

Gilbert police are recommending negligence charges against the parents. Investigators said there was a strong odor of marijuana at the home and open doors that could have allowed unsupervised access to the pool The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office said it was reviewing the case and declined further comment Monday. In 911 calls, two relatives frantically reported that the child had been pulled from the pool as people at the scene could be heard shrieking. One caller reported the toddler was unconscious. No one answered at the home where the near-drowning occurred.

Mercy Gilbert Medical Center, where the 18-month-old was taken, said in a statement that the hospital conducted “a thorough review of all aspects of the care provided to learn what happened and to make meaningful changes to strengthen our care.”

The hospital called it “a heartbreaking situation” and declined to release further details.

Scott Holden, an attorney for Toosi, said that he wouldn’t make a full statement on behalf of the doctor “other than to assure you that there is much more to this case, both factually and medically, than has been reported thus far.”

Le Pen

Mamdani

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ANGELINA KATSANIS

Landry givesTrump hisGreenland recommendations

List focuseson economic,military andculturalties

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Gov.Jeff LandryonTuesday laid out five recommendations on how the United States should approach its relationship with Greenland.

Landry’slist focused on deepereconomic, military andcultural ties —and it didn’tmention the U.S. taking over the island territory in the Arctic, as President Donald Trump has previously said.

“A stronger American presence would make both Greenlandand the United States stronger,” Landry wrote in asocial media post announcing his ideas.

But on the same day, Trumpreiterated hisdesire for control of the autonomous territoryofDenmark during aNATOsummit meeting the same day,again stirring international controversy

“That should be controlled by the United States, not by Denmark,” the president said.

Landry’s recommendations

Landry,whom Trump namedashis specialenvoy to Greenland in December, listed five priorities he said he was recommending to the president.

The priorities are:

n Set up direct shipping routesbetween the U.S. and Greenland.

n Expand the “diplomatic presence” of the United States in Greenland.

n Strengthen the U.S. military presence in Greenland, and approve Denmark’s application to participate in the Department ofDefense’s State Partnership Program, which connects the National Guard in various states with military forces in partner countries.

n Create ajoint investment fund between the U.S and Greenland.

n Expand “diplomacy exchanges” between the U.S. and Greenland.

Spokespeoplefor Landry directedquestions abouthis recommendations —and whether the governor supported atakeover of Greenland —tothe U.S. Department of State, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The Louisiana governor’s plan comes as Trump is in Turkey for asummit with leaders of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Greenland is asemiautonomous territory of Denmark, and Denmark is aNATO ally.The NATO alliance was founded on the principle that its 32 members will defend each others’ territory and not threaten to seize it

Continuing controversy

Landry also said that, after traveling to Greenland in May to meet with ordinary citizens, he believes that they “feel abandoned by Denmark.”

While Landry has spoken positively of his trip, many international news outlets painted aless optimistic picture.

DR, aDanish public-service radio and television broadcasting company, showed video of Greenlanders rejecting MAGA hats Landry proffered.

The New York Times reported that Landry’sGreenlandic guideheard “Traitor!” shouted at him by some residents.

On Tuesday,Greenland’s foreign minister, Múte B Egede, wrote in aFacebook post that Trump’scomments show acontinued “desireto control our country.”

focused on building relationships with Greenland citizens rather than governmentleaders.

Last week, during an interview on “The AlexMarlow Show,” Landry said Trump recentlytold him,‘‘Weneed to get Greenland.’”

Landry said Greenland is “unbelievably important” for the U.S. from the standpoint of natural resources like oil and gas and rareearth minerals.

“We’re gonna get it,” Landry said. That could be accomplished, he said, by increasingU.S.militarypresence in Greenland and “repopulating ourbases”there and opening up shipping and airline routes between the two locations.

On June 21, when Greenlanders celebrated National Day,the Arctic island’sbiggest summer festival anda celebration of Greenlandic

culture, Landry marked the occasion with asocial media post. “As America inches closer to her 250th Independence Day, we join in the celebration of liberty and opportunity,” Landry wrote that day. “Perhaps America’s251st birthdaycan be celebrated withthe additionofit’s51st state!”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

“Wemust stand together at homeand continue the close cooperation with our allies andpartners,”Egede wrote. “At the same time, we must insist on finding solutions through dialogue and respect.Our future is decided by us in Greenland.”

According to the news outlet Reuters, Danish Prime MinisterMette Frederiksen said at the NATOsummit sheexpectsallies torespect that Greenland is notfor sale.

“It isawell-known position of theUnited States that it wantstoown andtakeover Greenland. Ihope that itis equally well-known everywhere that this is not going to happen,” Frederiksen said, according to Reuters.

Trump’scontinued calls for U.S. control of Greenlandhave been an ongoing source of tensionbetween

theAmerican president and European leaders. They escalated sharply in January after the U.S. militaryforces entered Venezuela and captured its then-sitting Nicolás Maduro.

Aday after Maduro’souster,Trump said U.S. control of Greenland was necessary “fromthe standpoint of national security.”

OtherLandrycomments

Before and ever since TrumponDec. 21 announced in asocial media post thathe named Landry theU.S. special envoy, European leaders have bristled at Trump’s approach to Greenland, and the scope and details about Landry’srole in those efforts has been unclear

The governor does not appear to be directly involved in official diplomatic negotiations. He has said he is

There’sanew leader -and anew foodie -in

St.Charles Parish.You mighthavenoticed Alex Markos turningoff RiverRoadintoShell Norco’s main gate,enjoyinglunch at alocal restaurant or touringthe Norconeighborhoodashegets afeelfor life andworkinLouisiana.Along the way, he’s been asking an importantquestion: wheretofind thebestgumbo in theparish. So far, hismosttrusted guides have beenShell Norco employees andnearbyneighbors

That focusonlisteningand building connectionsreflects Markos’approachtoleadership, both professionally andpersonally. “You don’t succeedalone,” he says.“Thepeopleclosest to the work understand it best, andtheyare essential to gettingitright.”

Alberta, Canada,a role that shaped thefoundation of hiscareer. Earlyon, he learnedthe importance of preparation, attentiontodetail, andanunwavering commitment to safety -and that expertisecan be foundinevery corner of a site.“Some of themostvaluablethingsI learned came from operators, technicians, andfrontline workers,”hesays. “Peoplewho know theplant inside andout.”

principle: safety comesfirst. “Nothingismore importantthanmakingsureevery person who comestoworkgoeshomesafely,”hesays. Hisfocus also includes environmentalperformance, reliability, anddevelopingthe people whokeepthe site running. He sees operational excellence andlong-term strategy as inseparable. “You have to delivertoday whilepreparing for tomorrow,”hesays.Thatfutureincludesnavigating an evolving energy landscapewhile maintaining competitivenessand relevance. Markos believes Norcoiswellpositionedtodoboth.

Markos is also focusedonstrengthening connectionswiththe surroundingcommunity “Norco’s impact on St.Charles Parish extends across generations, supporting localjobs, businesses,schools,and abroad networkofpartners, he says.“It’s importantthatwecontinuetoearn that trust everyday.“Ilookforward to meeting peopleandbecomingpartofthecommunity.Every communityhas itsown historyand priorities, andit’simportant to listen first andlearn what makesSt. CharlesParishspecial.”

It’s amindset he brings to hisnew role as Vice PresidentofShell Norco, akey site in Shell’sU.S operations.The only Shellrefinery in thecountry integrated with chemicalsmanufacturing,Norco playsa centralroleinthe company’soperations andthe Gulf Coasteconomy

“I washonored andexcited to take on this role,” Markos says.“ShellNorco hasalonghistory and areputationfor greatpeopleand astrongculture Iwas excitedfor theopportunity to becomepart of that story, whilerecognizingthe responsibility that comeswithit. My first priority is gettingto know thepeople, understandingthe site,and learningwhatmakes Norcosuccessful.

Markos joined Shellin2006asa mechanical engineer at theScotfordmanufacturing site in

Over thepasttwo decades, Markos hasworked in severalcountries in rolesspanningoperations, commercial work,and strategy.“Those experiences taught me thereisrarelyonlyone waytolookatachallenge.Theyalsohelped me understand howdecisions at amanufacturing site connecttocustomers, markets, employees, andcommunities,” he says,emphasizingthe valueoflistening. Hisleadershiproles at ShellPolymersMonaca in Pennsylvania andthe Sarnia Manufacturing Centre in Canada prepared himfor balancing large-scaleoperationswithculture,trust,and visibleleadership. At Norco, he stepsintoa workplacewidelyrecognizedwithin Shellfor itsstrongculture,something he quicklynoticed “There’s arealsense of pridehere,”hesays. “Peoplecareabout thesite, abouteachother,and aboutdoing things theright way.”Thatculture, builtovergenerations,isone of thesite’sgreatest strengths. Many employees have spenttheir entire careersatNorco,and forsomefamilies, connectionstothe site span generations. Preservingand strengtheningthatsense of ownership is akey priority At thecoreofhis leadership philosophyisthis

Having recently relocatedtoLouisiana with hiswife, Lauren,their twochildren, ages 14 and 12,arescuedog,and ahorse,the move represents both aprofessionalmilestone andapersonal adventure. “We’re excitedtomakeLouisiana ourhome,”hesays. “We’re lookingforward to experiencing theculture, theGulfCoast,local festivals, andeverythingelsethe region hasto offer.And yes, I’mdefinitely afoodie- so being somewhereknown forgreat food is anicebonus If Ihad to pick onefavoritetoday,itwould prob-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

U.S. special envoytoGreenland,Gov.Jeff Landry, left, arrives in Nuuk, Greenland,onMay 20

McConnell speaks with GOP leaders, aidessay

BY MARYCLAREJALONICK

Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Senate’s top two Republicans have spoken individually to KentuckySen.Mitch McConnell, acc ord ing to aides,as the former GOPleader remains in the hospital more than three weeks after being admitted for undisclosed health issues

Aides to McConnell have declinedtorelease any information about his condition, fueling speculationabouthis prognosis and whether he will be healthy enough tobe at the Capitol when the Senate returns to Washington next week after atwo-week recess. McConnell, 84, is retiring at the end of his term in January.

Aspokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said he had spoken with McConnell by phone on Monday and that the two had a“lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a varietyoftopics, including national security.”

As leader,Thuneisgenerally kept up to date on illnesses and absences in his conference as he has to navigate vote counts and his narrow 53-47 majority

Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2Senate Republican, had a20-minute conversation with McConnell on Tuesday,according to aspokeswoman.

The two discussed Senate races ahead of the midterm elections,the Supreme Court and other topics, the statement said.

“Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate,” said Barrasso spokeswomanKate Noyes.

Another McConnell ally, Republican strategist Scott Jennings, posted on Xthat he had also talked to McConnell for 20 minutes on Tuesday, and that “he’sstill recovering in the hospital.” Jennings said they spoke about politics, foreign policy “and even alittle bit of Senate history.”

McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14, according to astatement from his office that only said he was “receiving excellent care.”

Astatement aweek later said that he would not be voting that week. And on Thursday,anew statement said that he ”appreciates the outpouring of support he’sreceiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.”

“The Senator continues to improve,and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session,” the statement said.

Senate candidateshoulddropout,Sanders says

Platneraccused of sexual assault

BY KIMBERLEE KRUESI, PATRICK WHITTLE and JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press

PORTLAND, Maine— Sen. Bernie Sanders on Tuesday became thelatestand most notable lawmakertopull support for Maine Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Graham Platnerfollowing an allegation of sexual assault, adding to achorusof calls for him to stepaside as party leaders scramble to determine the next steps. Sanders,aVermont independent who caucuseswith Democrats, haslong backed Platner in the high-stakes race against Republican Sen. Susan Collins, but he said in astatement that he spoke with thecandidate and “in light of these very

serious allegations, Ihave recommended that he step aside.”

Platner,who denies theallegation,has notheeded the calls to resign. Instead, he posteda video on Monday saying he was considering the next steps for his campaign while canceling town

Judgerejects subpoena from DOJin’20 election

It sought names of Ga.workers

BY KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press

ATLANTA— The U.S. Department of Justice cannot have the names and personal contact informationfor everyperson whoworked duringthe 2020 election in Georgia’sFulton County,a federaljudge ruled Tuesday.

The JusticeDepartment in Aprilserved agrand jury subpoena seeking the names and personalcontact information of county employees and volunteer poll workers. President Donald Trump has long claimed without evidencethat widespread voter fraudinGeorgia’s mostpopulous county, aDemocraticstronghold, cost himvictory inthe state in 2020 Fulton County askeda judge to quash the subpoena,arguing it was meantto “target, harassand punish the President’sperceived political opponents” and that it was “grossly over broad and untethered to anyreasonable need.”

“Given the low need for the subpoenaed information andthe highlyburdensome nature of the disclosure of the same, the Subpoena is unreasonable andmust be quashed,” U.S. DistrictJudge William Ray wroteinhis ruling, calling the scopeofthe request “staggering.”

Emails seekingcomment weresenttoboththe Justice Department andFulton County

While grand juriesoften work with federal prosecutors to investigate alleged crimes, “that does not give the DOJ the right to use the Grand Jury to do whatever the DOJ wants,” wrote Ray, who was nominated to the benchbyTrump. Even if the records

sought by the JusticeDepartment could help find people who workedfor the county during the2020 electionwho support thetheory thatthe election was unfair, theinformation couldn’tbe used to charge anyone, Ray wrote.

“That is because thestatute of limitations for any possible crime arising from the 2020Election has long expired,” he wrote.

The subpoena came after the FBI in Januaryserved asearch warrant at the FultonCounty election hub and seizedhundreds of boxes of ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. Afederal judge in May denied the county’srequest to force the federal government to returnthe ballots.

The Justice Department argued in acourtfiling that the subpoena was the “next step in the normalinvestigative process” and that it seeks “records identifying persons with relevant knowledge.”

Kamal Ghali, alawyer for the county, argued thatthe subpoena “will chill participation by election workers” and thatthe statute of limitations for any of the allegedmisconduct hadalready lapsed.

Justice DepartmentlawyerWilliam McComb argued the statute of limitations issue is not relevant at the investigative stage. The point of the investigation is to figure outwhatcharges can be brought,hesaid.

“Mypoint is, as we sithere now,weare not sure what charges can be brought. That’s the whole pointofthe investigation,” he said.

Thejudgenoted that the Justice Departmenthad expressed concern about possible criminal actions in the years thatfollowed the election, includinganalleged failure by the county to preserveelectronicballot images.

hall events.

Platnerposted the video after reports that awoman who previously dated the first-time candidate said he drunkenly forced herto have sex after she told him to stop.

The allegation is thelatest in astring of controversies

Platner has faced and so far weathered sincethe oyster farmer and Marine veteran entered the race. But the seriousness of the assault claim has put the Maine contest— andDemocrats’ ability to wincontrol of the Senate —atrisk, with even some of his strongest supporters questioning whether Platnershould continue his campaign. If Platner steps down, apossible succession battle would inflame aDemocratic divide as the party seeks unity ahead of the November midterms.

Platner becameapopulist hero amongthe party’sleft flank, pulling farahead of an establishment-backed candidate, Gov.Janet Mills, in the primary.Now,ifhe quits the contest, progressive groups aredemanding thatthe state’sDemocratic Party chooseasimilarly shake-up-the-system candidate to replace him.

“Tothe Democratic establishment: This is not your opening,” said Joseph Geevarghese, who leads an organization founded by Sanders, Our Revolution. After withdrawingits endorsement of Platner, the group said Tuesday that it was “rallyingbehind” another progressive contender Joanie Monteith,a passionate supporter from thesouthernMaine town of York who organized a trivia night about Platner in March, said through tears that she wasdevastated. She was waiting for another public statement from Platner before making a decision about whether she could keep supporting him.

“I’m numb, andI’m waitingfor what Graham hasto say,” she said. “I’m trying not to be apart of this public trial. And I’mheartbroken. And I’m heartbroken for him and his wife.”

McConnell

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Graham Platner,Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, and Sen.Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., left, join handsatanevent in Orono, Maine, in May.

ANon-surgical, Drugless method of RelievingPain

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those state-hired lawyers represented her as recently as last month, asking a judge to toss the case for lack of an appeal, according to court records.

The Supreme Court said Friday that the Attorney General’s Office representation of White posed an ethical conflict in Murrill’s case that “should have been obvious.” Judge Leon Roche appointed White to the case.

Meanwhile, Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, a former Orleans Parish prosecutor who is helping defend Murrill, said in a statement that the attorney general has asked to remove her firm, Rodrigue & Arcuri, from civil cases it handles for the office.

White has claimed it’s Rodrigue who has the conflict, as state law bars prosecutors from criminal defense work.

Rodrigue did not concede any ethical lapses, however

The statement noted that last year the Louisiana Supreme Court declared an exception for law firms hired by the attorney general to handle civil work — namely, petitions from prisoners.

Rodrigue & Arcuri’s civil caseload with the attorney general is being reassigned “to avoid any confusion,” the statement said.

Those moves came in anticipation of a bitter legal faceoff over the 16-count indictment that an Orleans Parish grand jury handed up last week against Murrill, under White’s guidance.

The charges exploded political tensions that have roiled for months between state Republican leaders and local elected Democrats over control of the New Orleans court system.

The indictment alleges that Murrill committed felonies when she penned warning letters in May to Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five City Council members threatening their jobs for backing an election and ap-

pointing an interim leader for a newly unified Court Clerk’s Office in the city. Murrill claimed the local officials were helping “usurp” the authority of Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the elected civil clerk chosen by the Legislature to lead the combined office.

The new law denied former life prisoner Calvin Duncan the criminal clerk’s seat he’d won handily at the polls.

Murrill argues she was just doing her job as the state’s top lawyer by cautioning the city leaders. The indictment charges her with eight counts each of intimidation and malfeasance in office.

The Supreme Court upheld the law, rejecting the council’s call for a vote.

“This indictment appears to turn the law on its head and flows from what appear to be extraordinary procedural defects and improprieties,” the Supreme Court majority found.

The court set no timetable as it stayed the indictment and invited Murrill to file a motion to quash it. Kyle Schonekas, another attorney for Murrill, declined to comment Monday

Host of ethical pitfalls

The court majority suggested that the case against Murrell could fall on a procedural failure.

It found that “by all public accounts” the criminal court had “violated express provisions of state law requiring that grand jury returns occur in the public eye, ‘in open court.’”

Roche, who ordered reporters out of his courtroom for the indictment, quickly responded with an unsolicited opinion that challenged the court’s view of Article 383, the law governing grand jury returns.

Roche claims that open court “does not mean open to the public. Rather, it means while the judge is present on the bench.”

How the Supreme Court decides that issue could dictate the fate of the case against Murrill, as the grand

jury that charged her has since disbanded.

In the meantime, legal analysts and court watchers have been left to parse a ruling with little precedent.

Legal scholars couldn’t recall the Louisiana Supreme Court stepping in so early to cast shade on a charging document or question how it came to be.

The court focused a share of its criticism on White, the special prosecutor, who left the criminal court bench in 2023.

White said that Roche called to offer her an appointment as a special prosecutor without indicating the subject matter She later agreed to take the case, returning to the court where she served for more than 15 years.

Before becoming a judge, White worked as a civil rights attorney on highstakes prisoner cases. For years, she represented Duncan as he sat in prison for murder

“The likely conflicts of interest precluding her involvement in this matter if accurately stated, should have been obvious,” the Supreme Court wrote.

The majority also found that Murrill “is likely to succeed on the merits of a motion to quash this indictment on either a legal basis or due to apparent procedural irregularities.”

White once managed professional boxers As a judge, she often sparred with Rodrigue’s father, Leon Cannizzaro, the former twoterm district attorney who recently retired as Murrill’s criminal division chief.

The courthouse she left has changed. Alongside local prosecutors, Murrill’s staff now handles hundreds of felony cases at the courthouse, from arrests made by Troop Nola, the dedicated Louisiana State Police unit set up by Gov Jeff Landry “I’m not the story,” White said. “The attorney general is the headline.”

‘Calvin Duncan’s ghost’

Whatever the stakes for

Murrill, White insisted in an interview Monday that she’s not conflicted. She said she hasn’t represented Duncan since 1998, and if there’s a conflict over the lawyers who handled her civil case, she said it was Murrill’s concern.

White said she called Murrill’s office last week, after The Times-Picayune | The Advocate first reported about the secret grand jury investigation, to alert them of a possible conflict on the horizon. Murrill’s attorneys argued that the call itself was illegal, with White revealing secret grand jury information.

White argues that it was Murrill who violated grand jury secrecy

One prominent legal ethics specialist questioned the court’s jaundiced view of White’s involvement.

“I don’t believe the conflict is as obvious as some members of the Supreme Court might think it is,” said Loyola University law professor Dane Ciolino.

He said he isn’t so sure that Murrill’s office having furnished lawyers to defend White in her civil case was enough to exclude her from the prosecution. White’s earlier work as a lawyer for Duncan also may not disqualify her

“Calvin Duncan’s ghost still hangs over this,” Ciolino said, “but I don’t know if that specter is enough to be a conflict of interest.”

The question is whether White has a “personal interest that impairs the fair and impartial administration of justice,” Ciolino said, citing the state law that governs recusals by district attorneys. “That’s a bit of an indeterminate standard.”

Views of the justices differed even among those who agreed to stay of the indictment against Murrill.

Supreme Court Justice Jay McCallum viewed the episode as tawdry and punishable. He wrote that Murrill’s allegations, “if they prove to be even partially

accurate,” would require “additional proceedings” before the state bodies that investigate judges and lawyers for misconduct. Justice Piper Griffin of New Orleans also agreed on the stay, but only because it “allows this Court to ultimately resolve this rapidly escalating quagmire.”

In dissent, Chief Justice John Weimer and Justice John Michael Guidry argued against preferential treatment for Murrill. Whether Roche or any of the 12 criminal court judges will play a role in the case is doubtful.

The criminal case against Murrill was allotted to Judge Angel Harris, and an arraignment is set for Wednesday But sources said a majority of the court’s judges met behind closed doors Tuesday morning and agreed to recuse. Should all of the judges step aside, the Louisiana Supreme Court would appoint an outside judge.

STRIKES

were notable for happening while President Donald Trumpwas in Turkey fora summit of theNATO military alliance. Hours after the three tankers were struck by projectiles, the United States revoked alicense that had authorizedthe sale of Iranian oil as part of the interim deal to end the fightingbetween the U.S. and Iran. The new assaults in the fuelshipping waterway were the most in asingle day since late April, according to the U.N. International Maritime Organization. The fresh attacksthreatened to chokeoff the flow of traffic in the strait just as countries hoped to restore normal shippingpracticesand easethe global economic strain of thewar AU.S. official said the license was revoked because Iran’sactions in the strait were unacceptable and needed to be met with consequences. The official spoke with The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity to share insight into the reasoningbehind the move.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry condemned the U.S. move to revoke the license, saying in astatement thatitviolatesthe interim deal and that “the U.S. government bearsresponsibility for theconsequencesofthis breach of commitment.” Iran’sdeputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, alsosaidin apost on Xthat the new attacks by the U.S. are aviolation of that agreement.

One tanker caught fire after getting hit

One tanker was traveling off the coast of Oman when it was hit and caught fire, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operationscenter said. Iranian state television said the liquefied natural gastanker came under attack afterignoring warnings but did not directly claim the assault.

The other two ships sustained some damage, but no onewas injured, and both continued on their way,the U.K. maritime agency said.

Tehran, which hasrepeatedly declared that only its approved route through the strait is safe, is suspected of attacking other ships that have used another route close to the Omani shore.

VACATION

Continued from page1A

hotels onthe Mississippi Coast. Visitors are lookingatplaces farther from thebeach to cut costs And even some affluent travelers who normally retreat to higherenddestinations along Florida’s ScenicHighway 30A say they are choosing less expensive destinationsthissummer,including nearbyMiramar Beach, Florida, or Alabama’sGulf Shores.

Asimilarstory is unfolding aroundthe countryasrising prices force travelers to scaleback vacationplans to fit tighterbudgets. Transportation costs have risen by about 35% over the past year,and hotelprices are up by 5%, accordingtothe U.S. Travel Association.Somefamilies are taking shorter trips or skipping summergetaways altogether as costs for travel,dining andevent tickets soar

On theGulfCoast, thechangingtravel habits are also asign of howrisingpopulationsand strong demand from tourists have transformed once-quiet beach towns.

“It’snot as affordable as it was 10 years ago —nothing is,”said

Beth Gendler,president and CEOofGulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism. Still, the tourism agency’s datashows more than 7millionvisitorsarrived in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach andFort Morgan last year andspent arecord amount of more than $920 milliononlodging.

“There’sgreat value in it,” Gendlersaid.“Everyone needs avacation.”

Demandand prices

For decades, the Alabama and Florida coastlines have attracted middle- and working-class Southerners with promises of mostly affordable vacations in spots like Gulf Shores, Destin and Panama City Beach. Then the aftermath of thecoronavirus pandemic led to recordbreaking tourism surges in beach destinations along theGulf Coast, where many businesses reopened quicklyand visitors couldenjoy open-air spaces.

The average daily ratefor shortterm rentals in coastal Alabama has increasedby9%compared with two years ago, according to Gendler,eventhough the region’s hotelrates have remained relative-

ly flat over that period.

The population across the southeast United States —where Gulf Coasttourism agencieshave historically marketedtheir destinations —isalsogrowing, which meansadvertisements for Mississippi,Alabama and Florida beaches are reaching more prospective visitors than ever

And averagegas prices amid the Iran war soared almost $1 higherthanlast year in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabamaand Florida, according to AAA, even as the country’saverage price per gallonrecentlydropped below$4 for thefirst time in months

To cope withhigher costs, some Louisiana families are now renting older properties away from thebeachfront or booking propertieswithkitchenettes to avoid dining out, according to Allyson Breaux, atravel agent based in St.Landry Parish.

“They decide either less is more, or more is worth paying for,” shesaid.

Amy Roddie, from Meridian, Mississippi, has taken an RV to thebeach with her family each summer for two decades.She used to stay at campgrounds closer to Gulf Shores, just amile or two from thewaterfront. But after several campgrounds were redone and prices rose to about $1,600 amonth, she began looking farther north.

This year,she is staying with her grandchildren at Sun CityRV Park, where the monthly rate is still about $1,000.

“I don’tknowhow people afford

it,” said Roddie from the RV park several miles northofOrange Beach

“It’sstill cheaper to literally do three months here than aweek in somecondos,” Roddie added. “It’s crazy.”

Affordable vacationspossible?

Tracking the average cost of hotels andvacation rentalproperties along theGulfCoast is difficult. Many accommodations operate like airlines, with dynamic pricing that can change several times aday

But travel agents saysome beachfront condos can cost more than $3,000a week,compared with less than $2,000 aweek about adecade ago. In some cases, cruises or allinclusive resorts overseas can be similarly priced to some weeklong condo rentalsinthe Alabama cities of Orange Beach andGulf Shores, said Stacy Rodriguez, a travel agentwho works with clients in the New Orleans area.

“It’shard to find ahundred and something dollar hotel anywhere along the coast now,” Rodriguez said. “Just afew years ago, it was definitely doable.”

Therisingcosts are also addingchallenges for travel agents, according to LaKesha Cage, an agentwho works with families across Louisiana. One client’s family wantedtovisit Florida earlierthis summerbut began considering acheaper vacation in Dallas to visit the nearby Six Flags amusement park.

“I really haven’tbeenable to

find them anything” in Florida, Cage said. “Everything is super high.”

Vacation rental property owners arealso facing rising expenses, including insurancepremiums Andyoungerownersbuyinginto the market are paying farmore forpropertiesthanthe owners whoboughtindecades before them, which often meansthey must chargehigherrents to cover their costs.

In Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, tourism leaders say they are trying to promote the benefits of traveling in the offseason to spread demand andare also advertising free attractions to visitorswho often return each year Around the region, tourism officials say visitors can save money by booking directlywithrental companies to avoid added fees and by visiting during Augustor the fall when rates drop.

“People can still find affordable Destin vacations,” said Tracy Louthain, director of marketing at Newman-DaileyResort Properties, which manages morethan 300 rentalsbetween Destin and Scenic Highway 30A. “You just have to be asavvy traveler.” Still —even at cheaper campgrounds and RV parks —surging demand hasraisedsome prices near the beach. Sabe Nicholson, who runs Sun City RV Park, said many families who staywith him are retreating from costs at the shoreline. “This,” he said,“is an alternative.”

Video shows suspect on roof to kill Charlie Kirk, official testifies

inson’s alleged movements before and after Kirk was killed as prosecutors played previously unseen campus surveillance videos in state court.

BY HANNAH SCHOENBAUM and MATTHEW BROWN Associated Press

PROVO, Utah

T. Robinson

— The man charged with killing Charlie Kirk strolled Utah Valley University in shorts and a Tshirt, bought a meal at Chick-fil-A and made contact with people from Kirk’s organization, before returning in different clothes to shoot the conservative activist from a rooftop, an investigator tes-

tified Tuesday

Former State Bureau of Investigation Agent David Hull described Tyler Rob-

The defendant first arrived on campus about four hours before the shooting and returned several times, including when he allegedly went onto the roof to shoot Kirk and again the night after Kirk was killed, Hull said.

Prosecutors say they intend to seek the death penalty in the case. They are trying to convince Judge Tony Graf that they have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial on an aggravated murder charge.

Robinson has not yet entered a plea. His attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence. They have, however, sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccess-

on foot, Hull said. Investigators found the suspected murder weapon — a bolt-action rifle with one spent round — wrapped in a towel in some nearby woods. DNA on the towel matched to two people.

One was Robinson’s roommate and the other was very likely Robinson, Jennifer Faumuina with the State Bureau of Investigation testified.

This week’s preliminary hearing marks the most significant presentation of evidence to date in the case.

Authorities allege Robinson, 23, shot Kirk on Sept. 10 while the 31-year-old activist and ally of President Donald Trump was speaking to a crowd of thousands.

Charges dropped against dad who drove family off cliff in California

BY OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO All charges against a radiologist accused of trying to kill his family in 2023 by driving his car off a cliff along the Northern California coast have been dismissed by a judge following his completion of a mental health program. Prosecutors charged Dharmesh Patel, 45, with attempted murder after he drove his Tesla off a 250foot cliff along the Pacific Coast Highway known as “Devil’s Slide,” injuring his wife and two young children. All four survived the Jan. 2, 2023, crash in what one official called an “absolute miracle.”

A San Mateo County judge dismissed the charges on Monday after Patel completed a two-year mental health diversion program with a Stanford University psychiatrist and a family therapist this week, San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe said.

“The judge was required by the law to dismiss the charges,” Wagstaffe said. In 2024, a different judge ruled Patel would receive mental health treatment instead of standing trial after his defense attorneys argued he was going through episodic major depression with hallucinations when he drove his family off the cliff and qualified for men-

tal health diversion under California law that went into effect in 2023.

“If the person who’s given mental health diversion follows the treatment plan, there’s nothing that can be done and at the end of the two years he gets it wiped out of his record.” Wagstaffe said.

San Mateo prosecutors unsuccessfully opposed diversion for Patel.

Wagstaffe and other California district attorneys have argued that attempted murder should be excluded from eligibility for mental health diversion, and they are working with lawmakers to amend the law

“We’ll try again in the future,” he said about the law “We’re not giving up.”

runs back across the roof, drops to the ground and flees

Defense attorney Kathryn Nester questioned Hull’s handling of the crime scene on the day of the shooting. She also asked about a bullet that was found on campus at

a different location than the alleged shooting site. Hull said that bullet was traced back to a law enforcement officer who had “cleared” his weapon, ejecting an unused bullet. He also said a handgun in a backpack was found at the scene. Robinson’s attorneys also raised questions about the DNA evidence, using testimony from an FBI analyst to demonstrate that finding a person’s DNA on an item doesn’t necessarily mean that person touched the item.

Prosecutors contend the shooting endangered others at Kirk’s campus event — an aggravating circumstance that could make the crime punishable by death under Utah law Robinson also faces possible sentence enhancements based on the prosecution’s claim that he targeted Kirk because of his political views.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SPENSER HEAPS

Tyler Robinson’s parents, Matt Robinson and Amber Robinson, second from right, arrive at the Fourth District Courthouse on Tuesday in Provo, Utah, ahead of a hearing in the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk.

Monaco bombingsuspect founddeadinUkraine

Womanaccused of trying to kill business tycoon

BY SAMYAKULLAB and VOLODYMYR YURCHUK Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine The woman suspected of trying to kill a Ukrainian business tycoon in abombing attack in Monaco last week was found dead in Ukrainewith gunshot wounds to the head, Ukraine’s Security Service said on Tuesday

ligenceofficer said he acted on his own and without the knowledge of hissuperiors, the SBU said.

AUkrainian military intelligence officer confessed to killing the bombing suspect, Anastasiia Berezovska, with the help of aformer law enforcement officer,said the security service, known as theSBU.The military intel-

Both men were detained on suspicionofmurdering Berezovska, aUkrainian national whose last knownresidence was in Germany, according to authorities. They also “mayhavebeen involved in planning” last week’sbombing, Monaco prosecutor Stéphane Thibault said late Tuesday The bombing attack at an apartment building entrance in Monaco reportedly injured Vadym Yermolaiev, a tycoon with links to Russia. Awoman and achild who were with himwere also injured, and the Monaco prosecutor said last week that oneofthe victims wasina life-threatening condition.

Theattack shocked Monaco,a coastal playground for

the richand famous known for its tax-friendly incentivesand royal family Authorities have not disclosed possible motives for the bombing attack, or the killing of Berezovska.Based on the sophistication of the remote-controlled explosive device thatwas used, investigators in Monaco saidlast week thatthey believed multiple people were involved in the attack.

In Kyiv,the mysterious eventshaveraisedconcerns among some lawmakers about how Ukraine’sWestern alliesare reacting to a possibleassassinationattemptinMonaco that is now linked to at least one member of Ukraine’s militaryintelligence agency “I hope it will nothavea serious impact. But ourallies deserve an explanation,” said alawmaker from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’sparty

U.S. shared confidentialinfoon asylum seekerswithIran,

BY SAFIYAH RIDDLE Associated Press

LOS ANGELES Alawsuit

filed Tuesday alleges that the Trump administration’s immigration agencies have been sharing confidential informationabout Iranian asylum seekers with the Iranian government, violating national immigration regulations and endangering countless Iranians, court filings argue. The lawsuit depicts acoordinated campaign between the U.S. and Iranian governments to identify Iranians in Immigrationand Customs Enforcement custody and pressurethem to return to Iran —amarked departure from decades of diplomatic hostility betweenthe two governments and an ongoing war.The Department of Homeland Securitydenied that it is sharingasylum application records with the Iranian government. Roughly 600 Iranianswere put in immigrationdetention last year,according to public records obtainedbythe National Iranian American Council. In June, an Iranian womanwas among thetwo dozen migrantsthe U.S.deported to the Central African Republic —ina marked departure from adecades-long practice by theU.S.ofwelcoming Iranian dissidents, exiles andothers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution

suit says

forced alargenumberof Iranians to flee.

TheU.S.governmentis allowed to work with governmentofficials of foreign countriestocoordinate deportation logistics. However federal regulations passed in thelate 1990s prohibit the government from sharing information that could reveal that the individual getting deported applied for asylum.

“Congress made these confidentialityprotections mandatory precisely because lives depend on them,and no agency and no administration,ofeither party,may set them aside,” said Ali Rahnama, the interim executive director of Iranian American Legal DefenseFund.

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FounderofpioneeringBlack hair care business dies at 99

BY COREYWILLIAMS and AISHAI.JEFFERSON Associated Press

CHICAGO George E. Johnson Sr., apioneer in Black hair carewhose multimillion dollar business was the first Black-owned company to be listed on theAmerican Stock Exchange, has died at age99, according to his family Johnson died Monday at his home in downtown Chicago. Acause of death was not released.

Johnson and his late wife, Joan, startedJohnson Productsin1954 on Chicago’s South Side after securing a$250 loan. It grew into ahair care empire catering almostexclusively to Blackpeople,withbrands like Afro Sheen and Ultra

Sheen. His companywas anational sponsor of the hit 1970s music and dance television show “Soul Train.”

“JohnsonProducts becameafixture in homes and salons around the world and asource of pridethroughoutBlack America,” his family said in astatement.

As an adult, Johnson worked for the Blackowned FullerProducts Co.inChicago. Beardsaid Johnsonmet abarber who was distraught because he couldn’tconvince Fuller to back aproduct he was working on thatstraightened men’s hair. The drawback wasthe product

burned the scalp. Johnsonworkedwith Fuller’schemist to revamp the barber’sformula and started his business after ultimatelyconvincing abankheneededa $250 loan to take his wife on avacation, Beard said. That business would become Johnson Products. Johnson’scompany offered above-market salaries,profit-sharingfor its workers, healthcare and other benefits at atime when many companies didn’tprovide such perks, Beard added. Johnson Products was sold in 1993 to apharmaceutical firm in adeal worth morethan $60 million.

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Berezovska

Police: Woman crashes, opens fire

Landry blasts case, says bail set too low

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

A woman was arrested after police said she crashed her car on Interstate 110, exited the vehicle, began shooting at cars and hit one person.

Baton Rouge police said the shooting happened Sunday afternoon on 647 North Interstate 110 near Harding Boulevard, when Habib crashed a black Nissan Altima on the shoulder and blocked one lane of traffic.

The car was reportedly carjacked in New Orleans prior to the crash, police said.

Leila Habib, 63, of New Orleans, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish Prison on counts of attempted second-degree murder, aggravated criminal damage to property, simple damage to property and illegal use of a weapon.

Man cleared in death of cousin

Jury finds 2024 killing was self-defense

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

Wrapping up a tense murder trial that saw at least one family member removed from the courtroom, a Baton Rouge jury on Thursday found that Terrell Walker acted in self-defense when he fatally shot an older cousin outside a family gathering in 2024.

The 23-year-old Walker was on trial for second-degree murder in the death of 39-year-old Norris Robinson Jr He also faced a charge of attempted second-degree murder in the nonfatal shooting of Robinson’s then-17-year-old daughter as well as a count of illegal use of a firearm.

After an uneasy final day of the trial and around three hours of deliberation, jurors found Walker not guilty on all three charges.

The case split the extended family onto both sides of the courtroom’s aisle, with Judge Fred Crifasi even being required to kick one man out of the courtroom after he mouthed “murdered” at the defendant, Crifasi said.

Among the most intriguing elements of the case was the lack of footage from a multicamera security system on the exterior of the

ä See SHOOTING, page 2B

According to Habib’s arrest warrant, she exited the car and ran in between lanes of traffic using a Smith & Wesson handgun to prevent cars from driving past Habib blocked a gray Silverado pickup from passing and shot her gun in the air once, police said. As the driver of the truck attempted to get away, he hit Habib, who fell on the front of the car Habib then shot the windshield of the truck, grazing

the driver’s head, according to the arrest warrant. The driver crashed into the rear of Habib’s car and stopped in the center lane, police said Habib then attacked another victim’s Silverado pickup truck after he told her he would call the police. Police said Habib started banging on the passenger door of the truck before jumping into the bed of the truck and shooting her gun in the air. Police said the driver headed to a nearby church to get to a safe place while Habib continued shooting her

gun and damaged his rearview mirror Police arrested Habib at the church at 11:10 p.m. and confiscated the gun. In a statement on social media, Gov Jeff Landry blasted the bail set for Habib as too low Commissioner Kina Kimble gave her a bail of $180,000, according to prison officials, $100,000 for attempted second-degree murder and $80,000 for other counts.

ä See CRASHES, page 2B

FIELD OF GREENS

A horse grazes Thursday in a field along Jefferson Highway in Baton Rouge.

owed $50K

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A Livingston Parish judge has ruled that Michael Lunsford and the Lafayette-based Citizens for a New Louisiana owe $50,000 to a librarian in a defamation case that has not yet been tried on its merits.

Twenty-first Judicial District Court Judge Erika Sledge of Livingston Parish on June 15 awarded Amanda Jones, a Livingston Parish school librarian, $50,979 to be paid by Citizens for a New Louisiana and Executive Director Michael Lunsford.

In 2022, Jones spoke at a Livingston Parish Library Board meeting against censorship and the proposal removal of books. Lunsford, who runs the social media for the conservative Citizens for a New Louisiana, and blogger Ryan Thames blasted Jones on social media, saying she supported books that she didn’t and

‘Find a purpose again’: Baton Rouge court gives veterans a second chance

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

that she supported pornography in libraries.

Jones sued in August 2022 for defamation Lunsford, Citizens and Thames filed a special motion to strike, which was granted.

A motion for a new trial by Jones was denied. She stipulated that, should the defendants win on appeal, she would pay $12,500 to Citizens and $13,000 to Thames.

Sledge wrote in her decision that throughout 2023, Jones went through the appeals process, filing multiple legal briefs in response to the defendants’ two separate oppositions, filing a supplemental brief regarding the jurisdiction of the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal and so forth.

The case was sent back to the appeals court in December 2024. Judge: Livingston

Lafayette group accused of defamation ä See LIBRARIAN, page 2B

Days before the United States celebrated its 250th birthday, two Army veterans commemorated their own milestone: becoming the second-ever class to graduate from the 19th Judicial District Court’s Veterans’ Treatment Court.

The 1st Circuit, in January 2024, ruled that it lacked jurisdiction in the case and dismissed the appeal without considering the merits of Jones’ case. Jones filed an application for a rehearing, which was denied, followed by a writ to the Louisiana Supreme Court, which found the 1st Circuit did have jurisdiction.

Standing in white robes before an assembly of family, supporters, court staff and fellow veterans, graduates Cydney Muhammad and Shaquille Robinson accepted certificates Thursday showing they’d completed the post-conviction program. The Veterans’ Treatment Court is just one of several recovery courts that operate in the district court, each intended to provide support to inmates or parolees whose crimes were caused in part by some negative contributing condition, like drug and alcohol abuse or mental illness.

“A lot of time, due to their service, (veterans) come back with various disorders, either mental health disorders or substance use disorders, a combination of both. And the question becomes: What is our obligation to try and meet their needs?” said District Judge

Johnson,

PROVIDED PHOTO Shaquille Robinson, left, and Cydney Muhammad accept their graduation certificates Thursday at the 19th Judicial District Court’s Veterans’ Treatment Court.

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

CajunWorld WarIIveteran dies at 100

Rayneman served as ammo carrier, French-speaking liaison

BY JA’KORI MADISON

Staff writer

Prigeon Joseph Fontenot Sr ,a Rayne native and World WarII veteran, hasdied at age 100. Fontenot died Friday at Ochsner Acadia General Hospital in Crowley,according to his family Just weeks before hisdeath, Fontenot traveled to Normandy, France, where he joined fellow World WarIIveteranstocommemoratethe 82nd anniversary of DDayand honor the men and women

VETERANS

Continued frompage1B

random drug testing, support group meetings,vocational or jobcounseling and educational classes.

It stands as aconstructive standin forthe traditional criminal justicesystem, giving service members achance to avoid jail time and have their convictions expunged if they accept responsibility for their crimes and follow through on the program’srequirements.

Robinson said now that he’s graduated and is 18 months sober he’s excitedtoreturntohis jobas acorrectional officer at the state penitentiary

“There’sadifficulty adjusting from being in astructured environment for so long, then you come back and you gotta try to find a purpose again,” he said. “Honestly Icame home and didn’tknow what to do.”

Muhammad saidshe washome-

SHOOTING

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residence,with Robinson’s father testifyingthatthe system hadbrokenthe day beforethe fatal shooting

Not only were jurorsthen required to rely on eyewitness testimony from Robinson’sfather and two daughters, butthe defensealso claimed thefootage was likelyerasedtoavoid showing Robinson acting as the aggressor

In acasewhere thepositioning of the suspect, victims andbystanders in the seconds before theshooting werevital,and which often required witnesses to sketch on crime scene photos where each person had been standing, the defense argued this footage would have been invaluable.

“Wecould’ve seen exactly how that started, and the other camerascould have showed us how it proceeded,” said James Manassah, who headed Walker’sdefense, “but lo and behold, according to (Robinson’s father), it’snot working the day before.”

Deadly altercation

The trial had opened with the jury being shownfootage from police bodycams of theaftermath of theApril 12, 2024, shooting.

It showed Robinson’s 17-year-old daughter praying for her life as she layin the driveway,with her sister cradling her and crying for police to bringthe ambulance sooner Nearby,police officers performed chest compressions on Robinson, who was unresponsive and bloody

LIBRARIAN

Continued from page1B

The appeals court found in October that Jones was likely to prevail in her defamationlawsuit.

Jones has since settled with Thames, who issued a public apology The Supreme Court denied awrit application by Lunsford, which is now final, Sledge wrote. Lunsford, she wrote, did not dispute that feesare owed but argued they are unreasonable. Sledgedis-

who fought during the historicJune 6, 1944,invasion.

TheAcadia Parish Sheriff’sOffice shared atribute following his death,remembering Fontenot as aveteran whose life represented courage andsacrifice.

“Mr.Prigeon Fontenot, aremarkable 100-year-old veteran,” the Sheriff’s Office said. “Just weeks ago, we had the profound honor of escortinghim to Lafayette Regional Airportasheprepared to return to Normandy,France, for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day —a powerfulreminder of his courage and sacrifice.” Fontenot was drafted into the U.S. Armyatage 18 and served from July 1944 until April 28, 1946, during the final years of World WarII.

He was assigned to the52nd Armored Infantry Battalionofthe

9thArmoredDivision, known as the “Phantom Division,” according to hisobituary.Fontenotlandedin France in January 1945 and served as an ammunition carrier,moving with anine-man crew aboard ahalf-track as Allied forces advanced through Belgium andinto Germany But Fontenot’sservicewas also significant becauseofthe language he brought with him from Louisiana. Anative Cajun Frenchspeaker, Fontenot became one of the Louisiana soldiers known as “Frenchies,” who are men with the ability to speak French, making them valuable interpreters and liaisons during the Alliedcampaign through Europe.

In aprevious interviewwith The Advocate, Fontenot saidhis

less and suffering from mental illness whenshe was arrested. She compared her recovery through theprogram to an old family car: It might breakdown, it might lose a wheel,but it’sreliable andeven if the route isn’tdirect, it’ll get you there in theend.

The defenseaccused the state of usingthe traumatic footage only to garner sympathy, but prosecutors argueditwas important to show there was no timeafter theshootingfor Robinson’sfamily to have collaborated on an alternateseries of events.

“I didn’tshow you (Robinson’sdaughter)onthe ground with the gunshot wound begging for God to save her just to show you. Ihaveareason for showing this,” Assistant District AttorneyLauraTracy said. “You heard what (the daughters) aretalking about. They’re not talking aboutwhatthey’re gonna say to police.”

The state’s seriesof eventspainted apicture of an older family member trying to intervene in the life of ayounger cousin who was going down adangerous path and whose ego led himtoviolently reject that help.

Robinson’s father had invited the two to his residencefor thegathering, in parthoping that theycould overcome thegrowinganimosity between them.But soon after both had arrived, and when no one was outsidetosee what started the argument,a heated verbal altercation started Robinson’sdaughtersand father then came outside andbroke upthe argument, with Robinson’s father walking Walkerback to his car.Prosecutors saidWalker then retrieved his gun from thecar Robinson’sdaughter was standing in front of her father “to protect him,” she testified.The defenseargued that Robinsonattempted to push herout of theway

agreed, awarding fees of $50,979 to Jones.

ContactClaire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate com.

MONDAY,JULY6,2026

During her program, sheworked as abehavior health tech at one of the same facilitieswhere she was once apatient. Muhammad saidwhile working there shewas “constantlyreminded of where Ioncewas, andthen able to inspirepeople to make adiffer-

inorder to get at Walker Walker fired, striking the teen in the chest,and Robinson was hit in thewrist Robinson wasthenshot again, this time in the chest. Police found himonthe other side of thecar from wherethe shooting began. Prosecutorssaid he had run around the back of the car to escape, while the defense characterized it as crouching behind the car for cover as he aimed his own weapon. While that weapon never fireda shot, the defense said Robinson had likely drawn it during the argument.

In additiontothe missing securityfootage and the fact the victim was found next to his own gun, Manassah injectedfurther doubt into thestate’scase by mentioning thatRobinson had tested positive for methamphetamine in his autopsy

wartime experiencebrought arenewed sense of pride in his Cajun heritage andidentity

Fontenotremainedactive in the veteran community as amember of American Legion Post 77, VFW Post 9822 andSt. JosephElderberry’s. The Lafayette-area VFW Post 9822 remembered Fontenot as abeloved member and asource of inspiration.

“Mr. Prigeon was still an active member of our post and always a positive light wherever he went,” thepost shared on Facebook. “It was always apleasure to sit and talk with him and share in his stories. Atrue treasure who will be missed.

Funeral services forFontenot were held Tuesday with aMassof Christian BurialatGossenFuneral HomeChapel in Rayne.

ence” as an example of theprogram’s success.

While Muhammad and Robinson avoided jail time through their graduation, otherveterans spoke on thedifficultyoffacing one’sdemons andthe commitment needed to rebuild themselves anew

Retired Navy Cmdr.Dennis Hart congratulated thegraduatesbefore the courtroom crowd Thursday, while still ribbing them about “choosing the wrong branch.”

“Tomethe Navy Creed applies specifically to whaty’all did,” Hart said. “The Navy Creed is honor, courage, commitment.You hadto do the honorablething to admit to what you had got. Youhad to do the courageous thing to seek help, to think to yourself you needed help. Youhad to have commitment to continue doing whatyou had to do every day forayear,year and ahalf, almost twoyears to get up when you fell down.”

Email QuinnCoffman at quinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

District AttorneyHillar Moore said Robinsonand Walkerwere both well-represented during the“highly contentious” trial. “Werecognize the hard workthatthe jury put into

this trial and their deliberation and respect their decision,” Moore said. “However,webelieve thatthere was proof beyond areasonable doubt of the defendant’s guilt.”

CRASHES

Continued from page1B

Landry contrasted that with the $400,000 bail set last week forAttorneyGeneral LizMurrill over an indictment in New Orleans charging her with intimidating public officials. The state Supreme Court haltedthat indictment.

“Ifanyone wants to know why Louisianans have lost faith in the justice system, start there,” Landry wrote on X. “And theseare the samepeople whoaccuse us of being the problem.” Landry identified the woman as an “organizer” of an effort to gather petitions fora recall campaign against him and other public officials. Leaders of the recall campaign, “Louisiana Deserves Better,” could not immediately be reached for comment on whether or how Habib wasinvolvedintheir organization. But in aJuly 2Facebook post, Marion Gbaiwon, the campaign’s founder,described Habib as a“volunteer” with the group who hadleft theorganization.

PROVIDED PHOTO

JudgeEboni Johnson Rose, from left, Cydney Muhammad, Shaquille Robinson, Jimecia Williams and JudgeRonald Johnson celebrate Muhammad and Robinson’sgraduation from Veterans’ Treatment Court.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Prigeon Fontenot, aRayne native and soldier during the Great Depression and WorldWar II, died Friday at 100.

Time runningout to cash in on Amazon settlement

BY ZOE KOLENOVSKY

The Dallas Morning News (TNS)

Customers have less than a month to file aclaim forashare of Amazon’shistoric $2.5 billion settlement.

The Seattle-based online retailer settled last year with the Federal Trade Commission over claims that it tricked customers intosigning up for its Prime membership and made it difficult to unenroll from the plan. The result was $1 billion that Amazon must pay in civil penalties —the largest such fine in the agency’shistory —on

top of another $1.5 billion to be doled out to eligible customers. Most eligible customers should have received an automaticrefund fromAmazon in November or December 2025. Butaffected customers who haven’treceived theirs can stillfile aclaim. Here’s what you need to know Customers must meet three requirementstobeeligible forapayment fromthe settlement fund.

The first is simple: Youmust be an Amazon Prime customer in the UnitedStates. But you musthave also either signed up for the Prime subscription through a“chal-

lenged enrollment flow” or tried and failed to cancel your membership between June 23, 2019, and June 23, 2025.

The “challenged enrollment flow” refers to sign-up pathways thatthe government determined deceptive or confusing —places like the shipping selection page or single-page checkout

Youalso must have used at most 10 Amazon Prime Benefits in any 12-month period during which you were enrolled. Those include the free shipping and faster delivery ratesthe program is famous for as well as other Amazon products

Wall Street banks

offered to Prime subscribers for free such as PrimeVideo,Prime Music and Kindle Books. Youare not eligible to file aclaim if youalready receivedanautomatic refund from Amazon.

Customers can submit claims until July 27 by visiting the settlementwebsite to file aclaim online.

Youwillbeaskedtoeither submit your claim ID and PIN number that youreceived with asettlement notice via email or mail, or to instead enter the personal information associated with your Amazon account, including an email address or phone number

sky-high aboutSpaceX

Butinvestors remain cautious

BY DAMIAN J. TROISE AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street

banks have high hopes for SpaceX but at the moment sharesofElon Musk’s rocket market appear to be earthbound.

Many of the investment firms that underwrote SpaceX’sinitial public offering issued their first researchnotes about the company Tuesday,and almost all recommended that investors buythe stock and forecast it to trade above $200 in the next 12 to 18 months.

But aftertopping $200 in its first week of trading, the stock is tradingaround $150 per share, where it opened on June 12, its IPO day.Investors may be looking cautiously at the same factors that have Wall Street so enthusiastic about the stock Analysts are focused on SpaceX’spotential to lead the market for space transportation and infrastructure. The company’s reusable rockets allow it to transport people and cargo into Earth’sorbit and it is aiming for deeper explorationofthe solarsystem Most of the company’srevenue currently comes from itsStarlinksatellites, and AI innovations areexpected to advance that technology

“SpaceX’sambitions, and potential impact on humanity,are bigger than any company’swe’veever seen,” said an analyst from J.P. Morganinaresearch report.

The bank expects the stock price to reach $225 by the endof2027. It cited the company’scompeti-

investment firmsthat underwrote SpaceX’sIPO issued their first research notes about the companyTuesday, and almost all recommended that investors buythe stock and forecast it to trade above $200 in the next 12 to 18 months.

tive advantage in space transportation,withabout 670 orbital launches and anearly 99% success rate with itsFalcon rockets Most payloads launched into orbit since 2023 were through SpaceX. The companyhas dominatedthe reusable space rocket market with its Falcon 9, but its gigantic Starship rocket is thekey to launchingbiggerpieces of cargo, including data centers.

Investmentbank Raymond James is by far the most optimistic. Its analysts expect the stock to eventually reach $800 per share and consider SpaceX akey industrial company for the 21st century

“Just as railroads,electric grids, andthe Internet reshaped prior economic eras, we believe SpaceX is

building the foundational platform for the next generation of industrial capacity,”the analystswrote in a research report.

SpaceX founderElon Muskdecided to take the company public because it needs money to fund its ambitions, including putting more satellites and eventually datacenters into space. It’smoreambitious goals includeestablishing acolonyonMars.

For now,Starship is still in the test phase and no technology exists to put data centers in space or send people to Mars. Wall Street analysts acknowledge that adelay or failure to establish asteady schedule of launches for Starship is arisk thatcould torpedo their forecasts

SpaceX ended its first day on Wall Street in June witha

market value of more than $2 trillion andisstill sitting around that level. That madeMusk the world’sfirst trillionaire,thoughhis net worth hassince fallenback below$1trillion, according to Forbes.

Afew banksonWall Street are morecautious about the company’sprospects. Equity research firm MoffettNathanson said it sees thepotential, but has giventhe companya more “neutral”rating andsees the stock eventually sitting at $131per share. The concernsare over manyofthe unknowns related to regulatoryissues, technology anddemand.

“Itis, in short, abet on any and all things made possible by avirtual lock on rocket manufacturing and launch,” MoffettNathanson said in areport.

AI stocks drag markets lower worldwide

NEW YORK The roller-coaster ride for AI stocks snapped backdown on Tuesday and dragged Wall Street lower. The S&P 500 fell 0.4% even though the majorityofstocks within the index rose. The drops for stocks in the artificial intelligence industry dragged the Nasdaq compositedown 1.2%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Averagedropped 130 points, or 0.2%, from its record. Theweaknessbegan in Asia, where SamsungElectronics tumbled 6.9% in Seoul. Thetechgiant gave apreliminary lookatits performance forthe second quarter, and the numbers were strong. Samsung Electronics said it expects to report its operating profitsurged roughly 1,800%from ayear earlier. Analysts called the numbers sur-

prisinglygood, buttheystill weren’t enough for investors after Samsung Electronics’ stock had comeintothe day having more than doubledin the year so far On Wall Street, AI stocks have been under similar pressure in recent weeks on worries that their prices shot too high and that AI may not produce enough productivity and profits to make all the investments in chipsand data centers worthit.

Drops of 6.5% for Advanced Micro Devices, 9.7% for Intel and 4.7% for Micron Technology were the heaviest weights on the market.

Outside of tech, Vertex Pharmaceuticals slipped 1.4% after saying it agreedtobuy CrineticsPharmaceuticals for $85per shareincash. Crinetics, which developstherapeutics for endocrinediseases, soared 98.7% Brent crude, the international

standard, rose 3% to settle at $74.16 per barrel.

Higher oil prices put upward pressure on inflation, and Treasury yields climbed in the bond market. Theyield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.54% from 4.48% late Mondayand from just 3.97% beforethe war with Iran began.

High yieldsworldwide have been rattling investors sincethe war sent oilprices bursting above$100 per barrel in March. The worryisthat high inflationmay force the Federal Reserve and other central banks to hike interest rates. Higher rates can keep alid on inflation,but they also slow the economy and hurt prices for all kindsofinvestments.

Louis Vuitton win stirs debate over copyrights HONG KONG Adebate over ownership of traditionalChinese sym-

Amazonexpectstosend payments for approved claimsbySeptember 2026. Amazon has 30 days to review each claim.

Refunds will be sent via check, PayPal or Venmo. Customers can receive up to $51 formembershipfees paid during the settlement timeline. The refund represents membership fees up to that amount,minus any refunds or credits alreadyissued, according to the settlement website. Customerscan contactAmazon at admin@subscriptionmembershipsettlement.comwithquestions about the settlement.

Want to findajob that’s AI-proof?

Newresearchsaysemployees maybe saferatcompanies embracingtech

BY NILESH CHRISTOPHER Los Angeles Times (TNS)

While AI is often cited as oneofthe reasonsfor mass layoffs, particularly in the tech sector,for fast-growing companiesitalso seems to be creating new jobs in many companies, according to a study published Tuesday from financial services company Rampand employment database Revelio Labs.

“Our early result is that it looks like firms are starting to look formoreentry-level hires, likely people who are more AI native,” said Ara Kharazian, the lead economist at Ramp, afinancial services companythatfound arise in early-career hiring by companiesinthe period they started spending heavily on AI

The study tracked AI spending and the workforce records of nearly 22,000 U.S. companiesbetween January 2021 andFebruary 2026.

It found that firmsthat spent moreonAIended up increasing theirworkforce headcount by an average of 10% over the twoyears after rolling outthe technology. Companies that made thelargest AI investmentexpanded entry-level job hiringby12%

“If you are ajob seeker, or you are graduating from college,and you’re choosing between two differentfirms that are otherwise similar,I would choose the one that’susing AI,” Kharazian said. “Our paper shows that thatfirm is going to grow faster.”

The early and intense AI adopters spent more than $100 per month peremployee on AI andhad theiremployees using advanced AI, such as coding subscriptions, as opposed to simple ChatGPT subscriptions.

The low-intensity,casual AI adopters didn’tsee any hiring gains andreduced headcount.

The Ramp study showed apositive effect on employment from AI because it focused on firms adopting AI, many of themfast-growing,

bols hascroppedupafter acourt ordered alocal tea chain to pay French luxury brand Louis Vuitton $1.5 millionover trademark infringement claims. Chinese state media and online commentators arequestioning if thefour-petalflower design in the fashion house’s 130-year-old signature monogram is derived from patterns dating back to ancient China. Some are accusing thecompanyof “monopolizing” traditionalChinese patterns. Acourt in the eastern city of Suzhourecently ruledthatthe logo of Molly Tea, whose signature drinks arebased on jasmine andother floral-based teas,infringed on Louis Vuitton’strademark monogram. It ordered the tea company to pay $1.5 million to the French company,according to local media reports that carriedcopiesordetails of what they said was the ruling.

venture-backed companies hiring AI-native junior employees.

It reached adifferentconclusion than aNovember 2025 Stanford University study, which examined payroll data acrossthe entire labormarket andfound that employment amongyoung software developers had declined by nearly 20% from itslate-2022 peak. Thetwo findingscan both be true, Kharazian said, because theStanford study wasbroader and didn’t focusjustonthe firms that useAI.

“While there may be overall weak hiring foryoung people, what we found is that hiring is actually strong at thefirms that useAI, andthe firms that useAIintensely,”hesaid. In anotherrecentstudy on the impactofAIonjobs, the California AI-unemployment tracker examined the state acrossindustries, education levels and region and highlighted someworrying trends. It seemed to disprove the understanding that AI has been hurting mostly younger employees andthose in entryleveljobs. It found that unemployment insuranceclaims among college-educated workers in high-AI-exposedjobs, such as customer service and software development, increased after ChatGPT’s release in 2022 and remained elevated through May2026. Many companies havesaid AI wasone of the main reasonsfor layoffs. Meta, Oracle, Microsoftand other big tech companies have laid off tens of thousands of employees, while simultaneously investing billions in AI data centers. Ramp’sfindings that heavy AI adoption can lead to increased hiring suggests that some of the companies announcing large layoffs may be guilty of blaming regular cost cuttingonAI, apractice dubbed“AI washing.”

“When you hear CEOs talk about layoffs and they attribute it to AI,I would be skeptical,” Kharazian said.

Microsoft replaces OpenAI, Anthropic in some apps MicrosoftCorp.,lookingtoreduceAIcosts, is starting to replace OpenAI andAnthropic with its own modelsinsoftware products like Excel andOutlook Tens of thousands of AI prompts in the widely usedspreadsheet and email applications are now being completed each week withMicrosoft’sinternally built MAI models, according to apersonfamiliar with the work. Previously,Excel andOutlook reliedmoreheavily on models from OpenAI and Anthropic, said the person, who was grantedanonymity to discuss an internalmatter.

The scaleofMAI model usage in Microsoft’sworkplace products hasn’tbeen previously reported. A Microsoftspokesperson declined to comment.

AFP/GETTyIMAGES/TNS FILEPHOTO By TIMOTHy A. CLARy

SpaceX CEOElon Musk, displayedona screen remotely from SpaceX headquarters in Starbase, Texas, speaksbefore the launch of SpaceX’s initial public offering June 12 at the Nasdaq MarketSite in Newyork City. Manyofthe

Martin,William

St.John Methodist Church at 10am.

Millican,James

St.John BaptistChurch at 10am

Sawyer,Diane Greenoaks FuneralHome, 9595 Florida Blvd., BatonRouge,LAat 10am.

Obituaries

Babin, Harold Bond

Harold Bond Babin, age 90, of Zachary, passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 5, 2026. Harold was born on August7 1935, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. In his early years, he attended elementary school in Clinton, Louisiana.His familylater moved to Baton Rouge, where Harold attended Baton Rouge Junior High School, Baton RougeHigh School, and Louisiana State University. He completed the Ministerial Course of Study of The United Methodist Church and was ordained adeaconin1971. Beginning in 1963, Harold served as alocal pastor in The United Methodist Church, ministering to the congregations of Angie, Varnado, Day's Center, Darlington, Bluff Creek, Slaughter, Corbin, Wilson Community Church, Tunica, and St. Francisville. He served St. Francisville United Methodist Church from 1972 until his retirement in 2005. Harold began working in the Road Design Section of the Louisiana

Department of Transportation and Development in July 1956.Atthe time of his retirementin1986, he was aSeniorRoad Design SquadLeader.Harold is survived by the former PatriciaPope of Zachary, Louisiana,his wife of 70 years. They livedin Zacharybeginning in 1958 and in St. Francisville from 1986 to 2005. He is also survived by his five children and their spouses: Brenda Babin Triche (Glenn), Cliff Babin (Johnnie), Linda Babin Stovall (Greg),JimmyBabin (Marlene),and Bobby Babin (Janet). Harold is also survived by his 17 grandchildren: Dr. Jason Triche (Grant Lane), Brandie Triche,Justin Triche (Lacey), Brad Thibodeaux, MikkiHelm,Ben Morgan, Greyson Stovall, EmeryStovall, Brittney Nichols (Dustin), Brooke Hafliger (Adam), Derek Babin (Caitlin), Stephen Babin (Anna Grace), RebekahBabin,Katie Babin, Bond Babin (Rebecca), RachaelVince (Patrick), and BryceBabin (Jensen); 32 great-grandchildren; sevengreat-great-grandchildren; and anephew, Hunter Babin (Joyce). He was preceded in deathby his parents, V.V.and Essie Bond Babin,and hisbrothers, Clifford Babin (Sis) and Dr.Claude Babin (Barbara). Visitationwillbeheldat Zachary UnitedMethodist ChurchonWednesday,July 8, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Visitation willcontinue on Thursday, July 9, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.,with the funeral service beginning at 11:00a.m. The service willbeconducted by the ReverendAustinRinehart, Dr. GregDavis,and the ReverendChris Andrews. Burial willfollow at Azalea Rest Cemetery.Pallbearers will be his grandsons with honorary pallbearers being Dr. Kemp Amacker,Ted Landaiche, Joe Kelley, and the ReverendMike Clark. Share sympathies, memories,and condolences at

www.CharletFuneralHome.

Carlino, Karen Alicia

KarenAliciaCarlino passed away July 4, 2026, at home surrounded by her family after abattlewith cancer. She was born in BatonRouge on January 19, 1966. She is survived by her twobrothers, Randall James Carlino and Jeff SamuelCarlino;sister, Christine Elaine Carlino; sister-in-law, LaurieCarlino-Doughty, and her husband, Kenny; threenieces, Dr. LourenTheresa Carlino, JenniferChristine Landry, and Lindsay Ann Carlino; nephew, JasonAnthony Carlino;and greatnephews, Jacob Michael Landry, Sawyer Anthony Carlino,and Crew Vincent Carlino.She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo Anthony Carlino, Sr and Lois Lovett Carlino; and abrother LeoAnthony Carlino,Jr.

Karen was aloving and devoted daughter, sister, and aunt.She was agraduateofSt. Joseph's Academy, and amember of the CatholicHighBand.She also attended LSU, where she performed with the Golden Band from Tigerland.

Visitation willbeheldat Our LadyofMercy Church, 445 MarquetteAvenue,BatonRouge,LAonFriday, July10, 2026, from1:00pm until theMass of Christian burial at 2:00pm. Burial willfollow at Roselawn Memorial Park.

The family wouldliketo offerspecialthanks to her phenomenal care team at Hospice of BatonRouge. In lieu of flowers,the family asks that youconsider making adonation to St. Joseph's Academy (https:/ /www.sjabr.org/giving/giv e-now), or Our Ladyof Mercy Parish (https://olomchurch.com) in Baton Rougeinher memory.

Cooper, AllenB.

AllenB.Cooperpassed away at his residence in

GonzalesonJuly 1, 2026, at the age of 88. He was born on September3,1937, in FranklinCounty, VA. He is survived by his wife, Wanda SueBradley; son,PhilipCoppins; stepsons, StephenGuitreau, William E. Bradley, Randy L. Bradley, and Michael S. Bradley; andsister,Bobbie Mayes.

Allenisprecededin death by hisformer wife, NeldaCooper;parents,Mildred and Benjamin FranklinCooper;daughter, Tyra Cooper, sons, Michael Cooper and Tommy Cooper;and stepsons, Craig Guitreau andPhilGuitreau.

Visitation will be held at St.Anne's Catholic Church 7348 Main St., Sorrento, LA 70778, Friday, July 10, 2026, from 10:00 am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am in the church Burial will follow at Hope Haven Garden of Memory in Gonzales.

It is with profound sorrowthatweannouncethe passing of Mr.Thomas A. Hudson whodeparted this earthly life on the21st of June,inthe year of our Lord 2026, at thedistinguishedage of 84. Apublic viewingshall be held in her honor on Saturday, the 11th of July,from10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at Winnfield Funeral Home. The celebration of life services shall follow at 11:00 AM Hisearthly remains shall be laidtorest at Southern

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Whenyou’recomparing plans

Medicare doesn’tpay for dental care.1

That’s right. As good as Medicare is,itwas never meanttocover everything. That means if youwant protection, youneed to purchase individual insurance.

Previous dental work canwearout

Even if you’ve hadqualitydentalworkinthe past, youshouldn’t take your dentalhealth forgranted. In fact, your odds of havinga dentalproblemonly go up as youage.2

Early detectioncan prevent small problemsfrom becomingexpensive ones.

Treatment is expensive especially theservicespeople over 50 often need

The best way to preventlarge dental bills is preventive care. TheAmerican Dental Association recommends checkupstwiceayear.

Consider these national average costsof treatment. $274for acheckup $299 for afilling $1,471 foracrown.3 Unexpected bills likethiscan be areal burden, especially if you’reonafixed income

Memorial Gardens. The distinguished &solemn arrangements have been entrusted to the care of Winnfield Funeral Home of Baton Rouge &Kennard Thomas, General Manager.

Lacoste, Richard Edward 'Red'

Richard "Red" Edward Lacoste, June 21, 1951- July 4, 2026. Luke 19:10 -"For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

Richard "Red" Edward Lacoste passed away on July 4, 2026, at the ageof 75. He was aresident of Walker for over 45 years, born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He was the owner/operator of RL Drywall. Throughout life, Richard was authentically and unapologetically himself. He was avery skilled carpenter, if you had aproject or needed advice on how to get one done, Richard was the man to go to. Richard is survived by his devoted companion of 53 years, Mary Ann Lacoste, his three children, daughter Ricki Ann Linarello &Dr. Daniel Linarello daughter Katherine "Katie" Lacoste Hopkins &Bronson Hopkins, son John RichardLacoste &Jordyn Ozier. Six Grandchildren, Tyler Bowman, Ryan Bowman, JillianBowman, Kadence Hopkins, Khloe Hopkins, and Nolan Lacoste. Three great grandchildren, Elisabeth, Archer, and Evelyn Bowman. One Sister, Violet Inez Coleman &Gerald Coleman. He is preceded in death by his parents, Violet &Warren Lacoste, sister Kathy Lacoste Caston and brother Charles "Teddy" Lacoste. He was known for his quick wit, infectious laugh, and unmatched humor. Richard enjoyed cooking, celebrating holidayswith

his family, spoiling his grandchildrenand spending time at hiscamp on BayouChoctaw. Memorial service arrangements arepending and willbeannounced by the family at alater date. In lieuofflowers, the family asks that donations be made to Richard'sfavoritecharity,St. Jude Children'sResearch Hospital

Millican, James L. James L. Millican

Entered into eternal rest on June 26, 2026 at Grace Rehabilitation. He was a native and resident of Zachary, Louisiana.Visitation at St. John Baptist Church on Wednesday, July 8, 2026at9:00 am until the CelebrationofLifeService at 10:00amconducted by PastorDonaldRuth; interment at Southern Memorial Gardens.Arrangements entrusted to Miller &Daughter Mortuary.

Shackelford, JohnKeith

John Keith Shackelford passed away peacefully in Baton Rouge onSaturday, July 4, 2026. He was born in Dallas, Texas on July 13, 1951

Adevoted father,friend, and parishioner at St.Andrew's United Methodist Church, Keithisremembered with love by many including his sons Adam Swales, John Shackelford (Liz); granddaughterMorganSwales; sister-in-law Sheila Gordon Shackelford; nephew CodyShackelford (Sarah); niece Chelsea Shackelford Rich; and his German Shepherd, Raven. Relatives and friends areinvited to attend the Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 11, 2026,atSt. Andrew'sUnited MethodistChurch, 17510Monitor Avenue in Baton Rouge. AVisitation willbeheldatResthaven FuneralHome, 11817Jefferson HighwayonFriday, July 10, 2026,from5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.,and on Saturday at the church begin-

ning at 10:30 a.m.

Family and friendsmay sign theonline guestbook or leave apersonal note to thefamily at www.resthav enbatonrouge.com

Thibodeaux, Odile

Odile Thibodeaux,born on December29,1952, passed peacefullysurrounded by his family and friends on June 30,2026. He was nativeofMelville,LA and resident of Carencro LA.Odile was adevoted husband and loving father, grandfather, and friend. Odile is survivedbyhis daughter, Valerie Speyrer (David); son, Justin Thibodeaux; sisters, Victoria Lindseyand Betty Tromblay;three grandchildren Dawsyn Speyrer, Vivyan Speyrer, and Harper Thibodeaux.Hewas preceded in death by his high schoolsweetheart and loving wife of 53 years, Deborah Andre Thibodeaux, and parents LucyAlphonse Sullivan and Odile Thibodeaux Sr. Visitation willbeheld July9,2026, at Niland'sFuneral Home in Livonia, LA from8:30 AM until mass at 11:00 AM at St Francis Cabrini in Livonia, LA

WorldCup remindsus that America canstill delight

Monday night, in aconverted NFLstadium in Seattle, the United States’ dreams of World Cup glory came to an abrupt end in alosstoBelgium’snationalsoccer team

In aperformancethat was stumbling, tentative andprone to massive mistakes, theU.S. gave up four goals while scoringonlyone Millions of fans, in the stadiumand watching aroundthe country, were disappointed So were we. But we refuse toallow that letdown, albeit significant, dampen ourenthusiasm for what has been afantastic and joyouscelebration of the world’smost popularsport

For nearly amonth now,internationalteams and fans have roamed our country,aswell as those of co-hosts Canada and Mexico, occasionallypacking themselves into stands to watch theirteams play,but also discovering asideof America rarely seen outsideour borders.

And for the most part, their reactionshave been delightful. There was the Japanesetouristwowed by the baskets of free chips and salsa at aTex-Mexrestaurant. Or the Swedish visitor whotasted ranch dressingand pronouncedher life changed. And who can forget Freddy,the German soccer fan who chronicled on Xhis American odyssey,which started with him driving along the East Coast before turningwestward for Houston to catch his home nation’sfirst game Along the way,hefell in lovewithTaco Bell and enjoyed alate-night mealatWaffleHouse. By the time he got to Louisiana, theSaintsreached out to him for atour of thefacility, andhealso visited Tiger Stadium.

It wasn’tlimited to foreigners discovering our fast food, either.Lawrence, Kansaswas the host for the Algerian team. When theyarrived, the Desert Foxes, as theyare known, were welcomed enthusiastically.Locals turned up to watch practices, stores carried Algerian decorations and festooned trees withgreenand white lights in support of the North Africans. In each of these cases, foreign visitors saw aside of America that runs far beneath the headlines and media reportsmost see. Their reactions in turn serve as agood reminderfor us thatnomatter how bitter our partisandivides, no matter how significantour issues, muchof what has made us distinct persists.

Andthen there have been thegames. Pretournament worries aboutthe high ticketprices and Americans’ general indifference to the sport have beenallayed by packedarenas full of passionate and joyous fans. Now,asthe tournament has only eight of the original 48 teams left, thosegames will be more intense on the field andmorestressful in the stands.

Though the U.S. team is out, we will still be watching. As fans of Louisianateams, we know that theparty doesn’tstopwitha loss. And when it’sover,and the international teams andfans have left, we hope the joy, hospitality andwonder will remain.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Keep thehistoricCity Park golf course intact

I, along with many others, attended theBREC meetingrecently at the McKinley AlumniCanter to hear the proposed changes toCity-Brooks Park. Obviously,BREC underestimated thecommunity interest in the park’s future. The venue was far too small. Notably,there is not asingle proposal that keeps thegolf course fully intact.

As ScottRabalais so eloquently stated in his article, “Numerous reasons why CityPark golf course deserves to be preserved as is,”there are only 27 holes for golf in thecity limits of Baton Rouge.

Let’snot forget that, along with the closure of the course at LSU, golfers lost 18 holes at Howell Parkin2016. Just outside thecity limits, golfers lost another 18 holes at Dumas when J.S. Clark and the zoo were “reimagined.” The historic City Park is a great place to get in awalkable nine holes for any skill level.

Onehas to wonder where the

energy to redesign the course originated. Certainly not from golfers or residentsofthe area. BRAF has been trying to get control of this property for over 20 years. Someclaim the golf course is aoneuse facility. Yes, and Olympia Stadium and Memorial Stadium are oneuse facilities for football games. We have swimmingpools forwater activities and dog parks fordogs. This isn’tavalid argument, particularly when BREC’sdata shows rounds increased from 109,493 in 2016 to 204,127 in 2025 on fewer courses.

While Iapplaud interimdirector Janet Simmons for getting BREC’s audits up to dateafter years of very late financial reports, Iknow manyin thecommunity would prefer BREC to do abetter job of maintaining and enhancing existing facilities.

Iurge theBREC commissioners to keep thehistoric City Park golf course intact.

SUSAN E. DIXON Baton Rouge

Iran is run by atheocracy.Theyare religious zealots. So why is it important to make sure they never have nuclear weapons?

In August 1945, the atomic bomb thatwas droppedonHiroshima killed an estimated70,000people immediately. Another70,000 diedbeforethe endofthe year.IfIranhas anuclear weapon, theycan and will, at aminimum, controlthe Strait of Hormuz, disrupting oilproduction worldwide, andatworst use the bomb against anothercountry In June 2022, the average price of gasinthe U.S. rose to $5.02 agallon. Why? Because Russia hadinvaded Ukraine. Now imagine the chaos should arogue nationdecide to fire an intercontinentalballistic missile with anuclear warhead at Israel, Saudi Arabia,London, Paris, etc.(yes, they have proventheyhaveweaponswith thatrange).

The stock marketwould do atailspin, andthe price of gas would be the last thing the world would be concernedabout.

The U.S. Supreme Court decision on the VotingRightsAct has resulted in one less Black majority congressional district in Louisiana. My understanding of the court’sdecision is that congressional districts may not be drawn based on race, but may be drawn based on politics. Gerrymandering is legal based on politics but not on race.

Ican’targue on constitutional or statutory law,but Idoknow theConstitution of 1789 does not mention the words race, Black,White or political party. There were no political parties in 1789. To makeanew Republican district, one was created with Republican voters. In Louisiana, most Republican voters are White, and most Democratic voters areBlack. So theLegislature found White voters. Not for aracebased district —that’s illegal now

but for aRepublican district. So, when Republicansget White people for amajority district, that’s legal, but if Democrats get Black people for aDemocratic district, that’sillegal. Sure seems like the samething to me. Alaw,beitaSupremeCourt ruling or state law,doesn’tmake it right

We have had manyimmoral laws in thepast, but they were the law Black people were unable to vote, eat at arestaurant, stay at ahotel, get a library card, buy ahouse in certain neighborhoods —all that was law,but it was immoral. The Supreme Court decision sure seemswrong to me, as it is marginalizing some of our own citizens who have been marginalized forsolong. We are better than this, or Ithought we were.

ROBERT TAYLOR Fairhope,

Alabama

Why would theydothat, youask? Ask the thousands of Iranian citizens reportedly killedfor demonstrating earlierthis year.Ask why Iran is financing proxiessuchasHamas and Hezbollah, which are terrorist organizations thathavehad amajor role in the deaths of 1,000Americans. Reportedly,their goal wastobuild a drone andmissile force that no country could stopwithout afull-scalewar andmanycasualties.

Finally,our government hasweakened Iran militarily without destroying powerplants, bridges, etc. Reportedly,this is so as not to punish the Iranian citizens, andthat is acivilized approach

Previous administrations have declared thatIranshould never have a nuclear bomb, yet efforts to negotiate an agreementhaveproven futile. If current efforts fall short, our childrenand grandchildren might live in an entirely different world. JOHN PATRICK MORRISSR. Metairie

Thegreat America250 dud

It must be said: The Semiquincentennial had all the makings of adud. Like all the 50-anniversary predecessors, this big anniversary celebration occurred amid controversy,questions about the character of Americanlife, critiques about the nature of our democratic values and disputes about the meaning of our history.All that occurred in 1826, 1876, 1926 and 1976. But at least there was ambient joy in those commemorations. There was reason to celebrate the survivalfor 50 years of the first large democracy, thetechnological and industrialrevolutions present 100 yearslater,the blooming ofAmerican prosperity and promise after 150 yearsofrelative national isolation, and the emergence of a newly optimistic country during the Bicentennial. Now the survival of democratic values is uncertain, the technological revolution that has culminated in AI is creating deep uneasiness along with great promise, thenational booster hopefulness of the pre-Depression 1920s has no current analogue, and the funk of the 2020sisnomatch for the relative uplift of the post-Watergate, postVietnam mid 1970s.

Perhaps the sour taste this celebration prompted —or, just as troubling, thefeeling of emptinessthat seems pervasive in the many commemorations —comes from this moment in theAmerican passage.

Indeed, the British newspaper The Guardian wrote, “If that’sthe way America celebrates its birthday,you wouldnot want to be present at its funeral.”

Only about 4in10Americans said they felt “proud” about the country’s 250th anniversary,according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research survey Three-quarters believe the signersof theDeclaration would be disappointed with how the country has turned out, according to Gallup. Thiscommemoration isn’tentirely without virtue.

The Atlantic published the score of Julia Ward Howe’s“Battlefield of the Republic” on its cover this month, accompanying it with an essayonits eternal, always evolving, meaning.

The New York Times published a piece examining the changing perceptions of the American Revolution, becoming part of the storyasit told the story Even Donald Trump’sjeremiad against references in federal historical sites to the struggles of women and minorities had asalutary effect; hisattacks prompted an animated discussion about what exactly was

involved in the telling of history, and whether successes in crumbling ancientbarriers should be as much anemblem of national pride as the achievements that for centuries have been celebrated, whether in textbooks, Disney re-creations or popular folklore: in short, did Elizabeth Cady Stanton andFrederickDouglass deserve as much attention as, say,William McKinley,whomthe president has singledout for specialcommendation?

But this celebration lacked buoyancy,which is the physical property that allows an object to rise from a submerged state —and there’slittle question that the American spirit is under water today.Consider this: 80% of those voters who told the New York Times/Siena University Poll this spring that they were dissatisfied with the state of the country saidthat they wanted the country’seconomic and political system overhauled or even razed.

During the Bicentennial,which is within the living memory of nearly threeout of five of Americans today, thecountry actually was celebrating. Richard Nixon’sresignation two yearsearlierpromptedthe promiscuous employment of the phrase “the system worked,” and TheBoston Globe plastered an imageofthe Constitution across the top of its front page.

Both are inconceivable today.A popular bookabout Watergate, which Jimmy Breslinpublishedin1976, was

titled “How the Good Guys Finally Won.” Today, people think the good guys are confinedtothose in their ownparty

It was, perhaps, more than the early-19th century era that bore that phrase,anera of good feeling. Much of it was due to the unelected president GeraldFord,ridiculedand often reviled while in the White House, punishedatthe polls for his Nixon pardon, nowasubject of reverence in therevisionism that hasoccurred since.

“Americans in 1876 were living in atime of dynamic economicand technological growth that hadalready wrought dizzying change within asinglelifetime,” Fergus M. Bordewich wrote in Centennial, hischronicle, publishedrecently, of thecelebration of 100 years of American independence. Thesame can be said of our own era. In remarks opening that Philadelphiaspectacle, PresidentUlysses S. Grant spoke of the country’sachievement in “rivalingolder andmore advanced nations in law,medicine, and theology; in science, literature, philosophy andthe fine art,” adding, “While proud of what we have done, we regret that we have notdone more.”

When it comes to the Semiquincentennial, we already regret that we have notdonemore.

Email David Shribman at dshribman@ post-gazette.com

“And everybody praised the Duke/ Who this great fight did win.”/ “But what good came of it at last?”/ Quoth little Peterkin./ “Why that Icannot tell,” said he,/ “But ’twas afamous victory.” —Robert Southey,“The Battle of Blenheim” (1798)

Deferring gratification can be virtuous, but now is the time for an autopsy of Donald Trump’spresidency.The nation has experienced more than a few failing presidencies, but this flailing presidency is as uniquely unsightly as it is terminal.

In anation of people whoview pets as family members—and spent $158 billion last year on their best friends —itwas inevitable that pet custodywould become thenext chapter in familylaw.Welove our pets as much as we loveour people —ifnot more. Thedeath of apet has shattered my heart more than any other loss Take Asheville, abeautiful, shaggy,black-and-white mutt. In 1993, Irescued her and her sister,Brevard, from aNorth Carolina highway halfway between the two cities that gave them their names.They were 4-month-old starving sacks of bones with engorged ticks dangling from their eyelids, lips and everywhere else. For the rest of her life, Ashe would sit before me like the sphinx and stare into myeyesfor hours that would have extended to days if not for the necessityofmoving one’slegs. When she died at age 20, predeceasing Brevard (aka Beezie) by two years, Iwas so bereft Icouldn’tbreathe. Someone said to me, “I know you miss Ashe so muchbecause youloved her so much.” And Ireplied, “No, Imiss her so much because she loved me so much.” In the years after,I’ve managed the griefofburying abest buddy,amother and my brother,but my heart still aches mostfor Ashe and the Beez. (AndOllie theblind poodle, amongothers.)

PewResearch Center says 51% of Americans value pets as much as they do family members. About 95 million households“owned” apet last year, with 53% of all homes having adog and 39% acat. This is hardlysurprising. Askyourself: Whoisalways ecstatic to see youwhen you reenter aroom from which you totally vanished just three minutes earlier?

Thequestion of who getsthe family pet during adivorce has becomesocommon and vexing that legislatures have begun doling out custody guidelines. Theunderlying premise is that since pets are members of the family,their well-beingshould be considered in awarding custody. Obviously,dogs and cats can’tchoose which parent they prefer,nor would they wantto, assuming neither human is abusive. Like children, dogs (and maybecats) adore both parents and are never more content than when everyoneistogether,and no one is mad. My husband and Ishould know.Weare the parentsoffive dogs, three cats (who thinkthey’redogs),and four birds who live like royalty and hateus.

But do we really need courts to settle our personal pet policies? People think nothingofsharing custody of their children.Why not thesame for pets?

Fordivorcing couples and their pets, arbitration should be afirst step dur-

ing family disunity.Asreported by the Economist, thepet can become leverage for negotiating better terms in other areas. Youcan have thedog, but Iget the tractor OK! In Delaware, a judge gave an expensive goldendoodle to thehighest bidder,which sounds a lot like apropertytransaction. Some proponentsofofficial custody arrangements have argued for pet support to thecustodial parent.ANew York divorcée withcustody of the couple’s two dogs receives $1,000 per month in financial support.(Let’ssee, that would be $2,500 tomejust for the pups.)

Admittedly,pet custody isn’tthe stickiestwicket of the day,but granting human (not just humane) considerations to pets signals apotentially problematic trend. American birth rates are at arecord low —just 1.6 babies per woman, well below the 2.1 replacement rate. Already, there are more households with pets than with children, and 48% of Gen Zers see no difference between their pets and children. It’seasy to imagine pets replacing babies in thefuture family unit of choice. Of course, theexpensive little secret in our household is that we spend moreonour petsthan we do on ourselves. On thebright side, if you’re our pets, we can’tafford adivorce!

KathleenParker is on X, @kathleenparker

Trump’splummet will intensify what is causing it, his self-absorption and self-indulgence. Recently,hehas wagedwar carelessly pursued afixation incontinently, and named abuilding contemptibly He unleashed America’smilitary competence, in conjunction with Israel’s, for adefensible purpose: preventing agenocidal and theologically demented regime from completing the Holocaust (it has called Israel “a one-bombcountry”) and punishing God’sforemost enemy, America. But this worthy U.S. goal became acasualty of presidential frivolousness.

Trump launched this wareight months after declaring that last summer’sU.S. and Israeli bombing “obliterated” Iran’snuclearweapon program. The general who ledthe Defense Department’sintelligence agency wasfiredafter its report concluded otherwise.

In February,Trump implicitly affirmed the report’sconclusion by ordering anotherobliteration. But when, in May, the price of gasoline reached anational average of $4.47 agallon(the price 70 years ago, adjusted for inflation, was about $3.70), he wobbled. Trumpeting Iran’sassurance, which it hasreiterated for decades, that it would not acquire nuclear weapons, Trump accepted a“memorandum of understanding” under whichIran will be bribed (with reconstruction money from undeterminedsources)to accept U.S. capitulation. Here are reasons why Rep. Jake Auchincloss, D-Massachusetts, calls this “the most humiliating national security episode since the British burned the White House”: Restrictions on Iranian exports will be loosened and at least $100 billion in frozen assets will be “fully available” to Iran. The MOU would codify that, contrary to international law,the Strait of Hormuz is “an Iranian river” (Auchincloss). Excluded from negotiations areIran’s ballistic missile developments, its funding of Hezbollah and other terrorist proxies, and the regime’sslaughter of protesters by the thousands.

If Trump believes that Israel, which was excluded from negotiation of the MOU, andwhich exists to “never again” depend on others for its security,will allow limits on its measures against Hezbollah, his credulousness is unlimited. Trump, who said he would make Americans “tired of winning,” must, by law, submit afinal Iran agreement for congressional review. To him, however,the law is acobweb; to his many congressional poodles, it is an invitationtoevasion. Perhaps, though, they have reached the limits of their canine loyalty

Afigment of Trump’simagination, the theft of the 2020 election, has produced acongressional train wreck. He is willing to sacrifice national security in order to get avoting-security lawthat is intended to prevent arepeat of what did not happen in 2020.

The neutering of Trump might continue with the Senate not confirming Todd Blanche as attorney general. National Review,conservatism’s flagship publication, says, “Blanche hasbeen everything President Trump wants in an attorney general, and that’sthe problem.” As acting attorney general, he has been “an instrument of Trump’sunworthy and abusive campaign to investigate and prosecute his political opponents.”

Trump’shunger for flattery,even self-flattery, recently caused him to further miniaturize himself: He tried to appropriate an honorbestowed on an assassinated president. Although Trump’s life has been along plea of “Look at me!,” he is oblivious to how he looked when he slappedhis name on (for 176 days; acourt intervened) the Donald J. Trump and the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.

“What’sinaname?” asked Shakespeare’s Juliet. “That which we call arose/ By any other word would smell as sweet.” Well.

The Kennedy Center’snamereminds Americans that honors are bestowed on those whom the nation believes are especially worth remembering. By elevating an honoredfew,this egalitarian nation reminds itself that excellence is both real and rare. By slathering the building with the stench of self-praise, Trump proclaimed that honor is amere bauble, aprerogative of power So, “What’sinaname?” Sometimes alot,sometimes —for 176 recent days —nothing.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost. com.

STAFF PHOTO By MARK BALLARD

TheGreat American State Fair on the National Mall on June 25.

George Will

David Shribman

Kathleen Parker

USING HER VOICE

“Weshouldn’tallow “Weshoul tallow Congress to be the ress ones to decide who makes those rules.” JADA WILLIAMS DA WILLIAMS, LSU guard, on Protect CollegeSportsAct

Many LSU high school hitters appear on fence

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

LSU’s2026 recruiting class has almost every type of hitter

g

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

First, sheopened the Instagramapp and propped up her phone.JadaWilliams was swiveling side-to-side in agaming chair, acouple of racks of colorful hoodies over her rightshoulderand aring light over her left.

That’swhen Williams gave the floor to her co-host for this live stream: U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy,D-Connecticut. He introduced himself to her 570,000 followers or however many of them were watching —before outlining thefederal legislation theywantedtospend about20minutes discussing.

Then Williams chimed in.

“Before we start anything,”she told Murphy,“Iwant to introduce myself to your side as well.”

Williams said she was an LSU women’s basketball player.She started hercareer at Arizona, she said, then transferred to Iowa State.

“And now I’m here,” shesaid. Here is BatonRouge. Williams has

Colleg ä See WILLIAMS, page 3C

From speedy center fielders and power-hitting corner outfielders to defensively versatile middle infielders and contact-oriented corner infielders, LSU coach Jay Johnson and his coaching staffhave checked nearly every box. The only question is how manyofthese talentedplayers will makeittocampus. That’sananswer LSUwon’t have until after the MLB draft, whichbegins Saturdaywith rounds 1-4 and ends Sunday with rounds 5-20. To help previewthe draft, The Advocate spoke with six MLB scouts about LSU’s incoming highschool class and itsown draft-eligible players to paint aclearer picture of what may happen over theweekend. Theyspoke to The Advocate confidentially

This story is part one of athree-part series of scouting reports, draftpredictions and analysis on every LSU player and signee. Here’s what youneedtoknow about each hitting prospect in LSU’s 2026 freshman class.

DominicSantarelli,OF

School: St. Joseph Catholic

Hometown: Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

Ht/Wt: 6-2, 230 pounds Draft rankings: No.100,ESPN;No. 135, MLB.com

Breakdown: There isn’taprospect in LSU’sclass that has ahigher ceiling than Santarelli, apower-hitting corner outfielder whoblasted seven balls over 114 mphatthe MLB draftcombine last month with awooden bat. His elite power, generatedbyhis lightning-fast hand speed and linebacker-like physical traits, was an object of fascinationfor scouts who spoke with The Advocate. Although his size suggests he’s afirst baseman, threescouts believe he hasthe athleticism andspeed to play either corner outfield spot.

“Our scout said he wouldwanttotry him out in center field because he can run,” one scout said.

Another scout likened Santarelli’s ceilingtoAthletics first baseman Nick Kurtz, aformerWakeForest star who won the American League Rookie of the Year award last season.

“Of all the players in (LSU’s2026 class), Ithink he ends up the best,”the samescoutsaid. “Ifevery playerinthat class wenttoLSU,I think he wouldbe the top pick out of the class.”

Thehighpraise suggestshis oddsof

U.S. men’ssoccerteamstagnantinWorld Cupresults

BY RONALD BLUM AP sportswriter

SEATTLE For all the growthin American soccerover the past quarter-century,the U.S. men’s nationalteam remainsstagnant.

Christian Pulisic,Tyler Adams and Weston McKennie fared no better at the World Cup in 2022 and 2026 than TimHoward, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore did in 2010 and 2014.

“Wewant to be able to go and compete with some of the best in the world, and we just still have that next step to come,” Pulisic said after Monday night’serrorfilled 4-1 loss to Belgium in the round of 16. For all the billions of dollars investedwith the goalofboosting the national team intothe world’s elite, the Americans remain soccer plebeians.

After reachingthe semifinals of the firstWorld Cup in 1930, the U.S.didn’teven qualifybetween 1950-90. Since then, the Americans

were eliminated in theround of 16 in 1994, 2010, 2014, 2022 and this year; failed to advance pasttheir group stage in 1990, 1998 and 2006; and flopped in qualifying for 2018.

“It’snot like you areinarocket and you improve andyou grow.It’s not linear,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said.

The U.S. won threegames in a WorldCup for the first time, beating Paraguay,Australia and Bosnia-Herzegovina while losing to Turkey andBelgium. TheAmericans benefited ashost, aseeded team that didn’tface atop-10 nation before the Red Devils. By the nextWorld Cup in Spain, Portugal and Morocco (with three games in South America), Pulisic, McKennie and Adams will be 31.

Folarin Balogunled the U.S. team with three goals, looking like atop striker,and gained worldwide notoriety whenhis red-card suspension for awkwardly landing on an opponent’s ankle was lifted after aphone call from U.S. President Donald Trump. Aformer

Arsenal youth player,the 25-yearold striker is entering the fourth season of afive-year contract with French club Monaco andcould be set for amove to abigger club.

Malik Tillman becamethe first player since France’sBernard Genghini in 1982 to have two free kickgoalsina World Cup. The 24-year-old midfielder is entering the second season of afive-year contract with German club Bayer Leverkusen. He had adifficult 2025-26, getting dropped from the starting lineup betweenlate March and the season’sfinal match

Pochettinosaidhewillspeak withthe U.S. SoccerFederation after arest period to discuss whether it wants him to stay beyond the expiration of his contract this summer andwhether he wantstocommit to afour-year cycle.

“Wehad positiveconversations with Mauricio beforethe World Cup about the future. We agreed we would continue those conver-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOSByMICHAEL WyKE ton on Dec.31inHouston. Williams transferred to LSU in theoffseason.

Iowa State guard JadaWilliams shoots under pressure from Houston guard Kierra Merchant during agameonDec. 31 in Houston.

Iowa State guard JadaWilliams dribbles against Hous

WIMBLEDON

Djokovic wins marathon match

Star, Auger-Aliassime battle for more than five hours to set up semifinal vs. Sinner

BY ANDREW DAMPF and KEN MAGUIRE Associated Press

LONDON Novak Djokovic was pushed to play more than five hours by Felix Auger-Aliassime before the seven-time Wimbledon champion prevailed 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) on Tuesday to set up a semifinal against reigning champion Jannik Sinner

When a forehand from AugerAliassime sailed wide after a long rally to give Djokovic a 9-4 lead in the final-set tiebreaker both players leaned on their rackets in exhaustion Djokovic, while he was leaning over, still found energy to encourage the crowd to cheer louder waving his racket for more noise.

Then, on his first match point, a big forehand from Djokovic led to another error from his 25-yearold Canadian opponent to end it after 5 hours, 15 minutes — and just before the All England Club’s 11 p.m. curfew took effect.

To celebrate, Djokovic raised his arms high and wide and took in the applause as he walked to the net to shake hands with Auger-Aliassime. Then Djokovic performed a little elbows-toknees dance. He often mentions that his daughter tries to teach him moves.

“These,” Djokovic said, “are the kind of moments that I still play tennis for.”

Djokovic continues to break records as he chases a 25th Grand Slam title. He’s reached a recordsetting eighth consecutive Wimbledon final four — moving him one ahead of Roger Federer for most consecutive men’s singles semifinal appearances at the grass-court tournament.

Sinner spent less than half the amount of time on court as Djokovic did when he beat JanLennard Struff 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3 much earlier in the day on No. 1 Court.

Sinner beat Djokovic in straight sets in last year’s Wimbledon semifinals, and Djokovic outlasted the Italian over five sets in the last four of this year’s Australian Open.

“I wish it was finals, so I don’t need to worry about how

the body will feel tomorrow,” Djokovic said. “I was telling the kids to go to sleep after the fourth (set) but they didn’t want to listen. I’m glad they stayed because it was honestly one of the best matches I was part of on this court in my career.”

Medical timeout

In the first set, Djokovic dealt with what appeared to be a lowerleg issue He grimaced during the ninth game, which he held to love for a 5-4 lead. Then he was treated by a trainer on the ensu-

ing changeover and took a medical timeout. The trainer tested the stability of his left ankle and calf before massaging Djokovic’s calf muscle.

Djokovic had earlier leaned over to stretch his leg by pulling back the tip of his sneaker He also stretched while standing at the back wall.

There was more stretching the rest of the way too especially late in the fifth set.

“It was really anybody’s game in the super tiebreak in the fifth,” Djokovic said.

Gauff rallies

Down a set after untimely double-faults, Coco Gauff rallied past Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 to reach the semifinals for the first time.

With the victory, the 22-yearold Gauff became the youngest player to reach the semifinals at all four Grand Slams since Maria Sharapova, who completed the feat at the 2007 French Open, the women’s professional tennis tour said.

Gauff will face 10th-seeded Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic for a spot in Saturday’s final. Muchova, the 2023 French Open runner-up, eliminated Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 6-4 on No. 1 Court.

In Gauff’s six previous appearances at the All England Club, she had never gotten past the fourth round. But perhaps experience at the grass-court major is starting to pay off.

“I think after seven years playing this tournament it’s finally the first time I can walk on Centre Court and I didn’t feel nervous,” Gauff said.

In the completion of a fourthround match, second-seeded Alexander Zverez beat Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (6) to set up a quarterfinal Wednesday against sixthseeded Taylor Fritz.

Former Cowboys DE had early stage CTE

Kneeland killed himself after police chase in November

BY JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who died by suicide in November after a high-speed chase with police, had early stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain abnormality linked to repeated head trauma, his family announced Tuesday The Boston University CTE Center, which investigates the long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes and others, analyzed Kneeland’s brain tissue after his death. Researchers determined Kneeland, who was 24, was in stage one of four of CTE.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in athletes in contact sports, combat veterans and others who experience repetitive blows to the head It has been known to cause violent mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression It can be diagnosed only after death.

“While this diagnosis does not change the tragedy of his pass-

ing, it provides important context about some of the struggles he may have been facing. We share this information to help people understand what NFL and other high-contact-sport athletes might be struggling with,” Kneeland’s family, including his girlfriend, Catalina Mancera, said in a statement issued through the Concussion and CTE Foundation. “Raising awareness is important to us. We continue to remember

Marshawn with compassion for the person he was, rather than defining him by the final moments of his life. One Love,” the family said. The abnormality has also been linked to deaths in the NFL, as well as in hockey and soccer Kneeland shot himself after evading authorities in his vehicle and fleeing a car crash on foot. The chase happened after police said Kneeland didn’t stop

Four-star safety Anding picks LSU over Ole Miss Lane Kiffin and LSU scored a win over Ole Miss — on the recruiting trail.

Jayden Anding, a four-star safety in the 2027 class, picked the Tigers over the Rebels on Tuesday

The Ruston native is the younger brother of LSU defensive back Aidan Anding, a four-star cornerback in the 2025 class.

Anding is ranked as the No.311 prospect in the 2027 class by the 247Sports Composite. He’s the third defensive back in the Tigers’ haul.

The 6-foot 170-pound defensive back has held an LSU scholarship offer since August, but Ole Miss put itself in the mix with an offer in January Anding visited the Rebels a month ago but, ultimately, he decided to stay in state and join his brother at LSU.

Former Pelicans center Looney signs with Lakers

Kevon Looney, who spent last season with the New Orleans Pelicans, is headed back to the West Coast.

The veteran center has agreed to a one-year, $3.9 million deal with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to an ESPN report.

Looney played the first 10 seasons of his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors. He won three NBA titles with the Warriors before signing with New Orleans on a two-year deal in June 2025. The Pelicans declined the $8 million team option on his deal in June.

Looney played in just 21 games with the Pelicans, starting in eight of them He averaged 2.8 points and 5.6 rebounds.

Belgium’s Onana out for remainder of World Cup

RENTON, Wash. — Belgium midfielder Amadou Onana, who injured his right knee in the 19th minute of Monday’s 4-1 win against the United States in the round of 16, will miss the remainder of the World Cup.

In a statement released by the Belgian soccer federation, team doctor Brahim Hacene confirmed Onana ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

“This is devastating news,” Hacene said, “both for him personally and for the team.”

The 24-year-old Onana appeared in four games at the World Cup for Belgium and made his second start of the tournament against the Americans Onana also played in two games at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Knicks star Brunson has surgery on his left wrist NEW YORK Jalen Brunson has undergone surgery on his left wrist and is expected to be back on the court when the New York Knicks begin defense of their NBA title, a person with knowledge of the details said Tuesday

for Texas Department of Public

Safety troopers over a traffic violation. Authorities lost sight of the vehicle before locating it crashed minutes later

As authorities were looking for Kneeland after he fled the crash site on foot, a dispatcher told officers that people who knew him had received a group text from Kneeland “saying goodbye,” indicating he might be suicidal.

Dr Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation, noted Kneeland’s diagnosis comes even amid a modern era of concussion protocols in professional and college athletics and better safety equipment.

Kneeland started playing tackle football when he was 7 years old. He played at Western Michigan University before he was selected by the Cowboys in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

“We have no reason to believe the current generation is at a lower risk of CTE than previous generations Concussion protocols do not prevent CTE, because CTE is caused by repeated head impacts, not just concussions,” Nowinski said. “If we want to reduce CTE risk, we must implement CTE prevention protocols and aggressively reduce the number and strength of head impacts at every level of the game.”

The NBA Finals MVP is expected to resume basketball activities later this summer, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Brunson, who is left-handed, didn’t let the wrist injury slow him down on the Knicks’ run to their first championship since 1973. He scored 45 points when the Knicks won the title in Game 5 in San Antonio, after finishing with 36 when they made a record-setting comeback from a 29-point deficit in Game 4 The point guard averaged 32.6 points in the finals.

Pirates star rookie SS Griffin out 8-10 weeks

PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Pirates will have to try to stay in postseason contention without rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin. The club placed the 20-year-old rising star on the 10-day injured list on Tuesday due to an issue with a knuckle on the ring finger on his left hand. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Griffin is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

Griffin, who made his major league debut in April before signing a lengthy extension, injured the finger in a victory over Washington on Sunday Tomczyk said the injury was to the sagittal band, which stabilizes the ring finger Griffin will keep the hand in a splint for about six weeks before resuming baseball activities.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JACOB KUPFERMAN

Dallas Cowboys defensive end Marshawn Kneeland looks on during a game against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. 12 in Charlotte, N.C.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOS By MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA

Novak Djokovic celebrates winning against Felix Auger-Aliassime in their quarterfinal match at Wimbledon on Tuesday in London.

Coco Gauff celebrates a win over Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon on Tuesday in London.

Atlanta’s Reese among WNBA All-Star reserves

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

Angel Reese felt that Atlanta Dream teammates Rhyne Howard and Allisha Gray were snubbed by not being selected as All-Star starters. Now the Dream trio will get to play together in Chicago at the WNBA All-Star Game on July 25 after all three were selected as reserves by the league’s coaches on Tuesday Reese had said after the All-Star starters came out that she felt her two Dream teammates should have been starting. It’s the fourth time that Atlanta has had three AllStars. Joining the Dream players as re-

serves are Washington teammates Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen. Both made the All-Star Game as rookies last season.

Toronto’s Marina Mabrey will be making her first All-Star appearance and gave the expansion franchise a player in the game. She matched the WNBA record with a 53-point game last month.

Other players selected by the coaches were New York’s Jonquel Jones, Minnesota’s Courtney Williams, Las Vegas’ Jackie Young and Seattle’s Dominique Malonga, who will also be making her AllStar debut.

Los Angeles teammates Nneka Ogwumike and Kelsey Plum also were picked Ogwumike has been an All-Star 11 times and moved

into a second-place tie with Diana Taurasi for most All-Star appearances, trailing only Sue Bird’s 13. Coaches couldn’t vote for their own players. Plum has been sidelined for the last few weeks with a leg injury and will be evaluated again later this month If she can’t play, WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert will choose a replacement.

New this year, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon will serve as honorary general managers and select the two teams from the pool of AllStars. The pair will select the teams at some point soon. Chicago, Portland, Connecticut and Phoenix all don’t have AllStars.

LSU men to play Houston on Dec. 13

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

One of LSU’s most anticipated matchups for the 2026-27 season has a date.

Coach Will Wade’s team will face powerhouse Houston on Dec. 13 at the Toyota Center the home arena of the Houston Rockets, according to the game contract.

The last time LSU faced Houston was on Dec. 12, 2019. The Cougars won 82-76 and the programs are tied 5-5 in the all-time series.

Houston is expected to field a competitive team, as it has for the last several seasons under 12-year coach Kelvin Sampson. His program has won at least 30 games each season since 2021-22.

The Cougars are coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and, the year before, a national championship game appearance. They have reached at least the Sweet 16 in six straight seasons.

An additional layer of intrigue is that one of Houston’s premier transfer portal additions is former LSU point guard Dedan Thomas.

The 6-foot-1 lefty was the Tigers’ best player last season as a junior, averaging 15.3 points, 6.5 assists and 1.6 turnovers per game before having season-ending foot surgery in February Thomas, who started his career at UNLV, injured his left foot on Jan. 2, the day before the Southeastern Conference opener

Houston isn’t the only elite team LSU has agreed to play in the nonconference slate. The Tigers will face Gonzaga on Nov. 14 in Spokane, Washington, according to the game contract. It will be the first meeting between the programs ever Gonzaga has been a preseason

AP Top 25 team every year since the 2009-10 season and has finished a season outside the final poll only four times in that span.

LSU also has agreed to participate in the Palm Springs Classic, a multiteam event at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California, according to the game contract. The tournament runs from Nov 21-26 and LSU will face two of the three other teams in the field: SMU, Arizona State or Southern California. LSU’s first opponent and game times were not listed.

SMU was the only team in the group to make the NCAA Tournament last season, losing 89-79 to Miami (Ohio) in the First Four Arizona State finished 17-16 last season and enters its first year under coach Randy Bennett, who left Saint Mary’s after leading the Gaels to five straight NCAA Tournament berths. One of his associate head coaches is David Patrick, a former LSU assistant under Matt McMahon (2024-26) and Johnny Jones (2012-16).

The Sun Devils also have former LSU forward Marcus Vaughns. The 6-8 Australian enrolled early at LSU in December and redshirted after not appearing in any games. USC went 18-14 last season and is expected to improve with three top-30 recruits, including Christian Collins, the No. 9 player in the 2026 class, according to 247Sports. LSU has also agreed to nine other nonconference games against midmajor teams, all at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center

The Tigers also will face UNO (Nov 3) Texas Southern (Nov 6) Louisiana Tech (Nov 9), UL-Monroe (Nov 17), Queens University (Nov 20), Hofstra (Dec. 5), High Point (Dec. 18), UL (Dec. 22) and Washington State (Dec. 28).

Mitchell signs massive deal to stay with Cavaliers

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

CLEVELAND Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a four-year, $273 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday

The seven-time All-Star had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million. The extension includes a $76 million player option for the 2030-

WILLIAMS

Continued from page 1C

lived here for only a few weeks, and she’s devoted that time to a pair of new challenges she’s taken up ahead of her fourth year as a college basketball player. Running point for coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers.

And doing what she can to prevent Congress from passing the Protect College Sports Act.

Williams is one of only a few college athletes who have spoken publicly about the new bipartisan legislation, which was written and introduced in late May to establish a “national framework” of rules in college sports. She told Murphy that “we need structure” but that “we shouldn’t allow Congress to be the ones to decide who makes those rules.” Collective bargaining is Williams’ preferred path forward. She doesn’t want athletes to “have to take the passenger seat,” she told Murphy, because if their voices are excluded from the process and a new set of rules is written into federal law without their input, then they’ll lose “a lot of our power” and “everybody will be taking pay cuts.” It’s a thorny topic. Most decisionmakers would rather see Congress restore the NCAA’s authority to enforce its own rules. Collective bargaining faces basic practical issues, too, though Yahoo Sports reported around the time the Protect College Sports Act was introduced that some leaders in the SEC, Big Ten and elsewhere were warming up to the possibility that collegiate athletes could unionize one day What is clear is that Williams is eager to speak up, and that willingness should serve her well in the new role she’ll fill at LSU once the 2026-27 season tips off in November The Tigers cycled through five

31 season and a full trade kicker, the person said.

“I love it here.

I don’t know how else to say it I have no doubt these guys can get there. We have unfinished business,” Mitchell said on May 25 after the Cavaliers were swept by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals.

For now, it is the fourth-biggest contract in terms of total value in NBA history behind the $314 million contract Boston gave to Jay-

starting point guards in five years before they signed Williams. It’s a tough gig, one that two incumbent starters have walked away from before they exhausted their eligibility under Mulkey at LSU.

Williams seems suited for it

“A lot of college athletes don’t know what’s going on,” Williams told The Advocate in a recent interview, “and it’s hard to learn because who’s gonna tell you that?

We don’t sit down as a team and talk about those things, so it’s kind of on us to educate ourselves.

“I think that’s just why I’m passionate. Because we should be able to be in the driver’s seat of the things that we go through in our day-to-day life.”

An early start

When she was in high school, Williams was one of the earliest beneficiaries of the NIL era. She was a high-profile recruit with a large social media following, so it didn’t take long for the brands to start lining up. Spalding. Move insoles. SLAM magazine.

Williams moved from Missouri to California ahead of her junior year in part so she could work with those companies. Had she stayed in her home state, where prep athletes weren’t allowed to strike NIL deals she wouldn’t have picked up some of the experience that informs her stances today She’s been navigating this new world for five years now

“She’s a really grounded kid,” said Terri Bamford, Williams’ high school coach at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego.

“Really smart kid, and I think she really understands the landscape, especially having received NIL deals so young.”

When Williams was playing for Bamford, she was committed to UCLA. She later dropped that pledge and enrolled at Arizona instead, kick-starting what she described to Murphy as “the worst two years of my life.”

son Tatum, the $285 million deal that the Celtics gave to Jaylen Brown — who now plays for Philadelphia — and the $276 million deal that Nikola Jokic currently has with Denver

That assumes Mitchell will pick up a player option worth nearly $76 million for 2030-31. The average annual value of just over $68 million is an NBA record, barely passing the $67.9 million average value of the deal that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has with Oklahoma City

“When we have a superstar of his caliber that wants to be in Cleveland, that’s our best ambas-

So Williams jumped into the transfer portal in 2025 and landed closer to home at Iowa State. The move paid off. Not only did she play alongside All-American forward Audi Crooks but she also figured out how to improve important parts of her game.

In her lone season with the Cyclones, Williams scored 15.3 points per game and posted the nation’s third-highest assist average (7.7) — two reasons why she became one of the top transfers of the 2026 cycle when she decided in April to switch teams for a second time. Eight of her Iowa State teammates joined her in the portal.

Jill McIntyre, Williams’ mother, said LSU was one of about five schools on her daughter’s initial “short list” of destinations. The problem though, was that Jada Richard was already the LSU starting point guard, and Mulkey had said in an interview with WAFB-TV that her program was losing only one player to the transfer portal: freshman Divine Bourrage. That’s when things changed for LSU.

Mulkey told The Advocate that she was in a children’s hospital in Temple, Texas, helping her 7-yearold grandson, Kannon, get ready for surgery to remove his appendix when Richard called to tell her she had decided to put her name into the portal. The LSU coaches, Mulkey said, were “certainly caught off guard” by Richard’s move, but they had to act quickly. “I then immediately turned around,” Mulkey said, “and thought of who was in the portal that could come in here and help us immediately, and it was Jada Williams.”

Mulkey called Williams and told her she wanted to invite her to LSU’s campus for a visit and add her to the roster The two had a prior relationship — Mulkey recruited Williams when she was coaching at Baylor, and she used to

sador that’s our best recruiter

There’s guys that are here that wouldn’t be here without him, quite frankly,” Cavaliers president of basketball operations

Koby Altman said about Mitchell and an extension on May 29. “So I think the bigger question is, the one that’s been answered is, does he want be here and does he want to be here long term? And I think he’s answered that.”

The 29-year-old Mitchell led the Cavaliers this past season to their first conference final since 2018. He averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, along with 26

run into her at the Big 12 Tournament in her hometown of Kansas City, Missouri. Williams still made sure she did her homework. She said she reached out to DiJonai Carrington and DiDi Richards — two former Baylor players under Mulkey who are like “big sisters” to her — as well as Mikaylah Williams and even some ex-LSU players who have left the Tigers via the portal during Mulkey’s tenure. She wanted to “pick their brains,” she said, and talk to them “about the fit” and “how (Mulkey) coaches.”

“Things like that,” Williams said “And they told me the truth. We had some really good conversations.”

Richard announced she was transferring on April 9. Williams landed in Baton Rouge 48 hours later then committed to the Tigers the next day, giving them a polished, experienced veteran at a position of need. LSU spent only three days in the market for a point guard.

“It wasn’t like it was a hard sell,” Mulkey said, “because she already knew about me. She knew about LSU’s success, my success at Baylor And the rest is history

“She’s just a young lady that’s personable. Everybody’s gonna love her She’s got a lot of energy She’s going to share the basketball. She takes as much pride in her assists as she does scoring, and she’s going to be one that the fans really, really enjoy.”

‘The scary thing’

These days, Williams is devoting most of her time to summer workouts and Zoom meetings. She’s part of the United College Athletes Association (UCAA) — a nonprofit players’ advocacy group that aims to “build representation structures” for college athletes.

The first step, Williams said, is learning. About the current state of collegiate sports. About the NCAA’s years-long push for federal

points in the playoffs. Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points in four seasons with Cleveland since he was traded by the Utah Jazz in 2022. Mitchell’s extension is the first in what is likely to be a series of moves for the Cavaliers. There is the possibility LeBron James could return to his hometown franchise, which he led to its first championship in 2016. James Harden — whom the Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline also is considering a new deal to remain with Cleveland after turning down his player option for 2026-27.

legislation. About the practicalities, and complications, of a governing model based on collective bargaining. UCAA leaders help them grasp the issues first so they can untangle them later to the public.

“We agree on the issues that are going on within us,” Williams said, “and then we go and we do the scary thing of speaking out and letting other people know our opinions.”

Williams and her fellow UCAA members want to make it clear: They don’t want Congress to set the rules. They’d rather unionize. Williams shared that sentiment with Murphy a few weeks after Maryland guard Oluchi Okananwa, former UCLA guard Charlisse Leger-Walker and ex-Michigan forward Brooke Quarles Daniels did the same in an online panel with U.S. Rep Lori Trahan, D-Massachusetts.

Still, as of Wednesday, a collective bargaining model looms as only a remote possibility The Protect College Sports Act must first fail, and if leaders then decide to explore the possibility of classifying athletes as employees who can unionize, then they’d still face opposition from key figures, significant legal hurdles and a complex web of competing interests. U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington one of the Senate bill’s authors — said in a June 18 hearing that the model “isn’t going to happen anytime soon.”

That belief won’t stop Williams, a savvy veteran who likes to do her homework and say what she thinks — even if she steps into some thorny subjects along the way

“It’s not an easy thing to do,” Williams said. “It’s definitely very scary But we kind of feel like it’s our duty with the platforms that we have. God gave us a purpose, and we’re gonna use it for those reasons, and I’m very, very grateful that I got the opportunity “It’s not every day you’re on live with a senator.”

AP PHOTO By MICHAEL CONROy

Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese plays against the Indiana Fever in the second half of a game in Indianapolis on June 18.

Mitchell

WORLDCUP 2026

Argentinastuns Egyptwith3lategoals

BY JAMES ROBSON Associated Press

ATLANTA— It was another World Cup epic from an Argentina team that simply doesn’tknow when it’s beaten.

Trailing 2-0 against Egypt with 11 minutes of regulation time to play on Tuesday,the reigning champions rallied for an improbable 3-2 victory and aspotinthe quarterfinals.

“Wehave aphenomenal group,a group that never gives up no matter the difficulties and adversity We’re alwaystogether,” saidEnzo Fernandez, who scored the winning goal in stoppage time.

Argentina will play Switzerland in the next round on Saturdayin Kansas City,Missouri.

For much of Tuesday’sgame, it looked like it would be apainful exit for the 39-year-old Lionel Messi in what might be thelast of his six World Cups.

Egyptled aftergoalsineach half from Yasser Ibrahim and Mostafa Zico and could have been ahead 3-0 if not for avideo review that ruled outanother score.

Argentina looked down and out, its bid to be the first team to win back-to-back World Cup titles since Brazil in 1958 and 1962 all but dead.

Cue amonumental comeback

“The heart of Argentinians is always something thatpushes,that we keep going no matter what, that we give everything until the end. And honestly,with thescore 2-0, we looked abit beaten,” Argentina strikerJulianAlvarezsaid. “There was little time left, but we always manage to get something more by fighting until the end.”

Cristian Romero startedthe rally by scoring with aheader in the 79th minute. Messi, who was in tears after the final whistle, scored

hiseighthgoal of the tournament and record-extending 21stgoalat theWorldCup in the83rd to level the score at 2-2 and Fernandez completed thecomeback in injury time.

“Four years have passed since Qatar,and we’ve come to enjoy another World Cup—and we want to winitagain. That’swhat we’re aiming for,” Fernandez said. Argentina is no stranger to heroic matches at the World Cup. There was the 3-2 win over West Germany in the 1986 final.Then

the 3-3 draw and eventual shootout victory against France to reclaim thetitle four years ago.

Cape Verde pushed Argentina to the brink in the last round before eventually winning 3-2inextra time.

Tuesday’smatch was even more dramatic, with Messi having a first-half penaltykick saved and another effort hit thepost.

“I’m so emotional,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. “What a group of players, brother.” Egypt tooka surprising lead in

Switzerlandinquarterfinalsafter winningshootoutoverColombia

Vargas converts winning penaltykick afterscoreless draw

BY ANNE M. PETERSON Associated Press

VANCOUVER, British Columbia In a match with few fireworks, the Swisswerepatient againstthe Colombians and their enthusiastic fans.

After ascoreless draw, Ruben Vargas converted the decisive penalty and Switzerland advanced to theWorld Cupquarterfinals, beating Colombia 4-3 in ashootout on Tuesday Switzerland will face reigning champion Argentina on Saturday at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City,Missouri. Argentina defeated Egypt 3-2 earlier in the day. Switzerland had not reached the quarterfinalsofa World Cup since hosting the tournamentin1954. And the Swiss were short-handed Tuesday without young midfielder Johan Manzambi, who wasinjured in training on Monday Vargas, who has scored two goals in the World Cup, also left Monday’straining early but came on in stoppagetime at theend of regulation.

In the shootout, Colombiadefender Davinson Sánchez’spenalty attempt hit the crossbar and Switzerland goalkeeper Gregor Kobel savedanattempt by Cucho Hernández.

FIFAPresident Gianni Infantino was among those at BC Place, where the sellout crowd of 52,497 was overwhelmingly cladinyellow in support of Colombia.

“They had the crowdontheir side, so it was atough game for us,” Kobel said. “Weknow we had some stretches of the game where we had to defend and stay strong mentally.Obviously we hadafew players missing so, yeah, it was a big challenge for us.” Colombia failed to qualify for the last World Cupin2022.Los Cafeteros made the quarterfinals at the 2014 tournament in Brazil, defeating Uruguay in the roundof16before losing to the host country2-1

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON Colombia’sLuis Suárez, left, and Switzerland’sNico Elvedi battlefor the ball during aWorld Cup round of 16 match on Tuesday in Vancouver, British Columbia.

“The dream wasenormous,” Colombia midfielder JohnArias said. “The country showed us that it believed in us, that it lived every momentwith us, andIthink that only makes the pain even greater.”

The Swiss reached theround of 16 at the past three WorldCups but failed to advance with asmaller field of 32 teams.

“Weworked very hard, and now we have this opportunity,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakinsaid. “This is going to be avery interesting matchup fromour pointofview. We will try to compete against the reigning champions andit’sgoing to be amazing. Switzerlandagainst Argentina in aquarterfinal.Iamso excited. Ithink thatI need maybe acouple of hours more or another day to process what just happened, and then tomorrow we will start focusingonArgentina.”

Thematch was tightly contested by two teams withcontrasting styles,the Swiss with amoreorganized andmethodical approach and Colombia more attack-oriented and physical. Switzerland had a slight edge in possession. Manzambi, a20-year-old midfielder who playsfor German club Freiburg,has three goals in the World Cup, becomingone of

the tournament’sbreakout stars.

TheSwiss were also without Luca Jaquezand midfielder Michel Aebischer GustavoPuertahad thefirst good chance for Colombiawith ashotfromdistanceinthe 21st minute that was pushedaway by Kobel.

The Swiss gotone of theirbest opportunities in the 30th with FabianReider’s blastatgoalkeeper Camilo Vargas, whopunchedthe ball down.Minutes later, Vargas smothered another attempt from Dan Ndoye.

TheSwiss hada free kick in the 52nd minute, but Reider’sattempt curled around the wall and went into theside netting.

In thefirst extra time period, Jhon Lucumi’s header hitthe crossbar and caromed away as Colombia put pressureonKobel.

“I don’tthink youcan overstate what ahuge success this is —for us, forthis team, forSwitzerland, for such asmall country.Tobe amongthe top eight teams in the world is incredible,” Kobel said. “It’sanunbelievable feeling. I’m incredibly proud.”

Colombia and Switzerland also met in the group stage at the 1994 World Cup in the United States, with Los Cafeteros winning 2-0.

the 15th minute whenIbrahim got ahead of Lisandro Martinez to meet Marwan Attia’scross and head theballinto the bottom corner Argentina was quickly given thechance to level the match when Haissem Hassan tripped Nicolas Tagliaficointhe boxmoments later.Referee François Letexier pointed to the penalty spot andMessi stepped up with an expectant crowd waiting for him to score. Egypt goalkeeper Mostafa Sho-

GLANCE

Scores, schedule ROUND OF 16

July4 Morocco 3, Canada 0 France1,Paraguay0 July5 Norway 2, Brazil 1 England 3, Mexico 2 July6

Spain1,Portugal 0 Belgium4,United States 1 Tuesday Argentina 3, Egypt2 Switzerland 0(4-3PK), Colombia 0 QUARTERFINALS

Thursday Francevs. Morocco,3p.m. Friday Spainvs. Belgium, 2p.m. Saturday Norway vs.England, 4p.m. Argentina vs.Switzerland, 8p.m. SEMIFINALS July14

France-Morocco winner vs.Spain-Belgium winner, 2p.m. July15

Norway-England winnervs. ArgentinaSwitzerland winner, 2p.m.

beir had other ideas, diving to his left to block the shotfor Messi’s second penalty miss of the tournament after also failing from the spotagainst Austria in the group stage. Despite being the all-timeleading scorer at World Cups, Messi hasnow missed four of eight penalty kicks at the tournament. After Messi hit the post later in the half, Shobeir pulledoff another great save to stop JulianAlvarez from close range.

Egypt thought it had doubled its lead in the second half whenMostafa Zico finished off asweeping attack. But the wild celebrations were cut short when afoul earlier in the move wasconfirmed on video review and the goal was disallowed.

Thatsecondgoal forEgypt did comeinthe 67th from asimilar break,and this time Zico’seffort counted. It just wasn’tenough.

Egyptfurious after squanderinglead

BY PAUL NEWBERRY Associated Press

ATLANTA— For Mohamed Salah and Egypt, what could have been aglorious celebration turned ugly at theend.

On the cusp of upsetting the reigning WorldCup champions, thePharaohssquandered atwogoal lead late in thegame andlost to Lionel Messi and Argentina 3-2 in the round of 16 Tuesday The winning tally cametwo minutes into stoppagetimeand set off awild scene in front of the Egyptian bench. Ared card wasshown to goalkeeping coach Saafan Elsaghir,who hadtobe physically restrained from going afterFrench referee Francois Letexier.Two players on the field received yellowcards forgriping vehemently aboutArgentina’s final goal Egypt coach Hossam Hassan crossedhis arms —the signal forcalling out racial abuse and stated flatly thathis upstart squad was victimized by asoccer establishment that wanted Messi and Argentina to advance.

“Wehave been treated unfairly today,” Hassansaid. “Wehave suffered injustice.”

In atournament already marred by allegationsthat U.S. President DonaldTrump influenced FIFA to overturn aone-game suspension for an American player,Egypt turned up the heat on soccer’s governing body

“I just would like to say that we would have deserved to earn this win,”Hassansaid,“but we are leaving withhonor,withpride, regardless of this defeat.” Hassan, who hasbeen outspoken in his support of the Palestinians during the tournament, was upset that apotential second goal was overturned by avideo review that showed afoul on Egypt at the start of an end-to-end play Egypt came back to take a2-0 lead anyway on MostafaZico’s goal in the 67th minute, but there was still enough timefor Argentina to pull off acomeback forthe ages in the stadium that is the home of the NFL’s At-

lanta Falcons. Cristian Romero gave the champions hope in the 79th. Messi blasted in the tying goal off the crossbar just four minutes later And Enzo Fernández won it for Argentina in thesecondminute of stoppage time —a playthat beganatthe opposite endofthe field with Salah being stripped of the ball as he tried to dribble into the penalty area, winding up face downonthe turf

Evenretired NFLquarterback

TomBrady took note of the comeback, going on social media to point out this rivaled the one he pulled off against the Falcons in the2017Super Bowl,whenthe NewEngland Patriots rallied from a28-3deficitlateinthe third quarter to win34-28 in overtime.

“Yeah so that might top 28-3,” Brady wrote on X.

Hassan couldn’tcare less what Brady had to say.The coach was still seething that thevideo-assisted referee didn’tfeel aneed forLetexiertoreviewwhat Egypt felt was afoul in the penalty area, denying what could’ve been ashotatatying kickinthe waning seconds.

“The effect of this outcome goes waybeyond the defeat itself because we haven’tseen neither respect nor fair play,” Hassan said. “There has not been respect or fair play because apenalty was ruled out. Asecond ball that should have been called as apenalty foruswas not even checked by the VAR.”

It was all too muchfor Hassan and his players to bear

“What Itold the refereewas just that this is unfair,” the coach said. “I was sayingmaybe he’s carryinga scar,maybehehas something to hide. Whoever has somethingtohide sometimes fails to hide what he is hiding and this wasexactly what Ifeltduring that conversation.”

For Hassan, the tournament is over.Hehas no intentionof watching any moresoccer

“I promiseyou,fromthe momentIgoback, I’m not going to continue following the matches of this FIFAWorld Cup,” he said.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO

Lionel Messi celebrates scoring Argentina’ssecond goal during the WorldCup round of 16 match against Egypt on TuesdayinAtlanta.

Continued from page 1C

sations following a chance to rest and reflect post World Cup,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in a statement Tuesday “We have a great deal of respect and gratitude for Mauricio, his staff and everyone part of the program. We have shared excitement about our potential and also shared clarity about the amount of work at all levels still required to achieve our ambition.”

The Argentine took over from Gregg Berhalter in late 2024 after a first-round elimination at the Copa America. His first year included failures to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Nations League.

“We were in a mess,” he said “I’ve seen this team show that we can play football. We can play soccer We can compete That we need keep improving — a lot of young players with a lot potential and future.”

Goalkeeper has gone from the United States’ biggest strength from 1990 through 2014 to a huge weakness in the past decade and appears to be at its weakest since the 1980s.

Long gone are the days when

LSU

Continued from page 1C

ending up at LSU are slim to none, but three scouts believe his chances of making it to campus are basically a coin flip. That’s, in part, because of his potentially high asking price for MLB clubs.

“Those types of traits with that type of power, I would be shocked if someone didn’t take him. I have no idea what it’s going to require,” one scout said. “If he needs $3 million, I don’t know that someone does it. But I would bet you every team would offer $1.5 million. I bet half the teams would offer $2 million. Would he do it?”

Another scout who was familiar with Santarelli’s thinking said that “if his number’s met, he’s going to be ecstatic to go play pro ball, and if it’s not, he’s going to be ecstatic to go to LSU.” He also said that Santarelli, who decommitted from Louisville before signing with LSU, made his pledge to the Tigers with the expectation he’d play for the school

He wasn’t using his commitment as potential leverage against teams during the draft. The scout added that he is familiar with Santarelli’s agent, and he doesn’t expect his agency to let him “sign for cheap.”

“I’m not necessarily saying I got the vibe that he wanted the college experience,” the scout said “But I think he definitely was making decisions (picking LSU over Louisville) based on the fact that he was going to end up at school.”

Odds of reaching campus: 50/50

Malachi Washington, OF School: Park View High

Hometown: Stone Mountain, Georgia

Ht/Wt: 6-1, 203 pounds

Draft rankings: No. 83, ESPN; No. 111, MLB.com

Breakdown: Washington, a center fielder by trade, is an excellent athlete who possesses a combination of speed and power that will certainly intrigue MLB clubs.

Washington has quick hands and is a twitchy athlete. His righthanded swing could use some work — one scout described his overall game as somewhat raw and he struggled against better competition, but he only turned 18 in June.

“He’s got a chance to be really good because it is different,” one scout said. “It is different hand speed, bat speed and force output for a kid that size. Ridiculously strong. It’s just a matter of him transferring that strength into power.”

The same scout also said he has a strong arm and “makes it look easy” whenever he’s tracking down balls in the outfield, leading the scout to believe he can stick in center field.

“It’s pretty easy when the ball gets hit to him, almost like borderline nonchalant, and you question whether he cares on defense,” the scout said. “But that’s not the case. Once you get to know the kid, he’s happy-golucky.”

One scout described the odds of Washington ending up at LSU as 50/50 because “he wants a lot of money.” Another scout believes he’ll more than likely choose professional baseball over LSU.

“I think his number fully puts him in the ballpark of him probably getting picked,” the scout said. “It’s not a small number, but I think there’s enough interest, enough teams that are going to be in at the number that they’re com-

Tony Meola, Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel, Tim Howard and Brad Guzan inspired confidence.

Zack Steffen and Matt Turner both failed to establish themselves with big European teams. Matt Freese, who supplanted Turner as the first-choice starter last year, gifted a goal in the loss to Belgium that will be replayed on blooper reels.

Gabriel Slonina, Chris Brady, Patrick Schulte and Roman Celentano, who head the next generation, have the next cycle to establish themselves as possible No. 1s.

Central defense also is a concern.

Crystal Palace’s Chris Richards is the only American playing at a top club and his World Cup partner, Tim Ream, at 38 became the oldest U.S player at any World Cup. With the expansion of the field to 48 nations, including six from North and Central America and the Caribbean, World Cup qualifying is not likely to be challenging for CONCACAF’s powers: Mexico, the U.S. and Canada

All three were eliminated in the round of 16 after Curaçao, Haiti and Panama were eliminated with last-place finishes in their groups.

Unless the U.S. shows vast improvement, it will not be seeded for the 2030 World Cup and likely will face a world power in the first round.

municating.”

Odds of reaching campus: Less than 50%

Will Adams, 1B/OF

School: Hoover High

Hometown: Hoover, Alabama

Ht/Wt: 6-2, 203 pounds

Draft rankings: No. 57, The Athletic; No. 91, ESPN; No. 103, MLB.com

Breakdown: Adams is a polished left-handed-hitting (and throwing) first baseman who is athletic enough to potentially play a corner outfield spot.

“Sees the ball, manages counts, puts the bat on the ball,” one scout said. “He can get hits all over the field, and he has a little bit of power.”

Power isn’t his best trait, and he doesn’t have the speed to play center field, but Adams has garnered enough interest from MLB clubs that his odds of making it to campus are up in the air One scout believes his chances of getting to school are 50/50, while another thought there was a 60% chance

he’d go to LSU Johnson also told WBRZ that he met with Adams in Hoover during the same week the Tigers were set to play at the SEC Tournament.

“You just have no idea. And this guy, to me, he’s not a slam-dunk draft pick, and he’s not a slam dunk going to LSU,” one scout said.

“I could honestly see this going either way.”

Odds of reaching campus: 50/50

Anthony Murphy, OF School: Corona High

Hometown: Corona, California

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 185 pounds

Draft rankings: No. 107, MLB.com; No. 146, ESPN

Breakdown: Murphy is a plus de-

fensive center fielder and has plenty of power in his bat. Last season at Corona — a program that had three first-round picks in last year’s draft — Murphy led the team in home runs and batting average while hitting leadoff. The only notable red flag for

scouts is the right-handed hitter’s hit tool. As one scout told The Advocate, “the concern mainly comes from the fact that he kind of swings at everything.”

Questions surrounding Murphy’s approach and swing tendencies make him a raw prospect, even though he checks some significant boxes as a power-hitting center

fielder

“He’s for sure a center fielder And he can throw The only real concern is hitting enough to stay on the field,” the same scout said. “And he has enough power to get away with it. He’ll run into enough balls to have hit a ton of homers

You’re just hoping he’s not a guy who strikes out 30% of the time in the minors.”

Two scouts said they believe Murphy likely will get drafted and sign with a club. One scout said “everybody that I’ve talked to thinks he’s signing,” while the other noted that Murphy’s rawness as a prospect means that he wouldn’t be guaranteed playing time as a freshman at LSU.

If he were to join the Tigers, he’d be eligible for the draft again after his sophomore season.

“The guys who may end up choosing to sign for a lesser amount are typically the guys who are sophomore eligible, who, for one reason or another, are scared of the ramifications of not playing next year,” the scout said. “… He’s got to hit like 300 to play every day I don’t know if he can hit .300 in college.”

Odds of reaching campus: Low Nathaneal Davis, OF School: Bishop Moore Catholic

High Hometown: Orlando, Florida

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 184 pounds

Draft rankings: No. 125, ESPN; No. 138, MLB.com

Breakdown: Last week, Davis joined left-hander Braxton Beaty as the second LSU signee to officially withdraw from the draft and join the program for the 2027 season. Davis has a chance to immedi-

ately start in center field for the Tigers as a freshman. He has excellent speed and is a plus athlete with a strong arm, stealing 78 bases in high school.

“Davis is kind of like (Chris) Stanfield,” one scout said, “but he hits left-handed.”

Davis doesn’t have much power and struggled a bit against top competition nationally, but his speed and athleticism should help an LSU team that lacked both a year ago.

Odds of reaching campus: 100% Wessley Roberson, OF

School: Glynn Academy

Hometown: Brunswick, Georgia

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 175 pounds

Draft rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Roberson is a speedy outfielder who has a strong knack for putting the bat on the ball. He could hit for more power in the future even though his approach at the plate currently is contactoriented. Injuries slowed him down this spring, but Roberson heads into the draft without many obvious holes.

“I think he’s kind of an average bag of fives across the board,” one scout said, “outside of the fact that he’s a solid runner.”

Despite a profile suggesting he could make an immediate impact in college, two scouts said they expect Roberson to sign with an MLB club. Three scouts suggested that’s largely because he’d be willing to put pen to paper for a lower number with one scout saying that could be $500,000.

“It’s probably only like five or six teams that are really seriously going to draft him,” another scout said. “And it probably helps that the family is willing to sign for less.”

Odds of reaching campus: Low Parker Loew, SS

School: Trinity Christian Academy

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 180 pounds

Draft rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Loew is an athletic shortstop who is expected to stick at the position going forward. Offensively, he is a work in progress.

“I’m willing to (go through that) development to clean stuff up,” one scout said. “But he’s also just not super consistent, and there’s definitely some needed polish in the way he does things at a consistent level.”

Two scouts said they expect Loew to make it to LSU. One scout said that between Loew and Jordan Martinez, his high school teammate and a fellow LSU signee, Loew has the better chance of making an immediate impact on the field.

Odds of reaching campus: High Jordan Martinez, INF

School: Trinity Christian Academy

Hometown: Jacksonville, Florida

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 195 pounds

Draft rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Martinez is listed as a shortstop on Perfect Game, but unlike Loew, the infielder’s future is likely at third base. There are also questions surrounding his offensive game.

“I saw him strike out so much,” one scout said. “He just really cannot handle spin.” As with Loew, the expectation is that Martinez will wind up at school. His playing time could be sparse next season after the Tigers added Texas State transfer Dawson Park last month.

“I would expect both of them to make it (to school) pretty handily,” a scout said. Odds of reaching campus: High

Luke Tucker, INF

School: Krum High

Hometown: Krum, Texas

Ht/Wt: 6-4, 210 pounds

Draft rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Tucker is a power-hitting infielder whose future likely will be at first or third base. He played shortstop in high school, but his size likely limits him to a corner infield spot. At the plate, Tucker has a smooth swing, but he’s raw and didn’t face great competition in high school.

“He’s got some feel to hit,” one scout said. “It was a tough evaluation because he’s facing guys throwing 82 mph every day.”

The scout also noted LSU’s strength and conditioning staff could further his development if he made it to school.

“He’s a thicker kid. He needs to get in the weight room and trim himself down a little bit,” the scout said. “I think when he does, he’ll just naturally have more bat speed because it’s not the fastest bat.” Tucker isn’t expected to be selected in the first two rounds, but the same scout said that he wants to sign with an MLB team. If he did end up at LSU, the scout could see him redshirting as a freshman.

“He’s already thrown out like a million (dollars),” the scout said.

“And if kids are starting at a million, they’ll come down to half a million, probably I think there’s only like two or three teams that would do it, but the teams that would do it, it’s not crazy money that he’s asking for.”

Odds of reaching campus: Less than 50%

Masen Belding, C School: Del Oro High

Hometown: Grass Valley, California

Ht/Wt: 6-2, 215 pounds

Rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Belding is a big catcher with the potential to be an impact power hitter in college, but he has work to do defensively to stick behind the plate. One scout believes his future position is first base.

“He kind of fits in that Omar Serna, (Cade) Arrambide mold,” the scout said. “He can throw, and he has really good offensive tools, but the actual overall catching needs a lot of work.”

Belding is likely to make it to campus, but his playing time in Year 1 could be limited as he’d be fighting for reps with Serna, Arrambide and Eddie Yamin. But his bat does make him an intriguing option for the Tigers whenever the three veterans ahead of him move on to professional baseball.

Odds of reaching campus: High

Dylan Minnatee, 1B

School: Franklin High

Hometown: Elk Grove, California

Ht/Wt: 6-0, 195 pounds

Draft rankings: N/A

Breakdown: Minnatee is a contactoriented first baseman who, as a left-handed hitter, lacks power and positional versatility

One scout does not believe he has the agility and speed to play in the outfield.

“You love what Tre Morgan did, and you think that this guy is the next one,” the scout said. “It’s a first baseman with an unreal hit tool. But I think Tre Morgan is an anomaly, and you shouldn’t look for Tre Morgans.”

Minnatee isn’t expected to be taken in the draft and will likely end up at LSU Finding early playing time could be a challenge with Mason Braun returning for his sophomore year

Odds of reaching campus: High

PROVIDED PHOTO

Glynn Academy outfielder Wessley Roberson plays in a game last season. Roberson is signed to play at LSU, but many MLB scouts who talked with The Advocate expect him to get drafted and turn pro instead.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

United States midfielder Weston McKennie reacts during the World Cup round of 16 soccer match between the United States and Belgium in Seattle on Monday.

p.m.

(TBD) at Cincinnati (Burns 101), 6:10 p.m.

(Harrison 8-1) at St. Louis (McGreevy 3-7), 6:45 p.m. Arizona (Cabrera 0-1) at San Diego (King 5-7), 9:10 p.m.

Colorado (Feltner 3-2) at L.A. Dodgers (Sasaki 3-5), 9:10 p.m. Pro tennis

Wimbledon Results Tuesday At All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club London Purse: £30,060,000

Surface: Grass

Men’s Singles

Quarterfinals

Jannik Sinner (1), Italy, def. Jan-Lennard

Struff, Germany, 7-5, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Novak Djokovic (7), Serbia, def. Felix AugerAliassime (3), Canada, 7-6 (10), 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4). Women’s Singles Quarterfinals Coco Gauff (7), United States, def. Jessica Pegula (4), United States, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. Karolina Muchova (10), Czechia, def. Naomi Osaka (14), Japan, 7-6 (4), 6-4.

Men’s Doubles

Quarterfinals

Thanasi Kokkinakis, Australia, and Aleksandar Kovacevic, United States, def. Nikola Mektic, Croatia, and Austin Krajicek (14) United States, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Harri Heliovaara, Finland, and Henry Patten (1), Britain, def. Guido Andreozzi, Argentina, and Manuel Guinard (8), France, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (6). Women’s Doubles Third Round Taylor Townsend, United States, and Katerina Siniakova (1), Czechia, def. Asia Muhammad, United States, and Fanny Stollar (16), Hungary, 6-3, 6-3. Gabriela Dabrowski, Canada, and Luisa Ste-

fani (2), Brazil, def. Storm Hunter, Australia, and Caty McNally (14), United States, 6-1, 6-4. Katarzyna Piter, Poland, and Anna Siskova, Czechia, def. Rebecca Sramkova, Slovakia, and Linda Noskova, Czechia, 7-5, 6-4. Mixed Doubles Semifinals Storm Hunter and Marc Polmans, Australia, def. Mate Pavic, Croatia, and Fanny Stollar, Hungary, 7-6 (5), 6-3. Marcelo Arevalo, El Salvador, and Jelena Ostapenko (2), Latvia, def. Zhang Shuai, China, and Christian Harrison (3), United States, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Pro

Lauren Cheramie BONVIVANT

Cajunhot dog is July’s feature at Jed’sLocal

Newfood on theblock

The July po-boy of the month at Jed’sLocal,672 Jefferson Highway,Baton Rouge, is theCajun hot dog, made with grilled alligator sausage, sautéed onions and peppers, melted provolone cheese and Creole mustard spread ona toasted brioche bun. It’sserved withhousemade chips for$16.

The July po-boyofthe month at Jed’sLocal, 672 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge, is the

PJ’sCoffee,with multiple locations around the city,has debuted three craft sodas:peach strawberry,blue raspberry and coconut banana.

There’sanew summer menu at Josephine’sItalian Cuisine,5350 Government St., Baton Rouge.

Here’s what you can expect:

n Pesce scottato, made with Gulf fish, grilled peach, heirloom tomato, focaccia panzanella salad and trout roe n Oyster fagottini, made with lemon cream sauce, pancetta, parsley oil and seasoned bread crumbs n Gamberi erisotto, made with roasted Gulf shrimp,primavera risotto, zucchini basil puree and pecorino n Panna cotta, made with toasted sesame, seasonal fruit and caramelized sugar shards Josephine’salso officially debuted its executive chef, Logan Gaspard,aLouisiana native and graduate of the John Folse Culinary Institute. Gaspard most recently served as executive sous chef at Restaurant R’evolution in New Orleans, where he worked with aMichelin-star chef and helped to develop tasting menus.

In theknow

In support of Sarcoma Awareness Month, Bin 77,10111 Perkins Rowe, Baton Rouge, will feature drink specials for the month —both cocktails and mocktails. Bin 77 ownersBrian and Tiffany Dykes’ daughter was diagnosed with sarcoma in 2023. The proceeds from the July specialswill go toward MD Anderson. Pizza ArtWine,7673 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, will be closed for summer break until Sept.1

PINK PARADISE

Staff report

Dan dan noodles n ChowYum,2363 Hollydale Ave., Baton Rouge Chow Yumisone of those gems where Ican order something new and Iknow it’ll be good. This Mid City spot is one of my go-tos when I’m grabbing dinner with afriend. It has afun drink selection, cool atmosphere and undeniably great food. For theentree, Iordered the dan dan noodles, adish bursting with several flavors. There’ssmokiness from thepork belly,spice

BY MADDIESCOTT Staff writer

Inside Baton Rouge’s newest Mexican restaurant, pink walls and tropical plants give asummer-hideaway feel, afitting backdrop for$5tacos paired with amargarita.

Vals,at7242Perkins Road, opened its second location inside the former Rock Paper Taco building.

The New Orleans-born business opened its original location on Freret Street in 2020 and became known as afast-casual taco spot.

“The goal is, whenyou enter thebuilding, to sort of forget where youare and be transportedinto a differentplace, adifferent feeling,” said partnerMatthew Kohnke.

The menu hasseven $5 tacos, each with different toppings, served on housemade tortillas.

There’sthe fried fish taco, topped with chipotlemayo, cabbage, cilantro and spicy pickled onions. The beef

THEBESTTHINGS WE ATETHISWEEK

barbacoa featuressalsa tatemada, cilantro and onions. Others include the chicken tinga, fried Gulf shrimpand cochinita pibil, whichismade with pork shoulder

Forthose who don’teat meat,the menu hastwo vegetarian tacos: one with cauliflower,sikil pak, cilantro, sesame seeds and green hot sauce; another with sweet potatoes,salsa macha, crema, cotija cheese and cilantro.

“If you’ve never been here, order chips and all the dips,”saidexecutive chef Braden Messinger. “It’s essentially asalsa flight, and youalsoget ourguacamole and queso with that. Something foreverybody in there.”

One of Messinger’sfavorite dishes is an appetizer: the beef picadillo empanada, aCuban dish with crema, pickled onions, cabbage, cotija cheese andhot sauce, madewith fresh corn

ä See PINK, page 3D

fery Parkway,Lafayette Ihave alove-hate relationship with brunch. While Ilove a leisurely approach to breakfast with friends, Ihate how sluggish Ifeel after aheavy meal at the start of the day.When confronted with Bistrology’shuge menuon Sunday morning, Iwas certain I’d soon be in afood coma. Enter the Peruvian ceviche stuffed avocado. The dish included agenerous portion of ceviche shrimponan avocado with red onions, peppers, cilantro, lemon juice, arugula, chives and microgreens with a

PROVIDED PHOTO

Cajun hot dog

STFF PHOTO By MADDIE SCOTT

Dan dan noodles areafavorite from Chowyum.

ä See BONVIVANT, page 2D

STAFFPHOTOSByJAVIER GALLEGOS

Tacos, elotes and empanadas are popular items at Vals in Baton Rouge.

Cauliflower, fried Gulf shrimp and beef barbacoa tacosare among the choices at Vals. The pink theme at Vals is carried throughthe interior

Cansewinghobby become abusiness?

DEAR HARRIETTE: Ihave always liked to experiment with sewing my own garments. In my culture, it is common for people to make their own clothes or at least beable to repair what they buy.Astimegoes on, skillslikesewing have become more uncommon, especially here in the United States However,developing these skills at such ayoung age helped shape my relationship withclothes. I have been able to hone this craft over time, turning somethingI

didasahobbyintoaskill. Ifind myself eager to learnmoreabout business and potentially open my own retail store. Iknow it’s abig dream;however,Ithink it wouldbesomething Iwould be interested in as acareer.What aresome questions you think I should ask myself before moving forward with entrepreneurship?

—Sewerpreneur

DEAR SEWERPRENEUR: Beingable to sew is aclear asset and askill that can be turned into abusiness. Thinkbig. What would you like to do with your skill? The choices vary widely.You can work in a productionspace for adesigner making clothes or finishing pieces. Youcan specialize in al-

terations and work for abridal designer or adry cleaner or tailor.Orwhat about being afashion designer yourself?

Getting training is agood idea, either from avocational or adesign school. Look for businesses that you admire, and find out if you can get an internship there to learn what they do.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Iamsomeone who tries to be as independent as Ican be. Idonot like to rely on others sinceyou never know what can happen in arelationship. It is honestly not anyone else’s responsibilitytotake care of you. Oddly enough, mypartner enjoys thetraditional masculinerole of being aprovider,and this is one

BEST

Continued from page1D

side of fried green plantains and breakfastpotatoes. Iopted to pair it with the bombon —alayered Spanish coffee drink made with espresso and sweetened condensed milk. The bright, fresh ceviche balancedthe perfectly ripe avocado. While the plantains and potatoes were crispy and fine on their own, Iwouldn’thave minded the addition of seasoning or sauce. The bombon was my kind of coffee —perfectly intense and rich. I could have easilyhad asecond serving.

BONVIVANT

Continued from page 1D

Perhaps my favorite part of themeal was that Ileft the restaurant feeling satisfied and energizedinstead of readyfor anap —MeganWyatt, investigative reporter

Cheeseburger and bread pudding n Lillie’s Kitchen, 5068 Airline Highway, Baton Rouge

This was some of the best bread pudding I’ve had. My first visit to Lillie’s Kitchen was unexpected after Ifirst triedvisiting a restaurant down the street, only tosee it was closed impromptu. The original plan foiled, but the outcome turned sweet

Follow the celebration of America with thecelebration of France at Eliza Restaurant andBar,7970 Jefferson Highway,Baton Rouge. The restaurant’sannual threecourse Bastille Day prixfixe menu includes gruyère gougères, seared redfish andpeach tart (with optional winepairings), available July14-16. Wine andspirits

Cocktails of South America:6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m Saturday at The Tipsy Librarian,7450 JeffersonHighway,Baton Rouge

Iarrived at lunchtime, so Iordered abacon cheeseburger combo with fries and aDrPepper.The bacon had agreat bitetoit, thecheese was perfectly melted,and thepatty was savory.Ithit the spot, but thebread pudding was the star of the show The texture was alittle less chunky than most bread puddings I’ve had. It had moreofastuffing feel. The sticky,sugary taste was just delightful. Ibelieve there were golden raisins in it,which I’m not usually afan of, but Ienjoyed them that day.A testamenttohow good this dish was.

Maddie Scott, features reporter

Explorethree traditional SouthAmericancocktails through the lens of two spirits, cachaçaand pisco.

The cocktail lineup includes acaipirinha, piscosourand batida. Tickets are $115 per person, available for purchase at thetipsylibrarian.com.

Food adds so much to theequation of living well. It can be all thethings —luxurious, cheap, communal, intimate, simple and complex. In Baton Rouge, theculinary scene ranges the complete spectrum of senses.

This weekly space brings you insider foodie news, helpful tipsand details of food/ wineevents for all of your bon vivant aspirations. Email Lauren Cheramie withfood newsat lauren.cheramie@theadvocate.

of the reasons we argue often —I do not alwaysleave space for him to show his love. This takes alot of adjusting and feeling safe around your partner.I am not sure why he feels that this is the only way he can show up forme, though Itry to meet him where he’sat. Iknow Ican come off a bit strong, so I’mtrying not to change him, but Iwant him to recognize amoreholistic view of himself. How do Iwork on being morecomfortable with relying on people? —LeanonSomeone

DEAR LEANONSOMEONE: Being a good partner andeven simply agood friend requiresbeing a good listener andlearning what makes the otherperson tick. You

arelearning whatmakes you happy.Whatabout him? If gesturesofprotection and care are important to him, can you find a way to make space for some of that? Take abreathand observe the moment. Howcan you best showupinthis relationship? Sometimesitmay be by simply being present andwatching how things unfold. This way,you will learnwhatyou like about your partner’sattentiveness and what doesn’twork.

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

Steelwoolcan work in garden

Dear Heloise: This is the time of year when many “DIYers” use hand clippers and cutters to trim flowers, bushes and small branches. Often,they become coated with dried sap and plant material from use. While there are products that are available for this purpose, I’ve found that kitchen steel wool pads and water can quickly and completely remove the material. —Bob S.,inKenosha, Wisconsin

Read allabout it!

Dear Heloise: Printed news doesn’tdepend upon abatteryorelectricity.Itcan be taken whole or in part to read while waiting in line or waiting for customer assistance at abank or store. Most of thepuzzles can be filled in, unlike theonline versions. Newspapers can be used for other purposes, including cleaning windows or in the garden,

and it can be recycled. Finally,newspapers can be read forlong periods of time without the breaks that should be taken when viewing computer screens. —Alan S.,via email Alan, no one can argue with your logic; however,the cost of producing anewspaper has gone through the roof.It’snot just paper and ink, it’s machinery,repairs, staff, insurance and much more. As much as manyofus love our newspapers, it’s slowly dying, and digital newsishere to stay —Heloise

Don’tdip!

Dear Heloise: My husband has taken up chewing tobacco instead of smoking cigarettes. Ifind it repulsive, and Ibelieve that it’s just as dangerous as smoking. He doesn’tbelieve that it causes cancer —Donna F., in Racine,Wisconsin Donna, chewing tobacco affects the mouth, heart and internal organs, and it contains 28 cancer-causing chemicals. Adip of tobacco that is held in one’smouth

for30minutes (on average) has as much nicotine as three to five cigarettes, according to the American Lung Association. Since nicotine goes through the mucous membranes in the mouth, the hit is quicker and moreintense. Oral cancer isn’tsomething that you wanttodeal with if you can avoid it. Doctors have had to operate and, at times, remove half of apatient’sface. This isn’tanexaggeration.

—Heloise

Treating insect bites

DearHeloise: Yearsago, adoctor who was treating me fora fire antbite told me to soak my foot in hotwater —ashot as I could stand. It intensified the itchunbearably,but afterward, Iwas no longer bothered by the constant itch. I’ve done this for mosquito bites, chigger bitesand spiderbitesby using ahot compress. It works everytime. —Mary H.,inTexas Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

STAFF PHOTO By MEGAN WyATT

The Peruvian ceviche stuffed avocado from Bistrology is served with breakfast potatoesand friedgreen plantains.

Hints from Heloise

masa. While training at the New Orleans location, Messinger had the dish four days in a row

“I could not get tired of it,” he said, and he still has it for lunch often.

Also an appetizer, the elotes is a crowd favorite, Messinger said, served as corn on the cob covered in chipotle mayo, cotija cheese, cilantro and ancho chili powder

The menu as a whole isn’t complex, he said, and the kitchen doesn’t cut any corners. All of the tortillas are housemade, nixtamalized corn tortillas. This is a process where dry corn is boiled for an hour and soaked in water and calcium hydroxide overnight.

“The next day, we come in, we strain that corn of all its liquid and rinse it before running it through our masa mill to make our corn masa,” Messinger said. “That process is called nixtamalization.”

The restaurant is currently offering its base menu, but specials will eventually roll out, like at the New Orleans location. Customers can expect to see tuna tostadas (Messinger’s favorite special), various ceviches and Murder Point oysters with housemade habanero hot sauce, pickled red onion and avocado.

Across 5,200 square feet, the interior of Vals can seat up to 180 diners.

Kohnke and his team collaborated with local architect James Deshotel to design a space that fuses tropical flair with blush pink. The chairs and walls run in pink,

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday July

8, the 189th day of 2025

There are 176 days left in the year

Today in History:

On July 8, 2018, divers rescued four of the 12 boys who had been trapped in a flooded cave in northern Thailand with their soccer coach for more than two weeks. (The remaining eight boys and their coach were rescued over the next two days.)

Also on this date:

In 1776, Col. John Nixon gave the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence, outside the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.

In 1853, an expedition led by U.S. Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Edo Bay Japan, on a mission to seek diplomatic and trade relations with the Japanese.

In 1889, the first issue of The Wall Street Journal was published.

In 1947, a New Mexico newspaper, the Roswell Daily Record, quoted officials at Roswell Army Air Field as saying they had recovered a “flying saucer” that crashed onto

ing rooms, a large shelf is decked with illuminated liquor bottles and cookbooks. The interior is about 80%

between din-

TODAY IN HISTORY

a ranch; officials then said it was actually a weather balloon.

In 1950, President Harry S. Truman named Gen. Douglas MacArthur commander-in-chief of United Nations forces in Korea. (Truman would fire MacArthur for insubordination nine months later.)

In 1972, the Nixon administration announced a deal to sell $750 million in grain to the Soviet Union. (However the Soviets were also engaged in secretly buying subsidized American grain, resulting in what critics dubbed “The Great Grain Robbery.”)

In 1994, Kim Il Sung, North Korea’s communist leader since 1948, died at age 82.

In 2000, Venus Williams beat Lindsay Davenport for her first Grand Slam title, becoming the first Black female champion at Wimbledon since Althea Gibson in 1958.

In 2011, the 135th and final space shuttle mission began when space shuttle Atlantis launched from Kennedy Space Center

In 2021, President Joe Biden said the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan would end on Aug 31; in a speech in the White House

East Room, Biden made an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more America lives, but acknowledged that there would be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate.

In 2022, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated on a street in western Japan by a gunman who opened fire on him from behind as he delivered a campaign speech.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Jeffrey Tambor is 82. Drummer Jaimoe Johanson (The Allman Brothers Band) is 82. Actor Kim Darby is 79. Children’s musician Raffi is 78. Celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck is 77. Actor Anjelica Huston is 75. Writer Anna Quindlen is 74. Author and politician Marianne Williamson is 74. Pro Football Hall of Famer Jack Lambert is 74. Actor Kevin Bacon is 68. Singer Joan Osborne is 64. Actor Lee Tergesen (TV: “Oz”) is 61. Actor Billy Crudup is 58. Actor Michael Weatherly (TV: “NCIS”) is 58. Musician Beck is 56. Actor Kathleen Robertson is 53. Christian rock musician Stephen Mason (Jars of Clay) is 51. Actor Milo Ven-

complete, said partner Turk Dietrich, with touches like hanging plants and wall art still to come.

The back of the restaurant has a family room, where sliding doors connect to a turf-covered patio that’ll eventually be fenced in and used to host outdoor games. That way, families can enjoy the restaurant environment while still having an area for their children to run around and have fun, Dietrich said. The daily happy hour at Vals runs from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., which includes $6 palomas, margaritas and more like beers and wines. Also included in the happy hour are nonalcoholic drinks like Mexican or diet CocaCola and Agua De Piedra sparkling water

Dietrich and Kohnke are also behind Cure, a James

Beard award-winning cocktail bar in Uptown New Orleans.

“In regards to the drinks, we still bring the Cure cocktail philosophy,” Dietrich said. “We will not use lowgrade ingredients. We’re juicing limes every day We’re using high-quality tequilas.”

Because Vals has a casual atmosphere, diners can dress for any sort of occasion.

“You can come in your flip-flops

timiglia

Gross

is 49. Actor Lance

(TV: “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”) is 45.

Actor Sophia Bush is 44.

Actor Maya Hawke is 28.

Actor Jaden Smith is 28.

Executive chef Braden Messinger prepares beef barbacoa at Vals in Baton Rouge on Thursday

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Consider your options and what the pros and cons are. Let your emotions filter through consequences and what's worth it to you and what isn't. Stretch your imagination.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Pay attention; retaining what you hear will be essential if you want to get ahead. Use your Leo charm to captivate your audience and to gather pertinent information regarding different lifestyles.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Sit back, wait for the right moment and prepare to take a stance that positions you for success. Take care of financial, medical and legal matters with confidence.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Put everything in its place, and avoid criticism. Reach out to someone who needs help or a cause that concerns you, and do your part to make a difference. Someone you meet will touch your heart.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Engage in conversations, and invest more time in learning and personal growth. Consider how you can use your knowledge and reputation to teach others to make better decisions.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) You'll be pulled in different directions by the people you have the most contact with. Surround yourself with those you trust and those who aren't trying to separate you from your cash.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) You may think you have everything in place, but continue to refine and define what you

want and how you plan to make it happen. Trying to do the impossible will set you back.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) A vigilant approach to your work responsibilities will help you excel. Don't trust anyone to do something for you that lives up to your standards. Focus on your responsibilities.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Choose to have fun. Distance yourself from those who put pressure on you or take advantage of you. Focus on conversations that give you hope for a brighter future. Don't limit what's possible.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Keep your thoughts to yourself. Refuse to let your emotions take over and your words lead to trouble. Bide your time and work on self-preservation and improvement.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Take care of small details and invest more time and effort in exploring and expanding your interests Activities that encourage you to use your physical and mental attributes will help you meet people.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Bringing about change will be simple if you use your strengths to consolidate your thoughts and charm your way into the hearts of those who can help you achieve your objective.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews

McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

TODAy'S CLUE: F EQUALS D

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

For better or For WorSe

beetLe bAILeY Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

RobertFritz,whodevelopedStructural Dynamics, said, “If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want.” I have mentioned before that it pays to pause and consider your options, not just play on autopilot. This deal is another good example. South is in four spades. How should the defense proceed after West leads the heart ace?

When you have 5-4-2-2 distribution and the right count for one no-trump, open in your five-card suit when it is a major. If the five-card suit is a minor, open one notrump with strong doubletons or when your rebid might be uncomfortable if youstartwithoneofyourlongsuit.Here, if North opens one diamond and South responds one heart, North has an easy one-spade rebid. So North should open one diamond.

After South actually bid one spade, North had just enough to raise to four spades. But if North had settled for three spades, South would probably have raised to game, although he might have rebid three no-trump, the game contract that is unbeatable.

After taking the first trick, West will continue with the heart king. But what does he do next?

Therearetwoanswerstothatquestion:

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

mallard fillmore

Mitch Thomas Location: Cameron Parish,LA; Lat. 29-47-37.05N,Long-93-1838.97W;Section 32, 41, 42, 43T14S R09W;Section 12 13, 14, 15 T15S R09W;De‐scription:Proposedroad improvementstoState Highway No.27/82 that includeswideningand reinforcing theexisting road, concrete side‐walks,driveways,and drivewayaprons. In addi‐tion, drainage improve‐ments alongthe road thatincludesimproved culvert installations, catch basins,yard drains. Approx.1456 cy of materialwillbeexca‐vated andhauledoffsite and 16008 cy of road base, Non-plasticem‐bankmentwillbeplaced onsite. CUPNUM‐BER: P20260553 Name: Dow Chemical c/oMiller Engineers& Associates Inc. 601 MAIN STREET

FRANKLIN,LA70538 Attn: JoelJ.Miller Location: Assumption Parish,LA; Lat.30-0-47.07N,Long -91-7-6.22W;Section 13 T12S R13E;Shell Pipeline CToff Hwy70Belle Rose 70341 Description:Instal‐lationoftemporary earthen berm from exist‐ing access road around toexistingwellpad in order to dewaterinterior area, installtrenchbox excavatecontaminated

cies, Groups andIndivid‐uals This is to give notice that the Town of Jonesboro (TOJ) hasdetermined thatthe followingpro‐posed action under Louisiana WatershedIni‐tiative Community Devel‐opmentBlock GrantMiti‐gationprogram B-18-DP22-0001 is locatedwithin wetland areas, andTOJ willbeidentifying and evaluatingpracticable alternativestolocating the action within the wetland areasand the potential impactsonthe wetland areasfromthe proposedaction, as re‐quiredbyExecutive Order 11990 andinaccor‐dance with HUDregula‐tions at 24 CFR55.20 in Subpart CProceduresfor Making Determinations l d l i

g on FloodplainManage‐mentand Protection of Wetlands. Theproposed project location is the total projectareawillbe approximately 4.86 acres and is locatedwithinthe Jonesboro town limits The proposed projectwill include theclearingof accumulatedsediments vegetativeovergrowth, and urbanlitter, which has resulted in asignifi‐cantlossofhydraulic ca‐pacityinthe conveyance Additionally, thepro‐posed activities will re‐shape theexistingchan‐nel in an effort to return ittomeasurementsmore consistentwiththose present priortothe degradation caused by the accumulation of the foreign materials. Ap‐proximately 0.16 acresof non-jurisdictionalwet‐lands will potentially be impactedbythe pro‐posed activities Thereare threeprimary purposesfor this notice First,peoplewho maybe affectedbyactivitiesin wetlandsand thosewho have an interest in the

protection of thenatural environment should be given an opportunity to express theirconcerns and provideinformation about theseareas.Com‐menters areencouraged toofferalternative sites outside of thewetlands, alternative methodsto serve thesameproject purpose,and methodsto minimizeand mitigate project impactsonthe [floodplain/wetland] Second,anadequate publicnoticeprogram can

Sudoku

Sudoku is anumberplacing puzzlebased on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers.The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothateach row, column and3x3 box contains thesame numberonlyonce.

Multi-Sudoku

Each puzzleconsists of twoormoreSudokugrids overlapping each otherinvariousconfigurations.The gridsmay be ClassicSudoku ora mix of differentSudoku variants. Theobject is to solveall gridsaccording to theirvariant rules. Note that overlapping areas comply with therules of more than one grid

TheCryptoquipisa substitution cipherin whichone letterstandsfor another. If you thinkthatX equals O, it will equalO throughout the puzzle. Singleletters,shortwords andwords usinganapostrophe give you cluestolocatingvowels. Solutionisbytrial anderror.

QZ HC CD ZN TN IB YN UQ N

RN IQ MN IZ SJ QE JE UB SP

BF DH AE PD ZN AD AJ N

YU DH IR TQ YJ AF NE BP PN R

MD DE UN NC NUZ .

Today’sCryptoquip Clue:M equals Z

KN TY QH YA HG TH TB WW

FY GP PH BL FQ YA HF TY

IC BI IC HP H’ TS HP YW HN I,

K’ LT BF CH ’T BN GAL -

PB SY P.

Today’sCryptoquipClue: T equals S

LV YL HGM UT AY UI GC XA YH

GY LG BZ XW BG AG XJ XH P

GC LB GI GU ZP BG YL

BG JX GM W. XL ’W LV G

LY AT LV GL TM H.

Today’sCryptoquipClue:L equals T

SM NG QY AL MG PT SN GB PQ QS LH PQ WY MH OS OL QN OQP I.

Today’sCryptoquipClue: Gequals T

HP GZ HP PK RK LC KW K UM YG KJ MU PK EW JK GM CK WO RC ML EA MH TY KP

ZC KD AZ EW U: TO PP -E -J HD E YJ OD KW UOM A. GW OQ WG LB GJ SA NL TK KQ WA PM IJ PQ A, GJ LN BW GG SN J

Today’sCryptoquipClue: Hequals O

QG PM MK MMZ DF DDNM V

SX PK IP OG PX VD PS NK J EK BN SK JS KXF LV PJ ,N QF LJ OV KZ NI QK VK

EK XZ -B F- XF LM O.

Today’s Cryptoquip Clue:M equals N

CROSSWORD

THOMAS JOSEPH

ACROSS

1Fragment

6Relaxingresorts

10 Embassy worker 11 Used up

Stockunit 13 Be asponge 14 Gofer’sassignment 15 Last number

ActorWallach

Commonverb

Wasinfront

Making merry

Stagger

Romancensor

Razing

PC key

Word of accord

Road sealer

Like ashortplay

Kismet

Pebbles’mom

Kayak’scousin

Spot in theocean

Hunter in thestars

Newdriver, usually

Pulses

DOWN

1Annoy

2Asthmasufferer’s device

3Difficulttopin down 4Bottle plug

5Storm center

6Reach across 7Bikepart

8Trigtopic

9Spiritedhorse

11 Academic area

15 Work wk.’send

17 Urbanprowler

20 Slippery one 21 Lass

24 Fairyqueen

25 Barhopping 27 Horsehealer

28 Saladmakeup

29 Namely 30 Ouzo flavor

31 Southern lass

35 Prayer end

36 Flight cost

38 Corn core

Point&Solve

In this crosswordpuzzlevariety,the cluesappearinthe diagramitself. Simply enter theanswers in the directions indicated by thearrows.

CROSSWORD

THOMAS JOSEPH

ACROSS

1Mazechoices

6Rockersetting

11 “The WasteLand” poet

12 Moscow setting

13 Circus performer

14 Tagline?

15 Paperworker

17 Quirk

19 Lobstertrap

20 Pointer

23 Devotee

25 OldItalian coin

26 Charlie Chaplin film

28 Entreated

29 Passionate

30 Brayingbeast

31 Foofaraw

32 Last letter

33 Cave

35 Mexican money

38 Goes under

41 Baja buddy

42 Preparetopropose

43 Ungrammatical type of sentence

44 Like some questions

DOWN

1Favorite

2Copying

3Video editingaids

4Worked thegarden

5American bass

6Winegrape

7Stench

8Sewer rodent

9Letter before psi

10 Very popular

16 TransporttoOz

17 Lightning setting

18 Popstars

20 Globalstrips

21 Tony winnerWorth

22 Artclass staple

24 Roulette bet

25 Top

27 Russian Revolution leader

31 Fierycrime

33 Kind of boot or dancer

34 Fork feature

35 Golf goal

36 Outback bird

37 Sermon subject

39 WriterKesey

40 mo

Cryptoquote

Oneletterstandsfor another. In this sample,Ais used forthree L’s, X forthe twoO’s,etc.Singleletters,apostrophes, andlengthand formationofwords areall hints. Thecodeletters aredifferent for each puzzle. AX YD LB AA XR is LO NG FE LL OW

FD SK LY UF OX VD VN

Y, IT VX SF DV RF BS L UNNP RX NX LD YN EP LY

UN ZE NDDF IP SA SU SL V.

PN TF DP ’L KN TZ

ZK GA BL FB UO VZ SG UM

VG LO ZS BL GL UE OE UK C VE JB IE UE JZ PK B, PW O

JB WL BA WK OI ZU Z KG AB LF BU OT EG UM UE OI GU M. —M BE JM B PB JU ZJ TL IZ H

HS IH PJ EI XH QJ QA SU IB I

PH BX QH PB IQ TI UJ AQ

WU JL WF FV FA QJ IS AS KJ H

YE WJ WS HJ EI BE WQ JH

QW V. —Z BV WS JE

XUK AF F

Sudoku

Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzlebased on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers.The object is to place thenumbers 1to 9inthe emptysquaressothateachrow,columnand 3x3 box contains thesamenumberonlyonce

Find thelistedwords in thediagram.Theyrun in alldirections -forward,backward,up, downand diagonally.Everypuzzlehas one unlistedclue.

Challenger

Fill each square with anumber, 1-9. Horizontal squares shouldadd to thetotalsonthe right,vertical squaresshould addtothe totals on thebottomand diagonalsquaresshould addtothe totalinthe upperand lowerright.

CLUE LIST

Balancebeam

Ball

Clubs

Floor

High bar

Hoop

Parallelbars

Ribbon

Rope

Still rings

TeamGym

Trampoline

Tumbling

Uneven bars

Vault

CLUE LIST

Adriatic

Apache

Biwa

Brook

Brown

Bull

Cutthroat

Flathead

Gila

Lake

Marble

Ohrid

Rainbow

Sea

Sevan

Each Wuzzles is awordriddlewhich createsa disguisedword, phrase, name,place, saying, etc.

ForExample,NOON GOOD= GOOD AFTERNOON

Unscramble thesetwelveletterstrings to form each into an ordinary word (ex. HAGNECbecomesCHANGE). Preparetouse only ONE word fromany marked ( ♥ )letterstringaseach unscrambles into more than one word (ex. ♥ RATHEbecomesHATER or EARTHorHEART). Fiteach string’swordeither acrossordown to knot alltwelvestrings together

Find thelistedwords in thediagram.Theyrun in alldirections -forward,backward,up, downand diagonally.Everypuzzlehas one unlistedclue.

CROSSWORD

Acetone

CLUE LIST CLUE LIST

BigJoe

Emmanuel

Great Abel

Great Bede

Great George

Great John

Great Paul

Great Tom

Hosanna

Little John

LutineBell

Major Matthew Peter Victoria

Flying monsterof myth

7Historictime

at times

8Itinvolveswritten bids 9Cutlery

Protectionfromharm

Prom date’s gift

Sudoku

Sudoku is anumberplacing puzzlebased on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers.The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothateach row, column and3x3 box contains thesame numberonlyonce.

Multi-Sudoku

Each puzzleconsists of twoormoreSudokugrids overlapping each otherinvariousconfigurations.The gridsmay be ClassicSudoku ora mix of differentSudoku variants. Theobject is to solveall gridsaccording to theirvariant rules. Note that overlapping areas comply with therules of more than one grid

CROSSWORD

THOMAS JOSEPH

ACROSS

1Chair wheel

7Successful songs 11 Refer 12 Skip 13 Came down

PainterCassatt 15 Jordan’s capital 16 Permitted

Lowdigits 18 Live 19 Previously owned

OutlawKelly

Onlineshows

TennisstarShriver

Script unit

Annie, forone

Ailurophobe’s fear

Recoils

Tycoon

Garr of “Tootsie”

Yachtspot

Aphrodite’s love

Luckycharm

Misplaced

DOWN

1Garnetunit

2Crockett’slaststand 3Snail trail 4Deliorder 5Perfect place 6Dangersignal 7Abodes 8John Lennonsong 9Diatribes 10 Didsalon work

16 Enticed

18 Amber, originally 20 MiserlyMarner

22 Medalrecipient

23 Dominions

24 Propriety

25 Mail-related

28 Bank job

30 Like tumblers

31 Readytoplay 32 Grayish

34 Jerry Herman musical 36 Impair

Find thelistedwords in thediagram.Theyrun in alldirections -forward,backward,up, downand diagonally.Every puzzlehas one unlistedclue.

Challenger

Fill each square with anumber, 1-9. Horizontal squares shouldadd to thetotalsonthe right,vertical squaresshould addtothe totals on thebottomand diagonalsquaresshould addtothe totalinthe upperand lowerright.

CLUE LIST

Amalgam

Assistant Care

Cavity

Crown Decay

Enamel

Hygienist

Implant

Plate

Practice

School

Surgeon

Surgery

Tools

CLUE LIST

Beale

Buckley

Dover

Eglin

Eielson

Hill

Little Rock

Luke

Maxwell

Robins

Scott

Shaw

Tinker

Travis

Whiteman

Point&Solve

In this crosswordpuzzlevariety,the cluesappearinthe diagramitself. Simply enter theanswers in the directions indicated by thearrows.

CROSSWORD

THOMAS JOSEPH

ACROSS

1Mouse chasers

5Girdermetal

10 Fairytalemonster

11 “Catch-22” author

13 Slimmingplan

14 Prison resident

15 Went by

17 Nervous habit

18 Responds to abusy signal

19 Call —day

20 Finish

21 Corn cores

22 Rough hut

25 “Water Lilies” painter

26 Mandolin’s cousin

27 Lawn material

28 Little rascal

29 Paperfasteners

33 Buck’s mate

34 Long-suffering

35 Pencil part

37 Simplicity

38 Modern

39 Rock’s Motley—

40 Title documents

41 Lookedover

DOWN

1Programmingpro

2Likeagymnast

3Tirefeature

4Bit of stagescenery

5Gladiator’sneed 6Watches over 7Shade tree

8Great joy

9Beatlesclassic

12 Geta newactor for

16 Went under

21 Featureofold breeches

22 Fast pitch

23 Indulged

24 Tranquil

25 Ring around acastle

27 Begins

29 Forgofrugality

30 TV’s Dennis

31 Followasa result

32 Spiritedhorse

36 Look upon

Each Wuzzles is awordriddlewhich createsa disguisedword, phrase, name,place, saying, etc.

ForExample,NOON GOOD= GOOD AFTERNOON

Unscramble thesetwelveletterstrings to form each into an ordinary word (ex. HAGNECbecomesCHANGE). Preparetouse only ONE word fromany marked ( ♥ )letterstringaseach unscrambles into more than one word (ex. ♥ RATHEbecomesHATER or EARTHorHEART). Fiteach string’swordeither acrossordown to knot alltwelvestrings together

Each Wuzzles is awordriddlewhich creates adisguisedword, phrase, name,place, saying,etc. ForExample,NOON GOOD =GOOD

CROSSWORD

1Fratparty costumes 2Busymonths for accountants

3Ogle

4Memorable period

5Hornet’skin

6Little devil

7League newbie

8Beethovensymphony

9“In the Night Kitchen” writer

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PremierCrossword

ISUPPOSE MENAGERIEDENIZENSWHICH CRAWL ABOUT CLOSETOTHE GROUND MIGHT BE CALLED ZOO CREEPERS.

TOPROTECTHIMSELF FROM ANY HARM, THESCOTTISH INSTRUMENTALISTCARRIED AROUND PIPERSPRAY

IF SOMEONE USES ALLYOUR READY MONEYSOTHAT THERE’SZEROLEFT, I’D SAYHE’SA FUND-RAZOR.

OLDCOLLEGEWHERE STUDENTSLEARNED THERIGHT WAYTOFUELCHEVY CARS:FILL-A-NOVAUNIVERSITY.

THAT NEWLOCAL MEXICANEATERYISRECEIVING EXTREMELYGREAT REVIEWS. IT’S THETACOTHE TOWN

WHEN NANNY POPPINS CREATED HERSPECIAL MAGICALCAROUSEL, IWOULDSAY IT WASA MARY-GO-ROUND.

Scramblers 1Scramblers2

Scramblers 3

JosephCrossword

1 AWISEMAN FIGHTSTOWIN,BUT HE IS TWICE AFOOLWHO HAS NO PLANFOR POSSIBLE DEFEAT. —LOUIS L’AMOUR

2

ALIFESPENTMAKING MISTAKESISNOT ONLYMORE HONORABLE, BUT MORE USEFULTHANA LIFE SPENT DOING NOTHING. —GEORGE BERNARDSHAW

3 ONE OF THE MOST SINCERE FORMS OF RESPECT IS ACTUALLYLISTENING TO WHATANOTHERHAS TO SAY. —BRYANTH.MCGILL

Wuzzles 1

Wuzzles 2

JosephCrossword

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