HOUSE passes legislation after three weeks of gridlock
SENATE still tough road for GOP with narrow majority
TRUMP refusing to sign bills until voting legislation passes
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON — After three weeks of legislative paralysis that required Congress to go home early for the July Fourth holiday House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, was finally able Tuesday to narrowly pass legislation that included the partisan voter restrictions demanded by President Donald Trump and making daylight saving time permanent
But the legislation faces a tougher path in the Senate, largely because of the sudden death of prominent Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and the illness of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky Republicans hold a 53-47 majority
U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, R-Madisonville, told The Hill, a political trade publication, that the Republican agenda in the Senate seems stalled.
“The next four weeks are going to look like the happy hour at an airport Chili’s,” Kennedy said Much of the legislative constipation
came about because Trump refused to sign bills into law until Congress approved one that would tighten the use of mail-in ballots, require proof of citizenship when registering to vote, and show a photo ID when casting ballots.
Called the SAVE America Act, the legislation doesn’t have the votes in the Senate to pass on its own.
And the House still has plenty left on its plate.
“We have a lot of work still to do,” said House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, told reporters before the vote on the House bill. “You’re going to see this week the budget committee move the beginnings of reconciliation 3.0 out of committee. And we’re moving more bills through the floor this week, another appropriations bill.”
Before the July Fourth holiday break, Trump had refused to sign a bill that authorizes spy agencies to gather information about foreign nationals and another giving incentives to build more homes and lower housing costs
ä See CAPITOL, page 4A
ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO
“We’re not going to have a lot of time to get things if it has to go through both chambers, but the appointments (confirmation of presidential nominees) are what I’m most comfortable with because that only has to go through the Senate.”
SEN. BILL CASSIdy R-Baton Rouge
Arrest made in killing of U.S. marshal
Shooting occurred while warrant was being served
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
An Alexandria man has been federally charged in the fatal shooting of a U.S. deputy marshal during the service of an arrest warrant Monday in Alexandria. Clarence A. Frazier Jr., 48, of Alexandria, was charged by criminal complaint with the murder of Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Hanson, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison or the death penalty Hanson was shot while serving an arrest warrant alongside the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office for Frazier on Monday after Frazier failed to appear in court on a charge of sexual battery of a person with infirmities, according to a news release.
“Our men and women put their lives on the line every day to apprehend the country’s most dangerous criminals,” said Gadyaces Serralta, director of the U.S. Marshals Service. “When a Deputy U.S. Marshal is killed in the line of duty serving an arrest warrant on a violent fugitive, this agency and, indeed the entire country mourn that loss. While we are all profoundly heartbroken by Drew Hanson’s tragic death, we are at the same time grateful for his unselfish devotion to protecting his community and those he loved.” Law enforcement located Frazier at his
ä See MARSHAL, page 4A
Alleged terrorist in Lafayette pleads not guilty
Gaza native was arrested in connection with attack on Israel
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
A Middle Eastern man arrested in Lafayette, who federal prosecutors allege participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack on Israeli civilians that left hundreds dead, has pleaded not guilty to all charges contained in a superseding indictment.
A two-count indictment was issued in October of 2025 against Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, a Gaza native who resided and worked briefly in Lafayette until his arrest last year Prosecutors allege he aided a terrorist group and lied on his visa application, entering the United States via Dallas in September 2024, nearly a year after the attack
ä See PLEADS, page 6A
ICE to suspend most vehicle stops after 2 deadly shootings
Tuesday
BY PATRICK WHITTLE, JACK BROOK, REBECCA SANTANA and MICHAEL R. SISAK Associated Press
BIDDEFORD Maine Trump administration officials told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings within a week people familiar with the decision said
The policy change came after an ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian driver Monday in Maine and a week after one shot and killed a motorist in Houston, renewing criticism of the agency’s enforcement tactics that were widely condemned last winter after the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minnesota. In Florida on Tuesday, a third man in roughly a week died during an encounter with immigration officers. This time, a 28-year-old man was killed after he was hit
by a tractor trailer while running from immigration and other federal officers, authorities said. The suspension of vehicle stops allows room for exceptions when executing a criminal warrant or working with partner agencies, according to a person who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive law enforcement operations. Matthew Felling, a spokesperson for Maine Sen Angus King, said the senator’s office was also told
ä See ICE, page 6A
Trump administration orders halt Protesters gather near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Scarborough, Maine, on Tuesday, one day after the shooting of
Johan Sebastián durán Guerrero.
ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By ROBERT F BUKATy
ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By JOSE LUIS MAGANA
House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, accompanied by Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-Benton, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
Marine biologist shot dead inthe Philippines
MANILA, Philippines Adistinguished American marine biologist has been shot dead by three men who entered his housein the central Philippines, police said on Tuesday Kent Carpenter,73, was with his Filipina companion in a house in the coastal town of Sibulan, in Negros Orientalprovince, on Sunday nightwhen the maskedmen forced their way in One drew agun and shot Carpenter in the head, killing him instantly,policesaidhis companion told them. The men took alaptop, an unspecifiedamount of cash and abackpack before fleeing, national police spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co told reporters.
Regional police spokesperson Lt. Col. Joem Malong told The Associated Pressthat Carpenter’scompanion sustained unspecified injuries andwas being treated. Investigators were trying to determine the motive for the killing and identify the attackers.
Carpenter was amarine biologist who had worked as alecturer at the Silliman University,in Dumaguete city,Negros Oriental, Malong said.
The U.S. EmbassyinManila did not immediately respond to arequest forcomment.
U.S.-Russian crew arrives at the ISS
MOSCOW— AU.S.-Russian space crew arrived Tuesday at the International Space Station after launching fromthe RussialeasedBaikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
NASA astronaut Anil Menon and Russian crewmates Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina lifted off as scheduled at 7:47 p.m. aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 for an eight-month stint on theorbiting outpost.Their spacecraft docked smoothly at the station in automatic mode about threehours afterthe launch.
NASA AdministratorJared Isaacman attended thelaunch, the first visit to Baikonur by a NASAchief in eight years that highlightedthe ongoing cooperation in orbit betweenMoscow and Washington, despite tensions over Russia’smilitary action in Ukraine.
Before the launch, Isaacman met with the head of Russia’s statecorporation Roscosmos, Dmitry Bakanov.Speaking during Monday’smeeting with the crew,Isaacmanthanked Roscosmos for its effortsto prepare for the mission, saying that “the integrated work performed over thepast several months reflects the professionalism and dedication of everyone involved.”
The mission is Menon’sfirst space flight and the second for Dubrov and Kikina.
The trio will join NASA astronauts Jessica Meir, Jack Hathaway andChris Williams, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot and Roscosmos cosmonautsSergei Kud-Sverchkov,Sergei Mikaev and Andrei Fedyaev
2teens charged in fatal Illinois family shootings
EAST ST.LOUIS,Ill.— Twoteenagers were charged with murder Tuesday in the killings of five members of an Illinois family who were shot at three different locations. A16-year-old boy will be prosecutedasanadult, while the case against a15-year-old girl will start in juvenile courtbefore apossible transfer to the St. Clair County criminalcourt, the county prosecutor’soffice said. Five peoplewerekilledand twomorewere wounded,primarily on Sunday,ina “targeted mass shooting” in East St. Louis, acity across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, police said. Troopers stopped avehicle and arrested the teens Sunday ina state park, lllinois State Police Director Brendan Kelly said. Court documents don’treveal amotive. But Marcus May,the father of the 15-year-old, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that thegirlwas upsetwithfamily members and plotted the attacks with Ja’ymeir Davis, her boyfriend.
Senators seek to avoidshortfall
Bipartisan
BY FATIMA HUSSEIN and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON With Social Security’slooming insolvency date roughly six years away,abipartisangroup of lawmakersintroduced aproposal Tuesday to grapple with one of themostconsequentialfinancial challenges facing thefederal government.
TheProtecting Retirement Opportunitiesand Maintaining Income Security for Everyone,or PROMISE Act, comes on the heels of the latest Social Security Board of Trustees’ annual report, which found that Social Security’s retirement trust fund is projected to face afunding shortfallin2032, ayear earlierthanlastyear’sprojections. Even with it being clear for years that Social Securitywas running out of money,Congress has been loath to act. Making changes to the
program —and potentially cutting benefits—has long been politically unpopular,and lawmakers have repeatedly kicked Social Security and Medicare’stroubling math to thenext generation.
“The longer Congress waits, the moredifficult it will be to address theprogram’sfinancialshortfall, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill.,one of the bill’sauthors, said in astatement.
“Wewere elected to solve problems —weowe it to our kids and grandkids to protect and strengthen this critical program.”
Durbin, who is retiring, is joining withDemocraticSen. TimKaine of Virginia;independent Sen. Angus KingofMaine andoutgoing Republican Sens. Bill Cassidy, of Louisiana, John Cornyn of Texas and Thom Tillis of North Carolina in backing the Social Securitylegislation,which calls for an “independent,bipartisan advisory committee” that would makerecom-
mendationstoCongress.
Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del.,and Alan Armstrong, R-Okla., signed onto thebill right before its introduction.
The bill is designed to force Congress to confront Social Security’s long-term financing problem by guaranteeing that lawmakers vote on asolvency plan. It culminatesin an up-or-down vote on aplan that restores Social Security solvency for at least half acentury Committees, however,have been herebefore. That happened as recently as 2024,whenHouse lawmakers undertook an effort withthe backing of several in GOP leadership to form afederal debt commission that would include tacklingthe solvency of Social Security and Medicare.
TheeffortcollapsedwhenAmericans for TaxReform —led by its president, GroverNorquist —aggressively lobbied against it.
Mysterybidderbuys
Social Security’s loomingfundingshortfall is mainly the result of lower projected birth rates, reduced immigration and reduced trust fund revenue due to the costs of Republicans’ massive tax andspending bill that President Donald Trumpsigned into law last summer, accordingtothe Board of Trustees’ report.
Thelooming challengefor the programsisapartial funding gap, notacollapse. Even aftertrust fund depletion, the system will continue issuing benefits, albeit at reduced amounts.
In 2022, members of the House Republican Study Committee proposed raising the age at which someonecould qualify forSocial Security and Medicare.
Social Security benefitswere last reformed roughly 40 years ago, when the federal government raisedthe eligibility agefor the program from65to67, basedon recommendations from acommission under the leadership of Alan Greenspan.
BY TIAN MACLEOD JI and JINTAMAS SAKSORNCHAI Associated Press
BANGKOK— Thedeath toll from ahuge fire in a Bangkok music bar has increased to 30, officials said Tuesday,asthe investigationinto the blaze proceeded while relatives of thevictims took on the grim task of identifying their loved ones and retrieving their bodies.
More than 70 people were injured in theSunday night tragedy,with24 of them still in critical condition, according to astatementbythe Bangkok Metropolitan Administration.
Beer Na Ladprao bar,the city’sdeadliest in 17 years, broke outshortly before midnight in anorthern part of the Thai capital. Firefightersneeded half an hour to bring it under control. The bar,which in Thai calls itself abrewery or beer hall, claimed to accommodate as many as 600 customers. It was not clear how many were present Sunday night. An investigation into the cause of the fire and whetherthe barwas following safety regulations is ongoing.Most of the people who were killed were found trappedinwindowless bathroomswhere they may have sought to escape the flames, police said.
Initialdetailsabout the victims, whichhavenot been updated since Monday,said18ofthe dead were women and nine were men,all Thai except one baremployeefromLaos.
during the auction, which was conducted live and online. “It’sa T. rex, after all.”
‘Gus’for arecord$50M Tyrannosaurusfossilwas discovered in 2021
BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press
NEWYORK ATyrannosaurus rex fossil billed as one of the world’s largest and most completespecimens sold for arecord$50.1 millionTuesday to amystery bidder.
Sotheby’ssaidthe 67-million-yearold fossil, nicknamed “Gus,” is now the mostexpensive set of dinosaur bones ever auctioned off, besting thealmost $45 million price tagfor anearlycomplete stegosaurussold by thesame New York auction house in 2024. The previous record holder had been aTyrannosaurus rex skeleton nicknamed “Stan” that sold fornearly $32 million in 2020.
“Gus is not onlyanexceptional find,but aspecimen that’s been excavated,documented, prepared, andcared forwith real excellence,” Cassandra Hatton, Sotheby’svice chair,said after the sale was completed.“The market responds when greatspecimens are taken care of in the right way.”
Whythe bidding wasintense
Standing upright with its tailextended and right foot slightly raised, “Gus” is an adultdinosaur specimen measuring about121/2 feet tall and 38 feet long.
He’s about 61% complete, withwhat
Sotheby’sdescribes as an “exceptionally preserved” skullincluding agaping jaw of powerful teeth, two “well represented”feet andanumber of rarely found bones, including afurcula, or wishbone
Thefossil was discovered in 2021 on a ranchinSouth Dakota and named in honor of property owner Gary Licking, who died during the roughlyfive year excavation, restoration and mounting process
The auction house said the winner, who participated by phone and wants to remain anonymous, outbid six other prospective buyers during Tuesday’s 10-minute biddingbattle. The piece had been estimated to fetch anywhere from $20 to $30 million ahead of the sale.
“Try abiggerbite,” auctioneer Phyllis Kao cajoled thebiddersatone point
Scientists want ‘Gus’onpublicdisplay
The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, an advocacy group of scientists, scholars and students, said scientifically significant fossils such as “Gus” should be publicly displayed in museums and other research institutionssothat they can be “preserved, documented, and accessible for future generations.”
“Our hope is that the new owner recognizesthe extraordinary scientific and educational value of Gus the T. rex and that they aim to keep it in the public trust by immediately donating it to an accredited naturalhistorymuseum,”Kristi Curry Rogers, the society’spresidentelect, said in astatementTuesday.“That outcome would ensure that this remarkable specimen continues to advance science, rather than becoming unavailable for study.”
Indeed, “Apex,”the stegosaurus,the previous dinosaur fossil record-holder, is currently on long-term loantothe American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan.“Sue” theT.rex,the first dinosaureversold at auction in 1997, also by Sotheby’s, is acenterpiece of theField Museum in Chicago.
And“Stan”isondisplay at theNatural History Museum Abu Dhabi, posed in combat with another fossilized T. rex over the remains of atriceratops. ACretaceousking, Hollywood staple Tyrannosaurus rex, whose name roughly translates to “King of the Tyrant Lizards,” stoodfirmly at thetop of the food chain when it ruled during the late Cretaceous period.
With itsfearsome jawline and comically stubby arms, it has become the most recognizable andbeloved of thedinosaurs, depictedineverything from children’sprogramslike Barney,the purple T. rex, to the enduring “JurassicPark” movie franchise.
Thegreat beasts roamed what is todaywesternNorth America, during a time when the region boasted “warm climates, high sea levels,and rich coastal floodplains” that allowed theirprimary prey,giant herbivores like the triceratops,toflourish, according to Sotheby’s.
The injured included 41 womenand 34 men The blaze at the Rong
Bangkok Gov.Chadchart Sittipunt said Tuesday he has ordered the city’sadministration to conductasweepingsurvey of such establishments to assess risks. The city will also step up enforcement of existing laws to improve safety standards, he said.
Customer Service: HELP@THEADVOCATE.COM or 337-234-0800
‘Gus,’one of the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimens ever discovered, sold for arecord $50.1 millionatauction on Tuesday
U.S. restores blockade on Iran
Interim ceasefire unravels; Iran attacks ships in strait
BY JON GAMBRELL, COLLIN BINKLEY and KONSTANTIN TOROPIN Associated Press
DUBAI,UnitedArab Emirates The U.S. military said Tuesday that it has reimposed its blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as the interim ceasefire deal unravels and concerns grow about a return to all-out war
The U.S. first imposed the blockade in mid-April and then lifted it in mid-June, a day after the signing of the interim deal aimed at permanently ending the war The deal set a 60-day timeline to also negotiate an agreement on Iran’s nuclear program, but talks have stalled as fighting over the strait has intensified. When U.S. President Donald Trump announced the return of the blockade Monday, he also said he would impose a 20% fee on ships passing through the strait. But he dropped the plan to collect fees hours before resuming the blockade, citing requests from allies in the Gulf.
The interim peace agreement was supposed to reopen a waterway that is key to world energy supplies and give negotiators time to hammer out a permanent end to the war. Instead, fighting has once again engulfed the region, threatened the global economy and brought warnings to commercial airlines
The U.S. carried out another wave of strikes ahead of reimposing the blockade, the U.S. military’s Central Command said. Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said in an interview aired Tuesday by IRIB, Iran’s state broadcaster, that the U.S. was seeking to prevent Tehran from exercising what he described as “effective sovereignty” over the strait.
There are at least 19 U.S. warships in the Arabian Sea, including two aircraft carriers and an amphibious assault ship with more than 1,000 Marines aboard U.S. Central Command also said in a social media post that there are “hundreds of military aircraft
operating across the Middle East.”
A fifth of all traded crude oil and natural gas passed through the Strait of Hormuz before the war, when it was open to all without tolls. When the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, it effectively shut the passage by attacking and threatening ships. That sent the price of oil, fertilizer and other goods soaring.
Iran has more recently attacked ships moving through the strait on a route overseen by the U.S. military that is outside Tehran’s control, setting off tit-for-tat strikes.
The U.S. has threatened to reopen the strait by force — but experts say that would require a much bigger armada if not tens of thousands of ground troops.
Replace fees with investments
Trump said Tuesday that he was called by “kings and emirs” and other leaders who suggested an alternate arrangement to charging ships fees to pass through the strait.
“They said we’d love to do it a different way We’d love to invest in the United States with billions and billions of dollars,” Trump told reporters Tuesday in the Oval Office.
Trump said he preferred that arrangement to charging tolls “because I don’t think anybody should be able to charge a fee for the strait.”
It was unclear if the investment
deals would be new commitments relative to what Trump announced after a visit last year to the Middle East.
Strikes, counterstrikes resume
U.S. Central Command said it struck several areas in Iran earlier Tuesday targeting “coastal defense systems, missile and drone sites and maritime capabilities.”
Iran acknowledged the strikes but provided no immediate casualty or damage assessments.
“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” the U.S. military said.
Iranian state media Tuesday reported the sound of explosions on Qeshm Island in the strait, alongside additional explosions in the southwestern city of Ahvaz and the port city of Bandar Abbas.
Iran responded with attacks targeting Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and three tankers that traveled through the strait.
The International Maritime Organization said the attack killed two mariners and wounded 14 others on two of the tankers, Mombasa and Al Bahiyah, which were associated with the United Arab Emirates. The UAE threatened to retaliate.
House passes bill to ‘ditch the switch’
BY KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON There will be no turning back the clock if the House has its way
The House passed a bill Tuesday that would make daylight saving time permanent. Proponents, including the White House, argued the change would provide more daylight during the times that Americans are most active. The vote was 308-117. Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. States could opt out if their respective legislatures act to do so before the bill’s enactment. The Senate would also have to pass the bill before it could be signed into law, but it’s unclear if it will do so.
Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said Americans are ready
to “ditch the switch,” saying that changing the clock twice a year creates unnecessary disruption. More important, he said, it would give families more daylight time in the evening to spend outdoors and support local businesses.
“In my home state of Florida where tourism is a cornerstone of our economy, having more predictable daylight hours is a practical improvement that benefits workers, businesses and visitors alike,” Bilirakis said.
Detractors said permanent daylight saving time would lead to darker and potentially more hazardous winter mornings where children will be waiting for school buses and parents will be driving to work in darkness.
“Millions of Americans will wake up during the winter months in complete darkness with the sun not rising until long after people get up and travel to school
or work or have to go about their days,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa.
Rep. Jim McGovern, DMass, said he supported the bill, but he questioned whether it was the best way for Congress to be spending its time.
“For folks getting crushed by rent, groceries, utility bills and healthcare costs, is this really the best the majority can do?” McGovern said.
“Is this really the most pressing issue before the American people at this moment?”
A 2025 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that if forced to choose, most Americans would prefer to keep that extra hour of daylight in the evening.
If they had to choose one option for the entire country to use, more than half of adults 56% prefer making daylight saving time permanent, with less light in the morning and more light in the evening.
Senate Democrats block $1 trillion defense bill in protest over Iran war
BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent
WASHINGTON Senate Democrats blocked a $1 trillion annual defense bill Tuesday, refusing to advance the bipartisan package that would substantially increase Pentagon spending, including a pay raise for the troops, in protest of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer announced his opposition and other key Democrats said they could not support the annual bill, known as the National Defense Authorization Act, as the war drags into a fifth month with no clear endgame in sight. The tally was 50-46, failing largely along party lines to reach the threshold needed.
“The NDAA cannot become a permission slip for that recklessness that we see occurring in Iran,” Schumer, of New York, said ahead of voting.
“Donald Trump does not get to drag the American people deeper into a war he cannot explain and does not know how to end—and then demand that Congress look the other way.”
The Senate vote comes a day after the White House formally notified Congress that it had resumed bombing strikes against Iran, effectively undoing the fragile ceasefire in the U.S.-Israel led conflict that has resulted in economic disruptions, including volatile gas prices ahead of the midterm elections.
Congress has tried repeatedly to slap guardrails on the administration, voting more than 10 times on various war powers resolutions that would halt hostilities. But those efforts have not succeeded, and most Republicans in the House and Senate majorities back Trump.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune called the defense package a good bill and implored his colleagues to provide the resources to ensure the U.S. is kept safe.
“We have an obligation here in Congress to ensure that they have
everything they need for whatever the mission may be,” he said. After the bill failed to advance, Thune switched his vote in a procedural move that will allow the leader to bring it back up for consideration again later
For decades, Congress had made sure to approve the annual defense bill each year, setting the policy and direction for the department and authorizing the funds that would later be allocated to carry out its investments in systems, supplies and missions.
This year, the 66th annual NDAA is running into a doublewhammy of opposition. Lawmakers are fuming over Trump’s military action against Iran and resisting the White House request to substantially increase Pentagon spending to $1.5 trillion, up from about $900 billion last year
The sizable boost of funds aligns with the White House’s 2027 budget request as the Trump administration seeks a generational investment to modernize the Defense Department, which it refers to as the Department of War under Secretary Pete Hegseth. Hegseth was scheduled to meet later Tuesday evening with House Republicans as Congress considers providing additional money through a separate budget reconciliation bill the party can pass on its own, overpowering the opposition from Democrats.
The White House has requested $350 billion from Congress under the budget reconciliation process, but House GOP leaders have indicated it is likely to be a much smaller amount, more in line with $87 billion the White House requested last month as supplemental funding for Iran. But Republican deficit hawks are skeptical of the big budget numbers, despite support for the war within their ranks.
The extra defense funding comes on top of the additional $150 billion Republicans already provided the Pentagon last year under Trump’s big tax breaks bill that some say has not been spent or fully accounted for.
ISNA PHOTO By RAZIEH POUdAT
A woman stands
for consumers. House leadership pulled bills from scheduledfloor votes for three weeks because conservative factions leveraged the narrow GOPmajority on procedural votes to stall consideration by the full House.
Johnson sent theHouse home early because nothing was getting passed.
Democrats have continuously blasted Republicans over thegridlock.
“As we reconvene this week, one thingremains incredibly clear to us,” said Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., chair of the House Democratic Caucus. “The Republican conference remains deeply divided And Republicans have not put forward asingle bill to make life more affordable. Unfortunately, this level of chaosand dysfunction has become ahallmark of Republican leadership.”
But on their first full dayback from the two-week vacation, the House voted 215 to 211— all Republicans except one voting ‘yes’ —toapprove legislationthat includedwordingfrom four bills: daylight saving time, banning codes that track guns, additional medical benefits for veterans and State Departmentfundingthat includes thewordingthatTrump and his allies say is necessary to address alleged election fraud
Conservatives leveraged the narrow Republican majority on procedural votes to stall full House consideration until their points were included. With 217Republicans and one independent making up the 218 members needed to form amajority,Johnson can’t lose three GOP votes in order to pass a bill without Democraticvotes.
Johnson, Scaliseworkfeverishly
Johnson said he hasgottenonly afew hours of sleep sincethe holiday,working almost nonstop to cobble together plansthat would get the Republican support necessary to pass legislation with only Republicans votes Johnson,Scalise, andHouse leadership turned to arulesprocedure with amilitary term.
Leader SteveScalise, R-Jefferson, at anewsconference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.Johnson wasable to
President Trumpand his allies sayisnecessarytoaddress alleged election fraud.
“Aswereconvene this week, one thing remains incredibly clear to us,the Republican conferenceremains deeply divided. …And Republicans have not put forward asingle bill to make life more affordable.Unfortunately,this level of chaos and dysfunction has become ahallmark of Republican leadership.”
REP.PETEAGUILAR, d-Calif., chair of the House democratic
Named for the acronym of “multiple-warhead missile,” the MIRV procedural rule puts unrelated bills into asingle legislativepackage to send to the Senate. Johnson suggestedthat “a lotofMIRVs” are on theway The Senate, however,onTuesday evening voted against amotion to proceed to the$1.15 trillion annual defense authorization bill, called NDAA. Themotion to advance the annual defense bill failed by avote of 50 to 46. It needed 60 votes to succeed.
Without Graham and Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky who has been in the hospital and unable to vote, the Senate is now51Republicansand 47 Democrats. Usually, themust-passbillreceives strong bipartisan support. South Carolina’sgovernor tapped Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, to fill out the five remain-
ing months of his term.She was sworn in as asenator Tuesday afternoon.
Lindsey Grahamalso chaired the Senate Budget Committee, which put him at thetip of thespear to get aresolution through the parliamentary maneuver,called reconciliation, that would allow passage with asimple majority
Several Republican and all Democratic senatorsrejected areconciliation resolution that included additional money for the military action in Iran, largely because of opposition to enacting the SAVE America Act, the language of which was mergedinto instrument.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Mondaythe
votes for voting restrictions just weren’tthere. He will be focusing on getting Trump’snominees confirmed.
“We’re not going to have alot of time to get things if it has to go through both chambers, but the appointments (confirmation of presidential nominees) are what I’m most comfortable with because that only has to go through the Senate,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy R-Baton Rouge. “There are alot of things we havetoget done before the August recess. “
“The House leaves July 23,” Cassidy noted.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.
MARSHAL
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residence around the intersectionofRutland and Moor and obtained asearch warrant before entering the home, according to the Justice Department. The officers allegedly had clear law enforcementmarkings to execute the warrant, announcedtheir presence, and forced entry into theresidence Officers found Frazier in hisbedroom,where,according to the JusticeDepartment, he barricaded himself and shot at officers, striking Hanson. Frazier then engaged in a further standoff with officers until he was taken into custody Hanson later died from his injuries. Frazier also suffered injuriesand was taken to alocal hospital,according to KALB.
“U.S. Marshals risk their lives every day —securing ourcourts, protectingour communities, and working shoulder-to-shoulder with local lawenforcement to bring dangerous fugitives to justice. Deputy U.S. Marshal Drew Hansonembodiedthat courage and dedication,” said acting AttorneyGeneral Todd Blanche.
“Tragically,the defendant’s alleged actions claimed the lifeofadedicated law enforcement officer who was simply doing his duty The alleged perpetrator is nowincustody and willbe held accountable to thefullest extent of the law.Our thoughtsand prayers are with Deputy Marshal Hanson’sfamily and theentire lawenforcement community mourning his loss.”
TheFBI is investigating the case with assistance from RPSO. The Louisiana State Police is also investigatingpotentialviolations of statelaw
“The FBIoffers our deepestcondolences to the family of Deputy U.S. Marshal Hanson, who was killed in theline of dutywhile doing his jobpursuinga subject wanted for violent crime,” said FBIDirectorKash Patel. “Wewill commit our full force of resources to conduct athorough investigation withour partners at theRapidesParishSheriff’s Office andthe Department of Justice to ensure the individual responsible for this horrific act is brought to justice. The FBI sends our prayers to Deputy Hanson’sfamily,friends, and ourpartners at theU.S Marshals Service.”
ASSOCIATEdPRESS PHOTOByJOSE LUIS MAGANA
Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, is flanked by Rep. Carlos Giménez R-Fla., from left,Rep.LisaMcClain,R-Mich.,
by the DepartmentofHomeland Security that ICE was suspending stops.
Hundreds of people in Maine protestedTuesday over thefatal shooting of Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a26-year-oldColombian national.
DHSsaidMondaythat an officer, “fearing for public safety,” shot and killed Durán Guerrero while officers were watching the home of someone they believedwas in the U.S. illegally and facinga final order of removal from the country. It said in apost on Xthat when ICE tried to stop acar driven bysomeone who came from the home, the vehicle attempted to flee and the officer fired. That wasa shiftfromhow King earlier described the encounter, when he said Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told him the officer opened fire after the man tried to use his vehicle as aweapon. King said Mullin told him the officers were trying to serveanarrest warrant,but not for the man who was shot.
DHS, which oversees ICE, didn’t respond to an email seeking clarity on what led to the shooting.
In ascathing post on X, outgoing Colombian President Gustavo Petrocalled the shooting atargeted killing “at the hands of the U.S. government.”
Petro, who has openlyquarreled with U.S. President Donald Trump, urged Trump to provide an explanation and accused ICE officers of treating Durán Guerrero as “an inferior being without rights.”
The shooting also sparked outrage in Maine, where hundreds of protesters gathered Tuesday outside an ICE detention center in Scarborough, just up the coast between Biddefordand Portland
“These people are killers and they must leave our state now,” organizer Todd Chretien told the crowd, including somewho held signs reading “Stop the murder” and “End this terror.” Maine’scongressionaldelegation on Tuesdaydemandeda “comprehensive, transparent, and expedited investigation.”
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on Israel that killed more than1,200 people, including 49 American citizens.
Officials withthe U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana in Lafayette, filed asuperseding indictment against Al-Muhtadiin June that modifies an existing charge and adds two others to the original two-count indictment.
An original count against Al-Muhtadi accused the Gazanative of conspiracy to provide material support to adesignated foreign terrorist organization resulting in death. Thesuperseding indictmentremoves“resulting in death” from the charge.
Asecond count of conspiracy to provide material support to adesignatedforeign terrorist organization was addedwithWednesday’ssuperseding indictment.
Count 3ofthe new indictment retains avisa fraud charge contained in the original indictment.
Afourth count, which is new,accuses Al-Muhtadi of making afalse statement within thejurisdiction of the UnitedStates
He pleaded not guilty to all four counts on July 9.
Al-Muhtadi,when entering the United States, allegedly told arepresentativeof the Department of State that
Questionssurroundthe shooting
Durán Guerrero’sshooting marked at least the ninthtime ICE has used deadly force since Trump began his immigration crackdown. Photosshowed bulletholes in DuránGuerrero’scar’s windshield, but the officers involved in the shooting didn’thavebody cameras, leaving manyquestions.
Among them are how close theofficerwas tothe vehicle when they fired, whether officers told Durán Guerrero tostop, and whyICE believes he had put the public in danger
“Weare always evaluating our procedures to keep ourofficers safe and criminals off our streets. We will not disclose or discusslaw enforcementtactics,” an ICE spokesperson said in astatement.
Maine’sattorney general’soffice, which noted that it’s working with
federal agencies to investigate, said initial statements suggest the driverwas trying to fleeinthe direction of the officer,whosename hasn’tbeen released andwho was placed on leave.
The state’sother senator,Republican SusanCollins, said Mullin told her that DHS’ Office of Inspector General is investigating in cooperation with the FBI.
Democrats seeking to unseat Collins in November sought Tuesday to connect her with the public’sunease over ICE’smethods. Collins later said in astatement thatalthough ICE needs to improve,eliminating the agency would make the nation less safe.
Videoshows aftermath
According to neighbors and public records, Guerrero lived in an apartment about 150 feet from wherehis carcametoarestoutside an apartment building across
the street from apawnshop and laundromat.
Videofrom anearby business’ securitycamera obtained by the AP shows awhite car slowly approaching an intersection before making several circles.
Alaw enforcement SUV blocks itspath and two officers open the driver’sdoor and drag outa limp body
It isn’tclear from the video when theshotswere fired.
Daniel Boucher said he hearda “pop, pop, pop” and ran to the intersection.
“His face was bloody.His head was bloody,”Boucher said. “I clearlyheard thevictimsay,‘I triedtostop.’”
Bouchersaidthe officer who shot Durán Guerrero walked close to him
“He looked at me and said, ‘He tried to run me over,’ or something to thateffect,” Boucher said. “I
don’tremember his exact words.” Victim survived by wife,child Twoadvocacygroups—the Maine Immigrants’ Rights Coalition and Presente! —said Durán Guerrero was authorized to work in the U.S. Neighbors say DuránGuerrero was afriendly and familiar face even though theyrarelychatted because he didn’tappear to speak English.
Sadie Dilboy and Cory Poulin, whoownsthe laundromat near the intersection, said they sawDurán Guerrero all the time.
“Everyoneknows him,”said Dilboy, who remembered that he often cametotheir store with his daughter and gave her quarters to buy candy Claudia Morton, whooften wavedtoDurán Guerrero, wasdistraught. “The whole world should be crying,” she said.
he didnot have specialized skills or training in things like firearms and explosives whenhedid have such skills andtraining due to hislongtime affiliation with theDemocratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine andits paramilitary wing, theNational Resistance Brigades which has ties to Hamas,according to theindictment.
Al-Muhtadi alsoallegedly told the State Department representative that he had never been involved in any paramilitary-stylegroup, hadnever engaged in terrorist activities, hadnever intendedtoprovide financial or other support to terrorists andhad notcommitted, ordered, incited or assisted in killings or other actsof violence.
The superseding indictmentallegeshedid all of the above and participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and massacre in Israel.
Thevisa fraud charge stems from liesAl-Muhtadi allegedly told when applying for avisa, namely that he had no involvement with paramilitary groups and had no specializedskill or training in firearmsorexplosives, the new indictment alleges.
Al-Muhtadi entered the country onSept.12, 2024, through the Dallas-Fort Worth airport. Documents show he has been living in LafayettesinceatleastMay, working in alocal restaurant afterrelocating fromTulsa,
Oklahoma.
Accordingtoaprobablecause affidavit, Al-Muhtadi has been amember of the National Resistance Brigades, the military wing of the Democratic Front for theLiberation of Palestine, aU.S.-designated terrorist organization, since at least 2019. Federal investigators alleged he is asenior member of the group and was taskedwith training younger militants.
Israel providedthe U.S government with informationthatAl-Muhtadi participated in theattacksand fled Gaza, according to the affidavit.His socialmedia and email accountsshow extensive evidence against him,federal investigators allege,including photos of Al-Muhtadi wearing thered headband of the NRB and allegedly providing firearms training and aphoto of him with 15 young, armedmen thathedescribed as his group.
Al-Muhtadi, in May 2021, sent amessage to another social media user describing an NRB attack on an Israelimilitary outpost near the Gaza border,according to theaffidavit. He allegedly wrote, “I swearbyGod,we burned them! This battle is different for us. God is the helper! Long livethe resistance.”
In August, federal authorities obtained sixaudio recordings determined to be telephone calls by al-Muhtadi on the day of the Israeli
massacre. An FBIagent familiar with al-Muhtadi confirmed he is the speaker in thecall.
On themorning of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, theaffidavit said, al-Muhtadi learnedof the Hamasinvasion, which beganabout 6:30a.m. He made phone calls about the attack,armed himself and gathered other armed fighters.
According to the affidavit, he crossed into Israel by 9:30 a.m.through abreach in theborderinthe Malaka region. Separately,video from the area showsatleast one person wearing an NRB patch outside NahalOzduring theattack, where aTanzanian student was killed after being kidnappedfrom the kibbutz. Prosecutors allege alMuhtadi’sphone location on the day of the attack showed he was near Kibbutz Kfar Aza, an area near the IsraelGaza border where 64 people were killed. His trial, which will take place in Lafayette,isscheduledfor November but is likely to be delayed.
Contact ClaireTaylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.
Johan Sebastián durán Guerrero.
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Budget proposes raises for city workers
Retirement savings would offset cost, officials say
BY STEPHEN MARCANTEL Staff writer
Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet wants to raise pay for police officers, firefighters and Lafayette Consolidated Government employees in her proposed budget. The proposal asks for a $3,000 pay raise for Lafayette police and firefighters, bringing starting
salaries to $48,000 and $41,000, respectively The increase would be spread over two years, according to Karen Fontenot, LCG’s chief financial officer LCG employees would see a 3% increase this first year, with another 3% raise the following year It would bring starting wages to $13 an hour
The raise would cost an additional $8 million, with a $3 mil-
lion offset from lower retirement spending due to rate cuts and reductions to mandatory employer percentages LCG will be required to pay next year “With all the retirement savings, we’re actually going to spend about $5 (million),” Fontenot said at a budget committee meeting on Monday A $1.1 million increase for road overlay in the parish is also
proposed. “We are presenting a balanced budget for the city and parish general fund,“ Fontenot said. Boulet is expected to present her budget to the city and parish councils by July 21. The total proposed budget is $829.9 million, representing a 3% increase in spending from last year’s passed budget.
Although it wasn’t a priority when she first took office, Boulet said she quickly realized the need for higher wages for civil service employees at LCG Critical but low-paying positions stayed vacant, resulting in unpredictable transit bus schedules and a backlog of water leaks for LUS. In 2024, the city and parish councils approved Boulet’s first budget with a pay plan that included raises for most LCG employees, with higher bumps for the lowest-paid staff.
MOO KIDS ON THE BLOCK
ABOVE: Valerie Standefer is flanked by two costumed cow mascots as she reads a book to kids during Cow Appreciation day at the Louisiana Avenue Chick-fil-A restaurant in Lafayette on Tuesday. Customers that showed up in some sort of cow costume or apparel could choose from several free menu item rewards. RIGHT: Chris Jacomet enjoys his free lunch while decked out in a cow costume on Tuesday.
STAFF PHOTOS By LESLIE WESTBROOK
Grammy winners to kick off performing arts season
Music, dance, theater, more in store for Acadiana community
the Branford Marsalis Quartet, one of jazz’s most acclaimed working ensembles. The season features a mix of music, dance, theater and family entertainment, including the Martha Graham Dance Company; acclaimed actor Roger Guenveur Smith in “Frederick Douglass”; Aquila Theatre’s adaptation of “Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde”; Skye Isaac’s “Cinema Serenade”; Jill Butler and Her Joyride Band in a tribute to Burt Bacharach; and “Dog Man: The Musical.”
The Martha Graham Dance Company performs at 7:30 p.m Oct. 16 at the Heymann Performing Arts Center Celebrating its 100th anniversary, the company
ä See SEASON, page 4B
Hotter temps
are on the way as Louisiana has first
heat
Acadiana man died in June from
BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer
a rapid pulse should move to a cool place and begin cooling down immediately Signs of heatstroke, including confusion, a body temperature above 104 degrees or loss of consciousness require immediate medical attention by calling 911.
Boulet
Fight between N.O. andLa. hurtsboth city,state
An Orleans Parish grand jury’s indictment of Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill earlier this month was ashock, but itwasn’tthe first time the ongoing political feudbetween Republicanofficials at thestate leveland Democrats who run New Orleans spilled over into allegations of criminality That happenedearlier this spring, after the Legislature folded the Clerk of Criminal District Court’soffice into the civil court clerk’soperation just beforeCalvinDuncan, who’d been elected to the criminal courtjob, couldbesworn in. With the backing of Mayor Helena Moreno andDistrict Attorney JasonWilliams, five City Council members voted to declare thenew combined office substantiallychangedand callfor anew election. Murrillresponded bythreatening to remove them from officeand have Gov. Jeff Landry replace them, and to prosecute the interim clerk they’d appointed,arespected retired judge
That was just the beginning. Morenofilmed avideo in which she said Murrill may have violated astate lawagainst threateningpublic officialstoinfluence their actions. And thenthe grand jury —onits own,reportedly, with Williams recusing himself andMoreno saying she hadnoknowledge of the proceeding —indicted Murrill under that law There’smore. Judge Leon Roche appointeda special prosecutor,Laurie White, whoisa lightning rod herself. Journalistsexercising their First Amendment right to cover the unusual court action wound up barred from thebuilding, and in one case even handcuffed,byOrleans Parish sheriff’s deputies.
Murrill went to the stateSupreme Court, which stayed the indictment.She hasnow gotten ajudge to OK subpoenas seeking electronic communications and other recordsfromWilliams and White Meanwhile, Murrill’spolitical allies, most notably Landry,have not only rallied toher defensebut pushed back againstmultiple city initiatives,including its request that the state Bond Commission allowit to borrow money for needed projects and ongoingefforts to pull itself out of the fiscal mess Moreno inherited. It’salot, but we can sumupour reaction in four words: This has to stop. It should go without sayingthat accusing political adversaries of criminality undermines trust in the system. It distractsofficials from doing their jobs and hurtstheir ability to lower thetemperature and pursue the commongood. There are well-established ways to settle political and policy differences, even intense ones. That’swhat happened with theDuncan imbroglio, when the Supreme Court upheld the disputed legislation and rejected the council’s call for anew election, which should havebeen theend of thestory Distressingly,this escalation comes at atime when cooperation was bearing realfruit. As aDemocraticformer lawmaker who served in amajority Republican Legislature, Moreno understands well thebenefitoflooking beyond political differences.
Murrill and Landry do too. They showed it when the governor put his muscle behindthe big infrastructure push ahead of last year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, andwhenheand Murrill contributed significantstate resources to help the city bring down itsviolent crime rate. Both initiatives alsoindicatethat they fully understand the vital role NewOrleans plays in Louisiana’seconomy
So we know that when thestate and city work together,everyone wins.
And, we’re sadly learning, when theylower themselves to the kind of behavior we’re now seeing,everyoneloses.
YOUR VIEWS
Gettingout Democratic vote in Senate race couldshock nation
It was harder to get excited about this July 4than mostinmylong life. The Supreme Court’sinviting back Jim Crow while pretending racism is gone withthe wind; the bombing of Iran without congressional advice, consent or even an endgame plan; using specious charges tobully political opponents; turning our back on Europe and Ukraine —all these try my soul. Not to mention ICE’sinhumane tactics and goals, tax cuts for the rich and disingenuously slashing Medicaid from poor people, until somehow theruination of the Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool has becomeametaphor for how completely President Donald Trumphas betrayed our hallowed Declaration of Independence, now 250 years young. So Ineed to remember it took five moreyears for Yorktown toend the Revolutionary fighting, and two additional years for theTreatyofParis to “create” the United States in the eyes of the world. Lasting progress (or destruction) takes time.
Similarly,itmight be worth remembering that, according to Wikipedia, 766,870 Louisianans voted forKamala Harris in 2024. Whileshe lost by 441,635 votes, it’salso worth noting that 1million Louisiana citizens over 18 did not vote in that election. Furthermore, only 851,568 folks voted for Sen. John Kennedy in 2022, an off-year Therefore, if Rep.Julia Letlow matches Kennedy this fall in the Senate race, and if all the people who voted for Harris wouldvote forthe Democratic candidate, Jamie Davis, then we only need 10% of those who did not votein2022 or 2024 to shock thecountry Louisianawould thereby send ashot against racism and Donald Trumpthat would be “heard ’round theworld,” to echo Lexington and Concord of 251 years ago.
AreLouisiana’sget-out-the-vote teams up to this challenge? ’Tis aconsummation devoutly to be wished. LEN NICHOLS NewOrleans
Veteransalutes VFWfor Pride support
I’m writing to recognize and thank theNew OrleansVeterans of Foreign Wars Post8973 for participating in therecent Pride parade.
As ahigh school history teacher IinstructLouisiana’syouth about the valuesthatshape ajust society Chiefamong themisthe moral obligationtoinvest in ourfuture rather thanprepare for ourfailure. Thatiswhy Iamfilled with profound disgust by the Louisiana Legislature’srecentmaneuver to slash $168 million from the Minimum FoundationProgramfor public education. By raiding public school funding for asuperficial, one-timestipend, ourleadersare starving the very institutions meant to uplift ourchildren. Worse still, this massive cut to educationoccurs as the state pumps an extra $100 millioninto criminal justiceand public safety,driving the totalcorrections budgettoastaggering $816.8million.
Iamaveteran of the war in Afghanistan who served 12 years under “Don’tAsk, Don’tTell,” and it meant so much to see combat veterans of all branches who served in war showing up to support all of us who served. It is wonderful to see battle buddies showing up for those of us whowere at one time not welcomed and even persecuted. Thank you, New Orleans VFW,for having our back. We served in war for freedom. The Pride parade was one way for us to celebrate that freedom here at home.
RONHILL Lt. Colonel, USAF,retired NewOrleans
Ny fans made us glad to be Saints fans
Watchingthe “fans” in New York celebrate the Knicks’ victory —and it was agreat one —byburning school buses and trashing police cars with pipes, crowbars and motorcycle chains reminded me, in contrast, of the2010 Saints Superbowl victory celebration in New Orleans.
At that time, Ilived in downtown New Orleans. When thegame ended, my wife andIwalked through the city,and all we saw was unbounded joy
We walked past Poydras and Canal streetstoDecatur and Bourbon streets, and we were surrounded by ecstatic people of all colors hugging each other in “group hugs.” We were all Saints fans and New Orleanians.
As an American,Iwas embarrassed by thebehavior of the New Yorkers. AndIamgratefulthat Ilive here and not in New York. Isure would like to experience that again! GO SAINTS!
C.J.AUCOIN
Gretna
This is adamning indictment of ourstate’s moral compass. We are willingly choosing to fund the containment of humanlivesinstead of the cultivationofhumanpotential. Abudgetisa reflection of asociety’ssoul. Whenweprioritize expanding the prison-industrial complexoverthe classroom,we send atragic message to Louisiana’s children: We would rather spend nearly abilliondollars to lock youup tomorrow thanignite the intellectual spark to help yousucceed today This legislationrobs our schools of essentialinstructional resources, setting up ourstudents —and our communities —for systemic failure. As educators, we teach that choices have consequences. The consequence of prioritizing incarcerationovereducation is the slow destructionofour state’sfuture. It is aprofound betrayal of our kids, our communities andour shared values. Louisiana deserves leaders who have the moral courage to fully fund ourpublic schools. Our children are notliabilitiestobemanaged; they areasacred trust. It is time we start budgeting like we believe it. JOHN GUZDA NewOrleans
La.Haitiansare caught in a flurry of deportationdecisions
Will Sutton
Ashort time ago, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that the Trump administration can send thousands of people home to their native countries. Actually,we’re talking more than 1million people. Those potentially affected include 300,000-350,000 Haitians, about 6,000 Syrians, 200,000 Salvadorans and 50,000 Ukrainians. The high courtruled the administration can end what’scalledthe Temporary Protected Status program, or TPS. What we’re watching is aRepublicanpresident destroying alegacy program created by a Republican president.
President George H.W.Bush signed TPS into law as apartofthe Immigration Act of 1990 after abipartisan Congress overwhelmingly approved the measure. Only eight senators voted against the bill. Louisiana’sDemocratic U.S. Sens. J. Bennett Johnsonand John Breaux voted yes. So did U.S. Reps. Richard Baker,Bob Livingstonand Jim McCrery,all Republicans.
In 2026, with the help of the high court, President Donald Trump said it’s timefor our nation of immigrants to get rid of as many of them aswecan, in part by ending TPS. With a6-3 vote, the Supremessaid the Trump administrationcan doaway with acore part of the lawthathas provided protections for many fordecades About 10 countries had TPSprotections expire or been terminatedfrom the early 1990s and the late 2000s. Now we have another round ofterminations. Haitians, Syrians and others in Louisiana and elsewhere are concerned. The ruling has terminated TPS for them. There is alittle breathing space. Work permits have been extended, but only until July 24. That’snot much time Lower courts have to rush to comply with the new policy.Meanwhile, Congress is consideringoverturning the ruling with bills that would return TPS consideration to the judiciary, away from Homeland Security.One would extend TPS to 2029 for Haitians. But in Florida, where 50% of the nation’sHaitian population live,there is widespread confusion. Massachusetts and New York have agoodnumberof Haitians as well. There are as many as 5,000 Haitians in Louisiana, most of them living in the greaterNew Orleans area. Idon’tknow how many have had their lives changed by this ruling. Ido
knowthatLouisianans who areHaitian or Haitian Americans are concerned. Al Grandoit, aNew Orleans-based mediator, justice advocateand Haiti commentator is the sonofHaitian immigrants.Hewas borninBoston and he’s lived in New Orleans for about 20 years. Acriminaldefenselawyer,he’s active in Haitian circles. He remembers the devastating 7.0 earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010, which then had about 50 aftershocks of 4.5 or more. At least 100,000 peopledied. Some estimates say about 300,000 died. TPS helped alot of people bounceback. Whenheheardabout theruling, he said he was “a littleticked off.” He knowsHaitians here, in Ohio and in North Carolinaaffected by theruling. No doubt,hesaid, some Haitians will return to apoor nation that doesn’thave theeconomy, theinfrastructure and the jobs to match what they’vehad here. New Orleanshas arich Haitian history.Asthe French Revolution ended in the early 1800s, about 10,000 Haitians fledtoLouisiana. They doubled thepopulationof New Orleans.Like Haiti, New Orleans has Catholic, Creole and French roots. Haitians brought theirversions of gumboand jambalaya. Ihave some Creoleand Haitian roots,and Icannot imagine whatNew Orleans might be like without that part of my culture. Idon’texpect New Orleans to change drastically in twoorthree years if Trump and anti-immigrant forces keep
moving in this direction, but Iworry thatthe Catholic, Creole and French culture will be further diminished without so many of our Haitian brothers and sisters. Trump has astrongimmigration background and immigrant family connections. His mother was born in Scotland. One of his former wives was born in Czechoslovakia. First lady Melania Trump was born in Slovenia.
Referencing Haitians and Africans, the president famously asked, “Why are we having all thesepeople from s*** hole countries comehere?
He said he wanted morepeople from Norway and other European countries. For the mostpart, we areanation of immigrants. Indigenous people were already herewhen the foundersofthe nation and othersarrivedhere. Most people of African descent wereforced to come. This isn’tsomething we have to take. We can look up thecongressionalmeasures, weigh in with support to strike executive power to do this in favor of actsofthe U.S. Congress being the only way TPS can be designated. We can find another way forward. We can give Haitians, Syrians and others moretime and give them paths forward to keep, or get,work permits and to get citizenship, if that’swhat they desire.
Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.
Trump’stwo stepsforward,one step back
With midterm elections just afew months away,arecent 36-hourperiod gave the political world agood picture of President Trump’sapproach to campaigning for Republicans with the House and Senate at stakeand theclock running down.Call it two stepsforward and one step back.
The first step forwardwas the president’sspeech at aMack Truck plant in Macungie,Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley The rally was part of Trump’s on-and-offeffort to highlight his administration’seconomic policies in the run-up to November
Whythe transgender sports campaign wasdoomed
There was little question whowas going to wininWest Virginia v. B.P.J. and Little v. Hecox. The twocases, which went to the U.S. SupremeCourt this term, contested lawsin West Virginia and Idaho barring transgender womenand girls from competing in women’s school sports. Even manyLGBTQ activists seemed to recognize that this effort was doomed.
Writing last year about U.S. v. Skrmetti, atest of red-state bans on pediatric medical transition, Nicholas Confessore wrote in The New York Times:“In private meetings of L.G.B.T.Q. legal-advocacy groups, manylawyers expected a loss almost from the momentthe court agreed to hear the case.” The SupremeCourt’sSkrmetti decision in June 2025 upheld the state bans and dashed any realistic hope of getting trans people declared aprotected class, such as racial minorities, whose exclusion would trigger strict judicial scrutiny After Skrmetti, it looked unlikely that the SupremeCourt wasgoing to rule trans women had aright to participate in women’s sports. Lindsay Hecox tried, and failed, to moot her case by declaring she no longer had any intention of competing in Idaho sports. Lawyers for the trans athletes fell back on the position that while yes, there may be safety and fairness reasons forseparate women’sdivisions, it was unfair to exclude biological males whose athletic advantage had been reduced by puberty blockers or hormones.
These arguments at times bordered on incoherent —isany sufficiently unathletic male entitled to join the women’s team?And if not, whyshould these particular males be given that right? Advocates forthe trans rights side had no good answer
It is no surprise that the trans athletes lost last month at the U.S. SupremeCourt. It is moresurprising that these cases werebrought at all. Who thought this wasagood idea?
Confessore’sarticle suggests the answer is activists engaged in the fatal activity known as reading your own press releases. Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union and Lambda Legal wereincreasingly committed to radical ideas about gender that had little public support and saw the pursuit of sweeping civil rights rulings as “the logical next step” in turning those viewsinto law
On the one hand, some in Trump’s corner might groan at himgoingoff messagelike that. On the other hand, it was aclassic Trumpmoment in a speech that ran to onehourand 23 minutes. It was the kind of thingthatkeeps the audience entertained,which is always abig concernfor the president.
The big issue is the cost of living, of course. Trump has always hated the word “affordability.” Whatever you call it, he has often frustrated aides whowanted himtofocus on it more in public appearances. Over the last several months, their hopesfor an extended focus on thecost of living have been interruptedbyTrump’s military action in Venezuela, aviolentimmigration crackdown in Minneapolis, agovernment shutdown and awar in Iran. There hasbeen no smooth road to amidterm message.
But there Trump was,inanimportant state, talking (mostly) about the economy.Itwas agood thing, especially if you were on his political team. Of course, Trump did nottalk only about the economy.Hetalked about all sortsofthings. One part of the speech touted his work to lower theprice of prescription drugs, which then turned into ariff on the “fat drug” in whichhe told the story of “a friend of mine who is very fat, sloppy,abrilliantbusinessman, but he’saslob, there’snoquestion about it and he said, ‘I bought the fat drug,’ and Isaid, ‘I didn’tknowyou usedit, because it’snot working.’”
The step backward came the next day,whenTrump was back in Washington. The House and Senate hadpassed abill called the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. It was oneofthose rare substantive bills that passes with bipartisan majorities,winning 358 votesinthe House and85inthe Senate. It wasn’tthe biggest or most consequential bill in theworld, but it appears that some of its provisionstoreducethe regulatory burdens on homebuilders would probably makehousing somewhat more affordable.
To celebrate its passage, congressional leaders had set up aceremony and lunch at which Trump would come to the Capitol andsignthe bill into law. But 90 minutes before the event, Trump posted on Truth Social that it was off. Trump abruptlythrew awrench into things shortly before he was scheduled to take an action to improve the economy.And thatmeansthe next daywas a lost day for midterm campaigning. The timing and staging of it madeTrump’s actions appear erratic, too.
Then Trump gotback on track.Ithappenedwhenheappeared at theAmerica 250 Great American State Fair. The event, which was set to kick off the Washington celebration of thenation’s
250th birthday, hada troubled past. A plannedconcert fell apartwhenseveral entertainers withdrew, claimingthat Trump hadpoliticized the event. At that point, Trump took over and said he would be the mainattraction. And so he was. Standing in frontofthe U.S.Marine Band, Trumpdelivered a campaign speech that was thorough and—this is the striking part —remarkablyconcise. It lasted all of 28 minutes. Trumpusedthe occasion to go through his administration’s accomplishments onebyone,makingthe case for giving Republicansanother term running Capitol Hill. It was focused, but on theother hand, it was straight from aprompter andlacked thespontaneity of asidesthatmakeTrump’sspeeches entertaining. Acampaign strategist might wish that he could blend the two speeches —present the core caseand then add amusing asidestospice it up —and come up with acampaignspeech that stays on track andislongerthan28 minutesbut alot shorter than an hour and23minutes. But Trumphas been making his own speech choices for yearsand hasbeen elected president of the United States twice, so it is unlikely he would seeagreat need to do things anyother way The bottom line is that the president’smidterm campaigning is going forward in fits andstarts. Thatseems understandable,given the size of the problems he hascreated for himself with closing outthe Iran war.But it is still worrisome for Republican lawmakersupfor reelection whoneed Trump’s help in their states anddistricts. ByronYork is on X, @Bryon York.
Unfortunately,they had skipped the critical step in building consensus: persuasion. Progressive-leaning institutions, such as media and academia, were instead pressed into embracing fairly extreme views—the gender binary was fake and whobelonged to the category “woman” was amystical question of inner feeling, not merebiology.These tactics backfired disastrously; broader public opinion never came over to their side and has now moved in theopposite direction.Asthe poet Samuel Butler pointed out in the 17th century,“He that complies against his will/ is of his own opinion still.” Butler might justly have added, “Only now they’re really mad about it.” There’salesson in that, and not just forthe progressive groups that have scored historic defeats fortheir cause and set themselves up forfurther losses.
Lots of people quail at the long, hard workrequired to deliver real social or political changes —you know,like the decades of patient little wins that LGBTQ groups accumulated before the SupremeCourt delivered the ultimate victory in the 2015 decision that declared aconstitutional right to same-sex marriage. It’s very tempting to look foraquick fix. That’scertainly the approach favored by the Trumpadministration.
The trans backlash helped propel Donald Trumpback into office, and yet once there, the administration looked forinstitutional shortcuts rather than trying to build public and legislative consensus fordurable change. Many of these efforts have also come to grief in the courts, but the real loss is in the court of public opinion, where Trump’sapproval rating sank below 40%. Every overreach makes it morelikely that Democrats will retake the White House in 2028 and ensure mostofthis frantic effort is fornaught.
Should that happen, Democrats will also be tempted to read amandate into the public backlash, mistaking atemporary turn of affairs for adecisive win. They would be wiser to eschew the whole idea of aquick victory.Those sorts of “wins” are to actual political change what instant coffee is to agood cup of joe. It maylook like coffee, and it’scertainly faster than the real thing. But if you try it, you’ll find it tastes like defeat.
MeganMcArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo
McArdle
egaM n
Byron York
ASSOCIATEd PRESS PHOTO By GREGORy BULL
People hold Haitian flags and signs during arally in supportofimmigrants living in theUnited States withtemporaryprotected status, or TPS,onJuly 9inSan diego.
OceanSprings waitsfor answersinteen’sdeath
Tight-knit community ‘justindisbelief’
BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer
The city where Nolan Wells lived is full of sorrow It has been more than aweek since asearch crew found the teenager’sbody in thewaters near aGulf Coast barrier island, where he celebrated the Fourth of July with friends. The tragic news rattledhis tight-knit community of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, where shock is now turning to grief, speculation and painful uncertainty.
The communityis“trying to pull togetherand be supportive tohis family,but they’re stilljustindisbelief,” said Tracy Lampley,who coached Wells when he played football at Ocean Springs High School. “Everybody just wants to know what happened.”
So far,the answer has remained unclear.Law enforcement have said Wells, 18, disappeared during crowded holiday celebrations on Horn Island, about 10 miles off
the Mississippi Coast. Autopsy results are still pending, and authorities had notreleased acause of death by Monday night
The county’ssheriff said last week that no signs of foul play had emergedas thedepartment’sinvestigation into Wells’ death continues.
Ben Crump,a national civil rights attorneywho is representing Wells’ family,isalsoinvestigating the teen’s death.The tragedybegan drawing national attention as aphotocirculated online that shows Wells, who was Black, sittingonaboat with several friends, who are White.
Crumpand Wells’parents, Christineand Elmore Wonsley,appeared on the show “Good MorningAmerica” last week andcalled for athorough investigation. They said they couldnot understand whyWells would separate from hisgroup of friends.
“It’snot addingup,” Crump said, “and that is the problem when you thinkabout thehistory of Mississippi.”
Sean Tindell,commissioner of
the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, toldthe conservative talkradio station SuperTalk Mississippi that his “heart is bleeding for the family andthe friends of Nolan whohavesuffered atragic loss.”
“The investigationwill lead where it will,” he added.“But there’snoindication that there wasanything regarding race that led to this unfortunate situation.”
OceanSprings grieves
Over the weekend, hundreds peacefully gathered on the streets of Ocean Springs to callattention to Wells’ death. They chanted his name and carried handmade signs. “Justice for Nolan Wells,” one read. “Hope for Nolan,” said another “Wewantanswers,”one attendee told WLOX-TV in Biloxi. “It’sabout the truth, and it’s about transparency.”
Students andstaff in the Ocean SpringsSchoolDistrict were also invited last week to the high schoolauditorium,where they
held agrief session
“Ourcommunity is hurting,”
Ron Chambers, who servesonthe district’sBoard of Trustees, recentlywrote on social media. “Let us not become trapped by gossip, rumors, backbiting, or sensationalism.Those things only fuel conflictand prolongpain.”
Wells’ motherhas posted on social media pleading that users reportvideos generated by artificialintelligence, which she said are spreading false information abouther son’s death.She hasalso called out fake fundraising accountspurporting to support her family.Others in Ocean Springs arecondemning online actors they sayare using the tragedy for personal gain.
The digital chaos is frustrating some residents across Ocean Springs, acity of about 19,000 people usually known forits towering oaks, beaches andlaid-back art scene. Many leaders are urging their city to come together with compassion.
“Everybody’supsetoverthe whole ordeal,” said Kevin Wade, an Ocean Springs alderman. “Un-
til law enforcement and everybody gets all the investigations done, nobody’sreally going to knowwhat’sgoing on.”
“Each andevery stepwetaketogether supporting Nolan’smemory,his family,his friends,and unity is astep in theright direction,” Ocean Springs Mayor Bobby Cox wrote on social media.
The people who loved Wells recall him as akind and friendly role model and peacemaker.He worked hard on his footballcareer,first in OceanSprings, then at Southwest Mississippi Community College. Lampley,Wells’ former coach,calledhim “a joy to be around.
Law enforcementhavesaid speculation surrounding Wells’ death is damaging to theirinvestigation, because rumors and public scrutiny may intimidate teenage witnesses from coming forward. Lampley added that observers should await whatever facts the family chooses to share “Give them therespect they deserve,” he said. Staff writer Poet Wolfe contributed reporting.
Frequencyofearthquakes in northwestLa. plummets
fallen sinceMay
BYADAMDUVERNAY Staff writer
What happened to allthose earthquakes?
The number of earthquakes recorded in northwest Louisiana has plummeted since May.Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy has noticed but doesn’tknow why Earthquakes are ahistorical oddity in Louisiana, having only truly emerged as aknown, regular-ish occurrence sinceabout 2010. Thereisasuspicion that the shakingisrelated to the oil and gas industry and arecent effort to study theconnection. But lately,there’s much less to study
On March 5, Louisiana experienced its largestever recorded earthquake: awhopping magnitude 4.9 with an epicenter in the Coushatta area. It was big enough to be felt in Shreveport and over the state line in Texas and Arkansas, and it caught the attention of federal quake trackers.
The U.S. Geological Surveydispatched ateamof technicians to northwest Louisiana. Along with apart-
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has shaped modern dance through its groundbreaking choreography and expressive style.
“Graham technique has been taught for decades in the dance and choreographic design department at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette,” said Jackie Lyle,PASA’sexecutive director.“Even when it was known as SLI and USL, Graham technique was part of the curriculum. It is so excitingtocelebrate this company during its 100th anniversary andhonor the impact Martha Graham continues to have on the world of dance.” Roger GuenveurSmith returns to the Theaterat Baranco at 7:30 p.m.Nov.13 with “Frederick Douglass.” Known for his collaborations with filmmaker Spike Lee, Smithhas performed theone-man productionfor audiences around the world for more than two decades. Going into 2027, “Dog Man: The Musical” comes to the Heymann Performing Arts Center at 6p.m. Jan. 12. Based on Dav Pilkey’s bestselling book series, the production followsthe adventures of the crime-fighting Dog Man as he battles villains while learning what it means to be ahero. The show is recommended for ages 6and older Lafayette native Skye
ner researcher fromTulane University who already maintained some seismometers in the area,USGS installed newquake detectors and upgraded theexisting ones to transmit datainreal time.
While USGS previously wasrelyinglargelyondata far from thesiteofthe earthquakes, the new monitors significantly improved the ability to captureinformationabout local shaking. That includedamore accurate assessment of the quakes’ epicenters and the recordingofmuchsmaller quakes.
Between March5 and May 8, USGS mapped 41 earthquakes in northwest Louisiana, many verysmall. It was amuchhigher number than previouslyrecorded for theregion even over much longer periods. From Dec. 4, 2018, toMarch 4, USGS had recorded only 31 earthquakes.
But since May 8, USGS has recordedonlyfive earthquakes in northwest Louisiana:
n May 11: magnitude 2.1, northwest of Coushatta n May 22: magnitude 2.3, southeast of Ringgold
n May 27: magnitude 1.9, northeast of Ringgold
n May 28: magnitude 2.4, northwest of Ringgold
n June 2:magnitude1.9,
Isaac returns homewith “Cinema Serenade” at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 19 at the Theater at Baranco, performing songs made famous by the silver screen. Aquila Theatre returns to the Heymann Performing Arts Centerat7:30 p.m. March 11 with anew adaptationofRobert Louis Stevenson’s“TheStrange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr.Hyde.” Inspiredbyone of Stevenson’sdreams, the Gothic classicexplores the duality of human nature. PASA offers full-season subscription packagesas well as customizable packages, allowingpatrons to select any three performances. Theseason will take place at twoLafayette venues: theHeymannPerforming ArtsCenter,1373 S. College Road; andthe Theater at Baranco, inside Dr.Raphael J. Baranco Elementary School, 801 Mudd Ave. Formore information, tickets or details about PASA outreach programs, visit pasaonline.org.
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MONDAY,JULY13, 2026
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northwest of Coushatta.
Acrossparts of thecentral United States, earthquakes away from active seismic zones, suchasOklahoma and westTexas, have been linked to oil and gas activity, specifically the disposalof wastewaterbyinjecting it deep underground. The phenomenon is called “induced seismicity.”
EPAofficials, after the March 5magnitude 4.9 earthquake,asked state regulators to step up monitoring of the wastewater injection in the area.
That’sthe responsibility of theLouisiana Department of Conservation and Energy
The agency is reviewing thedata for anomalies, according to press secretary
Patrick Courreges, but the departmenthasn’tyet instructed operators of wastewater disposalsitestodo anything differently “Wehaven’tidentified that for sure as aculprit. It’sa big suspect,but there hasn’t been enough evidence to connect thetwo,” Courreges said.
Courreges said the dropoff in the number of quakes recentlyis“unmistakable,” but the departmentdoesn’t have aready explanation. Mapping northwest Louisiana earthquakes over time is not without caveats. There have been two distinct periods of noticeable seismicity in northwest Louisiana recently: the winter of 2024-25 andthe winter
of 2025-26. Between December 2024 and January 2025, USGS recorded seven earthquakes around Mooringsport. USGS didn’trecordanother earthquakeinnorthwestLouisiana until December 2025, mostofthose in theCoushattaarea,witha smaller cluster occurring around the Ringgold area. For northwest Louisiana, the lack of reliable data also has made counting and locating quakes challenging. Louisiana lacksthe kind of robustmonitoring networkof states such as Texas, and untilUSGS recentlyinstalled itsnew seismometers, the data could be spotty andimprecise.
Earthquakes below the size of magnitude 2.5 don’tgenerally appear on theUSGS map tracking worldwide seismic events. Many earthquakes of relatively small sizes occur across the world every day, and their inclusion on the USGS tracking map usually happens only as an anomaly “The only earthquakes that we publish are earthquakes that have been manually reviewed. Normally,wejust process earthquakes that are 2.5, 3orbigger,” USGS researcher Justin Rubinstein said in May.“Sometimes our automatic solutions make an earthquake look big, so the human will go process it. If it turns outtobea 2.1ora 1.5, we’ve already done the work on the earthquake, so there’s no reason not to publish it.”
PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given that sealed bids will be received either electroni‐callyat https://lafayet tecsdgovla.tylerportico. com/va/vendor-access/ registration or in theof‐fice of thePurchasingDi‐vision at theLafayette Consolidated Govern‐ment Building,located at 705 West University Av‐enue,Lafayette Louisiana, until 1:30 pm CentralTimeonthe 30th dayof July,2026 forthe following: FLAMERESISTANT UNI‐FORM CLOTHING andwill, shortlythere‐after, be opened and read aloudina room lo‐catedat705 West Univer‐sity Avenue,Lafayette LA.Bidsreceivedafter theabove specified time foropening shallnot be considered andshall be returned unopened to thesender. Biddersmay attend thebid openingin person,but arehighly encouraged to virtually join thebid openings via Zoom usingthe following link: https://us02web zoom.us/j/89768531420? pwd=51O9GL00lh2whyG ACZbQgnYSL2Hbsd.1 In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212.
services andlabor andmaterial. To that end, allcontrac‐tors andsuppliers are encouraged to utilize DBEs business enter‐prises in thepurchaseor sub-contractingofmate‐rials, supplies, services andlabor andmaterialin whichdisadvantaged business areavailable Assistance in identifying said businessesmay be obtained by calling(337) 291-8410.
PURCHASING DIVISION Lafayette Consolidated Government PUBLISHDATES: 07/15/26; 07/19/26 DPR992927 194076 July 15, 19, 2t $100.82
p for opening shall not be considered andshall be returned unopened to thesender. Biddersare encouraged to attend the bidopening virtually by usingthe followinglink https://us02web.zoom us/j/86006355123? pwd=JgXSaPbllhihYEZ MZR1aLMnbHho7Re.1 MeetingID: 860 0635 5123 Passcode:539979 In accordance with LouisianaRS38:2212. vendorsmay submit theirbid electronically at thewebsite listed above. Bidderswishing to sub‐mittheir bidelectroni‐callymust firstberegis‐teredwithinLCG Vendor Access at thewebsite listed above. Theregis‐trationprocess cantake some time;therefore LCGrecommendsregis‐tering days in advanceof thetimethatbidsare due. It is thesolerespon‐sibility of thebidderto ensure theirbid is deliv‐ered (whether electroni‐callyvia Vendor Access, in person,orvia mail)to thePurchasingDivision priortothe scheduled date andtimeofthe bid opening. Vendorsmay requestthe bidpackage electronically from Thomas Metrejeanat tg‐metrejean@lafayettela gov. Vendorssubmittingbids electronically arere‐quired to providethe same documentsasbid‐ders submitting through themailassoon as avail‐able.Onlya bidbond, certified checkor cashier’scheck shallbe submittedasthe bidse‐curity Electronic copies of both thefront and back of thecheck or bid bond shallbeincluded with theelectronicbid Bids must be signedin accordance with LRS Title38:2212(B)5. ACor‐porate Resolution or Cer‐tificate of Authorityau‐thorizingthe person signingthe bidisre‐
SunBeltteams have keyissuestoresolve
Whenthe league’s14 coaches convene to discuss their teams with the media at Sun Belt media days on Wednesdayand Thursdayat the Marriott Warehouse District hotel in New Orleans, it’sessentially detailing the search for solutions.
Whetherit’sreigningchampion James Madison or GeorgiaState, whichdidn’twin anyleague gameslast season, each team hasholes to filland questions to answer The EastDivision teamswill take the stage on Wednesday,followed by the West Divisionschools beginning with UL at 9:30 a.m. Thursday
Before we hear from any of the coaches, here’saquick preview of some of the critical issues to be discussed over the next twodays.
Let’sstart withthe UL Ragin’Cajuns
Ayear ago, no onecould have imagined the Cajuns defensegivingupso many critical passing yardsafterBrent Gordon made so many playsasatrue freshman.
Butthe rest of the secondary struggled. UL allowed 70% or highercompletion percentagesinfive games, andthe Cajuns were2-6 when surrendering 65%orhigher
Whetherit’sfrom abetter pass rush or upgradesinthe secondary,the Cajuns must limit bigplays, especially on thirddown.Opposing offensesconverted 43% of third downsonULlast season, andthat’snot sustainable. The otherbig issuefor theCajuns isn’tsomethingtheycan planfor.In coach Michael Desormeaux’sfourseasons, UL needed threequarterbacks
to getthrough theseason.The jury is still outonwhether Lunch Winfield can build on last year’seffort, but playing 12 games would be agreat start. Also high on UL’s wish list is thirdquarter scoring. The Cajuns scored 136 pointsinthe second quarter andonly 39 in thethird quarter last season. East Division
James Madison needs to address its penaltieswith former UL coach Billy Napier nowatthe helm. The Cajuns
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Even after Juwan Johnsonposted his bestseason as aprofessional in 2025, the Saints went into the offseason looking to upgrade the position
That involved signing free agent Noah Fant, a former first-roundpick whom theteam pursued last fall to no avail. It also involved using a third-round pick on former Georgia tight end Oscar Delp. Those two replace Jack Stolland Foster Moreau,both of whom
signed elsewhereinfree agency Those moves could foreshadow whatis to comethis fall. The 2025 Saints were predominantlya shotgun, 11-personnel team —meaning they most often had only one tight endonthe field. The2026 Saintscould look different, followingthe directionthe league is trending toward.
Number to know:889
That is how manyyards receiving Johnsonhad last season, rewarding thefaith theSaints placed in him when they brought
BYSTEPHEN HAWKINS AP sportswriter
the
added another goal and Spain advanced toits first WorldCup final since winning in 2010 with a2-0 victory over France on Tuesday Aday after his 19th birthday,Yamalwas denied agoal on aclose offside call that camesoon
Lastweekendunfoldedunexpectedly forthe LSU baseball program
The 2026 MLB Draft brought tons of surprisesfor Jay Johnsonand company,asLSU got 16 of its22high school signees through thedraft and, at least presumably,ontocampus forthe 2027 season. The only riddle Johnsonwill have to solvenow is the size of his newroster. LSU is projected to have 42 players next season,eight more thanthe Tigers are allowed to have under NCAA roster limit rules.
LSU had 38 players on its team last season, but it had ahandful of players labeled as designated student-athletes, meaning that they could be on the team withoutcounting against the 34-man roster restriction that was implemented after the House vs. NCAA settlement. It’sunclear whichLSU players are tagged as designated student-athletes players forthe upcoming season. Regardless of how the roster shakes out, LSUhas more than enough players now to puttogether away-too-early lineup and starting rotation projection forthe 2027 season.
get to thismoment, but we want more,” midfielder Rodri said. “Wewant to win this World Cup.” Kylian Mbappé and France, FIFA’stop-ranked team, were trying to become only the third team to reach threeconsecutive World Cup finals. They instead will play in thethird-place game in Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday,the day before the finalatMetLife Stadium across the river from New York City.Argentina
Kevin Foote
6:30
Ole Miss threatens legal action
Rebels want buyouts from 2 LSU players
BY REED DARCEY Staff writer
Ole Miss is still seeking buyouts from two former football players who transferred to LSU in January, and the school is considering legal action to obtain those payments.
Keith Carter the Rebels athletic director, told The ClarionLedger that Ole Miss has not yet received contract buyouts from LSU edge rusher Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper. Both players signed agreements to return to the Rebels in early January before reversing course and following coach Lane Kiffin to Baton Rouge instead.
“That would be an option, going and asking a court to get that money for you,” Carter told the outlet. “Contracts are with the players. LSU could pay that on behalf of the players So we’re kind of exploring all of that right now.”
Umanmielen and Harper are two of the four players who transferred from Ole Miss to LSU in the offseason. They each landed with the Tigers after the Rebels had said they were reupping for the 2026 season Ole Miss announced Umanmielen’s return on Jan. 5 and Harper’s on Jan. 6.
Carter told The Clarion-Ledger that schools are sometimes hesitant to enforce buyout clauses in contracts they sign with players. Ole Miss wants to do so in these instances, he said, because Umanmielen and Harper broke their agreements a few
days after they signed them. The schools that land the transfer players with buyout agreements in their old con-
tracts are typically the parties that cover the payments. Carter declined to reveal how much LSU owes Ole Miss for Uman-
mielen and Harper, though On3 reported on July 2 that the total amount was roughly $1 million.
“Those are the kind that, having signed a brand-new rev share contract basically a week or two before wanting to leave,”
Carter said, “put you in a bind, especially there in the portal cycle. Those two we’re going to continue to figure out how to collect. We feel like based on the contract, we deserve to collect.”
Both Umanmielen and Harper are expected to play significant roles for LSU this coming season.
Umanmielen, a senior, was one of the top transfer edge rushers of the 2026 cycle. Last season, he was tied for third among SEC defenders in sacks (9.0), and he ranked eighth in tackles for loss (13).
Harper is a sophomore from Shreveport who appeared in six games last season. He opened spring practices in April as LSU’s first-team left guard before later settling into a role on the second-team offensive line. He’s expected to compete for a starting job when the Tigers begin preseason camp in August.
An LSU spokesperson declined comment when asked whether LSU has considered paying the former Ole Miss players’ buyouts or whether there’s been communication between LSU and Ole Miss on the subject.
Jon Blau contributed to this report.
Email Reed Darcey at reed.darcey@theadvocate. com. For more LSU sports updates, sign up for our newsletter attheadvocate.com/ lsunewsletter
LSU reveals its SEC media days lineup
BY JON BLAU Staff writer
LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt
won’t be at SEC media days, but his likely top target and a couple of star defenders will.
Linebackers Whit Weeks and T.J. Dottery, along with tight end Trey’Dez Green, will join LSU coach Lane Kiffin in Tampa, Florida, for the conference’s preseason media event from Monday through July 23.
Weeks was one of the LSU player representatives last year, while Dottery was at SEC media days with the Ole Miss contingent when Kiffin was the coach there.
This is the debut at SEC media days for the 6-foot-7 junior Green, who is expected to be one of the top players at his position this season.
Quarterbacks are usually high on the media’s priority list coming into a season, but Leavitt — a highly touted transfer from Arizona State missed most of LSU’s spring practices as he recovered from foot surgery Leavitt was only recently cleared to fully participate in summer workouts.
The Tigers are slated to appear on the final day of SEC media days on July 23, along with three opponents on their 2026
the field after a win over South Carolina on Oct. 11 at Tiger Stadium.
schedule: Arkansas, Mississippi State and Texas. Kiffin and company are likely
to be in high demand, considering the coach’s much-talkedabout move from Ole Miss to
LSU at the end of the 2025 regular season. The Rebels made a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals without Kiffin. Ole Miss, the Tigers’ Week 3 opponent, is scheduled to appear on July 22. Pete Golding, who was elevated to head coach during the Rebels’ CFP run, will be joined by quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, defensive tackle Will Echoles and running back Kewan Lacy Chambliss recently appeared in front of reporters at the Manning Passing Academy, saying there was no “bad blood” between him and Kiffin but adding that he didn’t agree with Kiffin’s comments to Vanity Fair about difficulties recruiting Black athletes to Mississippi. Nine of the SEC’s 16 schools are bringing a quarterback, including Auburn’s Byrum Brown, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton, Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey, Mississippi State’s Kamario Taylor, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers, Texas’ Arch Manning and Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed. The schools that aren’t bringing a quarterback are LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Missouri, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@theadvocate.com.
Neutral-site game announces NIL deal with Auburn
BY CHARLES ODUM AP sportswriter
ATLANTA The Aflac Kickoff Game on Tuesday announced a name, image and likeness deal with Auburn leading up to the Tigers’ game against Baylor on Sept. 5. The Peach Bowl and the Kickoff Game say the deal is worth “multimillion” dollars and marks the first time a neutralsite college football game has incorporated NIL compensation for student-athletes.
The NIL agreement also will involve third-party entities. According to the announcement, as many as two dozen Auburn student-athletes will promote the game through social media posts, public appearances, advertisements, in-game promotions and branding opportunities.
“In the new NIL era of college football, this will be an innovative way to create wins for the teams, programs and student-athletes,” said Peach Bowl Inc. CEO David Epps in
a statement. “This new model is a true win-win scenario where Auburn and its student-athletes get a financial boost in the NIL space. At the same time, it’s a potential game changer for neutral-site games like ours who want to bring added value to participating teams and make it a more attractive and lucrative opportunity.” Auburn opened its 2025 season with a 38-24 win at Baylor This year’s rematch originally was scheduled as an Auburn
home game. The teams agreed to move the game to MercedesBenz Stadium, also the home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and the Peach Bowl. The Kickoff Game is the nation’s longest-running neutralsite game and will be televised by ABC at 3:30 p.m. EDT Auburn will be making its fourth appearance in the Kickoff Game. It will be Baylor’s first appearance. Peach Bowl Inc. operates the Peach Bowl as well as the Kickoff Game
Gymnast Lee to return for 3rd shot at Olympics
Suni Lee is making a run at a third Olympics. The America gymnastics star announced she is returning to the sport on Tuesday, about two years out from the Los Angeles Games. Lee, the 2020 all-around champion and a six-time Olympic medalist, posted a video on Instagram saying she was back in the gym and ready to return to work.
The 23-year-old Lee has been on a break following the 2024 Paris Olympics, in which she helped the Americans win team gold while earning bronze in the all-around and uneven bars.
She’s the latest member of the 2024 Olympic team to announce she is eyeing a shot at LA. Jade Carey is among the gold medalists who already have returned to competition.
McNair, co-founder of Texans, dies at age 89
HOUSTON Janice S. McNair, who alongside her late husband Robert “Bob” McNair brought football back to Houston after the Oilers left for Tennessee by founding the Texans, has died. She was 89.
“It is with profound sadness that we announce Houston Texans co-founder and senior chair Janice S. McNair passed away peacefully in Houston this afternoon with her family by her side,” the Texans said in a statement on Tuesday After her husband Bob died in 2018 following a battle with both leukemia and squamous cell carcinoma, Janice took over the Texans organization as owner McNair’s son, Cal, was approved as primary owner of the team in 2024.
Ohtani to be available for Dodgers’ series at Yankees
PHILADELPHIA Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani will be a designated hitter at a minimum for this weekend’s series at the New York Yankees after having fluid drained from his left knee. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Tuesday that Ohtani had the procedure to relieve irritation following Sunday’s game and that the four-time MVP was taking a few days of vacation before the season’s second half. Roberts said the two-way star did not receive an injection.
Two-time World Series champion Los Angeles opens the second half Friday for the start of a threegame series at Yankee Stadium. Ohtani last pitched on July 3. It isn’t yet clear whether he will pitch against the Yankees.
CHICAGO Roch Cholowsky has agreed to a contract with the Chicago White Sox that includes a record-breaking $10.35 million signing bonus after he was the No. 1 overall pick in last weekend’s amateur draft.
The slot value for the top pick this year was $11,350,600. Cholowsky’s bonus tops the previous mark of $9.25 million for the amateur draft that belonged to Reds pitcher Chase Burns and Rockies prospect Charlie Condon, two of the top three selections in 2024.
Cholowsky, a 6-foot-2 shortstop who turned 21 in April, hit .320 with 21 homers, 60 RBIs and a 1.088 OPS in 60 games this season for UCLA. He is the first No. 1 overall pick for the White Sox.
Pogacar’s 10th stage victory extends Tour de France lead
LE LIORAN,France Four-time champion Tadej Pogacar dealt his rivals another crushing blow by winning the 10th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday to extend his already commanding overall lead. Pogacar is on course to equal the record for Tour wins. Only Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault have five Tour victories to their names.
“We just need to be grateful for this moment to be riding in the biggest race of the world,” the 27-year-old Pogacar said. Pogacar who had already sapped his rivals’ morale with victory on the iconic Col du Tourmalet on Thursday, again stamped his authority with a break just over 900 meters from the summit of the Col de Pertus.
ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROGELIO V SOLIS Mississippi linebacker Princewill Umanmielen looks for a South Carolina ball carrier during a game on Nov. 1 in Oxford Miss.
STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSU linebacker Whit Weeks walks off
Celestinefittingright in at LafayetteHigh
Star RB transfers from Comeauxafter school shutsdown
BY MIKE COPPAGE
Contributing writer
When ComeauxHighSchool closed, star running back Jaden Celestine had multiple options where he could transfer and be eligible his senior season.
The area’sleading rusher in the 2025 regular season chose LafayetteHigh, and he’sbringing along some help
“Lafayette best suited my game, for real,” said Celestine, a5-foot10, 190-poundLamar commitment. “Theirrunning style andtheir offense was the best choicefor me.”
Celestine, asenior,will be paired with senior dual-threat quarterback Richmond Saunier, who turned down offers from schools like South Alabama to commit to Dartmouth.
LESLIEWESTBROOK
STAFF FILEPHOTO By
after Comeaux closed its doors in June.
“We’re going to be an amazing duo that’sgoing to be hard to stop, for sure,” Celestinesaid. As ajunior,Celestine ran for nearly 1,700 yards and24touch-
downs for aComeaux team that enjoyed itsbestseasoninyears.He’ll be reunited with teammates such
as Amontee Abraham, Dmyrie Clay,JovontreyRobertson, Alex Satchell and fellow running back Jaiden Portalis.
“Wehave tworeturning starters at running back in Jaiden and me,” Celestinesaid. “We’ll be adangerous backfield, andthenyou have Richmond, whocan run theball, as well.”
Lafayette coach StephenHearen said Celestine stepped right in and madehis presence known.
“He fits in great withhis teammates,” Hearen said. “Even though it’sonly been acoupleof weeks,he’sreally agreat leader It’sreally refreshing to have him here, andI know he was excited to be able to getstarted once the dust settled.” Celestine andPortalis were welcome additions for theMightyLions, who went 6-5 last year andlost to St Thomas Moreinthe first round.
“Having aDivision I, high-caliber guy like Jadenisdefinitely something we canrely on,” said Saunier, who saw his entire receiving corps graduate in May.“Nottomention that our offensive line got some guys fromthe Comeaux closing.”
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typically were among the leastpenalized teams in the Napier era. Last season, the Dukes committed 105 penalties for 1,015 yards compared to 78 for 887 by theiropposition. Perhaps that overaggressive approach played into the defense being so stingy.Time will tell. Old Dominion had one of the league’smost dynamic offenses last season, butithad one major problem. The Monarchs ledthe nation with 14 lost fumbles. While there’salot of holes to fill with only one starter back on offense, holding onto the ball would help immensely Marshall is another expected contender in the East, butthere’s aglaring need. The Thundering Herd defenseallowed 410.6 yards passing last season, which was No. 127 in the FBS.
Georgia Southern fans certainly won’tfeel sorry for the Herd. Their Eagles gave up 324 first downs last season. So while Clay Helton remains the head coach, the addition of Mike Mutz asnew defensive coordinator from StephenF.Austin is critical. His unit finished first in the nation in tackles for losses and No 10 in sacks last season in the FCS. The Eagles hope he can carry that aggressiveness to Statesboro Appalachian State is hopingto get back on track after tworough seasons, and offense is the biggest problem.The Mountaineers convertedonly32.9% on third downs for123rd nationally.They were 126th with 15 interceptions Third down was just anightmare allthe way around for App State,whichdidn’thold anyofits
LSU
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Here’s how theTigersare shaping up on the field heading into next year
Lineup
1. Mason Braun, 1B
2. Cade Arrambide,C
3. Steven Milam, SS
4. Omar Serna, DH
5. Bino Watters, LF
6. Dawson Park, 3B
7. Angel Laya, RF
8. Cade Kurland, 2B
9. Malachi Washington,CF Bench: Jason Wachs (OF), Dominic Santarelli (OF),Jack Ruckert (2B), Nathaneal Davis (OF), Anthony Murphy (OF), John Pearson (3B), Eddie Yamin (C/1B/OF), William Patrick (OF), Lucas Nawrocki (OF), Diego Velazquez (SS) Parker Loew (SS), Luke Tucker (3B/1B), Jordan Martinez(3B), Masen Belding (C), Dylan Minnatee (1B) Breakdown: Braun, Arrambide Milam and Serna were fourof LSU’sfive best hitters by the end of last season.Their excellence at the plate in Southeastern Conference play makes them shoo-in starters to begin next year Watters was LSU’sbiggest addition out of theportal.Hewas a first-team All-ACCselection last seasonand made the All-ACC FreshmanTeam in 2025 at Notre Dame. Park follows the left-handed hitter in the orderasarighthanded bat who has the arm and glove to play shortstop. He hit 13 home runs in just 48 gameslast season at Texas State. Laya was another massive portaladditionfromOregon. The
ASSOCIATEd PRESS FILE PHOTO
Troy quarterback Goose Crowder lookstopass against James Madison during the SunBelt Conference championship game on dec. 5inHarrisonburg,Va. The Trojans will look to improve their pass protectionthis season after allowing 59 sacks last season.
eight league opponentstounder a 40%conversionrate.
While Coastal Carolinahas a new coaching staff, Georgia State will be heavily focused on defense, especially late. Opponents outscored the Panthers 127-53 in the fourth quarter
The Georgia State defense tied with Wisconsin for thefewest turnovers forced in theFBS last season (six).
West Division
Much like the top East contendersJames Madison, Old Dominion andMarshall, defending West Division championTroy has plenty
lefty hit14homers and made the All-Big TenFreshman Team. Kurland follows him as aright-handed,four-year starteratFlorida who posted an .809 on-base plus slugging percentage last year in SECplay
Thelast startingspotcame down to Washington, Wachs and Santarelli.Wachs is atransfer from Tulane who posted an OPS over .900 in each of his two seasons with the Green Wave. Washington andSantarelliwere top-85 prospectsinthe draft, according to ESPN.
Washington took the lastspot in this exercise because he’sa true center fielder.Wachs primarily startedinright fieldatTulane, andSantarelli is also acorner outfielder bytrade.
Santarelli is 6-foot-2 and230 pounds,but he’sfastfor his size
One scouttold TheAdvocate that anotherevaluator in hisorganization suggested that Santarelli could play center at the next level.
Davis, Murphy andPatrick are three more optionsincenter field. Ruckert isastrong reserve behind Kurland, which could be important given Kurland’sinjury history.Nawrocki and Velazquez are two-way players who likely will make abigger impact on the mound than at the plate, at least in 2027. Pearson became afull-time starter at third base this year but mostly struggled, especially on defense. Yamin earned time as a pinch-hitter againstleft-handed pitching and hadsome goodmoments.Martinez, Loew,Tucker, Beldingand Minnatee may have trouble finding thefield as freshmen, although Loew provides valuabledepth at shortstop.
to improve upon this season.
The Trojans were theworst in the country at protecting the quarterback last season. Opposing defenses collected 59 sacks for 384 yards.
The Troy offense also had issues, mostly with passing efficiency.The Trojans completed 57.8% of their passes. Troy found away in the fourthquarter with 118 points last season, but like the Cajuns, struggled in thethird quarter with only 44 points.
The other Alabamaschool, South Alabama, has been really good at preventing sacks, surrendering only nine over thelast 11 games. Unfortunately forthe Jaguars, their defense gave up 4,585 total yards.
The Jags were 0-7 when quarterback Bishop Davenport completed less than 71% of his passes.
Southern Miss is much like Coastal Carolina —atotal mystery with anew coaching staff.
Arkansas State needs to brush up on afew things. The Red Wolves could use alittlemore boring in their play
Last year,the ASU defense had 81 stops behind the line, but so did the opposing defenses against the Red Wolves offense. As aresult, the Red Wolves scored fewer than 17 points four timesand went 1-5 when they didn’treach 21.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech brings another high-flying approach to the West. The Bulldogs scored 138 points in thefourth quarter last season. The problem is Tech needed all of those 335 points (most since 2019) because the defense allowed 280 passing yards or more six times.
Other potential options:Landon Hood (RHP), Cooper Sides (RHP), Velazquez (RHP), Coleton Brady (RHP), Cooper Williams(LHP), Kolby Stringer (RHP), Reagan Ricken (RHP)
Breakdown: Hood poses the biggestthreat to crack the rotation despite LSU bringing back all threeofits weekend starters from lastseason.Schmidt and Evanshavethe talent to be coaces, while Moore looks to get through afull season healthy Hood still has achance to start in SECplay after winning the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year awardatGonzaga. He’sthe top arm LSUadded out of the portal.Velazquez—atransfer from Southern Cal—made the All-Big TenFreshmanTeam and started five games for the Trojans. Johnson primarily sees him as apitcher moving forward. Sides, Stringer and Brady were thetop-ranked right-handed arms to makeittocampus. Injuries would need to occurfor them to crack therotation,but they’re all candidates to start midweek games. Stringerand Sideswere top-110prospects in thedraft,per MLB.com, and Brady was the No. 71 playeronThe Athletic’sdraft rankings. Williams struggled in 2026, but he was acandidate to start back in January.Among LSU’s lefties, he’s the best equippedtodo it at themoment. Ricken hada strong final outing in hisfreshmanseason, allowingjusttwo earned runs in 41/3 inningsagainst Florida.
Hearen echoedthosethoughts while delivering his assessment of Celestine.
“He’sadynamic playmakerwith the ability to break plays open,” he said. “He runs hard and is the type of guywho ends up wearingdown defensesthrough the course of the game.”
Hearen said the transfers have meshed wellwiththe veterans. In fact,one of Comeaux’stransfers already had ayounger brother on the Lions’ roster
“AlexSatchellshowed up with great leadership skills,”Hearen said of the linebacker transfer “He’sahigh performer academically.You always want those guys coming in andhelping.”
In June, Celestine committed to Lamar after offers fromArkansas State and Nicholls State.
“When Iwenttoa camp and touredthe campus, it was amazing,”hesaidofthe Beaumont, Texas,program. “Thecoaches out there were fullofenergy.They welcomed me with open arms.
“It was pretty obvious Iwanted to go there.”
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him back on abig contract extension before the start of the 2025 campaign.
The only NFL tight ends with moreyards receiving last season wereArizona’s Trey McBride and Atlanta’sKyle Pitts. Johnson’s 889 yards receiving were the fourth-most in asingle season by atight end in Saints’ history,tied with Jimmy Graham.
Thebulk of Johnson’sproduction came after Tyler Shough took over under center.Innine games with Shough as the starter,Johnson caught 41 of his 50 targets for 521 yards (12.7 per catch) and two touchdowns. In the first eight games, Johnson caught 36 of his 52 targets for368 yards (10.2 per catch) andone TD
Thelowdown
TheSaintsknowwhatthey have in Johnson. Though he does have some lapses in concentration that lead to drops, Johnsonhas established himself as adangerous weapon in the passing game
Theconverted wide receiver is an excellentsize-speedathlete whocan stretch theseam and also pick up yards after the catch
Whatwill be interesting to watch is whathappens withthe rest of the tight end group. The offseason additions of Fant and Delpsignaleda willingness to incorporate more multiple tight endsets, and Moore confirmed thatwas the plan when asked about it this summer Maybe the Saints won’tgofull LosAngeles Rams, whocreated advantageous matchups last season by running more three-tight
Bullpen
Multi-inning closers: Hood, Velazquez, Williams Middlerelief: Nawrocki, Kaden Smith (RHP), Braxton Beaty (LHP), Danny Lachenmayer (LHP), MajorOsbolt (RHP), Zion Theophilus (RHP), EthanPlog (LHP), Jonah Aase (LHP), Braydon Wisener (RHP), BradynCupit (LHP),Sides, Ricken and Brady
Breakdown: Among the freshmen, Nawrockihas thechancetomake thebiggestimmediate impact. His fastball is up to 95 mph, and he might’ve had the best slider in thedraft withinthe high school pitching crop.LSU needs lefties to step up on themound next season, and Nawrockihas the polish and talent to fill the void. Beaty is another freshman lefty who can help the Tigers immediately.He’snot as strongasNawrocki(Beaty is only 178 pounds), but he is polished and throws strikes.Cupit is thelonefreshman from Louisiana and can, at thevery least, help provide more depthfrom the leftside. Smith is atransfer from South Florida who,Johnson believes, hasthe stuff necessary to get outs in the SEC. He also started eight games, which means he could also be used in abulk role if need be. Osbolt is another new addition, this time from the junior college ranks at Walters State. Lachenmayer,Plog, Theophilus and Aase return from last season. Lachenmayer hadthe best season of the group, and Aase missedthe wholeyear becausehewas recovering from Tommy John surgery.Wisener is anotherfreshman whothrowsa fastball and aslider,but he needs to throw more strikes.
end sets than anyone else in the NFL, but it’ssafe to assume there will be moresnaps with multiple Saints tight ends on the field. Delpisthe keytothis. Fant is somewhat similartoJohnson as a player —a mobile tight end who is at his best as areceiver.But New Orleans envisions Delp as a true“Y” tight end who can line up offtackle andaffectthe game both as areceiver and blocker It should allowthe Saints to find personnel advantages. Delp’s ability as ablocker at the point of attack could force opposing defenses to stay honest, giving the Saintsopportunitiestoexploit base defensive looks with their athletes at tight end. All of this is atheory,and one opposing defenses couldstart having answers forafter watchingwhat theRams didlast season Camp battle to watch Johnson, Fant and Delp aren’t going anywhere.And if the Saints are going to run moreheavy personnel packages, it would not be asurprise to see them keep a fourth tight end on their initial 53manroster after keeping three on their initial 53 last season. If that is the case, the fourth spot will likely be between Moliki Matavao, Treyton Welch and Zaire Mitchell-Paden.Each of those players appeared in stretches with the Saints last season, with Mitchell-Paden playing in eight games compared to six forMatavao and three forWelch. It may comedown to the type of playerthe Saintswant. Of the three, Matavao may have the mosttoofferasablocker,with a sturdy 6-foot-6 frame. Welch has shown solid pass-catching skills. Mitchell-Padenmight offerthe best blend of both.
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stage marked thethird summer in a rowthatSpain beat Franceina tournament semifinal match.
Yamalscored in a2-1 win in the 2024 European Championship semifinals just days before his 17th birthday, and La Roja won5-4 in Nations League play last year
After aquarterfinal winover Belgium onFriday,Yamal said he believedFranceshould fear Spain. Those words certainly proved true.
“Insomany ways, France was missing everything today,” France midfielder Rayan Cherki said through a translator
“Truly,everything was missing today. We’llbeback in four years and we won’tmake the samemistakes.” Oyarzabal’spenalty kickinthe 22nd minute came after Yamal drewafoul when kicked by defender LucasDigne After apoor first touch withhis head,Digne was trying to clearthe ballwhen Yamal raced in from behind to challenge in thepenalty area.The ball hitoff theelbow of theleaping teen before he was kicked by Digne, playinginhis 63rd game forFrance only six days before his 33rd birthday Oyarzabal’sfifthgoal of this year’s WorldCup marked thefirst time either team hadtrailed in their seven games in this tournament. It was his 30th goal in 60 international games forSpain. For the second goal,Porro broke free and received apassbackfrom Olmo, who gotthe touch just before getting knocked off his feet by defender Dayot Upamecano.
“Wegaveitour allinorder just to go through to the final,” Porro said. “We knew that we’re avery tough team, we’re doing things really well. This is our team, it’snot about me.”
Jaden Celestine runs after acatch during aComeaux practice on Sept. 3. Celestine andseveral of his teammates transferred to Lafayette High recently
—Championship game
7p.m. —(If necessary) Auto racing NASCARCup Series Points Leaders
Through July 13 1. Denny Hamlin,791. 2. Tyler Reddick, 767. 3. Ryan Blaney,726. 4. Ty Gibbs, 665. 5. Chase Elliott, 610. 6. Kyle Larson,594. 7. Chris Buescher, 568. 8. Carson Hocevar, 563. 9. Christopher Bell, 551. 10. Chase Briscoe, 542. 11. Daniel Suárez, 529. 12. William Byron, 520. 13. BubbaWallace, 493. 14. Austin Cindric, 470. 15. Shane VanGisbergen, 469. 16. Erik Jones, 446. 17. Joey Logano, 438. 18. Ryan Preece, 420. 19. Brad Keselowski, 403. 20. Ross Chastain, 401. 21. Michael McDowell, 399 22. AJ Allmendinger, 396. 23. Zane Smith,356. 24. Todd Gilliland, 353. 25. Riley Herbst, 350. 26. Ricky Stenhouse Jr., 344. 27. John H. Nemechek, 344 28. Austin Dillon, 327. 29. Alex Bowman,281. 30. Noah Gragson, 241. 31. Ty Dillon, 238. 32. Cole Custer, 237.
At RoyalBirkdale, Southport, England (a-amateur) Thursday-Friday 12:35 a.m.-5:41 a.m. Matthew Baldwin, England; Thomas Detry,Belgium; James Nicholas, United States 12:46 a.m.-5:52 a.m. Michael Kim, United States; Daniel Hillier, New Zealand; Andy Sullivan, England. 12:57 a.m.-6:03 a.m. Ryan Fox, New Zealand; Andrew Novak, United States; Matthew Jordan, England. 1:08 a.m.-6:14 a.m. Henrik Stenson, Sweden; Max Homa, United States; Joe Dean, England. 1:19 a.m.-6:25 a.m. RobertMacIntyre, Scotland; Rickie Fowler,United States;Alex Fitzpatrick, England. 1:30 a.m.-6:36 a.m. David Duval, United States; MartinCouvra, France; Matthew Southgate, England. 1:41 a.m.-6:47 a.m. Sungjae Im, South Korea; Dan Brown, England; a-Fifa Laopakdee, Thailand. 1:52 a.m.-6:58 a.m. Gary Woodland, United States; JakeKnapp, United States;Jordan Smith, England. 2:03 a.m.-7:09 a.m. Francesco Molinari, Italy; TomMcKibbin, NorthernIreland; a-Lev Grinberg, France. 2:14 a.m.-7:20 a.m. HennieduPlessis, South Africa; Jose Luis Ballester, Spain; Dan Bradbury, England. 2:25 a.m.-7:31 a.m. Angel Ayora, Spain; Victor Perez, France; a-Mateo Pulcini Argentina.
2:36 a.m.-7:42 a.m. Stewart Cink, United States; Scott Vincent, Zimbabwe;Joakim Lagergren, Sweden. 2:47 a.m.-7:53 a.m. Michael Thorbjornsen, United States; Kota Kaneko, Japan; Travis Smyth, Australia. 3:03 a.m.-8:09 a.m. Alex Smalley,United States; Sam Stevens,United States;Ryo Hisatsune, Japan.
3:14 a.m.-8:20 a.m. AkshayBhatia, United States; Harris English, United States; Rasmus Hojgaard, Denmark.
3:25 a.m.-8:31 a.m. Ben Griffin, United States; Hideki Matsuyama, Japan; MinWoo Lee, Australia. 3:36 a.m.-8:42 a.m. Russell Henley,United States; JustinRose, England; Viktor Hovland, Norway.
3:47 a.m.-8:53 a.m. Justin Thomas, United States; Alex Noren, Sweden; Jason Day, Australia.
3:58 a.m.-9:04 a.m. ScottieScheffler, United States; TyrrellHatton, England; Bryson DeChambeau, United States
4:09 a.m.-9:15 a.m. Jordan Spieth, United States; TommyFleetwood, England; Jon Rahm, Spain.
4:20 a.m.-9:26 a.m. Brian Harman, United States; Si WooKim,South Korea; Nick Taylor, Canada. 4:31 a.m.-9:37 a.m. Ryan Gerard, United States; Maverick McNealy, United States; David Puig, Spain.
4:42 a.m.-9:48 a.m. Kazuma Kobori, New Zealand; TomSloman, England; a-David Howard,Ireland. 4:53 a.m.-9:59 a.m. Antoine Rozner France; RenYonezawa, Japan; Caleb Surratt, United States.
7:53 a.m.-2:47 a.m. Aldrich Potgieter South Africa; Jesper Svensson, Sweden; a-Jack Buchanan, South Africa.
8:09 a.m.-3:03 a.m. Bud Cauley,United States; Jayden Schaper, South Africa; Lucas Herbert, Australia
8:20 a.m.-3:14 a.m. Kristoffer Reitan, Norway;Patrick Reed, United States;J.T.Poston, United States.
8:31 a.m.-3:25 a.m. Chris Gotterup, United States; Sam Burns,United States; Adam Scott, Australia.
8:42 a.m.-3:36 a.m. Collin Morikawa, United States; J.J. Spaun, United States; Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark.
8:53 a.m.-3:47 a.m. Shane Lowry,Ireland; Aaron Rai,England; BrooksKoepka, United States.
9:04 a.m.-3:58 a.m. CameronYoung, United States; Wyndham Clark,United States; Ludvig Aberg, Sweden
9:15 a.m.-4:09 a.m. Rory McIlroy,Northern Ireland; XanderSchauffele, UnitedStates; Matt Fitzpatrick, England. 9:26 a.m.-4:20 a.m. Jacob Bridgeman, United States; Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, Denmark; a-TimWiedemeyer,Germany
9:37 a.m.-4:31 a.m. Patrick Cantlay, United States; Daniel Berger,UnitedStates;Nico Echavarria, Colombia.
9:48 a.m.-4:42 a.m. PeterUihlein,United States; Alistair Docherty,UnitedStates; Francesco Laporta, Italy.
9:59 a.m.-4:53 a.m. CameronJohn, Australia; Austen Truslow, United States;Sam Bairstow,England. 10:10 a.m.-5:04 a.m. Naoyuki Kataoka, Japan; Marcus Plunkett, United States;Baard Bjoernevik Skogen, Norway 10:21 a.m.-5:15 a.m. Kazuki Higa,Japan; Jiho Yang, South Korea; a-Nevill Ruiter, Netherlands. PGA Tour Statistics Through July13 FedExCup SeasonPoints 1, Scottie Scheffler, 3,511. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 3,329. 3, Cameron Young, 2,586. 4, Wyndham Clark, 2,255. 5, Chris Gotterup, 2,200. 6, Collin Morikawa, 2,176. 7, Si WooKim, 1,938. 8, Ludvig Aberg, 1,773. 9, TommyFleetwood, 1,733. 10, Sam Burns,1,728. Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.946. 2, Collin Morikawa,69.236. 3, Matt Fitzpatrick, 69.459. 4, Collin Morikawa,69.533. 5, TommyFleetwood, 69.811. 6, Wyndham Clark, 69.815. 7, Chris Gotterup, 69.822. 8, JakeKnapp, 69.862. 9, Sam Burns, 69.908. 10, Si WooKim, 69.940. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter,329.4. 2, Rory McIlroy 328.2. 3, Michael Brennan, 326.6. 4, Nicolai Højgaard, 322.6. 5, Gary Woodland, 322.4. 6, Rasmus Højgaard, 321.9. 7, Chris Gotterup, 321.7. 8, Marco Penge,321.4. 9, Min WooLee, 320.1. 10, JohnnyKeefer,318.3. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Russell Henley,73.41%. 2, Aaron Rai, 72.16%. 3, Si WooKim, 70.16%. 4, Lucas Glover, 69.65%. 5, Collin Morikawa, 69.41%. 6, TommyFleetwood, 69.18%. 7, Andrew Putnam, 68.93%. 8, Kensei Hirata, 68.27%. 9, 2tied with 68.24%. Total Driving 1, Ludvig Åberg, 55. 2, ScottieScheffler, 57. 3, Neal Shipley,62. 4, Jordan Smith, 66. 5, Min WooLee, 69. 6, Kurt Kitayama, 74. 7(tie), Michael Brennan and Cameron Young, 76. 9, Matt Fitzpatrick, 81. 10, 2tied with 82. SG-Putting 1, Vince Whaley,.787. 2, AkshayBhatia, .681. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, .675. 4, Sam Burns 662. 5, JakeKnapp, .589. 6, Erik vanRooyen, .570. 7, Beau Hossler, .561. 8, Alex Noren, .556. 9, Robert MacIntyre, .544. 10, Eric Cole, .540. Birdie Average 1, ScottieScheffler, 4.76. 2, Si WooKim, 4.62. 3, Collin Morikawa, 4.59. 4, WyndhamClark 4.52. 5, Rory McIlroy,4.37. 6, Ludvig Aberg, 4.36. 7(tie),Akshay Bhatiaand Robert MacIntyre, 4.35. 9, Jacob Bridgeman, 4.33. 10, Keith Mitchell, 4.32.
Who is that?
A guide to the characters of Christopher Nolan’s adaptation of ‘The Odyssey’
BY LINDSEY BAHR AP
“It’s something that we all know a little bit about, some of us know a lot about it, some of us know nothing about it,” Nolan told The Associated Press. “We’re making the film for that whole range of people’s relationship with this foundational text of this incredible story.” But, just in case, here’s a little primer on who is playing who in “The Odyssey.” The film hits theaters on July 17.
damon is Odysseus and Zendaya is Athena in ‘The Odyssey.’
Matt Damon (Odysseus)
The King of Ithaca and the mastermind behind the Trojan Horse trick that ended the war, Odysseus’s long journey home to reclaim his kingdom and reunite with his wife, Penelope, and son, Telemachus, whom he left as a baby, is central to the poem
“He’s a very complicated protagonist, which I love, and Chris reveals how and why in his way, and a lot becomes clear by the end of the movie, which explains a lot of how he’s behaving at the beginning,” Damon said. “I think for a story that’s this big, it’s wonderful to have a character that’s very human at the center He’s certainly not perfect. And he’s living with the consequences of his actions. And that’s dictating his behavior.”
Anne Hathaway (Penelope)
The Queen of Ithaca, Penelope has been waiting for the return of her husband Odysseus for 20 years while over 100 men (the suitors) take up residency in the palace, eating their food and drinking their wine, hoping that she’ll marry one of them. She’s also been the subject of debate for thousands of years, an enigmatic character whom every generation projects their own views on.
“She’s probably the most well-known character that I’ve ever played. But we only know her as far as we can see,” Hathaway said. “I didn’t want to negate anything that anyone
LEGACY & LEFTOVERS
A popular youngsville restaurant is expanding while owners offer chances for next generation
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
Dining at KK’s Cafe feels like eating at someone’s kitchen table, with all of the professionalism and quality you’d expect of chefs who have spent years training in Lafayette’s celebrated restaurant scene. Owners Lee and Wendy Oubre who are from New Iberia, built their careers in some of Acadiana’s keystone restaurants — Charley G’s, Don’s Seafood, Dupuy’s Seafood & Steak, and the former Bennigan’s in Lafayette, to name a few. Now with a large family of kids and grandkids, the couple bought KK’s Cafe at 905 Savoy Road, Youngsville, seven years ago so they could work for themselves, and build opportunities for the next generation. Now the restaurant is an extension of their legacy in every sense. All three of their children and a grandson work at the restaurant, with their daughter-in-law making the cafe’s notorious cheesecakes and biscuits The Oubres joke that they are at KK’s Cafe “eight days a week,” but that’s the level of attention a successful restaurant demands.
KK’s Cafe owners Wendy and Lee Oubre stand inside their establishment in youngsville on July 8.
“Good service, good food is all that matters. Taking care of your customers,” said Wendy Oubre.
“There’s no magic bank account in the restaurant business. No customers, no restaurant. You have to really hit everything, and if you can’t, you have to do your best to hit everything, and then correct your mistakes.” The past seven years at KK’s Cafe have proven successful for the Oubres, and it’s easy to see why in the quality of the food. Starting
See KK’S CAFE, page 6C
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAd BOWIE
On the menu is the A-1 burger served with fries, at KK’s Cafe in youngsville. The restaurant is set to expand to a second location by the end of August, into Carencro.
with the homemade basket of chips, each crispy bite was perfectly seasoned with the restaurant’s signature blend, and the chips were hot out of the fryer, with no grease. I also went for the A-1 burger, which really impressed me with its balance of sweet grilled onions, a meaty, well-seasoned patty, and just the right amount of vinegar bite. And those biscuits — if you like them flaky, buttery and about a mile high, you’re in luck.
The menu is extensive, and it includes breakfast, sell-out barbecue plates on Sundays, and a mouthwatering list of entrees such as catfish pistolettes, fried chicken meals and seafood platters. Between the sandwiches and burgers, barbecue, po-boys, appetizers like duck wontons and bacon cheeseburger sliders, and a hearty list of salads — there are enough options at KK’s Cafe to keep you coming back regularly
They’re bursting at the seams in Youngsville, and realized recently it was time to expand to the other end of Lafayette Parish, according to Lee Oubre. They hope to open a second location for KK’s Cafe in Carencro by August, in the former Pizza Amore restaurant at 3730 N.E. Evangeline Thruway
“We had regular customers that were driving from
ODYSSEY
Continued from page 5C
had ever felt about Penelope, that she was, you know, the picture of modesty, she’s a paragon of patience, all of those things. But a paragon isn’t a person. And so I thought, OK, so let’s allow that that’s the way the world sees her Who is she when no one’s looking?”
Tom Holland (Telemachus)
Odysseus’s only child, Telemachus, hasn’t seen his father since he was a baby Now grown and with the threat of the suitors intensifying, he goes on his own journey to find more information about his missing father The two quests provide parallel narratives in the film, which Nolan said is part “homecoming” and part “coming-of-age” story
“There are times where it feels like you’re on this kind of action-adventure roller coaster, but he doesn’t sacrifice any of the heart and the intimacy between our characters,” Holland said. Although Telemachus has yet to meet his father as a grown man, Holland added: “Throughout the film, there’s this real sense of connection between the two of us.”
Robert Pattinson (Antinous)
In the poem, there are 108 suitors vying for Penelope’s hand (and the Ithacan throne), including Antinous who in the film is the main antagonist on the homefront. Nolan said Pattinson unleashed “his inner Alan Rickman” to play the part
“The thing he really focused on was this idea of his relationship to Telemachus. He’s continually saying to Telemachus, ‘I’m going to be your stepdad, I’ll be your daddy.’ It was such a fascinatingly creepy and amusing basis for villainy,” Nolan said. “I just love how Rob based it on real world things, real truths about his character and who he is, and the cowardly nature of that. I think cowardice is one of the hardest things for actors, particularly movie stars, to play.”
Zendaya (Athena)
The goddess of “craft, warfare and wisdom” and the daughter of Zeus, Athena appears to Odysseus from time to time throughout the story
“I was like how do I bring to life what is a, you know, a goddess,” Zendaya laughed “But I think so much of it was in the story and the
Carencro on the weekend to come here, so to be able to go to them and take care of them is important to us. Your customers become part of your family, and we’re excited about caring for them and also about expanding our business for
way he’s telling it. I think the humanity of it and bringing that more human element to this idea of a goddess but what they kind of represent to Odysseus in this story The lessons that they’re teaching him and why she presents the way she does and in the moments that she does, I think, ultimately, are teaching him a lesson and guiding him through something that’s very difficult.”
Lupita Nyong’o (Helen and Clytemnestra)
The Oscar-winner plays both Helen, the Queen of Sparta and occupant of the “face that launched a thousand ships,” who is married to Menelaus, and her sister Clytemnestra, who is married to Agamemnon
“He (Nolan) mentioned his interest in telling this story and really not shying away from the cost of war, actually investigating and exploring it, and so as such with Helen’s character, it’s like she’s known to be the reason for this war Is that even really true?” Nyong’o said “What is her life after the war? I love that we get a glimpse of that, and we really get to see the cost of everything. The rage, resentment, guilt, shame, disappointment, endurance of it all.
Charlize Theron (Calypso)
A nymph in Greek mythology, Odysseus spends a long period of his journey home with her on the island of Ogygia. Her motivations have been the source of much debate over the years.
John Leguizamo (Eumaeus)
An Ithacan swineherd who is loyal to Odysseus even after many have given up on his return.
“He (Nolan) told me it was the most loyal character in Western literature ” Leguizamo said. “I was like, oh, OK, that’s a lot of responsibility.”
In the film, Eumaeus is nearly blind which, Leguizamo said, is a nod to Homer, who some historians believe was blind
Jon Bernthal (Menelaus)
The King of Sparta and husband of Helen, who tells Telemachus what he remembers about Odysseus while they fought together in the Trojan War
Benny Safdie (Agamemnon)
The King of Mycenae, husband of Clytemnestra, and commander of the Greek army during the Tro-
our children for their future — and then we would like to retire,” said Wendy Oubre.
According to Lee Oubre, the Youngsville community has been instrumental in supporting KK’s Cafe over the years, and they are eager to provide their Carencro customers with the same experience.
“We have no plans to leave Youngsville,” he said. “We’re always full, always running. We don’t want to move, we’re just busy, and it’s a small restaurant.
“We’re not counting chickens before they hatch but we think we can do well in Carencro as well. We’ve got a proven product and a proven system that works for us.”
Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
jan War
Samantha Morton (Circe)
A powerful sorceress who encounters Odysseus and his men on their journey home.
Himesh Patel (Eurylochus)
Odysseus’s second-incommand who is there for many of the obstacles on their journey to Ithaca, from the cave of the Cyclops to Hades.
“On ‘Tenet,’ I popped in and, you now, flew, or drove, a plane to a building and then left Whereas on this, I was there by Matt’s side, you know almost the entire shoot,” Patel said. “It’s kind of the most physically challenging role I’ve ever played.”
Elliot Page (Sinon)
Sinon, a character in Greek mythology who appears in the “Aeneid,” is a veteran of the Trojan War.
Bill Irwin (Cyclops)
Poseidon’s son also encounters Odysseus and his men on their journey home. Nolan and production designer Ruth De Jong used Francisco Goya’s painting “Saturn Devouring His Son” as inspiration for the design, but it was the actor (also behind the “Interstellar” robots) who helped give the character its soul
“We didn’t know how we were gonna achieve it. We knew we were going to need every trick in the book, from animatronics to puppetry to computer graphics. But I knew I needed a performer to really look at it and help us find the design of it and find how this character would live and move and so forth,” Nolan said.
“He doesn’t treat the Cyclops as just a monster And that’s something I’ve very much picked up from the work of my friend Guillermo del Toro over the years. You know, Guillermo is someone who’s chief lesson, I think, in his work is a monster is never just a monster.”
Mia Goth (Melantho)
A servant of Queen Penelope.
Corey Hawkins (Polybus)
One of Penelope’s suitors. Travis Scott
A bard in the court of Ithaca.
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
By The Associated Press
Today is Wednesday, July 15, the 196th day of 2026. There are 169 days left in the year
Today in History:
On July 15, 1799, the Rosetta Stone, a key to deciphering ancient Egyptian scripts, was found at Fort Julien in the Nile Delta during the Napoleonic campaign in Egypt.
Also on this date:
In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union.
In 1997, fashion designer Gianni Versace, 50, was shot dead outside his Miami Beach home; suspected gunman Andrew Phillip Cunanan, 27, was found dead eight days later, a suicide. (Investigators believed Cunanan killed four other people before Versace in a cross-country rampage that began the previous March.)
In 2006, Twitter (now
Plate meal
n General Tso’s Chicken, 7064 Siegen Lane, Baton Rouge
I found myself in the Siegen Village around 10:45 a.m. for an assignment and noticed I was hungry Luckily, General Tso’s Chicken was right there, and they had opened early for lunch. The restaurant is a locally owned spot that started in 2024 to serve cafeteria-style Chinese food. I ordered the two-entree, one-side plate and chose the Mongolian chicken, beef broccoli and lo mein, plus a side of Yum Yum sauce, which ran my wallet $11.48 in total They packed my plate full, so I knew I was going to have leftovers (more bang for my buck) Everything tasted fresh and didn’t weigh me down
TODAY IN HISTORY
known as X) was launched to the public.
In 2019, avowed White supremacist James Alex Fields Jr was sentenced by a state court to life in prison plus 419 years for killing one person and injuring dozens when he deliberately drove his car into a crowd of anti-racism protesters during a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.
(The previous month, Fields received a life sentence on 29 federal hate crime charges.)
In 2020, George Floyd’s family filed a lawsuit against the city of Minneapolis and the four police officers charged in his death, alleging the officers violated Floyd’s rights when they restrained him and that the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force.
(The city would agree to pay $27 million to settle the lawsuit in March 2021.)
like other fast-casual Asian spots. For a quick, satisfying lunch that was there right when I needed it, General Tso’s Chicken is a win from me.
— Maddie Scott, features reporter Gumbo and redfish
n Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn, 240 Tubing Road, Lafayette
It’s an Acadiana institution for a reason. Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn has been a favorite for 94 years, and this weekend I found out why It was my first full dining experience at the famous restaurant, and I tried everything possible — bites of my mom’s redfish and my dad’s pork chop, crab cakes, sweet potato beignets and, of course, a cup of chicken and andouille gumbo with a side of stuffed potato. The quality of each dish blew me away It was also probably the best chicken and andouille gumbo I’ve had at a local restaurant. The redfish with fresh crab meat on top was incredible. This restaurant stakes its place in blackened redfish history for a good reason, and I, for one, love knowing that we have one of the best versions of this famous Louisiana seafood dish just up the road.
— Joanna Brown, staff writer
Today’s birthdays: Actor Patrick Wayne is 87. R&B singer Millie Jackson is 82. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 80. Author Richard Russo is 77. Musician
STAFF PHOTOS By BRAd BOWIE
Employee Jamie Oubre stocks a display case with cheesecake slices on July 8 at KK’s Cafe in youngsville.
Homemade biscuits are on the menu at KK’s Cafe.
STAFF PHOTO By JOANNA BROWN Chicken and andouille gumbo and a stuffed potato from Poor Boy’s Riverside Inn in Lafayette
cAncER (June 21-July 22) If you expand your vision, you'll discover unique ways to use your attributes and skills to improve your earning potential. Pay attention, and present yourself and your ideas strategically.
LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Live and learn from your experiences. Get out, be observant and help where you can. The difference you make and the joy you bring to others will come back twofold.
VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Reevaluate before making a move or disrupting your life personally or professionally Emotions run high, and you're likely to encounter opposition or interference from someone authoritative or nosy.
LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Attend events, connect with people and make your pitch to those you feel you can help or who can further your agenda. Listen, ask for any offers and costs in writing and consider if a partnership is worthwhile.
scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Intelligence, charm and honesty will be your passage forward. Leave nothing to chance or let anyone disrupt your plans. Keep your pitch simple and your costs reasonable.
sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Hosting an event for those you want to get to know better or setting up meetings that offer a platform for you to share your opinions and offer your services will pay off.
cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Use your intellect when dealing with associates.
Listen carefully and practice discretion regarding what you share. Keep your personal life to yourself.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Embrace life with a positive attitude. Look for new beginnings and self-serving pastimes. Feeling your best will be uplifting and encourage you to pursue pastimes that make you happy.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) What you want and what you get will conflict if you let uncertainty take over. When in doubt, ask an expert or someone you trust for help. Communication is the best way to solve problems.
ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Participate, and you'll discover something or someone who broadens your perspective and opens your eyes to possibilities. Don't restrict yourself or ignore what's available to you.
TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Pay attention to how you look, feel and what you do with your cash. Be intelligent, research and set a budget you can live with before you make personal or professional changes that can alter your financial situation.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Participating in something that intrigues or concerns you will help broaden your perspective regarding what lies ahead and how you can make the most of any situation you encounter.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.
ToDAy's cLuE: V EQuALs A
FAMILY CIrCUS
CeLebrItY CIpher
For better or For WorSe
SALLY Forth
beetLe bAILeY
Mother GooSe And GrIMM
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer
nea CroSSwordS La TimeS CroSSword
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
CurTiS
By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge
James Carville, apolitical commenta-
tor, said, “The best time to plant an oak tree was 25 years ago. The second best time is today.”
In yesterday’s deal, East used the bidding and early play to place the missinghighcardsand to work outthe best defense against four hearts.
Here is asecond deal along the same lines.Southisinfour hearts. West leads thespade queen. South wins with his ace and plays atrumptodummy’squeen. What shouldEast do?
South rebidthree no-trump because Northmighthaveraisedheartswithonly three-card support if he had aminimum openingbid with,for example, 1-3-5-4 distribution. Here, though, North corrected to the heart game because he had two unstopped suits and four strong hearts.
East should wonder which fourtricks his sidemight win. Since West’s opening lead marks South with the spade ace and king, there are no spade winnersavailable.
East has one heart trick. There are no diamond winners, because even if South is missing the king, the finesse is working. So the defenders need threeclub tricks, or two clubs and aclubruff.
Thisshouldmake East’spath clear.He must win withhis heart ace and shiftto the club five.
Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed
ToDAy’s WoRD ALAcRITy: uh-LAK-rih-tee: Cheerful readiness.
Average mark20words
Timelimit 40 minutes
Can you find 29 or morewords in ALACRITY?
yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —ILLusoRy
marmaduKe
Bizarro
hagar the horriBle
Pearls Before swiNe
garfield
B.C.
PiCKles hidato mallard
BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS
Subaruissueslabel recall for 541,000 SUVs
NEWYORK Subaru of America is recalling more than 541,000ofits Crosstrek, Forester and Ascent SUVsdue to an inaccurate label attached to the vehicles.
Accordingtoa notice published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration this week, the now-recalled vehicles were made with acertification label that incorrectly states their gross axle weight rating, or GAWR, which reflects the maximum weight that each axleofavehicle can support. The NHTSA warns awrong GAWR label“mayleadtoan overloaded vehicle,” which could increase the likelihood of acrash. Subaru has not been aware of any crashes or injuries resulting from this issue in the U.S., according to recall documents. And no mechanical repair is needed —but the company plans to mail impacted owners a“corrective certification label” to place over the faulty one. Customers may also choose to have adealer place the new label on their cars, free of charge.
Frontier picks SpaceX’s Starlink for in-flight Wi-Fi Frontier Airlines will retrofit its fleet of more than 180 aircraft with Starlink, becoming the latest carrier to join the inflight high-speed internet arms race by partnering with Elon Musk’s SpaceX subsidiary The Denver-based budget carrier said it plans to deploy its first Starlink-equipped aircraft in early 2027, adding that it will be the first U.S. airline to offer customers access to Starlink’s internet through anew system directly managed by Starlink Frontiertouted Starlink’sgateto-gate connectivity potential for its employees, sayingitwilllead to “improved operationalperformance and more seamless customer service.”
The potentialfor high-speed internet on Frontier flights could equip the airline to better competewith legacy carriers at DFW International Airport, where it has built up asignificant presence over the past few years. After Spirit Airlines’ collapse, Frontier now is the unquestioned dominant budget airline at DFW Airport, the central hub of American Airlines. In combination with Frontier, other members of Indigo Partners’ portfolio, including Wizz Air,Volaris, JetSMARTand Cebu Pacific, plan to install Starlink on over 1,000 aircraft, according to Frontier China’sJune exports surge amid AI boom
HONG KONG China’sexports accelerated in June, jumping 27% from ayear earlier thanks partly to the boom in artificial intelligence, the customsagencysaid Tuesday
The increase in exports in June was much better than economists had expected. Exports rose 19.4% year-on-year in May
Imports in June surged 36%, better than May’s27.4%yearon-yeargrowth, with analysts attributing the expansion in part due to the Iran war driving up import costs.
China recorded atrade surplus of $125.6 billion in June, widening from $105.4 billion in theprevious month.
“With the rapid growth of AI, our imports and exportofproducts in this field are robust,” Wang Jun, vice minister of China’sGeneral Administration of Customs, said at anews conference in Beijing. He said trade in electronic components, computer spare parts, and other computing hardware jumped nearly 57% to $760 billion in the first half of the year.Otherproducts such as AI glasses, AI translating devices, powered exoskeletons and other smart products are also evolving.
“Trade values took anotherbig leg up in June,” Julian EvansPritchard, head of China Economics at Capital Economics, wrote in anote Tuesday.“This predominantly reflects therecent surge in semiconductor prices on the back of the AI boom. But even puttingthat aside, foreign demand for Chinese goods remains robust.”
THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business
Inflationcools more than expectedinJune
U.S. inflation cooled last month as the cost of gas, clothes and used cars fell, providing somerelief to consumers, while underlying price pressures also slowedmore than expected.
Gascosts fall, underlying prices ease
BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer
WASHINGTON U.S. inflation cooled lastmonth as thecostof gas, clothes and used cars fell, providingsomerelieftoconsumers, while underlying price pressures also slowed more than expected.
Consumer pricesdropped 0.4% from May to June, the largestmonthly dropinfouryears, the Labor Department said Tuesday,after rising 0.5% in theprevious month. On ayearly basis, inflation declinedto3.5%, downfrom ayear-over-year gain of 4.2% in May and lower than many economistsexpected
Excluding the foodand energy categories, coreprices were unchanged from MaytoJune, a positivesignthat underlying inflation is declining. On ayearly basis, core prices rose just 2.6%, down from 2.9%the previous month. Core inflation remains abovethe Federal Reserve’s target of 2%
The core figures suggest that thegas price spike fromthe Iran war,while it pushedupairfares andsome other costs,hasn’tso far led to broad-based, sustained inflation,economists said.
“Thisreading is very much in the camp that the inflation we’ve had this year is transitory,” said Michael Metcalfe, head of macro strategy at State Street Markets. “Yes, gas prices went up, but nothing else did, more or less.”
Yetoil prices rose for asec-
ondday Tuesday as the United States renewed attacks on Iran andPresident DonaldTrump announced anew blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, akey shipping route forabout one-fifth of the world’soil. The increase threatenstoundoatleast some of theprogress that occurred last month.
And manyAmericans have soured on the economy after five years of elevated inflation, posing arisk to Trump andRepublicansinthe upcoming midterm elections.
Forhis part,Trump on Tuesdayblamed his predecessor, Democrat JoeBiden, forthe rate of inflation having spiked to a three-year high just last month.
“It’snot my fault,” he said. “We are putting it to sleep. .Inflation is way down.”
“Remember thatfor the midterms,” he added.
Yetinflation hasrisen since Trump’sinauguration last year, to 3.5% from 3% in January 2025. It jumped even furtherafterthe Iran war began Feb. 28 when it was just 2.4%
Tuesday’sreportlikelyreduces pressure on theFed to boost its short-term interest rate to combat inflation.Lastmonth, Fed officialsleft their key rate unchangedatabout 3.6%
“Today’s report gave some breathing room for theFederal Reserveindecidingwhether and when to raise interest rates,” Kathy Bostjancic, chief economistatNationwide Financial,said.
Fed Chair Kevin Warsh,in written testimonytothe House Financial Services Committee, saidTuesdaythat theFed has “no tolerance” for high inflation whichhepledgedwould become “a thing of thepast.” Yetheprovidednohints aboutwhat steps
theFed may take in coming months. Warsh will face questions later Tuesday from members of Congress. Awider rangeofprices cooled last month thaneconomists had forecast.Electricity prices, which have been elevated by spiking demandfromdatacenters, fell1%fromMay to June, though they arestill4%higher thana year ago. Clothing prices dropped0.6% from May to June butare 3.9% more expensive than ayear earlier Groceries rose 0.2%from May to June andare up 2.7% fromlastyear,while apartment rental costs cooled,rising just 0.1% last monthand 2.8% from ayear ago.
The inflation-fighters at the Fedremain sharply divided over next steps, according to minutes of their June16-17 meeting. About half of policymakerssupport raising interest rates by the end of the year to cool borrowing, spending, and priceincreases, theminutes showed.Another half are willing to wait for signs that inflation may resume falling as gasprices decline,though the minutes predate therecent flare-up of violenceinthe Middle East.
Andthe situation in the Middle East continuestochange hour to hour.OnTuesday,the pricefor abarrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, climbed 4.6%to$87.13 after theUnited States and Iran each said the Strait of Hormuzisunder its control. Gas prices have also risenabout 6cents agallon in thepast week,toa nationwide averageof$3.86 agallon.
“Today’snumber is avery good reading, but so much is going to depend on what happens in the Middle East,” Bostjancic said.
Economists, tech leadersspeak outonAI
BYQUEENIE WONG Los Angeles Times (TNS)
Many of the smartest peoplein theworldwarned governments, companies and people Monday that they need to be readyfor the deepimpact that artificial intelligence is going to have on the economy
More than 200 economists, researchers and tech leaders said artificial intelligence could transform the economyfor thebetter and for worse and fuel risks including “large-scale job displacement.”
In astatement, the group said AI could become more powerful over adecade, driving an unprecedented economic transformationthat could bring downsides but also opportunitiessuch as “majorgains in living standards.”
“Wemustact nowtoguide AI to complement humansrather than simply imitate them—and to generateprosperity forthe many,not just thefew,” said Erik Brynjolfsson, aStanford Univer-
sity professorand director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab,in aseparate statement.
Brynjolfssonisamongthe prominentindividuals who signed the statement titled”We Must Act Now” to urge economists, policymakers andtech leaders to better understand how AI will transform theeconomy The group is pushing for the creation of more guardrails, incentives and institutions to “steer AI in adirection that complements humans andbenefits society.”
Among those who signedthe statement were Nobel laureates, AI researchers and tech leaders from California venture capital firms and companies including Anthropic, OpenAI andGoogle Thetech leaders includedEric Schmidt,former Google chiefexecutive; ReidHoffman, aLinkedInco-founder; VinodKhosla,a venture capitalist; Yann LeCun, acomputer scientist;and Jack Clark, aco-founder of Anthropic. Economists from Harvard, Stan-
ford, MIT and other prominent universities were also on the list.
Thestatement highlights some of the anxietysurrounding the latest advancementsintechnologyassome of the world’slargestcompaniesrace to compete with Chinaand othercountries to dominate the AI race. Companies are going head-tohead with one another,rolling out more powerful AI tools that allow people to quickly generate text, code, images, videos andother content.
They’remarketing the tools as ways to helpworkerswith tedious tasks. The rise in automation, though, hasalso raised concerns about whether AI will wipeout certain jobs in software engineering, customerservice, entertainment andotherareas
AI also poses safety risks. AI companiesincluding ChatGPT maker OpenAI are facing lawsuits over whethertheyshould be heldresponsible whenpeople use AI to harm themselves or others.
Banks raking in bigprofits
BY MATT OTT AP business writer
WASHINGTON Five of thebiggest U.S. banks reported record profits on Tuesday,boosted by their trading desks and aremarkably resilient American consumer amid persistent global economic uncertainty It marks the second straight quarter of strong results from the banks, which have benefited from market volatility since the Iran war began in late February
Both consumer-facing and marketfocused banks reported revenue and profitgrowththatbeateventhe most optimistic Wall Street expectations.
The KBW Nasdaq Bank Index, which tracks the performance of twodozen banks, rose in afternoon trading. JPMorgan Chase logged $16.9 billion in second-quarter profitasits equities trading division again took advantage of marketvolatilitytriggeredbythe war in Iran. The nation’slargest bank by asset size, JPMorgan said that revenue in every line of its business hit record levels in the quarter,including its markets division, where revenue grew 35% over the same periodlastyear. Revenue in its equity markets division skyrocketed 86%.
JPMorgan earned$6.14per share in the period, beating analyst estimates of $5.59 per share. Managed revenue came in at $58 billion, also topping the estimates of analysts surveyed by FactSet. JPMorgan shares rose 1.8% by midday Bank executiveshighlightedasurprisingly strong U.S. consumer even as inflationremainselevated, in part due to the higher oil prices brought about by the war in Iran. Bank of Americasaidthatconsumer spending expanded,outperforming expectations.Consumer investmentassets grew 18% year-over-year and average deposits and spending all increased from the first quarter,the bank said. JPMorganreportedrevenue of $20.3 billion from its consumer banking division in the period, ayear-over-year increase of 8%.
Wells Fargo also reported improved consumer activity,reflecting abroadly healthy U.S. economy.
“Consumer spendingishigher, charge-offs anddelinquenciesare lower,and savings and investments are growing across consumer segments,” Wells CEO Charlie Scharf said. The unresolved conflict in the Middle East, however,remains apotential economic hurdle for consumers and businesses alike. Oil prices fell back near prewar levelsearlierthismonth, but they’re back up more than 10% this week after the U.S. renewed attacks on Iran and President Donald Trump announced anew blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, akey shipping route for about one-fifth of the world’soil. At $3.86 per gallon, gas prices remain well above prewar levels but below their peak of around $4.50 in May Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorganChase,said on aconference call that JPMorgan remains “appropriately cautious” in light of the current global economic risks.
“Wecannot predict howthese forces will ultimately play out,” Dimon said. “They may remainmanageable, buttheycould also causemeaningful disruptions when they shiftor collide.”
Dimon said that revenue from the New York bank’sinvestment banking divisionrose30%,accelerating to the highest level since 2021 as the thirst for initial public offerings and mergers and acquisitions remained strong. All the major banks played arole in SpaceX’srecord-setting IPO in June, with GoldmanSachs and Morgan Stanley acting as lead underwriters. The offering brought in $75 billion, more than all U.S. IPOs combinedin2024 and 2025, according to Renaissance Capital. Renaissance expects the IPO market to extendits hotstreakintothe second half of this year,also driven by larger dealssuchasKorean memory chip giantSKHynix’s “mega-listing” on Friday that raised $26.5 billion. Global mergers andacquisitionactivityalsoaccelerated in thesecond quarter of 2026, with announcements up 64% year-over-year and closings up 33%, according to Morgan Stanley Goldman Sachs said revenue from advising on mergers and acquisitions in the second quarter rose 17%.
