Lafayette officials are looking to move the region’s new crisis center into a former psychiatric facility off Dulles Drive.
The crisis center, which first saw movement in fall 2025, could eventually find its new home in the former Ochsner Lafayette General’s Lafayette Behavioral Health Unit at 302 Dulles Drive, said Christina Dayries, chief of staff to Lafayette’s mayor-president
The 24/7 facility will be a place for those experiencing immediate mental health and substance abuse issues, cir-
cumventing emergency rooms and stays at the local jail. The goal is to stabilize and de-escalate patients before referring them for further treatment.
(It’s) providing them now a facility that has the right clinicians and medical personnel that can help them,” Dayries said.
Funding for the location comes from the parish’s opioid settlement funds, which were doled out by the state after drug manufacturers were made to pay out $50 billion stemming from lawsuits brought by several states.
Lafayette Consolidated Government’s contribution of opioid funds rounds up to $2 million, which will go toward re-
pairs and renovations for the facility, as well as equipment purchases. Funds for the assessment that examined whether the facility was even viable came from a mix of direct state, local and opioid settlement funds.
Recent legislation by Rep. Annie Spell, R-Lafayette, contributed to the center’s viability by mandating that commercial insurers reimburse crisis care providers.
Getting the state’s go-ahead and finding a provider to run the facility is the next hurdle before it can open by the new year, Dayries said. Several groups
Cathey joins race to fill Letlow’s House seat
State senator is a Republican from Monroe
BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer
The campaign to replace U.S Rep. Julia Letlow got a bit more crowded Thursday, when state Sen. Stewart Cathey, a Republican from Monroe, joined the race Letlow is giving up her seat representing the 5th Congres-
sional District to run for the U.S. Senate. Cathey is a second-term senator with a solid conservative voting record who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture and Rural Development.
“I’m running for Congress for the same reason I ran for the state Senate: the people of the 5th Congressional District deserve a representative
who shows up, tells the truth, and gets things done,” Cathey said in a news release. “I’ve spent my career serving this country in uniform and standing up for Louisiana families in Baton Rouge, an d no w I’m ready to take that fight to Washington.” A consultant with his father on IT issues, Cathey, 45, served two tours in Afghanistan as a member of the Army Reserves.
Two candidates — state Rep. Michael Echols and Board of Regents Chair Misti Cordell have had a head start in raising money and winning over key endorsements in the 5th District because they’ve been running to succeed Letlow for months. Cordell is from Monroe.
State Rep. Gabe Firment, a Republican from Pollock in Grant Parish, announced his candidacy a week ago.
The four are now running in a district that was quickly redrawn
Woman sentenced after shooting boyfriend
15-year term reduced to five after recommendation
BY MEGAN WYATT Staff writer
A Westlake woman was sentenced Thursday to 15 years in prison, with 10 years suspended, more than four years after she shot her boyfriend in the head with her three children in the home. Keri Buller Bradberry, 36, was initially arrested by Westlake Police in April 2022 on counts of attempted second-degree murder aggravated second-degree battery and three counts of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment. State prosecutors later charged her with the lesser crime of illegal use of a weapon during a crime of violence, which Bradberry pleaded no contest to in May 2025. During Thursday’s sentencing, which had been delayed several times, 14th Judicial District Judge David Ritchie accepted the recommendation of state prosecutor
See SENTENCED, page 3A
BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The United States launched new airstrikes against Iran early Thursday, and Tehran responded by targeting U.S.-allied Mideast countries in an exchange of fire that threatened an interim deal intended to help end the war in the Middle East.
Back-and-forth attacks, including a day earlier, have repeatedly threatened the ceasefire. But Thursday’s appeared bigger all
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
The shuttered Lafayette Behavioral Health Unit at 302 Dulles Drive could become the home of the region’s new crisis center officials say.
World Santa Congress brings Christmas cheer
AALBORG, Denmark While Europe’s still in the throes of summer heat, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Danish city of Aalborg.
Dozens of Santas, Mrs Clauses and elves from around the world have descended on Denmark’s fourth-largest city for the Nordic nation’s annual World Santa Claus Congress. First staged at an amusement park near Copenhagen in 1957, the congress moved to Aalborg on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula two years ago. This year, the Santa suits looked a little stifling under the Danish summer sun
The event, which marks its 70th anniversary next year, was created to entertain children, but became a popular gathering for Santas who appear in stores and shopping malls during the Yuletide season.
Over the years, the annual fourday gathering has attracted Santas and Mrs. Clauses from as far away as Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States.
Fire at Chinese shoe factory kills 28
BEIJING — A fire broke out at a shoe factory in the southeastern Chinese province of Fujian on Thursday, killing 28 people, the official Xinhua News Agency said.
Chinese President Xi Jinping demanded “an all-out search and rescue effort,” urging a swift investigation of the incident and “strictly hold those responsible accountable.”
The blaze started in a factory at Huiteng shoe company in the city of Jinjiang, the city’s fire department said in a statement. The cause of the fire was not immediately known Jinjiang is known as China’s shoe capital. There were 237 factory workers and two visitors in the building when the fire broke out. Authorities pulled out 213 people, two of whom were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital
Another 26 missing people were later confirmed dead, according to the state broadcaster CCTV.
Xinhua said the factory’s owner and others in charge have been taken into custody and the company’s accounts have been frozen
The fire started on the first level of a five-floor concretestructured building, where a workshop and a warehouse were located The burning materials included shoe components, which are highly flammable and helped the fire spread quickly, according to CCTV
A local fire department official said in an interview with the state broadcaster that sole material piled up in stairwells made it much harder for the firefighters to reach the flames and put them out.
8 men indicted in planned UFC attack
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Eight men were indicted on murder and terrorism conspiracy charges Thursday for their alleged roles in a thwarted drone and sniper attack on the UFC cage-fighting show staged at the White House in June. The indictment, returned in Ohio, charges all eight in two separate conspiracies, one to provide material support to terrorists and a second to commit murder on federal government territory and to murder a federal government official
According to the indictment, the plot began in May, when the group began amassing money firearms, ammunition, body armor, explosives, drones, medical equipment, communications equipment and other items.
On June 10, law enforcement officials learned about a possible threat to President Donald Trump’s UFC cage-fighting show, four days before the mixed martial arts extravaganza.
CORRECTION
A story in Wednesday’s edition about the arrest of a woman who shot at cars on the interstate in Baton Rouge incorrectly identified the commissioner who issued bail in the case as Kina Kimble. It was Commissioner Jermaine Guillory The Advocate regrets the error
Mexico to seek criminal charges
Government says 14 have died while in ICE custody
BY MARÍA VERZA Associated Press
MEXICO CITY Mexico will request criminal charges over 17 Mexicans who died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or during immigration enforcement operations by the Trump administration, officials said Thursday Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco’s announcement Thursday further escalated tensions with the United States, as Mexico’s government has sharply criticized the treatment of its citizens under U.S. President Donald Trump’s push to increase deportations.
The request, which carries no legal weight, will be submitted to state prosecutors’ offices and the U.S. Department of Justice, asking them to consider criminal charges against
those responsible for the deaths. It will be accompanied by civil lawsuits against the companies that operate the detention centers in an effort to put an end to human rights violations in those facilities, Velasco said.
President Claudia Sheinbaum said Thursday that Mexico decided to “move beyond diplomatic channels” and escalate its complaints after an ICE agent killed Mexican citizen Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston this week. Sheinbaum said the killing “is not only sad and regrettable but also appears to have been targeted.”
“We are going to do everything in our power, because we cannot stand silent” in the face of the deaths of Mexicans “whose only crime is working honestly in the United States,” Sheinbaum said.
Salgado Araujo had been living in the country for decades. He was transporting a work crew to a housing construction site when he was shot His family demanded a thorough investigation into what happened.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, agents were pursuing him because he was living in the country without legal authorization. Salgado Araujo, the department added, was shot after disregarding orders and attempting to ram an agent, who fired his weapon in self-defense.
According to the Mexican government, 14 Mexicans have died while in ICE custody and three during ICE operations.
Until now, the Mexican government had supported the victims’
Flooding from heavy rain in southern China kills 39
Military rescue teams retrieve trapped students, teachers
BY KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press
BEIJING Authorities in southern China
said Thursday that 39 people died in flooding after a tropical storm dumped heavy rainfall, as the country’s east coast and Taiwan prepared for a typhoon expected to make landfall in the coming days.
Most of the deaths were in Hengzhou, where the partial collapse of a reservoir dam sent torrents of water into the city and claimed 26 lives, said Ding Wei, the vice mayor of Nanning city, which has jurisdiction over the area. Nine people remained missing in the broader Guangxi region.
Tropical Storm Maysak brought record rainfall to Guangxi starting Saturday, breaching reservoirs and stranding people for days in homes and other buildings. The previously announced death toll on Tuesday was six people.
A second storm, Typhoon Bavi, was at sea on a northwest track that would take it over some remote Japanese islands and then just north of Taiwan before making landfall in China’s Fujian or Zhejiang province on Saturday Fishing boats could be seen tightly packed at ports in northern Taiwan on Thursday in anticipation of heavy rain hitting the island of 23 million people.
Bavi, which brought violent winds to
Saipan and other U.S territories earlier this week, was downgraded Thursday from super-typhoon strength but still had maximum sustained winds of 114 miles per hour, according to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration Classes were suspended in several cities and towns in the Philippines and ships prohibited from leaving northern ports as the typhoon passed east of the northern island of Luzon.
In southern China, military rescue teams finished bringing out more than 10,000 trapped students and teachers from a cluster of schools in Guigang city, about 40 miles northeast of Hengzhou Video on state broadcaster CCTV showed the students, wearing bright orange life vests, clambering onto boats that took them away from the surreal scene of school buildings rising out of a lake of muddy water
Animals were also stranded or swept out by the floodwaters.
A zoo in Guigang said more than 100 animals were missing, including two zebras, four porcupines and dozens of tropical birds. In Hengzhou, encounters with snakes that reportedly escaped from a farm prompted authorities to stock up on antivenom and advise residents what to do if they were bitten.
Drones and some 5,700 boats have been used in a massive relief and rescue operation to deliver drinking water and other supplies and bring out trapped residents. About 130,000 people have been evacuated.
Orbán allies protest in Hungary
BY JUSTIN SPIKE Associated Press
BUDAPEST Hungary Opponents of the Hungarian government’s efforts to oust the country’s president gathered for a protest in the capital Budapest on Thursday after being called to action by the former autocratic prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
The protest drew several thousand people to the presidential offices at the opulent Sándor Palace in Budapest’s Castle District, where demonstrators spoke out in defense of President Tamás Sulyok, whom the new center-right government has vowed to remove from office with a constitutional amendment.
After defeating Orbán in a blowout election in April, bringing an end to his 16 years in power Hungary’s new proEuropean prime minister, Péter Magyar, has taken action to dismantle what he calls Orbán’s “mafia” by removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orbán’s autocratic regime.
The constitutional amendment, set to go to a vote next week, would end Sulyok’s term, as well as set term limits for members of parliament, implement reforms to the judiciary and create a new authority tasked with uncovering alleged financial abuses by Orbán’s government.
But Orbán and his far-right Fidesz party, long accused of dismantling Hungary’s democratic institutions while in power, have declared that the move to remove Sulyok is an assault on the rule of law and democratic norms, and the first steps toward a dictatorship.
One protester Krisztina Nemerkényi, said Thursday that the demonstration was not about the person of Sulyok, “but about the office.”
“The point is not whether Tamás Sulyok is popular or not but that this is simply unacceptable in a democracy,” she said.
Magyar has argued Sulyok failed to live up to his role as president by neglecting to stand in the way of antidemocratic steps by Orbán’s government.
families, sent diplomatic notes to Washington demanding investigations, and raised the issue with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Sheinbaum earlier this year ordered consulates to regularly check in with ICE detainees, and her government even lodged a complaint with the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mexico’s latest request adds to an already strained relationship with the Trump administration. Sheinbaum has cracked down more fiercely than her predecessors on organized crime in the wake of mounting threats by Trump to take military action against cartels. She has also sought to keep an amicable relationship with her U.S counterpart as the countries renegotiate the decades-old free trade agreement. At the same time, she’s taken a strong stance on immigration enforcement and the rights of Mexican citizens in U.S. custody
South Florida’s Palm Beach
airport renamed
Airport code will change from PBI to DJT in August
By The Associated Press
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A South Florida airport officially changed its name on Thursday to the President Donald J. Trump International Airport.
Signs for the Palm Beach International Airport have been removed, while new signage goes up.
“Because an entire airport transformation doesn’t happen overnight, you’ll notice a combination of both our classic look and our new brand elements coexisting while traveling through the terminal over the next several weeks,” airport officials said in a Facebook post.
“Trump Force One,” a Boeing 757 owned by The Trump Organization, was the first plane to arrive at the airport under its new name, shortly after 5 a.m The president’s son, Eric
Trump, was one of the passengers. The Trump family regularly uses the West Palm Beach airport when they visit President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home in nearby Palm Beach A stretch of road from the airport to Trump’s estate was renamed Donald J. Trump Boulevard earlier this year
“There is no person who has done more for Florida and our country, and no one more deserving of this incredible honor,” Eric Trump posted on X. “As a son, and someone who flies out of this airport nearly every day, I will forever be proud to see the initials ‘DJT’ on my boarding pass.”
While the name change took effect Thursday, the three-letter airport code will change from PBI to DJT on Aug. 18. Florida Gov Ron DeSantis signed legislation earlier this year that made the name change possible. Changing the airport’s name is expected to cost as much as $5.5 million for new signs, branding and other updates.
XINHUA NEWS AGENCy PHOTO By ZHOU HUA Rescuers evacuate stranded teachers and students at Xijiang education park in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Maysak in Guigang City, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, on Wednesday.
around, with sirens sounding at least three times in Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters, and missiles targeting Kuwait and Qatar
Sirens sounded Thursday afternoon in Jordan as well, where the U.S. has stationed troops and aircraft.
An Iranian official accused the U.S. of launching an airstrike later Thursday targeting the area around Iran’s sole nuclear power plant, and other explosions were reported elsewhere in the country during the afternoon. The strikes came hours after U.S. President Donald Trump said recent Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz signaled the end of a fragile ceasefire and threatened to escalate the conflict if they didn’t stop. That raised concerns that the region could tip back into a war that would engulf several countries and could halt energy shipments through the strait that are crucial for
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Continued from page 1A
are interested, including Vermilion Behavioral
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Lea Hall for Bradberry to serve five years of a 15-year prison sentence. Bradberry’s defense attorney, Adam Johnson, asked the judge to sentence Bradberry to only probation In addition to the prison sentence, Ritchie sentenced Bradberry to five years of supervised probation upon her release to include no contact with the victim or the victim’s family, no consumption of alcohol, no contact
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by the state Legislature in May after the Supreme Court ruled the state’s congressional map was unconstitutional The new map turned the 6th Congressional District, represented by Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat from Baton Rouge, into a White-majority district.
The reshaped 5th Congressional District includes all or parts of 24 parishes stretching from Monroe south to Avoyelles and Rapides parishes and east to the Florida Parishes. It was designed to elect a Republican.
“The 5th District is farm country, timber country, and small-town Louisiana,” Cathey said. “These are the people I’ve worked for every day in the State Senate. They don’t want a representative who is all talk. They want a
the global economy In Iran, the two days of American airstrikes have killed at least 14 people and wounded another 78, Iran’s Health Ministry said Thursday Most were reportedly members of the armed forces. In Kuwait, the military said falling debris wounded one person as the nation shot down three ballistic missiles, a cruise missile and 10 drones. Bahrain said it shot down incoming fire, without elaborating, and Jordanian government spokesman Mohammad al-Momani said all incoming fire from Iran had been intercepted. Iranian state TV said the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard fired missiles at a U.S base in Jordan There was no immediate word of damage in Qatar
U.S. strikes more targets
The U.S. military’s Central Command said it hit 90 targets across Iran, releasing black-and-white footage of what appeared to be strikes on an airport runway and missile launchers.
The U.S. said the strikes were intended to “further
Health Services, Oceans Healthcare and Beacon Behavioral, Dayries said The Acadiana Human Services District, a regionbased behavioral health provider, is developing a
with known drug dealers or felons, and the completion of 200 hours of community service, a domestic violence intervention program, a parenting class and therapy Ritchie agreed to Johnson’s request that Bradberry would not have to begin her prison sentence until July 31. The victim did not attend Thursday’s sentencing, but several of his family members did. The victim, who spent a month in the hospital recovering from his injury did not want to see Bradberry imprisoned, Hall said. The victim’s family members, however, wanted to see
seat at the table, lower costs, secure borders, strong support for agriculture, and a government that respects their values.”
Cathey has raised eyebrows in the state Capitol at times for controversial bills or behavior
During the 2026 legislative session, Cathey sponsored a resolution that called on Congress to support changing the constitutional provision that allows members to live outside of their congressional districts.
Cathey said he was targeting state Sen. Blake Miguez, R-Erath, who was running for the 5th Congressional District at the time but didn’t live in the district. Cathey’s colleagues privately said his resolution was sophomoric. It didn’t advance In 2023, Cathey upbraided state Sen. Regina Barrow, DBaton Rouge, outside a Senate committee room just after the two dueled over a bill. Cathey cussed her out and
degrade” Iran’s ability “to threaten freedom of navigation” in the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas passed before the war began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Feb. 28.
Traffic has picked up somewhat since a tentative deal last month included opening the waterway. Maritime data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence said Thursday that preliminary data showed at least 576 ships passed through the strait in June, compared with 233 in May More than 3,100 transited the strait in June 2025.
Iranian state media reported explosions in several locations, including Bushehr home to Iran’s nuclear power plant complex, and southern port cities. The state-run IRNA news agency quoted Ehsan Jahanian, a local official in Bushehr, as accusing the U.S. of striking near the plant around noon, hours after Central Command said it had ended its latest round of strikes. Asked for comment on Bushehr, Central Command referred to a news release that detailed targets but made no mention of the
financial model to present to providers to run the operation by showing its longterm sustainability
“This looks like it’s going to happen,” Dayries said. “When we found this, we’re
Bradberry prosecuted to the fullest extend of the law, Hall noted.
In response to a “minor dispute,” Bradberry had taken a gun out of a safe, aimed it with the intent to kill and fired it at the victim’s head, Hall said.
“I do truly believe it was attempted murder,” Hall said. “And I just don’t think probation is appropriate.”
Bradberry addressed the judge ahead of the sentencing, saying she was “truly sorry” and that the victim has offered her more grace and forgiveness than she deserves, noting that she’s been
put his finger inches from her face.
Barrow, who cussed him back, said no one had ever spoken that way to her previously during her 18 years in the Legislature.
Cathey apologized to Barrow privately as soon as he saw her afterward and also apologized to her again in front of the entire Senate.
He blamed his “passion” in trying to pass the bill.
Cathey’s entrance into the 5th Congressional District race raises the question of whether the three candidates from Monroe will split up the vote to the benefit of Firment or another non-Monroe candidate who might get in.
Candidates have to formally declare their entry into the race during the Aug 5-7 qualifying period. The open primary is on Nov 3, followed a month later by the runoff for the top two candidates, assuming no one received at least 50% of the vote in the primary
three tankers were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump said the latest backand-forth fighting would not result in lengthy military action.
Trump also renewed his past threats to hit Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including electric and desalination plants, and to seize Kharg Island, through which some 90% of Iranian oil exports pass.
nuclear power plant.
For the first time since April, U.S. strikes also appeared to target Iranian bridges. State media reported a strike on a railway bridge in Iran’s northeastern Golestan province, and the Revolutionary Guard said two bridges were attacked on the route to Mashhad, where tens of thousands of mourners thronged wide boulevards during a funeral procession for the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
like, ‘Oh man, let’s stop looking.’ This is where we want to focus all our efforts.”
As it stands, the 24-bed building would need some renovations and specialized equipment. The space is
in touch with him nearly every week since the April 2022 shooting.
“There are no words that can undo what pain I’ve caused,” she said, later adding that she’s “the reason people go to therapy.”
Bradberry said she wants to be a mother to her three children and asked the judge to take the victim’s wishes into account and sentence her to no prison time.
Her defense attorney noted that she had no criminal history and had followed all court orders.
“This was an anomaly of a
on Thursday
Another warning to Iran
After leaving a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump posted several videos on his social media site of what he said were explosions in Iran and issued another warning to the Islamic Republic.
“This is in retribution for yesterday’s bombing of ships by Iran If it happens again, it will get much worse!” Trump wrote Wednesday, a day after
larger than needed, officials said, but early plans would create 12 crisis stabilization rooms, 12 beds and a group therapy space. Patients who were already at the psychiatric facility
situation,” as demonstrated by the victim’s desire to keep Bradberry out of prison Johnson said.
Ritchie said he’s seen a lot in the 23 years he’s been on the bench, including people now serving life sentences after making one horrible decision similar to the one Bradberry made in April 2022.
“I’ve seen so many different types of cases,” Ritchie said. “This is a strange situation.” Ritchie noted that it’s not just the victim who suffered because of Bradberry’s ac-
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, a key negotiator in talks seeking a permanent end to the war, was defiant in a post on X on Thursday morning: “America still hasn’t learned that bullying and breaking promises are no longer costfree. Let me put it plainly: If you strike, you’ll get hit.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on Telegram that he spoke by phone with his Saudi, Turkish and Omani counterparts and with Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who has been one of the main mediators in the war The outreach suggested
have been transferred to Ochsner Behavioral Health Acadiana, a 62-bed clinic off Youngsville Highway that recently opened in partnership with Oceans Healthcare.
tions that night, but also the victim’s family The judge said he didn’t necessarily trust what the victim was asking for in the case because of the emotions involved in domestic abuse situations.
Ritchie also said he didn’t fully believe that Bradberry felt remorse for her actions. Ritchie noted that “remorse is humility.”
“I saw some remorse in what you said, Ms. Bradberry,” Ritchie said “But in the end, focusing so much on how it’s affected you tempers the remorse aspect of it.”
Experts: China’s ballistic missile launch
was a message for U.S.
Launch test draws international criticism
BY HUIZHONG WU Associated Press
BANGKOK When China launched
a ballistic missile into the South Pacific Ocean on Monday it was a rare test of a nuclear-capable weapons system that drew international rebuke
Arriving two years after a similar missile launch in international waters in the Pacific, the test by the People’s Liberation Army caught the attention of small island nations whose leaders have increasingly urged bigger countries to stop using the vast oceanic region for power struggles. But Beijing’s message was largely for just one country, experts say: the United States.
“The most important message is the PLA is becoming a powerful military with a very strong strategic nuclear capability,” said Tong Zhao, a senior fellow with the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a think tank.
The test, launched from a nuclear-powered submarine, was a demonstration of the sea-based leg of China’s nuclear triad capability, which refers to the ability to have land, sea, and air-based nuclear systems.
Further it showed that China’s military has what is called a second-strike capability, said Dominic Meagher, a research fellow at the Crawford School of Public Policy in Australia. That means even if China was attacked first, it still has the ability to strike back, because the ability to fire could be anywhere, in the ocean or on land.
Beijing said the launch was part of annual exercises, suggesting that it may conduct similar launches in the future.
“I would see this as a systematic move, not an isolated event,” said K. Tristan Tang, Nonresident Fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research, in emailed comments. The missile testing comes as China is also racing to build more
nuclear-powered submarines. In the past five years, China has been building these types of submarines faster than the U.S., according to a report from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, a think tank
Launch recalls grim history
However, the use of international waters, specifically treaty-protected waters where nuclear testing is prohibited, drew criticism from countries in the region. The waters of the South Pacific Ocean are contested because they’re strategically important and rich with fishers and minerals.
For Pacific nations, nuclear testing in particular recalls historical harm. The U.S., the UK and France have all detonated nuclear warheads in the Pacific, causing environmental contamination and health issues such as cancers and birth defects that some island nations say they are still recording generations later
“Those tests resulted in outrage and resulted in treaties to prevent future tests, and that includes the nuclear test ban treaty and the Treaty of Rarotonga, said Meagher “These kinds of missile tests haven’t been conducted since.”
Monday’s missile landed in the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone, which was established by the 1986 Rarotonga accord, which prohibits nuclear weapons throughout the region. China ratified the protocols in 1987 that prohibit testing nuclear weapons within the zone or threatening to use them against signatories with territory in the
region.
A long-range ballistic missile bursts out of the sea during a test launched from a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine in the South Pacific on Monday.
XINHUA NEWS AGENCy PHOTO By LI XIANGCHAO
Solomon Islands Prime Minister Matthew Wale, speaking to reporters in the Solomon capital Honiara Tuesday, said, “China is a good friend of Solomon Islands, but this is not something a friend does. This is not good in our region.”
While U.S. forces still conduct nuclear missile testing in the Pacific, they avoid the treaty area, Meagher said.
Test conducted with short notice Australia and New Zealand both said they were not given enough prior notice about the test, and other countries like Japan said it was done without transparency Canberra and Wellington are two of the South Pacific’s biggest powers and have grown anxious about Beijing’s attempts to vie for sway in the region.
Bilateral deals between China and the leaders of small Pacific nations have prompted Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to embark on a charm offensive of his own. That has included defense and security pacts inked with Vanuatu, Fiji and Papua New Guinea in the past year
On Tuesday, Albanese decried the missile launch as “a provocative act by China which does destabilize the region,” when he spoke to reporters in Honiara, where he was holding talks with officials. Australia and the Solomon Islands are in the process of negotiating a comprehensive treaty “The fact that this test took place yesterday with very little notice is of real concern,” he added.
Chart-topping singer Bonnie Tyler passes
‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ performer dies at 75
BY MARK KENNEDY AP entertainment writer
Bonnie Tyler, the gravelly voiced, Grammy-nominated Welsh pop star whose 1983 charttopping power ballad “Total Eclipse of the Heart” enchanted succeeding generations with its bombastic charms during solar and lunar eclipses, has died. She was 75.
Tyler died unexpectedly in a hospital in Portugal where she was being treated for an illness, her family said Thursday in a statement on her website. She was hospitalized in May in Faro, where she had a home, for emergency intestinal surgery She had been placed in an induced coma for a period but was reportedly improving last month and expected to make a good recovery
“Bonnie’s family and team are heartbroken to announce that Bonnie unexpectedly passed away last night in hospital in Portugal as a result of the illness that she was being treated for,” her family said.
Tyler earned three Grammy nods and in 2013 represented Britain at the Eurovision Song Contest, where she came in 19th. She was honored as a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2022 for her services to music by Queen Elizabeth II, thanks mainly to “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” which has had more than 1 billion streams, boosted by real eclipses in 2017 and 2024.
The song spent four weeks at No. 1, and when Stereogum reevaluated it in 2020, the music outlet declared it an “extinctionlevel event rendered in musical form.”
“It’s pop music as heart-pounding, chest-thumping, blood-gargling, heavens-falling passion explosion. It’s sheer spectacle. It’s fireworks and lasers and lightning and thunder It soars and swoops and barrel-rolls,” the site said.
The song has never really gone away: it was covered by the English singer Nicki French in 1995, and the band Westlife in 2006. Cate Blanchett sang it while hitting Billy Bob Thornton with her car in 2001’s “Bandits,” it appeared in a wedding scene in 2003’s “Old School” and One Direction sang it in 2010 on a U.K. version of “The X Factor.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ALASTAIR GRANT
Singer Bonnie Tyler performs her song ‘Believe in Me’ during a rehearsal for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden on May 17, 2013. Tyler passed away on Thursday.
to extinguish a fire followingaRussian
Kramatorsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Thursday.
Ukrainiandronesbatter Russianoil infrastructure
Twotankers, depots setablaze
BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press
KYIV,Ukraine Ukrainian drones hit more Russian oil facilities andset twooil tankersablazeinthe Sea of Azov on Thursday,a day after U.S. President Donald Trump pledged to grant Kyiv alicense to manufacture the Patriot air defense systems to protect its cities.
Atop Ukrainian official, meanwhile, cautioned that it could take ayear or more for the country to produce Patriot interceptor missiles.
The Kremlin said the license deal reflected what it called Washington’s“ambivalence” but noted it appreciated Trump’sefforts to help broker apeace deal to end the war,which Russia launched over four years ago. Ukraine’s dronestrikes on oil refineries and other infrastructure across Russia have triggered awide-
spread fuel crisis withgasoline shortages andrationing in multiple regions and motorists waiting for hours to filltheir tanks.Moscowhas respondedbyintensifying its bombardment on Kyiv andother cities,exposing Ukraine’svulnerability to ballistic missile strikes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the latest strikes on Russia’sinfrastructure as part of Kyiv’scampaign of “long-rangesanctions” carried outinresponseto Moscow’srefusal to halt the fighting.
“Wehave long proposed that Russia end this war, and every day of delay should bring thefeeling of warto where it all began —toRussia,” Zelenskyy said.
AUkrainian drone strike sparked afire at an oil depot in thewestern Russiancity of Tver,according to acting Gov.Vitaly Korolyov Oilreservoirs also were set ablaze by dronesinVyazniki,inthe southern Stavropol region, said Gov.Vladimir Vladimirov,forcing the
evacuation of nearbyapartmentbuildings.
In the Sea of Azov, Ukrainian dronesset two oil tankers on fire, according to Rostov Gov. Yuri Slusar,who said one of the ships was still burning and itscrew evacuated.
It was thelatest in aseries of strikes on oil tankersin recent days, part of Ukrainian effortstocut fuel supplies to the Crimean Peninsula,which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
In addition to theStavropol and Tver facilities, Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces hit fuel infrastructure deep inside Russia,including one in Ufa, as well as an oil-loading terminal in theRostov regioncloser to Ukraine Russia’sDefense Ministry said its defensesdowned 73 Ukrainian drones from lateWednesday into early Thursday Ukraine’sair force said Russia fired 94 long-range strike dronesand two ballistic missiles. While 72 drones were jammed or intercepted, 19 drones andbothmissiles damaged13locations, it said.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. Ajudge on Thursdaydismisseda lawsuit alleging U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville does not meet the residency requirementtorun for governor of Alabama.
Montgomery County Circuit Judge Brooke Reid dismissedthe caseonjurisdiction grounds after finding that shedid not have the authority to decide theeligibility of aparty’snominee priortothe generalelection. Reid, aDemocrat,wrote that she had“wrestled”with thedecision but thereisno legal precedent directly addressing thedispute.
Tuberville, whohas represented Alabama in theSenatesince 2021, is theRepublican nominee forgovernor
Thelawsuitargued that Tuberville does not meet the AlabamaConstitution’ssevenyear residency requirement to be governor of Alabama. Joe Espy,anattorney representing Tuberville, praised the decision.
Jordan Doufexis, chairman of Tuberville’s campaign, called the residency allegation a“bogus lawsuit” pushed by allies of Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones. Jonesis running against Tuberville in arematch of sorts of their 2020 Senate race in which Tuberville defeated Jones.
“Doug Jones’ residency hoax just gotsacked for a loss as aDemocrat judge in Montgomerydismissed yet anotherdesperate lawsuit from ‘DC Doug’s’ Democrat proxies,” Doufexis said in a statement. He noted that the
decision camefrom aDemocratic judge,“who followed the law and rejected abogus lawsuit aimed at hijacking theelection before Alabama voters could decide.” Barry Ragsdale, an attorney representing the two voters who filedthe lawsuit, said he plans to appeal the decision.
“Everyone whohas viewed the credible evidenceknows thatTuberville really lives in a$5milliongated mansion on the beach in Florida andnot in thattiny house behind astrip mall in Auburn,” Ragsdale said. “Weare confident that, if given afair opportunity to present that evidence in court, we could easily establish that Tuberville is lying about where he lives and is ineligible to serve as governor.”
BY MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON Aformer
Olympiccanoe racer pleaded not guilty on Thursday to deliberately damagingthe recently renovated Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, a politically charged case that his defense attorneys and other Trump administration critics have derided as an abuse of prosecutorial power David Hearn, who competed in three Summer Olympics, entered the plea through one of his attorneys during his initialappearanceinD.C. Superior Court. Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland,was indicted last Thursday on a single felony count of property destruction.
Before the country’s250th independence celebrations, President DonaldTrump launched amultimillion dollar renovationproject for the Reflecting Pool, which was plagued by problems, includingdamage to itsnew coating. Trump, withoutproviding evidence, has alleged thedamagewas caused by vandals
Hearn has said he reached inside thepooltoexamine the peeledsealant and let go of achunk when he was told to by apark worker.He is accused of causing more than $1,000 in damage
“Every American should be alarmed about thisprosecution,” defense attorney Norm Eisensaidafter the hearing.“It is not acrime to
touch the Reflecting Pool.”
At least threeotherpeoplehave been chargedin thesamecourtwithmisdemeanors forallegedlyremoving pieces of paint from the Reflecting Pool,accordingtoonlinecourt records. All threepleaded not guilty during their initial court appearances Wednesday, records show
U.S. AttorneyJeanine Pirro,the top federal prosecutor for the District of Columbia, said vandalizing thenation’smonuments and public spaces is “an affront to our shared history.”
“The law applies equally to everyone, andwhenitisbroken, there are consequences,” shesaid in astatement on Thursday
PHOTO PROVIDED By UKRAINIAN EMERGENCy SERVICE Emergency servicespersonnel work
air attack in
PepsiCo says customers tightened budgets
NEW YORK PepsiCo reported stronger-than-expected revenue in thesecond quarter despite weaker demand in North America, where it said consumers tightened their budgets as the Iran war caused gas prices to spike.
“I think theconsumer is worse than what we had anticipated, and it’sdriven mainly by gasprices,” PepsiCo CEORamon Laguarta said Thursday during aconference callwith investors.
The food and beveragegiant said its net revenue rose6.4% to $24.2 billion for the AprilJune period. That was better than the $23.9 billionWall Street expected, according to analysts polled by FactSet
In February,PepsiCo slashed U.S.pricesonLay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Tostitos chips by up to 15%, which boosted snack demand in the first quarter But in the second quarter, as gas prices rose, PepsiCo’s snack sales volumes were flat in North America, while its beveragevolumes fell 4%.
PepsiCo said it will continue to invest in making its products more affordable.The company is also trying to meet demandfor healthier products. In March it introduced Doritos Protein and Gatorade Lower Sugar,which has no artificial flavorsorcolors.
Deere &Co., FTC settle right-to-repair lawsuit
TheFederal TradeCommissionand attorneys general from several states secured aright-to-repair settlement Wednesday withagriculture equipment giant Deere &Co. that requires the company to let farmers and independentshops fix their own equipment.
TheIllinois-basedmanufacturerhas facedcomplaints for years for withholding the software needed for repairs and forcing customers to use authorized dealers instead of independentones.
This marks the secondrightto-repair settlement Deere has reached this year,following a separate $99million class-actionsettlement with farmers in April. Although the class-action compensated consumers, the FTC’ssettlement instead requires Deere to make its repair services available to equipment owners and independent shops.
The FTC and attorneys general from Arizona, Illinois, Michigan,Minnesota and Wisconsin brought the antitrust lawsuit in January 2025, arguing that Deere had illegally restricted farmers and independentshops that might otherwise service them from repairing farm equipment such as tractors. Under the order filed inIllinois,Deere will now be required to make diagnostic and repair tools available to equipmentowners and independent repairshops, not only its own network of authorized dealers. N.Y.sues over so-called forever chemicals
ALBANY,N.Y.— New York’sattorney general sued several large chemical and agricultural companies on Thursday,alleging they knowingly sold harmfulso-called forever chemicals used in cosmetics, nonstick cookware and other products.
The lawsuit against 3M, DuPont de Nemours, Chemours, Cortevaand other manufacturers is the latest legal action overPFAS, which havebeen linked to an increased risk of certain cancers and developmental delays in children
The lawsuit seeks to forcethe companiestofund environmental cleanup efforts in New York andtowarn consumersabout theirproducts. It arguesthat, in some cases, the companies were aware that the chemicals were toxic or could cause environmental damage.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are agroup of chemicals that have been around for decades and have now spread into the nation’s air,water and soil.
THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business
Fedchair namestaskforce leaders
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON Venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, economist Raj Chetty andformer Bank of England governor Mervyn King are among aslate of names released by the Federal Reserve Thursday that will helpdevelop recommended changes to the central bank’s operations.
They are among theco-leaders of five different task forces announced by Fed Chair Kevin Warsh last month. Theother leaders are amix of publicofficials andbusiness leaders.
Warsh called for “regime change” at theFed last year while he was under consideration by the Trump administration to replace
former chair Jerome Powell. Warsh has sought tocommunicate less about the Fed’sthinking on interest ratesand has said he wants to reduce thecentral bank’s roughly $6.7 trillion in holdings of government bonds.
Most of thedirectors announced Thursday areleading figures in economics and business, rather than longtime Fed critics. Warsh’s use of task forces, Fed-watchers say,suggest he wants to persuade his fellowFed officialsofany changes rather than impose them.
“The U.S. economy has changed significantly over the last generation,and never moresothan right now,”Warsh saidina writtenstatement. “Each task force will carefully consider whether policymakers’ meansand methods, analytical toolsand policy approaches can be improved upon.”
The five taskforces will each have three co-leadersand will be
supportedbyFed staff, the central bank said. Oneofthe task forces will focus on how artificialintelligence and other new technologies will affect productivity and jobs.
To oversee that task force, Warsh has turned to executives from firms developing AI, including Andreessen, amajor investor in crypto firmsand AI technology Asha Sharma, an executive vice president at Microsoft andCEO of its Xbox unit,will also co-lead that task force. Charles Jones, an economist at Stanford currently on leave with Anthropic, will act as the third co-chair Chetty,a Harvard economist, will co-lead atask force on evaluating the data sources used by the Fed. Chetty has broken ground by using huge data sets to track families’economic fortunes over decades andevaluate which areas of the country have seen the most
economic mobility
Doug McMillon, theformer president andCEO of Walmart, and Kevin Murphy,aneconomics professor at the University of Chicago, will co-lead the data task force.
Athird task force will examine the Fed’sbalance sheet, which has ballooned in size since the Great Recession in 2008-09. Raghuram Rajan, aformer leader of the Reserve Bank of India, and Harvard economist and former Treasury officialKaren Dynanwill co-lead thetask force, alongwithJeremy Stein, aformer Fed governor Greg Mankiw, atop economist in the George W. Bush administration and Thomas Sargent, aNobel laureateatNew York University, will co-lead atask force on inflation frameworks. King, theformer Bank of England governor,will be one of the leaders of the task force on communications.
BY ALEXVEIGA Associated Press
Sales ofpreviously occupied U.S.homes slowedinJune,but akey measure of home prices climbed to an all-time high, addingto affordabilitychallenges forprospective homebuyers.
Existing home salesfell2.4% last month from Maytoaseasonally adjusted annualrate of 4.09 million units, theNationalAssociation of RealtorssaidThursday. Sales rose 2.8% compared with Junelast year.
Thelatest sales tally fell short of the roughly 4.21 million pace economistswere expecting, accordingtoFactSet.
Home sales have been mostly hovering close to a4millionannualpace going back to 2023, far short of the historic norm that is closer to 5.2 million.
Sales have remained sluggish as mortgage rateshave mostly trended higher in themonths since the war between the U.S. andIran started.Expectations of higher inflation amid surging oil prices have pushed up thelongterm bond yields that lenders use as aguide to pricing homeloans, causingmortgage rates to climb. Still, mortgage ratesremainbelow where theywereayear ago.
Despite the lackluster sales, home prices continuedtorise nationally last month.The U.S. median sales price increased 1.8% in June from ayear earlier to $440,600, an all-time high on data goingbackto1999,NAR said. Home prices haverisen on an annualbasis for36months in arow
First-time buyers accounted for33% of home purchaseslast month, down from 35% in May andupfrom 30% in June last year.Historically,theymade up 40% of home sales.
BY MATT O’BRIEN and JOCELYN NOVECK Associated Press
NEW YORK The New York Times, the Daily News and other media outlets are asking afederal judge to imposesanctions on OpenAI, escalatingafight over artificial intelligence and copyright that could shape the future of astruggling news industry. Thenewspapers allege the ChatGPTmaker is hiding evidence important to what could be alandmark copyrightinfringementtrial over how OpenAI and its business partner,Microsoft, built their AI technologies using millions of news articles. At issue is whether AI chatbots are unfairly competingasaninformation source,siphoning off web traffic without doing the journalistic work involved in gatheringthe news.
Afiling ThursdayinaManhattan federal courthousealleges OpenAI
“Without adoubt, the affordability is amajor challenge for people who want to become homeowners, whichisthe reason why we need moresupply,” said Lawrence Yun, NAR’schief economist.
The U.S. housing market has been in aslumpsince2022, when mortgagerates beganto climb from pandemic-era lows. Sales of previously occupied U.S. homes wereessentially flat last year,stuck at a30-year low
Through thefirst half of this year,seasonally adjusted sales of existing U.S. homesare up only 0.7% compared to the same period in 2025.
Yearsofsoaring home prices, especially in theearly partof this decade when rock-bottom mortgage rates fueled abuying frenzy,have left many would-be homebuyers frozen out of the market. And achronic shortage of homes for sale nationally,due
partly to years of below-average new home construction, has helped prop up home prices even in amultiyear sales slump.
Many of thehomes purchased lastmonth likely went under contract in April and May,when the average rate on a30-year mortgage ranged from 6.23% to 6.53% —the highest levelgoing back to late August, according to mortgagebuyer Freddie Mac. Those who can afford to buy at current mortgage rates or pay allcash are likely to encounter buyer-friendly trends in many markets. In June, median list prices fell 2.5% from ayear earlier,the steepestannualdropon datagoing back to 2017, according to Realtor.com
Still, housingmarket pricingtrends vary widely regionally and locally.Consider,since peaking in 2022 at $449,000, list priceshavecomedown7.3%in the West and 3.5% in the South,
but are up 10% in the Midwest and 12.6% in the Northeast, according to Realtor.com
Home shoppers have more homes on the market to choose from than thistime last year,although home inventory levels remain well below historical norms. There were1.56 million unsold homes at the end of last month, down 0.6% from May and up 1.3% fromJune last year,NAR said. That’sstill well short of the roughly 2million homes forsale that wastypical before the COVID-19 pandemic. June’smonth-end inventory translates to a4.6-month supply at the current sales pace. Traditionally,afive-tosix-monthsupply is considered abalanced market between buyers and sellers.
“Weneed to see 30%-40% growth in inventory,” Yunsaid.
“We’re not seeing that, so inventory (is) still remaining relatively tight.”
“chose obstruction” over releasing datasetsand ChatGPTlogsthat could showhow theAIsystemused copyrighted news content. The plaintiffs areaskingthe judgeto penalize the company for “discovery misconduct” that could distort evidence, saying the recent deposition of an OpenAI employee contradicts the company’searlier claims.
New York Daily News attorney Steven LiebermansaidOpenAI has been “making misrepresentations” for two years about its abilitytosearch for copyrighted content in itsAItrainingdatasets and logs. OpenAI has described its limitations in sharing ChatGPT logs as ameasure to protect user privacy
“Asthe Times’ caseweakensand they’ve been forced to drop claims against us, they’re persisting with their efforts to invade the privacy of people who havenothing to do with this case, including by making these blatantly false allega-
tions,” said astatementThursday from OpenAI spokespersonDrew Pusateri. TheNew York TimessuedOpenAIand Microsoftinlate2023, about ayear after ChatGPT’s debutsparked acommercialAI boom and began changing the way people search forinformation online.The threattonewspublicationsbecame even moreapparent when Google in 2024 introduced AI-generated summariesatthe top of online search results,cutting off theadvertising dollars that come when people click alink to the information’soriginal source. The Times has since been joined by other news organizations. OpenAI andother tech companieshavearguedthe processof training their AI systemsondigitized books, online articles and other writings found on the internetisprotected by the “fair use” doctrine of U.S. copyright law OpenAI rivalAnthropic agreed
to pay book authors $1.5billion for training its chatbot Claude on their pirated works —anamount that represents asmall fraction of Anthropic’s$965 billion market valuation as it prepares to become publicly traded. TheNew York Times’ arguments are different from those brought by book authors. In its original lawsuit and an amended complaint filed last month, it focused on the unfair competition of companies that “seek to free-ride on The Times’s massive investment in its journalismbyusingittobuild substitutive products without permission or payment.”
The mounting costs comeasa growing number of media organizations have signed licensing deals withOpenAIand other companies that typically pay the outlet afee to be able to train AI systems on their news feeds or archives. The Associated Press wasthe first to announce such adeal with OpenAI in 2023.
Warsh
Italianregiondefiespressureto end aCuban doctorsprogram
Calabria’s governor refusesU.S.efforts to endinitiative
BY PAOLO SANTALUCIA Associated Press
POLISTENA, Italy Italy’ssouthern Calabria region is the rare place in Europe where Cuba sends medical professionals underalongrunning program that theUnited States wants to stamp out.
Cuba’sdoctorsfor decades have worked in developingnations such as Gambia and Venezuela,skilled in providing care with scarce resources. Over 200 now staff remote hospitals across Calabria, Italy’spoorest region in the tip of the country’sboot. Ashortage of homegrown healthcare workers had forced some hospital departments to close.
“It was adisaster.Iwas keeping the emergency room open all by myself,” the chief physician of Polistena hospital, Francesco Moschella,told TheAssociated Press, recallingthe days before the Cubans arrived in January 2023.
Their presence triggereda visit this year from U.S. officials. The U.S. has long criticized theCuban program and called it amoneymakerfor thesocialist government that the Trump administration has isolated, sanctionedand wants to see changed.
Facing U.S. pressure, someCaribbean and Central American countries have canceled Cuban missions. ButCalabria’sgovernor hasrefused. Even if Cuba’ssocialism doesn’tfit with his political views, he says the region depends on them.
Linesseveral hourslong
Despite growingtourism and astrong farming economy, Calabria symbolizes southernItaly’s lack of development comparedto the more wealthy and industrialized north. Wages are about30% lower,and its unemployment rate is double the national average. Calabria ranks last amongItaly’s 20 regions in publichealth-
Cuban doctor Daysi Luperon
care access, according to the health ministry.
Until April, Calabria had spent 17 years under special administrationdue to persistent budget deficits, which along withcorruption scandals and Mafia infiltration affected health investments.
Many newly graduated doctors built careers in thenorth instead.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuba sent doctors to several areas of Italy.Calabriacontinued employing Cubans after the pandemic ended.
Emergency medicine specialist
ZoilaYakelin ArevaloCruzlefther young son in Cuba in mid-2023. The emergency room whereshe works in Polistena town sees 30,000 patients annually,and six Cuban doctors make up halfits staff.
“For afirst-world country,Europe,wehad acompletelydifferentidea. We didn’tthink that the shortageofdoctors was so serious,” said Arevalo Cruz, 38. “In this hospital there were lines that lasted up to eight or 12 hours. Now, thanks to our work,inless than an hour adoctor visitsyou.”
During an AP visit last month, she conducted herwork in nowfluent Italian. She says she even pickedupsomeofthe local dialect by chatting with grateful former
patientswho swing by to say hi.
Notall countriesbow to pressure
U.S. Secretary of StateMarco Rubio hasaccused the Cuban missions of being a“form of human trafficking” —areference to Cuba’sgovernment keeping most of doctors’ salaries andallegedly confiscating some passports.
“Cubanmedical brigades are a key source of hard cashfor the failing regime,” the State Departmenttold the AP in an emailed response to questions, adding it was sharing information withpartner nations on “the sobering realities of Cubanmedical brigades to which theymight otherwise be unaware.”
In March, Jamaica endedits 50year medical cooperation agreement with Cuba, affecting nearly 300 healthcare workers. Honduras expelled more than 150.
Mexico’sPresidentClaudia Sheinbaum in March, however, defendedthe program and said it provides vital caretounderserviced people.
Officials in Cuba have said it has 22,000 medical personnel deployed to 55 countries in what they called a“mission of solidarity.” Neither they nor theState Department has specified which ones.
BY REGINA GARCIACANO Associated Press
CATIA LA MAR, Venezuela Victims of the powerful twin earthquakes thatjolted Venezuelalast month as well as people spared by the destruction on Thursday flooded relief servicesoffered by nongovernmental organizations in thehardest-hit areas.
The demand for help comes as the United Nationslaunched an appeal for roughly $300 millionto assist 1.3 millionpeople in urgent need of aidinthe SouthAmerican country where nongovernmental organizations until recently were targetsofgovernment repression. Mobile kitchensand clinicsaswellasfieldhospitals now dot public spaces in the northern stateofLaGuaira, where mostof thedevastation occurred.
“It is clear at displacement sitesthat, particularlyafter two weeks, that people are turning up because they haven’t been ableto get their other treatments,” U.N. relief chief TomFletcher told The Associated Press during his visit to Venezuela. “So, they’re not turning up with just the fractures now,they’re turning up with those longer-term health needs. Andit’svital that we’re there for them.”
Doctors treating people in that state’sCatia La Mar community on Thursday reported an increase in skin conditions and diarrheal diseases,aswellasofrequests for medications forthe treatment of chronic illnesses, including diabetes andhigh blood pressure Theemerging diseases can be tied to crowded living spaces and poor water and sanitation conditions, which in many communities predate the earthquakes.
Irma Echarri showed up at a mobile unit on asidewalk across thestreet from achurch with the boxesofthe eyedrops andpain reliever she usually takes, hoping that doctors there could give her new ones. She also wantedtobe
seen for thepain shedeveloped in her nose after the June 24 earthquakes.
“It hurts alot,” Echarri, 67, said while waitingtobeseen. “Ithurts because it hurts.”
Echarri’shome was not damaged, but manyofher neighbors are living in temporary shelters or outdoors after 190 buildings collapsed and 856 others weredamaged, according to Venezuelan officials,inthe back-to-back earthquakes that killed 3,889 people.
The government of acting President DelcyRodríguezhas estimated that the earthquakes leftabout 18,000 people without a home. The displaced are now living in schools, sidewalks, parks, plazas and other public spaces. Fletcher,the head of theU.N Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AP the United States has so far provided most of the earthquake-response aid. Much of the assistance on the ground is being delivered by local groups that have partnered with global humanitarian organizations. Among thedisplaced is Zulbey Reyes, whowent to the clinic ran by the Venezuela-based organization Paluz in partnership with the global relief agency International Rescue Committee. Reyes, who was also robbed by the earthquakes of her job as a nanny,sought treatment for the onset of chest pain.
“I thought it was my heart that was sick,”Reyes,41, said after being diagnosed and receiving medication. “But it’sanerve that became inflamed after the screamsthat day.” Armando Denegri, representative in Venezuelaofthe PanAmerican Health Organization told reporters Thursday that “50% of the health professionals in La Guaira were directly affected” by the earthquakes.
“Somedisappeared, somedied, others were severely affected by thecrisis, impactingtheir families,” Denegri said without giving further details.
The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction has estimated direct physical damage to housing and infrastructure around $37 billion.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By VALERIA FERRARO
Loforte, right, helpslift up Francesco Ascone,a patient hospitalized in the emergency unit of the Santa Maria degli Ungheresi Hospital of Polistena, in the southernItalian Calabria region,onJune 16.
Sewage lines fix to boost housing
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
A pilot program to repair damaged private sewage lines in some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods should be completed by the end of the year, with expansion of the project expected to continue into 2027.
The project is funded through a
$1 million prize from Bloomberg Philanthropies as part of its annual Mayors Challenge In February, Lafayette was among 24 cities globally to win the contest. Lafayette’s plan is to address the city’s aging, broken sewage lines, most of which run beneath privately owned property
Repairing those lines can go a long way toward adding capac-
ity to a system that is frequently overburdened during storms. As it stands today sewage capacity has effectively imposed a moratorium on new development in the city’s urban core. The city estimates repairs could unlock capacity for 13,000 new homes by 2038, according to a presentation at Tuesday’s City Council meeting.
Last summer, the project’s pilot found more than 78 leaks in the McComb-Veazey neighborhood. Since then, roughly half of those leaks have been repaired and are expected to be completed by the end of the year
The repairs noticeably reduced stormwater infiltration and added capacity for an additional 50 homes.
This summer the city is expected to begin smoke and dye testing to identify leaks around several sewage lift stations located in neighborhoods between Interstate 10, North University Avenue Cameron Street and the Evangeline Thruway Tests are expected to continue into early 2027.
The area was chosen because of the high number of vacant and adjudicated properties and signs of
Brent Broussard gets in some fishing along the banks of the
Closures of Lafayette-area pizza places mirror trend
At least 7 have shuttered their doors this year
BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor
one report shows. The 2026 Mid-Year Market Report issued by Consumer Edge, a national consumer research firm, tabbed quick-serve pizza outlets as the biggest losers, with year-over-year consumer spending down about 6%.
The Lafayette area has followed that trend. At least seven pizza places have closed since last year including the Pizza Amore location in Carencro just last month
The report blamed the prevalence of customers taking GLP-1 drugs it cited 1 out of every 8 American consumers — and a growing awareness around calorie intake and portion control. “Increasingly health-conscious diners are trading down to smaller pies or trading out to lighter, higher-perceived-healthy alternatives,” the report read.
Pizza Amore’s closure followed others, including two Pizza Hut locations in Lafayette, the Pizza Artista in Broussard and Blaze Pizza in
Judge appointed in Murrill indictment
Criminal court judges recused themselves
BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer
The Louisiana Supreme Court has appointed retired state appeals court judge Robert Chaisson to preside over Attorney General Liz Murrill’s intimidation case which the court has stayed.
Justice Piper Griffin signed the Supreme Court’s order, which came down Thursday morning, a day after all 12 criminal court judges in New Orleans recused themselves from the case and the court’s chief judge requested an ad hoc appointment.
Murrill, a 62-year-old Republican, is the state’s top lawyer She faces eight counts each of intimidation and malfeasance in office from an indictment handed up last
week by an Orleans Parish grand jury
Chaisson, a Democrat from Destrehan, served 12 years on the Gretna-based 5th Circuit Court of Appeal before retiring at the end of 2023.
actions on its own initiative, spurred by letters she’d sent in May to Mayor Helena Moreno, District Attorney Jason Williams and five members of the City Council who voted to call a special election for a single clerk of court.
BY MARGARET DELANEY Staff writer
He inherits a volatile case that’s quickly turned up political tensions between state leaders and elected officials in New Orleans.
Murrill
The appointment comes in the lead-up to a heated election season when all of New Orleans’ criminal court trial judges are up for reelection, thanks to a Republican-led Legislature backed by Gov Jeff Landry that shrank the city’s courts.
Murrill has described the indictments as “corrupt retaliatory, meritless, and unconstitutional.” She has not entered a plea on account of the swift stay by the high court.
Sources said a New Orleans grand jury launched the investigation into Murrill’s
State lawmakers merged the city’s civil and criminal clerk’s duties into one office and handed it to civil clerk Chelsea Richard Napoleon, casting aside the popular criminal clerk-elect, former life prisoner Calvin Duncan. The grand jury leveled the bombshell criminal charges July 2 District Judge Leon Roche closed his courtroom to the public when the indictment was read, and deputies took an extraordinary step by ordering media from the courthouse.
Roche later defended the move to clear
See MURRILL, page 4B
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
Vermilion River at Beaver Park in Lafayette on Thursday
OPINION
Aerospacecan drivebetteremploymentinLa.
Louisiana has an opportunityto compete for thousands of highpaying jobs in one of the fastestgrowing industries in theworld: aerospace While aerospace may be receiving more headlines today,this is not anew conversation for Louisiana. Since 2022, we have worked with aerospace leaders, built workforce partnerships and helped positionLouisiana to compete for the investment and jobs now making front-page news.
At the second National Lieutenant Governors Association (NLGA) Aerospace Committee meeting, we heard from theFederal Aviation Administration, Space Foundation, the Advanced Air Mobility Multi-State Collaborative and higher education institutions. We alsomet with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and his team. The common theme was workforce needs. Louisiana is uniquely positioned to capitalize on aerospace industry growth. We already have astrong manufacturing base, world-class energy expertise, strategic military assets,growing educational partnerships and aworkforce eager to learn new skills. But this opportunitydid not
appear overnight. Four yearsago,Iattended a meeting in Alaska andlearned howaerospace technology intersects with issues deeply important to Louisiana, from hurricane forecasting and coastal restoration to nationaldefenseand advanced manufacturing. Isaw what this industry couldbringtoour state, which ledtomebecoming chairman of thatgroup.
Ihostedtheir meeting in Louisiana during my term in 2024 and welcomed elected leaders and industry professionals from across thecountrytoNew Orleans. Attendees touredNASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in NewOrleans Eastand Stennis SpaceCenterinMississippi and heard fromleading experts about thefuture ofthe space industry This inspired me to ask the NLGA to help advance this industry in thestates, so we created the committee. Each lieutenant governor appointed two advisers from their state. Louisiana’sdelegation included Dr.Tina Tinney of Nunez Community College and arepresentativefrom Louisiana Economic Development. Together,wehighlighted Louisiana’s growing workforce efforts,includingNunez’s Aerospace Manu-
facturing Technology Program, which has awarded 330+ credentials for high-demand, high-skill careers. These programs provide Louisianans with pathways to well-paying jobs without relocation or years of additional education
Nunez Community College is seeking $9.2million to renovate adonated building and expand training capacity.These are the kinds of investments Louisiana must support to remain competitiveinaerospace and show the
Louisiana is experiencing ahistoric political milestone. According to voter registration data from the SecretaryofState’soffice, for the first time in the state’s modern history,the number of registered Republicans now exceeds the number of registered Democrats
industry that we will have the workforce they need.
Many of the issues discussed by thecommittee werereflected in legislation passed this year to create astronger business and legal environment foraerospace companies in Louisiana. Reports suggest that SpaceX is already paying attention.
I’m pleased to see Louisiana creating policies to attract aerospace investmentand help our workforce, but tax incentives and grants alone will not determine
our success. Workforce availability will play amajor role. States like Alabamathat train students as early as high school in aerospace manufacturing techniques are dominating the industry
The aerospace, aviation and defense industries are poised to create thousands of highly skilled, high-paying jobs in the coming years. States benefiting the mostwill be those providing the trained workers aerospace employers need.
These opportunities extend beyond engineers, astronauts and pilots. Current projections estimate the country will need an additional 1.5 million civil aviation professionals, 400,000 maintenance technicians and 71,000 air traffic controllers over the next decade. Additional demand will exist in administration, communications, marketing, logistics and related fields.
We need our Legislature to support policies and investments that attract these businesses and help our citizens gain the skills to claim these jobs. The aerospace industry is growing rapidly.Louisiana’schallenge is not whether the opportunity exists but whether we can seize it.
Billy NungesserisLouisiana’s lieutenant governor
Ayearafter grid failure, what have we learned?
While Republicans have been the dominant party in state government for anumber of years, the partisan realignment of the electorate reflects the final piece in the structural consolidation of Republican dominance in Louisiana’spolitical landscape.
Louisiana, like other former Confederate states, maintained astrong allegiance to the Democratic Party from Reconstruction through the mid-20th century.During this period, the Democratic Party functioned not merely as apolitical organizationbut as the primary institutional expressionofSouthern political identity and governance, exercising near-hegemonic control over state and local institutions.
This alignment began to unravel in the 1960s following the national Democratic Party’s embrace of civil rightsand voting rights legislation. These policy shifts fundamentally altered the party’srelationship with its traditional White Southern base.InLouisiana, as in muchofthe South, White voters increasingly shifted their support to Republican candidates while often remaining formally registered as “legacy” Democrats.
While voting patterns in Louisiana have long signaled ashift in political preference toward the Republican Party,the change in voter registration has been slower to follow.This lagging indicator of registering and identifying as aRepublican now appearstohave caught up with the leading indicator of voting forRepublicans, thereby completing the state’spartisan realignment. Although Louisiana is considered ared state based on electing Republicans to office, it can now be officially recognizedasa truly realigned state, as votersare no longer merely casting ballots for Republican candidates; they increasingly perceive and define themselves as Republicans
The partisan reshufflinghas been driven overwhelmingly by the realignment of White voters. Registration data illustrate the scale of the transformation. In 1960, approximately 99%ofWhites were registered Democrats. That figure fell below 90% by 1979, at which point 6% of Whites were registered Republi-
GALLEGOS
While voting patterns in Louisiana have long signaled ashift in politicalpreferencetoward theRepublican Party, the changeinvoter registrationhas been slowertofollow.
cans.
The Democratic share of White registrants continued to declineinthe following decades. The last time amajority of Whiteswere registered as Democrats was 2001, compared to 31% registered as Republican. By 2023, Republicans attained majority status among White voters, while only 21% were registered Democrats. The most recentdata showthat 54% of Whites areregisteredasa Republican, while 18% are registered Democrats.
At the same time,White voter registration has also shifted toward the nonpartisan category.Overthe past 50 years, theshare of Whites registered as “No Party” has grown substantially,increasing from 3% to 28%.
Taken together,these figuresshow that the long-term partisan transformation is not simplyastory of Democratic declinebut of a structural realignment in whichWhite voters have moved away from theirhistoric partisan home.
This shift reflects deeper institutionaland behavioral transformations drivenbythe steady migration of White voters into theRepublican Party.Consequently,electoral competition has increasinglydeclined, andDemocratic capacity to conteststatewide powerhas weakenedconsiderably.
The endresult is apolitical environment in which Louisiana can nowbecharacterized less as acompetitive two-party systemand more as areliably Republican state where diminished Democraticinstitutional strength limits the prospects for meaningful partisan competition
Ed Chervenak is the director of the LSU New Orleans Survey Research Center
Thirteen monthsago, tens of thousands of Louisiana residents lost power during aload shed event, when electricity was intentionally shut off to protect the overall stability of the grid. The outage sparked understandable frustration and raised serious questions about the reliability of our energy infrastructure. But amid all the debateand finger-pointing, there is one question everyone seems to agree on: How do we make sure somethinglike this never happens again?
MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator), the entity responsible for managing the flow of electricityacross Louisiana and 14 other states, is doing aSouth Load Pocket Risk Assessment focused on Louisiana. The study may sound technical, but it is relevant to the families and businesses that lost power last year.This risk assessment will be an important tool to help Louisiana address key questions around whythe load shed event happened, how to prevent future outages andwho is responsible for grid reliability in Louisiana.
Louisiana. This workcomes at acritical moment: Louisiana is experiencing unprecedented load growth, with nine major projects recently announced in the state, including new data centers and manufacturing plants. These projects could bring up to 7.8 GW of new power demand, which would morethan double the existing power usage of Louisiana’sindustrial sector Strong regional grid connections can help ensure that we can meet this energy demand at alower cost and mitigate any reliability challenges when power demand spikes. Without strong regional connections, we increase the risk of higher power bills, reliability issues and blackouts as these new large loads are brought online.
MISO’s job is to balance thesupply and demand of electricity in real time, help managecongestion on transmission lines and prevent large-scale outages. In simple terms,MISOallows utilities to buy and sellpower across statelines so that electricity can be delivered efficiently and cost-effectively
The May 25, 2025, power outage was linked to load pockets, or areas where electricity demand is high but transmission intothe area is constrained. In theNew Orleansmetro area, those constraintsmeant that even though power was available on the grid elsewhere, it could not be delivered fast enough to where it was needed most. That is why theLoad Pocket Risk Assessment is so important. The study will evaluate where transmission limitationsinsouth Louisiana remain, how rising demandand extreme weather affect risk, and what solutions could help relieve these constraints. The analysis is not just limited to identifying problems. It will examine solutions to improve reliability across southern
Somepolicymakers have suggested that Louisiana should leave MISO following recent outages. Doing so would remove Louisiana from asystem designed to improve affordability and manage risk across abroader region. More importantly,leaving now would halt valuable progress just as MISO begins astudy aimed directly at addressing south Louisiana’sgrid challenges. Research consistently showsthat delaying transmission development increases long-term costs forconsumers and limits economic opportunity At the end of the day,astronger regional grid is not political. It is practical.
Families wantconfidence that the lights will stay on during extreme heat. Businesses want certainty that the grid can support growth and investment. Communities want to know that the systemspowering hospitals, emergency response and daily lifeare reliable. That is one area we are all aligned on, and the Risk Assessment is an important step toward answering it with real data, long-term planning and solutions that help ensure Louisiana is better prepared forthe future.
Madelyn Smith serves as the Louisiana programmanager forthe Southeastern Wind Coalition
STAFF FILE PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Crewswalk alongside the Artemis III core stageasitisslowlyrolledout of the Michoud Assembly Facility in NewOrleans on April
STAFF FILE PHOTO By JAVIER
ISSUE OF THE WEEK RED SCARE
As Democrats in recent elections have chosenincreasingly left-leaning candidates, some whobear the label of Democratic Socialists, Republicansare taking the opportunity to paint the party as too radical.
President DonaldTrump in aspeech last week at Mount Rushmore warned of the dangersofcommunism andsaid that Americansshould reject such ideologies. Has the left embraced policies that are antithetical to American values or is the right stoking fears just to win in the midterms? Hereare twoperspectives:
What to make of move from redhatstored
Donald Trump has gone from redhats to red hate.
With his popularity stuck below 40%in most polls, the presidentknows thatifthe fall elections become areferendumon hisrecord, Republicans will lose. Sohe’s turned to his favorite strategies of fear and falsehood.
Trump has long pitted Red America against Blue America anddonned acrimson cap to symbolize his tribal loyalties. But after far-left candidates won Democratic primaries in New York and Colorado, he quickly transformed red from arevered color to areviled one.
“There is now aresurgence of the communist menace in our land,” the president said at arally in South Dakota. “Communism is a mortal threat to American liberty.”
hate
exported by an insidious international conspiracy to poison theAmerican character
The political situation is complex because theclash between Trumpand his rivals is not purely an ideological rightversus-left conflict. For one thing, the president isn’tareal conservative in many ways, championing federal power over states’ rights in areas like voting rules and violating traditional normssuch as the power of Congress to spend federal money
Trump’santi-communist manifestoisnosurprise
President Donald Trump hadtwo messages in his speech at Mount Rushmore on the eve of July 4. The first, expected, message was atraditional celebrationof thenation’s250th anniversary.The second, less expected message was awarning about a“resurgence of the communistmenace” in the UnitedStates.
Steve Roberts
Red-baiting is adeeply dangerousand despicable strategy,but it has been acentral part of American politics for more than acentury,since the Bolshevik Revolution transformed Russia in 1917. Andit keeps resurfacing because it works, which is why Democrats face acritical dilemma.
The successful insurgents, some of them Democratic Socialists, have excited and engaged primary voters, especiallyyoung ones. And they’ve introduced innovative campaign tactics using social media that amplify their appeal.
However,ideas that win primaries in safe blue districts don’talways translate to Middle America. Control of Congress won’tbedecided in urban centers like Brooklyn or Berkeley,but in swing districts such as the suburbsofPhiladelphia and the farming towns of California’s Central Valley
The New York Times summarized the Democrats’ problem: “Theinsurgents, often campaigning on progressive platforms, have injected new energyintoa party still recovering from acrushing defeat in 2024. But they havealso concerned some in the party establishmentwho worry that voters are choosing candidates with narrower general-election appeal or politically toxicpositions that could hurt Democrats in November.”
Red-baiting comes easily to Trumpbecause it enables him to targettwo of his favorite enemies, liberals and foreigners, and throughout history,every outbreak has taken the same tone: Communism is demonized as alethal ideology, like an infectious disease or debilitating drug,
In addition, theDemocratic insurgents arepromotinggenerational change, not just policy differences, andcapitalizing on visceral dislike of Trumppersonally.“Fighter” and “outsider” are not ideological concepts. But some of their ideas can be both ideological and unpopular,from abolishing ICE and denouncing Israel to nationalizing healthcare. Even moredamagingcan be “woke” cultural tropes, especially those concerning gender identities.
That’swhy MattBennett, co-founder of Third Way, acentrist Democratic think tank,told theTimes that primary triumphs by far-left candidates were “dangerous” for Democrats nationally.“What we’ve seen Republicans do very successfully before is weaponize thecraziest ideas of the activist left,” he said. “And now theammunition they’ve got is much,much more powerful.”
What alarms Democratic realists is simplepolitical math. The “majority makers” from marginal districts, as former Speaker Nancy Pelosi calls them, are particularly vulnerable to thoseGOP weapons, and agroup of moderate House Democrats felt compelled to issueastatementsaying, “Weare capitalist, not socialist.”
Oneofthem,Rep. TomSuozzi from the NewYork suburbs, argued in theTimes that Democrats were “nevergoing to win themajority by just appealing tothe extreme base” and added: “The Republicans are always going to get 40%. The Democrats are always going to get 40%. It’sthe fight over that 20% in the middle.”
Trump has madeamajor blunder by ignoring, even denigrating, thereal-life economic concerns of ordinary Americans. ButDemocrats are fully capable of blowing their chances if they misread the meaning of afew far-left victories
EmailSteven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.
“As we approach this magnificent anniversary,wesee our American identity underarenewed attack, agenerationafter we fought and won the Cold War against the menace of communism,” Trump said. “There is now aresurgence of the communist menace in our land, including from newcomers to our country who embrace ideas totally opposed to our way of life and our greatsuccess. Theseare not merepolitical disagreements like differences over taxes or regulations.Communism is amortal threat to American liberty.”
the country Now,Trump is on record calling the whole DSA group communists. On one hand, it’sremarkable that so far there really hasn’tbeen much outrage and pushback from mainstream Democrats. On the otherhand, why would they push back?Manyview the DSA contingent as invaders who used the Democratic Party’sstructure to powertheir campaigns —for the purpose of defeating incumbent Democrats.
Trump’smove wasn’ta complete surprise. After theJune 23 Democratic primaries in New York —the one in which Democratic Socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani emerged as akingmaker by backing far-left candidates who upset progressive Democratic House incumbents— Trump quickly branded those far-left candidates as “communists,” and not as socialists, as they styled themselves
“As you saw with the communists elected in New York City recently they’re communists, they’re notsocial Democrats —they want to completely destroy thetraditional American way of life,” Trump toldthe Faith &Freedom Conference in Washington, D.C., on June 26. The Democratic Party,Trump said, is “becoming acommunist party.These are not social Democrats, these are hardcore, godlesscommunists. They’re godlesscommunists. All communists are godless. They don’tbelieve in God. This is themost serious threat to our country since itsexistence, in my opinion, 250 yearsago.”
By thenext week,whenTrump delivered the Mount Rushmore speech, more Democratic socialists hadwon Democratic Party primaries, one in Colorado, and one in Washington, D.C. What some non-socialistDemocrats hadhoped that theDemocratic Socialists of America victories would remained localized in New York City —instead spread across
Anotherreason for the quiet is that, for some of the DSA winners, the communist label either fits or comes uncomfortably close. Mamdani, of course, has specifically denied being acommunist. But he hasspokenofthe “warmth of collectivism” and“each according to their need,each according to their ability” —his paraphrase of Karl Marx. Also, at aDSA conferencein2021, Mamdani discussed goalslike canceling student debt, Medicarefor all and “seizing the means of production.” If you are talking about“seizing the means of production,” thenyou should notbetoo surprised when people think you are acommunist. But it’snot thatway for the otherDSA candidateswho wonrecently —Claire Valdez, MelatKiros, Janeese LewisGeorge andothers.
On the otherhand, allofthem are members of the Democratic Socialists of America, andthe word “socialist” has always been akey part of the vocabulary of communism, in the 20th century andtoday.Soone could say that Trump’s accusationisreasonably true for some of the DSA comrades who have defeated Democratic candidates and at least adjacenttothe beliefs of some others. In otherwords, it’sclose enough for a political campaign.
Thatsaid, Trump is absolutely on the money aboutcommunism, the ideology thatled to so much death, deprivation anddestructioninthe Soviet Union, Eastern Europe,Communist China, Cuba andelsewhere. “Communism is aloser,and it always will be,” Trump said in his July 4speech, the dayafter he spoke at Mount Rushmore. “Communism is the enemy of free people everywhere, everywhere in the world. Never works.”
Byron York is on X, @Bryon York
Byron York
ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByMATTGADE
An attendee wearing a250 shirtlistens as President Donald Trump speaks at Mount Rushmore National Memorial,near Keystone, S.D.
LSUtohostsummitonfunding athletics
Topdonorsinvited to Governor’s Mansion
BY ALYSE PFEIL andJON BLAU Staff writers
Gov.Jeff Landry and LSUPresident Wade Rousse plantohost the top 40 donors to LSU sportsat the Governor’sMansion in Baton Rouge for apresentation on the financialfuture of the university’s athletics department, auniversity spokesperson said Thursday The gathering will be held the firstweek of August, andthe two leaders will unveil “a first look at an alternative revenue generating opportunity for LSU athletics that is first of its kind nationally and could quite possibly change thefuture of college sports in America,” according to the event invitation Themeeting was firstreported by LouisianaSports.net.
Tiger Athletic Foundation President and CEO Matt Borman sent
Covingtonman
BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer
The last time Ryan Rushing saw his cousin Chris was on his grandmother’s porch in Abita Springs.
“Wewereout there sitting on the porch, talking about the basketball team,” recalled RyanRushing,a coach at Covington High School.
Though they were first cousins, Ryan said he and Chris Rushing grew up like brothers.
“Chris was real dependable. He was awarming soul,”RyanRushing said.
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his courtroom, saying he was trying to protect the anonymity of the grand jurors. In his own recusalorder Wednesday,Roche claimed Murrill’sattorney,Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, spread “vicious falsehoods and derogatory remarks” about him and theat-large New Orleans “citizenry”in public interviews and on social media. Roche cited an interview on courthouse stepsminutes after the indictment, during which Rodrigue lamented a“kangaroo court.” Rodrigue did not immediately respondtoa request for comment Thursday Less than 24 hours after theindictment was recorded, the Louisiana Supreme Court granted Murrill an emergencystaythat’s frozen proceedings in the case for now
PARASITE
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in Louisiana, with 73 cases reported in 2023.
“Dying from cyclospora is extremely rare,” said Dr Obinna Nnedu, an infectious disease physician at OchsnerMedical Center in New Orleans. “Where people feel really bad is when theyfeel dehydrated.”
Nationally,there have been record-breakingspikes in both Michigan andOhio.
Although Michigan state officials first announced the outbreak last week, they were only aware of 170 cases On Wednesday,Michigan reported 992 cases, including 40 hospitalizations. Ohio reported over 177 cases, with 28 hospitalizations, shortly after
“I certainly don’twant (Louisianans) to start panicking,”Nnedu said. “Our Centers forDiseaseControl is going to be looking into these cases to see if they are linked, and specifically what the exposures are.” What is cyclospora?
Cyclospora is amicroscopic, sphericalparasite that
theinvitation to donorsThursday “College athleticsisatfinancial crossroads, and we’re feeling it every day at LSU,” Borman wrote. “As someone who has contributed generously to our athletic programs to keep them operational, you know howunsustainable thebudget of the athletic department looks and howhard TAFhas worked with our donors to assist.”
Aprivate event at theGovernor’sMansion hosted by Landry and Roussewill be held on either Aug. 3orAug. 5at6 p.m. for “a conversation about thefuture of LSUAthletics.”
Asked for additional details
about the event and what will be discussed, LSU spokesperson Meg Casper Sunstrom declined to comment. “Athletic budgets across the countryare all experiencing the same unsustainable conditions as LSU,” Sunstrom said. A financialarmsrace
The meeting comes as college sportsprograms engage in afundraising arms race to attract top players through name, image and likeness dealsand revenuesharing.
In the 2025 fiscal year,LSU athletics reported just over $223.4 million in expenses, which is a36% increase from its 2020 budget. The athletic department didgenerate nearly thesame amount of money in revenues, but the expensecategory will only rise in the coming years.
The amount of revenue athletic departments can directlyshare with athletes will increasefrom
drowns saving child
“You ask Chris to help, he was more than welcome. A lot of the times you didn’t even have toask him.” Later that day, Chris Rushing, a38-year-old Covington resident, went with familytoapopular fishing and crabbingspotnear BayouLacombe.
While there,Rushing’s granddaughterfellinto the water on the west side of Lake Road bythe bayou, according to astatement from the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office on theJuly 1incident.
Rushing jumpedinand tried to rescue her, the
Justices didnot put a timeline on thestayorder but grantedthe attorney general time to file amotion to quash the indictment, finding “considerable support”thatshe’s“likely to succeed on the merits” in gettingthe indictment tossed out on “either alegalbasisordue to apparent proceduralirregularities.”
HansLiljeberg, who served 10 years alongside Chaisson on the 5th Circuit bench before becominga Jefferson Parish Council membe, praised the appointment.
“Goodman.Honestas the dayislong, super fair temperament, very hard to upset,” he said of Chaisson. “It was averywise choice by the Supreme Court, in my humbleopinion.”
While aself-initiated grand juryprobeisunusual, it’snot unprecedented Baton Rouge attorney Jim Boren helped get thenEast Baton Rouge MayorPresidentPat Screen out of hot water in 1987 after
commonly causes watery diarrhea “with frequent and sometimesexplosive bowel movements,” according to the CDC. The illness, called cyclosporiasis, is not usually life-threateningand is typically treated with antibiotics. As farasepidemiologists know,humans are the only species that can contract cyclosporiasis.
Theheat-loving parasite infects thebowels and spreadsthrough feces. In thepast, peoplehave been infected by consuming fruits or vegetables that were exposed to feces-contaminated irrigationwater The rates of cyclosporiasis cases are generallyhigher in developing countries, accordingtoNnedu,and some previous outbreaks of the illness were linked to imported produce.
The followingfoods have been specifically linked to previous cyclospora outbreaks in the United States and Canada:
n Bagged salad mixesand kits (pre-cutlettuce blends with romaine, iceberg, red cabbage, carrots)
n Fresh cilantro (coriander leaves)
n Fresh basil
n Raspberries
Sheriff’s Office said, but struggled and was pulled underwater.Afemale relative was able to save the young girl. But Rushing never resurfaced.
Firefighterswho responded to the scene around 7:34 p.m. pulled Rushing ashore andattempted CPR. He later diedatthe hospital, according to Fire District No. 3ChiefMichael Geissler
The autopsyshowed it was an accidentaldrowning, St. TammanyCoroner’s Office spokesperson James Hartman said.
agrand jury indicted him anda former top aide with malfeasance in office, acting against theadviceof then-Attorney General WilliamGuste’soffice. The panel sought counsel from another lawyer before charging Screen. Legal observers at thetime dubbed it a“runaway grand jury.”
ThegrandjuryinMurrill’scase was guided by aformer criminal court judge, Laurie White, after Williams recused.If it wasn’tarunaway jury, Borensaid the bigger anomaly was in the flash freeze by theLouisiana SupremeCourt.
“I have never, ever seen acasewhere adefendant …went straight tothe LouisianaSupreme Court. And without giving the prosecution an opportunity to respond, they issued a stay ”Boren said. “I would venture to saythat’s never happened before. Imean, I’ve been alawyer for 50 years. In those 50 years, that’snever happened.”
n Snow peas n Green onions (scallions)
People with diarrheathat hasn’tresolved on its own within afew days should seeahealth provider and discuss the possibility of cyclospora, officials say.
“If adiarrheaisprolonged, that goesonfor more than two days unstopped, you may wanttotalk withyour physician,” Nnedu said.
Continuetowatch outfor other symptoms as well, like abdominal pain and nausea
Investigationscan take months to determinewhere contaminated food came from and sometimes fail to find aclear source of the parasitic infection.
The bestway to prevent infection with aparasite is to avoidfood or water that may have been contaminated.
Fresh produceshould be thoroughly washed before being eaten,especially for those immunocompromised whoare at agreater risk of infection. But be aware that cyclospora can really stick to some foods, so washing may noteliminate the risk of infection.
They also say tocook vegetableswhenpossible,and practice standard good hygiene before meals.
$20.5 million in the last academic year to $21.3 million in 2026-27. To remain competitive, schoolshave also worked to facilitate third-party NIL dealsbetween businesses and athletes, which is afurther strain on theathletics donor base.
Thereare ways to generate additional revenue through sponsorships, and LSU inked what is believedtobeamultimillion-dollar deal with Woodside Energytoput ajerseypatch on its uniformsfor the2026 season. Therehas also been broad discussion in college athletics about privateequity investment serving as atool to boost cash flows. The Tiger Athletic Foundation’s letter doesn’tmention any specificsabout what it means by an “alternative” revenue source.
Rousse hasa background in thefinancialsector,serving as a policy research specialist with the FederalReserve Bank of Chicago andfounding hisown investment company
Thegovernor’sinvolvement
Landry has played aprominent roleinLSU sports. He made national headlines for publicly criticizing the buyout for fired head football coach Brian Kelly and saying that he would not allow then-Athletic Director Scott Woodward to select Kelly’sreplacement. Woodward wasalso fired soon after Kelly was owed theremaining $54 million dollars on his contract, though LSU’sobligation could be reduced if he earns asalary elsewhere.
After LSU hired Lane Kiffin as the new head coach, the Louisiana governor saidthe experience taught him that college athletics is “broken,” and he has warned other university sports are at risk over the financial strain caused by football programsand name, image and likeness deals.
Aspokesperson for Landry declinedtocommentonthe planned meeting with donors.
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Lafayette near Costco.
Pizza Hut, which was just sold to aprivate equityfirm earlierthismonth for $2.6 billion, announced in February it would close 250 locations after same-store sales in 2025 dropped5%.
Papa John’ssaid it will close200 locations due to slumping sales compa-
nywide.
ConsumerEdge tabbed quick-serve snack and beverageoutlets as the biggest winner this year,with a6% growth. Consumers have shunned full meals out of the home in favor of morning coffees or afternoon snacks, often at places like Starbucks, Dunkin, Dutch Bros or 7Brew Quick-serve chickenlocationshad abouta2%increase in sales, the report indicated. SalesatChick-fil-
Aand Raising Cane’s locations have slowed, but newer brands such as Dave’s HotChicken andJollibee have posted double-digit sales growth. Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.
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significant stormwater infiltrationintosewer lines. Final neighborhood selection will begin in thefall.
Property owners will then be notified andpresented with consent forms. If the owners agree, work on their damaged sewagelines can begin. Thoseconversations with residents areexpected to begin sometime in the fall. By 2028, the city hopes to prove thatrepairs aresuccessful in threecore neighborhoods andtoadd capacity for 400 additional units before scaling theproject outward, according to the presentation.
Landry Rousse
Summer League blues continue
Pelicans fall in opener to Timberwolves, drop 12th straight summer game
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
NotevenasplendidperformancefromKobe
Bufkin was enough to stop the New Orleans Pelicans’ Summer League woes Thursday
Bufkin poured in 30 points, but the Pelicans fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves 105-92 in the Summer League opener in Las Vegas. The Pelicans have now lost 12 straight games in Summer League play Their last win in Summer League play was in their next-to-last game in 2023.
Bufkin, who has the most NBA experience on the Pels’ Summer League roster, scored 21 of his points in the first half. That included three 3-pointers. In the game, he knocked down five of nine 3-pointers to go with his six rebounds and two assists.
Bufkin was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2023 draft He spent his first two seasons in Atlanta and played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, appearing in 16 games.
Pelicans’ coach Jamahl Mosley spoke Monday about what this opportunity means
Technically, John Walker plays wide receiver for Plaquemine High
The reality is he wears many hats. At his primary position, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder caught 62 passes for 793 yards and eight touchdowns for the Green Devils last season. But the UL commitment also ran the ball 41 times for 161 yards and four scores and was even 12-of-19 passes for 115 yards and another score,
“They kind of put me everywhere,” said Walker, who grew up playing quarterback and switched to receiver during high school. “I picked up a new role last year, and kind of stepped up as a leader So I played multiple positions and did whatever the team needed.” Walker’s ability to play both the slot and outside receiver spots was an attractive skill to the Cajuns.
He received an offer at a camp last year and Walker was impressed with the way UL recruited him.
The two-day draft begins at noon Saturday, featuring the first four rounds. Rounds 5-20 will begin at 10:30 a.m. Sunday No one knows when Brasch will be selected, but recent conversations speculate, “The end of the first day or the beginning of the second day I just can’t wait to get started.”
Brasch said he had no preference. Growing up in Haslet, Texas, he attended Texas Rangers games, but was never a diehard fan of any team.
“I think he’s a Day 1 guy in my opinion,” UL coach Matt Deggs said. “I definitely think he has the ability to be a starter but that’s going to take a little more seasoning. He’ll have to develop a third pitch.
“But he’s a safe bet right away to get you three outs or six outs on the back end. That’s a safe bet.”
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder began his only season with
Judge grants injunction for hoops players suing NCAA
CINCINNATI An Ohio judge has granted a preliminary injunction for 24 men’s and women’s college basketball players suing the NCAA for eligibility, claiming the new age-based model unfairly shuts them out of further competition.
Judge Christopher Wagner said Thursday the NCAA eligibility rules have been applied to 2022 high school graduates in an arbitrary and capricious manner, adding the plaintiffs would suffer “irreparable injury” without an injunction.
“We hope the NCAA reconsiders its position and allows all other similarly situated athletes from the high school class of 2022 to compete for remaining roster spots in all sports,” attorney Ryan Downton said. Wagner’s ruling allows the athletes in the lawsuit an opportunity to enter the transfer portal. He scheduled a conference for Aug. 4 to prepare for a trial.
“While we will seek to overturn this ruling, it is now apparent that Congress must act swiftly to restore stability, uniformity, and fair competition in college athletics,” the NCAA said in a statement. The Protect College Sports Act has
moved forward with Senate committee approval in June. However, the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences oppose the bill designed to stabilize college sports and are seeking revisions.
Downton has filed similar lawsuits against the NCAA on behalf of nearly 30 men’s and women’s basketball players. The lawsuit in Cincinnati was filed shortly after the NCAA Division I Cabinet approved a monumental change in eligibility rules last month.
“When each plaintiff completed their fourth season of competition during the 2025-26 academic year, they had every reason to know it was the end of the line and time to make way for the next generation of college athletes,” the NCAA wrote in a filing.
The plaintiffs are seeking to be eligible to play a fifth year during the upcoming season, representing athletes who graduated from high school in 2022 and began their college sports careers that autumn and never redshirted.
“Each plaintiff was harmed each time he or she competed in a basketball game
STAFF PHOTO By BRAD KEMP
UL
MLB Draft. Brasch ‘can’t wait’ for the
PROVIDED PHOTO Plaquemine wide receiver John Walker plans to brings his versatility to the Ragin’ Cajuns.
The Associated Press
STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD
Pelicans guard Micah Peavy takes a shot during a game against the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 21 at the Smoothie King Center Peavy hopes to make strides in his shooting during Summer League play in Las Vegas.
Gauff ‘panicked’ into semifinals loss
BY ANDREW DAMPF AP sportswriter
LONDON Coco Gauff had just the shot she was looking for Seven years after her breakthrough at Wimbledon, the American player was on the verge of reaching her first final at the All England Club.
All she needed to do was execute what appeared to be a manageable put-away on her first match point.
The thing is, it’s never that simple in a Grand Slam semifinal, especially toward the end of a decisive super tiebreaker on Centre Court — the sport’s most hallowed venue.
Gauff fluffed a forehand dropshot attempt into the net and her opponent Karolina Muchova went on to see out a drama-filled tiebreaker to win 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (10) on Thursday On the match point, Gauff hit a well-placed serve down the T on the ad court and Muchova’s weak forehand return bounced before the service line — right in Gauff’s attack zone. But Muchova’s shot had some topspin on it and kicked up higher than Gauff was anticipating.
“The bounce kind of caught me off guard,” Gauff said. “I just panicked a little bit.”
After the miss, Gauff ran her non-hitting hand over her face and practiced a full-swing forehand that perhaps she would have preferred in hindsight.
“People who don’t watch tennis are going to be like, ’Why did you do that?” Gauff said. “At the end of the day, that’s the choice I made. Was it the right one in that moment? Maybe not. But then also if I make it, everyone’s going to say how clutch of a shot that was
“That’s just tennis. You lose some points off margins.”
A ‘roller coaster’ for Muchova
Muchova also lost a match point before she came out on top when Gauff hit a forehand into the net
“It was such a big fight,” Muchova said. “It was a roller coaster.”
Muchova will meet Linda Noskova in an all-Czech final on Sat-
urday after Noskova beat Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-4.
Clearly flustered after her miss, Gauff called for a ball to serve again before she realized it was time to change ends since it was 9-9.
“I’m going to think about it tonight,” Gauff said.
“I look at Roger (Federer, in the 2019 final) lost match points here, Jannik (Sinner) obviously at Roland Garros (in last year’s final) Every great champion has this happen in their career,” Gauff added. “Maybe this is something I need to be on their level.”
Tracy Austin suggested on the BBC that Gauff looked like “she changed her mind three times as to where to hit that ball.”
But Gauff said, “Honestly, I didn’t change my mind too much I feel like if I had to do it over, I probably would have gone for a slice forehand down the line.
“It’s a learning experience,” Gauff added. “I know I can do bet-
ter and improve on that, and going with a higher-margin shot in a pressure moment, for sure.”
Diving like Boris Becker
On the point after Gauff’s miss, Muchova produced a lob winner to set up her first match point, which she lost when she slipped to the grass and a passing shot from Gauff sailed by her
But Muchova quickly set up another match point and produced a series of shots to the corners. Gauff, on the full run, reached the last ball but her forehand response landed in the net and Muchova covered her hands in disbelief.
“You’re up and down in 10 seconds. You have a match point, then match point down. It’s no time to think, but very nerve-wracking,” Muchova said. “I’m really kind of shaking and trying to sink it in.”
Earlier in the tiebreaker Muchova produced a diving forehand volley winner at full stretch that brought back memories of the way
three-time Wimbledon champion
Boris Becker used to play She ended up face down on the grass, her racket lying next to her as the crowd roared.
There will be a third Czech champion in four years after Marketa Vondrousova in 2023 and Barbora Krejcikova in 2024.
Gauff’s Wimbledon history
For Gauff, it was still her most successful Wimbledon. Previously the seventh-ranked American had gone only as far as the fourth round three times – including as a 15-year-old in 2019 in her Grand Slam debut.
Gauff had had won six of her seven previous matches against Muchova.
But Muchova has been nearly unbeatable on grass this year and extended her record this season on the surface to 11-1 after a title in Bad Homburg, Germany Her only loss on grass this year came against Madison Keys in the Berlin Open round of 16.
Muchova beat Gauff for the first time in April on clay in Stuttgart, Germany
It was another hot day in London with the temperature soaring to 91 degrees Fahreinheit (33 Celsius) prompting spectators to fan themselves in the stands in an attempt to keep cool.
Muchova appeared to be struggling physically as the match wore on, bending over in exhaustion after one long rally and holding her abdomen in apparent pain during the final game.
“I’m OK,” Muchova said. “I just was trying to catch a breath.
The men’s semifinals on Friday feature top-ranked and defending champion Jannik Sinner against seven-time Wimbledon winner Novak Djokovic and French Open champion Alexander Zverev against British wild card Arthur Fery
Mixed doubles
In the mixed doubles final, second-seeded Marcelo Arevalo and Jelena Ostapenko beat Marc Polmans and Storm Hunter 4-6, 7-5, 6-2.
McIlroy part of 5-way tie for lead in Scottish Open
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer
NORTH BERWICK, Scotland Rory
McIlroy began getting into the mood for the final major of the year by taking advantage of the par 5s at The Renaissance Club for a 5-under 65, giving him a fiveway share of the lead Thursday in the Genesis Scottish Open. Patrick Cantlay made a little noise in an otherwise quiet year for the American with five birdies in 10 holes and then a collection of tough par saves at the end that felt just as valuable He also was at 65, along with Tom Kim, Bernd Wiesberger and Rasmus Hojgaard.
Hojgaard was the only player of the leading five to play in the afternoon, when the wind began to calm. He was at 6 under with four holes to play but found a bunker off the 16th, went into the rough and took double bogey Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 player in the world searching for his first win since January, made three straight birdies around the turn and was slowed by a long three-putt bogey on the 11th, followed by a drive into a bunker that kept him from reaching the green at the par-5 12th. Scheffler failed to birdie any of the three par 5s in his round of 68.
“Wish I could have gotten a few more shots out of it,” Scheffler said. “I like to keep a clean card, so two bogeys hurt. Maybe could have played the par 5s a little bit better But overall, nothing crazy Just a decent day.”
McIlroy felt about the same. He was tied for the 18-hole lead for the first time since the Masters,
ASSOCIATED
Rory McIlroy plays from a bunker on the ninth fairway on Thursday’s opening round of the Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland.
but this didn’t feel like anything special except for seizing on the easiest scoring chances.
McIlroy holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the par-5 first hole — he started his round on No. 10 — to go along with a pair of birdies on the other two par 5s at The Renaissance Club. That made his round and his scorecard feel a little better
He has been away the last two weeks since a pedestrian performance in the U.S Open, though the brand of golf doesn’t feel entirely different. Shinnecock Hills might be as close to links golf as any course in America. The Renaissance Club has the look of links, though it is not links turf. The real test is Royal Birkdale next week for the British Open. “I felt like I drove the ball par-
ticularly well, and I started to see that at Shinnecock, as well,” McIlroy said. “A continuation of putting the ball in play and then once I do that, I feel like I can attack courses and I can set up scoring opportunities. I did that today.” Cantlay hasn’t won in nearly four years and slipped to No. 37 in the world after missing the cut in the U.S. Open, his lowest ranking in more than eight years. He’s had three top 10s and four other finishes in the top 20 It hasn’t been horrible, but he has lacked a spark and might have found one. He went to a slightly heavier putter to account for the slower greens this week and next, and it paid off in birdies and pars. Most impressive was his finish. He found a pot bunker off the tee on the par-5 seventh and could only
Iwai leads in first round of Evian Championship
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France Aki Iwai shot an 8-under 63 for a two-stroke lead on Thursday in the first round of the Evian Championship, the fourth women’s golf major of the season, as top-ranked Nelly Korda struggled.
The 24th-ranked Iwai had eight birdies and no dropped shots in the sun-splashed lakeside town that three weeks ago hosted the G7 summit of world leaders.
Japan’s Iwai made birdies at three of the last four holes, including the par-5 18th, and led by two shots from Perrine Delacour, whose 6-under 65 included an eagle at the par-5 15th and a pair of bogeys toward the end of her round.
Korda was 11 shots back with a 3-over 74, including a doubly bogey six at the first hole.
Soccer star Pulisic fractured his leg during Belgium loss
U.S. star Christian Pulisic fractured his right leg during the Americans’ World Cup loss to Belgium and will be sidelined for several weeks.
Pulisic has a bone bruise and a microfracture of his tibia and fibula, the U.S. Soccer Federation said Thursday The diagnosis was made after an X-ray and MRI on Tuesday He would not have been able to play during the remainder of the tournament had the U.S. advanced.
Pulisic is expected to resume training before AC Milan’s Serie A opener at Torino on Aug. 23.
Pulisic hit a leg of Belgium captain Youri Tielemans while attempting a shot in the 52nd minute of Monday’s 4-1 round-of-16 loss at Seattle.
Commanders to retire Hall of Famer Riggins’ No. 44
ASHBURN, Va. — The Washington Commanders are retiring John Riggins’ No. 44 during the upcoming NFL season, the team announced Thursday The Hall of Fame running back will be honored in a ceremony at halftime of the team’s game against the Los Angeles Rams on Nov 8.
“There are certain players whose impact goes far beyond statistics, championships and accolades: They become woven into the identity of a franchise,” controlling owner Josh Harris said in a statement.
Riggins is the organization’s all-time leading rusher with 7,472 yards and 79 touchdowns on 1,988 carries and helped the team win the Super Bowl in the 1982 season.
Wichita joins Dayton as host cities for NCAA Tournament
get that back to the fairway, leaving him 261 yards for his third shot. He wound up getting upand-down and saving par with a 13-foot putt. He saved par with a 5-foot putt on the eighth and then got up-anddown from just inside 100 feet off the ninth green to keep a clean card.
“I’ve been putting in some hard work with my team, and have got some important golf the rest of the year,” Cantlay said.
The Scottish Open is co-sanctioned by the European tour and PGA Tour, the ideal place to be for those wanting to get acclimated for the British Open, whether it’s the seaside air, the time zone or a slightly slower set of greens
It’s also a last chance for the likes of Michael Thorbjornsen, among those at 67. The leading three players not already eligible get a spot at Royal Birkdale. Thorbjornsen is fourth alternate. Brooks Koepka, who appears to be past that mysterious nerve issue in his left hand that caused him to pull out of the Canadian Open when he was off to a good start, felt that putting is all that has slowed him this year That much was evident when he missed four putts from 7 feet or under, one of them from 20 inches. He also rolled in three birdie putts from outside 20 feet and was among seven players at 66.
Nearly half of the 156-man field broke par
“It could have been a very, very good round But then again, I’m happy with the way I battled back,” Koepka said. “That was solid. So hopefully take that into tomorrow.”
The opening round of the expanded men’s NCAA Tournament will be split between Dayton, Ohio, where those early games traditionally have been played, and Wichita, Kansas, for at least the next two years.
The NCAA said Thursday that both cities would host six games apiece in the enlarged 76-team field.
“Like Dayton, Wichita is a basketball-crazed community that we expect will embrace the reimagined start of the tournament,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill, the chairman of the NCAA’s Division I men’s basketball committee, said in a statement.
The NCAA approved the expansion of the tournament from 68 teams in May
Red Sox pitcher Suarez out of All-Star game due to injury
CHICAGO Boston Red Sox pitcher Ranger Suarez will miss next week’s All-Star Game after he was placed on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a left groin strain. The IL stint for Suarez was made retroactive to Monday, a day after he left with two outs in the third inning in Boston’s 7-5 victory at the Los Angeles Angels. The lefthander is 4-3 with a 3.15 ERA in 17 starts in his first season after signing a $130 million, five-year contract with the Red Sox in free agency The 30-year-old Suarez was scheduled to pitch again on Saturday at the New York Mets. Tracy said the team is considering several options for the start at New York, including Brayan Bello, who was optioned to TripleA Worcester
PRESS PHOTO By MALCOLM MACKENZIE
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KIRSTy WIGGLESWORTH
Coco Gauff reacts after losing a point against Karolina Muchova in their semifinal singles match at Wimbledon on Thursday in London.
All-Star Mitchell
signs4-year, $273M extensionwithCavs
BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter
The Cleveland Cavaliers have achieved one of their primary aims of the offseason while the wait continues on whether LeBron James will return to thefranchise for athird time.
The team announced Thursday that Donovan Mitchell has signed his four-year, $273 million contract extension.
The seven-time All-Staragreed to the extension on Tuesday,the first day the Cavs could offer it Mitchell had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he wouldbeeligible for afive-year supermax deal worth $350 million.
“From dayone, he embraced this organization, our fans, and our community.He’sbeenclear in his desire to be here, and that speaks volumes about who he is,” president of basketball operations Koby Altman said in astatement. “Securing Donovan long term reflects our shared vision and our commitment to building toward another NBA championship in Cleveland.”
The 29-year-old Mitchell led the Cavaliers this past season to their first conference final since 2018.
He averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, alongwith26 points in the playoffs.
Mitchell’sextensionhas been the Cavaliers’ biggest move of theoffseason while everyone in the NBA waits to see where James decides to sign.
The Cavaliers are asentimental favorite for James to return.The 41-year-oldfrom Akron, Ohio,
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell reacts after hitting a 3-point basket in agame against the Detroit Pistons on May11in Cleveland.
wasthe topoverall pickbyClevelandin2003 and has spent 11 of his23seasons wearing wine and gold (2003-10, 2014-18). He left for Miami in 2010 but returned four years later to lead theCavaliers totheir first NBA championship in 2016.
James Harden —whomthe Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline —also is considering a newdeal to remain with Cleveland afterturning down his player option for 2026-27.
It is likely Harden will wait untilafter the Cavaliers do therest of their offseason moves before comingback
So far theCavaliers have seen Dean Wade (Philadelphia)and Larry Nance Jr.(Indiana) depart, but they did re-sign reservecenter Thomas Bryant. For now,Mitchell’sextension it is thefourth-biggestcontract in terms of total value in NBA history behind the $314 million contractBoston gave to Jayson Tatum, the $285 million dealthat the Celtics gave to Jaylen Brown —who now playsfor Philadelphia —and the $276million deal that Nikola Jokic currently has with Denver That assumes Mitchell will pick up aplayer option worth nearly $76 million for 2030-31. The average annual value of justover $68 million is, fornow,anNBA record, barely passing the $67.9 millionaverage value of the deal thatShai Gilgeous-Alexanderhas with Oklahoma City.
The extension alsoincludes full trade kicker Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points in four seasons with Cleveland since he was tradedbythe Utah Jazz in 2022.
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for Bufkin.
“I think it’sgreat for Kobe,” Mosley said.“He’s been excellent in his communication with the coaches in what he’s trying to do and what we’re asking of him to do. Just be afacilitator andattack the basket when he needsto. Defensively, canhe pickguys up full court? Can he make it harder for theother team’spoint guard? It’sagreat opportunityfor him,but it’sa great opportunity for all these guys to show what they are capable of doing.”
While Bufkin was the most experienced player,the Pelicans also got big contributions from the smallestguy on thecourt Markquis Nowell, a5-foot-7 guard,finished with 20 points, six assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Micah Peavy,who played in 61 gamesfor the Pelicans as arookie this past season, scored 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting.Heshot 2-for-4 on 3-pointers, avast improvement fromhis rookie year
when he shot just 25.9%from longdistance. Making strides in his shootingwas an area Peavy wanted to improveduring SummerLeague play
“I’m going to go outand show what I’ve been working on and what this new coaching staff has been putting in place,” Peavy said Monday. “Mainly,Ican show just how many shots I’ve been putting up. My confidenceisthere.”
ThePelicans selected Peavey in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Jaron Pierre,the New Orleans nativeand thePels’ second-round pickinJune, scored just two points in his 12 minutes of play
Solomon Washington, also aNew Orleans native, did not play.He wasone of fiveplayersonthe roster whodidn’tplay
CenterHunter Dickinson finished with 12 points and six rebounds.He was2-for-4on3-pointers. Collectively, thePelicans shot 42% (14-of-33) on 3-pointers.
The Pelicanswill try to end their 12-game summer skid Saturday against the Charlotte Hornets.
Email RodWalker at rwalker@theadvocate.com.
Prep forward Marcus Spears Jr drivesthe ballagainst ProlificPrep during a game on Jan. 19 at the Hoophall Classicin Springfield, Mass. On Thursday, Spears Jr committed to Texas
LSUtargetSpearsJr. commits to rivalSEC programTexas
BY TOYLOY BROWNIII Staff writer
One of LSU’stop targets on the 2027 recruiting trail is no longer available.
Marcus Spears Jr., theNo. 1 player in theclassof2027, committedtoTexas and reclassified to the 2026 class, according to ESPN. The 6-foot-9 lefty forwardturned 17 in April and will have to spend two years in college before being eligible for the NBAdraft.Heis the sonofformer LSU football and NFL defensivelineman Marcus Spears, now an ESPN analyst.His mom is also former LSUwomen’s basketball center Aiysha Smith, who started all 64 games in her Tigers career “Marcus Jr.grew up in Texas, andthere’s nothing like playing for your home school and winning,
NCAA
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against afifth or sixth-year player withoutbeing offered the same opportunitytocompete in afifth season themselves,” Downtown wrote in afiling.
TheNCAAnow allows athletes five seasonsofcompetition over a five-year period that begins with their full-timeenrollment or the academicyear following their 19thbirthday, whichever occurs first.
Themovewill allbut eliminate waivers or redshirt years for extended eligibility except forreligious missions, pregnancyoractive-duty militaryservice. Extensions will no longer be considered
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“Wedeveloped arelationship andtheychecked on me, came by and checked on me really prioritized me, so Idecided to commit,” Walker said.
As if that’snot exciting enough, Walker was elated to get thenews lastmonth that he’snow going to getfive yearsofeligibility withthe NCAA’s new age-based eligibility standard.
“I was very happy when that passed,”hesaid. “I had been waiting for that to pass. It’s very exciting. Ithink it’sgoing to be really good for college football.”
It’scertainly no big secret that UL constantlyhas its eyeon Plaquemine’sfootball program.
Since thedays of Brian Mitchell, many Green Devils have become Ragin’ Cajuns —fromKevin DotsontoPercy ButlertoAndre Riley Evenlast season, the Cajuns added
Spears told ESPN. “I experienced thatgrowing up in Louisiana at LSU. This is hisdecision and his future.”
Spears Jr.was re-offered by LSU coach Will Wade on May21after being initially recruited by former coach Matt McMahon. The star Texas commitwas also heavily recruited by Kentucky and Arizona.
Spears Jr.told Sam Lance of the Fieldof68onMay 29 that he wasin contact with assistants on Wade’s coaching staffbut hadn’t spoken to Wade.
“I haven’t talked to coach Wade yet, butI’vebeen in contact with the assistants,” Spears Jr.said. “I seen what coach Wade did at NC State. He obviously did good,soI’ll be looking into it.”
Spears Jr., who willnow be the No. 4player in ESPN’stop 100 rankings, has been playing AAU basketball thissummer for the
for athletes whoare injured.
Athletes whose eligibility expiredbyspring 2026 underthe traditional model —four years of competition over fiveyears —will not be allowed afifthyear of competitionunderthe newrulesthat go intoeffect this fall.
TheDivision ICabinet has said in astatement posted on Xthat it was aware of legal action challenging its decision and that “wedonot intendtochange course.”
Threebasketballplayers, including Xavier forwardFilip Borovicanin of Serbia,and three coaches,including Xavier coach Richard Pitino, alongwithan agent testified at ahearing in Cincinnati earlierthis month, while theNCAA did notcallany witnesses.
Wagner appeared to be critical
star defensive back Rod Bingham to thefold.
“There’sjust aconnection between UL andour community,” Walker said.“I’ve been in contact withall of those guys that went through, so Iwant to create my own legacy there too.”
Walker’smost immediate priority, though,ishelping the Green Devils makethat final push to reach the state finals after two straight state semifinal losses.
“Definitely,we’re very hungry,” he said. “Really,it’sthe small things—those little details. We’ve got to concentrate on doing those things and just finish in the fourth quarter.”
For his part, Walker said he’sfocusing on getting out of his breaks faster andimproving hishands catching the ball.
“And Iwant to continue to grow as aleader,”Walker added. Ayemereisone of three linebackers— also including Landen Ortte of St. Thomas More and Camron Alakija of Crawford High
Texas-based program DriveNation. In 11 games,heaveraged 20.9 points,8.7 rebounds,1.2 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. He also shot59.3% fromthe field and 52.6% from the 3-point line on 1.7 attempts per game.
The only commitment Will Wade has in the 2027 recruiting class is Ahmad Hudson, the No.26player in the country,according to ESPN The6-foot-7, 239-poundfour-star forward is also committed to play football for Lane Kiffin. Hudson, aRustonnative,isthe No. 1tight end in the country and said this summer he’sgoing to playboth sports.
Hudson earned Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year honors as ajunior,averaging 19.7 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 3.0 blocks. He led Ruston (23-4) to the Division Inonselect state tournamentchampionship game.
of the NCAA in his written ruling, saying the governing body resembles“ahighly profitable professional sports league,” morethan itsargument of being avoluntary association.
“The court finds, by clear and convincing evidence, that plaintiffs will sufferirreparable injury if the preliminary injunction is not granted,” Wagner said.
The NCAA said the decision was wrong.
“Wewill immediately seekall avenuesfor reversal, including astayofthe court’sorderpending appeal,” the NCAA said. “The courtdisregardedovera century of precedentand substituted its ownjudgment, on alimited factual record,for thecollective expertise of the nation’sleading higher education institutions.”
in Texas —onthe Cajuns’ commitmentlist.
Overall, Walker is one of 15 current UL commitments. The other offensive commitments include tight end Bryce Coleman, tackle Adarius Hines of East View High in Texas, tackle Noah ErnstofAngleton High in Texas, tackle Philip Cenac of VandebiltCatholic, wide receiver Robert Taylor of Ferriday, and quarterback TamAndersonof West Brook High in Texas On defense,there’s defensive linemanKobe Smith of Avoyelles, University High’sdefensive lineman Maison Smith, edge rusher OmosefeAyemere of Elkins High in Texas, St.ThomasMore linebacker Landen Ortte, safety Gavin Cooper from Rummel, safety Jabriran Blake of Wylie High in Texasand cornerback CalebWhite of SummerCreek High in Texas.
Email KevinFoote at kfoote@ theadvocate.com.
AP FILE
PHOTO
By SUE OGROCKI
FABULOUS FLOWERS
The annual showand saleoforchids bringsinexhibitors from orchid societies across the Gulf Coast.Also look for affordableplants from local vendors, tours, and education sessions running 9a.m.to4:30 p.m.
Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 3p.m. Sunday at theLSU Rural Life Museum in Baton Rouge. Free. aos.org
LIVING
Ryan Kattner, in addition to a summer of touring withMan Man, is writingscripts on spec, contemplating thenextMan Man album and on the lookout formore acting work.
BY DOUG MacCASH Staff writer
It seems like just yesterday that street cleaning crews swept up the last of the beads on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, exhausted costumers wandered home from the FrenchQuarter the Rex ball was on TV, and Carnival 2026 drew to aclose.
But, believe it or not, the calendar tells us that Monday marked the halfway point to Carnival 2027.
Though the traditional season always begins on Twelfth Night,Jan. 6, the date of the climactic Fat Tuesday changes year by year,based on the moon cycle. With Mardi Gras falling early on Feb. 9, the next Carnival will be asprint, providing just 34 days to legitimately consume king cake.
An increase in daily consumption may be necessary As our Carnival 2027 preview indicates, from the Phunny Phorty Phellows rolling streetcar party and Joan of Arc parade at the startofthe season, to the Zulu and Rex parades that close it out, there will be nary a week without aprocession. And starting with the appropriately named Twelfth Night Revelers, the white-gloved set gets in on the action with a season of balls, most private, by invitation, but many are extravaganzas that can be attended by purchasing tickets,including Endymion, Bacchus, Orpheus and Zulu As always, new themes, celebrityriders and other novel features will arise. Stay tuned.
Off-season controversies are, of course,as much apart of Carnival as glitter and doubloons. This year,city leaders have floated the possibility of anew tax on parade riders to help plug a recently revealedMardi Gras budget shortfall. Meanwhile, asimmering lawsuit has pitted New Orleans’ Krewe of Oshun against its former float builder Plus, former Krewe of Nyx members were awarded a$90,000 settlement in aclass-action lawsuit against the nowdefunct krewe. But fear not, despite stepping awayfrom the editorship, Arthur Hardy has agreed to continue contributing his unparalleled knowledge of the big party to the annual Mardi Gras Guide, set to publish around Christmas. Victor Andrews at The Times-Picayune |NOLA.com will take the reins as senior editor with Hardy as editor emeritus.
PROVIDED PHOTO By EBRU yILDIZ
MAN MAN ON THE RUN
BY JOHNWIRT Contributing
writer
RyanKattner,ringleader of the well-respected Man Man, put hisindie-rock band on hold in 2025. Themultitalented Kattner, akaHonus Honus, spent last year working on theAMC+series “TheVampire Lestat” —as an actor,co-writer,contributing songwriter,musician and music supervisor.The series’ third seasonofepisodes debutedthissummer,culminating in the season finale on July 19
With “Vampire Lestat” production on hiatus, Kattner is all in for Man Man’s2026 summer tour.Friday,for the first time sincethe group’s2014 showat the Spanish Moon, the band is
back in Baton Rouge, this time at Chelsea’sLive. Tour setlists will include songs from ManMan’s imaginative andengagingly accessible seventh album,“Carrot on Strings.”Released in 2024 by Seattle’slegendary Sub Pop Records, “Carrot” follows the band’sSub Popdebut,2020’s “Dream Hunting in the Valley of the In Between.”
“We’re going to be busting outaton of songs, spanning the discography,” Kattner said from Brooklyn, New York, the latestofthe many places he has dwelled. “Depending on
if ‘VampireLestat’ fans come out, Imight do aLestat song I wrote. And there’snew stuff.A lot of stuff. And we’ll play‘So It Goes’ for any ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ fans.” By popular demand, Sub Pop released“So It Goes”— acountry-ish ballad heard in the 2020 videogame “Cyberpunk 2077” —asasingle in March. Audiences first heard actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead singing the song in the 2016 short film that’salso titled “So It Goes,” which co-stars Kattner
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Really?Jerry Seinfeld brings newact to BR
to hiswebsite t’snot theeasiput asmile on a salways worth Yethe’s ma de it look easy for years on the stand-up comedystage and the small screen. While surfing, one is bound rerunsofhis nothing,” the nine-season comedy “Seinfeld.” Launch dinadditionto “Seinfeld” episodes, which he played
afictionalized versionofhimself, there are his comedy specialsand newer series, “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee.” Fansofthe king of observational humor, Jerry Seinfeld, can catch his new stand-up routine at 8p.m. Saturdayatthe River Center Theatre for PerformingArts. According to Ticketmaster,seats are still available in theorchestra section for$225.80.
This marks the 72-year-old native New Yorker’sthird trip to the Capital City in the last17years, appearing here in 2009 and2015.
Here’sa bit of Seinfeld trivia for you:
n He’s authored four books: “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee Book,” “Is This Anything?”, “Seinlanguage” and the picture book “Halloween.”
n He chairsGood+ Foundation’sFatherhood Leadership Council, which supports programs that address the
roots of intergenerational poverty and change the story around fatherhood.
n His full name? Jerome Allen Seinfeld.
n He co-created and wrote “Seinfeld” with Larry David.
n “Seinfeld” won22Emmy Awards and received 55 nominations.
n Rolling Stonenamed him the seventh-greatest stand-up comedian of all time in 2017.
n He practices transcendental meditation.
n His comedy influences range from Richard Pryor to Abbott and Costello.
n He directed, co-wrote, produced andstarred in theNetflix comedy film “Unfrosted,” which spoofed the creation of Pop-Tarts, and also cowrote and starred in the animated “Bee Movie.”
n He is left-handed and his first joke wasabout being left-handed.
Stress of successcausesbreakdowns
DEAR HARRIETTE: As I’ve grown up, I’ve always triedto do my best whenever Ican Itry not to limit myself with mediocrity and always push myself. This has been amain driver of my successful moments; however,it definitely impacts the way Itreat myself in private.Although people see me as ahigh achiever, Ifind myself constantly critiquing my mistakes and unable to move past my imperfections. This leads to hours of spiraling and looping, the result of me subconsciously
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“That’show my whole musicianas-actor started, because Iwrote that song,” he said.
Kattner’soriginaldemo recording for “So It Goes” later found its way to “Cyberpunk 2077.” In the video game universe, he’scredited as Fingers and the Outlaws.
“I bought the game to see (how the song is used),” Kattner said. “It plays all the time. And it’s in adramatic moment in the game. Kids were covering it on YouTube and I’d get requests for it all the time. So, we figuredwemight as well release it.”
Another Kattner songhas surfaced in Season 3of“TheVampire Lestat,” chosen by theseries’ composer,Daniel Hart, whoalso serves as music director for the band led by LestatdeLioncourt Kattner’scharacter in the series, Salamander,plays bass forthe rock star vampire.
During this week’s“The Vampire Lestat: After Dark” discussion with the show’scast and crew series star Sam Reid praised his TV band.
“They are an incredible bunch of actors and super-talented musicians in their ownright,” Reid said. “Wefelt so lucky thatwehad such nice people to play the band and we just all instantly got on.”
“Daniel Hart spent so muchtime with us,” Kattner said. “That’s something that’sreallyspecial about the show.Three weeks of rehearsal before we even started shooting and then we rehearsed throughout the five months of shooting. Every time yousee the
thinking I’m not allowed to mess up. This even extendstomepushingaway my emotionswhen it impacts my productivity.This often snowballs into me having huge breakdowns asa result of pent-up emotions. Do you have any tips for learningtosee yourself as humanand not amachine? —HumanizingMyself
DEAR HUMANIZING MYSELF: Iunderstand your pain. Igrew up in a householdwhere we weretaught that excellence is the only option. That meantconstantly striving to do my absolute best at every task at hand. Ilearned balance in acouple of waysover the years. First, Ifigure out how to break down responsibilities intosmall
tasks. Iwritethem down and check them off as Iaccomplish them. This allows me small victories as Ilead up to abig completion.Witheach accomplishment, Ifeel asense of pride and positivity.This helps to buoy my selfconfidence.
Irecommend that you also build in time for fun. Ifind (fun) activities that use my brainor allow for competition so that it’s still high-level, butit’smeant to bring joy
DEAR HARRIETTE: Ihave always been thestay-at-home type of person. Ihave never really enjoyed going clubbing or going out with too many people. This could not be moredifferent from my
‘We’re going to be bustingout aton of songs, spanning the discography,’saysRyanKattner of Man Man’sFridaygig at Chelsea’s LiveinBaton Rouge.
band playing in the show,we’re playing live.”
Before Kattner segued to Salamander,heworked as musicsupervisorthrough the first two “Vampire Lestat” seasons. His highest-profileactinggig yet, therolefollowshis appearances in 2020’s“Woe,” 2018’s“Dames,” 2017’s“Use Your Delusion” and the aforementioned “So It Goes.” “I can talk only ‘vampire,’ if you want,” Kattner said. “I’m proud of theshow.Honestly,it’sone of my most favorite things I’ve ever done. Such agreat experience, andI feel so lucky to know Rolin Jones (the series’ creator) and Hannah Moscovitch and the other writers on theshow. Music, Kattner’sspecialty,beats at theheart of “TheVampireLestat”Season 3. AlaJim Morrison and Michael Hutchence, Sam Reid’sshirtless, swaggering, levi-
tating Lestat sings andstruts for rabid fans.Kattner’s Salamander character appears most of all in thefourthand fifth episodes, while Lestat’sbandplays ahandful of cities.
“It’saninsane season of TV,” Kattner said. AMC+ has yet to announce if “Lestat”will rise again in afourth season. In the meantime, Kattner, in addition to asummer of touring with Man Man, is writing scripts on spec, contemplating the next Man Man album and on the lookout for more acting work.
“I’m one of those multi-hyphen people,” he said. “I wish that I was more gainfully employed in all of these things, but, going on 25 years of being aguest artist, I’m still warming up to using that term to describe myself. It’s all side hustles andlooking fora new gig.”
Retiredteacher sees lack of grammarskills
partner.She is extroverted and wants to go everywhere she can. Since we’vebeen dating, she expectsmetogoanywhere she asks without complaint. Iunderstand and I’m happy that she wants to spend time with me, but it is often toofar outside my comfort zone. Itry not to say anything, but she knows Iamnot as adventurous as her I’m not sure how to handle this, as Idon’twant to keep her from doing what she enjoys, but Ifeel like Ineed her to respect my boundaries, too. How would you recommendstarting to balance each other’sinterests in arelationship? —Homebody
DEAR HOMEBODY: Make sure your
FRIDAY
partner knowsthat you don’t mind if she goes out without you. She may be feeling guilty for wanting to go when you wantto stay at home. Agree to go to some events with her,asyou ask her to reserve sometimefor you to be together at home. Finding your rhythm takes time. Many couples have different social desires. As long as you workitout together and maketimefor each other where you both are comfortable, you will be fine.
Send questions to askharriette@ harriettecole.com or c/o AndrewsMcMeel Syndication 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
ACADIANA AREA SHOWSTOWATCH
LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, NewIberia, 5p.m.
BOOT,XE-R0, RANCH HAPPENIN’, &KILLING BUGS: The LooseCaboose, Lafayette, 7p.m
EVERSTATIC,HOLLEESTAR,LONE JABRONI, AND KRIS RUSS: The Devil’s Den,Lafayette, 7p.m
KEITH MEYERS: Silver Slipper,Arnaudville, 7p.m.
MATT GARYTRIO: Whiskeyand Vine Lafayette, 7p.m.
DION PIERRE QUARTET: Acadiana Center for the Arts, Lafayette, 7:30 p.m
DUSTIN SONNIER: The Barrel of Broussard, Broussard, 8p.m. SEVERED IN SLEEP,TRANSFUSION, SAVAGE WRATH, SILENCED,&ANTSONACID: Feed N Seed, Lafayette, 8p.m.
ONE TRICK PONY: Toby’s Lounge,Opelousas, 8:30 p.m JUDE BROTHERS+DANDELIONESS +NICKI
JACK WOODSON: CharleyG’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6p.m.
Dear Heloise: As aretired high schoolEnglish teacher,I read with interest the letter concerning howwritten and spoken English standards have deteriorated in the United States. Based on my experience, my students in middle school wouldtell me that there was little to no exposure to grammar skills or learning to speak in front of agroup. There wasn’tany diagramming of sentences or speech units. Most of this is due to state education departments who apparently no longer feel that grammar skills and being articulate are necessary —and that students will somehow learn on their own. The emphasis now,ofcourse, is on statemandated exams. They dictate what is to be taught and what day it is to be taught. Speech courses wereonce required for graduation but have now been eliminated from curriculums. So, foreign language teachers have had to pick up the slack and start teaching grammar which is essential when learning asecond language. I’d incor-
porategrammar in my classes by using student composition errors (mini grammar units), teach them how todiagram a sentence, and assign projects thatrequired students to speak in front of their classmates. And don’tget me started on the death of cursive penmanship! —Jon, in Houston, English Teacher of 42 Years Jon,Iused to love diagrammingasentence, and it was so useful when writingcompositions. Readers, what is your opinion on American education these days?Let usknow at Heloise@ Heloise.com —Heloise Wrapping collegegifts
Dear Heloise: Ihad three high school graduation giftstowrap for my grandchildren. Ihad recently sorted through my collection of road mapsthat wereused on varioustrips. Iwas able to find mapsthatfeatured theareas where my grandchildren were goingtocollege. So, Iwrapped each box in theappropriatemap, with theimportant area centered on thetop of thegift box. Regular gift wrap wouldn’t have worked as well because we gift eachgrandchild with atool kitaspart of their graduation gift,which is aheavy gift. Three
of my grandchildren who’ve already graduated from college told us that this was auseful gift in college and was also handy as they went into their own apartments —Judith M. L., in Bedford, New Hampshire Judith, thank you for being a dedicated reader! Wrapping a gift in aroad map is one of my mother’s old favorite hints. I’ll bet your grandchildren loved how cleverly you managed to have their college town front and center on their gift! —Heloise Building life skills
Dear Heloise: Iraised five children, and each one worked during the summers. They worked in ice cream stores, department stores, lawn service, and car washes for low wages. Butwhat they didn’tmake in actual money was made up for by learning responsibility, budgeting skills and punctuality. I’m proud to say that all five children went to college and graduated. Asummer job helped each one of them develop skills that they’ll use all their lives. Ilove your column! —Joyce D.,inOverland Park, Missouri Send ahint to heloise@heloise. com.
CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC JAM: Vermilionville Living History Museum&Folklife Park,Lafayette, 1p.m.
ZYDECO CAPITAL JAM: St. Landry Parish Visitor Center, Opelousas, 1p.m.
KARAOKE PARTY—PANDAENTERTAINMENT: Black Bull, Youngsville,8p.m.
CompiledbyMarchaund Jones
Want yourvenue’smusic listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@theadvocate. com. Thedeadlineisnoon Friday forthe following Friday’s paper
By The Associated Press
Today is Friday,July10, the 191st day of 2026. There are 174 days left in the year
TodayinHistory: On July 10, 1940, during World WarII, the Battle of Britain beganasthe German Luftwaffe launched attacks on southern England. (The Royal Air Force was ultimately victorious.)
Alsoonthis date: In 1509, theologian John Calvin, akey figure of the Protestant Reformation, was born in Noyon,
Picardy,France. In 1890, Wyoming was admitted as the44th U.S.state.
In 1925, jury selection began in Dayton, Tennessee, in the trial of JohnT.Scopes,charged with violatingthe law by teaching Darwin’sTheory ofEvolution. (Scopes was convicted and fined, but theverdict was overturned on atechnicality.)
In 1929, American paper currency was reduced in size as the government began issuing bills that were approximately 25% smaller
In 1951, armistice talksaimed at ending the Korean Warbegan at Kaesong. In 1962, thefirst active communications satellite, Telstar 1, was launched by NASA.
In 1985, theGreenpeace protest ship Rainbow Warrior was sunk with explosives in Auckland, New Zealand, by French intelligence agents; one activist was killed.
In 1991, Boris N. Yeltsin took theoath of office as the first elected president of the Russian republic. In 1991, President George H.W
Bush lifted U.S. economic sanctionsagainst South Africa. In 2002, the U.S. House approved ameasuretoallow airline pilots to carry gunsinthe cockpit to defend their planes against terrorists (President George W. Bush later signedthe measure into law). In 2015, South Carolina pulled theConfederate battle flag from its place of honor at the Statehouse after morethan 50 years. Today’sBirthdays: Singer Mavis Staples is 87. Actor Robert Pine is 85. International Tennis Hall of Famer Virginia Wade is 81. Folk
singer Arlo Guthrie is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Andre Dawson is 72. Rock singer Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) is 72. Banjo player Bela Fleck is 68. Actor Fiona Shaw is 68. Singer/actor Jacky Cheung is 65. Actor Alec Mapa is 61. Country singer Gary LeVox (Rascal Flatts) is 56. Actor Sofia Vergara is 54. Actor Adrian Grenieris50. Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor is 49. Actor Thomas Ian Nicholas is 46. Singer/ actor Jessica Simpson is 46. Actor Emily Skeggs is 36. Pop singer Perrie Edwards (Little Mix) is 33. Actor Isabela Merced is 25.
PROVIDED PHOTO By EBRU yILDIZ
Hints from Heloise
CANCER (June 21-July 22) Reach out, get thelowdown and do what you can to help. The response you receive will change how you feel about yourself and what you want to pursue. Look for original ways to improve your profile.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Take the road less traveled. Look for newopportunities to put your attributestogood use. Engage in events that reflect something you want to pursue in life.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Listentoyour inner voice, not what someone else is prompting you to do. Don't be atagalong when you have dreams of your owntopursue. You don't need to change to please others.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Focus on values,and seta course to embark on what moves youmost. Take the path that allowsyou the freedom to breathe easy and satisfy yoursoul. Adomestic adjustment will open your eyes.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Trust your instincts when dealing with others. Be resourceful, research, ask questions anddetermine what's most likelyto support yourlong-term plans. An emotional situation will help mold your perspective.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Easy does it. You'll be manipulated if you letyour heart lead the way.Stay focused on what's happening in your relationships and how you can ensure equality.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Physical activitywill help you blow offsteam. Protect yourselfagainst those trying to
part you from your money or encourage you to take arisk with your physical or emotional well-being.
AQUARIUS (Jan.20-Feb.19) Pay attention to what'shappening at homeortothose you love. Compensations are necessary when at acrossroads or embarking on alifestyle change. Stop worrying about what went wrong.
PISCES (Feb.20-March20) Listen to your heart, not what others try to lead you to believe. Be resourceful and engage in activities and events that require your intellect and experience, and you will outperform those who challenge you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19) Opportunity begins with you. Don'thide when it's necessary to put yourself out there and connect with people whocan spark your imagination andinspire youto make changes to how you earn your living.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Engage in events that bring you in contact with like-minded people. Home improvementsthat make your lifeeasier will turn into viable solutions to whatever is lacking in your life.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Change may be hauntingyou, but acting in hastewill send you on awild-goose chase. Slow down and rethink every move; timeis on your side.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotationsbyfamous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
TODAy'SCLUE: CEQUALS I
CeLebrItY CIpher
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box containsthe same number only once. The difficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BY PHILLIPALDER Bridge
Hesiod, an early Greek poet,said, “Observe due measure, for right timing is in allthings the most important factor.”
Thatappliestomany bridge contracts, either to make or to break them. This deal gives both sides achancefor good timing once North-South push into four hearts.
West leads thespade two.How can Eastdefeat thecontract?How canSouth gethome if East wins the first trick and tries to cash asecond spade winner?
The bidding was difficult. Whenone spade came around, North thought about making atakeout double, but was rightly nervous about having only two hearts. After North balanced with two clubs, South might have passed, but advanced withtwohearts,knowingthathispartner would remember that he had not immediately made atwo-heart overcall. North cue-bidtwospadestoshowastronghand andask his partner to bidno-trump with aspade stopper. (Five clubs can be defeated after atrump lead.)
East beats four hearts if he shifts to the diamond queen at trick two. This gives the defenders the tempo to collect one spade, two hearts and one diamond. But that is not clear-cut.
If East tries to cash asecond spade trick, South should ruff and be willing to give thedefenders onespade and twohearts. He should ignorethe trump finesse and cash his top hearts. Then he turns to the clubs and gets his diamond losersaway in time.
by NEA,Inc dist.ByAndrews
Each Wuzzleisaword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters.2.Words
toDAY’s WoRD MAtRons: MAY-truns: Married women, usually marked by dignified maturity or social distinction.
Can you find 37 or more words in MATRONS?
YEstERDAY’s WoRD —BAnIsHEs
Puzzle Answer today’s thought “But so shall it not be among you: but whoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:” Mark10:43
ordinances: CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-049-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE LAFAYETTE DEVELOPMENT CODE SO AS TO RECLASSIFY THE PROPERTY OF CASE NO. 2026-5-REZ 2000 BLOCK SOUTH COLLEGE ROAD REZONING, LOCATED GENERALLYNORTH OF SOUTH COLLEGE ROAD, WEST OF MARKET PLACE, AND SOUTH OF OAK BRANCH; BEING REZONED FROM CH (COMMERCIALHEAVY) TO RM-1 (RESIDENTIAL MIXED)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1: The Lafayette Development Code is hereby amended so as to reclassify Case No. 2026-5-REZ 2000 Block South College Road Rezoning located generally north of South College Road, west of Market Place, and south of Oak Branch, the particular parcel being rezoned from CH (Commercial-Heavy) to RM-1 (Residential Mixed); the said parcel being shown and identified on amap titled, “A Map Showing 10.444 acres to be Rezoned From CH to MN-1”, prepared by Michael P. Guidry,Inc. dated February 5, 2026, acopy of which is attachedhereto andmadea part thereof.
SECTION 2: All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 3: This ordinance shall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon an override of aveto, whichever occurs first. **** *
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-050-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL APPROVING ACONDITIONAL USE PERMIT TO ALLOW ABAR/LOUNGE IN AD (DOWNTOWN) ZONING DISTRICT,CASE NO. 2026-10-REZ 403B SOUTH BUCHANAN STREET CUP (CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT), LOCATED GENERALLYNORTH OF JEFFERSON STREET, WEST OF GARFIELD STREET, AND SOUTHOFSOUTH BUCHANAN STREET BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1:The Lafayette City Council hereby approves aConditional Use Permit to allow abar/lounge
CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, CORPORATE
LOCATED IN SECTION 100, T9S-R5E, 111 PORTER LN (LOT
APPROX. 0.863 ACRE. SECTION 4: All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof,inconflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 5: This ordinance shall become effective upon the elapse of 30 days after publication or posting,pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 33:173, et seq
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-052-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL DECLARING THE W. BROUSSARDROAD AT DUHONROAD ROUNDABOUT
PROJECT APUBLIC NECESSITY AND AUTHORIZING THE ACQUISITION OF THE NECESSARY RIGHTS-OF-WAY,IMMOVABLE PROPERTY AND OTHER PROPERTY RIGHTS REQUISITE TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF SAID PROJECT, EITHER ON AN AMICABLE BASIS OR THROUGH THE PROPER USE OF THE EXPROPRIATION PROCESS IF NECESSARY
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council,that: WHEREAS, the Lafayette City Council has declared the W. Broussard Road at Duhon Road Roundabout (hereinafter referred to as “Project”) a public necessity; and WHEREAS,the public purpose to be served by the construction of said project is to provide for improvement of public safety at this location; and WHEREAS,the project limits areshown on the attached Exhibit “A” for the project and is generally the construction of aroundabout, sidewalks, drainage and utility relocation; and
WHEREAS,engineering work has progressed to apoint whereinitis determined that certain tracts of land or portions thereof will be required for construction of the Project NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1: All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses areadopted as part of this ordinance.
SECTION 2: The Lafayette Mayor-President is hereby authorized to acquiresuch land, immovable property,rights-of-way,servitudes, or other property rights as aredetermined to be necessary under good engineering standards to provide for the construction of said project; and she is authorized to do so on an amicable basisorbythe proper use of the power of expropriation granted to municipalities under applicable State law. In pursuing saidland, immovableproperty,rights-of-way acquisitions, she is authorized to acquire said land, immovable property rights-of-way and to settle the matters thus presented, on such terms and conditions as she shalldeem proper and in the best interest of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government.
SECTION 3: All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof,inconflict herewith arehereby repealed.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: WHEREAS,the City of Lafayette (herein “Lafayette”) is the ownerof the Earl J. Chris swimming pool (herein“Pool”) situated on the immovable property bearing amunicipaladdress of 1919 ErasteLandry Road, Lafayette, Louisiana 70506, knownasthe RobicheauxRecreational Center; and WHEREAS, City of Lafayette Aquatics, Inc. (herein“COLA”) has expressed interest in anda desiretomanageand staffthe Pool; and WHEREAS, the assistance offeredCOLA is vitalfor athriving community,asitwill assistLafayette in promoting physical fitness, providing asafespace for recreation andsocialentertainment, andfoster community engagement within the Lafayette community; and WHEREAS,Lafayette recognizesthe important public purpose of providing meaningful opportunitiestothe citizensofLafayette anddesires thatCOLA assistLafayette with the management andstaffing of the Pool; and WHEREAS,Article VII, Section l4(C) of the 1974 Constitution of the State of Louisiana,provides that, for apublic purpose, public entities, parishes, municipalities, andpolitical subdivisions togetherwith private entities, may engage in andmake cooperative endeavor agreements or intergovernmentalagreements between themselvesfor specificpurposes; and WHEREAS,topromote the public health, safety,and welfare of the City of Lafayette, Lafayette deems it necessary anddesirable thata cooperative endeavor agreementbeexecutedbyLafayette andCOLA setting forth the terms andconditions relatedtothe management and staffing of the Pool.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1:All of the aforedescribed “Whereas” clauses areherein adopted as part of this ordinance.
SECTION 2: The Lafayette Mayor-President is hereby authorized to execute the Cooperative Endeavor Agreementbyand between the City of Lafayette andCity of Lafayette Aquatics, Inc., in substantially the same form as attached herewith, andtotake allaction necessary in carrying out the intent of this ordinance.
SECTION 3: All ordinances andresolutions, or parts thereof, in conflictherewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 4: This ordinance shall become effective upon the signature of the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten(10) days afterreceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon override of aveto, whichever occurs first ** ** *
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-055-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITYCOUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 OPERATING BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY-PARISHCONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT BY INCREASING REVENUES IN THEAMOUNT OF $1,200,000 IN MAYORS CHALLENGE FUNDS RECEIVED FROM BLOOMBERG PHILANTHROPIES AND TRANSFERRING $582,049 IN NET LOSSUSEOFFUND BALANCE FROM FUND 1010, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS WITHIN THECOMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT
than midnight eachnight of the week. SECTION 3:Inaddition to all other requirements related to a Conditional Use Permit, Conditional UsePermits grantedinthe “D” zoning district shall also conform to the requirements of Section 89-95-2 of the Lafayette Development Code. SECTION 4:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 5:This ordinance shall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon an override of aveto, whichever comes first. **** * CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-051-2026 AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE LAFAYETTE DEVELOPMENT CODE AND THE OFFICIALMAP OF THE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, PROVIDING FOR THE ANNEXATION OF ADDITIONAL LAND INTO THE CORPORATE LIMITSOFTHE CITY OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA, CASE NO. 2026-11-REZ 111 PORTER LANE, LOT 1ANNEXATION, LOCATED generally NORTH OF PORTER LANE, WESTOFSAINT MARGARITE STREET,AND SOUTHOF MARCELLE DRIVE; AND ASSIGNING AZONING CLASSIFICATION OF RS-1 (RESIDENTIAL SINGLE-FAMILY) (DISTRICT 5)
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1:The Lafayette Development Code and official map of the City of Lafayette arehereby amended so as to annex Case No. 2026-11REZ 111 Porter Lane, Lot 1Annexation, located generally north of Porter Lane, west of Saint Margarite Street, and south of Marcelle Drive;and assigning azoning classification of RS-1(Residential Single-Family). Refer to
SECTION 4: This ordinance shall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon an override of aveto, whichever occurs first.
CITY ORDINANCE NO. CO-053-2026
AN ORDINANCE OF THE LAFAYETTE CITY COUNCIL AMENDING THE FY 25/26 OPERATING BUDGET OF THE LAFAYETTE CITYPARISH CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT BY INCREASING REVENUES IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 IN AARPFLAGSHIP GRANT FUNDS AND APPROPRIATING WITHIN THE PARKS, ARTS, RECREATION, AND CULTURE(PARC)DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AND OUTDOOR ADACOMPLIANT BENCHES AT THE GREENHOUSE SENIOR CENTER BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that:
SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 operating budget of the Lafayette CityParish Consolidated Government is hereby amended by increasing revenues by $15,000 from the AARP FlagshipGrant Program and appropriating the funds within the Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture (PARC)Department.
SECTION 2: Grant funds areprovided through the AARP Flagship Grant Program.
SECTION 3: Thereisnomatching requirement forthe grant
SECTION 4: Funds will be used for the installation
applications, agreements, amendments, payment requests, memoranda of understanding and so on, which may be necessary for the completion of the aforementioned project.
SECTION 6: This transferoffunds shall be as reflected in any pertinent documents which areattached hereto and made apart hereof and filedin the Office of
whichever occurs first.
BE IT ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: WHEREAS,the Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovernment has appliedfor aMayors Challenge grant through Bloomberg Philanthropies for the repair of broken sewer linesand neighborhood improvements in vulnerable communities; and WHEREAS,Bloomberg Philanthropieshas made an awardof $1,200,000 to Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovernment for implementation of the project; and WHEREAS,Lafayette City-Parish ConsolidatedGovernment has proposed acost-share matchinthe amount of $582,049 to furtherinvest in vulnerable communities. NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the Lafayette City Council, that: SECTION 1: The FY 25/26 operatingbudgetofthe Lafayette CityParish ConsolidatedGovernment is hereby amended by allocating $1,200,000 in Mayors Challenge funding from BloombergPhilanthropies andappropriating within the Community Development andPlanning Department for sewer repairs andneighborhood improvements in vulnerable communities.
SECTION 2: The FY 25/26 operatingbudgetofthe Lafayette CityParish ConsolidatedGovernment is hereby furtheramendedbyallocating $582,049 of NetLoss-Use of Fund Balance from Fund 1010 as acostsharematch andappropriating within the Community Development and Planning Department for sewer repairs andneighborhood improvements in vulnerable communities.
SECTION 3: The Lafayette City Council hereby authorizes the Lafayette Mayor-President, or herdesignee, to conductall negotiations, execute andsubmit alldocuments, including but not limitedto applications, agreements, amendments, payment requests, memoranda of understandingand so on, whichmay be necessary for the completion of the aforementionedprojects.
SECTION 4: This increase in revenues andtransfer
any unusedfunds deemed unnecessary for the completion of the referenced projects.
SECTION 5:The Lafayette Mayor-President, or herdesignee, is hereby authorized to amendthe operatingbudgetwithin the grant period by transferringany unexpended appropriatedbalances into or out of salaries andbenefits line items andall otherexpense line items in order to expendthe totalaward amount in accordance with grant regulations.
SECTION 6:All ordinances or resolutions, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith arehereby repealed.
SECTION 7: This ordinance shall become effective upon signatureof the Lafayette Mayor-President, the elapse of ten(10) days afterreceipt by the Lafayette Mayor-President without signatureorveto, or upon an override of aveto, whichever occurs first /s/ Joseph Gordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ LAFAYETTE CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
OF THEPARISHOFLAFAYETTE,STATE OF LOUISIANA, TAKENATA REGULARMEETINGOFJULY7,2026 HELD AT 705 W. UNIVERSITY AVENUE,LAFAYETTE,LA.
ATTENDANCE
COUNCIL: Donald Richard(Chair, District 2),Ken Stansbury(Vice-Chair, District 3),JohnGuilbeau (District4)and AB Rubin(District 5)
ABSENT: BryanTabor (District1)
COUNCILSTAFF: Joseph Gordon-Wiltz(Clerkofthe Council), Cindy M. Semien (Associate Clerkfor LegislativeAffairs)and Kelly Comeaux (AssistantClerk forLegislative Affairs)
ChairRichard calledthe RegularParishCouncil MeetingofJuly7,2026 to order.
AGENDA ITEM NO.1:Invocationand Pledge of Allegiance
TheChair called upon Councilmember Rubintociteaninvocation and upon Ja’LoniBroussard to lead thePledgeofAllegiance.
WELCOMEAND CHAIR ANNOUNCEMENTS
ChairRichard made thefollowing announcements:
•Bryan Tabor, District 1, wasunabletoattend themeeting.
•The Introduction of theBudgetwill be held during aSpecial Joint CouncilMeetingonJuly21stat5:15p.m
•Public Hearingfor CitizenInput on theBudgetwill be held during aSpecial JointCouncil MeetingonAugust18that 5:15 p.m. forall matters relatedtothe 2026-2027ProposedBudget.
•Final Adoption of theBudgetwill be held during aSpecial Joint Council MeetingonSeptember 10that5:15p.m
ChairRichard made thefollowing announcement: AnnouncementofPublic Meeting Notice is hereby giventhatatits meetingtobeheldonTuesday,August 4, 2026,at4:30p.m.atthe Council Auditorium,705 West University Lafayette, Louisiana, theLafayette Parish Council planstoconsider adopting aresolutionorderingand callinganelectiontobeheldinthe Parish of Lafayette,State of Louisiana, to authorizethe levy of ad valorem taxestherein andthe issuance of generalobligationbonds
AGENDA ITEM NO.2: COUNCILANNOUNCEMENTS
RubincalledJa’Loni Broussarduptothe podium fora briefintroduction andpresented herwitha proclamation honoring herdedicated career with danceand beingselected to theChicagoBulls’dance team the “Luvabulls”.
a. Budget-to-Actual Comparison of MajorParishFunds– May2026 Preliminary Boulet notedthatthe monthlyBudget-to-ActualComparisons areto comply with statewideauditing procedures
b. AuditFindingsUpdate –June 2026
Boulet notedthattheyare required monthlytogiveanupdatetothe LouisianaLegislative Auditoronthe report findings Boulet’s announcements: •Introduced ByronStarksasthe newPARCDirector •The Lafayette Parish Growth Plan public meetingwill be held Thursday,July9th at 6:00pmatthe Carencro Community Center
•Acknowledgedthe family of Norman C. Francisinattendance for thenamingofthe newlibrary •Thanked allwho participated in theStars andStripes event.
ORDINANCESFOR FINALADOPTION AGENDA ITEM
to adoptbyStansbury,seconded by Guilbeau,and thevotewas as follows:
YEAS: Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau,Rubin
NAYS: None
ABSENT:Tabor
ABSTAIN: None Motion to adoptwas approved
AGENDA ITEM NO.5:PO-024-2026 An ordinanceofthe Lafayette Parish Council designatingthe NortheastRegionalLibrary of theLafayette Public LibrarySystem as the“Norman C. FrancisLibrary.”,motiontoadopt by Rubin, seconded by Guilbeau,and thevotewas as follows:
YEAS: Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau,Rubin
NAYS: None
ABSENT:Tabor
ABSTAIN: None
Motion to adoptwas approved
Godeauxsharedimagesofthe upcoming library
Rubinthanked allthatwereinvolvedinmakingthe NortheastRegional Libraryhappen. He stated that it will be in theheartofLafayette anda dream come true.Healsothanked thearchitectsfor their fine job.
TheMPthanked Danny Gillane andthe LibraryBoard fortheir work with thenew library.She also thankedCouncilman Kenneth Boudreauxfor his help over theyearstomakethe library apossibility. Two(2) citizens,who didnot wish to speak,signedinsupport of the ordinance.
PatrickFrancis said he wasthe sonofNormanand thankedall fornaming thelibrary afterhim
Dustin Cravinsthanked allfor theirassistance andsaidthathewas in strong support of naming thelibrary afterNorman. He relayedthatitwas afullcirclemoment.
AGENDA ITEM NO.6:JO-020-2026 Ajoint ordinanceofthe Lafayette City Council andthe Lafayette Parish Council amending theFY25/26 operating budget andadjusting themanning tables of theLafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government to providefundingfor asalaryadjustmentfor theLegislative Assistanttothe Parish Council position within theCouncil Office, motion to adoptbyRubin,seconded by Stansbury, andthe vote
AGENDA ITEM NO.7:A vacancy will existonthe Teche-Vermilion Freshwater District fora two-year term effectiveAugust1,2026. Individualswishing to submit aresumefor theabove volunteer vacancy must be aregisteredvoter anda resident of Lafayette Parish.Yearlyethics training forall appointees is required as is financialdisclosureunder certain circumstances.Resumes aretobeforwarded to Joseph Gordon-Wiltz, Clerkofthe Council, P.O. Box4017-C, Lafayette,LA70502 or emailedto BCLafayette@LafayetteLA.gov no laterthannoon,Tuesday,July21, 2026 with appointment(s) to be made at theTuesday,August4,2026 Regular Meetingofthe Lafayette Parish Council.
CONSIDER APPOINTMENT(S) BY THECOUNCIL, AS AWHOLE,TO
BOARDS/COMMISSIONS
AGENDA ITEM NO.8:AppointmentofMaryM.Sliman to theIndustrial DevelopmentBoard forthe remainderofa six-year term whichexpires January 31, 2028. Guilbeau nominatedMaryM.Sliman,and thevotewas as follows:
SLIMAN:Richard,Stansbury,Guilbeau,Rubin
NAYS: None
ABSENT:Tabor
ABSTAIN: None Mary M. Sliman wasappointed.
Mary M. Sliman introduced herselfand relayedthatshe looked forwardto workingwiththem.
INTRODUCTORYORDINANCES
Amotiontointroduce agenda items9 and10, in globo, wasoffered by Guilbeau,seconded by Stansbury.
9. PO-025-2026 An ordinanceofthe Lafayette Parish Council setting forthand designatingthe ad valoremtax millage ratesand imposing taxesonall property subject to ad valoremtaxationinthe Parish of Lafayette andauthorizing theAssessorand TaxCollector forthe Parish of Lafayette to assess andcollect property taxesfor 2026.
10. PO-026-2026 An ordinanceofthe Lafayette Parish Council amending theFY25/26 operatingbudgetofthe Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government by increasingrevenuesinthe amount of $62,305.23 EmergencyManagementProgram Grant(EMPG)funds receivedfromthe Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and EmergencyPreparedness(GOHSEP) andappropriatingfundswithin theLafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security andEmergency Preparedness.
TheChair then calledfor avotetointroduce theordinances 9and 10, in globo, andthe vote wasasfollows: YEAS: Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau,Rubin
NAYS: None
ABSENT:Tabor
ABSTAIN: None Motion to introduce, in globo, wasapproved
JOINTINTRODUCTORYORDINANCE
Amotiontointroduce agenda items11and 12, in globo, wasoffered by Stansbury, seconded by Guilbeau
11. JO-021-2026 Ajoint ordinanceofthe Lafayette City Council andthe Lafayette Parish Council amending theFY25/26 operatingbudgetof theLafayette City-ParishConsolidated governmenttoadjustamounts forRiskManagementuninsured loss reimbursements to actual 12. JO-022-2026 Ajoint ordinanceofthe Lafayette City Council andthe Lafayette Parish Council authorizingthe Lafayette Mayor-President to enterintoa TrafficSignalMaintenance Agreementwiththe State of LouisianaDepartmentofTransportationand Developmentwith anticipating revenue of $194,928.
TheChair then calledfor avotetointroduce thejoint ordinances 11 and12, in globo, andthe vote wasasfollows:
YEAS: Richard, Stansbury, Guilbeau,Rubin
NAYS:None
ABSENT:Tabor
ABSTAIN: None
Motion to introduce, in globo, wasapproved
COMMENT(S)FROMTHE PUBLIC
AGENDA ITEM NO.13: Commentsfromthe public on anyother matter(s) notonanagendaand arewithinthe legislativepower of theLafayette Parish Council.
Ross Berthelotiswithreal estate andspoke of the$5,500 needed to obtain anew meterwithLPWDS.Hewas upsetwiththe burden placed on the shouldersofnew residents.
CypressMelville agreed with Ross andwas outraged with thecosts as well. Sheasked fora Town Hall in theYoungsville area.
Stansburyand theMPdiscussedthe possibilityofa Town Hall. He would liketohavethisissueasa discussion item at afutureCouncil meeting. TheMPsaysthe Councilmen appointmembers of theboard and Administration hasnoauthority (5:24:00) ADJOURN
Therebeing no furtherbusinesstocomebeforethe Council, ChairRichard declared theRegular Meetingadjourned
/s/JosephGordon-Wiltz JOSEPH GORDON-WILTZ, LAFAYETTE CLERKOFTHE COUNCIL
