Auditor’sOffice tagged possible misuse by athletic recruiter
one newsorganization the charges shouldhave been to theULFoundation instead of the department’s LaCarte card.
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
The LafayetteDistrict Attorney’sOffice is investigating possible misuse of auniversity credit card in the athletics department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as reported by astate auditor Assistant District Attorney Frederick “Fritz” Welter confirmed
Wednesday that the 15th Judicial District Attorney’sOfficehas launched an investigation “I can confirm that Ihavebeen assigned LLA case involving UL Lafayette Athleticsand am handling it, but it is under investigation so Icannot comment on it,” he wrote via email.
The employee’saction may violate thestate’sLaCarte credit card and travel policy,aswell as state law Troy Wingerter,former associateathletic director whooversaw recruiter spending, was forced to
In areport issued in June,the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office notedpossibly erroneous charges by afootball recruiter who resigned in January and who allegedly submittedfalse documents to getpaidfor unallowed alcohol and food costs.
retire after more than40yearswith theULRagin’Cajuns.
In astatement, Wingerter said no onepersonally benefited from the questionedexpenditures. He attributed the issues to shortcomings in training, communication and oversight, telling
U.S. carriesout another roundofstrikes on Iran
Attackscomehours afterTrump says ceasefire is over
BY JONGAMBRELL, SEUNGMIN KIM andKONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press
DUBAI,United Arab Emirates The U.S carried out another round of strikes on Iran on Wednesday,hoursafter President Donald Trump said that recent Iranian attacks on ships in theStrait of Hormuz signaled the end of the fragile ceasefire.
The action raised fears that the war
in Iran could reignite,coming just a dayafter theU.S.militaryhit avarietyofmilitary sites andportfacilities following Iran’s targeting of several merchant vessels off thecoast of Oman Military officials saidinasocial media post Wednesday that thelatest strikes were intendedto“further degrade” Iran’sability“to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which afifthofthe world’straded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.
Iranian state mediareported explosions in several locations, including the southern port cities of Bandar Abbasand Sirik, as well as Bushehr, home to Iran’snuclear power plant complex.
Afterleaving aNATOsummit in Ankara,Turkey,Trumpposted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warningtothe Islamic Republic.
City Councilgrantspermittocigar lounge
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
TheLafayette City Council approved aconditional use permit fora downtowncigar lounge to sell alcohol that earlier had been
Wingerter,while disputing aspects of the audit’sconclusions, said he accepts responsibility as a senioradministrator for theoversight that occurred.
Theuniversity’spurchasing department, through its routine internal controls, found that the recruiter,fromNovember 2024
ä See
Clemency application rulestightened in 2024 by legislators
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
As soon as news broke last week thata New Orleansgrand jury had indicted Attorney General Liz Murrill, Gov.JeffLandry took to social media, promising to pardon her.
Murrill “will nothave to worry about having her reputation tarnished by this kangaroo grand jury or the Orleans Kangaroo court as Iwill pardon her as fast as the law allows,”Landry wrote in aJuly 2post on X. “The criminal justice system is acircus at its finest in Orleans and we will nothaveany of that!”
But pardoning Murrill —who faces eight counts of intimidation andeight more of malfeasance, but whose indictment has been stayedbythe Louisiana Supreme Court —may not be as simple as it sounds.
The Louisiana Constitution requires the governor to get arecommendationfrom the Board of Pardons before he can grant clemency to an inmate —and preemptive pardons do not exist in Louisiana, like they do on the federal level, according to multiple attorneys andpeople familiarwith the clemency process.
unanimously voteddown by the city zoningcommission. The City Council voted 3-2 on Tuesdaytoapprove thepermit for Ashes II Ashes, 403-B S. Buchanan St., to legally operate as abar,arequirementfor anyone looking to do so in Lafayette’s downtown area. The bar would be separatefrom the cigar lounge since smoking in bars is not allowed in Lafayette. Council members Kenneth Boudreaux, Elroy Broussardand
Andy Naquin voted to approve the permit. Liz Hebert and Thomas Hooks voted against Thevote came after aMay meetingofthe zoning commission in whichresidents wholive above the business complained of loud noise and other issues. Kevin Blanchard,CEO of the Downtown Development Authority,describedthe votethen as a“slowmoving car crash” because of the expected result if thepermit was approved. Thebusiness has been operating as abar since November when Lafayette Consolidated Government issued aClass Aalcohol permit for the property but did notissue the necessary use permit. That wasanoversight by LCG, Sally Leger,manager of the alcoholand noise controldivision, told thecommission in May
AshesIIAshes bar previously denied by zoning commission ä See BAR, page 3A
Wingerter
STAFFFILE PHOTOByCHRIS GRANGER Gov. Jeff Landry, right, stands next to AttorneyGeneral LizMurrill outside the U.S. 5th Circuit Courtof AppealsinNew Orleans in January.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EMRAH GUREL
PresidentDonald TrumpspeaksWednesdayduring anewsconference, flanked by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and SecretaryofState MarcoRubio, at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey
More suspected cocaine washes up in Keys
MIAMI For the second time in a week, a package believed to be cocaine marked with an image of a lion washed up in the Florida Keys on Wednesday morning, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
The kilogram package found Wednesday washed up at Robbie’s Marina, the famous Islamorada landmark known for offering tourists a chance to hand-feed tarpons.
A ranger at Long Key State Park about 10 miles south of Robbie’s found a nearly identical package Sunday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
Both packages were turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol, which is standard procedure when drugs are found washed up or in the water Agents test the packages, but the sheriff’s office said the one found Wednesday was punctured and tainted by salt water
Washed-up loads of cocaine and marijuana are not an unusual occurrence in the Keys They are typically lost packages from illegal smuggling runs either destined for the Keys or en route to another location And the kilos typically have some sort of image on them, not to call out where they came from, but rather to tell smugglers who bought the contraband and where it’s going Monroe Sheriff Rick Ramsay told the Miami Herald.
“They generally don’t want to advertise where it’s coming from, who’s selling it,” Ramsay said. “It’s who owns the load.” Customs and Border Protection takes the loads for intelligence reasons, Ramsay said. Agents try to determine how long the drugs have been in the water and check their sources to see if anyone was expecting a delivery in that time range, the sheriff said.
“The chances of tying someone to the (source of the) drugs is almost zero,” Ramsay said 2 girls wounded at German high school
BERLIN A 16-year-old boy found carrying weapons was arrested after allegedly wounding two 13-year-old girls at a German high school Wednesday police said.
The suspect was carrying a knife and a firearm, but it wasn’t immediately clear how he wounded the two girls at the Welfen high school in Schongau, Bavarian police said.
Police added that the suspect is believed to have acted alone and the lives of the victims weren’t in danger
Bavaria’s state interior minister Joachim Herrmann, told German news agency dpa that the suspect had received psychiatric treatment in the past. He didn’t give further details, but said he was a Croatian national who was living with his parents. Schongau has more than 12,000 inhabitants and is located southwest of Munich.
At least 5 children die in Bangladesh landslide
DHAKA, Bangladesh A landslide caused by monsoon rains killed at least five children as it swept through an Islamic school at a camp for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh’s southeastern Cox’s Bazar district, a fire official said. More than 1 million refugees live in the camp. Dollar Tripura, local chief of the Fire Service and Civil Defense, said the landslide hit as children were attending classes.
Tripura said they rescued another five injured children but suspected that more could be buried The rescue operation continued Wednesday evening
Three days earlier, landslides killed at least eight people at Rohingya camps in the area.
The weather office in the South Asian nation’s capital, Dhaka, forecast more rain in the coming days.
Authorities said they were relocating refugees from at-risk hilly areas and more than 1,000 people were already relocated. They said the refugees are often reluctant to leave their makeshift homes despite warnings.
Bangladesh has urged the international community for years to help the country begin repatriation of the refugees to Myanmar, but the process is stalled.
Evacuees allowed to return to high-rise area
Crews stabilize project, but four buildings remain off-limits
BY PHILIP MARCELO, MICHAEL R SISAK and ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press
NEW YORK The streets around a midtown Manhattan high-rise where structural damage forced evacuations gradually returned to life Wednesday, as residents and hotel guests were allowed back into nearby buildings, and workers fashioned temporary fixes to shore up the damage.
After crews worked through the night to stabilize a section of the building where beams had buckled and floors had sagged, Mayor Zohran Mamdani sought to reassure wary New Yorkers, saying no more movement had been detected in the massive office-toapartment conversion project at Pfizer’s former headquarters near Grand Central Terminal.
But four other area buildings remained off-limits, and the city will conduct a broader inquiry into what went wrong and what can be done to prevent a more devastating incident such as a collapse, the mayor vowed.
“As soon as we answer the emergency questions around safety in this moment, we are going to be conducting a full investigation as to how we got to this point,” Mamdani said.
“Because this is not a necessary consequence of an office to residential
conversion. This, however, is clearly a breakdown in that process.”
Buckled beams, sagging floors
Authorities responding to emergency calls at the building discovered two mangled support beams and sagging floors on the 21st floor early Tuesday, triggering mass evacuations and street closures in a bustling area not far from the Grand Central transit hub and the Chrysler Building.
In the initial hours, officials believed the steel-framed building, which was empty other than the workers, wasn’t necessarily at risk of a total collapse, but “more of a localized collapse,” as Fire Chief John Esposito described it.
On-site contractors were eventually allowed to reenter the building late Tuesday to do the emergency repairs after city officials did a floor-by-floor inspection and found encouraging signs.
Repairs are ongoing
Temporary shoring and beams were installed throughout the 37-story building as crews made their way to the top.
Photos shared on social media by the city’s Department of Buildings showed multiple steel rods inserted side-by-side next to one badly bent column.
The department said the emergency work is being supervised by the owner’s engineer and an independent, third-party engineering firm hired by the owner
Once the emergency repairs are complete, Mamdani said city building officials will conduct a “rigorous assessment” to ensure the plans and the site are fully compliant with all codes before any nonemergency work proceeds.
Future of project uncertain
While the cause of the structural issues remains under investigation, unionized construction workers took the opportunity to slam the developers for using non-union workers. They staged a protest, complete with a large inflatable rat, near the site Wednesday
The renovation project is billed as the largest office-to-residential conversion in the city’s history, creating some 1,600 units of housing.
Spokespersons for MetroLoft, the project developer, didn’t respond to requests for comment Wednesday but the company has stressed that the building is not at risk of collapse.
Nathan Berman, the firm’s founder, though, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal that the added weight from widening the top 15 or so floors of the building likely caused the damage.
Quake survivors improvise amid water shortages
Residents in La Guaira turn to beaches for showers, toilets
By The Associated Press
MAIQUETIA, Venezuela Thousands of people affected by the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela last month are increasingly facing challenges accessing clean water as well as sanitation and hygiene services.
Families in the hardest-hit state, La Guaira, have taken to the beach to shower and relieve themselves, with excrement now dotting parts of the once-crowded Caribbean beaches. Others are using the little water that did not spill from their home storage tanks to do dishes and clean themselves Many are living in temporary shelters or outdoors after 190 buildings collapsed and 856 others were damaged, according to Venezuelan officials in the back-to-back earthquakes on June 24 that killed 3,685 people.
“We always have water in the tank — water reserved — but with the earthquake, most of the tanks in the houses broke,” Juliani Herrera, 20, said of the large blue plastic tanks that many Venezuelan families use to store water on days when the state-owned utility services the areas. “Now, we have to wait to see if a tanker comes and fills buckets.”
Some of the affected communities only had potable water service once every month or two even before the earthquakes. In Maiquetía, known for being home to the country’s main airport, people lined up Wednesday to receive a box bearing the United States flag containing food, water and a hygiene kit that included a soap, toothbrush and body cleansing
towelettes.
Herrera received one of the boxes that were handed out at a makeshift shelter adjacent to the beach. She carried it for several blocks, her chin, upper arm and hands covered with iodine-stained scratches that she got when she fell from a motorcycle as the ground shook violently when the quakes hit.
Beatriz Ochoa, regional head of advocacy for Latin America at the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement that improved conditions are necessary to prevent spread of diseases as people are living in densely populated settings under high temperatures and seasonal rains and with limited privacy
“I have seen families doing everything they can to maintain dignity in extremely difficult conditions,” she said. “In one temporary shelter I saw families organizing themselves to keep common spaces clean, including through makeshift toilets and basic waste management arrangements. Their determination is remarkable, but families should not have to shoulder this burden alone.”
Judges deny request to restore Trump’s name
President’s name will remain off Kennedy Center pending an appeal
BY JESSE BEDAYN Associated Press
Athree-judgepanelonWednesday denied a request from the Kennedy Center’s board to restore President Donald Trump’s name to the institution while the board appeals an earlier ruling that dubbed the name change illegal and had it rescinded.
It’s another setback for the board of trustees, of which Trump is chairman, in a saga that began earlier this year when the Kennedy Center became: “The Donald J. Trump and The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts.”
The conspicuous addition, and ensuing legal battle, became symbolic of Trump’s broader push to imprint his legacy and, in this case, his actual name — on the nation’s capital in his final term.
The panel of judges wrote Wednesday that the board of trustee’s request “failed to show how they will be irreparably injured” if Trump’s name remains off the building through the appeal process.
The board had argued that the removal “threatens to impede” fundraising efforts, but the judges found that claim came without the support of “specific facts or evidence.”
The Kennedy Center did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
“His name no longer desecrates this sacred memorial, which belongs to the American people,” said U.S. Rep. Joyce Beatty, a Democrat from Ohio who filed the lawsuit. “Now it is time for the Trump administration to accept this, comply with the law, and take the tarps down.”
She was referring to tarps hung on scaffolding that had obscured the removal of Trump’s name, and which still veil that part of the building’s marble façade.
Crews inspect a buckled support beam inside 235 East 42nd St. in New york on Wednesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ARIANA CUBILLOS People affected by the earthquakes carry U.S. humanitarian aid after receiving it in La Guaira, Venezuela, on Wednesday.
All 12 N.O. judges recuse from
Murrill’s
intimidation case
La. Supreme Court asked to appoint someone
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
All 12 criminal court judges in New Orleans recused themselves
Wednesday from Attorney General Liz Murrill’s bombshell indictment, leaving it to the Louisiana Supreme Court to appoint an outside judge over a case it stayed last week.
District Judge Angel Harris, who was randomly allotted the case, held a brief morning hearing to remove herself, and the remaining 11 judges followed suit with recusal orders of their own Chief Judge Juana MarineLombard then wrote a letter to the Louisiana Supreme Court, informing the high court of the recusals and asking justices to appoint an ad hoc judge over the case.
“We appreciate the expedience of the Criminal Court Judges in recusing the entire bench this morning, read a statement from Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, an attorney for Murrill who appeared in court Wednesday “Their swift action reflects the unusual and troubling nature of this indictment. We look forward to a vigorous defense of Attorney General Liz Murrill.”
Sources said most of the judges met behind closed doors early Tuesday and agreed to step away from a case the Supreme Court has already frozen while criticizing the grand jury process as well as the legal basis for the 16 charges leveled against Murrill.
They include eight counts each of intimidation and malfeasance
PARDON
Continued from page 1A
“You can’t just automatically, with the stroke of a pen, sign somebody out of a criminal conviction in Louisiana,” said Jane Hogan, a Hammond-based attorney who has been practicing before the Board of Pardons for a decade and formerly taught clemency law at LSU.
What’s more, during his first year in office, Landry signed legislation that made the clemency application process stricter Murrill’s charges are connected to letters she sent to elected Orleans officials, in which she warned they could lose their positions after they appointed an interim leader of the newly unified clerk of court’s office and called for an election Mayor Helena Moreno and District Attorney Jason Williams were among those who received letters.
On Friday, the Louisiana Supreme Court stayed the indictment, citing “procedural defects and improprieties” in the legal process and saying Murrill was likely to succeed on a motion to quash the charges.
A spokesperson for Landry and a representative from Murrill’s office declined to comment.
The clemency process
Receiving clemency requires prisoners to go through a bureaucratic application process, with steps such as victim notification and hearings before the Board of Pardons. There are two types of clemency: commutations, in which the state grants a lighter sentence to an inmate, and pardons, in which a conviction is wiped from the applicant’s criminal record.
According to attorneys, commutations are for people still serving in prison, while pardons are typically granted to those who have already served their full sentences. They may want their convictions cleared so that their gun rights can be restored, for example.
Right now, clients must usually wait a year before they can get a hearing before the board, according to Hogan. Another advocate familiar with the pardon process put the estimate at two years.
“It’s a very long process that a lot of people are queuing up to get in to,” Hogan said.
More ‘guardrails’
In 2024, Act 660 of the regular legislative session tightened some of the rules around the clemency application process.
The law, sponsored by state Rep.
in office.
A New Orleans grand jury launched the investigation on its own, sources said, spurred by letters Murrill sent in May to Mayor Helena Moreno and several other New Orleans officials, after a council majority called a special election for a single clerk of court.
Gov Jeff Landry had just signed a law that dispensed with the Orleans criminal clerk post, effectively removing the clerk-elect, former life prisoner Calvin Duncan before he could take office.
Murrill warned the city’s elected leaders that she could seek their jobs for “usurping” the powers of Chelsea Richard Napoleon, the elected civil clerk chosen by the Legislature to lead the merged office.
The grand jury however, found it was Murrill’s actions that were criminal. Murrill cried foul over an investigation led by Laurie White, a former criminal court judge appointed as a special prosecutor
Though the Supreme Court quickly stayed the case, it landed randomly with Harris, who on Wednesday cited irregularities in the grand jury process and “moving parts” for her decision to step off.
“It is this court’s duty to respect the grand jury process,” Harris said. “And for that reason, I am recusing myself from this case in order to avoid any distraction from allowing the grand jury process to play out.”
Harris noted that White once was a colleague on the criminal court bench, resigning in 2023 after 15 years as a judge.
Harris also noted that Murrill’s office is prosecuting scores of open cases in her courtroom along with other sections of criminal court, from arrests made by Troop Nola, a dedicated Louisiana State Police unit in the city
“I personally do not think that I would not be able to be impartial,”
Harris said “But it does give the appearance that I couldn’t for various reasons.”
Murrill’s attorneys are expected to file a motion soon to quash the indictment, which marked an escalation in a running turf war between Republican state lawmakers and Democratic city leaders in New Orleans. The move on Duncan’s seat was part of a broader Republican push to control and shrink the New Orleans courts.
Among the moves, a new law stripped the criminal court of three judgeships Among the judges who were spared was Leon Roche, who oversaw the grand jury that indicted Murrill. Roche also recused Wednesday
Rafael Goyeneche, president of the Metropolitan Crime Commission, said the recusals are warranted.
“This is a matter that has already been a source of embarrassment,” Goyeneche said.
“For the Supreme Court to take the unprecedented step of staying this indictment is confirmation of mistakes and potential misconduct. That would include the judge and the special prosecutor, and potentially others.”
Landry has pledged to pardon Murrill if she’s convicted. The governor also said on social media last week that he was “ordering the State Police to immediately begin investigating the alleged improprieties of this grand jury and those who ran it!”
Major Nick Manale of Louisiana State Police declined to say Wednesday if the agency has launched a probe.
“Louisiana State Police is coordinating with the Governor’s Office and all involved parties regarding this matter. Further information will be released at the appropriate time,” he said.
Email Matt Bruce at matt bruce@theadvocate.com.
Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, required the Board of Pardons, “to the extent feasible,” to “schedule hearings for pardon or commutation of sentence in the order in which the applications are filed.”
In other words, Murrill would likely have to wait in line before being considered for a pardon.
Act 660 set “guardrails” that ensure victims and proper authorities are notified during the application process and before commutations occur said Schlegel. For example, victims’ kin must be told that an application is being considered at least 30 days in advance of the hearing.
Schlegel said she sponsored the legislation after former Gov John Bel Edwards ramped up commutations of prisoners during his last days in office. A few of the board’s recommendations for the commuted sentences had been sitting on Edwards’ desk for years.
At the time, Schlegel called the commutations offensive to victims, and she questioned whether victims’ families were properly notified.
Not all the inmates whose sentences were commuted were released from prison.
Edwards also faced criticism when he came out against the death penalty during his final year in office, prompting a swath of clemency applications from most of the state’s death row prisoners.
Landry, then the attorney general, challenged the validity of the clemency applications on procedural grounds and successfully stopped them from being expedited while Edwards was still in office.
New Orleans vs. Louisiana
Right now, a conviction against Murrill appears far off, and it is
CARD
Continued from page 1A
through March 2025, submitted false documentation to justify some expenses. The situation was reported to the university’s Human Resources Department and Office of Internal Audit, which investigated and issued a report on March 16.
The UL Internal Auditor’s Office reported that the employee instructed vendors to include on receipts unallowable alcohol and food charges and list them as
room rentals or event deposits, the Legislative Auditor’s Office reported. Nine expenses totaling $5,084, the LLA noted, were confirmed in part to have been misrepresented by the employee.
The auditor also wrote that the university did not promptly notify the District Attorney’s Office or Legislative Auditor’s Office of the irregularities allegedly by the athletics department recruiter and other incidents totaling more than $75,000. Contact Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
BAR
Continued from page 1A
LCG later told Haynes he would need to go through the traditional CUP process but allowed him to operate as a bar in the meantime, according to Rachel Godeaux, LCG’s chief administrative officer
Zoning commission staff recommended that if the permit were granted, the business be given a max capacity of 45 and that an interior door separating the bar and cigar lounge be locked by midnight. The council removed a requirement that noise not extend beyond 100 feet of the property, but clarified that the lounge and bar would still have to comply with noise ordinances. The Tuesday decision is a win
STRIKES
Continued from page 1A
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote.
Trump had said earlier in the day that the latest back-and-forth fighting would not result in “longterm” military action.
for Haynes, who was denied a permit in March to open a daiquiri bar at 522 Jefferson St., following opposition from the Lafayette Police Department and the DDA. On Monday he lost an appeal of the decision in court after he claimed the denial was based on race.
Haynes, who is Black, had his permit for that property voted down 3-2 with the three White council members voting to deny and two Black members in support.
In a social media post after the vote, Haynes thanked the council members and Mayor-President Monique Boulet “for their attention to our concerns.”
“First and foremost, I would like to extend my gratitude to God for his favor tonight,” he wrote. “We were successful in the City Council vote to retain our license.”
Trump’s remarks “are not a sign of power but an admission of the failure” of U.S. policy toward Iran.
Trump has threatened to seize Kharg Island at previous points in the war, including last month, when he also questioned whether the U.S. “has the stomach for it.” Some 90% of Iranian oil exports pass through the island.
unclear whether the case against her will even go forward after the Louisiana Supreme Court took the unusual step of staying her indictment. The indictment marked a dramatic escalation in a series of conflicts between Republican state leaders and Democratic elected officials from Orleans, mostly over the parish’s court system. In the spring, the Republican legislature combined New Orleans’ civil and criminal clerks’ offices, denying former life prisoner Calvin Duncan his seat as criminal clerk after his landslide win.
Moreno, the city’s mayor and Williams, the parish district attorney, sought to appoint an interim leader to head the unified office pending a special election. They were supported by five city council members.
Murrill accused the officials of helping to “usurp” the authority of civil clerk Chelsea Richard Napoleon, whom the Legislature selected to lead the office. The Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the state law that put Napoleon in charge.
But Moreno did not take kindly to Murrill’s letters, and she shot back at Murrill in a video, saying there was “a criminal law that prohibits intimidating or threatening a public official in an effort to try to influence their decision or change their position.”
Also during the recent legislative session, Republicans angered New Orleans when they reduced the number of judgeships in Orleans Parish and redistributed state aid from Williams’ office to other prosecutors’ offices. Proponents have said those decisions are meant to right-size the Orleans justice system.
“Anything that happens is going to happen very fast,” Trump said, though he also suggested the U.S. military might “just finish the job.”
Trump also renewed his past threats to hit Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric plants and desalinization plants, and to seize the oil-production hub of Kharg Island.
After three tankers were hit Tuesday, the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, and Iranian forces retaliated by attacking American military sites in the Persian Gulf.
Iran has asserted that the interim ceasefire deal gives it the right to manage traffic through the strait. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the war, was defiant in a post on X: “The era of bullying and extortion is over It leads nowhere. We don’t fold.”
Strikes raise fears
Trump fueled concerns that the war could restart by saying the interim agreement to pause fighting was “over,” although he added that he would allow negotiations to continue.
Attacks have repeatedly threatened the shaky ceasefire, but Trump’s comments added new uncertainty, and oil prices shot up after he spoke. A renewed conflict could engulf the wider Middle East and would likely again halt energy shipments through the strait.
“For me, I think it’s over,” Trump said when asked about the status of the ceasefire He added that U.S. representatives can continue negotiations, but he cast doubt on the outcome. “They can talk, but I think they’re wasting their time,” he said.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, also a top negotiator, retorted on X that
The new attacks on ships in the strait, despite the negotiations, could reflect a divide among Iran’s leadership. Hard-liners seek lasting control over the waterway which is a globally important conduit for fuel shipments and has become a critical lever in confronting the West. Pragmatists want a permanent peace deal to lift international sanctions and provide desperately needed economic relief.
Negotiations to reach a final deal had been due to start after the dayslong funeral for Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed Feb. 28 in the war’s first moments. The funeral, which ends Thursday, was supposed to be a period of lower tensions.
The talks are meant to focus on the toughest matters, including fully reopening the strait and rolling back Tehran’s disputed nuclear program.
U.S. says it hit air defenses
On Tuesday, the U.S military’s Central Command said American forces hit Iranian targets including air-defense systems, radars and over 60 small boats used by Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Those boats have been key to threatening ships in the strait. Iran’s ability to bring shipping in the waterway to a near halt during the war proved its greatest strategic advantage.
On Wednesday morning, both Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Kuwait, home to U.S. Army forces, sounded missile alerts. The Revolutionary Guard issued a statement acknowledging targeting U.S. military installations in both countries.
Kuwait said it intercepted two ballistic missiles and 13 drones launched by Iran. The Kuwaiti Electricity Ministry said a number of lines were out of service after shrapnel fell on them.
STAFF PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
Special prosecutor Laurie White announces the indictment of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill outside the Orleans Criminal District Court building in New Orleans on July 2
STAFF PHOTO By STEPHEN MARCANTEL
Ashes II Ashes, located at 403-B S Buchanan St. in Lafayette, was granted a conditional use permit to sell alcohol
U.S. to licenseUkraine to producePatriot systems
Trump’sannouncement at NATO summit a turnaround
BY LORNE COOK, SEUNG MINKIM and SUZAN FRASER Associated Press
ANKARA, Turkey
U.S. President
Donald Trump said at aNATO summit Wednesday in Turkey that the U.S. willgive Ukraine alicense to make Patriot air defense systemstocounter missile attacks from Russia in their more than four-year war,ahuge coup for Kyiv which has long requested the technology Allowing foreign manufactureof Patriots, which the U.S. had resisted, was aturnaround for Trump that mirrored his day at theNATO meeting: Upon arriving, helashed out at European partners for resisting his efforts to takecontrol of Greenlandand for not supporting hiswar in Iran. Butbyday’s end, he described agathering of unity and “tremendous love,” and praised member nations on their progress in increasing their defense spending.
NATO’sEuropean membersplus Canada have scrambled to meet the alliance’sincreased defense spending targets, whichTrump has demanded as the U.S. draws down troops in Europe andinsists thecontinenttakemore responsibility for its own security Trump had reopened old wounds among the 32 NATO leaders byinsisting again ahead of thesummit that the U.S. should control Greenland, asemiautonomous Danish
U.S. President Donald Trumpmeets with Ukraine’sPresident Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey,on Wednesday. Trump announced he would allowUkraine to manufacture Patriotair defense systems.
territory.That led Denmark’s PrimeMinister Mette Frederiksen to say hercountryis“ready to defend every inch of NATO including our own territory.”
Trump also blasted some Europeancountries forrefusingto participate in the Iran campaign, singling out Spain as “a terrible partnerinNATO” andrenewing his threats to cut off trade.
Trumpstrikes apositivetone
Butthe tone of Trump’smeetingwith the UkrainianPresident VolodymyrZelenskyy was abreak from earlier encounters which ended in acrimony,and Trump praised the Ukrainian leader’s willingness to reach adeal on endingthe fighting in Ukraine.
“We’ve actually developed a good relationship.It’shardtobelieve,” Trump saidduring anews conference with Zelenskyy,adding that he believed adeal on ending thewar was on the horizon and that the U.S. would “work on some kind of securitypackage” to provide to Ukraine.
Trump saidthe Ukrainian president has “done an amazing job” and “been veryeffective” in the warashepledged to grantUkraine alicense to manufacture thePatriot defense systems.
“We’ll give themthe right to make Patriots.We’ll showthem how to do it,”Trump said. “I think they can produce them pretty quickly.”
Patriots are expensive, in high demand and take along timeto
Kentucky governor requests public update on McConnell
Lack of detailshas fueled rampant speculation
BY BILL BARROW Associated Press
Kentucky Gov.Andy Beshear is directly asking Sen. Mitch McConnell, the state’s most powerful figure in Congress,todisclose more about his condition after three weeks of silence from the 84-year-old since he was hospitalized in Washington. The letter releasedWednesday from Beshear,aDemocrat who is considered apotential presidential candidate in 2028, to theformer Senate Republican leader says, “Kentuckianshave grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being, and ability to hold office.” McConnell, whose physical condition has visibly declined in recent years, was hospitalized June 14. He has not released ap ublic statement, photos or videos since. Aides have disclos ed nothing specific abouthis condition, other than to say last week that McConnell “continues to improve, and is working closelywithhis staff on Kentucky andSenate matters whilethe Senate is out of session.”
That lack of detail has fueled rampant speculation about his prognosis and whether he will return to the Senate whenitreconvenes next week. The firestorm was enough that Republican Senate leaders, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, on Tuesday made public
statements saying they had talked to McConnell andhe was alert and discussing currentevents.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force Oneon Wednesday evening, ashe returned home following the NATO summit in Turkey, Trumpwas asked aboutMcConnell but said the pair had notspoken.
“I have no idea how he’s doing,” Trumpsaid.
McConnell is retiring at the endofhis term in January,and thecampaign to elect his successor already is underway.Kentucky’s Senate succession law, which Republican legislators have twice changed during Beshear’stenure, doesnot give the governor a rolein picking atemporary successor should McConnell’s seat become vacant before histerm ends. Under the latest change in 2024, Beshear would call aspecialelectionifthe seat became vacant.The winner of that election could take office after theresult is certified. The general election winner would be sworn in as part of thenew Congress in January.But there are unresolved questions about the timing of aspecial election underthe untested lawand thepossibility theseat could remainvacant untilJanuary.
Beshear ended the letter by wishingMcConnell “a safe and speedy recovery.”
If McConnellcan’t return
There is not much, if anything, thatBeshear, Kentucky lawmakers or the Senate could do if McConnell remains in office but is unable to perform his dutiesbetween now and when the current Congress expires in January Senate rules do not allow proxy voting. But there have beenextended Senate absences before,and the chamber has continued itsbusiness withhowever
produce. Zelenskyyhas foryears been askingfor moreofthem, and morerecently foralicense so that Ukraine can manufacture its own.
Leadersshowdefense boost
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has dedicated ahuge amount of energy to keeping Trump’ssupport for NATO and to holding the summit together.OnWednesday, he sought to tamp down the president’s irebygiving him credit for recent increases in defense spending from NATO allies.
“Grab the win. It’sthere,” Rutte told Trump on Wednesday
The NATO chief pointed to countries including Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Denmark that are investing moreindefense, butnoted that theTrumpadministration expects “the Europeans and Canadians will equalizetheir spending with the United States.”
Last month Rutte went to Washington to hail the “TrumpTrillion” —the $1.2 trillion that European allies and Canada have added to defense spending since Trump came to power in 2017.
As leaders convergedonAnkara,Ruttehosted a“big reveal” event to showcase the many deals plannedfor the increased spending—much of it to be spent on U.S. companies, creatingthousands of jobsfor Americans.
At last year’ssummit, the allies agreed to invest 5% of their gross domestic productondefense 3.5% on their defense budgets and 1.5% on infrastructure so troops and equipment can movefaster in times of conflict.
Yetfigures released by NATO on Tuesday showed that Slovenia,
Belgium, Spain andthe Czech Republic have struggledtomeet the alliance’sold spending target of 2% of GDP
The Trump administration wantstosee aleaner “NATO 3.0, with Europe taking responsibility for its ownsecurity,including Ukraine, with conventional weapons while America would continue to provide its nuclear umbrella. The Pentagon has launched a six-monthreview of U.S. military presenceinEurope,leaving allies to seek clarity on just howdeeply Trump intends to cut U.S. force numbers.
TrumptoliftSyria’s designation
Trump also met withSyrianPresident Ahmad al-Sharaa, aformer insurgent wholed the offensive that unseated autocrat Bashar Assad in December 2024. Despite having once been an al-Qaida fighter, alSharaa has wonTrump’sbacking as he seeks to rebuild Syria and restore itsshattered ties withthe West.
Later,U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio saidina statement that Trumphas toldU.S.lawmakersthatthe U.S. will soon remove Syriaasastate sponsor of terrorism as part of ayear-long normalization process with the country’s new government.
“Lifting sanctions on Syria will unlock international tradeand investment, give Syria achance to rebuild, andopenupa newchapter forthe Syrian people,” Rubio said.
In June 2025, Trump signed an executive orderending anumber of economic sanctions before revoking the terrorism designation afew weekslater foral-Sharaa, though thedesignation forSyria remained.
many senators are in attendance. Republicans currently hold a53-47 advantage. Without McConnell, that meansa maximum of 52 Republican votes are available. McConnell had been amongthe senatorsblockingwar powers resolutions that seek to limit President Donald Trump’smilitary options in Iran.Without him, the administration has less of abuffer. On theother hand, McConnell already hadbeenamong theRepublicansrefusingtosupport Trump’ssweeping elections law overhaul.
Lawchanged in 2021,’24
The17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution calls for Senatevacancies to be filled by popularelections. But it allows state legislatures to empower governors to appoint an interim senator to serve through thosecampaigns. Moststates have taken this option, according to theCongressional Research Service.
Kentucky lawallowed interim appointments until 2021, when McConnell and other state GOP leaders persuaded theRepublicanrun Legislaturetomakea change. They didnot want Beshear to shift thepartisan balance in Washington if he gotthe opportunity. They called for acommitteeof the previous senator’s state party to select threepeople from whom the governor could choose an interim senator. In this case, that would mean Beshear picking which Republican would fill avacancy.Several states have this system.
Kentucky lawmakers changedthe law againin 2024 to requireaspecial election. The only role for thegovernoristocallthat election.
Beshear vetoed the 2021 and2024 changesbut Republican lawmakers overrode him
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON
We were under amarginal risk of excessive rainfall yesterdayand it’s possible that we couldsee excessiverainfall again today. So,expect amostly sunnytopartlycloudy, hot and humid daywithisolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms.Somethunderstorms could become very strong as we have seen the last fewdays. Temperatures thisafternoon will be about where theyshould be in the lowtomid-90s,and with high humidity,temperatures will feel likethey’re in the tripledigits
Membersofapredatornetwork used code words
German investigation ledtoconvictions of four allegedmembers
BY KIRSTEN GRIESHABER, STEFANIE DAZIO andHUIZHONG WU Associated Press
BERLIN Theycalled themselves the “German driving school for experts,” but prosecutors say the true purpose of their Telegram chats was to brag about the women they raped and share tips about how to drug them.
In posts that sometimes included photos and videos of their attacks on unconscious victims, they referred to womenas“cars,”sedatives as “fuel” and rape as “driving,” according to court documents They called their victims “dead pigs.” Investigators have been poring through several years’ worth of posts in roughly two dozen group chats on the popularmessaging app that authoritiesbelieve served an onlinepredator network ofmainly Chinese men targetingmostly Chinese women in Germany.Their investigation has already ledtothe convictions of three alleged inner circle members on rape andother charges. Afourth was convicted Wednesday in Berlin.
“The perpetrators were characterized by aparticular ruthlessness, an objectification of the victims, and the perfidious planning of their crimes,” Frankfurt chief prosecutor Dominik Mies told The Associated Press.
Major details of the investigation remain unknown, at least to the public, including how many attacks and perpetrators have been linked to theGermanTelegram chats and how the chats,some of which reportedly had tens of thousands of members, couldhave operated for so long. It’salso unclear if the chatsare linked to aballooning investigation in Europe and the Americas into drug-facilitated sexual assaults by misogynist online communities Rallytosupport thevictims
Under German privacy laws, prosecutors are limited in what they can say outside the court-
room, documentsare restricted and, inthe ongoing case in Berlin, members of the public have been forced to leave thecourtroom duringparts of the trial.
This may be why the investigation into theTelegram group has garnered less attention in Germany than might be expected. But members of the country’sChinese community,mostly women, have been attendingcourt proceedings to show support for thevictims even if they don’t know them.
“What makes one really angry is to see that such groupshate women, they have no respect,” said Fu Xiao, whotraveled roughly 500 kilometers (310 miles) to Berlin last week to attendthe trial. “Women aren’t seen as people.”
In China, state media has covered the cases comprehensively, but widerdiscussion about the prosecutions on Chinese-language social media like Rednote has been partially censored. Certain tags have been more likely to get a postdeleted or banned on Rednote, screenshotsand searches show But posts usingless direct languagehavesurvivedthe censors, including ones that refer to “date rape”orthe euphemistic “students studying abroad in Germany.”
China’s Ministry of Public Security andRednote didn’trespond to requests for comment.
CasesecholandmarkFrenchtrial
TheGermancases havedrawn comparisons to the attacks on Gisèle Pelicot, aFrench woman who, over the course of nearly a decade, was repeatedly drugged andraped by her then-husband and strangers he invited to their home.The trial —and Pelicot’sdecision to waive her anonymity prompteda reckoning over rape culture in France andbeyond.
“Pelicot is notanisolated case,”
JudgeMarkusKoppenleitner said during ahearing in Munich forone of the Chinesemen convicted in theGerman investigation. “This is notaChinese or French phenomenon, but one that also exists in Germany and, ultimately,worldwide.”
Similarcases to the “German driving school”investigation have been popping up aroundthe globe. Although authorities haven’tpublicly linkedthem to the German
Adefendant covers his face in courtinBerlin, Germany, on Wednesdayduring atrial against an online predator network of men accused of using chat groupstoshare tips on howtodrugand rapewomen.
prosecutions, some investigators have cited tips from German authorities and journalists as crucial to their progress.
In Los Angeles, German investigatorslast year reached out to police about apotential suspect in drug-facilitated sexual assaults. The defendant, agraduatestudent from China, is accused of drugging and sexually assaulting three women in LA after he allegedly procuredthe drugsfroma Chinese national in Germany In the Netherlands last month, policearrested four men suspected of drugging and sexually abusing women after hearing from authorities in Germany and the U.K. Dutch police said thealleged perpetrators usedsocial media chat groups to disseminatevideos showing the abuse and discuss how to drug victims. And Europol,the European Union’s police agency,last week announced “Project Medusa,”an international operation designed to dismantle online networks that promote drug-facilitated sexual assaults. Law enforcementfrom Germany and the U.K. are leading the operation, which has already netted 57 arrests.
Questionsabout Telegram
The German predator network managedtothrivedespite clear violations of Telegram’s terms of service, again raising questions abouthow the platform has been used for criminal activity
In 2024, the app’sfounder was arrested in Paris over allegations that the platform wasbeing used for illicit activity, including drug trafficking andthe distribution of child sexualabuse images. He denied wrongdoing, blaming surgingnumbersofTelegramusers thathesaid “caused growing pains that madeiteasier for criminals to abuse our platform.” The investigation is ongoing.
“Sexual violenceisexplicitly forbidden by Telegram’sterms of serviceand such content is routinely removed,” the company said in a statement. “Telegram fulfils all of its legalobligations in relation to suchharmful content, including everythingset out by” the European Union’s Digital Services Act.
The companydidn’trespond to questions about the German cases, including how photos, videos and comments about sexualcrimes were posted foryears in theapp,
whether Telegramwas awareof the activityand what, if anything, it did to alert the authorities. Some of the German Telegram chatsdatebacktoatleast2020,court documents show.Attorney Magdalena Gebhard, who representeda victiminaprevious Berlin trial that ledtoa conviction, said therewas an innercircleofeightperpetrators but that some of thechatgroups had up to 50,000 members.
Police only becameawareofthe networkin2024 after aman in Frankfurt, referred to by German courts as Dapeng Z., changed his tactics from drugging andsexually abusing female acquaintances to targeting strangers he metonline, according to prosecutors.
German police arrested Dapeng Z., whomGerman and Chinese media have reported is the group’s ringleader,in2024 in cooperation with Chinese law enforcement, according to the Chinese consulate in Frankfurt and the Beijing News,a state-run media outlet. He was sentenced in February to 14 years in prison foraggravated rape, attempted murder and other offenses,thoughhehas appealed. Hisattorneys didn’t respondtoa request forcomment.
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByEBRAHIM NOROOZI
3 St. Landry schools to merge into one
Opelousas Junior High to become elementary
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
The former Opelousas Junior High School campus will become Opelousas Elementary School, serving students from three Opelousas-area elementary
schools that will be closed, officials announced The school will be at 703 S. Market St. on the former Opelousas Junior High School campus. According to a Facebook post from Creswell Middle School, Opelousas Elementary will serve
students in grades 3-6 from Grolee Elementary Northeast Elementary and Park Vista Elementary
The announcement follows the St. Landry Parish School Board’s decision to close six schools, including Grolee and Northeast elementary schools, as part of an
effort to address a multimilliondollar budget deficit.
Opelousas Elementary’s colors will be orange, black and white, matching Opelousas High School.
Students will continue to wear navy, black or white polo shirts with khaki or navy uniform pants.
Officials said plans for a school spirit store will be announced later
Orientation and registration
WADE RIGHT THERE
A great egret wades in standing water at Heymann Park in Lafayette following a heavy downpour on Wednesday
Lafayette schools seek advisory panel members
dates have not been released. Officials said those dates will be announced after Opelousas Junior High School moves out of the campus and the schools involved in the transition move in and prepare for the 2026-27 school year Parents with questions can contact their child’s current school or Creswell Middle School at (337) 942-4892.
Ochsner CEO Pete November to reign over festivities
BY MATTHEW ALBRIGHT and MARK BALLARD Staff writers
WASHINGTON Pete November, the CEO of Ochsner Health, and Peighton Ashley, a pre-med student at Xavier University in New Orleans, will be the next king and queen of Washington Mardi Gras, the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians announced Wednesday As chair and interim captain of the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians and chair of the 78th edition of Washington Mardi Gras, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise chooses the king and queen. The royalty becomes the public face of the event. They officially open and close festivities. November has been president and chief executive officer of Ochsner Health System since 2022, which is headquartered close to Scalise’s home in Jefferson. Ochsner runs 47 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He served on the Healthcare Transition Committee for Gov. Jeff Landry and cochaired the Economic Development Transition Committee for New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno. November has shepherded the organization through several significant
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
OUR VIEWS
LEAP scores show Lafayette, Vermilion schools on the righttrack
There’sareason they say slow and steady wins the race. For anyone tracking progresstoa goal, the true path to success comes fromsmall steps that add up to somethingbig This week’sLEAP scores show that Louisiana is making that sortofprogress in achieving the goal of improving educational outcomesfor students across the board.After thestate’s stunning accomplishment in raising math scores and overcoming pandemic learningloss in recent years, education officials vowed to keep up the push toimprove. If there were concerns aboutwhetherthe gains would hold, they canbeput to rest now with recent LEAP resultsshowing thestate’s students continuing to meet theever-higherbar set for them. Arecord36% are now meeting standards across all subjectsand grades. Results for the 2025-26 LEAP tests released Monday show students in grades 3-8 grewin math, science and social studies proficiency. While English scores were flat, it’s important to note that they have rebounded from the pandemic-era plummet. Forhigh schoolers, scores improved or stayed thesame in every subject except English I, where there wasa slight dip in the percentageofstudents meeting standards.Still, in all subjectscombined, 36% of high schoolers achieved mastery or above— 2 percentage points above last year
ForLafayette Parish School System, thepercentage of students reachingmastery or above for all subjects and grades reached 43%, an increaseof1%yearoveryear.While the growth was not as high as overall statewide growth, we have to acknowledge that some schools showed stunningly high masteryrates, including Myrtle Place Elementary,which achieved the highest level of mastery of all subjectsat83%. For high schools, David Thibodaux STEM MagnetAcademy posted the best performance, with more than 50% of students reachingmastery in every subject and every grade.
Vermilion Parish was also astandout.There, awhopping 55% of students in grades3-8 met stateexpectations in reading, along with 50% in math, making it one of the school systems with thehighest mastery rates and biggestyear-overyear growthinthe state
We celebrate thisachievementby ourstate’s students and teachers while also realizingthat more work needs to be done. The achievement gap between students in manycategories—including Black and Hispanicstudents, students with disabilities, those still learning English andstudentsfrom low-income families —and the rest of our student population remains stubbornly high. And while mathscorescontinue to grow,fully two-thirds of students arenot meetingstandards.
Yet, we can say we haveconfidence in education officials at the state andlocal levelasthey pursue astrategy that is leading to success. Louisiana should continue to investinpolicies that areproducing these results. We cannot afford to turn back now
LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE WELCOME. HERE AREOUR
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YOUR VIEWS
Expertise givesLa. aheadstart in offshore wind industry
Louisiana stands to gain from the growing American offshore wind industry.Asthe chief development officer of Grand Isle Shipyard, Iwould know America’senergy landscape looks alot different than it did when GIS was founded in 1948. We began as a shipbuilding and repair facility.In thelate 1950s, we began moving into construction, fabrication and support services for Louisiana’semerging offshore oil and gasindustries. We are now afull-service engineering, procurement,fabrication and construction company.That growth has only been possible becausewe evolved with the market.
Today,offshore wind is transforming Louisiana, just like offshoreoil and gas did in the20th century.By volume, almost25% of contracts for American offshore wind projects are going to businesses in Gulf states.
There’saclear reason:Justlike other offshore energy sources, wind requires expertiseinfabrication; construction,electrical and instrumentation engineering; project management services, and so much
more. Louisiana’sworkers have been pioneering energy projectsinthe Gulf for over acentury.AsAmerica builds offshore wind, we will play a critical role.
Beyond the thousands of jobs for shipbuilders, electricians and more that have already been created, we’re also seeing arise in training programs at technical colleges and high schools. Allofthis can andshould coexist with offshore oil and gas. Our clients don’tsee offshore wind as atradeoff; instead, it represents anew opportunity.
While offshorewind hasunique challenges in the Gulf, it presents us with the opportunity to develop new technology and innovate in ways no other state can.
Investing in offshore wind isn’tjust good for our energy portfolio; it’s good business. Our workers, companies and community will benefit from more offshore wind in Louisiana and throughout thecountry
TODD BERTHELOT Galliano
Ignore TenCommandmentsifyou don’t like them
Though it’struethat our government was set up to be secular,the Founders of this country were guided by Judeo-Christian principles and deeply informed by theBible.
The TenCommandments serveas themoral and ethical core for Judaismand Christianity, focusing on the proper worship of God and respectful conduct toward others.
“Upwards of 70% and 76% of U.S. adults believe displaying theTen Commandmentsinorongovernment buildings and public property is proper,” aPew Research Center survey said.
Much of theopposition comes from non-religious coalitions and groups representing secular citizens,atheists, interfaithand minorityfaiths. Iview theTen Commandments as ahistorical document.However, itsdisplay affectsyou is apersonal choice. If you favor it, blessyou. If it bothersyou, ignore it.
In his letter,Muhammad Yungai
presented asophomoric critique of thedisplay of theTen Commandments. He claims that they are notspecific enough. “Thou shalt not steal,Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt notcommit adultery…” not specific enough? To say that their display is inane is inane in itself. Because some people kill, some steal,some commit adultery and some covet their neighbor’sgoods, he therefore believes that the Ten Commandmentshave no moral value to serveasaguidefor civilized human behavior Why? Again, because some people do not adheretothem. Well, Iguess that since some people run red lights, there is no reason for traffic lights. He concludes that “kids will take one look at the TenCommandments and laugh themselves silly.” That is really inane.
TERRYDANTIN Thibodaux
La.scrounges for moneyfor schools whilewasting moneyonjails
Criminal justice reform is scary, yes, but what’smore frightening is living in astate that can’tget its educational budget properly funded. Especially when the quality criminal justice reforms approved in 2017, are fully implemented, would have saved Louisiana hundreds of millions of dollars. The question Ihave always asked myself is “Are our citizens so criminally inclined and active that this justifies our state incarcerating moreof its citizens forlonger periods of time than any other state in our country?” Are we that bad? The formerly approved reforms not only saved money but improved public safety when fully implemented. Our governmental leadership has eliminated the previously approved reforms, and Louisiana is now spending morethan before the “correctional reforms” were approved. No wonder we can’tget the educational budget correct. No question, criminal justice reform is adifficult topic, but when clear real facts werepresented by an unbiased third party,itset the tone forthe improvements that, foronce, gave Louisiana quality recognition. It’s no wonder our governmental leaders can’t get the funds needed to improve our seriously flawed educational system; they ignore facts and continue to feed the public fiction because it’seasier to sell. Our governmental leaders have stopped thinking, and they wantusto do the same. Sad.
C. GERONHARGON Baton Rouge
Graves made sense on closed primaries
Congratulations to Garret Graves forhis excellent column published in the June 30 edition of the newspaper regarding closed primary elections. Iagree with his opinion/views on this 100%, and Ithink any reasonable voter would also agree. Why can’twedowhat he suggests?
FRANK H. PEREZ Baton Rouge
WNBA should embraceCaitlinClark
What sports league, handedagenerational talent who has playedbrilliantly and delivered massivecommercial dividends, would make this very same player seem unwelcome and an object of scorn?
The WNBA.
Caitlin Clark arrived in the league three seasons ago already asuperstarconsidered one of the greatest college players in the history of the sport, and instantly boostedthe league—otherwise a commercially marginal outfit—toanotherlevel.
For her troubles, the Indiana Fever star has been treatedlike avirus that the league’santibodies seek to reject. The latest controversy erupted after aplayer with the Phoenix Mercury named Alyssa Thomas pressedher fist to Clark’sneck when the Feverguard was prone on the court. Theofficials missed the foul in real time, but the league later deemed it aflagrant foul andsuspended Thomas fora game The episode was shocking given Clark’simportance to the game, alittle like TomBrady getting clotheslinedor Shohei Ohtani getting hit by apitch, and the refs or umps not noticing. Still, ABC News ran asympathetic segmentabout Thomas, who is Black, getting death threats after the incident, and sports influencer Emmanuel Acho said that the incident showed that Clark is more trouble than she’sworth This is alittle like saying inthe 1940s or 1950s that Major League Baseball didn’tneed TedWilliams.Now,of course, Clark hasn’tprovedherself one of thegreatest offensive forcesinher league’shistory,the way Teddy Ballgame did. She has achance,though, if shestays healthy —all the more reason for theWNBA to keep her from getting singled out for hard fouls onthe court. Players envious of Clark should realize that the only reasonasegment of fans cares about the league is that she is playing in it.
Aplayerwho is very good, and also famous and charismatic, is apriceless commodity for any league,and theentire WNBA should be grateful for what it has in Clark. Theyusedtosay of the New York YankeesthatYankees areborn, not made. In asimilar vein, the WNBA could have hadalimitless marketing budget and would have been unable to manufacture theCaitlin Clarkphenomenon —itisorganicand not replicable. Clark fills arenas at homeand away, where teamssometimes temporarily move to larger NBA arenas to accommodate the crowds. She drives huge spikes in TV ratings. Her jersey is the league’s bestseller.Byone estimate, she accounts formorethan aquarter of the league’srevenue.Interms of sheer economic value, Caitlin Clark is theElon Musk of the WNBA. The root of her appeal is that she’s truly extraordinary on thecourt, atop scorerand exceptional playmaker.This year, she’s been averaging roughly 21 pointsand 8assistsper game. She holds the record for mostassists in a game,and most assists in aseason, and
Indiana Feverguard Caitlin Clark plays against the Atlanta DreamonJune 18.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
reached 500 career assists at the fastest pace in WNBA history
Her total offensive production per game —pointsplus assists —istops in the league this year She should be just getting started. But her WNBA tenure has been markedby controversieswithanidentity-politics edge, sinceit’snot hardtoimagine that the predominantly black league with adisproportionatenumber of openly lesbian players looks askance at the white, straight playerwho gets outsized attention.
Clark’steammateSophie Cunningham said after the latestincident thatClark is clearly being targeted. The league should make it clear that— as asport and entertainment business —itwants no part of suchanagenda and it highly values its mostvaluable player
Clark’sagent has said, correctly,that there’s no way the WNBA can pay Clark what she’s worth. What the league can do is provide an environment for her to reach her full potential; it’sthe very least it can do for Clark, thesport and its fans.
Rich Lowry is on X@RichLowry
Former slavetoldusthe valueofJuly4
It is unfortunate but also ironically appropriate that nationaleffortstocelebrate the nation’sbirth were rattled by internal disputes overhow that birth should be celebrated.
“Who controls the past controls the future,” wrote George Orwell in 1984. “Who controls the present controls the past.”
By altering history to make the ruling party look great, in other words, leaderscan more easily justify their current actions in ways that help them hold power With that maxim in mind,one can easily see why the current administration takes such abig interest in history,when they’re not just staging commemorative stuntssuch as cage fighting on the White House grounds.
American and Western values as inherently harmfuland oppressive.”
That depends on how you view history,ofcourse. In afree society, historical inquiry is always going to raise inconvenient truths and challenge patriotic orthodoxies and hagiographies. As painful as that can be, in the long run it’s good for thebody politic.
as “beings of an inferior order,” who had “no rightsthat theWhiteman was bound to respect.”
Andy Jackson andthe pirate Lafitteget more acreage
If the Declaration of Independence announced the birth of the United States of America, the Battle of NewOrleans in 1815 marked our nation’send of adolescence and assumption of maturity in world affairs.
Now comes great news: The already splendid Chalmette Battlefield memorial at the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park is likely to be better protected and possibly expanded. One of our country’sgreat historical-preservation organizations, The American Battlefield Trust, has secured acontract to purchase 40 acres of additional battlefield near the current, 145-acre national park.
Right now,the southeast border of the park is Chalmette National Cemetery,the burial grounds forveterans of the War of 1812, the Civil Warand the Vietnam War. But on the other side of the cemetery,onland where armed skirmishes took place twoweeks before the ultimate 1815 battle, and across which the British marched towardtheir doomed encounter with Andrew Jackson’sAmerican army,the property long has been zoned forindustrial use.
If the Battlefield Trust is able to officially complete the purchase (it is now working to raise the final $1 million to do so, by September), the land could then be donated to the national park system and added to Jean Lafitte —ifCongress approves, which should be easily doable with Louisiana holding the top twoposts in the House of Representatives. Or it could be donated to Louisiana forstate park use complementary to the national park, or,ifnothing else works, the Battlefield Trust itself could curate exhibits there. Either way, Battlefield Trust President David Duncan said in aphone interview,“we want to get it to aresponsible steward as quickly as we can,” because “it’simportant to the story of what they’re already (showing and) interpreting there” at Jean Lafitte.
Douglass did not trytosugarcoat his descriptions of the brutalityofslavery or those who actively or passively tried to defend the“peculiar institution,” in theeuphemism popularized by Southern politician John C. Calhoun in the 1830s.
Clarence Page
The executive order designated Vice President JD Vance andLindsey Halligan, asenior White House aide, “to remove improper ideology” from the Smithsonian Institution, which includes dozens of museums, libraries, research centers, historical sites and the National Zoo.
Alas, “improper” is in theeye of the beholder.
For example, President Donald Trump’sadministration has been involved in alegal battle regarding historical sitesand slavery inPhiladelphia, under an executive orderaimed at removing content that allegedly disparages America, in the administration’sview
Under that order,the National Park Service recently removed panels at the President’sHouse Sitedetailing thepeople George Washington held in slavery The City of Philadelphia sued the park service over the removals anda federal judge initially ordered thedisplays to be restored. In June, however, afederal appeals court vacated that injunction, allowing the administration to remove and replace the exhibit That’sdisappointing. Yetthere’s only so much the Trump administration can do to burnish the image of slavery,and I’m not sure why they’re trying, but make no mistake that they are.
Concerns over potential reforms at theSmithsonian —often called “the nation’sattic,” as arepository of history —have arisen since Trumpsigned aMarch 27 executive order titled “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”
The order arguedthat theSmithsonianhad in recentyears “come under the influence of adivisive,race-centered ideology” and saidthe institution has“promotednarratives that portray
This point was made with scathing precisionbyFrederick Douglassinan orationonJuly 5, 1852. Douglass, an abolitionistand former slave,addressed the Rochester (N.Y.) Ladies’ Anti-Slavery Society on the topic “Whattothe SlaveIsthe FourthofJuly?”
Douglass, only afew years before theCivil Warerupted, argued that the celebration of American independence is apainfulmockery to the enslaved Black American. It “reveals to him, morethan allother days in theyear, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim.”
To Douglass, it was glaring hypocrisy for anation to proclaim its liberty and equality while legally practicing humanbondage.
“The existence of slavery in this country,” hethundered, “brands your republicanism asham,your humanity abase pretense, and your Christianity alie.”
Lessthanfive years later,Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger B. Taney wrote themajority opinion in Dred Scottv.Sandford, which returned Scott, theenslaved plaintiff, to the man whoclaimed ownership over him, who had brought Scott to “free” territory andleased outhis labor,thus importing enslaved labor to U.S. territory where slavery was illegal.
In his infamous opinion, Taney arguedthat,at thetime of the Declaration of Independence, “civilized and enlightened”opinion held Black people
YetDouglass placed his hope in the nation’sfounding documents, arguing in his Rochester speech that the U.S. Constitution, if interpreted correctly, was actually a“glorious libertydocument.”
Indeed, his reaction to the Dred Scott Decision, which he called an “open, glaring, and scandalous tissue of lies,” was hope. The promise of the Constitution was on an inevitable collision course with the infamy of slavery As apatriotic American who served in the Army and who loves his country with adesire to improve it, Icelebrate theFourth of July in the way that Martin Luther Kingdid in his historic 1964 “I Have aDream”speech, with an aspirational vision for our country’s improvement.
Ibelieve, as Douglass did, that our Constitution continues to be aglorious document,although the arguments over how it can be mademore “glorious” never end.
Evidence of that was offered last week by theSupremeCourt’sreengaging the age-old argument about birthright citizenship, which dates back to theratification of the 14th Amendment, which granted the citizenship that Taney’scourt had denied to enslaved Black Americans.
Likemany others, Ithought theargumentover thecitizenship of children born in this country was settled long ago. Yetthe high court ended up only one vote short of getting rid of birthright citizenship, amove promoted mainly by people who call themselves conservative.
Yes, in pursuit of a“perfect union,” there always will be some people who want to make it “more perfect,” even when they express what sounds to me like “improper ideology.”
Email Clarence Page at clarence47page@gmail.com
For those less familiar with that story,itinvolves one of the mostimportant wartimevictories in American history.With the British still loath to admit that their former colonies were theirequal, andwith Great Britain at warwith France, theparentcountry repeatedly violated American shipping rightsand even captured American sailors andforced them to serve on British warships. Hence, the U.S. declared war —but then barelyachieveda military “draw,” as it were, winning somenaval battles andholdingBaltimore Harbor but seeingour own Capitol and White House burned to the ground. In late 1814, as diplomats were finally agreeing to peace termsthat madeneither side happy,the British weretrying to seize New Orleans militarily and thus gain control of the Mississippi basin. But in abrilliantly planned and executed defense eight days into the new year,Jackson’sarmyabsolutely routed the British attackers at Chalmette, news of which reached the rest of the nation before newsof the peace accord. Suddenly,aweak “webarely survived” peace deal became, in the popular mind, amassive victory that proved the United States wasaglobal power
The benefits both to our national psyche and to the U.S. world standing wereimmense.
As it is, the current battlefield is atreasure. While rather rudimentary in presentation compared with other,far moresprawling American battlefields such as Gettysburg or Antietam, the story of the battle is portrayed in easily understandable ways. The tour guides on my sojourns have been superb, leaving visitors with a firm appreciation of how the battle progressed and how the Americans triumphed.
The sightlines from Jackson’sdefensive lines, though, could be badly marred if the land on the other side of the cemetery is industrialized rather than preserved as anatural space.
“Ifsomebody comes in and builds (a) warehouse complex, or arefinery expands to that property or someother industrial use, well, that’sgoing to diminish the power of place and the visitor experience when they come to the existing park,” Duncan said.
Adding the 40-acre parcel, he said, will amount to “adding to avery rich and important story in our country’shistory and bringing it to lifethe best waywepossibly can.”
Of course, the story of that battle —the help from New Orleans’ leading citizens, the crucial spy network of Jean Lafitte’spirates, the astonishingly lopsided result —holds almost mythic sway,even as an entirely true tale, on the selfimage of Louisiana natives.
Now the physical footprint of that fabled-butreal history appears likely to be materially enhanced. Our history,ascity,state and nation, is arightfully proud one. It’s ahistory wellworth keeping in trust.
Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com
Quin Hillyer
Rich Lowry
Colleagues,familymourn loss of statesenator
LarrySelders,44, had knownheart trouble
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
State Sen. Larry Selders, a Democrat from BatonRouge, diedsuddenly Tuesday night at his sons’ footballpractice at Memorial Stadium, said Collis Temple Jr., alongtime familyfriend.
Temple said Selders was 44 and leaves behind two sons, Larry Jr and Luke, and his wife, Kendra. Selders had been hospitalized in May with heart trouble and missed the final month of the
legislativesession. He returned to theSenate chamber one day, waved to his colleagues from the side and was then ushered out Temple calledSelders “a goodman,one of the best I’ve ever known.”
Selders’ district included LSU and Southern University and downtown BatonRouge as well.
tival of Culture in New Orleans on Sunday. She said Selders wanted to getout of the house but was in asuite to limit his contact withothers.
State Sen. Regina Barrow,D-Baton Rouge,representsa districtthat bordershis
“I am speechless andheartbroken,” Barrow said Tuesday night, noting that shehad just seen Selders at the Essence Fes-
Eliminated LSU positionsdetailed
CFO, communications, marketing workerscut
BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer
LSU eliminated its chief financial officer,vice president of engagement, and a number of communications and marketing positionsin layoffs lastweek, according to documents.
LSU system President Wade Rousse said in astatement that the staff positions in central LSU offices were cut to put more money toward faculty and researchin apush to reachthe top 50 of theNational ScienceFoundation Higher Education Researchand Development Survey
“Louisiana deserves transformational change from LSU,” Rousse said. “I committed to streamlining operations and finding efficiencies so the university can focus on,and afford, the faculty needed to become atop 50 research institution.”
Twenty-five employees were laid off in total. Among them were Todd Manuel, vice president of engagement, an office that formerly encompassed diversity,equity and inclusion efforts.
The chief financial officer for the Baton Rouge campus, Tommy Smith, was also let go. In January,Rousse named Brandi Bush Roberts as CFO for the LSU system. Seven additional positions at the Office of Engagement
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were eliminated, including the director of institutional engagement andthe director of learning anddevelopment. Those responsibilities will be handled by the student affairs office, LSU spokesperson MegCasper Sunstrom said. More than adozen employees in communications and university relations, including the executive director of content, video producers and editors, were laid off. Allcommunications willbe overseen bySunstrom with astaff of six, according to an LSU webpage.
Details of thelayoffs were first reported by theLouisiana Illuminator Rousse hassaidpreviously the organizationwill need to streamline in order to generate thedollarsneededto achievetop 50, which depends on hiring more faculty and allocating more money to research. He and the LSU Board of Supervisors argue the ranking will make the university eligible for more grants and elevate its research reputationasit strives for greater academic prestige.
As part of the top50efforts, the board approved amajor restructuring this year to group theflagshipcampus, LSU AgCenter,Pennington Biomedical Research Centerand two healthscience centers in Shreveportand New Orleans as asingularresearch enterprise. With the hiring of Rousse, theboard also split theformerly dual president-Baton Rouge chancellor position into two roles, allowing Chancellor Jim Dalton to prioritize research goals.
“He was agentle giant,” Barrow said. “Hedefinitely cared aboutchildren and their well-being.”
In atweet, Gov.Jeff Landry also called Selders agentlegiant, adding that he “was respected by all.” Selders, asocial worker who focused on mental health issues, was elected to theSenate in February 2025 with 62% of thevotetoreplace Cleo Fields, whohad been elected to theU.S
House. Selders hadspent the previous five yearsinthe state House. Selders had asolid liberalvoting record as alegislator,supporting awoman’sright to an abortion. But he didn’tfollow Democrats whenhesupported thecreationofEducation Savings Accountsthat allow K-12 students to use public dollars to study at private schools, an initiative promotedbyLandry
Seldersexplained that he attended University High,which requires tuition to attend, because he wanted to give other students asimilar opportunity During his time in the House,
Selders servedwith aformer teacherofhis at University High, Rep. Barbara Freiberg, R-Baton Rouge. She taught Selders 10th grade in the 1997-98 school year “As ateacher,I saw his strong work ethic andhow determined he was to be successful, along with his genuine care for others,” Freiberg said Tuesday night. “It wasareal special privilege to serve with him in the Legislature. He never lost his love for people or his desire to makeadifference in their lives.”
Afuneral service will be held Tuesday morning at Mt. Zion First Baptist Church, where Selders worshipped, Temple said.
Judgetrims legalfeesinchurchbankruptcy
$2.6 millioncut in N.O. case
BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer
More thansix months after theArchdiocese of New Orleans settled its long-running bankruptcy with hundreds of abuse survivors, thejudge whopresidedover the nearly six-year case on Wednesday resolved one of thefinaloutstandingissues in thecase: the high cost of attorneys fees.
Following adaylong trial Wednesday,U.S. Bankruptcy JudgeMeredithGrabill ordered each of thethree primary firms involved in thecase —Jones Walker which represented the archdiocese, andPachulski Stang and Troutman Pepper,which jointly represented the committee of clergyabuse survivors —to reduce their final fee bills in the case by 6% each, or about $2.6 million total.
The ruling cameafter thearchdiocesechallenged thelegal fees of Pachulski Stangand Troutman Pepper,which together totaled some$17 million.The archdiocese argued that the
firms spent “staggering amountsofprofessional time”onthe case,duplicating services, doubling up on calls and engaging in overbilling—charges thefirms denied.
The archdiocese asked Grabill, who presidedover the case throughout its nearly six-year duration, to shave nearly $5 million off thefirms’ bills.
As the“reorganized debtor” in the case, the archdiocese is responsible for payingall legaland professionalfees —both thoseof its own legalteam andthose that represented abuse survivors and other creditors.
While acknowledging that the casehad been costly, Grabill took issuewith the arguments made on behalf of the archdiocesebythe Houston lawfirm that was hired earlier this year to investigatethe legal fees and argue for their reduction.
“It made me really sad because the debtor and the committee and professionals worked so hard to get aplanacross thefinish line andtheydid it against all odds,” Grabill said. “Then, here is an opportunity for thechurch to be healed and continue its status as the
glue that holds this community together and to see an objection against the constituencythatrepresented the survivors …and object to their professional fees is just not agood look.”
“It’sreally discounting the hard workthat this debtor didwithsurvivors,” she added.
In astatement following the ruling, the archdiocese said, “Weare grateful the court recognized our concerns aboutthe costliness of the bankruptcy case and providedsome financial relief for us and equitable treatment of the legal professionals.”
‘The courtrules equitably’ Grabill’sruling, reducing legal fees by $2.6 million, won’ttakemuchoff thetotal cost of the case. When it was settled last December,legal and professional fees werearound $60 million. With the $300 millionsettlement trust created forsurvivors,funded by acombination of cash, property sales, insurers and contributions fromparishes and donors, the total cost of thecasecomes to some $360 million, makingitone of the longest and costliest
of some40church bankruptciesaround the country over the past twodecades. Grabill said her decision to shave 6% off each of the main firms’ legal bills was based on asense of fairness.
“This court rules equitably,” she said, adding, “I am not trying to minimize or insultthe workthatwas done.”
Jones Walker had already agreed to reduce its fee bill by $1 million. Grabill’s ruling will require them to trim another $600,000 from the total.
Pachulski Stang, aCaliforniafirm that specializes in abusecases, andTroutmanPepper,which served as local bankruptcy counsel, will each be required to reduce their roughly $8 million bills by about $500,000. Marie Reily,achurch bankruptcy expert and professor at Penn State Dickinson Law,said fee disputes in the aftermath of bankruptcy cases like theone playingout in theArchdiocese of New Orleanscaseare not unusual.
“This dispute is perhaps spicier than usual, but that’s not surprising given the level of vitriol among the parties in this case,” she said.
N.O. named‘irreplaceable’ spot by nonprofit
Entire city added to U.S. sites needing preservation
BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer
Bartram’sGarden in Philadelphia,the African Meeting House in Boston, Watts Towers in LosAngeles and the Wright Brothers sites in Dayton,Ohio
verse culture helped to create oneofthe country’s original art forms, which the World Monuments Fund highlighted as one of America’s most enduring contributions.
FESTIVITIES
Continued from page 1B position he held for 47 years. Francis received 42 honorary doctorates and the PresidentialMedal of Freedom, the nation’shighestcivilian honor,in2006. During his lifetime, he served on54 boardsand commissions and advised eight U.S. presidents on education and civil rights issues.
partnerships, convening community leaders across Louisiana and theGulf South.Ochsner is investing more than $450 million in improved facilities and infrastructureand is now partnering with Xavier University of Louisiana to create the Xavier Ochsner College of Medicine.
Ashley,who graduated valedictorian in May from Liberty Magnet High School in Baton Rouge, will attend Xavier Universitythisfall, whereshe plans to majorin psychology while pursuing a pre-med track.
She also earned an AssociateofArts in LiberalArts with aperfect 4.0 gradepoint average at Baton Rouge Community College.
Mayor-PresidentMonique Boulet saidinastatement
“Itisonlyfittingthatthis library,a placeoflearning, discovery and community, bears his name for generations to come.” The library is akey part of the broader HolyRosaryRedevelopment initiative and is expectedtoexpand accessto library services, technology, educational resources and communitygathering space in north Lafayette Staff writer Stephen Marcantel contributed tothis report.
“Dr.Francis dedicated his life to expanding access to education and creating opportunitiesfor others,”
Ashley is completing an internship with ExxonMobil in the Public and Government Affairs Department,where she specializes in social media and helps promote STEM professions throughout the Baton Rouge community. She was amember of the Louisiana Leadership Institute’sLeadership Academy and received theLouisiana Volunteer Service Award.
The dean of Louisiana’s eight-member congressionaldelegation, Scalise, RJefferson,was first elected to the House in 2008. He hasascended to thesecondhighest leadership position, behind House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton,inthe lower chamber.
TheMystick Krewe of Louisianians was created by the late Sen. Russell Long, D-Baton Rouge, to organize and handle the finances of theannual event.
The entire city of New Orleanswas addedlastweek to an inaugurallistof10U.S sitesthat are deemed irreplaceable and in need of preservation.
New Orleans was the only full city to make the Irreplaceable America list compiled by the World Monuments Fund,aninternational nonprofit dedicated to preserving cultural sites. The U.S.-focused list was published to commemorate thecountry’s250th anniversary
Other monuments that made the list includedthe New York Smallpox Hospital Ruin in New York,
What beganasanadhoc celebrationbyhomesick congressional staffers in the 1940s morphedinto amore organized Carnival event attendedbyhigh-level politicos,such as Vice President Richard Nixon(twice), Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson (multiple times) andChiefU.S.Supreme CourtJustice EarlWarren. Washington Mardi Gras hasbecome an annual retreat for local, state and federal politicians to socialize casually with Louisiana businessmoguls, university presidents, charity leaders and trade association executives Paid for by dues,tickets and donations, public access to WashingtonMardi Gras is restricted andmedia coverage is limited to foster unguarded conversations that get business done, participantssay
Kristin Gisleson Palmer Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans’ executive director,said Wednesday thather organization struggled to whittledown to just one“irreplaceable” monument in New Orleans. That’swhy they nominated thecityitself, makingthe case that itsrichcultural landscape faces amagnified risk from acombination of challenges that urban areas acrossthe country are beset with.
“I posit that your shotgun single is just as important as your major building, like the Municipal Auditorium, and there’snoreason to choose between the two,”said Palmer,aformer New Orleans City Council member.
Known as the birthplace of jazz, New Orleans’ di-
The LouisianaEthics Board allows elected officials to pay for their expenses out of campaignfunds The official Washington Mardi Gras eventstake place at the Washington Hilton andusually beginona Wednesday afternoon,next year on Jan. 20. Anumber of privatetrade associations, companies and lobbyistshold theirown parties at various venues around Washington. In between the toasts, cocktailparties andpanel discussions, revelers can stroll down the halls of the Hilton visiting aseries of hospitality suites sponsored by corporations, charities, universities, trade associations, politicians and their fundraising arms.The drinks are free —it’shard to find anything nonalcoholic —and food is always available.
The city is also at an “existential crisis” point, Palmer said, as it faces population decline, housing affordability issues, high insurance costs, climate change risks and loss of longtime residents, who were long the backbone of the city’s unique character Last month, ateamofTulane scientists publisheda new study urging Louisiana to begin planning for how to relocate entire communitiesawayfromthe coast, warning that sea levels may eventually rise high enough to overtakeNew Orleans. Thestudy prompted both alarmand widespread outrage fromresidents over thesuggestionofNew Orleans’ erasure. “Wehavetodrill down
Thursday night is the “Louisiana Alive”party that features Louisiana bands andchefs preparing avariety of dishes unavailable in Washington. Friday’smain event is the Washington Mardi Gras Economic Development Luncheon &Reception, which gathers more than 300 business,civic andgovernment leaders. It is usually closed to the public. Last year’s guest speaker was Commerce Secretary HowardLutnick.
The78th editionofthe four-day carnival event is capped off with aformal Saturdaynight Jan. 23 ball, hostedbythe king and queen with entourages that include many of the festival queens.
The black-tie ball is open to ticketholders,manyof whom wear masks and traditionalcostumes.
and say ‘How do we want New Orleans to continue?’” Palmer said. “It’sthe people that make it irreplaceable, it’sthe culture that makes it irreplaceable, it’sour built environment that makesit irreplaceable. How do we use the assets that we currently have to ensure that our people still stay here?’” Palmer said she reached out to local organizations, including the Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, the Ella Project, Louisiana Landmarks and Tulane University, to assist in the city’sapplication. Preservation Resource Center officials said they plantolauncha yearlong awareness effortonsustaining New Orleansfollowing its placement on the list. It has also published an Irreplaceable New Orleans webpage where residents can submit places or traditionsthatcapture the city’s uniquecharacter andneed to be maintained.
Members of the krewe, including congresspersons, floats and marching bands, parade around the ovalshapedballroom, tossing beads.
Selders
HOMECOMING
NewOrleansnativeSolomon Washington, whostarred at Carver HighSchool, is on the Pelicans’ Summer League roster.Washington will gethis firstchancetoprove himself Thursday when the Pelicans play theMinnesota Timberwolves in theSummer Leagueopener
ington r League
Breakout playerswho couldpropel Kiffin’s LSUdebut
BY JON BLAU Staff writer
There is reason to believe LSU should have agood season in Lane Kiffin’sdebut because the roster is littered with proven names. Quarterback Sam Leavitt went to the College FootballPlayoff withArizona State Jordan Seaton was an All-Big 12 performer at Colorado. Princewill Umanmielen was an All-SEC edge rusher at Ole Miss, and linebacker T.J. Dottery led the conference in tackles.
LSU’score appears solid, but the difference between agood and agreat season will hinge on talent that hasn’tbeen fully realized. Here are the breakout candidates who could makethe Tigers’ 2026 campaign.
TE Trey’Dez Green
The6-foot-7, 237-pound junior’stalent is anything but asecret.
EA Sports College Football 27 madehim the highest-rated tight end in the game, and Green wasvoted second-teamAll-SECby the conference’scoaches in 2025. The big question is whyGreen wassuch a mystery to his previous coaching staff. He finished last season with33catches for 433 yards and seven touchdowns. Those are good numbers, but he wasn’texactly aconsistent feature in LSU’s gameplan. Green had zero receptionsinlossesto Ole Miss and Alabamaand just over 75% of his yardscame in consecutive SEC games against South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Texas A&M, plus an 80-yard finale against Houston. Kiffinand hiscoordinator,CharlieWeis Jr., were paid top dollar to fashion ascheme that gets LSU’sbest players the ball; it shouldn’tbehard to target an ex-basketball player who istaller than defensive backs
BY RODWALKER Staff writer
Solomon Washington’sname didn’tget called by NBA commissioner Adam Silver during thefirst round of last month’sdraft. It didn’tget called bydeputy commissioner Mark Tatum the next nightinthe second round, either But that didn’treally matter.
ThephonecallhereceivedfromtheNewOrleansPelicans lettinghimknowhe’dbeontheirSummerLeaguerosterwas all he needed.
Washington just wantedtoget his foot inthe door
It helps that he gets to do so with the team that plays just afew miles from New Orleans’ 9th Ward, wherehe was raised.
“It’ssurreal,” Washington said.“GrowingupinNew Orleans, you want to play for LSU. Youwant to play for the
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, outsidelinebacker Omosefe Ayemere knows thetime is going to come when he’ll add more bulk to his frame. For now,all he’sfocused on is fully utilizing his speed to help the Elkins High Knights of Missouri City, Texas, flourish in the fall.
“They (ULcoaches) said they’re not worried about my weight at all right now ”said Ayemere, who committedtothe Cajuns on June 26. After all, speediswhattopshis list of skills. Ayemere grew up playing safetybefore moving to outside linebacker at the high school level.
“I feel like I’m apretty physicalplayer, so I’m not worriedabout my weight yet,” Ayemere said. “That’s going to come ” “It really was about therelationships Ibuilt with the coaches —coach (Jorge)
Pelicans and the Saints. Forthem to was emotional. Me and my mom, we an opportunity to get better andtosho The 6-foot-7 forward gets his first ch selfThursdaywhen thePelicans play berwolves in the Summer League op Washington knows exactly what he b “My strengthismyenergy,” Washi fense. Guarding 1through 5. Agrea with my heart on my sleeve.”
Washington averaged almost a d points and9.2 rebounds)thispastse He played just oneyear at Maryland first three seasons at Texas A&M.
It was his sophomoreseason at A&M found his niche and started figuring t
give me thatcall, it shed atear.It’sstill wthat you belong ” ance to prove himtheMinnesota Timener in Las Vegas rings to the table ngton said. “My detrebounder I play ouble-double (9 8 ason at Maryland after spending his when Washington hings out.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Outsidelinebacker OmosefeAyemere is one of three linebackers so fartocommit to theULRagin’ Cajuns.
Munoz, coach Des (Michael Desormeaux) and coach (Scott)
“They madeitfeel like Iwas at home basically.”
ELICANS, page 3C aye s t de ve bac ä See LSU, page 3C
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
In one way,UL’snewest transfer pitcher has somecollege experience. After all, he’s attendedthreedifferent juniorcollege programs since leaving high school in Tallahassee, Florida, three years ago. On theother hand, all signs point to Joey Ervin’sbest days being ahead of him
That’swhat theRagin’ Cajuns are hoping for by adding the redshirt junior to their pitching staff.
“I feel like at this point, I’ve progressed alot andI knowmystuffisgoodenough to play at the Division 1level,” Ervin said. “It’sjustamatterofgetting comfortable and doing what the coaches want me to do.”
Ervin’scollegiate journey began at DaytonaState College out of high school.
“It was my first taste of college baseball,” he said. “The program was kind of militarystyle, where you show up early in the morning andgothrough workouts. you do everything as ateam. It wasacool experience.” Abroken foot kept Ervin from actually
pitching that first year
From there, Ervin wenttoCoastal Alabama Community College, where he saw the mound forthe first timeincollege. That wasimportant because he wasprimarily an outfielder who pitched some in high school.Infact, Ervin wassupposedto be atwo-way performer at Daytona State, but “theysaw me throw90and said, ‘Alright, you’re apitcher,’ and Inever picked up abat.” He gottoplayfor legendary juniorcollege coachKeith Griffin,“Who we called the Juco Saban when Iwas there.” Ervin’swork at Coastal Alabama was exclusively as areliever
“Inhigh school, Ithrew alot of fastballs because that wasthe easiest pitch to command,” Ervinexplained. “At Coastal, Ihad sometendinitis in my forearm, so Iwas really trying to stay healthy.Itwas just more lifting and doing mobility and helping keep my arm on time.” Ervin really elevated his level of competition at Chipola.
“Chipola was abig-timejunior college program,” Ervin said. “They had
Stoker,” Ayemere said.
PROVIDED PHOTO By NEWORLEANS PELICANS
‘Ferytale’ rolls on at Wimbledon
British wild card Fery reaches semifinals
BY KEN MAGUIRE AP sportswriter
LONDON If he keeps playing like this, Arthur Fery might just become Wimbledon royalty Fery grew up five minutes from the All England Club and now the 114th-ranked player is a semifinalist at the grass-court Grand Slam
The 23-year-old British player, who needed a wild-card invitation to enter the tournament, beat ninthseeded Flavio Cobolli 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-0 on Centre Court in front of roaring home fans and a Royal Box contingent that included Britain’s Queen Camilla on Wednesday
His run has been dubbed a “Ferytale” and has included a viewing by Kate, the Princess of Wales, earlier in the tournament.
“It gets better and better every match,” Fery said in an on-court interview “I just can’t believe it.”
The only other wild card to have reached the men’s singles semifinals at the All England Club was Goran Ivanisevic in his run to the Wimbledon title in 2001.
Fery earned a standing ovation after winning the first set The deafening roar that followed Fery taking the tiebreaker to seal the second set was heard over at Wimbledon’s other main stadium — No. 1 Court, where Alexander Zverev was in the process of beating Taylor Fritz in straight sets.
Fery sealed his memorable victory with an ace and fell onto his back to soak in the applause.
“That last game, I felt emotions that I hadn’t experienced before in my life,” he said.
A short time later, Zverev wrapped up his 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win to set up a semifinal against Fery on Friday Moments before the start of their quarterfinal match, Fery and Cobolli were surprised to meet Camilla in the hallway moments before they walked onto court.
“She came to say hello, she introduced herself to both me and Flavio,” Fery said. “It’s obviously an
honor to play in front of her Great to meet her. She had some really kind words to me at the end, as well. Playing in front of tennis legends and now the queen, so it’s special.”
Roger Federer had been on hand Monday when Fery ousted Grigor Dimitrov in five sets in a fourthround that was also on Centre Court.
A champagne cork popped in the crowd late in the first set and distracted Cobolli during his service motion The locals will surely pop a few more with a British player to support in Friday’s semifinal.
The 24-year-old Cobolli, who lost the French Open final to Zverev made 41 unforced errors to Fery’s 15 and only broke the British player once — to start the second set, but Fery broke back in the fourth game.
“I felt like I didn’t express even 50% of my tennis But obviously that had a lot to do with him. He was better than me,” said Cobolli, who also lost to Fery in the first round at this year’s Australian Open.
Friday’s other semifinal pits seven-time Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic against defending champion Jannik Sinner
Royal encore for Fery
Camilla wasn’t the only royal
rooting for Fery on Wednesday
Princess Kate congratulated him in a social media post that noted his “fantastic achievement that has inspired so many.”
The French-born Fery, who said he feels “very British,” also exchanged pleasantries with Camilla after his big victory “She was waiting for me at the end of the match. She congratulated me. I told her how much of an honor it was for me to play in front of her,” said Fery, who turns 24 on the day of the men’s final “She just said, ‘Congratulations, keep going.’ I told her it was my birthday on Sunday so it would be great to play the Wimbledon final on my birthday.” Zverev ready for Fery crowd
The second-seeded Zverev, who dispatched Fritz in just under two hours, recalled being impressed by Fery’s win over Cobolli in Melbourne.
“I watched that match. I was very impressed back then already He has a very clean technique and very clean groundstrokes,” said the 29-year-old German who is also into his first Wimbledon semifinal.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” he said of Friday’s match “Of course, I know that 99% of the
people will be cheering for him. But I also enjoy those kind of atmospheres. I enjoy when the energy is very high.”
Kostyuk to meet Noskova in semis
Earlier Wednesday, Marta Kostyuk beat Jasmine Paolini 6-3, 6-2 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinals.
The 24-year-old Ukrainian also reached the last four at the French Open, losing to Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva, the eventual champion in Paris.
Kostyuk raised her hands and dropped to her knees after Paolini scuffed a shot on her second match point. After shaking hands with the Italian, Kostyuk did a pirouette on court.
Kostyuk will be back on Centre Court on Thursday to face Linda Noskova for a spot in Saturday’s final. Noskova beat Elise Mertens 6-3, 7-5 on No 1 Court.
It’s the first career Grand Slam semifinal for the 21-year-old Noskova, who improved to 10-1 on grass this season.
The other women’s semifinal features Coco Gauff against Karolina Muchova, who like Noskova is from the Czech Republic. They’re up first on Centre Court on Thursday.
Scottish Open player composition looks like a major
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland The Scottish Open has the look of a major championship week, not so much because of the strength of the field or the heritage of the golf course. It’s about the collection of players. Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton are among seven players from LIV Golf competing this week in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event along Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick. Given the divide in golf that began four years ago when LIV Golf launched, they only get together four times a year at the majors.
“I’ve talked about wanting to have all of the best players in the world play together,” McIlroy said Wednesday “Yeah, I guess this is good.” He also made clear it’s not all that unusual.
The Genesis Scottish Open is cosanctioned by the European tour and the PGA Tour Rahm is back in good graces with the European tour and the other six LIV players — Hatton, David Puig, Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Laurie Canter and Tom McKibbin — still have standing in Europe
All have played European tour events while on LIV The rarity is being among the PGA Tour’s leading stars, who are here to prepare for the British Open next week.
LIV players previously had a tournament in Spain during the Scottish Open Now the league, which will lose its Saudi funding after this season, has been off for a month and won’t resume until its UK stop right after the British Open.
“Just happy the DP World Tour let me have the opportunity and
the ninth hole during the U.S Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 21 in Southampton,
is among several stars participating in the
that I can be here and play what’s not only a great week but a great golf course great crowd,” Rahm said. “It’s one of my favorite weeks, so it’s really fun to be here again.
“Although I love Valderrama this one gets you much more prepared for The Open and that’s why so many players have come and played the Scottish Open before it was a co-sanctioned event.”
Asked if it felt any different, Rahm replied without elaboration, “No.”
A few spots down the range from Scheffler at The Renaissance Club was his fellow American, Patrick Reed, who hasn’t played a PGA Tour event since the 2022 Memorial before he went to LIV
Reed is no longer with the rival league, deciding not to renew his contract at the start of the year and then playing his way to the top of the Race to Dubai. He is almost certain to regain PGA Tour status as one of the 10 leading players on the European tour Reed is banned from the PGA Tour until September — he is playing the Scottish Open as a European tour member — though he plans to stick with a full European tour schedule through the fall. So by appearance, it looks as though golf is being put back together
Perhaps more of this is to come.
So much uncertainty faces LIV Golf without Saudi funding except for the expectation that if it does survive for 2027, the purses
Moore’s former assistant sues University of MIchigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Sherrone
Moore’s former executive assistant is suing the University of Michigan, claiming the school violated the Freedom of Information Act by denying requests made on her behalf after the football coach was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her Paige Shiver and her attorneys filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in a Washtenaw County court seeking requested records and punitive damages.
Moore was fired in December after leading the Wolverines for two seasons following Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL’s Los Angeles Chargers.
He was accused of confronting Shiver, with whom he had been having an affair, and blaming her for his firing.
Márquez named head coach of team Mexico
MEXICO CITY Rafael Márquez is taking the reins of the Mexican national team. The Mexican Football Federation (FMF) announced Wednesday that the former Barcelona star will succeed Javier Aguirre as head coach leading up to the 2030 World Cup.
Márquez, 47, served as Aguirre’s assistant from August 2024 until Mexico’s recent 3—2 round of 16 loss to England. While a succession plan had been in place since 2024, rumors had circulated that the FMF might look elsewhere.
While El Tri has no immediate fixtures scheduled Márquez is expected to make his managerial debut during the FIFA international window in late September and early October
IOC eases path toward Russia returning in 2028
GENEVA Russia has moved closer toward having a full team with its national flag and anthem at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The International Olympic Committee on Tuesday provisionally lifted a suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee and advised Olympic sports bodies to end a three-year program where Russian athletes had to be vetted for permission to compete as neutrals.
The IOC said the timing was because qualifying events are starting for the L.A. Games, and “the need to offer equal access to these competitions to all athletes.”
“We don’t want to hold athletes accountable for the actions of their governments,” IOC president Kirsty Coventry said at an online news conference.
will be much smaller and the tour leaner Also unclear is who will be under contract, and how the PGA Tour will bring them back.
Brooks Koepka, also playing at The Renaissance Club this week, was the first to return and is not concerned with the future of LIV or its players.
“I don’t have an opinion either way,” Koepka said.
He is more interested in his own past. The Scottish Open was the first tournament he played as a European tour member in 2013. Koepka had just won in Scotland for his third Challenge Tour title to get an instant promotion, and then flew to England and qualified for the British Open.
Those were happy, carefree times. Now he is happy to be back on the PGA Tour, mainly because his wife and young son are able to travel more easily and he likes having them around.
“I feel like last year I wasn’t in the head space to actually play good golf, and now that everything is kind of cleared up and I’m in a better we all have that, right? It’s life,” Koepka said.
McIlroy and Adam Scott are among those who have dropped in on Royal Birkdale ahead of the British Open for little more than a scouting report The Lancashire links has changed the fifth hole and built a new par-3 (No. 15) that can play as long as 241 yards.
The Renaissance Club is not links turf, but it has the look. And if nothing else, it’s a chance to get adjusted to the time zone and to slightly slower greens. For Scheffler there could be no better way to get ready for his Open title defense than to win for the first time since January
“I didn’t come over here just for Open prep,” he said. “I came over here to play golf and play well.”
Ukraine’s Kostyuk continues in Wimbledon, slams IOC LONDON As Marta Kostyuk played on Centre Court at Wimbledon on Wednesday, her compatriots in Ukraine were dealing with another deadly attack by Russia on Kyiv
It’s been the same for much of Kostyuk’s run to the semifinals.
On Monday, after Russian missiles struck residential buildings close to where Kostyuk’s parents live, she had to block that out to play her fourth-round match at the Grand Slam tournament
Last week, Russia hammered the Ukrainian capital with an 11hour drone and missile attack that killed at least 21 civilians.
For Kostyuk, every day is about finding a way to focus on tennis while not shutting her eyes to what is going on at home.
Riveron steps down as ACC supervisor of football officials
CHARLOTTE N.C. Al Riveron is stepping down as supervisor of football officials for the Atlantic Coast Conference, a role he has held since November 2022.
The league announced the move Wednesday, with Riveron having worked more than three decades as an on-field official or an officiating administrator in college and the NFL. He was the NFL’s first Hispanic referee and served as that league’s senior vice president of officiating before retiring in August 2021. Riveron’s time as head of ACC football officiating has included the
of a newly
gameday operations center as the league moved its headquarters from Greensboro to
The
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SETH WENIG
Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on
N.y. McIlroy
Scottish Open.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MAJA SMIEJKOWSKA
Arthur Fery of Britain returns the ball to Flavio Cobolli of Italy in a quarter-final singles match at Wimbledon on Wednesday in London.
World Cup quarterfinals bring familiar faces
BY TIM REYNOLDS AP sportswriter
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — More World Cup teams. Same World Cup story
This edition started with 48 teams; it’s now down to eight, with six of those from Europe. And unless Morocco pulls off a series of surprising outcomes over the final two weeks, the champion will come from Europe or South America. Again. As always.
A tournament that has been around for nearly a century — the first World Cup was in 1930 has been contested on 22 previous occasions. The champions: 12 from Europe, 10 from South America, zero from the rest of the globe combined.
This year’s quarterfinal lineup: six from Europe, one from South America, one from Africa. Not exactly a history-bucking set of outcomes there
That said, it seems like even some of Europe’s best players are surprised at how well this World Cup has gone “I thought it was not possible to do some things,” Norway star Erling Haaland said after his two
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Ayemere said he had eight sacks a year ago and 60-plus tackles for the Knights.
“Everyone was welcoming and I liked the fact that it’s a small town where there’s not too many distractions,” he added.
He also entertained offers from UTSA, Air Force and Navy, but committed to the Cajuns have a visit to Lafayette.
“Right now, my main focus to keep the same mentality and finish it out strong,” Ayemere said. “I want to get bigger and stronger I feel like I’m already a physical player, but that’ll get even better the more weight I gain.”
“The coaches said they like how I don’t have any wasted movement and they liked my physicality and my speed.”
Adding any more to the fit with the Cajuns is the fact that Ayemere already plays special teams at Elkins High and looks forward to playing it at the college level as well.
So far, Ayemere is one of three linebackers — also including Landen Ortte of St. Thomas More and Camron Alakija of Crawford
goals helped his team beat Brazil for a spot in the quarterfinals — the first time his nation has gone this deep in a World Cup. “I guess I’m wrong.”
He was wrong in a good way The tournament hosts were wrong in a not-so-good way
North America had three cracks at breaking through this year in a bigger-than-ever, 48-team World Cup with the U.S., Mexico and Canada all co-hosts.
None of those teams even made the quarterfinals.
“We need to get over that next hurdle,” U.S. star Christian Pulisic said in a televised interview after the Americans were ousted by Belgium in the round of 16, a lopsided 4-1 defeat that shows how far North America still has to go.
“Trying to compete and beat the world’s best, that’s our next step
There’s still another step that we have to take.”
The three hosts all got through the group stage and the round of 32 with ease. The U.S., Mexico and Canada had a combined 9-2-1 record in those matches, outscoring opponents by a total of 20 goals
High in Texas — on the Cajuns’ commitment list.
Overall, Ayemere is one of 15 current UL commitments.
Other defensive commitments are: defensive lineman Kobe Smith of Avoyelles, University High’s defensive lineman Maison Smith, safety Gavin Cooper from Rummel, safety Jabriran Blake of Wylie High in Texas and cornerback Caleb White of Summer Creek High in Texas.
The offensive commitments include: tight end Bryce Coleman, tackle Adarius Hines of East View High in Texas, tackle Noah Ernst of Angleton High in Texas, tackle Philip Cenac of Vandebilt Catholic, wide receiver Robert Taylor of Ferriday, quarterback Tam Anderson of West Brook High in Texas, and wide receiver John Walker of Plaquemine High.
“I really started thinking about playing college football my first spring practice in my sophomore year,” said Ayemere, who said he tries to model his approach after collegiate linebackers Dylan Stewart of South Carolina and Xavier Atkins of Auburn. “I always felt I could do it.”
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.
PROVIDED PHOTO
Things looked promising, to say the least. Then came the round of 16. Thud. England ousted Mexico 3-2, the U.S. got rolled by Belgium in a match that looked one-sided from the outset and Canada was outclassed in a 3-0 loss to Morocco Combined numbers from that trio of matches: 0-3-0 record, outscored by seven goals.
“Levels,” French soccer legend Thierry Henry said in his role as an analyst on Fox after the U.S. defeat “The World Cup is different in the group stage. Round of 32 never existed before. Everyone made history in the round of 32. It never existed before Unfortunately, one host, two hosts, three hosts, out. That’s exactly what you don’t want at a World Cup. That is annoying for me.”
If it annoys Henry, imagine how it feels for the Canadians, Mexicans and Americans.
There hasn’t been a CONCACAF — the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football — team in the World Cup quarterfinals since Costa Rica in 2014.
LSU
Continued from page 1C
and more agile than most linebackers.
Put him out wide versus a corner Establish a running game and clear out the middle for quick slants. Properly stitch the Xs and Os together and Green should offer Leavitt the most luxurious of security blankets.
RT Weston Davis
While there is an expectation Green will break out this season, Davis’ emergence is more of a hope currently
The 6-6, 315-pound redshirt sophomore struggled mightily during stretches of his freshman campaign. He was graded in the mid-40s by Pro Football Focus, which had him as one of the worst tackles in the SEC.
Seaton could protect Leavitt’s blindside perfectly, but it doesn’t matter if edge rushers are flying toward Leavitt’s face.
The Tigers need their right tackle to grow up, which can happen. Davis, a borderline five-star prospect in his class, was just a redshirt freshman last season. At least in pass protection, he showed signs of improvement toward the end of the regular season.
Davis has a new position coach, Eric Wolford, who came to LSU after stops at South Carolina, Ala-
PELICANS
Continued from page 1C
“College was a culture shock,”
Washington said. “I went from being the best player to the ultimate role guy Just me embracing that role. Nobody is going to pay me to put the ball in the basket. I’m going to have to bring energy every night. Guard the best guy and keep other guys engaged on defense. That’s my calling card.”
Before that, it was the U.S. in 2002 in its best showing at the World Cup since finishing third in 1930. Canada has never been past the round of 16. Mexico has played in each of the last nine World Cups; it reached the round of 16 in eight of those, never going further in that span.
“Everyone gave everything,” Mexico midfielder Erik Lira said. “But, in the end, it wasn’t enough.”
That seems to be an every-fouryears refrain for every place other than Europe and South America. There was some diversity in the makeup of the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal field with five confederations Europe, South America, Asia, Africa and North America — all represented that year It was a rare blip. Of the 48 available quarterfinal spots over the six World Cups since, Europe has claimed 30, South America 14, Africa three and North America one.
Morocco is carrying Africa’s hopes now and that continent came out of the group stage looking poised for a breakthrough. It sent 10 teams to the tournament; nine made it into the round of 32.
bama and Kentucky Plus, Kiffin
linked up with ex-Tigers line coach
James Cregg at Ole Miss and brought him back to Baton Rouge to coordinate the run game. Davis was the first-team right tackle all spring, and he “flashed,” according to Kiffin If he rounds into form, it would be the simplest solution to rounding out LSU’s front five, which needs to improve if LSU’s offense is going to succeed in 2026.
DE Jordan Ross
The concept here is similar to Seaton and Davis.
Umanmielen promises to bring pressure from one side of the line, but he can’t be the only threat, or offenses will slide protection his way. LSU needs someone applying pressure on quarterbacks from the other edge.
Ross, a five-star recruit in the 2024 class, has the talent to be that complementary piece. He just wasn’t productive at Tennessee, finishing with 1.5 sacks in two seasons. The 6-5, 246-pound junior had moments, though. Ross blocked a punt and returned it 49 yards for a score in his first college game. His final outing with the Vols was his best, posting a career-high six tackles in the Music City Bowl versus Illinois.
Ross opted for a “fresh start” after his defensive coordinator, Tim Banks, was fired and connected with a defensive line coach, Sterling Lucas, who helped another five-star in the 2024 class, South
pitcher
College.
CAJUNS
Continued from page 1C
Ervin is transferring to Ragin’ Cajuns from
Trackman and a few other devices, so I learned a good bit about my fastball. I had arm-side run on my fastball. I learned how to throw the two-seam in on righties and let the slider play off that.”
In 16 appearances with four starts, Ervin was 8-1 with a 5.74 ERA. In 42.1 innings, the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder allowed 44 hits, 30 walks and struck out 58. Opponents hit .256 against him.
“I wouldn’t so much say I feel like I’m playing catch-up anymore,” Ervin said. “I feel like I’m just as good as most of the pitchers in division one baseball.
“It’s more of just kind of doing what the coaches say and executing when I need to execute and just coming through in the big moments. That’s really what I’ve always wanted to do, and that’s kind of what I aim to do.”
Initially, Ervin committed to Jacksonville State after his progress at Chipola, but began looking elsewhere once the coaching change took place there.
That’s when he shifted his focus to the Cajuns.
“I just thought it would be a good fit, so I made it happen,” said
Ervin, who committed Monday and said there’s no specific plan yet on whether he’ll be a starter or reliever for the Cajuns. “I didn’t really want to let this opportunity pass. I liked the coaching staff and the facilities and the fans pack the place.”
These days, Ervin said his slider is his best pitch
“I feel like I’ve got a good bit of experience and a lot of tread left on the tires,” Ervin said.
Ervin is now the sixth pitcher the Cajuns have added to the roster The new group includes the Marshall trio of Charlie Krebs, Griffin Miller and Blaine Albright, as well as Kendall Dove of UTSA and Jackson Evers from Jacksonville State.
UL also added four position players in Texas State designated hitter Manny Salas, Kansas State infielder Micah Kendrick, LoyolaMarymount catcher Jose Carmona and infielder Tanner Hornback from UT-Tyler
“The coaches are really excited about the upcoming team,” Ervin said. “Everybody has their eyes on Omaha. That’s kind of the goal I want to keep that going and do whatever I can to help the team get there.”
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com
The Pelicans are hoping Washington can blossom into a Dennis Rodman or Isaiah Stewart-type player The kind of player who may not fill the stat sheet with points, but can impact the game in other ways with that toughness and grit that executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars has so often talked about It shouldn’t have come as a surprise that it was the first thing out of the mouth of Pelicans’ head coach Jamahl Mosley when asked what he likes about Washington’s game.
“That toughness,” Mosley said. “He represents what this city is about. The tenacity The resiliency The focus level There is a toughness that he possesses every single game. His willingness to learn what we are trying to teach. He’s quick to pick things up and do whatever is necessary to get on the floor.”
Washington has always been that way, dating back to his playing days at Carver High in New Orleans East. Nate Roche coached Washington all four years at Carver and got an up-close look at his ascent.
“For a kid like Solomon to come from where he came from is special,” Roche said. “You’re talking about a kid who was unranked and didn’t really get up there in the national rankings. He really just got it out the mud and worked. With him coming from the 9th Ward, the public school system, and playing park ball in the NORD recreational system, we’re extremely proud of
And then, most of the teams saw their hopes end by surrendering late goals.
Ivory Coast, South Africa and Congo all surrendered decisive goals in the 86th minute or later of what became their exits from the knockout phase. Cape Verde’s magical ride ended after giving up an own goal to Lionel Messi and defending champion Argentina in the 111th minute. And for Senegal and Egypt, the endings were particularly harsh both led 2-0 late in the second half, then fell by 3-2 scores to Belgium and Argentina, respectively Egypt felt the match was stolen by officiating decisions.
“Perhaps they wanted to keep the world champion in the competition,” Egypt coach Hossam Hassan said. “Perhaps they wanted Messi to stay in the competition.”
The counterpoint to that was how, once again, a powerhouse like Argentina found a way For the fifth time in the last six World Cups, Messi’s team is in the quarterfinals.
A breakthrough from Ross would unlock Blake Baker’s defense, which has brought extra blitzers to generate pressure because the front four hasn’t been enough.
DT Deuce Geralds
LSU has veteran options at defensive tackle with Dominick McKinley and transfers Malik Blocton (Auburn) and Stephiylan Green (Clemson). A massive freshman, Richard Anderson, could also plug gaps.
But it’s Geralds, another freshman, who could take the Tigers’ defense to another level.
He’s not the biggest at 6-1, 280 pounds, but the Georgia native is a quick-twitch athlete who explodes out of his stance. He was identified by multiple teammates during the spring as a freshman who doesn’t play like one.
It remains to be seen how Geralds stacks up against SEC competition, but if he emerges as a chaos agent on the interior, it becomes even harder for opposing offenses to deal with LSU’s edge rushers. If the defensive line proves complete, the linebacker duo of Whit Weeks and Dottery is that much better A talented secondary should have more takeaways. It’s a domino effect that takes LSU’s defense from good to great. Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ theadvocate.com.
they are supposed to be.
His teammates on the Pelicans’ Summer League team have already gotten a glimpse of that in practice. When second-round draft pick Jaron Pierre wasn’t guarding as hard as Washington thought he should be, Washington reminded him to. Pierre welcomed the encouragement.
“Tell me that s*** again.”
a kid that trusted his process and saw it all the way through.”
Washington led Carver to a state championship in his senior season. Not only was he named Metro Player of the Year as the best player in the greater New Orleans area, but he was also named Louisiana’s Mr Basketball.
Roche describes Washington as “freakishly athletic,” something high school sportswriter and videographer Josh Preston saw time and time again. Preston has covered high school hoops in the area for a dozen years and has the highflying Washington on his short list of best dunkers to come through the area, right alongside guys like former Chalmette High star Mitchell Robinson, who went on to play with the New York Knicks and recently signed with the Boston Celtics. Washington became a regular in Preston’s videos on social media because of the way he attacked the rim.
“Solomon never really got any bodies, though, because nobody would jump with him,” Preston said.
Preston says Washington is the most vocal defensive player he has ever watched. He recalls the game when Carver was playing Madison Prep and one of the cheerleaders said, “He doesn’t ever shut up.” Washington is always busy making sure his teammates are where
Pierre, who is also from New Orleans, has known Washington for years. The two of them played football in the streets together in the East when they were younger. They also hooped against each other in AAU ball and high school. So the respect between the two is mutual. Pierre gives Washington’s pointers on offense. Washington returns the favor on the other end.
“He’s always been that aggressive kid,” Pierre said. “He doesn’t have to come out there and do anything on the offensive end and he still can make an impact by running the floor and getting dunks and getting blocked shots. He brings his own energy.” Washington and Pierre are rooting for each other They both want to see each other succeed. Washington was one of the first people to call Pierre when he was drafted Shortly after the draft, Washington got the call he wanted a chance on the Summer League roster
“I never thought I’d be in this position,” Washington said. “If you had told me I’d be in this position a few years ago, I would have said you’re lying.”
Washington admits that he thought his route would be playing overseas, thousands of miles from his New Orleans home. Instead, he gets his chance not too far from the 9th Ward.
“For me to get this opportunity is big,” Washington said. “That’s why I know I’ve got to work hard I’ve got to put in extra hours. When I’m not here, I’ve got to go run a mile. Run two (miles). Just do the things that will keep me in position to make plays. Whatever the team needs me to do for us to be successful, I’m ready to do it.”
Right-handed
Joey
Chipola Junior
PROVIDED PHOTO By NEW ORLEANS PELICANS New Orleans native Solomon Washington, who starred at Carver High School, is on the Pelicans’ Summer League roster
Saints announce 10 training camp dates open to public
BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer
The New Orleans Saints revealed their training camp schedule Wednesday, with 10 dates open to the public.
Eight of those will be conducted at the team’s practice facility, while another two will take place at different locations. On Aug. 18, the Saints will have an open practice against the Dallas Cowboys in Oxnard, California, while on Aug. 26, the Saints will hold an evening practice at Yulman Stadium on Tulane’s campus. Fans can attend the following practices, with dates and times subject to change:
n July 30 (9 a.m.-10:15 a.m.)
n July 31 (9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.)
n Aug. 2 (9 a.m.-10 a.m.)
n Aug. 3 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
n Aug. 5 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
n Aug. 8 (9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.)
n Aug. 9 (9 a.m.-10:30 a.m.)
n Aug. 13 (9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
n Aug. 18 (4 p.m., in Oxnard, California, against the Cowboys)
n Aug. 26 (TBD, at Yulman Stadium in the evening)
The Saints will also host a joint practice with the Jacksonville Jaguars on Aug. 13, and fans will be able to attend. According to the Saints, tickets for practices are free but must be reserved ahead of time. Seasonticket holders can do so on July 13 through their account manager, while the rest of the public can do so a day later on the team’s website Training camp for the Saints starts July 29.
Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com
Crowley prepared for State tourney
BY MIKE COPPAGE Contributing writer
Stocked with talent from a semifinalist Rayne High School baseball squad, the Crowley Millers are seeking to win their first American Legion state championship.
The first step begins on Saturday at the Millers’ home stadium when Crowley takes on Retif Oil out of New Orleans at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the double elimination tourney
“They’ve been through all the wars in high school,” Millers coach Chris Quebedeaux said of his Rayne players.
Crowley (12-4) blanked the St. Landry Bank Indians 14-0 earlier this week to win their district. Region Pitcher of the Year Peyton Daigle, a Rayne product, boasts a 3-1 record with a 1.84 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 19 innings.
“He’s been solid all season,” Quebedeaux said of Daigle, who is a two-way producer (.385 batting average, two 3BH). “He threw well enough at Houma (in his only loss) We just couldn’t close it out.”
Another Rayne player, Lon Paul Moody, is also 3-1 on the mound with a 1.58 ERA He pitched a nohitter over three innings against St. Landry Bank, which also made the state tourney, and is hitting .341.
“He’s one of the top arms,” Quebedeaux said. “Cayden Stakes (2-0, 1.44 ERA) is another We have a number of arms, where nobody has thrown a bunch of innings.”
Eight pitchers have started at least one game, including a combined six starts from Paxon Myers, Austin Judice and Jakson Yeager Quebedeaux has another top arm ready for the tourney, which also features local teams Lafayette and Abbeville, in Notre Dame pitcher Michael Zaunbrecher
Tyler Guidry and Stakes each have a save.
“Myers is a lefty from St. Edmund who has done a great job,” Quebedeaux said. “We’ve played
Pitcher Lon Paul Moody is
this weekend at
2026
a number of close games In our losses, we were right there.”
One of those losses was a 5-4 setback to Gauthier Amedee, one of the tourney favorites along with the Bossier Phillies. Crowley split a pair of games with the Lafayette Drillers.
Iota’s Hudson Daigle leads the Millers with a .385 batting average. Several players are hitting over .300, including Colton LeBlanc, Hayden Bullock, Peyton Daigle, Judice, Chase Cary, Moody, Landon Devillier, Slayd
Richard and Yeager As a team, Crowley is batting 322.
“Hudson Daigle is a very fast center fielder who has made some highlight reel catches,” Quebedeaux said. Peyton Daigle is “penciled in” for the start against Retif Oil, a Jesuit-laden team.
“We’ll see how it goes,” Quebedeaux said. “Hopefully, we can get hot at the plate and get him out of there quickly, where he could return and pitch again in the tourna-
SCOREBOARD
Kansas City (Wacha 5-6) at N.Y. Mets (Manaea 1-4), 12:10 p.m. Chicago Cubs (Peterson 4-7) at Baltimore (Rogers 6-7), 5:35 p.m. Seattle (Miller 4-2) at Miami (Junk 3-5), 5:40 p.m. Philadelphia (Luzardo 7-4) at Cincinnati (Singer 3-8), 6:10 p.m. Milwaukee (Henderson 2-1) at St. Louis (Pallante 10-5), 6:45 p.m. Arizona (Kelly 6-8) at San Diego (Canning 1-6), 8:40 p.m. Colorado (Feltner 3-2) at San Francisco (TBD), 8:45 p.m. League Leaders NATIONAL LEAGUE BATTING—O.Lopez, Miami, .343; Arraez, San Francisco, .327; Gonzales, Pittsburgh, .314; J.Lee, San Francisco, .311; Johnston, Colorado, .310; Harris, Atlanta, .308; Marsh, Philadelphia, .305; X.Edwards, Miami, .300; J.Soto, New York, .299; Rumfield, Colorado, .297. RUNS—Wood, Washington, 83; Reynolds, Pittsburgh, 64; Turang, Milwaukee, 63; Ohtani, Los Angeles, 62; Olson, Atlanta, 62; Turner, Philadelphia, 62; Happ, Chicago, 59; I.Herrera, St. Louis, 59; O.Lopez, Miami, 59; Albies, Atlanta, 58; Goodman, Colorado, 58. RBI—J.Walker, St. Louis, 69; L.García, Washington, 65; Abrams, Washington, 65; B.Lowe, Pittsburgh, 64; Pages, Los Angeles, 64; Burleson, St. Louis, 63; O’Hearn, Pittsburgh, 61; S.Stewart, Cincinnati, 61; Wood, Washington, 61; Swanson, Chicago, 58. HITS—O.Lopez, Miami, 124; Arraez, San Francisco, 112; Gonzales, Pittsburgh, 101; CrowArmstrong, Chicago, 100; X.Edwards, Miami 100; F.Freeman, Los Angeles, 100; Tatis, San Diego, 99; J.Walker, St. Louis, 99; J.Lee, San Francisco, 98; Marsh, Philadelphia, 98. DOUBLES—O.Lopez, Miami, 25; Devers, San Francisco, 24; Olson, Atlanta, 24; Johnston, Colorado, 23; F.Freeman, Los Angeles, 22; Hoerner, Chicago, 22; Turang, Milwaukee, 22; Wood, Washington, 22; Adames, San Francisco, 21; Pages, Los Angeles, 21; Reynolds, Pittsburgh, 21; S.Stewart, Cincinnati, 21. TRIPLES—Carroll, Arizona, 10; Arraez, San Francisco, 7; McCarthy, Colorado, 6; X.Edwards, Miami, 5; O.Lopez, Miami, 5; Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, 4; Stott, Philadelphia, 4; 14 tied at 3 HOME RUNS—Schwarber, Philadelphia, 31; Goodman, Colorado, 27; Wood, Washington, 25; Olson, Atlanta, 24; B.Lowe, Pittsburgh, 21; J.Walker, St. Louis, 21; J.Soto, New York, 20; Ohtani, Los Angeles, 20; Harper, Philadelphia, 20; L.García, Washington, 19; Abrams, Washington, 19; Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, 19. STOLEN BASES—Nuñez, Washington, 33; Crow-Armstrong, Chicago, 23; Cruz, Pittsburgh, 21; Tatis, San Diego, 21; K.Griffin, Pittsburgh, 20; Merrill, San Diego, 19; E.Ruiz, Miami, 19; D.Hamilton, Milwaukee, 18; Marsee, Miami, 18; O.Lopez, Miami, 17; Mangum, Pittsburgh, 17. PITCHING—Ashby, Milwaukee, 12-1; Burns, Cincinnati, 10-1; Wrobleski, Los Angeles, 10-2; S.Alcantara, Miami, 10-4; C.Sánchez Philadelphia, 10-4; Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 10-4; Pallante, St. Louis, 10-5; Meyer, Miami 9-1; Wheeler, Philadelphia, 9-1; F.Griffin, Washington, 9-2 ERA Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 1.622; E.Rodriguez, Arizona, 2.250; Sale, Atlanta, 2.274; Burns, Cincinnati, 2.396; Yamamoto, Los Angeles, 2.494; Meyer, Miami, 2.583; C.Sánchez, Philadelphia, 2.618; Wrobleski, Los Angeles, 2.691; F.Griffin, Washington, 2.874; McGreevy, St. Louis, 3.115. STRIKEOUTS—Misiorowski, Milwaukee, 167; C.Sánchez, Philadelphia, 137; Luzardo, Philadelphia, 125; Skenes, Pittsburgh, 123; B.Ashcraft, Pittsburgh, 122; McLean, New York, 118; Burns, Cincinnati, 116; Meyer, Miami, 116; Sale, Atlanta, 112; Cavalli, Washington, 105. AMERICAN LEAGUE BATTING—Y.Díaz, Tampa Bay, .319; Alvarez, Houston, .313; Clement, Toronto, .298; Jo.Jung, Texas, .297; Antonacci, Chicago, .291; Arozarena, Seattle, .290; Witt, Kansas
City, .290; Greene, Detroit, .289; Contreras, Boston, .287; McGonigle, Detroit, .287. RUNS—Alvarez, Houston, 62; Kurtz, Athletics, 61; Neto, Los Angeles, 61; Vargas, Chicago, 61; Rice, New York, 60; Buxton, Minnesota, 57; Caminero, Tampa Bay, 57; Arozarena, Seattle, 56; McGonigle, Detroit, 56; Alonso, Baltimore, 54; Trout, Los Angeles, 54; Ward, Baltimore, 54. RBI—Alvarez, Houston, 67; Kurtz, Athletics, 66; Contreras, Boston, 61; Dingler, Detroit, 60; Rice, New York, 60; Bell, Minnesota, 60; Alonso, Baltimore, 60; Aranda, Tampa Bay, 58; C.Walker, Houston, 58; Vargas, Chicago, 56; Caminero, Tampa Bay, 56. HITS—Alvarez, Houston, 105; Y.Díaz, Tampa Bay, 103; Clement, Toronto, 101; Witt, Kansas City, 98; Jo.Jung, Texas, 96; Caminero, Tampa Bay, 95; Greene, Detroit, 95; McGonigle Detroit, 95; Rafaela, Boston, 91; Aranda, Tampa Bay, 90. DOUBLES—Clement, Toronto, 23; Jo.Jung, Texas, 22; Arozarena, Seattle, 21; Nimmo, Texas, 20; Rafaela, Boston, 20; Soderstrom, Athletics, 20; Witt, Kansas City, 20; Dingler, Detroit, 19; Peters, Chicago, 19; Ward, Baltimore, 19. TRIPLES—Taveras, Baltimore, 5; C.Simpson, Tampa Bay, 4; W.Abreu, Boston, 3; Bellinger, New York, 3; Clemens, Minnesota, 3; McGonigle, Detroit, 3; Nimmo, Texas, 3; Rafaela, Boston, 3; 17 tied at 2. HOME RUNS—Alvarez, Houston, 29; Rice, New York, 26; Caminero, Tampa Bay, 26; Buxton, Minnesota, 25; C.Montgomery, Chicago, 23; Murakami, Chicago, 20; Contreras, Boston, 20; Vargas, Chicago, 20; Kurtz, Athletics, 20; Okamoto, Toronto, 20; Langeliers, Athletics, 20; C.Walker, Houston, 20. STOLEN BASES—Witt, Kansas City, 30; Chisholm, New York, 26; Ramírez, Cleveland, 24; C.Simpson, Tampa Bay, 21; Caballero, New York, 20; Arozarena, Seattle, 19; J.Naylor, Seattle, 15; Rocchio, Cleveland, 15; Acuña, Chicago, 14; J.Duran, Boston, 14; Mullins, Tampa Bay, 14. PITCHING—S.Gray, Boston, 10-1; D.Martin, Chicago, 9-3; G.Williams, Cleveland, 9-4; Schlittler, New York, 9-5; Eovaldi, Texas, 9-7; Bradley, Minnesota, 8-3; Soriano, Los Angeles, 8-5; N.Martinez, Tampa Bay, 7-2; B.Young, Baltimore, 7-2; Rasmussen, Tampa Bay, 7-4; Cantillo, Cleveland, 7-4; Warren, New York, 7-4; Arrighetti, Houston, 7-4. ERA—Schlittler, New York, 2.009; S.Gray, Boston, 2.610; N.Martinez, Tampa Bay, 2.610; Rasmussen, Tampa Bay, 2.784; Messick, Cleveland, 2.802; Ryan, Minnesota, 2.847; D.Martin, Chicago, 3.083; Ginn, Athletics, 3.101; R.Suarez, Boston, 3.153; L.Gilbert, Seattle, 3.186. STRIKEOUTS—Cease, Toronto, 137; Schlittler, New York, 131; G.Williams, Cleveland, 123; Ryan, Minnesota, 122; deGrom, Texas, 122; Detmers, Los Angeles, 117; Soriano, Los Angeles, 115; L.Gilbert, Seattle, 114; Bradley, Minnesota, 112; Eovaldi, Texas, 110. Auto racing
NASCAR O’Reilly Points leaders
Through July 6
1. Justin Allgaier, 898 (5).
2. Jesse Love, 703 (0).
3. Corey Day, 674 (2).
4. Sheldon Creed, 673 (1).
5. Austin Hill, 643 (2).
6. Brandon Jones, 633 (1).
7. Carson Kvapil, 630 (0).
8. Sammy Smith, 602 (0).
9. Parker Retzlaff, 556 (0).
10. Sam Mayer, 549 (0).
11. Taylor Gray, 535 (1).
12. Brent Crews, 527 (0).
13. William Sawalich, 483 (1).
14. Rajah Caruth, 479 (0).
15. Ryan Sieg, 452 (0).
16. Anthony Alfredo, 391 (0).
17. Brennan Poole, 366 (0).
18. Dean Thompson, 344 (0).
19. Jeremy Clements, 325 (0).
20. Harrison Burton, 316 (0). 21. Jeb Burton, 315 (0).
61. Kyle Kelley, 3 (0). 62. Sage Karam, 2 (0). 63. Matt Wilson, 1 (0). Pro tennis
Wimbledon results
Wednesday At All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club London Purse: £30,060,000 Surface: Grass
Men’s Singles
Quarterfinals Arthur Fery, Britain, def. Flavio Cobolli (9), Italy, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-0. Alexander Zverev (2), Germany, def. Taylor Fritz (6), United States, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. Women’s Singles Quarterfinals Marta Kostyuk (12),
FILE PHOTO By TyLER LEJEUNE
hoping to ignite the Crowley Millers at the American Legion State Tournament held
Super Summer Sippers
BY GRETCHEN MCKAY
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)
Summer entertaining comes with some definite perks. Menus are more relaxed because we’re oftencookingsimple foods like burgersorchicken on the grill, and with farmers markets in full swing, there are so many seasonalfruits and vegetables available that virtually anyrecipe is easy to source. Being in vacation mode also ushers in amore carefree attitude because there’ssomething magical about summer activities like catching lightning bugsand watching the blazing oranges and pinks of asetting sun dip below the horizon.
So it bears asking: If living is so famously easy in summertime, shouldn’tthe cocktails we whip up on asultry evening be just as effortless, with just one question to be answered: shaken or stirred? (A common rule of thumb is shake if there’scitrus or mixer,stir if there’snot.)
The answer to surefire success, says Fred Siggins, author of “Equal Parts Cocktails: The
ä See SIPPERS, page 6C
BOUND BYFLAVOR
There are places in New Orleans that exist beyond their four walls and hand-painted menus. Places where thegrease from decades of po-boys has seeped into the very soul of the city,where laughter echoes long after the last customer has left and where friendships are forged over baskets of fries that somehow taste better because they’re seasoned with rebellion.
Leni’sCafe at 741 Baronne St. wasone of those places.
and crushed pistachio, for garnish
1. Combine whisky,lemon juice, pistachio simple syrup and egg white in acocktail shaker. 2. Seal tightlywithout ice and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
3. Using astandardHawthorne strainer and afine-mesh sieve, strain into achilled coupeor rocks glass. 4. Garnish the side of theglass with pistachio cream and crushed pistachios if you desire.
Monica came homeyesterday carrying astorythe way some peoplecarry flowers, carefully reverently,knowing it’s precious. She’d been talking withher coworker,Janell, and what started as casual workplace conversation hadtransformed into something deeper
Maybeitwas because Leni’s just closed its doors permanently
PatrioticCelebration
BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER
Tribune News Service (TNS)
Although created in honor of the USA’s 250th birthday, this patriotic red, white and blue salad will be ahit all summer long. Bursting with color and freshflavor,it’safestive addition to any table. Best of all, there’snocooking required. There are just afew simple ingredientsbrought together in minutes.It’s cool, refreshing, and effortless to prepare making it perfectfor ahot summer evening.
Note that walnuts or almonds can be used instead of pecans.
Kevin Belton
last month.Maybe grief has a way of unlocking memory. Either way,the kind of reminiscing that followed made Monica stop everythingand lean in closer,made the present fade away She settled beside me andbegan painting thepicture Janell had shared: high school days when the biggest thrill was sneaking off campus for lunch, even though it was strictly forbidden.
“They’d hear the keys first,”
ä See BELTON, page 6C
to
flour,baking pow-
or
and
Leon’sskillet cornbread features a crunchy crust.
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS
Pistachio Sour
Jambalaya, My Way
This is Marcelle Bienvenu’s redjambalaya —aNew Orleans-style version made with tomatoes, shrimp and ham. Jambalaya is similar to Spanish paella, both being rice-based dishes with an assortment of seafood, meats and sausages. Makes 4to6servings.
6tablespoons butter
1/2 cup green onions (white and green parts), chopped 1/2 cup yellow onions,chopped
1largegreen bell pepper,julienned
1cup celery, chopped
1teaspoon garlic,minced
1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound boiled ham, cubed
1/2 pound smoked sausage, such as andouille or kielbasa, sliced 1/4 inch thick (optional)
1(16-ounce) can whole tomatoes, crushed,with their juices
Continued from page5C
Monica said, and Icould hear the smile in her voice.
“The principal had this enormous set of keys that jangled so loud you could hear her coming from a blockaway.”
It was the world’sworst stealth approach, and an early warning system.
Leni knew the drill.The moment those keys started their telltale symphony, he’d spring into action, ushering giggling teenagers to the back of the restaurant like aNew Orleans guardian angel in an apron Hidden among the kitchen supplies and the smell of sizzling oil, those students would hold their breath and suppress their laughter while the principal made her rounds, searching for truants she knew were there but could never quite catch.
For nearly 50 years,Leni’sCafe served more than just food. It served as a sanctuary,aco-conspirator, akeeper of secrets and stories. And for Janelland her friends, it became the back-
ByThe Associated Press
Today is Thursday,July 9, the 190th day of 2026. There are 175 days left in the year
TodayinHistory: On July 9, 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people. Also on this date: In 1850, President Zachary Taylor died of gastrointestinal illness after consuming alarge amount of cherries and iced milk on ahot day five days earlier; Vice President Millard Fillmore wassworn in as president the following day In 1896, William Jennings Bryant delivered his famous “Cross of Gold” speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. In 1918, 101 people were killed in atrain collision in Nashville, Tennessee, in the deadliest U.S. rail disaster in history In 1937, afire at 20th Century Fox’sstorage facility in Little Ferry,New Jersey, destroyed most of the studio’ssilent films.
In 1943, during World War II, the Allies launched Operation Husky,the invasion
SIPPERS
Continuedfrom page5C
Simple Ratio for Spectacular Drinks” (Ten Speed Press, $22), may lie in the time-tested formula of making cocktails that are built on an identical 1:1:1 ratio of ingredients.
“If theidea of making good cocktails at home sounds daunting, don’t worry,it’sa lot easier than it seems,” he writes in the introduction.
He makes anegroni with 1ounce each of gin, campari and sweet vermouth, and atropical mai tai with 3/4 ounce each of Jamaican rum,orange liqueur,lime juice and amaretto.
1cup chicken broth Salt Cayenne pepper 2bay leaves
1cup long-grain rice Hot sauce for serving
1. Melt the butter in alarge heavy pot over medium heat. Add thegreen onions, yellowonions, bell peppers, celery and garlic.Cook, stirring, until they aresoft and palegold, 6-8 minutes
2. Addthe shrimpand ham,and sausage (if using).Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink.
3. Stir in the tomatoes and the chicken broth.Season to taste with salt and cayenne. Addthe bay leaves and the rice.
4. Cover and reduce theheat to mediumlow.Cook until therice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes
5. Remove the bay leaves and serve. Pass thehot sauce!
droptoafriendship that would span decades, long after thelast bell rang,long after graduation capswere thrown, long after they had anyreason to hideinthe back ofarestaurant
They dreamed about making it to lunch, Janell had told Monica. Not justfor thefries, though those fries were legendary butfor each other.For thelaughter that camesoeasily when you’reyoung and theworld feels full of possibility.For thestories they’d tell and retell until they became mythology
“Janell said they weren’t even sure Leni had menus,” Monica smiled. “They just ordered off theboard ” That’sthe thingabout placeslikeLeni’s. Youdon’t need menus wheneveryone knows what’sgood. You don’tneed fancy decor when the walls themselves hold almost 50 years of stories. Youdon’tneed anythingexceptgood food, good peopleand theunderstanding that some places becomepart of your story in ways you can’tquiteexplain.
This is what makes New Orleansunlikeany other city,Ithought as Monica
TODAYIN HISTORY
of Sicily In 1944, during World WarII, American forces secured Saipanasthe last Japanese defenses fell; the occupation allowed theU.S. to put B-29 bombers on the island,within range of Tokyo In 1947, the engagement of Britain’s PrincessElizabeth to Lt. Philip Mountbatten was announced In 1965, the Sonny& Cher single“IGot YouBabe” was released by ATCO Records. In 1982, Pan Am Flight 759, aBoeing727, crashed in Kenner shortly after takeoff from Louis Armstrong New OrleansInternational Airport, killing all 145 people aboard andeight peopleon theground. In 2004, aSenate Intelligence Committee report concluded theCIA had providedunfounded assessmentsofthe threat posed by Iraq that the Bush administration had relied on to justify goingtowar In 2010,the largest U.S.Russia spy swap since the Cold Wartook place on a remote stretch of Vienna’s main airporttarmac as planesfrom New York and Moscow arrivedwithin minutesofeach other;10 Russian sleeperagentswere exchanged for fourprisoners accusedbyRussiaof spying forthe West. In 2011, South Sudan of-
finished her story.It’snot just thearchitecture, music or the food, though all of those things matter.It’sthe way acafe owner becomes aguardian angel for truant teenagers. It’sthe way thejingle of keys becomes part of the neighborhood soundtrack. It’s theway a basket of fries can hold an entire friendship, an entire era, an entire life.
Lastmonth, Leni’sCafe closed its doors for thefinal time. After nearly half a century,another piece of New Orleansslipped into memory, but it lives on in conversations like the one Janell and Monica shared. It lives on in thestories we tell, in the friends we remember,inthe laughter that still echoes if you listen closely enough.
Kevin Belton is resident chef of WWL-TV and has taught classes in Louisiana cooking for 30 years. The most recent of his four cookbooks, “KevinBelton’sCookin’ Louisiana: Flavors from the Parishesofthe Pelican State,” waspublished in 2021. EmailChef at chefkevinbelton@gmail. com.
ficially becameanindependent nation.
In 2018, President Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to fill theseat left vacant by theretirement of Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy
Today’sBirthdays: Author Dean Koontz is 81. Actor Chris Cooper is 75. Musician and TV personality John Tesh is 74. Country singer David Ball is 73. Businessexecutive/TV personalityKevin O’Leary (TV:“Shark Tank”) is 72. Singer Debbie Sledge (Sister Sledge) is 72. Actor Jimmy Smits is 71. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham is 71. Actor TomHanks is 70. Singer Marc Almondis69. Actor Kelly McGillis is 69. Rock singer Jim Kerr(Simple Minds) is 67. Actor-rock singer Courtney Love is 62.
Actor Pamela Adlon is 60.
Actor ScottGrimes is 55.
Actor Enrique Murciano (TV:“Without aTrace”) is 53. Musician/producer Jack Whiteis51. Rock singermusician Isaac Brock (Modest Mouse) is 51. Actordirector Fred Savage is 50.
Actor Linda Park(TV:“Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 48.
Actor Megan Parlen is 46. Animator/writer/producer Rebecca Sugar is 39. Actor Mitchel Musso is 35. Actor Georgie Henley (Film: “The Chronicles of Narnia”)is 31.
“Strip away all the fancy tools andtechniques professional bartenders use, and all you’re doing is puttingacouple different liquids in aglass,” Siggins says.
If you’re new to cocktails or simply want to get better at making them, Siggins’ book includes achapter on getting started with proper tools of thetrade, including abreakdown of glassware, and tips on how to stock ahome bar (with thoughts on which spirits and flavor makersare “critical”)
Its 50 recipes range from all-time classics everyone knows (margarita, martini) to partyfavorites (cosmopolitan, espressomartini) to modern classics born out of the cocktail renaissance that began in the 1990s (whiskey-based paper plane, rum-and Campari-forward jungle bird)
Or,hit your cocktail spot with one of these recipes. They may break Siggins rule by including more than three ingredients, but only slightly —and they’re allfairly simple to stirorshake together That makes them perfect for your cookout or any other time you gather with family or friends this summer
Cheers!
El Diablo Verde Makes 1cocktail.
Trentadue.
in acocktail shaker with ice.
2. Shake vigorously for 8-10 seconds.
3. Double strain into a rocks glass over alarge ice cube.
4. Garnish with amint sprig.
RoyalMule Serves 1. Recipe is from Aaron Trentadue.
3or4pieces
2. Add limejuice, ginger syrup and simple syrup. 3. Fill the glass with ice.
Topoff with 1-2 ounces of ginger beer and 2ounc-
PHOTO By MONICA BELTON
Marcelle Bienvenu’sred jambalayaisaNew Orleans-style version made with tomatoes, shrimp and ham.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS PHOTO Batanga
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Think matters through. Consider your choices, and do what's best foreveryone. Your conscientious approach will help you gain the trust and respect of those you deal with today.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take atour of what's floating around in your mindand quantify what'snecessary andwhatyou can discard. The process of elimination will help clear apath forward that suits your needs.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Live and learn. What you experiencetoday will help you makebetter decisions. Experience is the spice of life,but it can also cost you. Be aleader, not afollower.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct.23) Takeflight and look at theworld with gratitude. Count your blessings, and project an image that makes others gravitate toward you. Don't limit what you can accomplish because you held back.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Pull out all the stops. Askquestions,and you'llfeel good about yourself andthe destination youpursue.Makereasonable plans, and walk away from anyone trying to talk you intosomething you don't need.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) An offer or change someone makes will dazzle you. Be careful not to get sweptupinsomeone else's dream. Be afriendlyobserver today andlet the chips fallwherethey may
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Open your heart andyourdoors to those you care about or want to help. How you live and
treat others will set an example for thosetryingtofind theirway through somethingsimilar.
AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Choose to makeadomestic change.Set your sights on what you want out of life, and embrace new beginnings.Don't fallfor the first person, suggestion or offerthat tries to influence you.
PISCES(Feb. 20-March20) Participate, ask questions anddiscover what'savailable to youand howyou can parlay your skills, attributes and experience into somethingnew and exciting. An opportunity to take on anew position looks encouraging.
ARIES (March21-April19) Get into high gear and be the one to make things happen. Think big and discover the simplest waytoreach your objective. Arelaxed demeanor andaggressive plan will help you maintain the ideal balance in life.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Putyour heart out to the universe and live life your way. Whatyou project you'llget back. Ahumble, kind approach when dealingwith those youencounter will win approval.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Reconsider the lifestyle you desire and how to proceed You have plenty to gain if you talk to expertsand price out the cost necessary to reach your destination.
CelebrityCipher cryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
TODAy'S CLUE: DEQUALS E
CeLebrItY CIpher
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
nea CroSSwordS
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona 9x9 gridwith severalgiven numbers The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe emptysquares so that each row,eachcolumn and each 3x3 box contains thesame number onlyonce.The difficultylevelofthe Sudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
BY PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
Willie Tyler, aventriloquist, comedian andactor, said, “The reason lightning doesn’tstriketwice in thesame place is thatthesameplaceisn’ttherethesecond time.”
Howdoesthissegueintoabridgedeal? Withdifficulty! Southisinfour hearts West leads the diamondace. What ought to happenafter that?
NorthrespondedwiththeJacobyForcing Raise, showing four or morehearts, game-forcing values and, usually, no singleton or void (because with ashort suit, North would have made asplinter bid). South rebid four hearts to indicate a minimum opening bid with no singleton or void.
At 999 tables outof1,000, Eastwould signal with hisdiamond nine under partner’s ace, starting ahigh-low with adoubleton. West would thencashthe diamond king andgive his partner a diamond ruff. Whatever East does next, though, South wins, draws trumps and claims 10 tricks: one spade, five hearts andfourclubs.
However, East should realize thathe doesnotneedarufftogainatrumptrick.
So he shouldnot advertise his doubleton Instead,heshould playhis diamond four at trick one.
ThenthespotlightfallsonWest.IfEast hasjustplayedasingleton,itwouldprobably be right to continue diamonds. But if Southhas four diamonds, he would have exactly 2-5-4-2 distribution, which is unlikely. Instead, West should think about shifting. And given the dummy, a spade looks better than
wuzzles
Previous answers:
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four
Average
By Andrews McMeel Syndication
loCKhorNs
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles
BRIEFS
FROM WIRE REPORTS
Oil prices rise, stocks drop astruce ends
NEW YORK Oil prices rose, and stock markets dropped in shaky trading worldwide Wednesday after President Donald Trump raised doubts about the temporarytruce in the war with Iran
The S&P 500 fell as much as 1.1% afterTrump said the ceasefire agreement was “over,” butthe index then trimmed itsloss to 0.3% after Trumpsaidrecentfighting did notmean areturn to full-scale war. They’re his latest mixed messagesonwhat will happen with the war,whichthreatens to worsen inflation for the world
The price for abarrel of Brentcrude climbed 5.2%to $78 02and brieflytopped $80. That’sstill below its peak fromearlier in the war,when theprice forthe mostactively traded contract reached nearly $120.But the jump is unsettling because oil prices hadjust dropped back to wherethey werebeforethe war
The worry is that acontinuation of the war will block the Strait of Hormuz and prevent the delivery of crudefrom the Persian Gulf to customers worldwide. That could worsen inflation, which economists expectedwould ease with oil prices, andinturn force theFederal Reserve andother central banks to raise interest rates.
On Wall Street,stocks of companies in the housing industry helped lead the way lower Builders FirstSource, which sells countertops, windows and other building supplies, fell 5.4%. Homebuilders PulteGroup fell 5.4%, and D.R. Horton sank 4.6%. Companieswith big fuel bills alsosank. American Airlines lost 4%,and cruise operator Carnival fell 3.9%.
Waymo reports teen ridersfor bad behavior
Aself-driving Waymo reportedtwo teens to San Mateo, California, police on Monday aftertheywere found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns in the back of the vehicle.
According to asocial media post from the San Mateo Police Department,officers detained two 15-year-olds after the Waymo they were ridingin contacted the department and stopped in aparking lot until lawenforcement arrived.
“Parents do you know where your teens are?” the San Mateo PoliceDepartment wrote on Facebook following theincident. “Waymo does!”
Officers removed both teens from the vehicle and determinedthey were using toy gunstoshoot Orbeez out the windows. Orbeez are small, water-absorbing beadssoldat toy stores.
Stellantis starts selling Chinese EVs in Mexico
Chinese electric vehicle maker
Leapmotor has joined with partnerStellantis NV to start selling an SUV in Mexico —the latest example of Chinese automakers aimingtoquickly grow market share just over the U.S. border The Leapmotor B10 compact SUV formally launched in recent days withthe carmaker promoting the vehicle around various FIFAWorld Cup events happeninginthe country. The “ultrahybridSUV,” as Leapmotordescribesit, is poweredbya battery but includes an onboard gas generator offering more than 550 miles of range.
Leapmotor will leanonStellantis’existing presence in Mexicofor salesand partssupport,including its dealersand Moparaftermarket parts distributionsystem. In 2024, Stellantis formed a51%-49%joint venture with the Chinese company,called Leapmotor International. Stellantisholds a21% stake in the Chinese automaker Leapmotor’sarrival in Mexico alongside Stellantis is the latestpush by aChinese automaker to grow salesinNorth America —evenasU.S. regulators have, for now,keptthe country’s EVs and hybrids out with high tariffs and other strict technology bans.
Fedsplit over future path of inflation
Meeting minutes underscore division
BY CHRISTOPHERRUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON The Federal Reserve’srate-settingcommittee is split over whether inflation is likely to stay elevated or whether it will cool once the Iran war winds down, according to minutes released Wednesday.
In thefirstset of minutesreleased undernew chair KevinWarsh, “many” of the Fed’s19officials said its key rate would be unchanged from or slightly below itscurrent levelof3.6% by the end of this year
But “many” alsosaid that it would
likely be higher by year-end. Forecasts released after the meeting endedJune 17 showed that half of the 18 policymakers who submitted projections supported lifting rates by the endofthisyear, while the otherhalf supportedkeeping themunchanged or reducing them. Warsh did not submit aforecast, reflecting his view that doing so can lock policymakers into aspecific approach that is harder to change if theeconomy shifts direction. Theminutes underscored the deep divisions among Fed officials,
particularly over the future path of inflation. The policymakers generally expected inflationwould declineasgas prices cooled and the effect of tariffsfaded. Yetmany officials also worriedthatmassive investment in the artificial intelligence buildout would keep inflation elevated by lifting prices for semiconductors and other technology goods.
The minutes, released three weeksafter theJune 16-17 meeting, also said that afew officials believed therewas “a case forraising” theFed’srate at that meeting, but they agreed to keep it unchanged, adecision that wasapproved by a unanimous vote. The minutesdon’t disclose theidentitiesofwhichofficials supported which outcomes.
Warsh wasappointed by President DonaldTrumpearlier this year to replace Jerome Powell, whose term ended in May.Trump had repeatedly criticized Powell for notreducingborrowingcosts quickly enough, but for now there’s littlesign Warsh is moving to cut rates. Powell, meanwhile, is still on the Fed’spolicymaking committee, serving aterm as aFed governor that lasts until January 2028. During anews conference June 17, Warsh emphasized that the Fed will return inflation to its2%target, whichithas missed formorethan five years.His comments were interpretedbyeconomists and Wall Street investors as evidence that the Fed mayhike rates later this year
ADAPTING HARVESTS
BY JOSHUAA BICKEL Associated Press
BROOKSVILLE, Ky
Even as thesun started to set, the day’sheat was still hanging in the air as Annie Woods walkedback outtoharvest squash and zucchini on her 50-acre farm. Prolonged and intense heat is part of a climate change-driven patternofweather extremes that has also led to intense floodingand prolongeddrought.For farmers, this means shorterplanting windows and potential lossofcrops because of periodsofearlyseason heat followed by afreeze.
“I think it’spretty safe to assume these kind of heat waves aren’t going away or they’renot freak occurrences,” Woods said. Therecent heat dome, ahigh-pressure weather system that traps heat and humidityovera region, affected some specialty farmerswho producecropsoffruitsand vegetables. Human-driven climatechange also has brought more intense heat waves and other extreme weather
These specialty farmers have found ways to adapt, in part by adjusting their harvest schedules to avoid the hottest parts of the day. Buttheydon’talways have access to the same safety net as farmers of traditional commoditycrops suchascornand soybeans when extreme weather hits, expertssay
The heat and humidity that comes with a heat dome can be dangerous for farmworkersand is a“serious threat to human health,”
said Melissa Widhalm, the associate director at the MidwestRegional ClimateCenter in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Woodsworksinthe coolestparts of the day in themorning and evening, taking frequent water breaks. She plantsand harvests by hand, unlike larger farmsthat often rely on machinery. If it getstoo hot andshe has to harvest,she pitches atent she uses for farmers markets in thefields to create some shade.
Extreme heat coupled with periods of rain and high humidity can also bring diseases andother peststhatcan destroy crops. Right now the priorityisharvesting those most-vulnerable crops, suchastender salad greens. Woods grows vegetablesand culinary herbs for restaurants in the region and for acommunity supported agriculture program.Harvesting crops when it’stoo hot outside can affect their quality,she said.
She’salso concerned forthe health of her seedlings that will growinto fall crops. Right now,Woodskeepsher seedlings in an enclosed cabinet inside abarn where it’scooler Once they’ve germinated, shemoves them into agreenhouse with fans runningtokeep temperatures manageable.
“Wehavetodoalot of checking on the greenhouse and watering frequentlytokeep those teenytiny plants alive,” Woodssaid. Forsomegrowers,the recent heat also has shortened the harvest window for certain specialtycrops.
For Paul Rasch, whoowns and operates multiple fruit orchards in central Iowa,the heat has forced his crew of eight workers to step up harvesting of raspberries. Normally they’d have aboutthreeweekstoharvest this perishable fruit, but“we’rescrambling to pick as manyaswecan,” he said.
They’ve startedharvesting as early as 6a.m. somemorningstofinishbefore noon when it gets too hot and unsafetowork.
He’salsoinstalled airconditioning inside buildings and is adding shade outdoors with treesand coveredpavilions so customers coming to pick their own fruit can stay cool. And he’stesting afew high tunnels so he can keep conditions moreconsistent forcertain crops.
Raschsaidthatitseems like these heat events are becoming more common, more intense and lasting longer.These events, along with floods, drought andlate-spring frosts are allworrisome andcan adversely affect crops throughout the year
“Wedon’tever seem to have atypical year anymore,” he said.
Smaller farmslike Woods’ and Rasch’soften plant andharvest awide variety of crops throughout the year.Part of that is abusiness decision, but it’salso to protect against losses that might impact one crop, but not others.
“You’re always gonna have something that will thrive while other things might be more challenged,” Woods said.
BY MAGGIEEASTLAND and LORELEI SMILLIE Bloomberg News (TNS)
Agrowing nationwide shortage of high-skilledworkers threatens to delayconstructionofbillions of dollars in new semiconductor plantsacross theU.S.and constrainfuturechip production unless the industrypoolsresources andthe government keeps up funding,accordingtoanew report
The deficit is expected tobe most acute in statessuch as Texas, California,Arizona,New York and Ohio,where many of the new facilities are being planned, according to new analysis including asurvey of employers from McKinsey & Co.,the chip industry group SEMI and the National Science Founda-
tion.Altogether,the skilledlabor deficitisprojected to reach as muchas157,000 full-time workers by 2030, the study released Tuesday found. Thedearth of talentrisks stalling plans by Taiwan SemiconductorManufacturing Co.toinvest as much as $265 billionina dozen chipmaking and packaging facilitiesinArizona,aswell as Micron Technology Inc.’svisiontospend $100billion on memory chip production in New York and Samsung Electronics Co.’s logic chip facility in Texas. Even Intel Corp.’s delayed $28 billion investment in Ohio is setfor shortages once production ramps up, the report said. The workforce challenges mark the latest hurdle for chipmakers
seeking to expand theirmanufacturing footprint in theU.S.and reversethe migrationofproductioncapacity to Asiathat unfolded decades ago. Rising prices for awide range of goods includingcopper,steel and cement threaten to increase the cost of constructionfor new facilities billed as acenterpiece of President Donald Trump’seconomic agenda. At the sametime thechip industryexpectstosee aworker shortfall, the AI boom —and companies’ rush to invest in it —has also been blamed for layoffs in other parts of the labormarket, including in the tech industry.Challenger, Gray &Christmas, which tracks layoff plans,found almost 102,000 announced job cuts attributed to AI
so far thisyear Unless addressed soon, thechip industry labor gap risks undermining not only the billions of dollars in planned investmentbycompanies but also the federal grants aimed at boosting domestic production underthe 2022Chipsand Science Act, according to the report.
The authors recommended a range of solutions including, continued government funding, expanded curriculum on semiconductors and earlier exposure to chipindustry careers.
“There’sjust not enough talent to go around,” said Taylor Roundtree, apartner at McKinsey whohelped with theanalysis. “Folks arerealizing that the potential gap is so large that they collectively do have to solve it.”
ASSOCIATEDPRESS
PHOTOByJOSHUA A. BICKEL
Annie Woodsliftsa crate of squash and zucchiniwhile harvesting at her farminBrooksville, Ky
