The Times-Picayune 07-16-2026

WORLD CUP SEMIFINALS ● Late goals lift Argentina

N.O. budget ‘trendingfavorably’

Report comesinwakeofcanceledbondrequest

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

As New Orleans officials weigh new cost-saving measures after abandoning a$110 million bond sale request, their efforts to balance the city’sbudget appear tobe paying off.

As of May 31, the city hadcollected about $22 million more than what officials budgeted, and it hasspent about $33 million less than they budgeted, according to the latest budget report shared by MayorHelena Moreno’sadministration

Over the first fivemonthsofthe year,the city brought in $392.5 million in revenue by recouping owed money,property taxes, fund liquidationsand by taking other measures.

During the same period lastyear, thecity brought in less than about $342 million.

“Our revenues aretrending favorably across theboard,” said city Chief Performance Officer Abby Vienne at aWednesday City Council Budget Committee meeting. Thecity hasalso spent signifi-

cantly less on overtime, one of the major overrunsthat contributed to lastyear’sbudget shortfall. The city spent $14 million on overtime by theend of May —about 36% of theamount budgeted forthe year, Vienne said.

The upbeat report followsMoreno and Gov.Jeff Landry’srecent war of words over the city’sfinances, after the mayor pulled her request that the State Bond Commission approve the city’smove to sell $110 million in municipal bonds.

Street safety strategy paying off

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

At the Olive Branch Cafe in Algiers onMonday afternoon, customers placed ordersata new granite counter andsat at freshly refinished tables beside new windows. The remodel came courtesy of aspeeding vehicle that crashed into the eatery in May,ripping through its porch and abrick wall before coming to rest neara cash register

“My first thought was, ‘An 18-wheeler must havehit acar.’ Andthen Isaw apiece of the building flying,” saidassistant manager Richard Nguyen.

On Monday,Nguyen was encouraged by the presence of NewOrleans police officers who had set up aspeed trap near the restaurant. The metal heel

platesonofficers’ bootsclacked against asphalt as they aimed StalkerXSLidar speed guns at oncoming traffic. Within five minutes, they hadpulledover

three drivers, including one in a brown truckclocked at 48 mph in the 35 mph zone and another in ablue Honda traveling 56 mph.

“I hate to say it,but it’s like fishing in abarrel,” saidthe New Orleans Police Department’s traffic commander, Captain Buddy Micheu.

The speed trapispart of a broader shift in traffic enforcement that has accelerated amid ayearslong, citywide decline in violent crime. As of July 15, the cityhad logged 45 homicides, according to NOPD,anearly 70% decline from ayear ago. Total year-to-date crime incidents weredown 42% since2023, the NOPD dashboard shows.

The sustaineddrop hasallowed the NOPD to devotemore

“Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick’smission is to one, cut down on fatalities.That wasadirectiveto me.Two, is to make sure we increase enforcement in areas that our community is constantly talking about.”

CAPTAIN BUDDy MICHEU

NewOrleans Police Department traffic commander

BY SOPHIE KASAKOVE Staff writer

money to these people,” saidMegan Kiefer,anattorney who represented thetenants. She said she hopes the outcome will put other neglectful landlords on notice. “Essentially,you broke the promise,” said Kiefer.“Every lease agreement is apromise from landlordtotenant: N.O. East apartmenttenants

after ajudge ordered aclass-action settlementonTuesday The settlement, approvedbyU.S DistrictJudge Barry Ashe, is amajor win for tenants of TheWillows Apartments, who alleged in a2023 lawsuit that their landlord had let theNew Orleans East property fall into disrepair and become unsafe. “We’re incredibly happy about the resolution and to be able to return

Moreno said she was told that the state commission, madeupinpart of state elected officials includingAttorney General LizMurrill, would notapprove the request because an OrleansParish grand jury agreed to indict Murrill earlier this month over letters she sent to Moreno and other city officials. The governor responded by criticizing the city’sfinancial decisions, including adeal to sell the rights to

ä See TENANTS, page 7A

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON —U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy used aconfirmation hearing Wednesday to indirectly blast the anti-vaccination policies of Health SecretaryRobert F. Kennedy Jr which he said have resulted in a series of infectious disease outbreaksand causedthe deaths of untold numbers of children.

“Weneed aCDC director that willactually standuptocrazy, stupid things being said that undermine faithinimmunization,” Cassidy,R-Baton Rouge, said to EricaSchwartz, 54, Trump’s thirdnominee to be director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at her Senate Health, Education, Labor andPensions confirmationhearing.

Cassidy chairs the committee. Back when he wascourtingPresident Donald Trump’sbacking for his reelection, Cassidy, aphysician whostudied vaccine efficacy, was responsible forthe Senate confirmingKennedy,perhaps the most well-known vaccine skeptic, to run the federal agency in charge of the nation’svaccination policy Trump, instead, endorsed U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow,R-Baton Rouge.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

SOPHIA GERMER

ä See BUDGET, page 7A

BRIEFS

Mint produces $1 coin with Trump’s face on it

WASHINGTON The U.S. Mint has begun producing a new $1 coin bearing President Donald Trump’s face to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday, the Treasury Department said Wednesday

The final design for the commemorative coin, being released in the fall, was approved earlier this year by the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. But the finished product unveiled Wednesday differs from that version in a few aspects, including that it is not made of gold but rather has a gold finish. The coin is intended “to honor the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X. “Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all.”

The president on Wednesday told Fox Business Network that the move to put his face on a coin is “very unusual, but I was honored by it,” adding that “it’s very cute they gave me a coin.” Federal law prohibits the depiction of a living president on U.S. currency, though the treasury secretary has the authority to authorize the minting and issuance of coins in some circumstances

The front of the coin features an image of Trump in a suit and tie and with a stern look on his face.

Rescuers search for 3 after boat sinks in Calif.

SAN FRANCISCO U.S. Coast Guard crews combed a massive area for three people missing nearly a day after a boat carrying 20 family members and friends as part of a memorial service capsized in the cold, choppy waters of San Francisco Bay near Alcatraz Island, authorities said Wednesday

U.S. Coast Guard Captain Jared S Toczko said rescuers have cumulatively scoured 950 square nautical miles and would continue searching until sundown Wednesday Toczko would not dismiss the possibility that those missing could still be alive, though he also said some could have been trapped inside the three-deck, 49-foot cabin cruiser

“We do know individuals were in the main deck and potentially below deck,” he said.

One person was pulled from the water but later died, and 16 others were rescued Tuesday afternoon after the boat took on water listed heavily to one side and then rolled over before sinking, Toczko said.

The passengers on board were all close friends and family members, he said. A dog also died. Crews have identified the location the boat sank but have yet to determine how deep it sank, Toczko said.

Trump fires U.S. attorney in Seattle within an hour

At 7:40 a.m. Wednesday, federal judges in the Western District of Washington swore in former King County Superior Court judge and federal prosecutor Roger Rogoff as their pick for U.S. attorney Fifty-four minutes later, President Donald Trump fired him. Rogoff, who recently resigned as director of the state office of independent investigations, formed to investigate police killings, is now the rope in a tugof-war with the Trump administration The district’s 17 sitting federal judges began looking for a replacement for Neil Floyd in January after the president failed to formally nominate him, instead appointing Floyd as interim and later as a “first assistant” in order to sidestep the nomination process. Floyd, a controversial and tough-minded immigration judge, was appointed by President Donald Trump last October, but his name was never advanced to the U.S. Senate. Floyd’s appointment was opposed by the state’s senior senator, Patty Murray, and immigration advocates Rogoff’s team of lawyers is expected to sue the administration and the U.S. Department of Justice.

Doubt cast on lawyer’s testimony

Former top attorney at Goldman Sachs had ties to Jeffrey Epstein

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI Associated Press

WASHINGTON Lawmakers said Kathryn Ruemmler the former top lawyer at Goldman Sachs and White House counsel to President Barack Obama, was not being truthful Wednesday about her relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, rejecting her testimony that Epstein had merely “used” her Ruemmler in her opening remarks told members of the House Oversight Committee that “it was a mistake to deal with” Epstein, but she insisted she never witnessed criminal activity She said Epstein “used me and other respectable people to legitimize his standing.” Democrats emerged from the first several hours of questioning saying Ruemmler was not being forthcoming about her ties to

Epstein.

“It is difficult to see how she’s being completely truthful in there with the answers she’s given the committee,” Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the committee, told reporters. Ruemmler is the latest prominent figure called before the House Oversight Committee as lawmakers investigate the network of powerful people connected with Epstein. The bipartisan inquiry has already included testimony from more than a dozen high-profile witnesses as lawmakers examine how Epstein’s wealth and influence may have helped shield him from scrutiny Ruemmler served as White House counsel under Obama from 2011 to 2014. She served as Goldman Sachs’ general counsel for six years before announcing in February that she would step down amid backlash over her correspondence

with Epstein. Lawmakers have focused on Ruemmler’s close relationship with Epstein in the final years of his life, pointing to affectionate communications between the two.

“For her to deny that there was any type of real relationship there, I just don’t buy it,” Garcia said.

“And so, again, the fact she is not under oath is very problematic.”

While Ruemmler has tried to downplay their relationship in more recent statements, thousands of documents released by the Justice Department showed that Ruemmler and Epstein had an extensive relationship. The files included personal emails, social plans and gifts that extended beyond formal legal work Documents showed she had called Epstein “Uncle Jeffrey” in emails and said she adored him. Ruemmler said in her opening remarks that she first met Epstein in 2014 regarding potentially working with him and Bill Gates “to set up a large donor-advised fund.” Soon after, according to Ruemmler, she

learned about Epstein’s 2008 conviction on sex crimes, when he became a registered sex offender She said Epstein expressed remorse about it, and that he did not know the women were underaged. She said she “relied on the resolution reached by federal and state prosecutors and validated by a judge as being a proportionate and final resolution of his criminal conduct.”

House Oversight Chair James Comer told reporters Wednesday that the “most concerning” part of Ruemmler’s communications with Epstein is how she “tried to rehabilitate his image after he was convicted of solicitation of a minor.”

During a lengthy podcast interview with Joe Rogan released Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance said the administration “absolutely” mishandled the communications surrounding the Epstein files and its contents. Vance pointed largely to Bondi, who infamously stated that an alleged “client list” of Epstein’s was “sitting on my desk right now.”

Trump: ICE should keep making traffic stops

BY REBECCA SANTANA and PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump wants Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to keep pulling over vehicles, signaling his opposition Wednesday to plans announced just a day earlier to suspend most traffic stops following another string of fatal shootings.

It’s not clear whether ICE will quickly reverse course and resume most stops, which have been a key tool in Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Ending those stops, Trump wrote, would be “playing right into the criminal’s hands.”

“We CANNOT give up one of ICE’s most important and effective Crime Fighting tools, THE TRAFFIC STOP!” Trump wrote Wednesday on his social media site.

Hours after Trump made his views known, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin issued his own statement saying people illegally in the country would be “arrested and deported wherever they are.” But Mullin didn’t directly say whether ICE officers will be allowed to carry out traffic stops.

ICE’s enforcement tactics are coming under renewed criticism after three people died during encounters with federal officers within a week. In Florida, a 28-year-old man was killed Tuesday after he was hit by a tractor trailer while running from immigration and other federal officers, authorities said.

Before that, two motorists were shot and killed by ICE officers — one in Texas last week and another in Maine on Monday

After the Maine killing, Trump administration officials told ICE officers to suspend most vehicle stops, people familiar with the decision said Tuesday

Since the immigration crackdown began, federal officers confronting drivers have opened fire several times, saying the drivers’ vehicles had posed a danger Policing experts have long said that shooting into moving cars presents a danger of its own and should almost always be avoided.

There have been at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration agents since Trump

launched his deportation campaign. At least four of them involved people in vehicles, a trend so troubling that Republican U.S Sen. Susan Collins of Maine urged Department of Homeland Security leaders “to cease all nonurgent vehicle stops.”

Two shootings in a week, she said Wednesday, “raise very serious questions” and warrant a halt in that approach for the time being.

ICE has been under pressure to beef up arrest and deportation numbers. It says people being sought are increasingly staying in their homes, and it often blames immigration advocates who advise immigrants to stay in homes unless ICE produces a warrant signed by an independent judge.

Mexico asks U.S. AGs to investigate migrant deaths

BY FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press

MEXICO CITY — Mexico formally requested that U.S. state attorneys general criminally investigate cases of migrants who have died in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody or during raids, the Mexican government said Tuesday

The request follows the death of Mexican immigrant Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent in Houston. Since the beginning of U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term, 17 Mexican migrants have died during immigration enforcement, 14 in ICE custody and three in agency operations.

Mexico’s Foreign Ministry had previously said it would make the request, which was formalized on Tuesday, according to the ministry It said a similar request will be also sent to the U.S. Department of Justice. The United States is not legally obliged to act on the requests.

Also, the Mexican government said it has started sending letters to U.S. detention centers where Mexican migrants have died, demanding they “immedi-

ately cease the actions or omissions that resulted in these deaths, such as preventing access to prompt and expedited medical care, as well as the application of policies incompatible with medical and penitentiary standards.”

The letters are a first step toward “the eventual filing of civil lawsuits” against the companies that operate the detention centers to stop human rights violations, according to the ministry

Last week, Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco said his country would go directly to U.S. authorities to request criminal investigations in cases of Mexicans killed in ICE custody or enforcement operations.

Salgado Araujo, 52, who had no criminal record and had lived in the U.S for 35 years, was shot last Tuesday while driving his construction crew to a job site in Houston. His death sparked demands for an independent investigation from Democrats and Salgado Araujo’s family

The Department of Homeland Security said Salgado Araujo had rammed an ICE vehicle, and that a federal agent fired a weapon in self-defense.

ICE officers say that means they’re forced to find other ways to make arrests. Hundreds gathered Tuesday to remember Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, the 25-year-old Colombian national who was shot in his car Monday Karolina Rojas, his part-

ner and the mother of their young daughter, shared a photo on Instagram of the three hugging and smiling. “I love you, my darling, my life. I love you I have no words for this pain. You were my everything. Please watch over me. Help me find the strength to carry on Stay with me always. Don’t leave me alone. I’m begging you, my love,” she wrote. Durán Guerrero illegally entered the U.S. on Sept 1, 2023, through the southern border, DHS said Wednesday Advocacy groups said that when he was killed, he was authorized to work in the U.S. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said the Homeland Security secretary told him on Monday that ICE officers were in Biddeford to serve an arrest warrant but that it wasn’t for the person who was shot. When ICE tried to stop a vehicle driven by someone who came from a home under surveillance, the “vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon,” the department said. The department didn’t answer questions about the agent who shot him.

Ruemmler

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JAIME MORENO

Friends and relatives hold a vigil Tuesday for Johan Sebastián Durán Guerrero, a Colombian national who was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Maine, at his family home in Bucaramanga, Colombia

Intelligence director nominee

askedabout 2020 election

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON— President Donald Trump’spick to head the nation’s intelligence agencies struggled to win Democratic supportina contentious confirmation hearing Wednesday where he clashed repeatedly with them over the 2020 election.

Democrats asked Jay Clayton, the U.S. attorney forthe Southern District of New York and aformer Securities and Exchange Commission chairman, overand over again whether former President Joe Biden won the election and defeated Trump. Echoing many of Trump’snominees,Clayton said many times that the election was“certified” for Biden, declining to say outrightthat the Democratwon.

Clayton

“I’m notgoing to get into this with you,” Clayton told Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff, the last of several Democrats on the committee to grill Clayton on the 2020 election. Clayton appeared frustrated and flustered as Ossoff repeated thequestion several times. “I’ve answered it,” he said.

Virginia Sen.Mark Warner,who had praised Clayton’snomination when Trump pickedhim for the role last month,expressed exasperation with him at the endof the hearing.

Democrats say they are concerned that Trump willtry to direct intelligenceagencies to influence U.S. elections as the president hasrepeatedhis falseclaims that the 2020 contestwas stolen.

“I’veknown Mr.Claytonfor some time, Iworked with him closely when he was at the SEC,” said Warner,the top Democrat on the intelligence panel. “But Iam bitterly disappointed.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y., said after the hearing that he thoughtClayton’s performance was “abysmal,” and

that “makes it much less likely that he will get Democratic votes.”

While Claytonhas broad support among Republicans, the acrimony with Democrats could be ablow to GOP leaders who had hoped to gaintheirconsentfor aquick vote to replace temporary intelligence director Bill Pulte, aformer housing official with no known intelligenceexperience andwho used his previous administration perch to target perceived adversaries of thepresident. Senators in both parties have criticized Pulte,and Republicans hadhoped to confirmClayton immediately after he was nominated in June so Pulte didnot take over when Gabbard leftoffice. But Trumpdelayed Clayton’s nomination before theSenate left fora two-week recess, allowing Pulte to take the job temporarily

SenateIntelligence Committee

Chairman TomCotton,R-Ark., said the committeewill voteonClayton’snomination next week. Cotton, who expressed frustration last monthwhen the hearing was delayed, said in his opening statement Wednesday that Clayton has areputation foroperating with “morality,decency and integrity” in his previous positionsand that he hopes his nomination will win bipartisan support Gabbard’selectionactivities

Democrats also pressed Clayton on former National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard’svisit to a Georgia election office earlier this year during an FBI search related to the 2020 election. Trumpadministration officials have given varyingexplanationsfor Gabbard’s involvement in the search,which appearedtobeoutside of her intelligence role.

Clayton declined to say whether Gabbard’svisit was appropriate or how he would handle the same situation. At one point he said he wasn’tawareofGabbard’svisit before this week, then later appeared to backtrack,saying“it wasn’t something on my mind” before he started to prepare for the hearing.

Warnersaid it “strains credibility”that Clayton wasn’t awareof Gabbard’selection activities.

Democratsalso asked Clayton about Trump’sannouncement that he will deliveraprimetime address on Thursday with afocus on elections, after thepresident suggested he could revisit longdebunked conspiracy theories about his 2020 defeat. Clayton said he had has no involvement with that speech.

Claytonoverseesvastportfolio

Clayton is currently theU.S. attorney for theSouthern District of NewYork,one of themost prestigious of the Justice Department’s prosecution offices. His cases have rangedfrom terrorism andespionage cases to security fraud and public corruption.

Democrats pressedClayton on subpoenas of four New York Times journalists after theyreported on securityconcerns involving the new,Qatari-gifted Air Force One The CommitteetoProtect Journalists hascalled thesubpoenas “an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’sefforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations and have achilling effect on the workofjournalists across thecountry.”

Clayton said he wasnot able to discussthe details of the subpoenas and declined to elaborate on whether he spoke to theWhite House before they wereissued. He saidheis“confident in procedures we have in place to protect freedom of press.”

Under Clayton, the office also facilitated the unsealing of thousands of pages of courtrecords from the prosecutionsofJeffrey Epsteinand GhislaineMaxwell documentsthat were made public as part of the Justice Department’s releaseofrecordsrelated to the late sexoffender and his longtime confidant Claytonhas also overseenthe prosecution of former Venezuelan PresidentNicolásMaduroand Maduro’swife, Cilia Flores, on drug trafficking charges.

Blancheconfronts questioningoffund

BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche confronted skeptical questioning at aSenate confirmation hearing Wednesday aboutthe creation of afund to compensate President DonaldTrump’salliesand atax immunity deal for the president as he aimed to lock downthe Republican support needed to advance his nomination.

Blanche insisted that the $1.776 billion“Anti-Weaponization Fund,” which was scrapped after fierce bipartisan backlash, was“notmovingforward.” But lawmakers, including Republican Sen. JohnCornyn, conveyed concerns that the Trump administration has yet to commitin writing that the fund is dead and could therefore conceivably be resurrected

“Justtobe clear,the president of the United States, who’saplaintiffinthis lawsuit, hasnot agreed in writing to delete the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’ andthere’s no guarantee that he won’traise it in thefuture?” Cornyn asked. Blanche replied that Trumphas no power over the fund, which was to have been administered by the Justice Department but never launched. Blanche requires thebacking of all Republicans on the Judiciary Committee and the Texas senator has not committedhis support. The hearing arrived at atumultuous time forthe JusticeDepartment,with mass firings and resignations hollowing outthe workforce and Democrats and other critics raising alarmsthat Blanche is still functioning as the president’spersonal lawyer He has led the department on an interim basis sinceApril, functioningasthe public face of the malignedand later-withdrawn

fund andaccelerating investigations into perceived Trump adversaries.

Evenashesaidthe fund had been shelved, he madeclear that immunity from tax audits afforded to Trump this year remained in place. Those actions, plus theflawed release of files from theJeffrey Epstein sex-trafficking investigation, received fresh scrutiny Wednesday “You’re in charge of aDepartmentofJustice Idon’trecognize, prosecuting thepresident’spolitical enemies,firing rank and file prosecutors and FBI agents,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., told Blanche.“These are some actions that in your previous confirmation hearing before us,you said you would not take.”

Blancheinsisted he haspresidedovera course correction following JusticeDepartment investigations into Trumpduring the Biden administration.

“In recent years, we watched theJusticeDepartmentturned againstmanyofyou anda former president, anditdamaged the public’sfaith in justice,” Blanche argued. “Weare fixing that.” Blanche was also pressedon thedepartment’sstaggeredrelease of theEpsteinfiles, aprocess besetbyproblems, including redaction errors thatleft exposed nude photos showing the faces of potential victims. Blanche acknowledgedthat “mistakes were made” in the release process but nonetheless defended the work.

Aformerfederal prosecutor and key member of Trump’sdefense team as the Republican battled four indictments, Blanche arrivedatthe JusticeDepartment last year as deputy attorney general. At onepoint,under friendly questioning from Sen. JohnKennedy,R-Madisonville about whether he and Trumpare friends, Blanche responded: “I’m hislawyer,” beforequickly correcting himself to say he “was his lawyer.”

HouseRepublicans unveil $95billion budget resolution

Plan focusedon Iran war, aiding farmers, stricter voterregistration

BY KEVIN FREKING and LISA MASCARO Associated Press

WASHINGTON House Republicans on Wednesday unveiled a$95 billionlegislative plan focused on boosting defense, aiding farmers and enacting stricter voter registration rules,asequel to the massive tax and spending cut bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last year

The47-pageoutline, called abudget resolution, is a long-shot undertaking designed to supplement Pentagon funding for the Iran war and address Trump’s top priority of changing voterregistration requirements. Amore ambitious effort was narrowed to address concerns of conservatives about adding to the deficit. The resolutiondoes not seek anyoffsets to pay for the newspending.

HouseSpeakerMike Johnson, R-Benton, pushed ahead after meeting withTrump at the White House this week in what will be the Republicans’ calling card to voters this fall heading into the midterm elections.

“Safeguarding American elections and strengthening our nationaldefenseare the most basic responsibilities of Congress,” Johnson said in astatement. Johnson welcomed the chance to again use alegis-

BY BILL BARROW Associated Press

lative process that will allow Republicanstooverpower Democratic objections and eventually approve legislation on apartyline majority vote, saying theDemocratswon’t be abletoblock the GOP priorities “any longer.” Democrats, however, have argued against thesharply partisan path, particularly for matters of war funding. TheBudgetCommittee is expected to consider the outline Thursday,ahead of floor action in the House next week.

Billions of dollarsfor war

Thebulk of the$95 billion wouldgo forthe U.S.-led waragainst Iran, reflecting theWhiteHouse’s request for supplemental spending to rebuild stockpiles and fund classified programs, among otherexpensesrelated to Operation Epic Fury The resolution calls forthe HouseArmed Services Committee to craft legislation thatwill not increase deficits through2036bymore than$60 billion; the Select Committee on Intelligence, $13 billion; the Agriculture Committee, $12 billion; and theHouse Administration Committee, $10 billion.

Thelatter funding would be focused on enacting aspectsofan election law overhaul thatrequires those registering to vote to provide proofofcitizenship andisatop Trumppriority Overall, the plan is on par with arequest the White

House submitted to Congress last month, as the Iran war drags past fourmonths. But it falls far short of the $350 billion increase theWhite House proposed in its budget requestthisyeartobeef up the Defense Department. Approving extra war funding will be difficult, even among Republicans supporting theIran effort, as the nation confronts staggeringannualdeficits reaching nearly $2 trillion this year

Trumppushesfor voting law

Both the House and the Senate would have to pass the same budget resolution to launch thecrafting of the party-line bill, which is politically difficult in theCongress whereRepublicans hold only narrowmajority control.

Along with thewar funds, thepackageRepublicans are pursuing would include $10billion forthe GOP’s effort to impose strict citizenship requirementsinline with provisions of the SAVE America Act, which has been atop Trumppriority.

Trump hasinsisted that Republicansapprove the elections overhaul bill, whichhas passedthe House but does nothavethe votes to overcome the 60-vote threshold in theSenate. So Republicans arelooking to get parts of it through the arduous reconciliationprocess that allows both chambers to pass abill withasimple majority.

It’sunclear how thebudgetpackagewould impose or fund voting lawchanges andifany alterations could be made before themidterm elections,withmany state elections processes already

underway

Overall, passage of the packagewould be alengthy process, with much of the action taking place after lawmakers return from theirAugust recess and during the heart of election season. House Republicans hope to kickoff the effort beforetheyleavetown at theend of this month.

Democrats’ opposition

The additional aid for farmers dealing with higher gas and fertilizer prices and retaliatory tariffs has become an election year priority for many lawmakers with large rural constituencies. But even the addition of that type of farm aid is not likely to be an incentive for Democrats to lend support for what is essentially a Republican-only bill. Democratsare expected to overwhelmingly oppose whatever final productemerges and force votes on scores of difficult amendments.

Rep. BrendanBoyle, the

lead Democraticlawmaker on the House Budget Committee, said the GOP’sbudgetplanwould lead to tens of billions of dollars in additional debt to fund what he called the mostunpopular warinAmerican history

“I’m going to fight like hell to make sure taxpayer dollars are being used to lower costs andmakelife better forAmerican families, not to bankroll Trump’sgiveaways to billionaires and endless wars overseas,” Boyle said.

Johnson applauded Budget Committee Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas, and othersonthe panelfor moving swiftly to advance the resolution and unlock what would be Republicans’ third reconciliation bill this Congress.

Trump’sbig taxbreaks bill last year andthe Homeland Securityfunding billthis year both passed largely along party lines.

Arrington saidseveral factors contributed to the decision nottooffset some of the newspending Repub-

licans will seek. First, the Trump administration’s call formore defensespending waswinnowedtojust meetingreplenishmentneeds during atime of war.Second, he wasconcerned that someofthe savings generated in last year’sparty-line bill could be relitigated and stripped out if the Senate FinanceCommittee hadbeen instructed to find offsets. Republicanscould have tried to workwithDemocrats to pass moredefense spending through the regular appropriations process or through an emergency supplemental spending bill, but thatwould require bipartisan support to get through the Senate.And Democrats likely would have sought commensurate spending increases for non-defense priorities.

“There’snodoubt that Democrats would exact abig price,”Arringtonsaid. “… We avoidedthat, so Iwould say in this moment, with this scenario, that’sawin.”

President Donald Trump has endorsed MyPillow founder Mike Lindell for Minnesota governor,praising him as “one of America’sgreatest and most hard working Patriots” and giving formal backing to afellow election denier. Lindell established his national profile from his TV advertisingcampaignasthe MyPillow Guy andhas been one of Trump’smost outspoken supporters, echoing thepresident’sfalse claims that his2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden was fraudulent.

“Mike will be SPECTACULAR!!! He trulyloves Minnesota, as do I, and wants to bring it back from oblivion andembarrassment. He can do it!” Trump posted Wednesday on hisTruth Social platform.

U.S.Sen.Amy Klobuchar headlines the Democratic field for governor TrumpendorsesLindell forMinn. governor

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Blanche

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U.S. stepsupstrikes as Iran threatensenergyexports

BY JON GAMBRELL Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The U.S. reimposed anaval blockade on Iran andintensifiedits airstrike campaignWednesday in retaliation for Tehran’sattacks on ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The American strikes hit an Iranian army barracks, killed at least seven troops and wounded hundreds of people across the country, Iranian officials said.

CO IN T MI EAST

NFLICT HE DDLE AS

Days of backand-forth strikes by the U.S. and Iran across the Middle East —and renewedthreats to the waterway crucial to global energy supplies —have shredded the interimdeal to end the conflict and the region could tip back into all-out war.

The U.S. first imposed ablockade in April and lifted it last month after signing the interim deal that paused the fighting and set a60day period for negotiations over issues such as Iran’snuclearprogram.Those talks have stalled as fighting over the StraitofHormuz has intensified.

When the U.S. andIsrael launched the war on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran effectively closed the waterway to shippingtraffic— amove that sent the price of oil, fertilizer and many othergoods soaring far beyond the region and gave Iran major leverage in negotiations. Those rising prices pose a particular challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump and his Republican Party,which hopes to retain control of Congress in November elections. But Washingtonhas

struggled to successfully reopen thewaterway

About 24 hours after the blockadewentinto effect, the U.S. militaryopened fireonand disabled a merchant vesselWednesday

Iran’sparliament speakerand lead negotiator,Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, said Iran was prepared for afuller military confrontation if theU.S.doesnot liveuptothe terms of the interim deal,and Iran’sparamilitary Revolutionary Guardthreatened to halt all energy exports from the Middle East over theblockade.

“The export of oil and gasfrom theregion will beeither for everyoneorfor noone,” the Guard said.

Soon afterthe U.S. launched its thirdwaveofstrikes in 24 hours, Trump said Iranwas ready to strike apeace deal, but he did not elaborate.

“They don’tlike what we’re doing, and theydowanttosettle.

We’ll find outwhether or not we settle with them, or we just finish it off,”hesaidWednesday at a defense summit at the U.S.Army WarCollege in Pennsylvania.

The U.S. carried out awave of strikes, hitting dozens of targets overnight, themilitary’s Central Command said Wednesday,and thenresumed striking Iran during daylight —anunusual move that further signaledthe increasing tempo of the attacks. Another wave of strikes began lateWednesday CentralCommandsaiditspotted Curacao-flaggedoil tankerBelma sailing toward KhargIsland and, afterthe ship “ignored multiple warnings,” aU.S. aircraft disabled the merchant vessel by firinghellfire missilesinto the ship’ssmokestack.

In addition to the now-disabled Belma, the U.S.military said it also hadtospeak with twoother commercial vessels, butthey

complied with their instructions to turn away

TheU.S.militarydisabledat leasteight merchant vessels during the first round of the blockade, including one strike that leftthree sailors dead

Among the U.S. military’stargets this week was Greater Tunb Island, whichisviewed as astrategic point in the Strait of Hormuz.

Central Commandsaidthe attack targeted Iranian defense and missile sites.

Iran took control of three islands —Abu Musa, Greater Tunb and LesserTunb —from what would becomethe United Arab Emirates in 1971. The UAEhas sought to reclaim them. Some analysts have suggested that if the U.S. seized the islands, theycould allow it to control the strait

The U.S. military said its bombing campaign hit targets along Iran’ssouthern coastinBandar Abbas, Khormuj, Ahvaz, Qeshm, Bushehr and Kuh-e Stak.

Another strike targeted abarracks for Iran’s388th Mechanized InfantryBrigade, which operates tanks and armored vehicles, in Sistan and Baluchestan province, Iranianstatetelevisionreported

Thereport said Americans fired at least 13 missilesinthe attack and theseven dead included conscripts and career soldiers. Anumber of troops were wounded.

More than 35 people have been killed and more than 300 wounded by U.S. airstrikesinrecent days,said Hossein Kermanpour aspokesperson forthe Iranian HealthMinistry.Atleast 72 people are hospitalized, he added. Kermanpour did not break down

thefiguresbetweenciviliansand combatants.

The announcement marked the first overall toll given by Iranian authorities forthis round of fighting. The number of wounded was far larger than forany other recentviolencebetween Iranand the U.S. The armysaid it would make “a decisive response,” according to state TV U.S. Navy Adm. BradCooper, who leads CentralCommand, saidina statementthatIran had launched dozens of missilesand drones at neighboring Gulf Arab countries.

Missile-alert warnings sounded Wednesday in Bahrain and Kuwait as theyfaced incoming Iranianfire —adaily occurrence recently.Ina post on X, Bahrain’sInterior Ministry urged people to “head to the nearest safeplace.”

Jordan said it shot down three incomingIranian missiles.Iran claimed attacksonthe threenations, all of which host U.S. forces.

In astatement publishedonline, Qalibaf said the United States had not lived up to the termsofthe interimpeace deal,whichhesaid included “Iranian arrangements” over the Strait of Hormuz.

“Now that we have entered the implementation phase, the United States, having exhausted its legal anddiplomatic options, is trying to undermine thoseIranian arrangementsthrough force,” he wrote.

Qalibaf’s comments appeared aimed at critics within Iran who oppose negotiations withthe U.S. He argued that negotiations should notbeequated with compromiseor surrender,but as part of abroader strategy of resistance.

The Make America Healthy

Again organization, which is closely aligned withKennedy,raised money for Letlow Cassidy lost out in aclosed party primary.Hewill leave the Senate in January when either Letlow or Jamie Davis, the Democratic candidate from Tensas Parish in the November congressional elections, will be sworn in.

‘Right andtrue’

Cassidy said he backed Kennedy because of promises to not significantly alter the federal government’s long-held guidancefor immunizations and to confer regularly withthe committee —promises that Kennedy didn’tkeep. Cassidy has sinceraised ever-harsher criticisms about the Department of Health andHuman Services.

“I feel like we’ve got thousands of kids hospitalized because people havepromoted that immunization is bad, and now kids have died because of it is …evil to do that,” Cassidy saidat Wednesday’shearing. “Will you have the ability to say no to junk scienceand to say yes to that which has been firmly established and to stick up for what is actually right and true as opposedto that which is superstition and prejudice?”

by the Senate as CDCdirector.She was forced out in August 2025 after only a monthinoffice forrefusing to endorse Kennedy’spicks forthe panel of vaccine advisers, whichincluded prominent anti-vaxxers.

The CDC has since been run by interim directors. About aquarter of the agency’sstaff was laid off or resigned since Trump began his secondterm in January 2025.

Tr ump nominated Schwartz in April.Adoctor, lawyer and retired rear admiral whooversawthe U.S. Coast Guard’s41clinics and 150 sick bays, Schwartz was deputysurgeon general during Trump’sfirst term.

feet of folks casting misinformation on these issues.”

Johns Hopkins University counts 2,250 cases of measles confirmed so farthis year in the U.S.,where the extremely contagiousvirus had largely been eliminated through vaccinations.There were 2,289 cases last year And the CDC is tracking thousands of people afflicted across dozens of states with

cyclosporiasis and related cryptosporidiosis.

Overall, however, Cassidy also said Schwartz was qualified to runthe CDC. The HELP committee will decide soon whether to recommend Schwartz’snomination to the full Senate. She likely will be confirmed.

Also considered in the confirmation hearingwas Sean Kaufman, who wasnominat-

ed as the Health and Human Services assistant secretary for strategic preparedness and response. Cassidy quizzed Kaufman on statements he hadmade when the department canceled funding formRNA vaccine development. Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

“You have my assurances that Iwill do that. Iwill never betray thescience, ever,” Schwartz replied. “I will make sure that theCDC is focused on scientificrigor.”

Sheadded that the CDC would focus on “radical transparency,” which is most important in restoring public trust.

But Schwartz supported many of Kennedy’spolicies. When asked if she would take downa page on the CDCwebsite thatsuggests linkagebetween autism and vaccinations, Schwartz demurred, saying she hadn’t seen it.

Turmoilatthe CDC

Cassidy referenced Susan Monarez, who was nominated by Trumpand confirmed

Cassidy didn’tmention Kennedy or Trump by name but drilled down on actions taken at theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services,particularly at the CDC, a subsidiaryagencythathas the mostdirect oversight of how manyvaccines are required at what ages.

“Parentsshouldnot have to guess whether information on the CDC’swebsite reflects thebest available science rather thanthe preferences of political appointees. This is what has ledtochildrenbeing hospitalized and dying from diseases preventable withthe vaccine,” Cassidy said. “As aresult, we see thousands getting measles. We see, unfortunately,deaths from measles, avaccine-preventable disease, just lying at the

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By RAZIEH POUDAT

Residentssit at acafe overlooking commercialvessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on Sunday

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

U.S. stocks rise within 0.5% of their record

NEW YORK U.S. stocks ticked higherWednesdayfollowing strong profitreports from BlackRockand other bigcompanies.The tentative gains cameasoil prices swung to theirhighest levels in amonth because of the war with Iran

BlackRock helped lead the market with arise of 6.6% after the company behind some of the most popular investmentfunds reported stronger profitand revenuefor the latest quarter than analysts expected.

Bank of New York Mellon rose 5.1% after adding to the spateofstrong earnings reportsfrom many of the biggest U.S. banks aday earlier Cintas climbed 4.4% after the provider of office uniforms, restroom supplies andother products likewise delivered abetter profit for the latest quarter than analysts forecast.

They helped offset adrop for ElevanceHealth, which fell 8.5% even though it reported stronger profit and revenue than analysts expected.

The broad U.S. stockmarket gotalift from another report showing inflation slowed last month.Itsaid inflation at the wholesale level slowed to 5.5% from 6% in May,and it was much better than the accelerationthat economists expected.

The day before, aseparate reportsaid inflation that U.S. consumers are feeling was also not as bad as economists expected last month.

Five Below plans to have 2,000 stores soon

Five Below has been opening hundredsofnew stores in recent years, and thismonth, the retailer is set to add its 2,000th location.

The new store is expectedto openinLaGrange, Georgia, on Friday,the company announced earlier this month.

The company’sexpansion puts itsstore count on par with Home Depot and Target.Asof the beginning of 2026, Home Depot operated 2,359 stores in theU.S., Canada, andMexico, andTargethad 1,995U.S stores.

Company leaders said in a recent annual report that they see opportunity to grow Five Below’sstore count to 3,500 eventually.

Five Below launched its first store in 2002 ,and most items the business sells cost between $1 and $5. Its offering of toys, gadgets, games, and other items includes slinky toys, crayons, sandcastle buckets, basketballs, and wireless gaming headsets.

Amazon satellite internet to launch in South Africa

CAPETOWN,SouthAfrica Amazon saidWednesday that the technology company willlaunch its new satellite internet service AmazonLeo in South Africa in 2027, seeminglypushing ahead of Elon Musk’srival Starlink to win business in Africa’smost advancedeconomy Amazon,which wasfounded by Jeff Bezos, saidthat it wouldpartner withSouth Africaninternet provider Herotel to launch anew service in the countryof62million people. Amazon said that it was its first satellite internet agreementon the African continent. No financial details were initiallydisclosed. Amazon’sannouncement follows Musk’s bittercriticism of thegovernment in hiscountry of birth. The world’srichest man hassaid that SouthAfrican regulations have prevented him from launching Starlink therebecausehe’sWhite,and has accused the government of racism. He was referring to South Africa’saffirmative action policies, which require foreign companies operating in the communications sector to give aminority share of their local entities to Black or other non-White owners in order to acquire alicense.

BUSINESS

NOLA.COM/BIZ

26 Meta employeessue company

Groupalleges AI-driven layoff pickshit thoseon medical, parental leave

BY BARBARA ORTUTAY and ALEXANDRA OLSON AP business writers

Agroup of 26 Meta employees has sued the company,claiming it usedartificial intelligence systemstoselect people forlay-

offs, disproportionately targetingthose on medical,parental or family leave. They areamongthe 8,000 employees, or about 10% of its workforce, Metasaid it would layoff in May. Thelawsuit filed lateMonday in federal court in Oakland, California, claimsthe company usedinternal AI systems,keystroke andactivitymonitoring data, AI token-usage dashboards and algorithmically assisted performance rankings,

amongothermethods, to determine who would be laid off. Many of these scores and ratings“by design,cannotbeaccumulated by an employee whois on protected medical or family leave, or whose output is reduced by adisability,” the lawsuit says. Meta, according to thelawsuit, didnot accountfor protected leave when taking employees’ scoresintoaccount and“didnot pause the system for the individualized, leave- and accommoda-

tion-neutral review that the law requires.”

As aresult, people on protected medical or family leave were disproportionately selected for layoffs,the lawsuit says. Each of the 26 anonymous employees in the lawsuittookprotected leave, or requested or receiveda reasonableaccommodation for disability. Though they have been notified of their layoffs, all26remainemployed by Meta, with separations set to begin July 22.

Rise in high-techvehiclesincreasing right-to-repair, tool access concerns

Mechanicssay they’relosing business as maker-specific software grows

BY SUMMER BALLENTINE

The Detroit News (TNS)

High-tech features are making vehicles moreexpensive and difficult to repair,putting pressure onalready strained car ownersand posing an existential crisis for momand-pop mechanics,analysts andconsumer advocates say At issue is theshift from mostly mechanicalvehicles to “big four-wheel rolling computers,”asone autoindustry analyst said. Localmechanics saythey’re facing roadblocks accessing the toolsand informationneeded to work on modern vehicles,potentially givingdealershipsa monopoly on maintenance andrepairs of new models

“Not even just mechanics; thecustomers are frustrated with that,” said Mohsen Harb, manager at Detroit’s Cass Auto repair shop. “Because instead of them being able to go to theirmechanic and getting it fixed for a much cheaper price, they’regonna have to go to thedealership and pay three times that to get afixjust because thedealership or the company itselfisnot allowing these mechanicstoget theright tools to be able to fix it.”

Concern about who can repair increasingly tech-heavy vehicles —whether that be dealerships, neighborhood mechanics or vehicle owners —isgetting attention from theWhite House and Congress, although socalledright-to-repair legislation in the U.S. House is moving slowly President Donald Trumptold reporters thathespoke with leadersofFord Motor Co. and General Motors Co. in June about “a move ontostop people from fixing their cars. Ithought we’d do somethingabout that.” Days later,the presidentissued amemo directing theEnvironmentalProtection Agency to “considerdeprioritizingcivil tampering enforcement actions against anyone who, in good faith, attempts to fix his or her own vehicle to its original configuration.” The memo is primarily directed at making it easier to tweak vehicleemissions systems.

Decades ago, independent mechanics or handy DIY-ers could fix most auto issues with “a good setofCraftsmantools,”iSeeCars.com analyst Karl Brauer said.Now, many repairs require automaker-specific software availablethrough subscriptions that can cost thousands of dollars ayear

Forexample, Tesla charges $3,188 foran annual subscription, according to the mechanicsand aftermarket partstrade group Auto Care Association. Ford Motor Co. charges $2,500 ayear foraccess, and General Motors Co. charges $1,200 ayear

“As cars have becomebasically big fourwheel rolling computers, all the things that go with computers, like regular updates to the software, are commonplace now,” Brau-

United

Airlines

Mohsen Harb,manager at Cass Auto, looksoveravehicle in the shop

DetroitonJuly6as he discusses howindependent mechanics are frustrated and losing business as vehicles becomemore tech-heavy and expensive to repair.

er said. “Many of them can’tbedone over the air,and if you’re not adealer service center, but an independent (mechanic),your access to those updates is dependent on things like those subscriptions.”

Both dealerships and independent mechanics have to pay for software subscriptions, according to theNational Automobile Dealers Association, which in astatement saidnon-dealer mechanics“already have the information they need to service vehicles.”

Consumer advocates and analysts told The Detroit News that if roadblocks to tools and software lead to dealerships gaininganexclusive hold on modern vehicle repairs, independent shopscould shutter andput car owners at themercy of dealer prices.

Automakers gain controloverrepairs

The higher use of software throughout vehiclesisgiving automakers more control over who can fix vehicles, Brauer said.

“There’snoway for an independent dealer to say,‘Well, I’lljust getmyown software engineers; we’ll come up with our own way,’ he said. “It’s impossible. So that’swhere the nature of the car’sdesign, and thus the nature of the repair process is so differentand so much easier to control at amanufacturer anda dealer levelversusjust hardware (and) hard tools and material tools that you would have used to fix cars 50-60 years ago.

“The manufacturers would love to have more control over who repairs the carand havebasically more of amonopoly on that and make it so that it’simpossible to get the cars repaired outside of the dealers,”Brauer continued. “The dealers would love that, obviously.That’swhere dealer profit comes from.”

Ford didnot respond to aDetroit News request for commentonthe issue, and both

GM and Stellantis NV referred questions to the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, a nationalautomaker trade group. The group pointed to an agreement automakers signed in 2014 promising equal access to information andtoolsfor repairs between dealers and independent mechanics.

Yes, your repair bill is probably higher

The costofvehicle maintenance hasbeen rising steadily fordecades.Factors include moreexpensive vehicle parts, moredemanding safety requirements from federalregulators, ashortageofqualifiedvehicle techs andsteep competitionbetween automakers to offer morehigh-tech features.

Vehicle maintenance andrepairprices spiked starting in 2022 after COVID-19 caused widespread disruptions throughout the auto industry and acrippling microchip shortage.

Costs rose 36% between May2022 and May 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This year alone, maintenancecosts increased 6%.Priceincreases for aftermarket auto parts are driven by tariffs, more advanced tech andexpensive rare earths and metals needed to make parts, Chung said.

“Those costs arebeing passedontothe consumer,”Chung said. “So if the manufacturer has to pay morefor the part, and then they have to sell to the shop at an increased price, you then sellittothe consumer,you or I, at an increased price.”

Harb said customers at Cass Auto sometimes pay morefor arepair than avehicle is currently worth to avoid new car payments. Mechanicsatthe shop on Fridayreplaced the engine on a2013Hyundai Accentsedan worth about$4,000. The engine cost $5,000, Harb said.

attempting to attractflyers with emptymiddleseat Airlinetooffer perk on select flights

By The Associated Press NEW YORK United Airlines is tryingtoattractflyerswithanother luxurious perk: an empty middle seat. The Chicago-basedcarrier announcedplans this week to roll out anew row of its “Economy Plus” seats with no neighbor in the middlespot— andinstead use the space for ashared table (and more elbow room)between the aisle and window travelers. The offeringisonly settobe available in onerow on United’s

newAirbus A321XLR aircraft, withpricing and sales expected to be disclosed later this year.But United suggesteditcould expand the no-middle-seat option to other planes down theroad.

The movearrives amid abroader push from airlines advertising moreand morespecial tiersand separate add-ons to their flights —particularly when it comes to courting passengers who are willing to pay morefor comfort.

United is following the footsteps of ahandful of European airlines already offering empty middle seats to business classpassengers. Andother carriers have also allowed travelers for years to pay extraorbuy additional tickets to keep seatsnear them empty

United said Tuesday that it expects to be “the only U.S. airline” to have these kind of rows. The middle seat has long been bemoaned by travelers— both those in the aisle and window seats that have to share an armrest or morewithwhoever is occupying the middle seat, and for those passengers stuck wedged in a middle seat between two others.

The latest no-middle-seat option also arrives just months after the airline announced the “United Relax Rows,”which, starting early next year,will allowpassengers in economy class to turn arow of three seats on some wider Boeing planes into acouch they can sleep or lounge on after takeoff. Acrosscarriers,passengers on thesame flight can still have

strikingly different travelexperiences.And while there’s demand forroomier seats and other perks, some budget-conscious travelers mayfeel awidening gap between the back and front of the plane or frustrationovernew fees for services that were once freeand added tiers to juggle when comparing fares. Ahandful of big-name airlines, likeDelta, have embraced strategiestoprovide “the best” —not thecheapest —offerings. Meanwhile,United executives have pushed back on the idea that the industry has become solely focused on chasing big spenders, maintaining that premium investments are part of abroader strategy to improve every traveler’sexperience

TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE PHOTO By DANIELMEARS

in

resources to proactive policing, including expanded traffic enforcement. The strategy includes active enforcement in what Micheu called “serious accident areas,” such as stretches of Elysian Fields Avenue, North Robertson Street, Claiborne Avenue, St. Claude Avenue, Chef Menteur Highway and Leon C. Simon Drive. There are also intelligence-led deployments, including one that recently shut down a planned “burnout” event.

As of July 9, the department had issued 17,486 citations year-to-date. In 2023, the NOPD issued just 5,212 traffic citations. That number jumped to 30,940 in 2024 and 35,098 in 2025.

“We’re doing more enforcement than we’ve ever done,” Micheu said. “And those numbers speak for themselves.”

The strategy appears to be helping save lives. As of July 9, Orleans Parish had recorded 21 traffic fatalities. If that pace continues, New Orleans would end the year with about 40 traffic deaths —a29% decline from the56 fatalities recorded in 2025 and a38% drop from the64 recorded in 2024.

“SuperintendentAnne Kirkpatrick’s missionisto one, cut down on fatalities. That was adirective to me,” said Micheu, who has spent 20 of his 37 years with NOPD in its traffic division. “Two, is to make sure we increase

enforcement in areas that ourcommunity is constantly talking about.”

Micheu draws on community complaints, officer observations and data to craft operational plans. Most of the city’shigh-crime areas are associated with traffic violations, Micheu said.

Arecent saturation patrol —arovingDUI enforcementoperation funded by a Louisiana HighwaySafety Commission grant— ledto the arrests of four people wantedonoutstanding warrants, including oneaccused in arape case. “If high visibility helps with crime trends, that’s another reason why the superintendent’s planisto basically getmoretraffic enforcement cars making

stops,”Micheu said.

New Orleans City Council member Eugene J. Green in April pointed to thecity’s Safe Streets for All Safety

Action Plan, whichprioritizes strategic enforcement of speeding, impaireddriving, red-light and stop sign violations, aggressive driving and illegal parking, as afactor in the decline in trafficdeaths “Members of the NOPD havebeen making more stops. They’vebeen investigating, using information available,” Green said after aNational Crime Victim’s RightsWeek event.

So far this year,the NOPD has made 219 DUI arrests, already surpassing the 191 recorded during all of 2023

Since parking enforcement was transferred to theTraffic Division on May 31, Micheu hasbeen able to coordinate speedingenforcement with parking enforcement and towing operations in

problem areas. On Monday morning, from adesk flanked by American flags and topped with ahumidorofHonduranlong-leaf tobacco cigars used to reward officers, he conferred with Sgt. Rodney Brown about where to do enforcement.

The 5th District, NewOrleansEastorGeneral De Gaulle Drivewere alloptions, though morning rain showers andwet terrain complicated logistics.

“I think we can still get this done if it’s notpouring cats and dogs,” Brown said.

“I think GeneralDeGaulle is the best since it’sclear— the cars should be able to see us, we shouldbeableto seethem, andthe reaction timeshould be there.”

By noon,the enforcement

in the 5100 block of General De Gaulle was in full effect and had attracted afew spectators.From theentry of Michelli’scocktaillounge, owner JimMichelli pointed outcrash barriers in front of aneighboring corner store.

“They’ve done been through that store three times,” said Michelli, who opened hisloungein1972. “Speeding’s. just agiven right here.” At the Olive Branch, protective exterior columns were among the garden’s new additions.

“We’re going to put rose bushes on those columns to cover them up,” Nguyen said, “So you won’t be able to be able to notice them, but they will be there, protecting.”

Continued from page1A

lease payments from theCaesars Casino. Later,hesaid thecitycannot treat the state “as an ATM” and that no one has done more for New Orleans than he has. In still more comments on Monday,hesaid New Orleans is no longer as important to the state as it once was. But Landry’scomments directly contradicted those in aletter to Moreno last week, where he said New Orleans was the “largest and most economically consequen-

TENANTS

Continued from page1A

‘We’re going to provide you livablehousing.You pay rent.

The complex’sformer owner,Tennessee-based Ministry Outreach Foundation, areligious nonprofit, did not respond to arequest for comment on the settlement. The settlement comes as major changes are underway at the complex, located off the Interstate 10 Service Road near Crowder Boulevvard. After cityofficials, advocates and tenants struggled for years to compel Ministry Outreach Foundation to address deplorable conditions or give up control of the property,the complex was sold in apublic auction in March to the Lee Adrion Company,aCalifornia-based real estatefirm.

Residents were notified in May that they would be required to vacate the property for an estimated two years as it undergoes amajor cleanup and gut renovation. Kiefer said that she hopes the settlement funds will assist residents remaining at the property with moving costs.

“We’re just hoping for a

tial city in the state.” Moreno has pointed outthat the city and the state Legislative Auditor MikeWaguespack, who has been tasked with helping the city resolve themessMoreno inherited, have said publicly for months that they would need asecond bond sale approval,after stateofficials agreed to aninitial one lastyear She saidstate leaderswho seek to defund thecity topunish should realize that doing so “isself-harm to Louisiana” and asked thegovernortomeet with hertodiscuss the city’s finances and its success Since taking office in January and inheritinga projected $222

million deficit,the Moreno administration has identified more than $100 million in newand one-time funding sources, including onetime paymentsfrom outside agencies that agreed to dip into their own reserves. In April, city officials saidthey wouldreserve $89 millionina consolidated fund to be liquidated over the next few months. Thefund includes $22.5 million from theSewerage &Water Board, $17.8 millionfromfederal grants, $15 million from NewOrleans Building Commission, $14 million from bond-eligible American Rescue Plan Actfunds,$10 million

from theEdwardWisner Trust, and $9.3 million from reclassified American Rescue Plan Act funds.

The city is also in receipt of $103 million from the sale of lease payments for Caesars New Orleans casino and hotel, adeal Landry criticizedlast week in his letter becausethe city is set to lose almost$50 million over anine-year period.

Thedealallows Texas-basedequityfirm TPG to collect the lease payments the casino would otherwise pay the city in exchange for paying NewOrleans $103 million this year —around $46 millionless thanthe full lease amount over

nine years. City officials are considering additional budget measures since withdrawing their $110 million loan request from the state. Details forhow the city will make up the money aren’t clear, but Moreno said in aletter to the governor last week that without the money,officials would have to make $20 million in additional budgetcuts, delayinfrastructure projectsand prolong staff furloughs, which werescheduled to run through the end of this year

Email Joni Hessatjoni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

“Myhopeisthat it wouldbeused asa blueprint for anybad actors that are doing the same thing,sothat there’srecourse for tenants thatmight feel like they don’t

full circle moment where it becomes ahabitableplace again—maybe allthe tenantscan go back and get what they bargained for,” said Kiefer

Under the settlement agreement,people who lived at TheWillows dating back to 2014 areentitled to ashare of the funds, with compensation amountsincreasing for those who remainedatthe 263-unit complexmore recentlyasconditions worsened Some tenants could receive more than $10,000, accordingtoJacob Young, another attorneyrepresenting the residents. Nearly a thousand people whoheld leases at TheWillows during those years may be entitled to some reimbursement, he said. In order to receive compensation,tenants not already connected with the attorneys are required to

submitclaimsbyJuly24.

Attorneys will submit aplan fordistributing the funds within two weeks, at which point tenants will begin receiving payments.

Young saidthat he is not awareofany other classaction cases in the U.S. that have won reimbursementof rental paymentsdue to poor conditions.

“My hope is that it would be used as ablueprint for any bad actors thatare doingthe same thing, so that there’srecourse for tenants that might feel like theydon’thave any,” added Kiefer,who noted that tenants often struggletofind attorneys in individualcases against landlords because damages are typically small.

Angela Thompson, who moved out of The Willows last year after persistent water leaks, mold andair conditioning issuesinher apartment, said thatshe plansuse the settlement funds to visit her grandchildren in Texas. For years, Thompson declined visits from family out of concern for their health.

“You could feel the dampness in theapartment —it had me sick,” said Thompson. “I just want to be able to see my kids andmygrandkids.”

Laci Hargrove, who moved out of The Willows

lastyear,said sheplans to use the settlementfunds to purchase anew toaster,microwaveand coffeemaker after hers were infested by roaches at the Willows.But she said whatever amount

she receivesasa result of the settlement will feel like asmall payback forthe mold and pests her family lived with foryears. “I feel like it’snever going to be enough —putting my

children’slives in jeopardy,” said Hargrove.“Moneyis not enough.”

Email SophieKasakove at sophie.kasakove@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

withmeteorologist DamonSingleton

Finally,anopportunity

or storms this afternoon but only asmall chance. Temperatures this afternoon will be

theyshould be, rising intothe lowtomid-90s The

valuesor“feels-like”

more sunshine and lowrain chances tomorrow.

Flooding forces evacuationsinparts of SouthTexas

BY JESSE BEDAYN and JAMIE STENGLE Associated Press

UVALDE, Texas Widening evacuation warnings and high-water rescues in Texas mounted Wednesday under relentlessly heavy storms that turned roads into rivers, washed away vehicles and spun up atornado across abusy interstate in San Antonio. Texas game wardens have participated in rescues of morethan 40 people so farinthe flooding, mostly in the Uvalde County area, according to aTexas Parks andWildlife Department spokesperson.

Forecasters warned that already dangerous conditions were likely to worsen in some hard-hit communities. The deluge dumped nearly afoot of rain in somecounties and put people in dozens of counties under flood watches, including parts of the Texas Hill Country where last summer’sdevastating floods killed more than 100 people. Some of the flood watches were expected to remain in effect through Friday evening.

The National Weather Service said atornado touched down in the northwesternpart of San Antonio nearInterstate 10.Videosposted on social media showed what appeared to be asmall twister.Apartment buildings and otherproperties were damaged, localofficials said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DARRENABATE

Members of the BoerneFire Departmentrescue awoman from floodwaters on WednesdayinBoerne, Texas.

There havebeennoreports of deaths or injuries from the tornado or theflooding.

As muchas10to20inches of rainwas possibleinsome places before the stormsmoveout, the weather service said.

Thehighest rainfall totals so far —upto 16 inches —have been in Uvalde County,where officialstallied 25 rescuesasof9 a.m. Wednesday,and said more people needed help as river levels rose. Highways androads wereclosed acrossthe region becauseofhigh water

The county normally gets about

23 inches of rain ayear,according to the Uvalde CountyExtension Office.

The Uvalde PoliceDepartment said on Facebook at 1p.m. thata dam in thenorthernpart of the countywas still intact,but theLeonaRiverwas still expected to rise another 15 feet. Police warned people along the river to get tohigher ground.

StateRep.Don McLaughlin said that despite a“little lull,”the rainfall wasn’tdone and waterways could become moredangerous. “The rivers and the creeks are go-

ing to be coming up, and they’re going to be coming up again with a vengeance,” McLaughlin said.

Frances McNamara and her 10-year-old son, Everett, watched thebloatedLeona River in Uvalde sweep southward Wednesday as sheconsidered possible evacuation routes. She pointed to asolid line of dirt, branches and twigs about 8feet above the river where thewater reached the day before.

“We’veseen the water rise,but not to this extent,” she said, describing how it rushed through aditch next to herhome with enough force to sound like ariver on Tuesday

This week’ssevereweather brought back memories of last year’sdeadly flooding in Texas Hill Country

“It scared me,” said McNamara, her eyes wet with tears as she recalled the 2025 floods. “Cause I have ason, and to know what those parents went through.” Her son reached up and patted her back.

Uvalde police ordered mandatory evacuations forsome parts, with first responders notifying people affected directly,the department said on Facebook. Others were asked to stay vigilant in case more evacuations are needed.

Somefolks walked outoftheir homesonto the street to see the water growing closer every hour, their faces worried.People living along the river scrambled to pack

cars and head out, though many did notyet know wheretheyshouldgo. One manthrew two kayaks into his truck bed, just in case. Bailey Luckman, 26, wasgetting readytoevacuatewith herdog Wednesday afternoon. The floodwaters areclose to herhouse,she said, and authorities recommended that she leave.

“I’m very worried about my things,” Luckman said.

She gestured to an inundated road nearby,saying she normally drives that route to get to the gym It looked morelike ariver than a road.“I’ve neverseen it flowthe way thatitisrightnow,sothat’s pretty terrifying,” Luckman said. Lightning flashed as clouds darkened the landscape, and brown water created large rapids in the typicallycalm Leona River. Theriver was pushing up against the town’s high bridge and into neighborhoods by Wednesday afternoon. TexasGov.GregAbbotthas issued disaster declarations fordozens of counties.

Authorities posted videos on Tuesday showing arescue crew in aboat navigating flooded streets and avehicle being swept away by fast-moving waters.Five people wererescued by the Texas Game Warden Search and Rescue Team andfourwererescued by alocal game warden, said Maggie Berger, aTexas Parks and Wildlifespokeswoman

Hegsethannouncesnew policy to test troops forlow testosterone

Whenaskedwhatconditions

BY KONSTANTIN TOROPIN and MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Defense Secretary PeteHegseth announced Wednesday that he is rolling out anew screening program for “testosterone deficiency” among troops, calling it necessary to allowthem to operate at their “absolute best.” The screenings will be conducted annually as part of service members’ requiredmedical screenings for those 30 and older, he said. Troops under 30 can volunteer to be tested. In avideo on social media, Hegseth said receiving testosteronereplacement therapy

would be voluntary In the video, Hegseth simply refers to troops, though it appears he is talking about only testing men in uniform for hormone irregularities.

Themove comes as other Trump administration officials have begun to advocatefor mentohaveeasier access to testosterone replacement therapies, but the messaging from Hegseth andothers blends known science on the hormone with broader,and less substantiated, claims.

Hegseth was looking to address with thenew policy,the Pentagon referred to Hegseth’s remarksin thevideothatmentionedkeeping troops “strong, resilient and capable” and that the rigorsofthe modernbattlefield demand “maximum psychological and mental readiness.”

Over the past several years, special operations troops —and specifically Navy SEALs— have come under scrutiny for their use of testosterone and similar substances to enhance performance.

Hegseth said his new initiative is “notabout artificial enhancement.”

The Pentagon did not respond to

questionsaboutwhatresearch or academic studies underpinned the move.Italso didn’tsay if female troops would be able to be evaluated forestrogen-based therapyas they entered perimenopause. Testosterone levels in mendecline naturally with age and have longbeenlinkedtoissueslike erectile dysfunction, lowlibido, mood changes and weight gain. Butexperts have debated for years how to diagnose those problems andwhether they should be treated by replacing the hormone.

Hegseth’sannouncement comes as Health SecretaryRobertF.Kennedy Jr.and otherTrump administration officialsare movingto

make it easierfor doctors to prescribe testosterone. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration proposedeasing prescribing limits on testosterone gels, pills, patches and injections. The current FDA label specifies thatthe medications areonly for menwithhypogonadism, amedical conditionthatcauses drastically low testosterone. But manyinfluencers and proponents of Kennedy’s“Make AmericaHealthy Again” movement tout testosterone as away to look younger, build muscle andstay mentally sharp —although those uses aren’taccepted by mostmedical experts.

Hegseth

Jefferson teachers may not get raise

Educators would be in line for stipends

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Jefferson Parish School Board

members said they may scrap a tentative plan to give teachers a 1% raise, saying the move likely won’t be feasible after lawmakers approved an order by Gov Jeff Landry to cut school budgets to pay for teacher stipends.

Instead of permanent raises, Jefferson Parish will give $2,000 one-time stipends to teachers and $1,000 stipends to support staffers, as required by Landry’s order The state Legislature previously paid for the educator stipends, but under Landry’s plan the money will come out of school district budgets this year Board member Chad Nugent

said in an interview Tuesday that the salary hike the district considered giving employees would have cost about $6 million annually While the board had yet to announce or vote on the raise, Jefferson Parish schools Superintendent James Gray mentioned plans for a pay increase in a letter to lawmakers last month. But now there likely won’t be enough money for raises due to

the state funding cut, Nugent said. The state is reducing the district’s budget by about $11 million to cover the cost of the stipends. The district also plans to give the one-time payments to principals and other staffers — including social workers, occupational therapists and school psychologists — who were not included in Landry’s executive order, which will add about

ABOVE: Construction crews work on drainage infrastructure along Causeway Boulevard in Metairie on Wednesday. Eight months after construction began, drivers are seeing progress on a nearly $19 million project designed to ease traffic congestion along Causeway Boulevard in Metairie, according to our partners at WWL Louisiana The project stretches from Airline Drive to West Napoleon Avenue, a heavily traveled corridor that carries about 74,000 vehicles daily When completed, Causeway Boulevard will expand from two to three lanes in each direction through the construction area Improvements will also include upgraded traffic signals, decorative lighting better drainage and ADA-compliant pedestrian crossings. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2027. RIGHT: Concrete drainage pipes line the side of Causeway Boulevard as construction continues on Wednesday.

CAUSEWAY CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES

Program targets empty downtown N.O. storefronts

Ground-floor retail space eyed for commercial return

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

properties

Seth Knudsen, president and CEO of the

ment District, said some businesses could handle the cost of a new downtown lease but lack the money for the initial investment required to bring a vacant space back into commerce.

“Maybe this just aligns perfectly with someone who’s out there that’s considering

district’s board could consider expanding it in its 2027 budget cycle, according to Knudsen, who hopes grants can be the catalyst that makes a project viable.

$1.5 million to the cost, Nugent said.

During a July 1 board meeting, Gray didn’t discuss the possible raise but told board members that the district was evaluating its contracts and taking “everything into consideration” to make up for the funding reduction.

“We’re putting together a game plan that will let us address the stipends without compromising

Jefferson Parish president addresses Congress

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

DDD and a plan to award at least three grants. But if there is a lot of interest in the program, the

There are currently about 400,000 square feet of vacant retail space across the district, which is bounded by Claiborne Avenue, Iberville Street, the Mississippi River and the Pontchartrain Expressway And the district’s overall retail vacancy rate is 7.9%, with 45 vacant spaces currently on the market for lease, according to DDD Communications Manager Emma Hildreth, citing commercial real estate data firm CoStar She said there isn’t a count of how many properties there are that could get the grants as there

Sheng

Jefferson Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng appeared before Congress on Wednesday to advocate for changes in disaster relief she said would help local governments as federal leaders push for a bipartisan bill to overhaul the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency Lee Sheng testified before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure in Washington, D.C., on behalf of the National Association of Counties to express her support for the Fixing Emergency Management for Americans Act. She appeared alongside several other disaster recovery experts, including former FEMA administrator Craig Fugate.

The bill proposes sweeping changes to FEMA and its policies, the biggest change being the removal of FEMA from the U.S Department of Homeland Security to make it

Lee Sheng seeks disaster relief changes ä See CONGRESS, page 2B

BY MICHELLE HUNTER Staff writer

GRANGER

Court upholds firing of ex-NOPD officer

Demotion, dismissal stemmed from sexual harassment of subordinate

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

A former New Orleans Police Department lieutenant will remain demoted and fired over findings that he sexually harassed a subordinate officer, the state’s 4th Circuit Court

of Appeal ruled on Tuesday

A three-judge panel unanimously affirmed the Civil Service Commission’s decision, leaving in place Anthony’s Bakewell’s termination from the NOPD for acts that allegedly included slapping a female officer on the buttocks, making sexually explicit comments about her at a holiday potluck party, and writing “Can I be your baby daddy?” on the dry-erase board she used to track her cases.

The NOPD Public Integrity Bureau’s investigation into an anonymous complaint culminated in

Bakewell’s demotion to sergeant for workplace sexual harassment and his termination for sexual battery in March 2025. Bakewell was acquitted of the criminal sexual battery charge after a key witness failed to appear in court In May 2025, a Civil Service hearing examiner recommended demotion without termination, finding that dismissal was not commensurate with the infractions.

But the full Civil Service Commission in November upheld both the demotion and dismissal

New Orleans launches interactive infrastructure work dashboard

Tool tracks road and maintenance projects

BY MARCO CARTOLANO Staff writer

New Orleans launched an interactive dashboard Wednesday that tracks infrastructure projects and maintenance activities across the city

The dashboard shows where work is happening across the city, what kind of work is being done and when work expected to take place. It includes active and planned capital projects and Sewerage & Water Board maintenance work orders, street closures and other ongoing work. Residents can use it by looking

Elton cuts salaries amid financial turmoil

BY JOEL THOMPSON Staff writer

The town of Elton is slashing salaries for its mayor and police chief amid financial turmoil that stems back several years.

According to Elton Mayor Michael Pierrotti, his salary following the new adjustments is just shy of $12 an hour or an annual salary of about $23,000, cut from $38,400. The police chief’s salary was cut to $11 an hour, or about $21,000 per year

The sharp decrease in wages comes as the Jefferson Davis Parish town has been embroiled in the fallout from years of financial mismanagement dating to before Pierrotti took office in May 2024 following a recall of the previous mayor, Keisa Lemoine. Pierrotti, who prior to taking office served as an alderman, claimed to have uncovered multiple major financial issues not previously known to the public, including $92,000 in health insurance premiums being paid to former employees and their dependents following their termination.

Additionally, the town owes around $215,000 in overdue federal payroll taxes.

KPLC reported in January 2024 that the town likely owed over $1 million in police pensions through the Municipal Police Employees Retirement System.

Under Louisiana state law every local police force is required to enroll each of its officers in the program. For several years following the passage of the rule, Elton failed to do so, which led to a lawsuit being filed against the town by MPERS.

PROGRAM

Continued from page 1B

are specific criteria for eligibility.

Spaces that exceed 10,000 square feet, chain and franchise businesses and more than a dozen types of enterprises including massage parlors, strip clubs, smoke shops, pawnbrokers, psychics and churches — are ineligible.

Leases must be signed after July 13 and must extend for at least 24 months, and retail tenants must remain open for at least 12 straight months after project completion.

Grant money can be used for

up their address and find nearby projects, the estimated start and end dates, the budget of the project and contacts for project management and community outreach.

The dashboard was developed by the city’s Infrastructure Coordination Committee, which Mayor Helena Moreno established in January

“Our hope and goal are that this tool will provide a useful one-stop location for our residents, businesses, and infrastructure providers to find out who is and/or will be working and provide links to additional details and a means for more transparent communication and coordination,” Steve Nelson, deputy chief administrative of-

CONGRESS

Continued from page 1B

an independent, Cabinet-level agency Lee Sheng lauded several provisions of the bill intended to expedite recovery at the local level, such as giving grants to local governments to pay for disaster recovery on the front end instead of reimbursements, streamlining bureaucratic procedures for obtaining aid and expanding on FEMA’s mitigation programs to help prevent additional damage in future disasters.

“Public assistance is crucial for helping communities rebuild after disasters, but the lengthy reimbursement process can delay recovery and hinder our ability to restore critical services,” Lee Sheng said.

The bill passed the House committee last September, but it awaits House floor action.

Under current FEMA assistance programs, local governments and organizations are responsible for the cost of disaster recovery and can later receive reimbursement from FEMA. While the current reimbursement system protects against fraud, waste and abuse, Fugate said, it can also cause local governments to wait years before receiving funds.

Disaster mitigation and recovery, as well as the role of FEMA, have become increasingly vital to communities across the country as disasters grow more frequent due to climate change. Last year alone, the United States faced 23 different billion-dollar disasters that collectively caused more than $115 billion in damages, according to Lee Sheng.

“We are seeing different kinds of challenges, different kinds of hazards that we’ve never seen before,” Lee Sheng said “We had snow where I

interior demolition and build-out, including signage, security improvements, permits, labor and materials but excluding equipment, professional fees or operations costs, according to the program application. While district staff retain discretion over final awards, they laid out a scoring criteria used to rank applicants.

Projects on Canal Street get an automatic bonus, and more points are awarded to spaces that were previously occupied but that have sat vacant for more than two years. More preference goes to spaces set to be occupied by small businesses opening their first location those that are part of larger vacant properties and

Bakewell appealed to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeal, which sided with the commission.

“We find that the NOPD acted within its authority in disciplining Bakewell. Additionally, based on the particular facts of this case, we find that the CSC was not arbitrary or capricious in denying Bakewell’s appeal,” wrote Judges Tiffany Gautier Chase, Karen K. Herman and Nakisha Ervin-Knott.

The decision marks Bakewell’s latest unsuccessful attempt to return to law enforcement. Less than two months after the NOPD fired

him, newly elected Orleans Parish Sheriff Michelle Woodfork hired Bakewell to join the Sheriff’s Office. Woodfork had been the NOPD’s interim superintendent when the investigations into Bakewell’s alleged misconduct began. She was also a longtime resident of the department’s 7th District, where Bakewell served as assistant commander Bakewell resigned from his OPSO post in early June amid an internal OPSO review and mounting media scrutiny

TEACHERS

Continued from page 1B

ficer of infrastructure and director of public works, said in a statement.. Moreno has pledged to modernize city services and provide more transparency since taking office. Her data team also released a dashboard in April to track the city’s overtime spending as the administration worked to cut spending and dig New Orleans out of a budget crisis.

The infrastructure dashboard comes as officials say the 10-month S&WB project to upgrade aging infrastructure on Decatur Street is winding down. The project, which rendered one of the French Quarter’s most popular roads impassable has drawn criticism from local business owners and state officials.

come from in Louisiana. We’ve never had snow before. So it’s very frightening, to be frank, and we want as a country to have disaster reform and disaster response that matches the challenges that we face.”

Since 2024, Lee Sheng has served as co-chair of the National Association of Counties’ Intergovernmental Disaster Reform Task Force, a body of 28 members that makes federal disaster policy recommendations with the goal of strengthening intergovernmental partnerships and enhancing local disaster mitigation and recovery She came into the role shortly after completing her first term as parish president, where she led the parish through a litany of major disasters including the COVID-19 pandemic, Hurricane Ida and threats to the water supply because of saltwater intrusion caused by severe droughts.

Separate from the House bill, President Donald Trump also appointed his own FEMA Review Council to identify changes to the agency after originally proposing the elimination of FEMA altogether and cutting more than 200 employees during the Department of Government Efficiency’s downsizing effort.

That council published a report last May that recommended shifting responsibility for disaster relief from federal to state governments, as well as raising thresholds for federal disaster declaration.

Several House Democrats also criticized Trump during Wednesday’s committee hearing for denying disaster aid to Democratic-led states and for diverting FEMA staff to help with immigration enforcement, according to a report by House Democrats shared with the Washington Post.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

those that provide additional crime prevention benefits.

“A vacant building is a development opportunity, and it’s also a liability,” Knudsen said.

“It may be worth investing in a vacant building to make it less likely to attract graffiti, crime, litter, etc. and at the same time provide a better environment for future business attraction, for future resident attraction and so I think there’s very much a synergy between them.” Applications are open until Oct. 15 with plans to announce recipients Nov. 2

Email Jonah Meadows at jonah.meadows@theadvocate com.

current needs, but there may be some issues down the road,” he said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Budget changes

In early June, Landry proposed giving school employees one-time bonuses by making nearly $170 million in cuts to Louisiana’s main education fund, saying school boards would need to “tighten their belts.”

Landry and some lawmakers argue that school systems can afford the cuts, pointing out that districts are expected to put some money aside for unexpected expenses. Jefferson Parish schools had about $119 million in its reserves in 2025, according to numbers from the Legislative Auditor’s Office

But district leaders across the state have pushed back, arguing the cuts would jeopardize school programs and employee jobs. Several Jefferson Parish School Board members expressed concern that Landry may ask school systems to make the stipends permanent, which they said would financially set districts back even further

In a letter to lawmakers last month, Gray said the funding cut could affect “personnel, programs, services and resources that directly support students.” State financial experts recommend districts set aside at least 16.7% of their annual revenues to create rainy day funds. If Jefferson Parish schools pull $11 million out of their reserves, it will put the district slightly below that num-

GUILTY

Continued from page 1B

Ruffin, 53, was being held at the Jefferson Parish Correctional Center in Gretna while awaiting trial for the murder of his longtime friend, 53-year-old Gannon Johnson.

On the afternoon of Feb. 25, 2024, Ruffin appeared to suffer a seizure at the jail, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. A deputy was assigned to escort Ruffin to Ochsner Medical Center West Bank in unincorporated Gretna for treatment.

Ruffin was not properly secured with handcuffs or shackles because he had a medical boot on his right foot and a bandage on his left hand. He was also using a wheelchair Sheriff’s Office investigators said Ruffin was faking it all as part of his getaway plan.

“I think that’s a ruse,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff Joseph Lopinto said of Ruffin’s afflictions shortly after the escape. “Unfortunately, he gamed the system in order to be able to take advantage of the situation.”

At about 6:30 p.m., Ruffin was medically cleared and placed on the back seat of the deputy’s marked patrol vehicle to return to the jail. As she was driving through the parking lot, Ruffin began screaming that he was in pain, authorities said.

When the deputy pulled over to check on him, Ruffin emptied a can of pepper spray in her face and charged at her, according to the authorities. The deputy fired her service weapon at Ruffin, but he was not injured. Ruffin then drove off in her vehicle.

Authorities recovered the deputy’s vehicle at about 9:12 p.m., abandoned in the parking lot of a business in the 3600 block of General De Gaulle Drive in Algiers. They found an inmate uniform nearby Ruffin apparently returned to his last known address on Holiday Drive in Algiers, where he started calling family members, according to authorities. Law enforcement spent two days searching for Ruffin before he was

ber, according to data.

Now that Landry’s proposal has been finalized, districts are figuring out what budget changes to make. The Ascension Parish School Board nixed plans this week to give teachers a permanent salary increase, while St Tammany Parish schools officials announced they may have to eliminate certain job positions to recoup the lost funds

Jefferson Parish School Board members said the district has been fiscally responsible and should be able to absorb the roughly 5% state funding reduction this school year without making immediate cuts to positions and programs. However, they said the district might have to put longer-term spending plans on hold, such as replacing aging technology in the next few years. Board member Ralph Brandt argued that requiring school systems to dip into their reserve funds will force some to delay important projects.

“It puts us on a slower pace,” he said.

The board will finalize any changes to the budget during an Aug. 3 budget hearing, during which district administrators will present recommendations on possible cost savings.

Jefferson Parish schools declined to comment on the pay hike. In a statement, spokesperson Kaela Lewis said the district is focused on finalizing the budget “before discussing specific implications publicly.”

The district’s teachers union, the Jefferson Federation of Teachers, did not respond to a request for comment.

Email Elyse Carmosino at ecarmosino@theadvocate.com.

finally rearrested Feb. 27, 2024, at the Trident Inn Hotel in New Orleans East, authorities said. Ruffin was sentenced to life plus 40 years in prison after he was convicted Sept. 18, 2024, of Johnson’s murder

In addition to the escape charges, he was also booked with having contraband in the correctional center after officers discovered a pack of cigarettes and a lighter smuggled between his buttocks, authorities said. Investigators later determined Ruffin stole the pepper spray from a corrections officer who’d left it unattended the night before the escape, according to authorities. The officer was disciplined after an investigation, the Sheriff’s Office said.

As during his murder trial, Ruffin was banished from the courtroom during the escape trial for repeated outbursts, according to the District Attorney’s Office. Richard Robinson, 34, of Harvey, pleaded guilty Monday to being an accessory after the fact to simple escape and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to five years in prison for driving Ruffin to the Trident Inn and providing him with food and supplies during the escape, according to authorities.

Ruffin’s wife, Shelita Ruffin, 54, was sentenced to two years in prison after she pleaded guilty in March 2025 to conspiracy to introduce contraband at the correctional center In recorded jail calls, the couple plotted to smuggle cigarettes into the facility, according to authorities.

Email Michelle Hunter at mhunter@theadvocate.com.

Brown, Dwight

Carter,Eliza

Dupclay-Coleman, Korsette

Faciane, Darrin

Harris,Virginia

JonesSr.,Raymond

Sterling-Marshall, Denise

Toca,Carolyn

Williams,Joseph

Obituaries

Bertucci Jr.,Christopher A.

Christopher Anthony Bertucci,Jr. passed away peacefully on July 12,2026, at the age of 89.Born on April 13,1937, in New Orleans, LA, he wasthe son of thelateAgnes LeBlanc Bertucci and Christopher Bertucci.A lifelong resident of the NewOrleans area,Chris wasa graduateofFortier HighSchool and attended LSU. He built adistinguishedcareerinreal estate,becomingarespected brokerand earningnumerous professional certifications. Alongsidehis belovedwife and fellowreal estate broker,heowned andoperated asuccessful real estatefirm,Bertucci Realty, Inc. Hisprofessionalism, integrity,and commitment to serving others earned himthe respect and admirationofcolleagues and clients. Beyond hisprofessional accomplishments, Chris dedicatedmuch of hislife to service. He waspast president of theJaycees andwas deeply committed to hisCatholicfaith Ordained as apermanent deacon in 1991, he devoted himselftoserving God's people. He ministered at St.Philip Neri, St.Ann,St. Pius XCatholicChurchand at parishesinMississippi

He also providedpastoral care at EJ Hospital, Orleans ParishPrison,and Southeast LA Mental Health Hospitalin Mandeville,bringing compassion, encouragement and faith to those in need. Chriswas preceded in deathbyhis parents; siblings, RussellBertucci, Rosalie Aleman,Peter Bertucci,and Jimmie Bertucci;and hisbeloved son, Christopher A. Bertucci, III. He is survivedbyhis devoted wife of 61 years, ElizabethMaenzaBertucci; hischildren, Leslie Bertucci,Elizabeth Bertucci,and Maria Villafranco (Danny);his grandchildren, Michael Ural,Jr., Henri Lespinasse, Anna Kedzuch,Brittany Winter,Daniel Villafranco, Jr., Bradley Oster, Alex Lespinasse, Christian Villafranco, Sophia Villafranco, and Dante Ness; and 22 great-grandchildren.

Chrishad ajoyous and generous spirit, awonderfulsense of humor, and a gift formaking others smile.Heloved to laugh, have fun, and share his love of art,music, travel, andgood food with family and friends. Hiskindness, warmth,faith,and devotion to others will remain aninspiration to allwho knew andlovedhim Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend visitationonFriday, July 17 2026,from9:30a.m.to 11:30 a.m.atSt. Pius X Catholic ChurchinNew Orleans, followedbyMass celebrated by Archbishop James Checchio at 11:30 a.m. Interment will follow at Lake Lawn Park Mausoleum

Dwight Anthony Brown, age72passed awaypeacefully on July 8, 2026, at Ochsner Medical Center

Dwight was aresident of New Orleans,LA. He attended George Washington CarverSenior High School graduating in 1971. Dwight builta dedicatedcareer in education. He received a bachelor's degree and two master's degreesfrom SouthernUniversity at New Orleans (SUNO). Throughout his career, he taughtatRobertR.Moton Elementary School Livingston MiddleSchool, and Francis T. Gregory Middle Schooland later servedasthe Assistant Principal at SarahT.Reed Senior High School Outside of hiscareer, Dwight loved Line Dancing and gathering with family Dwight was precededin death by his parents, Sieade and Valentine Brown, and one sister Jennifer BrownGray.He leaves to cherish hismemories his children: Dwight Jr.(Brittany), Candance and TequiliaBrownand ToriHarris Chatman. His sisters; Lubrina Leufroy (Jeron), Adrian Jarreau (Ernest)and Patrice Brown. Threegrandchildren, one great-grandchild, and ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. Celebration of Life service willbeonSaturday July 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at NextGenerations OMS Church, 3536 St.Ferdinand Street,New Orleans, La. 70122. Rev. Tyrone Smith, Sr. (Pastor) officiating. Visitationfrom 9:00 a.m. until 10:00 a.m. (service time). Interment on MondayJuly 20, 2026,at 10:00a.m. at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888Grantham College Dr. Slidell, La. 70460 Arrangements Entrusted To EstelleJ.Wilson Funeral Home, Inc. 2715 Danneel Street. NOLA 70113 Information:(504) 8954903

On Tuesday,July 7, our belovedEliza MaeCarter, cherished matriarch of the Carter family,peacefully enteredher heavenly home at the ageof97. Elizawas borninBelle Rose,Louisiana,tothe late Jack and Dora Carter. As a young woman,she followed her dreams to New Orleans, whereshe worked forGreyhound and the PontchartrainHotel while lovingly raising her two sons. She leaves to cherish her precious legacy her son,Wilbert "Bobby" Carter, along with ahost of family and friends. Acelebrationofher life willbeheldonSaturday, July 18th at Christ Temple Church, 1339 Gallier Street, NewOrleans at 10am. Visitationwillbegin at 8:30am. Aburial will be held at Resthaven Memorial Park.

Dupclay-Coleman, Korsette M.

TishelleColeman, one great-grandchild,A'Ryah Skai Cowan and ahost of nieces, nephews, cousins, family and friends. She was preceded in deathby her daughterShannonM Coleman; her parents Robert Dupclay, Sr. and Verdie O'Neal Dupclay; and her brothers Robert,Jr., and Edward M. Dupclay, Sr Relatives, friends, Priest and parishioners of St Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, and also theemployees of Central City, Mercy Endeavors Senior Center, Jones Walker, YMCA, Harmony Oaks SeniorCenter,James SingletonCharter School, Kearney Companies. Inc. and Sewerage and Water Boardare invited the attend theMass at Christian Burial on Friday, July17, 2026 at St. Katharine Drexel Catholic Church, 2015 Louisiana Avenue,New Orleans, LA 70115 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation from 9:00 a.m. until 9:50 a.m. Father LambertLein,Celebrant PrivateBurial.You may signthe guest book on www.gertrydegeddeswilli s.com. Gertrude Geddes Willis Funeral Home Inc.,in charge(504) 522-2525.

Family and friends are invitedtocelebrate thelife of Darrin Jamil Faciane, who passed away on June 20, 2026 in NewOrleans, LA.Darrin was 33 and deeply lovedbyhis family friends and coworkers. He leavesbehindhis mother Darnell A. Faciane, father, Jeffrey Faciane, sister, Jessica Faciane Arevalo, brother, Cody Faciane, daughter, Harmonie Faciane and awidecircle of friendsand family.He preceded in death by his grandfather, Leon C. Armwood Sr., grandmother,Lillian Brooks Armwood and uncle, Corvell Armwood.Please joinus fora celebrationoflife on July17, 2026 at Resurrection of Our Lord church at 11a.m. New Orleans, LA. Repastwillfollowcemetery at Resurrection of Our Lord School Gym. Arrangements entrusted to Heritage Funeral Directors, 4101 St ClaudeAve.,New Orleans, LA 70117.

Harris, Virginia Fiorella Esta

Lee, Shenita, Sherrell, Dorothy,Stacy, and Belinda. We would also like to thank CareAssociates Hospice. Relatives and friends are invitedtoattend the services on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at Lake Lawn Metairie Funeral Home, 5100 Pontchartrain Blvd. NewOrleans, LA 70124. The visitationwillbegin at 8:30 am until thefuneral mass at 10:00 am. The interment willfollow within Metairie Cemetery, which is in the same grounds as thefuneral home. In lieu of flowers,please donateinher honor to the Alzheimer's Association.

father, grandfather, brother, cousinand friend entered intoeternal rest peacefully in his home at thewonderful ageof83. Acelebration of life will be held on Friday July 17, 2026 beginning 10am at Greater Evergreen Baptist Church,2243 Clouet St.New Orleans, LA 70117. www.litt lejohnfuneralhomellc.com

cededindeathbyher mother, Viola Hawkins; herfather ,MarvinD Boone; herhusband, Sylvester Sterling; hersister, Joyce Toussaint;and herbrother,Errol Hawkins. Herbeautiful legacylives on through herdevoted daughters, Shawna Sterling-Robinson and JasminBrittney Sterling; hercherished grandchildren,Kamren Smith and Nile Robinson; herloving sisters, Karen (Franklin), Melanie (Donald), Vanessa (Floyd), herbrother Bobby (Lori), herbeloved in-laws Gwen,Vera, Ike ,David, Emelda; and ahostof nieces, nephewsand dear friends. Familyand friends are invited to attend the Memorial Service on Saturday, July 18, 2026, for 1:00 p.m. at The Boyd FamilyFuneral Home, 5001 ChefMenteur Hwy,New Orleans, LA 70126. Visitation will begin at 12:30 p.m. Minister Channel Clivens-Smith,officiating. Acelebrationof herlifewillfollow directly afterthe service.Contact thefamilyfor details. GuestbookOnline: www.an ewtraditionbegins.com (504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd andDonavin D. Boyd Owners/Funeral Directors.

Toca,Carolyn

neralHome. Massesare preferred

Williams, Joseph Louis

Joseph Louis Williams, a retirededucator, entered peacefully into eternalrest at hisresidence on June 30, 2026, at the age of 90. A native and residentofNew Orleans, Louisiana, he was agraduate of L. B. Landry High School, Texas College andSouthernUniversity Baton Rouge.BelovedhusbandofJanice DeLille Williams andfather of LaurenDeLille Williams (Lenard), Hollie Frey Germany(Stan)and grandfather of Devin, Landon andLogan Williams. Brother of Roland Williams, Rev. JamesR.Williams (Rev. Josulyn), Rayfield Alveris, Jr.(Eve) and the lateEdwin Williams, and sister-in law Gaynell DeLille Baudy as well as a host of nieces, nephews, relativesand close friends. Relativesand friends of thefamily, also pastors andmembersofBeautiful Zion Baptist Church andAll SaintsCatholic Church are invited to attenda Funeral Service at Beautiful Zion Baptist Church,1017 Elmira Avenue, NewOrleans,LA on Friday, July 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m.

Korsette M. DupclayColeman, age73, was born on July 30, 1952 in New Orleans,LA, entered God's heavenly kingdom on Thursday, July 2, 2026.She attended Warren Easton Senior High School Korsette was the loving motherofAllen M. Coleman, Jr. (Kendra). Lifelong partner of August Johnson. Beloved sister of Sylvia M. Wilson, Drunita D. Washington, and Leon Dupclay, Sr.(Anita). She wasalsosurvived by 3 grandchildren, JaquanR Coleman, Aaliyah Alyssa Coleman and Ayianna

VirginiaFiorella Esta Harrispassed away peacefully on July13, 2026 at age 85. She wasthe beloved wife of thelate Seymour J. Harrisand devotedmother of Christina Anderson(loving son-in-law,Kenny), Michael Esta (loving daughter-in-law,Sherry), and James Esta. She is also survivedbyher grandchildren,BrandiClement (Scott), Brad Esta (McKenzie),Blake Esta (Sage), KoreyAnderson, and KyleAnderson, and Great-grandchildren, Elijah,Brody, Reid,and Cody. She was preceded in death by her parents, Carlo "Kelly"J.Fiorella and Jennie Picataci Fiorella, and her brothers, AngeloJ Fiorella (Earline)and AndrewJ.Fiorella. Virginiawas born in Morgan City, raised in New Orleans, and aresident of Kenner. She graduated fromSt. JosephAcademy and attended UNOand Dominican College,later graduatinginBusiness. She was aformeremployee of Shell Oil, Olaf Lambert, LL&E,and HalpernsPromenade.

She was alifelong friend of LindaBucher and longtime companion of the late David Felix.

She lovedtraveling, spending time at thecasinos, ballroom dancing,and drinking redwine.She especiallyloved spending SaintsSundays with her family

The family wouldliketo thank theemployees of Inspired Living,especially Shauna, Sandy, Nichelle,

Denise Hawkins Sterling Marshall, aradiant soul who brought light and joy to everyone she met, peacefully passed away on June 28, 2026, at theage of 66. Denise was adedicated professional and afamiliar face in her community. She spent many years serving as thePBX supervisorfor Harrah'sCasino. Following her retirement,her vibrant spirit and love forconnection ledher to anew chapterasa barista at PJ's Coffee—a role she truly lovedand embraced with all her heart.Recently, she also found greatjoy and companionship as amemberof"The Silver Foxes" group. When facedwith a Stage4 pancreaticcancer diagnosis, Denise chose to meether journey with extraordinary grace and courage.She usedher time to be aguiding light for others, offering endless encouragement and joyto her fellowsurvivors. She deeply lovedher medical and oncology team at Touro Infirmary, affectionatelyreferring to them as her "angels." Rather than dimming her spirit,her diagnosispushed her to live freerthanshe ever had before. Her family feels immensely blessed to have had her in their livesand to havewitnessed her truly blossom. Denise was pre-

CarolynManint(“Min‐nie”) Toca,a retiredlegal secretary,diedonTuesday, July7,2026, at theage of 91. Shewas preceded in death by herbeloved hus‐bandof53years,Kenneth Francis Toca Sr.; by her parents,AlfredPaulManint Sr. andEmma Sentilles Manint; by hersisterRose RitaManint; herbrothers AlfredPaulManint, Jr.and WilliamManint. Beloved motherofKenneth F. Jr., JohnMichael,PaulJames DanielDavid,and her daughterKay Toca Adamo. Mother-in-law of Carol Campbell Toca M.D.,Lisa MarcheseToca, Ralph Adamo,and Bonita Atchi‐son Toca.Grandmother of Brent Michael(Carly) and Brandon LouisToca, and JackJosephand Ezra Adamo.Great-grand‐motherofJune Rosemary Toca, theone who made her great, as shewould say.Carolyn attended In‐carnate Word School,earn‐ing ascholarship to the Academy of theHolyAn‐gels, graduating with hon‐ors.She received acitation fromthe Consul Generalof Francefor excellence in French. Shewas aformer memberofthe LegalSec‐retariesAssociationand was secretaryofOmega Delta SigmaSorority. Carol was an avid reader anden‐joyed travelingtoEurope withher husband Kenneth. Mrs.Tocaand herfamily werefoundingmembers of St. Matthew theApostle ParishinRiver Ridge, La Special Thanks to our brother Paul Toca fortak‐ing excellentcareofour motheroverthe last sev‐eralyears.A Mass of Chris‐tianBurialwas celebrated Monday, July 13 in the ChapelatJacob Schoen and SonFuneralHome. Pri‐vateburialfollowed. Fu‐neral arrangements by JacobSchoenand SonFu‐

Brown, Dwight Anthony

Bertucci Jr., Christopher

Jones Sr., Raymond Clifford

Faciane, Darrin

Manint 'Minnie'

Sterling-Marshall, Denise Hawkins

Carter, Eliza Mae

OUR VIEWS

Historic drop in NewOrleans crimeisworth celebrating

Violent crime in New Orleansisdown to levels not seen in decades. That’s right,through June 25, the cityhas seen 38 murders. If that pacecontinues, it will end the yearwith around the number of murders it saw in 1969. This also marks a24% decreasefrom the same time last year.Inaddition, nonfatal shootings in the first half of the year were down 16%at77, from92 the year prior It’sall part of atrend of declining violent crime over the past threeyears in thecity after the post-pandemichighs. Comparingthe first half of 2026 to the same span in 2023, murders are down 68%, nonfatal shootingsare down 70%, armed robberies are down 62% andcarjackings are down 63%.

We need to be shouting this news fromthe rooftops, or perhaps, in true New Orleansfashion, throwing ahuge partyto celebrate it —because the turnaround is trulyremarkable and removes one of the tiredold tropes toooften used to depress tourismand othereconomic activity in the city.

How many times have we heard from people ignorant of the realities of citylife, “I’d go to New Orleans, but it’stoo dangerous,”or“I’dbe careful about going to ashop (orrestaurant or bar) in that neighborhood?” Well, nowwecan give them facts thatcontradict thosefeelings Thosefacts describea New Orleansthatis safer now than any time in recent memory That’sthanks to avariety of stakeholders anda coordinated and sustained effort to put resources where they are most needed

We applaud Louisiana StatePolice andits Troop Nola, which has patrolled thecity after being called upon by Gov.Jeff Landry to address crime in January 2024. We also recognize New Orleans Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick and the NOPD’sofficers, whohave been on the front lines of ensuringpublic safetyand have much reasonto be proud of these results. Kirkpatrick, who took on therole in September 2023, has brought asense of purpose andprofessionalism to the department.

The decline in crime notonly benefitsvisitors. It allows the NOPD to focusonless urgentissues that residentssay are also important, such as traffic enforcement. Thedepartmentisalso nowdevoting more resources to proactive efforts to target the drivers of violentcrime,such as gang activity

While we acknowledge more work needsto be done —rapes and armed robberies, though down long-term, showed aslightuptickyear over year —New Orleansresidents should take much comfort in knowingthat crimetrends are heading in the right direction.

There’ssomuch New Orleans needstodo to become the city it wants to be, but without public safety,none of those things can happen. These numbers give us hope thatwe can start to focus on other important priorities.

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR ARE

WELCOME. HERE AREOUR

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

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

YOUR VIEWS

Addressthe parkingproblems around Napoleon eventvenue

Iamaneighbor of The Josephine. It is abeautiful restoration of the former Lady of Lourdes Church on Napoleon Avenue. My concern is that thevenue should not expand at the expenseofthe people who live nearby

The Josephine is currentlypermitted to hostweddings, private and corporateevents and ticketed nonprofit events —all withalcohol. In theory, aworthy civic asset; in reality, aserious burden on ourresidential neighborhood. From the beginning to the end of an event, the surrounding streets are gridlocked withpatronslooking for aplace to park. Residentswithout driveways have nowheretopark if they leave theirhomes during an event.

Ibought my home in 1987 and have enjoyed my neighborhood up to this point,but now Ifeel it is reasonable and frankly essential to ask that The Josephine’sexisting problems be addressed beforeany new ordinance and provisos are approved.

Such as:Resolve the traffic and parking failures under the current permit;and evaluate howTraderJoe’s is adding to thecongestion through acomprehensive traffic study,especially on LaSalle Street.

The employees of The Josephine andnow Trader Joe’s use the neighborhood for parking, too.

We also need to clarify if the existing ordinance allows for music in the courtyard. The City Council should uphold theCityPlanning Commission’sdecision, and notallow the venue to grow its footprint before it fixes theproblems it already has.

The neighborsdeserve to have The Josephine’sdevelopers execute a good neighbor agreement; we deserve that standard. If they lived in our neighborhood, I’m sure they would feel the same way This was and is aresidential neighborhood first!

Katrinasurvivorbringspleafor

I’m far from theonly New Orleans resident whose entire life was changed by Hurricane Katrina.

This and every other hurricane season brings back haunting memories of the packed interstate on the way to Mississippi, all our neighbors evacuating with us; of the power outages that stretched across state lines; of going from playing volleyball on aSaturday to being forced to moveaway from everything I’d ever known.

Iflew to Washington, D.C., recently to share my survivor’sstoryatthe Museum of Unnatural Disasters, a pop-up exhibit on the National Mall. Iwanted to impress upon museum visitors and my members of Congress that we need climate action.

We need afully funded NOAA and

JULIA LITTLEJOHN NewOrleans

climateactiontoD.C

National Weather Service that can predict and prepare us forthe next hurricane. We need NWStoprovide up-to-the-minute forecasts. And we need FEMA to help us pick up the pieces and begin to recover after the storm As climate change fuels stronger hurricanes and other extreme weather,this administration is choosing to attack these lifesaving agencies and roll back climateprotections. Iwent to D.C. to push for climate action.Itisn’t aquick or easy fix. But stormslike Katrina, Helene, Milton and Debby are only going to get worse if we don’tdo somethingabout it.

JESSICA BARNES NewOrleans

the end of this pastschool year,the Louisiana State Department of Educationrejoiced over the increased scores of our children in reading and math. We,those of us who had been and are in education, realized why when we learned that student populations had dropped but funds to school districts had not. These “extra” funds provided moreteachers, teacher aides and the like, which lowered the student numbers in teachers’ classroomsand provided studentsthe extra attention they needed. Those not in education would not

Re: “S&WB, Entergy point fingers on drainage power failure during Tropical Storm Arthur.” Your article indicated that Entergy and the Sewerage &Water Board each pointed to the other party as causing the problem.The truth is that they are both jointly responsible. For such an installation to successfully operate through abnormal events, they each must share information and design their equipment to work together.The article reported that the frequency converter manufacturer now needs to review its “settings” in light of Entergy’soperation. If accurate, it is absurd that this wasnot done previously Conversely,Entergy needs to examine its operations and “settings” to determine if it can facilitate the changes within the converters. Through acooperative effort, a properly designed industrial or commercial facility power system is configured to operate through electric system disturbances, which, in turn, have been minimized by the utility’s design.

Afull exchange of design and system operating information and ajoint review of the integrated design must take place. More work is needed.

There are numerous refineries and petrochemical plants along the river which do not trip out during such electrical events because engineers from the utility and the industrial company worked together.Both Entergy and the S&WB need to jointly examine the design of the new substation and frequency changers in light of common utility and industrial design practices to ensure continuity of service.

Reliability is ajoint responsibility JOHN BERGERON

dents. Ihave no statistics to prove this, but maybe we will see how muchthese funds helped once these “extra” funds are removed. Please honor us educators by listening to whatwehave to say

NewOrleans

Metairie

MERLE T. HARRIS

Forverygood reasons, N.O. nowis officially irreplaceable

Louisianans may be nonchalant upon hearing againjust how special the state’smost historiccityis, but we shouldn’ttake it for granted.Weshould embrace news that an outfit called the World Monuments Fund has named the entire city of New Orleans among the10 most “irreplaceable” sites in all theland.

And we should cherish ourheritage, both of the city andof the whole state in which the city’s culture is moored.

New Orleans is not “so special,” he should welcome the national recognition of thecity as atributetothe whole state.

les. Percy answered that she should keep trying until her writing could capture “the smell of acamelback-double house on Magazine Street.”

$2.8Bdata center angers

S.C. residents

Quin Hillyer

In conjunction with the Semiquincentennial celebration, the WMF recently announced “Irreplaceable America,” its list of the “10 historicplaces across the United States whose preservation is essential to the richness andcomplexity of American history.”

The other nine places are discrete structures or parcels of land:a garden in Philadelphia, ahospital in NewYork, theWright Brothers’ workshops and airplane testing fields in Dayton.Only New Orleans is included as an entire city because, as described bythe Preservation Resource Center in itsnomination,“itsheritage does not sitneatly inside oneboundary.

The WMF cited New Orleans’ “cultural heritage expressed through architecture, music, foodways, and neighborhood life …[which create] a cohesive urban landscape.” Because “the city faces escalating threats from flooding, aging infrastructure, highinsurancepremiums,and population displacement,” it merits particular,urgent national attention.

Even if we find allthis uber-familiar, we shouldn’tshrug it off. When theoutside world says we’re special in agood way but also endangered, it behooves us to redouble efforts to save that specialness.

And, despite Gov.Jeff Landry’s multiple shots at New Orleansinrecent weeks, culminating in him saying that

Please allow two separate quotes from the late Covington-based novelist Walker Percy.Asked what inspired so manywriters in theCrescent City,Percy said it was “its strange admixture of Deep South-nessand foreignness.”

TheDeep Southness comes mostly from thelands north of Interstate 10, which provide acultural backdrop of rootedness in alarger region defined by mores of hardiness, courteousness andsense of place. The foreignness comes from trade, from African and Caribbean cultures andfrom the French-Acadian-meetsswamp heritage that is the uncopiable, irrepressible culture of Cajunland. New Orleans may be where all that comes together,but without the context of therest of the state, New Orleans just isn’tNew Orleans. On theother hand, and contra Landry,without all the astonishingly special things about New Orleans, Louisiana isn’t “irreplaceable.” No national group suchasthe WMF is going to pay homage (for example) to thepiney woods of Tangipahoa or the ricefields of Jefferson Davis Parish, no matter how lovely or fertile they may be. Then again,there’salso something not readily definable about what gives New Orleansits special charm and value

The city’scharacter is all around us, yet elusive

Hence, theother Walker Percy quote.Decades ago, Iinterviewed local detective-fiction novelist Chris Wiltz about theNew Orleanssettings for her books. She said shehad told Percy she wanted to capture the atmosphereof New Orleansthe way Raymond Chandler captured the “feel” of Los Ange-

Now that is aparticularity.Without using thewords “camelback double,” theWMF surely was referring to those structures when itstop-10 recognition specifically lauded New Orleans’ “vernacular building types adapted to climate, density,and community use over centuries.”

The WMF’sassertion that New Orleans is “irreplaceable” isn’tunprecedented. After Hurricane Katrina, various people used that very word to describe aspectsofthe Crescent City: The archivistofthe United States worried about “the irreplaceable records” of “our collective memory;” former U.S. Rep.Bob Livingston described the port’s commerce as “irreplaceable;” theTimes-Picayune insisted we must rescue “irreplaceable ingredientson our city’shistory;” and an art exhibit at the Contemporary Arts Center was entitled “The Irreplaceable Cannot Be Replaced.”

What also cannot be replaced —or equaled —isour joie de vivre. My Alabama-born wife repeatedly insists that New Orleanians are thewarmest, friendliest people she has ever met, and aCalifornia-raised, longtime New York-inhabiting friend said thesame after almost every one of the 28 Jazz Fests he attended.

The job,then, is for all of us to ensure that there be no need to replace anythingatall, which meanswemust not lose any of our wondrous civic character and cultural touchstones in the first place. Now,while we’re at it, askourselves if jambalaya also tastes particularly memorable in acamelback double on Magazine…. Email QuinHillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Take thecar keys away from Bernie

SPARTANBURG, S.C. Elon Musk’sidea to send data centers into space might prompt smirks in some quarters but probably not in Spartanburg, where amega data center slipped into town, catching residents by surprise and spawning a revolt.

Across the country,the explosion of data centers —driven by asurge in artificial intelligence demand —has created controversy because of environmental concerns, utility issuesand alack of transparency mixedwith misunderstandings among residents, corporate investors and local leaders. There are about 3,000 data centers in the United States, with roughly 1,500 more under development.

The Spartanburg data center, whichisunder construction and slated to begin operations in the third quarter of this year,arrived with hardly anyone’snotice until trees along South Pine Street were moweddown and heavy equipment started rolling in. The lack of awareness was no accident. Local officials who lured the project to Spartanburg County publicly referredtoitas “Project MOC-1” and characterized it as a“highperformance computing center.”

This subterfuge is aclassic example of good ol’ boy dodging that has comeback to bite local officials where they sit. MOC-1 was the work of NorthMark Strategies, aNew York investment firm that is developing the data center through its subsidiary,Valara Holdings. Thanks to the Spartanburg County Council’scomplicity in protecting the project until it was finalized, it tooka while forpeople to figure things out.

The February 2025 agreement between NorthMark and the county included a40-yearfee-inlieu-of-tax agreement that lowered the property assessment ratio for Valara Holdings to 4percent. The deal also included other taxcredits. Even when NorthMark announced the $2.8 billion center in apress release on April 22, 2025, it continued to use misleading language,saying it wasredeveloping the now-defunct Kohlermanufacturing plant into a“high-performance computing center.” For all anyone knew,this could have meant anything from ashared workspace complex with hundreds of computer stations to, well, agiant data center with all its attendant problems.

Froma Harrop

The Platner fiasco has unleashed something of abrawl in the Democratic Party over how the sexting candidate with aNazi tattoo came to be their rival to Susan Collins, now in her fifth term as aRepublican senator from Maine. Bernie Sanders thought his socialists could pass off blue-collar impersonator Graham Platner —a product of the elite Hotchkiss prep school —asa hard-working “oysterman.” Sanders had been waving off concerns about the guy.Then suddenly he calledonPlatner to leave the campaign. Twoproblems with Bernie’sdirective: One, Sanders is why Democrats got saddled with Platner to begin with. Two, the new revelations come on top of previous revelations about his piggish behavior Sanders evidently thought he could ignore all this until more startling charges came to light. The dam holding back Democratic demands to replacePlatner finally gave way.If Sanders didn’tjump in and pretend to have problems with the candidate he pushed onto the party,he wouldn’tbe in astrong position to choose his own left-fringe replacement withacolorful story The road to socialist victories, Sanders knows,runs through infiltrating the Democratic Party,ofwhich he’s not amember.His objective is not to help Democrats take over Congress but for his socialists to take over the Democratic Party Sanders, the “Independent “senator from Vermont, is not aMainer.He’s not much of aVermonter, either.He’s aNew Yorker,spending large amounts of time back home in hardcore Democratic districts trying—and succeeding —toget his followers toknock off liberal Democrat incumbentsin primaries. One of his winning primary offers called former President Joe Biden “a rapist.” Thing is, the Democratic Socialists of America are heavily represented by college-educated voters who don’t have to worry about losing their

healthcoverage. They don’tlike the rentstheyhave to pay to live in the neighborhoods they’re busygentrifying. Theythink socialists can fix that. NowlistentoaPlatner defender back in Maine. Joanie Monteith told AP,“I’m heartbroken for him and his wife.” Rest assuredthat Platner’s wife, AmyGertner,iswell practiced in the art of handling humiliation, with the world knowing her husband sentraunchy textstoassorted women before the couplereached theirsecond anniversary If finding plausible Democrats to represent the party requires aDemocratic rumble, let’shave it.Sofar,few prominent Democrats have spoken forcefully about the far-left’s boutique nominees. The exception is Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman. He let loose, calling Platner a“predator”and “Bona fide dirtbag,” and referringtohim as “P-Hustle,” his old Reddit handle. Pennsylvania Gov.Josh Shapiro, more gentle in his rebuke, joins Fetterman as aDemocrat who won office in astate that’sbeen turning Republican. Democratsshouldn’tneed alot of

magic to get one of their own elected in Blue New England, and in ayear favoring theirparty Sanders, age 84, might consider retirement. Butanother leftiststringpuller at the other end of the age spectrum, 27-year-old campaign adviser Morris Katz, should also look for another line of work. Katz won some fame as themind behind New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’sadorable internet storytelling campaign. Looking to repeat his act in Maine, Katz pushed theutterlyunqualified Platner over the primary win line, despitePlatner’s “imperfections” being widely known.Katz then made the dumb mistakeofpersonally threatening awoman who left the Platner campaign, demanding sherefute the things sheknew about his abuseof women. Democrats need to replace the internet-savvy fringe operatives with internet-savvy mainstream operatives of their own. Above all, they need to takethe car keys away from Bernie Sanders.

Froma Harrop on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

The real kicker: the small number of jobs it will create. When fully operational, the largely automated center will provide “atleast 27”jobs, according to the governor’soffice, though this number seems to vary The secretive nature of the negotiations, though not illegal, has fueled growing anger among residents, who say they feel misled by their elected officials.

Twomeetings have been held recently to deal with public outcry.OnJune 24, NorthMark hosted avirtual town hall. The following day,the state Department of Environmental Services convened ameeting at the Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium to accommodate hundreds of outraged residents eager to discuss aproposed power plant expansion, from an approximately 50-megawatt facility to one that’sroughly 450 megawatts, to support the data center.

If approved, the facility would emit hundreds of tons of pollutants into the air annually through 35 exhaust stacks ranging in height from 31 to 80 feet. This includes more than nine tons of carcinogenic formaldehyde and158 tons of fine particulate matter,which is linkedto asthma, birth defects and lung cancerrisk.

The request for an increase in power also seemed to take residents by surprise, even though acounty official confirmed thatNorthMark made clear in its original “projectprofile that it would scale up to 450 megawatts. “Maybe the message didn’tget out properly,” Mike Dobeck, vice president of real estate development for NorthMark, told the Greenville News. Maybe? Emily Wyche of the Southern Environmental Law Center,which is fighting the permit request, wasblunt in her remarks at the public hearing: “The lack of transparency is stunning.” Accordingly,the state has extended the public comment period for the permit until July 31. Meanwhile, Spartanburg County has joinedseveral other counties in passing temporary moratoriums on new plans for data centers.

Spartanburg County officials clearly wanted to keep their discussions under wraps while NorthMark considered locations in other areas. And, charitably,aninvestment of this scale would be hard for any community to resist.

But politicians seem never to learn thatthey work for the people and not for corporations or private-equity firms looking for adealatthe expense of residents and the environment especially not in exchange for the quality of life that makes South Carolina adesirable placeto call home. All things considered, space seems a proper place for data centers —and maybe for afew politicians, if Mr.Musk can make room on his rocket.

Kathleen Parker is on X, @kathleenparker

Kathleen Parker

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks about topics including politics and artificial intelligence June 8atthe National Press Club in Washington.

H

Allegedterrorist in Lafayettepleadsnot guilty

Gaza native was arrestedinconnection with attack on Israel

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

AMiddleEasternman 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 asuperseding indictment.

Atwo-count indictment was issued in October of 2025 against Mahmoud Amin Ya’qub Al-Muhtadi, aGaza native who resided and worked briefly in Lafayette until his arrest last year.Prosecutors allege he aided aterrorist group and lied on his visa application, entering the United States via Dallas in September 2024, nearly ayear after the attack on Israel that killed more than 1,200 people, including 49 American citizens.

Officials with theU.S.District Court, Western District ofLouisianainLafayette,filedasuperseding indictment against Al-Muhtadi

in June thatmodifiesanexisting charge and adds twoothers to the original two-countindictment.

An original count against AlMuhtadi accused the Gaza native of conspiracy to provide material support to adesignated foreign terroristorganization resulting in death. The superseding indictment removes “resulting in death” from thecharge

Asecond count of conspiracy to provide material support to adesignatedforeign terrorist organization was added with Wednesday’s supersedingindictment.

Count 3ofthe new indictment retains avisa fraud charge contained in the original indictment.

Afourth count, which is new, accuses Al-Muhtadi of making a false statement within the jurisdiction of theUnited States.

He pleaded not guilty to allfour countsonJuly9

Al-Muhtadi,when entering the United States, allegedly told a representative of theDepartment of Statethathedid not havespecialized skills or training in things like firearms andexplosives when he didhave such skillsand training due to his longtime affiliation with theDemocratic Front for

the Liberation of Palestineand its paramilitarywing, the National ResistanceBrigadeswhich has ties to Hamas, according to theindictment.

Al-Muhtadi alsoallegedly told theStateDepartment representative thathehad never been involved in anyparamilitary-style group, had never engaged in terrorist activities, had never intended to provide financial or other support to terrorists and had not committed, ordered, incited or assistedinkillings or other acts of violence.

Thesuperseding indictmentalleges he did all of theabove and participated in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack and massacre in Israel.

Thevisa fraudcharge stems from lies Al-Muhtadi allegedly told whenapplying for avisa, namely that he hadnoinvolvement with paramilitary groups andhad no specialized skill or training in firearmsorexplosives, thenew indictmentalleges.

Al-Muhtadi entered the country on Sept. 12, 2024, through the Dallas-Fort Worthairport.Documents show he has been living in Lafayette since at least May,working in alocal restaurantafter relocating

from Tulsa, Oklahoma. According to aprobable-cause affidavit, Al-Muhtadi hasbeen a member of the National Resistance Brigades,the militarywing of theDemocratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, aU.S.designated terrorist organization, since at least 2019. Federal investigators alleged he is asenior member of thegroup andwas tasked with training younger militants. Israelprovided theU.S.governmentwithinformation that Al-Muhtadi participated in the attacks and fled Gaza, according to theaffidavit. His social media and email accounts showextensive evidenceagainst him, federal investigators allege, including photos of Al-Muhtadi wearing the red headband of theNRB andallegedly providing firearms training anda photo of him with 15 young, armed menthathedescribedas his group

Al-Muhtadi, in May2021,sent a message to another social media user describing an NRB attack on an Israelimilitary outpost near the Gaza border,according to the affidavit. He allegedly wrote, “I swear by God, we burned them!This battle is different for us. God is the

helper! Long live the resistance.”

In August, federal authorities obtained sixaudio recordingsdetermined to be telephone calls by al-Muhtadi on the dayofthe Israeli massacre.AnFBI agentfamiliar with al-Muhtadi confirmedheis the speaker in the call.

On the morning of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, the affidavit said, al-Muhtadi learnedofthe Hamas invasion, which began about 6:30 a.m.Hemade phone calls aboutthe attack,armedhimself and gathered other armed fighters. According to the affidavit, he crossedintoIsrael by 9:30 a.m. through abreach in theborder in the Malaka region. Separately, video from the area showsatleast one person wearing an NRBpatch outside Nahal Oz during the attack,where aTanzanianstudent was killedafter being kidnapped from the kibbutz.

Prosecutors allege al-Muhtadi’s phone location on the day of the attack showed he wasnear Kibbutz KfarAza, an area near theIsraelGaza border where64peoplewere killed.

Histrial, which will take place in Lafayette, is scheduledfor November but is likely to be delayed.

Frequencyofearthquakes in northwestLa. plummets

Officialsnot sure whynumberhas fallen sinceMay

BY ADAM DUVERNAY Staff writer

What happened to all those earthquakes?

The number of earthquakesrecorded in northwest Louisianahas plummeted since May.Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy has noticedbut doesn’t know why Earthquakes are ahistorical oddity in Louisiana, having only truly emergedasaknown, regular-ish occurrence since about 2010. There is asuspicion that the shaking is related to the oil and gas industry and

arecenteffort to study theconnection. But lately,there’smuchlessto study

On March5,Louisiana experienced its largest-ever recorded earthquake: awhopping magnitude 4.9 with an epicenterinthe Coushatta area. It wasbig enough to be feltinShreveport and over the state line in Texas and Arkansas, and it caught the attention of federal quake trackers.

The U.S. GeologicalSurveydispatcheda team of techniciansto northwest Louisiana. Along with apartner researcher from Tulane University who already maintained some seismometers in the area, USGSinstalled newquakedetectors and upgraded the existing ones to transmit data in real time. While USGS previously was relying largelyondatafar from the

site of theearthquakes, thenew monitors significantly improved the abilitytocapture information aboutlocal shaking. That included amoreaccurate assessment of the quakes’ epicenters and the recording of much smaller quakes

Between March 5and May 8, USGS mapped 41 earthquakes in northwest Louisiana, manyvery small. It was amuchhigher number than previously recordedfor theregionevenovermuchlongerperiods.FromDec.4,2018, to March4,USGShad recorded only 31 earthquakes. Butsince May 8, USGS has recorded only fiveearthquakes in northwest Louisiana: n May11: magnitude 2.1, northwestofCoushatta n May22: magnitude 2.3, southeastofRinggold

n May27: magnitude 1.9, northeastofRinggold n May28: magnitude 2.4, northwestofRinggold n June2:magnitude 1.9, northwestofCoushatta.

Across parts of the central United States,earthquakes away fromactive seismic zones, such as Oklahoma and west Texas, have been linked to oil andgas activity, specifically the disposal of wastewater by injecting it deep underground. Thephenomenon is called“induced seismicity.”

EPAofficials, after the March5 magnitude 4.9 earthquake, asked state regulators to step up monitoring of thewastewater injection in the area. That’sthe responsibility of the Louisiana DepartmentofConservation and Energy.The agency is

reviewing the data for anomalies, according to press secretary Patrick Courreges, but the department hasn’tyet instructedoperators of wastewaterdisposalsitestodoanything differently “Wehaven’tidentified that for sure as aculprit. It’s abig suspect, but there hasn’tbeen enough evidencetoconnect the two,” Courreges said. Courreges said the drop-off in the number of quakes recently is “unmistakable,” but the department doesn’thave aready explanation. Mappingnorthwest Louisiana earthquakesovertimeisnot without caveats. There have been two distinct periods of noticeable seismicity in northwest Louisiana recently: the winter of 2024-25 and the winter of 2025-26.

LSU to enshrine

QB Jones’ number

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

Another LSU great is getting his placeof honorinTigerStadium.

The school announced Wednesday that it is retiring the No. 7jersey of former AllAmerican quarterback Bert Jones and will put his name and number in lights onthe stadium’sfacade. Aceremonytohonor Jones will take place Nov.14 during LSU’s regular-seasonhome finale against Texas

According to LSU, Jones’ honor was by a unanimous vote of the LSU AthleticHall of Fame committee.

“I had no idea that there was anything inthe works,” Jones said in astatement from LSU “I have been the beneficiary of alot of good things and received alot ofaccolades and a lot of awards, but this is at the top of thelist

“To(have my name andnumber) hung up in Tiger Stadium, where my father played, my brother played and cousins played,is special. And what’seven equally asspecial is that Iwill be up there withmyLSU roommate Tommy Casanova.”

Jones becomes the fifth player to have his name and number enshrined in Tiger Stadium, along with 1959Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon (No. 20), 1962 Heisman runner-up Jerry Stovall (No. 21), AllAmerican running back Charles Alexander (No. 4) and Casanova (No. 37),LSU’sonly three-time All-American.

The retirement of Jones’ No.7 jersey does not mean future LSU players will beunable to wear that number,animportant distinction as wearing No. 7and No. 18 have become annual honorsfor Tigerfootballplayers. Additionally,six other All-Americans wore No. 7atLSU, more thanany other number,includingPatrickPeterson, Tyrann

LSU quarterback BertJones STAFF FILE PHOTO

SPORTS

Kamara to play 10th season with Saints aftersides restructure contract

All-American’s honorset forNov.14atTiger Stadium Saints running back Alvin Kamara warmsupbefore agameagainst the San Francisco49ers on Sept. 1atthe Caesars Superdome. Kamara and the Saints agreed on arestructured contractthat willkeep the star running back withthe team for a10thseason. STAFF FILEPHOTO By DAVIDGRUNFELD

BY MATTHEWPARAS Staff writer

The New Orleans Saints and Alvin Kamarahave found common ground, and the team’sall-time leading rusher isn’tgoing anywhere.

Thetwo sidesagreedona restructured contract that will keep Kamarainthe black and gold for a10thseason, sources with knowledge of thesituation confirmed on Wednesday. The newswas first reported by former Saints offensive lineman TerronArmstead on his podcast.

Theagreementcomes after months-long speculation about Kamara’sfuture. Saintscoach Kellen Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis remained coy about whetherthe teamplanned forKamaratoreturn in 2026, even though he was under contract for one more year

“I justtalked to him,”Armsteadsaid on hispodcast. “He’spissedoff at thelast couple years andhow thenarrative has started tochange that he can’tdothis, thathe can’tdothat.Hehates that.”

Argentina’sresilienceprevails againtostunEngland in semi

BYJAMES ROBSON AP soccer writer

ATLANTA— No

“HandofGod”this time. Argentina didn’tneed it. Instead it was the hallowed feet of Lionel Messi and the unbreakable spirit of a team that repeatedly has fought back at this year’sWorldCup that is now onestep away from back-to-back titles.

Trailing 1-0 going into the 85th minute, Argentina rallied for a2-1 victoryover England on Wednesday with goals from Enzo Fernandez and substitute Lautaro Martinez.

“I dreamed it, Iswear.I told Alexis (Mac Allister) that Iwas goingtoscore. Itold him that Iwas going to come on andI was going to win it,” Martinezsaid. “I cantell you this team keeps showing whatit’s made of.” At the final whistle, Messi fell tohis knees in celebration while England players collapsedindisbelief —again.Add 2026 to 1986 and 1998 on the listofgames

when Argentina has extinguished English hopes at theWorld Cup.

“I’m gutted for theteam, thestaff, the fans,” England captain Harry Kane said. “Weworked so hard to be here. The lads have given every bit of blood, sweat and tears. To fall short like we did is just gutting.”

The reigning champions will take on European champion Spain in the final Sunday in East Rutherford, NewJersey. Thebest that SouthAmerica has to offer againstthe best ofEurope. The loss for England will hurt anew generation of fans in asimilarway to DiegoMaradona’sinfamous handball goal in the1986 World Cup quarterfinals and the penalty shootoutloss in 1998 whenDavid Beckhamwas sentoff for kicking Diego Simeone.

Thedifference is there can be no sense of injustice this time, even if England had victoryinits sightsafter Anthony Gordon

The Saints used an unconventional contract restructure in March to lower Kamara’scap hit fornext season to $10.5 million, but they wanted to address his contract —either by apay cut or by moving on —even further

The Saints added veteran back Travis Etienne on a four-year,$52 million contract in free agency

Speaking to reporters in June, whenhemade asurprise appearance at theSaints’voluntary offseason workouts, Kamarasaid he wasexcited to play with Etienne and had “no beef”with the Saints. He indicated he wasn’tbothered by the team’s approach to his status.

“I’ve been through alot in my life, man,” Kamara said then.“Ilearned nottotakethingspersonal.Man, I’m blessed. Like it is what it is.We’re in abusinessthat’s unique to alot of spaces in the world. Nothing catches me off-guard, man.”

The termsofKamara’snew contract are not yet available, but the agreement marks the latest compromise

See KAMARA, page 5C

BYDOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHPORT, England Howfar thegolfball goes hasbeendebated for the last 20 years anddistanceislikely to be abig concern this week at Royal Birkdale for the British Open, with one twist.

It’snot how far shots are going in the air.It’swhat happens when they get on the ground. And with links golf, that’snot always easy to control, especially this week.

“You can’tjudge every single bounce perfectly,” Justin Rose said. “But you have to accept the nature of alinks golf course There’sgoing to be somegood bounces, bad bounces. Just keep playing with abit of freedomand creativity,especiallythisweek. You’re going to getafew funny bounces here or there. That’sall part of it.” The 154th British Open begins Thursday

AP PHOTO By JON SUPER

Scottie Scheffler plays from the rough on the 10thhole during apractice round for the British Open on WednesdayatRoyal Birkdale golf club in Southport, England.

ä See LSU, page 5C ä

Verlander pumps up American League

Tigers pitcher reflects on career in final All-Star

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

Game

PHILADELPHIA Justin Verlander

used his fingers in this trip to Philadelphia simply to tip his cap toward applauding All-Star Game fans. He once playfully flipped off Phillies fans when his Houston Astros were in Philadelphia for the 2022 World Series. There was only mutual respect in this game.

The 43-year-old Verlander was one of the few All-Stars on Tuesday night to receive a warm ovation in Philadelphia from a crowd that reveled in jeering just about any player who was not in a Phillies uniform. Verlander is set to retire at the end of the season to cap a career that includes three Cy Young Awards.

Up first, one more Midsummer Classic.

“In his 10th and final All-Star Game, please welcome to Philadelphia, Justin Verlander,” the public address announcer noted. Verlander didn’t totally sit out the American League’s 4-0 win over the National League on Tuesday night.

Toronto manager John Schneider asked Verlander to address the team and share thoughts on the importance of the All-Star honor out of respect for the pitcher’s career

“You never know when you’re going to be in this position,” Schneider said as he relayed Verlander’s message. “You have to appreciate the people along the way He’s made lifelong friends from being in this game for so long.”

Verlander had more gas left in the pregame speech tank. He talked starter Dylan Cease out of throwing a changeup as the first pitch of the game and go with a heater against Phillies slugger

Kyle Schwarber

Cease threw a 96.9-mph fourseam strike to Schwarber and struck out the side in the first inning, “He could be a politician,” Cease said of Verlander

Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander works against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the

game on March 30 in Phoenix.

Kevin McGonigle, Verlander’s 21-year-old Tigers teammate and suburban Philadelphia native, soaked in the moment when Verlander took the floor

“He kept telling the guys that you don’t take anything for granted and if you keep working hard, you will find yourself back in this room multiple time,” McGonigle said “Be a good teammate and building relationships and getting to learn as much as you can from other guys.”

Verlander, who did not discuss the speech, enjoyed the chance to participate in some final festivities and walked the All-Star red carpet in the afternoon with his wife, model Kate Upton, and their two young children.

The lone bummer for Verlander is that the Detroit Tigers All-Star was unable to pitch in the game as he recovers from a hamstring injury Verlander, the oldest player in Major League Baseball, signed a $13 million, one-year contract to rejoin the Tigers in February

He has made only one start in an injury-ravaged season and was named to the All-Star team as a Legend Pick by Commissioner Rob Manfred Phillies slugger Bryce Harper earned the honor

in the National League.

“I’m happy with the body of work,” Verlander said ahead of the game. “I hope I can add to it somehow, someway in the second half When I look back, I know I gave it everything.”

Verlander went 183-115 from 2005 to 2017 with the Tigers. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award in 2006 and both the AL MVP and Cy Young Award in 2011. He helped Detroit reach the World Series in 2006 and 2012, along with four straight division titles from 2011 to 2014.

Verlander was the 2017 ALCS MVP in Houston and helped the Astros win the World Series that year, and was a key player for them when they won another title in 2022. He won his second and third Cy Young Awards in 2019 and 2022.

Verlander, who also had brief stints with the New York Mets and San Francisco, played coy when asked about which team cap he would choose for his sure-thing induction into the Hall of Fame.

“At least, I was able to narrow it down to two,” Verlander said with a laugh. “I’m not there yet.” Verlander relaxed against a clubhouse wall next to his locker

Pelicans’ Summer League winning

streak snapped

The New Orleans Pelicans had their modest two-game Summer League win streak snapped Wednesday with an 82-77 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas.

New Orleans (2-2) was led in scoring by Markquis Nowell with 20 points in 24 minutes. Chris Bell added 12 points, and Christian Shumate chipped in eight points and nine rebounds for the Pelicans, who led 33-31 at halftime. Malik Dia and Melvin Council each added nine points for the Pelicans. Free agent signee Solomon Washington, a former Carver High star, had five points, seven rebounds and four assists. Pelicans second-round draft pick Jaron Pierre did not play Cleveland (2-2) was led by Malaki Branham with 23 points.

Brewers bolster rotation in deal with the Astros MILWAUKEE The Milwaukee Brewers acquired right-handed pitcher Lance McCullers Jr and left-hander Colton Gordon from the Houston Astros on Wednesday in exchange for outfield prospect Jadyn Fielder

inning of

as he reflected over a career that stamped him as perhaps the best of his era.

Verlander has a career record of 266-159 with a 3.33 ERA in 556 starts across 21 major league seasons with the Tigers, Astros, Mets and San Francisco Giants. He has 3,554 strikeouts while tossing 26 complete games, including nine shutouts.

Not bad for a kid from Virginia who was sent to a baseball academy by his family to help him gain arm strength. His parents knew so little about how to guide a kid that flashed big league potential that his father, Richard, bought a most unique kind of instructional guide.

“My dad bought a ‘How to Pitch for Dummies’ book,” Verlander said to laughter “I’m not joking. He’s like, OK, step one, you step back with your left foot. Step two, you turn this way We were doing that in my front yard because he learned I could throw a rock pretty far.”

Turned out, with a little help along the way, Verlander learned to throw a baseball pretty hard.

Verlander just hopes in his last season, he hasn’t thrown his last one.

American League earns first All-Star shutout since 2013

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

PHILADELPHIA Dylan Cease started a parade of pitchers that shut down a slew of baseball’s best batters in a display of the pitching dominance that rules the sport.

“I thought before the game about starting with a changeup and I thought it would be funny,” he said He didn’t. And the hitters were not laughing.

Cease struck out the side in the first inning, combining with 10 relievers on a three-hitter that led the American League over the National League 4-0 in Tuesday night’s AllStar Game.

Cease fanned Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto and CJ Abrams around a walk in the first inning, when he got six misses among 15 swings. He became just the seventh pitcher to strike out three in an All-Star opening inning after Carl Hubbell (1934), Warren Spahn (1949), Jim Palmer (1977), Dave Stieb (1983), Pedro Martinez (1999) and Brad Penny (2006) — four of them Hall of Famers. After speaking with Justin Verlander, the senior AL All-Star, Cease gave up the idea of starting with a changeup and instead threw Schwarber a 96.9 mph four-seamer

“Verlander talked me out of it,” Cease said. “So we started with the heater and then I was glad we did.” Pitchers struck out 27, a record for a nine-inning All-Star Game, 15 of them by AL hurlers.

“That’s the game now Guys’ stuff is unbelievable,” said AL manager John Schneider, also Cease’s skipper in Toronto. “I think the bullpen guys kind of fed off of it. They were all excited coming off the mound.

Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease throws during the MLB All-Star Game between the American League and National League on Tuesday in Philadelphia.

It speaks volumes to how good the pitching is, for sure.”All-Star MVP Cody Bellinger hit a two-run single and Ben Rice followed with an RBI single in the first against Cristopher Sánchez of the host Philadelphia Phillies. Miguel Vargas of the Chicago White Sox added an eighth-inning home run off the Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Justin Wrobleski, who was pitching on his 26th birthday, for the game’s only extra-base hit

The AL won for the 18th time in 23 games and holds a 49-45-2 advantage overall.

“The pitching was just dominant today,” Bellinger said. Singles by Soto in the fourth, Pete Crow-Armstrong in the eighth and Otto Lopez in the ninth were the only hits by the NL, which failed to advance a runner past first. Parker Messick, Michael Wacha, Joe Ryan, Nick Martinez, Cade

Smith, Drew Rasmussen Jacob Latz, Louis Varland, Aroldis Chapman and Bryan Baker finished the 10th All-Star shutout and first since the AL’s 2-0 win in 2013 at New York’s Citi Field. Some starting star power was missing, with Jacob Misoriowski, Paul Skenes and Shohei Ohtani all unavailable. Just six pitches reached 100 mph, the fewest in an All-Star Game since 2021. Bellinger and Rice both singled on up sinkers from Sánchez, who struggled through a 34-pitch inning that included three hits and two walks.

“It just took me a little time to soak it all in and enjoy it,” Sánchez said through a translator Documenting the day Managers and starters entered through replica Liberty Bells in front of each dugout, walked to

home plate and used a feathered

quill to sign an oversized lineup card, as if they were Founding Fathers affixing names to the Declaration of Independence MLB donated the card to the Hall of Fame. Dirt around the plate was surrounded by 13 stars, one for each of the Colonies.

After the fourth inning, a video was played of kids bicycling to a sandlot game with a narration by Oscar-winning actor J.K. Simmons. As footage was played of Ray Charles singing “America the Beautiful” at Game 2 of the 2001 World Series, the kids biked onto the field and started interacting with the AllStars as fireworks went off above the ballpark.

“We were all one of those kids,” NL manager Dave Roberts of the Dodgers said. “Some of these kids might never get a chance to be on a major league field. So for them to have that opportunity to be have a conversation with an All-Star is something that they might never get that chance again, right?

Bellinger thought back to his youth.

“We’re all little kids at heart playing this game even though it’s a challenging game,” he said. “We’re all still those little kids with big dreams.”

Early exit

Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero was hit on the outside of his left hand by a 97.6 mph sinker from St Louis closer Riley O’Brien in the third inning and immediately left the game. The 23-year-old, fourth in the major leagues with 28 home runs, stayed down for a few moments before he popped up and ran straight into the clubhouse X-rays were negative.

Brewers general manager Matt Arnold announced the swap that included cash from Houston. Milwaukee cleared space on the 40man roster by sending left-handed pitcher Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day injured list. Milwaukee went into the All-Star break with a five-game lead in the NL Central. They trailed the defending NL champion Los Angeles Dodgers by 1½ games in the league standings.

The Brewers own a 3.48 team ERA that ranks second in the majors — behind only the New York Yankees.

Wilson chosen as No. 1 pick for WNBA All-Star Game

Four-time MVP A’ja Wilson was selected first in the WNBA All-Star draft for the exhibition game that will be played on July 25 in Chicago.

Acting as honorary general managers, WNBA greats Cynthia Cooper and Teresa Weatherspoon each drafted All-Star teams Wednesday from players that previously were either voted as starters by fans, media and fellow players or chosen as reserves by the league’s coaches. Previously the top two fan votegetters would serve as captains and draft their own teams. This year that would have been Dallas’ Paige Bueckers and Indiana’s Caitlin Clark.

Portland, Chicago, Connecticut and Phoenix have no All-Stars.

Wimbledon women’s final earns record viewership

LONDON Helped by some midmatch drama, the Wimbledon final between Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova over the weekend was ESPN’s most-watched women’s championship match at the grass-court Grand Slam.

The all-Czech final, during which Noskova wasted five match points and a 5-2 lead in the second set before eventually winning 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 on Saturday, averaged 1.9 million viewers. That was an increase of 48% compared to last year’s women’s final: Iga Swiatek’s 6-0, 6-0 rout of Amanda Anisimova in 57 minutes.

Overall, it ranked as ESPN’s second most-viewed Wimbledon, with an 18% year-over-year increase, averaging 853,000 viewers per day, the network said.

Yzerman steps down as GM of Detroit Red Wings

Steve Yzerman abruptly stepped down as general manager of the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday a stunning midsummer change by a franchise great leaving the job after seven seasons and zero playoff appearances.

Yzerman’s transition to an advisory role to owner and CEO Chris Ilitch comes several weeks after captain and No. 1 center Dylan Larkin’s trade request came to light. The Red Wings’ decade-long playoff drought is the longest in the storied history of the organization and the longest active drought in the NHL.

The team said its search for a new head of hockey operations has begun and that Yzerman will continue to be in charge on a day-to-day basis until his successor is determined.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By DARRyL WEBB

first

a

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MATT ROURKE

Expanded playoffs make trades hard to predict

BY RONALD BLUM AP baseball writer

PHILADELPHIA Expanded playoffs make it harder to predict whether Tarik Skubal and other choice acquisitions will be dealt before the Aug. 3 trade deadline.

Twenty-three of the 30 teams are within four games of a playoff position heading into the season’s second half, which opens Thursday with the back-in-contention Philadelphia Phillies hosting the woeful New York Mets.

“You’ve got a lot of really good teams that were on the bubble that have gotten in and kind of made it,” Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper said. “Anybody that has an opportunity to get in, anything can happen and that’s what makes our sport great.”

Skubal, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who can become a free agent after the World Series is the most prominent possible trade bait. The 29-year-old lefthander is 2-3 with a 3.62 ERA in six starts for the Detroit Tigers

since surgery on May 6 to remove a loose body from his pitching elbow

He returned to a big league mound on June 13 after Dr Neal ElAttrache operated with a NanoNeedle scope 2.0, a miniaturized, flexible version of the traditional arthroscope.

Detroit was 22-38 at the start of June at 16 games under matching the 1914 Braves (12-28) as the most under .500 of a team that rebounded to reach the postseason, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. The Tigers are 22-14 since and trail by 3½ games for the last AL wild card, needing to overcome six teams. Their performance in 16 games before the deadline will help determine whether they are buyers or sellers.

Minnesota’s Joe Ryan and the Mets’ Freddy Peralta also could become available. The Mets also could deal left-handed relievers Brooks Raley and A.J. Minter to contenders, and San Francisco may try to jettison second baseman Luis Arraez.

Baseball’s only division leads of more than three games are held by the Los Angeles Dodgers (11½) and Milwaukee (five).

“There are some middling teams that are potentially going to finish stronger and some teams that are front-running right now that might fall back to the pack,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “It’s what the fans wanted. It keeps everyone involved through September as many teams as possible.”

Just seven teams of the 30 teams are more than four games out of a wild-card berth: the Athletics (6½), Cincinnati (eight), Kansas City and the Los Angeles Angels (10 each), the Giants (10½), the Mets (12) and Colorado (13½).

“I think having more teams involved and more fan bases feeling like there’s something to play for later in the season is always good,” said Toronto pitcher Dylan Cease, the All-Star Game winner

Phillies rebound

Philadelphia fell to 9-19 when Rob Thomson was fired on April

England was on the defensive against Argentina in semifinals

BY R.J RICO and JIM VERTUNO Associated Press

ATLANTA England desperately wanted to protect its lead as time was winding down in its World Cup semifinal against Argentina Coach Thomas Tuchel made lineup and strategy changes to build a wall in front of the goal.

Argentina and Lionel Messi simply kicked it down.

England led 1-0 late in the second half before Messi assisted on goals by Enzo Fernández in the 85th minute and Lautaro Martínez in the second minute of stoppage time to give Argentina a wild 2-1 victory Wednesday and a spot in the World Cup final against Spain

Tuchel’s tactical choices in one of the biggest matchups in one of soccer’s biggest rivalries will likely be scrutinized and criticized for years. England missed its chance to return to the World Cup final for the first time since 1966.

“They won every header They kept crossing and crossing. So we went to a back five to close the gaps inside and be stronger in the air,” Tuchel said.

“Straight after our goal, with no substitutions, we just conceded way too many crosses and way too many chances. So we tried to help,” Tuchel said. “But of course the responsibility is on the coach. And if it doesn’t go well, it’s easy to say that it was wrong.”

Tuchel’s chess moves couldn’t contain Messi, the maestro of Argentina’s attacks. In the 38 minutes between England’s goal and Argentina’s winner, Argentina held a whopping 88% of the possession, according to Opta.

It was only the second time this century that a team scored first in a World Cup semifinal and failed to reach the final, according to Opta. The other blown lead was also by England, in 2018 against Croatia.

England took the lead on Anthony Gordon’s goal in the 55th minute. But Argentina quickly switched the momentum with furious pressure on England’s defense.

ARGENTINA

Continued from page 1C

scored the opening goal in the 55th minute. The team was hanging on as the game wore on. England goalkeeper Jordon Pickford made vital saves while Mac Allister sent a header off the post as wave after wave of Argentina attacks came. Messi largely had been kept quiet. But when he’s on the field, anything seems possible

He fed the ball to Fernandez to sweep in the equalizer from outside the box in the 85th minute. And two minutes into stoppage time, Messi sent in a cross for Martinez to head in the winner It almost felt inevitable, especially given the amount of times Argentina simply has refused to give in at this year’s World Cup From Cape Verde to Egypt, Messi and his teammates always seem to find a way England, in contrast, came up short in the World Cup semifinals for the third time after losses to Germany in 1990 and Croatia in 2018. And it’s another occasion in

To protect the lead, England drew closer and closer to its own goal, hoping to build the sort of impenetrable wall it had when it held on to beat Mexico in the round of 16 despite being down to 10 players.

Tuchel swapped defender Reece James for Dan Burn, and midfielder Declan Rice for defender Nico O’Reilly in the 82nd minute.

“It’s disappointing to give up the space that we did in those final 20 minutes,” England captain Harry Kane said. “It allowed not just (Messi), but the other players to grow into the game and feel more confident and ping balls into dangerous areas. In the end, it was too much for us to stop.”

Fernandez struck barely three minutes after the England substitutions, scoring on a precise rightfooted strike from just outside the penalty area Messi set up the play with a pass to his teammate, and England defenders failed to close him down before he ripped the shot that curled past diving goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

The defending champion kept coming and England’s wall kept crumbling. Argentina hit the crossbar and missed another header across the mouth of the

going to try to

we’re going

there.

goal before Martínez sealed it with a close-range header when England defenders lost him on a cross from Messi.

“They got tired,” Martínez said. “They pressed for 60 minutes and then just ran out of steam. They got their goal and then sat back That gave us more composure to move the ball around and stretch the pitch.”

England’s defense had earned plaudits after previous matches, especially for how it hunkered down during the second half of a 3-2 win over Mexico in the round of 16, as El Tri peppered their opponent’s back line with cross after cross. But that came as England was down a player due to a 54th-minute red card on Jarell Quansah.

Burn, the 6-foot-7 (2-meter) defender who shined during that stand in Mexico City, said Wednesday’s approach did not work out “Off the ball, we defended probably a little bit too deep,” Burn said. “With the quality of chances that Argentina were creating, I felt like it was a matter of time. To be 10 to 15 minutes away from the World Cup final — we really probably should have seen that through.”

28 and replaced by Don Mattingly

The Phillies are 44-24 since and trail NL East-leading Atlanta (5540) by two games. Harper thinks a key to the turnaround was when Zack Wheeler rejoined the rotation on April 25 after surgery last August for thoracic outlet syndrome Wheeler is 10-1 with a 2.13 ERA.

“Once we got Wheels back, I think everybody kind of took a deep breath,” Harper said. “That helped a lot of our other starting pitching kind of just fall into place.”

Red Sox hottest team

Boston fired Alex Cora after a 1017 start and the Red Sox are 36-31 under Chad Tracy, ending the first half with their first 9-0 road trip since 1977.

Despite a 46-48 record, the Red Sox trail by just a half-game for the last wild card in an AL that has just five teams with winning records.

“We’ve done a much better job overall with our approach,” Tracy

said. “We’re taking more pitches. We’re seeing more pitches against starters. We are getting starters deep in counts earlier in games.

We’re scoring runs in the first five innings of the game and letting our starting rotation pitch with a lead.”

If the Red Sox struggle in the next few weeks, closer Aroldis Chapman and starter Sonny Gray could get dealt.

First-round byes at stake

Three of the four teams that had first-round byes last year advanced to League Championship Series: Milwaukee, Seattle and Toronto. Among the teams emerging from the Wild Card Series, only the Dodgers won their Division Series.

Having the bye allows teams to reset their rotations and assure opening the Division Series with their best starters.

Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler thought back to New York losing the AL East title and the bye to Toronto on a tiebreaker last year “Every game matters,” he said.

NYC’s Rikers Island jail hosts World Cup watch party for inmates

BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press

NEW YORK New York City’s official World Cup guide lists no less than 100 free places to take in soccer’s biggest tournament on big screens. One place that isn’t listed?

The city’s notorious Rikers Island jail complex, better known for its overcrowding and violence than for hosting social events.

More than 100 inmates were rewarded with a special viewing of the World Cup semifinal match Wednesday between England and Argentina because of their model behavior behind bars.

The inmates, dressed in tan uniforms, took seats at tables facing a large projection screen set up in a gymnasium. The jail has hosted about 90 such watch parties since the tournament kicked off last month, with about 4,500 of the roughly 6,600 inmates incarcerated on the 400-acre island participating, correction officials said.

“Programs like this equal safety in our jail,” said Stanley Richards, the city’s correction commissioner and a former Rikers inmate. “What we say to them is that your humanity is seen, heard and valued.”

The scene Wednesday was in sharp contrast to complaints about Rikers Island that have been so bad in recent years that a federal judge appointed an outside manager to help improve the facility.

On Tuesday, that federal overseer, former Vermont Department of Corrections head Nicholas Deml, submitted a plan for reforms that underscored the continued dysfunction at the facility, which opened in 1935.

The report described one instance when inspectors arrived at a housing unit to find it filled with smoke from fires set by prisoners, blaring alarms and people pounding on their cell doors. In another incident, prisoners streamed through an unsecured door and brawled after a guard abandoned his post.

“Violence remains pervasive, ba-

sic correctional practices remain unreliable, and unconstitutional conditions persist,” the report said.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who has vowed to honor a 2019 city law mandating the closure of Rikers, paid a short visit to Wednesday’s watch party With his white shirt sleeves rolled up, the Democrat took a seat at a table and immediately started chatting about the tournament.

One of the inmates said he expected Argentina to prevail over England and go on to face Spain, which had defeated France the day earlier

“You never know,” said Mamdani, a professed Morocco fan. At another table, an inmate told the mayor he was going home later in the day “That’s amazing,” Mamdani said, patting his back.

The jailhouse crowd erupted in a mix of groans and cheers as England struck first with a goal early in the second half.

Ralph Veal was among the minority of England fans who raised his arms in celebration as Argentina supporters grimaced and looked away dejectedly The 53-year-old Mount Vernon resident, who has been incarcerated since November, said he’s rooting for England because it’s his 20-year-old son’s favorite team.

“I’m sitting at the table with Argentina fans, but it’s all right,” Veal said shortly before the England goal. “The energy is real positive in here.”

Victor Caldas was among the legion of Argentina fans who jumped out of their seats hugging and clapping and banging the tables as the team took a decisive 2-1 lead in stoppage time, and then went on to win a spot against Spain in the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Sunday Caldas said he appreciated being able to watch the game uninterrupted among fellow soccer fans and not having to compete with other inmates for use of the television in his housing unit.

LIONEL SCALONI, Argentina coach

recent years when the England players have squandered a winning position in the later stages of a major tournament. They led 1-0 against Croatia in the semifinals eight years ago and lost 2-1. They were up 1-0 against Italy in the European Championship final in 2021 and lost on penalties.

On Wednesday, England coach Thomas Tuchel’s substitutions seemed to be more intent on holding on rather than killing the game off with another goal.

“We played a good game for the majority of it. When we went 1-0 up, we seemed to just try to hold on, which at this level is not

enough,” Kane said. “We talk about knocking on the door We’re close, we just need to find that missing piece in the final stage of the tournament.” In contrast, Argentina is one step away from history Messi, now 39 and likely playing at his last World Cup, is one win away from further strengthening his case as the greatest soccer player of all time. “We’re going to try to win, we’re going to leave everything out

there,”

AP PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWEL

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACOB KUPFERMAN

Argentina’s Enzo Fernandez reacts after his country’s win in the World Cup over England in Atlanta on Wednesday.

BRITISH OPEN

Southport’s star

Fleetwood riding a wave of support as the hometown hero

BY STEVE DOUGLAS AP sportswriter

SOUTHPORT, England As a kid grow-

ing up in Southport, Tommy Fleetwood regarded Royal Birkdale as virtually off limits — except for those rare occasions he sneaked on to hit some shots while accompanying his father on evening dog walks.

“Hallowed turf,” is how a young, wide-eyed Fleetwood viewed the course in this golf-crazed corner of northwest England that, every few years, would welcome the world’s best players for the British Open. His dream of making it there himself one day and lifting the claret jug — a scenario which, who knows, might just happen on the 18th green at Birkdale on Sunday evening began a 10-minute drive down the road in more humble environs.

Southport Municipal, a club that proudly labels itself as England’s oldest municipal links course, staged a junior program on Monday nights and it was there where Fleetwood’s golfing journey launched around the age of 6.

And it’s why Will Burke, a 40-yearold from Birmingham, Alabama, pitched up there on Wednesday with his father Randy They paid $25 each to play 18 holes under a gorgeous blue sky

“We’re here for the golf this week,” Will said, “and we met with some locals who were really complimentary about the place and said it’s right down the street from where we’re staying.

“When you hear the story about Tommy Fleetwood’s origins and how he got started in the Southport area, that’s the cherry on top.”

Nothing inside this muni’s modest club shop, or indeed anywhere at the course, points to Fleetwood being its most famous son. Strangely, there’s not a mention of him any-

where.

Look further afield around these parts, though, and it’s clear this popular golfer with distinctive flowing locks and a forever-friendly manner is a hometown hero.

‘Really positive fuel’

There’s a mural of Fleetwood pumping his fists and wearing his blue Team Europe Ryder Cup uniform on the wall of Southport & Birkdale Sports Club.

There’s the Tommy Fleetwood Academy at nearby Formby Hall golf club, where he first became a member and won his only club championship as a kid. Youngsters from the academy have lined up for autographs from Fleetwood next to the practice putting green this week.

There’s been no bigger buzz during the practice days than when the 35-year-old Fleetwood has been on the course.

“It’s very rare to have an opportunity to play a tournament, let alone the Open, in the town where you grew up in front of fans that were all there to support you,” Fleetwood said.

“To see people emotionally invested in you I think it’s very special. It definitely doesn’t go unnoticed by me.”

The natural question is, will it heap too much pressure on him?

Fleetwood sees it as “really, really positive fuel.”

“If I just go back to the original me being an 8-year-old kid, the thought of playing in an Open at Birkdale was unbelievably special,” he said. “So if you’re not going to enjoy it, then you’ve kind of let yourself down.”

Rory knows the feeling

Rory McIlroy knows what Fleetwood is going through. McIlroy was the guy most in the crowd were

rooting for when the Open Championship made an emotional return to Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland in 2019 after an absence of 68 years — and again last year

McIlroy missed the cut the first time after a nightmarish first-round 79 but said he handled things better the second time, when he tied for seventh.

“You feel like you’re trying to play well for everyone else and not for yourself,” McIlroy said. “I think there’s already enough pressure on anyone in this field to play well for themselves, so to add that extra layer on top of that is always pretty difficult.

“But,” he added, “I feel like Tommy’s more level-headed than I am and won’t fall into that trap like I did in 2019.”

Away from the lofty expectations of the locals in this seaside town, Fleetwood comes back home under pressure to end his wait for a first major title

Winning the Tour Championship in August was celebrated beyond English shores because it was his first PGA Tour title and he’d come so close so many times, handling each near-miss with dignity and grace.

Now it’s time for Fleetwood to capture that elusive major and there’d be no more popular winner on Sunday, especially to the people of Southport, who keep welcoming back with open arms.

“Everybody loves him, everybody respects him, whether they’ve met him or not. We own a little bit of him,” said Patrick Hodgson, a 71-year-old member at Southport Municipal who has followed Fleetwood’s rise from talented local kid to one of the world’s best players.

“If he wins, it would be celebrated here for days and months and years.”

Plunkett finds golf yet again in Army

West Point alum now in British Open

BY DOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

SOUTHPORT, England Royal Birkdale is not anywhere Marcus Plunkett expected to be. Not when he turned down golf scholarships to attend West Point. Not when he was rising to the rank of captain in the U.S. Army. Not even when he touched a golf club again for the first time in nearly four years. Yet there he was Wednesday on the range, pounding drives with his athletic 6-foot-5 frame on the final day of practice before his debut in the British Open. A few spots to his left was Jordan Spieth, a three-time major champion and the last Open champion at Birkdale. Down a ways to his right was two-time U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau with a stationary camera behind him. It was a lot to take in.

“It’s awesome,” Plunkett said “As cool as it gets.”

Plunkett, a 32-year-old from Atlantic Beach, Florida, was among the 20 players who made it through 36-hole qualifying in the U.K. a few weeks ago, holding steady on the last four holes at Dundonald Links to grab the final spot. He has been all over the world, and not just his Army stops in South Korea and Afghanistan. He made it through Asian Tour Q-school last year and already this year has gone from the Philippines to Malaysia to Singapore and Morocco. He is 20th on the Order of Merit.

Plunkett getting a card anywhere — the Korn Ferry Tour in 2025, the Asian Tour in 2026 — came about when he least expected. All it took was one impromptu round of golf, and the COVID-19 pandemic certainly played a part.

Plunkett finished his college career at Army by helping the Black Knights to the Patriot Conference title with brother Matt a freshman on the team. That

would have seemed to be the end of his golf. He was a logistics of-

ficer during his five-year Army stint, specializing primarily in convoy maneuvers, either moving personnel or cargo. His golf clubs stayed home.

But one day after he returned to Fort Carson in Colorado, he decided to play golf with his dad.

“I shot 69 and thought I was the best golfer in the world,” Plunkett said. “And I played the next day and probably shot 95. But I stuck with it. My last few months in the Army COVID was a thing and the DOD (Department of Defense) took it seriously We had a lot of limited personnel office hours. I had a lot more free time on my hands and played a lot of golf.”

A career as an Army officer was on his mind until he fell back in love with golf.

“It was either time to re-up or go a different way,” Plunkett said.

“I was enjoying golf so much that I decided I wanted to give it a go.” And so he went. Plunkett qualified for a Korn Ferry Tour event each of the next two years after getting out of the Army in 2021, and at the end of 2024, he did well enough in Q-school to earn a Korn Ferry Tour card that guaranteed him eight tournaments. He didn’t come close to keeping his card, and then tried his hand in Asia. The next step might be European tour Q-school. It’s a big world in golf, and Plunkett realized it can also be a small world.

He played a practice round Tuesday with Sahith Theegala, who has played on a Presidents Cup team and reached as high as No. 11 in the world ranking. They were making small talk when Theegala realized one of his high school teammates in California, Dean Sakata, also went to West Point and played with Plunkett. “I didn’t realize that until I asked him on the second hole,” Theegala said. “Dean was a super nice guy “Everyone loved him. And they were pretty close at West Point, so that shows me a lot about Marcus’ character.”

Tourney trying to get ahead of fan behavior with conduct code

BY STEVE DOUGLAS and DOUG FERGUSON AP sportswriters

SOUTHPORT, England

More than

300,000 fans will attend the British Open at Royal Birkdale this week, making it a record crowd for golf’s oldest major championship.

They’ll need to bring sun cream and some manners

Continued from page 1C

with a mixture of excitement and curiosity For those who love links golf, there’s no greater colors than brown andyellowthatindicatecrispyconditions in which the fairways can run faster than some of the greens.

Rarely has the forecast been filled with warm sunshine with a cloudless sky, which will be a challenge for the R&A to keep the turf from getting too fast.

Rory McIlroy came to Royal Birkdale a few weeks ago and saw what seemed to be a different

For the first time, the R&A has felt it necessary to publish a fan code of conduct, at a time when some of golf’s biggest events have been marred by unsavory and even abusive behavior by spectators.

Titled “The Open Commitment,” the code boils down to these five basic requirements of fans: respect the players, respect the links, respect each other, be

course. It was greener The rough was more lush. It’s no longer like that. Yes, it’s harder to control shots running along the fairway But the rough, while still having some thick patches in which players are up to their knees in grass, is more burned and wispy

“I think it’s a double-edged sword,” McIlroy said. “I think all this dry weather and sun and a little bit of wind is obviously great for the course in one way but when I was here a couple weeks ago, the rough was a lot more penal than it’s going to be this week. It’s definitely burnt out a lot.

“The big thing, especially off the tee here, is the fairway bunkers

aware, enjoy responsibly Essentially just be a nice person. If not, the R&A says it can punish “serious or repeated breaches” by removing the guilty parties from the property “without refund.”

“I’m all for an atmosphere,” said Matt Fitzpatrick, one of the 21 English players in the field who are most likely to be cheered rather than heckled. “Obviously I don’t want it to cross a line.”

and avoiding those. You might see some guys being more aggressive off the tee, taking driver, trying to take the fairway bunkers out of play OK, it might be in the rough, but it’s not that penal, so you get a wedge in your hand and you can figure it out from there.”

Every hole seems to have options. The redesigned fifth plays 321 yards and enough shrubs have been removed that it’s no longer a blind shot from the tee. What players see now is a pond — an unusual hazard for links golf, but it’s always been there — and a row of pot bunkers leading to the green. The wind is out of a different direction than usual, making the 393-

That’s what happened at last year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, when Team Europe’s players — especially Rory McIlroy — endured a torrent of personal insults and shouting on their back swings and putts.

McIlroy deemed the abuse from the New York crowd “unacceptable.”

Wyndham Clark didn’t get much

yard 16th hole play downwind and running fast. Most players were hitting no more than 5-iron off the tee to avoid the bunkers. The other option is a driver than can get close to the green. It’s like that all over, and it could lead to brilliance and blunders.

“From what I’ve learned in the past, if you start pulling out drivers in an Open Championship, you can do a good job,” Jon Rahm said.

“You can maybe get away with it one round. Over four rounds, you’re going to start finding spots you don’t want to be in, and you’re going to pay the price.” Scottie Scheffler is the reigning champion, trying to become the

love at last month’s U.S Open, with spectators cheering his mistakes — conduct that Scottie Scheffler said was “a bit much to me.”

Even the most recent British Open held on English soil just down the road at Hoylake — didn’t escape some crowd misbehavior as American player Brian Harman defied some jeers and insults on his way to lifting the claret jug.

first repeat winner of golf’s oldest championship since Padraig Harrington won at Carnoustie and Royal Birkdale in 2007 and 2008. The world’s No 1 player has played only five times in the British Open, but he probably spoke for many when he said, “This is the first forecast I remember seeing when it had no rain in it for the week.”

It’s a different Royal Birkdale from when Jordan Spieth won in 2017, particularly the new look on the fifth and the par-3 seventh, and a brand-new par 3 at the 15th (the old par-3 14th was removed) Scheffler offered a not-so-subtle jab at the chances, even though he hadn’t seen the course before.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By DAVID GOLDMAN Marcus Plunkett plays a shot on the 11th tee during a practice round for the British Open on Tuesday in Southport, England.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By GEORGE WALKER IV

Tommy Fleetwood, of England, celebrates after a birdie on the second hole during the final round of the U.S. Open on June 21 at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, N.y Fleetwood is a native of Southport, England, the site of this year’s British Open.

Success of recent Hurricanes QBs attracted Mensah

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Miami Hurricanes are back on the national scene in college football in large part because of the acquisition of two high-profile transfer quarterbacks the past two years.

They’re counting on a third, Darian Mensah from Duke, to keep them in the conversation The junior redshirt quarterback said Wednesday he made the move to Miami largely because of the success Cam Ward and Carson Beck experienced after joining the Hurricanes through the transfer portal. Ward became the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Beck took Miami to the College Football Playoff championship game last season and was selected in Round 3 Mensah said after watching Ward and Beck perform, he believes Miami gives him a chance to win a national title while simultaneously best utilizing his skill set to improve his NFL draft stock.

“Seeing what the last two quarterbacks did at Miami was a huge factor,” Mensah said at the ACC kickoff event. “Seeing the freedom that (offensive coordinator Shannon) Dawson lets the quarterback play with within his offense was also something that was attractive to me.”

Mensah’s arrival in Miami followed a tension-filled offseason legal fight between Duke and its elite QB, who had signed a two-year contract in 2025 that included name, image and likeness money after he transferred from Tulane The end result was a settlement that allowed Mensah to move on from Duke after the school had attempted to block his departure.

Mensah brings a proven track record to Miami.

He threw for 2,723 yards and 22 touchdowns for Tulane in 2024, then led the Atlantic Coast Conference last season with 3,973 yards passing and 34 touchdowns The Blue Devils won a five-way tiebreaker to reach the ACC championship and beat No. 20 Virginia in Charlotte for their first outright title since 1962.

With Beck out of college eligibility Miami coach Mario Cristobal felt his team desperately

needed an experienced QB to go with a talented returning core.

“We were in the market for a quarterback,” Cristobal said.

“We felt the team was really set in so many areas. When Darian hit the portal, we felt this is a guy we would love to pursue.

His levels of leadership, care factor, time invested in his craft, football IQ, just natural human IQ, just an elite person.”

Mensah said the transition to Miami has been “seamless” and that his new teammates have been welcoming even while talk swirls around his reported $10 million NIL deal.

“I feel like I’m at home here in Miami and you couldn’t ask for more,” he said Mensah said he remains friends with his former Duke teammates but that “business is business.”

There likely will be plenty of emotions on both sides when the Hurricanes host Duke on Nov 14 Mensah said he briefly considered joining the NFL draft but decided he needed to show more to scouts.

“I feel like I lost my team some games last year with just having the ball loose,” Mensah said. “And so I think that was a big thing for me and then just taking what the defense gives me and just being better with that, and not pressing.”

The Hurricanes are coming off a memorable season. After catching a few breaks to get into the CFP, including Duke’s Mensah-led win over Virginia, they beat No 7 Texas A&M, No. 2 Ohio State and No. 6 Ole Miss before losing to Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and No. 1 Indiana in the CFP final.

Linebacker Mohamed Toure, Miami’s leading tackler last season, said the “The U” is getting closer to the high level where it once was He said he gets chills when former Hurricanes players return to campus and talk with the team.

“We ended with a bitter taste in our mouth, so it’s like we’re hungry to get to this 2026 season,” Toure said. “But we understand that we only could take it one day at a time. So taking that energy, that hunger that we have and just applying it to every single day It’s a stepping stone.”

ACC revamps tiebreakers for conference title game

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

The Atlantic Coast Conference is revamping the tiebreaker format for its football championship game after a controversial finish last season that allowed a five-loss Duke team to get in over then-No. 10-ranked Miami — a situation that put the Hurricanes at risk of missing the expanded College Football Playoff Miami, which had been the ACC’s most dominant team during the regular season, wound up being selected for the playoff and went on to reach the national title game, where it fell short to No. 1 Indiana 27-21.

Duke beat No. 20 Virginia in the ACC championship game last year for its first outright ACC title since 1962 but was not selected for the CFP much to the dismay of Blue Devils coach Manny Diaz.

The new football championship tiebreaker policy will take effect beginning with the 2026 season, reflecting the league’s transition to a nine-game conference schedule

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Mathieu and Leonard Fournette. LSU’s only retired number remains No. 20, which was last worn by Cannon.

Nicknamed the “Ruston Rifle” because of his hometown and powerful right arm, Jones played at LSU from 1970-72 in an era when athletes could play only three varsity seasons.

Sharing time at quarterback with senior Buddy Lee, Jones helped lead the Tigers to the 1970 Southeastern Conference championship, LSU’s only conference title between 1961 and 1988. LSU went 26-6-1 during Jones’ career as he left Baton Rouge as the school’s all-time leader in passing yards (3,255), touchdown passes (28), attempts (418) and completions (220).

In 1972, Jones became the program’s first All-America quarterback and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. His signature moment that season came when he led the Tigers on an 80-yard drive capped by a last-second touch-

and ensuring a fair and equitable process for determining participants in the ACC championship game, the league said.

The updated tiebreaking procedure is built on three guiding principles:

n Head-to-head results always will matter most.

n No team will be overly rewarded or penalized based on the number of conference games it played.

n When head-to-head competition cannot separate tied teams, the team with the strongest overall body of work will earn the opportunity to compete for the ACC championship and the conference’s automatic qualifier to the CFP

“Our game will feature the two most deserving teams,” ACC commissioner Jim Phillips said at the ACC kickoff event on Wednesday in Charlotte. Phillips said the third tier of that tiebreaker will be based on a SportSource Analytics metric used by the CFP

The updated policy was developed to reward head-to-head results and account for the league’s

teams playing an alternate number of conference games while also identifying the two most deserving teams to compete for the ACC championship and the conference’s automatic berth into the CFP

The conference said the evaluation included more than 10,000 simulated season outcomes to ensure the model fairly addressed a wide range of championship scenarios.

The revised policy was approved after a comprehensive review by ACC athletic directors.

In December the ACC announced 12 of its 17 football-playing members would play a ninegame football conference schedule beginning in 2026 while five teams would play eight games. That made the head-to-head tiebreakers even more complicated than in the past.

The policy will operate as a bridge to accommodate conference games already on the books, with the plan to have 16 of 17 teams playing nine football games regularly by 2027.

down pass to Brad Davis to beat Ole Miss 17-16, one of the most memorable plays in LSU history Jones was the No. 2 overall pick in the 1973 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Colts, where he went on to be the 1976 NFL MVP Jones retired in 1982 after nine seasons with the

Colts and one with the Los Angeles Rams, the second half of his career marked by shoulder and neck injuries. Jones finished his pro career with 18,190 yards passing and 124 touchdowns.

In 2016, Jones was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame.

Continued from page 1C

between the Saints and an iconic player to keep him around

Last month, the Saints and Cam Jordan agreed on a one-year contract after the defensive end tested free agency so that Jordan could return for a 16th season. In the years before that, the Saints negotiated pay cuts with veterans such as Jordan, Tyrann Mathieu and Demario Davis

The Saints’ negotiations with Kamara, at least publicly, never got contentious, but the saga did draw plenty of interest over the last few months. The Saints received some criticism for their non-committal approach, most notably from Mathieu. He suggested New Orleans was disrespecting its all-time leading rusher by not acting in “good faith.” Mathieu, who retired last year, said he didn’t think the Saints had “the balls to outright cut him” and suggested the franchise wanted Kamara to instead retire.

The situation took another turn in June when Kamara showed up for an OTA session for the first time since 2019 The visit appeared to even catch Moore off-guard and

Sept 7 at the Caesars Superdome. Kamara will return to

Saints and Kamara finally have reached a compromise just two weeks before training camp begins. Kamara is coming off his least productive season as a pro. The 30-year-old posted career lows in several categories, including rushing yards (471) and yards per

six games with a knee

last month. “You saw it here with Mark (Ingram) and I. Latavius (Murray) and I. Just having two talented backs, it benefits each back. You gotta try to prepare for both, and it puts (defenses) in a dilemma right there.” Email Matthew Paras at matt. paras@theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO LSU quarterback Bert Jones spikes the ball after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter against Iowa State on Dec. 18, 1971, in El Paso, Texas. Jones received a unanimous vote from the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame committee to be enshrined at Tiger Stadium.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara runs for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals safety Dadrion Taylor-Demerson defends during the first half on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza passes against Miami during the first half of a College Football Playoff national championship game on Jan. 19 in Miami Gardens, Fla.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AARON BEARD Miami quarterback Darian Mensah interacts with reporters during ACC media days on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C.

SCOREBOARD

— O’Brien (Caminero) ABS Challenge Harper (Strike-Confirmed);

CGM Team, same time

3. Jasper Philipsen, Belgium, Alpecin-Premier Tech, same time.

4. Milan Fretin, Belgium, Cofidis, same time

5. Henri Artz, Netherlands, Lotto Intermarché, same time.

6. Biniam Girmay, Eritrea, NSN Cycling Team, same time.

7. Anthony Turgis, France, TotalEnergies, same time.

8. Clément Russo, France, Groupama-FDJ United, same time

9. Fernando Gaviria, Colombia, Caja RuralSeguros RGA, same time

10. Pascal Ackermann, Germany, Team Jayco AlUla, same time. Overall standings 1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 39:25:08.

2. Jonas Vingegaard Hansen, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 39:28:44.

3. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 39:29:14.

4. Juan Ayuso, Spain, Lidl-Trek, 39:29:30.

5. Paul Seixas, France, Decathlon CMA CGM Team, 39:29:43.

6. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 39:29:52.

7. Isaac del Toro, Mexico, UAE Team Emirates XRG, 39:30:16.

8. Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark, Lidl-Trek, 39:30:53.

9. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious, 39:31:42. 10. Tom Pidcock, Great Britain, PinarelloQ36.5 Pro Cycling Team, 39:36:57. Tennis

ATP-Croatia Open Umag

At ITC Stella Maris; Umag, Croatia Surface: Red clay Men’s singles Round of 16 Daniel Merida, Spain, def. Tomas Martin Etcheverry (3), Argentina, 7-5, 6-4. Damir Dzumhur, Bosnia-Herzegovina, def. Juan Carlos Prado Angelo, Bolivia, 7-6 (2), 6-1. Matteo Arnaldi (4), Italy, def. Federico Agustin Gomez, Argentina, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3. Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (2), Spain, def. Marco Trungelliti, Argentina, 6-4, 7-5. Roman Andres Burruchaga, Argentina, def. Flavio Cobolli (1), Italy, 6-2, 6-4. Camilo Ugo Carabelli (7), Argentina, def. Pablo Carreno Busta, Spain, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5. Titouan Droguet, France, def. Luca Van Assche, France, 6-1, 1-6, 7-5. Alex Molcan, Slovakia, def. Dino Prizmic, Croatia, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-0, ret. WTA-Iasi Open At Iasi, Romania Surface: Red clay Women’s singles Round of 16 Yulia Putintseva (9), Kazakhstan, def. Alina Charaeva, Russia, 6-3, 6-3. Tamara Zidansek, Slovenia, def. Anna Bondar (7), Hungary, 7-6 (5), 6-7 (5), 7-5. Clara Burel, France, def. Elsa Jacquemot (8), France, 6-1, 6-1. Petra Marcinko (2), Croatia, def. Elina Avanesyan, Russia, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5). ATP-Swiss Open At Roy Emerson Arena; Gstaad, Switzerland Surface: Red clay Men’s singles

Round of 16 Raphael Collignon (7), Belgium, def. Lorenzo Sonego, Italy, 7-6 (2), 7-6 (5). Arthur Rinderknech (4), France, def. Clement Tabur, France, 6-7 (9), 7-6 (5), 7-5. Valentin Vacherot (3), Monaco, def. Yannick Hanfmann, Germany, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. ATP-Nordea Open At Bastad T

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

Culture of accountability

One trait players have become familiar with is Faulk’s directness.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Marshall Faulk embraced the role of a newbie. The first-year Southern coach acknowledged the “rookie vibes” he felt as one of the new faces at the Southwestern Athletic Conference football media day Wednesday inside the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel ballroom. Despite his newness, Faulk was poised. He moved from station to station and expressed confidence in the foundation he and his staff are laying at Southern. The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back said his team isn’t where it wants to be yet, but there’s plenty of time to get there.

Faulk understands fans’ hunger for a bounce-back season after a 2-10 debacle in 2025, but he said he’s not sweating the situation.

“Unfortunately, I don’t feel pressure,” Faulk said. “If pressure was something I had to worry about, I would not have taken this job. I feel that I need to make sure these players are in shape, that they take the field prepared and that when they leave this institution, they’re prepared for life. That’s the pressure right there.”

The comfort in the rebuilding process was evident among the players who accompanied Faulk to media day: junior wide receiver Cam Jefferson and junior safety Herman Brister

Here are three Southern takeaways from SWAC media day

“You go up to his office, you can sit down, have a conversation with him,” Jefferson said. “He’s gonna be as real as it gets. He’s going to tell you what you need to work on.”

When players aren’t living up to their potential, Faulk tells them that without sugarcoating the message.

One of those candid conversations was with running back Trey Holly Faulk has pushed the SWAC’s fourthleading rusher to no longer be a “me guy” and instead set an example for his teammates.

“I’m just authentic with them,” Faulk said. “That’s how I was coached, that’s how I like it. At the end of the day, when you tell them the truth, you don’t have to go back on anything.”

Players have gravitated toward that honesty and are using it with each other

“We got to hold each other accountable,” Brister said. “I think that’s what we kind of lacked last year, accountability So coach Faulk came in, and that was one of his biggest things: accountability and discipline.”

Chip on shoulder

Reminiscing on the 2025 season isn’t a regular activity at Southern After being voted the No. 1 team in the SWAC West a year ago after a conference championship game appearance, the Jaguars finished tied for the worst record in the league.

The sting fuels Brister

“It’s definitely a chip on my shoulder I refuse to do what happened again last year,” Brister said. “You can ex-

pect a different attitude out of me, and along with a lot of the other guys who were on the team last year Even the newer guys are like, ‘I don’t want to be part of a 2-10 team.’ We know what’s at stake, and we know we’ve got to come out with a chip on our shoulder regardless.

Faulk said he has no issue with players drawing from that disappointment.

“That’s good. That matters to me. That means there’s some pride in there,” he said. “You go 2-10, you end on a high note by winning the Bayou Classic, but most of the season was for naught

“When your returning players take pride in the product they put on the field and say, ‘Man, we don’t like how we represented ourselves,’ then you know you have the right players.”

Starting QB questions

While Faulk said he believes in naming a starting quarterback before preseason camp, Southern doesn’t have one to announce yet.

“I hate going into a fall camp with a quarterback competition,” he said.

The plan is to name a starter hopefully after the first week of August camp. The team has seven quarterbacks on the roster

The quarterback room includes returners in senior Ashton Strother and redshirt freshman Dillon Compton. The high school signees are Vashaun Coulon (St. Augustine), Mario Litmer (Highlands High School in Kentucky) and Eddie Mamudi (Blake High School in Florida). The transfers are

Attain rich flavors quickerby starting in microwave

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER Tribune News Service (TNS)

On arecent trip to St. Louis, Istopped at the legendary Pappy’sSmokehouse and fell in love with their smoky,tender barbecue ribs.

When Ireturned home, Iwas craving that same rich flavor but didn’thave hours to spend making them. Instead, Icreated aquicker version by giving the ribs ahead start in themicrowave, then finishing them on astovetop grill to develop a caramelized crust.

Asimple

HELPFUL HINTS:

n Look for adry barbecue rub in thespice section of the market.

n Any prepared potato salad can be used.

n An easy way to turn over the ribs is with apair of tongs or use 2large spoons n Askillet can be used instead of astove top grill

No Fuss Barbecue Ribs Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer ¾cup ketchup

1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2teaspoons smoked paprika

1½ tablespoons brown sugar

1rack babyback ribs (about 1½ pounds)

3teaspoons barbecue dryrub

¼cup water Vegetable oil spray

1. In asmall bowl, mix ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, smoked paprika and brownsugar together to form asmooth sauce. Set aside.

2. Season both sides of the baby back rack with dry rub. Cut betweeneach bone to separate the rack into individual ribs. Place them in amicrowave-safe dish in one layer.Add the water and cover the dish with aplate or plastic wrap. Microwave on high 3minutes. Ameat thermometer should read 145 Fwhen inserted into the meatiest part near the bones.

3. Heat stove top grillorskilletover highheat. Spray grill panorskillet with vegetable oil spray.Place the ribs on aheated grill for 3minutes. Turn them over and grill another minute. Theyshouldhave anice crust

4. Divide between twodinner plates and spoon some sauceon top. Serve extra sauce on the side

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 393 calories (33 percent from fat), 14.5 gfat (5.1 gsaturated, 6.2 g monounsaturated),94mgcholesterol, 31.3 gprotein, 39.0 g carbohydrates, 1.1 gfiber,613 mg sodium.

Doctored

Deli Potato Salad

Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer

1cup bought red potato salad

3tablespoons sweet pickle relish

1. Mix potato salad and relish together

2. Divide in half and serve with the ribs.

NUTRITION INFO PER SERVING: 250 calories (63 percent from fat), 17.4 gfat (2.7 gsaturated, 3.3 g monounsaturated),13mgcholesterol, 1.4 gprotein, 21.9 g carbohydrates, 1.6 gfiber, 463 mg sodium.

ATALL ORDER

BY APRIL HAMILTON

TContributing writer

Recipe, 2D

he challenge was to cook at leasttwo recipes from the10th anniversary edition of “Cooking Up aStorm: Recipes Lost and Found from The TimesPicayune of New Orleans,” the celebrated collection of quintessential Louisiana recipes published after Hurricane Katrina. When Isaw thelistof56recipes to choosefrom, my instant reaction was,“Can I make them all?” In amorepractical manner, Iselected four, extra captivated by aspecific title: ThePontchartrain Hotel’sMile High Pie. Unfamiliar withthis dish, Ipicked it notknowingifitwas asweet or savory recipe. Muchtomydelight, it is an adored concoctionoffour ice creams layered in apastry shell, crowned withburnishedmeringue andconsidered oneofNew Orleans’ most populardesserts. It elicits nostalgia from those who have experienced it in the famed hotel’s elegantCaribbean Room. Grown women have shared their affection for long-ago family

trips to New Orleans, dressedin their Sundaybest, with astop at the Pontchartrain Hotel for this memorabletreat. Their glee prompted me to ask my friendEllenGrayfor herpie memories. Ellen, ablogger andpie expert, hada residency at ThePontchartrain Hotel in 1982 when she servedasYul Brynner’s personalassistantduring athreemonth performance series of “The Kingand I” in the city Here’sher response: Mile High Pie stands tall on my listofindelible New Orleans food memories. Served on an oversized

dinner plate, the signaturedessert reflected the Pontchartrain’sCaribbean Room elegance. Agravitational wonder,itwas composed of vanilla, chocolate, strawberry and peppermint ice cream beneath atorched meringue crown; apool of darkchocolate sauce tamed the sweetness. The addition of peppermint ice cream ended this dessertonajazzy note, refreshing but not overly minty

Non-negotiables: 1. Make room in your freezer for the pie before you begin.

ä See MILEHIGH, page 2D

BY VIVIANHOWARD Voracious

Recipe, 2D

The recipe for The PontchartrainHotel’sMile High Piecan be found in ‘Cooking Up aStorm: Recipes Lost and Found fromThe Times-Picayune

PHOTOSByJOHN BALLANCE

TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Outdoorparties should remain outdoors

Dear Miss Manners: Is it rudeto host an outdoor event at ourhome and limit the indoor access to restroom use only?

My husband is one of seven siblings, who are all married with multiplechildren; some of those children are grown and married with children, as well. Needless to say,our combinedimmediate familyisvery large We come from different ethnicand cultural backgrounds, and even 10 years in, we still differ on what we feel is appropriate or reasonable to ask of relatives. Hosting such alarge family is one issue on which we still can’tmeet in the middle.

By The Associated Press

TodayinHistory:

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Idonot come from alarge immediatefamily,but do have a large extendedfamily,and the protocol for gatherings is still the same:With the exception of formal, blacktie events, onenever arrives to afamily member’s homeempty-handed, and if the event is being held outdoors, all guests remain outsidewith the host My in-laws (not all of them, but always the matriarch and patriarch) usuallyarrive with nothing more than an appetite. And no matter where thehost has made accommodations for guests to gather, they alwaysmaketheir way in-

TODAYINHISTORY

stock sale.

Today is Thursday,July 16,the 197th day of 2026. There are 168 days left in the year

On July 16, 1945, the United Statesdetonated its first experimental atomic bomb in thedesert of Alamogordo, New Mexico; the same day,the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis left Mare Island Naval ShipyardinCalifornia on asecretmission to deliver atomic bomb components to Tinian Island in the Marianas.

Also on this date:

In 1790, asite along thePotomac River was designated the permanent seat of theUnited States government; the area became Washington, D.C.

In 1951, the novel “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger was first publishedbyLittle, Brown and Co.

In 1957, Marine Corps Maj. John Glenn set atranscontinental speed recordbyflying a Vought F8U Crusader jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds.

In 1964, as he accepted the Republican presidential nomination in San Francisco, Barry M. Goldwater declared that “extremisminthe defense of liberty is no vice” and that “moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue.”

In 1969, Apollo 11 launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida on the first manned mission to the surface of the moon.

In 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., hiswife, Carolyn, and hersister, Lauren Bessette, died when their single-engine plane, piloted by Kennedy,plunged into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.

In 2004, Martha Stewart was sentenced to five months in prison and five months of home confinement by afederal judge in NewYork forlying abouta

In 2008, Florida resident Casey Anthony, whose 2-yearold daughter,Caylee, had been missing amonth,was arrested on charges of child neglect, making false official statements and obstructing acriminal investigation.(Casey Anthonywas later acquitted at trial of killing Caylee, whose skeletal remains were foundinDecember 2008; Casey wasconvicted of lying to police.)

In 2015, ajury in Centennial, Colorado, convicted James Holmes of 165 counts of murder, attempted murder and other charges in the2012 Aurora movie theater rampagethat left 12 peopledead

In 2017, 10 people died at apopular swimming hole in Arizona’sTonto National Forest after arainstorm unleashed a flash flood.

In 2018, after meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Helsinki,President Donald Trumpopenlyquestioned the finding of hisown intelligence agencies that Russia had meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to hisbenefit. (Trump saidaday later that he misspoke.)

Today’sBirthdays: International TennisHall of Famer Margaret Court is 84. Violinist Pinchas Zukerman is78. Actor-singer Ruben Blades is 78. Rock composer-musician Stewart Copeland is 74. Playwright Tony Kushner is 70. Dancer Michael Flatley is 68. Former actor and teen model PhoebeCates is 63. Actor Daryl“Chill” Mitchell is 61. Actor-comedian Will Ferrell is 59. FootballHall of Famer Barry Sanders is 58. Actor Corey Feldman is 55. Actor Jayma Mays is 47. Retired soccer star Carli Lloyd is44. Actor AnnaLynne McCord is 39. Actor-singer James Maslow (Big Time Rush) is 36. Actor Mark Indelicatois 32. Pop singer-musician Luke Hemmings (5 Seconds to Summer) is 30.

Summer Vegetable Scallion Pancakes

Serves

side thehouse to watch TV and spill/splatter indoors.

To me, it feels so disrespectful and discourteous. Ihave accepted feeling this way for manyyears, but this year,weare hosting a very carefully planned evening backyardgraduation partyfor our middle child. She is my child through marriage, so this event will include our combined immediate family and also my husband’sextended family

For thefirst time ever,Ihave asked all attending guests, no matter their status, to respectfully refrain from entering the home for anything other than restroom use. My husband did not feel that was appropriate.

Have Ireally lost touch?

Gentle reader: Although she is going to help you get your wish, Miss Manners warns you that what you asked for and whatyou actually want arenot in perfect alignment.

To change your in-laws’ longstanding behavior requires both their and your husband’scooperation —something you have not been able to obtaininadecade of trying.

But thisevent is differentfrom other informal family gathers: Graduations are unique. (No, scratch that: Children nowapparently graduate from everything except summer camp,and someone is no doubtworkingonthat. Butfor these purposes, we will pretend.)

Convince your husband that forthis one unique and more formal event, it would be unkind if everyone did not participate as afamily.Hewill then have to help you convince his side of the family

The quid pro quo is that you will stop fighting about less formal family events —which, remember,you werelosing anyway

Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.

Keepingthe absorbency of clothes

Dear Heloise: Here’sa hint about maintaining clothes’ absorbency Perhaps Ihad previously learned this from you, but it’s worth repeating as long as we’re on thesubject.Softeners decrease clothes’ absorbency,sodry them without any softener —John S.,inNewburyPark, California

Ticket snafu

cornmeal

2tablespoons all-purpose flour

2tablespoons buttermilk 1egg

¼teaspoon hot sauce

¼to 1 3 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat ovento200 F.

2. In amedium bowl, stir together the minced okra, corn, squash, scallion and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Let that sit for about 5minutes. The saltwillleach out the moisture in thesquash. That moisture will activate the slime in the okra and bring the veggies together in kind of agooey-looking mass.

3. Stir in the cornmeal andflour to incorporate.Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and hot sauce,

and stir it into the dry,slimy mass. Mixthis up afew times and letitsit at least 3minutes and up to 1hour before you get ready to cook thefritters.

4. In a10- to 12-inchskillet or cast-iron pan, add the oilovermedium heat.Ifyou want larger fritters, spoon about2 tablespoons of the batter into the preheated oil and pressdown on each dollop to flatten it slightly.The fritters should be about ¼ inch thick. If you’d like smaller fritters, start with 1tablespoon of batter

5. Carefullycontinue dropping dollops of batter into the hot oil, making surethe frittersdon’t touch. Cook thefritters over medium heat on each side till they arechestnut-colored in some spots and golden in others. Transferthe fritters to apaper-towellined plate to drain and season them while hotwiththe remaining salt. Keep them warm in your oven while youfry the next batch.

6. Servewarm.

thename on your ticket is the exact same as it is on your driver’s license. —JeanG., via email Wrist-lickin’

Dear Heloise: Ijust read about someone who was stressed out while traveling. We traveled in April without aproblem when leaving; coming back home was theissue. On my husband’sticket, it just had his first and last name, but his driver’slicense includes his middle name. Make sure that

DearHeloise: To open plastic bags at the grocery store, I lick the inside of my wrist (much cleaner than my fingers) and touch this spot to dampen the fingers on my other hand. —Joanne M., in Rancho Mission Viejo, California

Hearingdifficulty

Dear Heloise: Despite hearing aids, Istill have difficulty understanding what astore clerk, awaiter,or my friend at lunch has said. When Idon’thearthem,I’ll say,“Excuse me?”Atthis point, not only does

the clerk or waiter repeat what wassaid, but my friend does as well. As aresult of this babel, I only hear garbled words. If Iask again forthe clerk or waiter to repeat what they said, the samething happens again —only louder.Not only do Inot hear the message any better,I’m embarrassed by all the shouting voices around me. Unless aperson whohas ahearing difficulty looks directly at you to repeat something, don’trepeat it. In an effort to help, thechorusoften isn’twanted, usually isn’thelpful, andisalways embarrassing for theperson who’s hard of hearing.

—H.S in OrangeCounty,California

Email heloise@heloise.com.

The Pontchartrain Hotel’sMileHigh Pie

Makes 8to12(or 16) servings. Therecipe is from “Cooking Up aStorm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans.”

FOR THE CRUST:

1½ cups all-purpose flour ½teaspoon salt

½cup shortening,cold 4to5tablespoons coldwater FOR THE FILLING (SEE NOTE BELOW):

1½ pints vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1½ pints chocolate ice cream, slightly softened

½pint strawberry ice cream, slightly softened

½pint peppermintice cream, slightly softened FOR THE MERINGUE: 8largeegg whites

½teaspoon vanilla extract

¼teaspoon creamoftartar

½cup sugar FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE:

1(1-ounce) square German sweet chocolate

2(1-ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

½cup sugar ½cup heavy cream

MILE HIGH

Continuedfrom page1D

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Sift together the flour andsalt. Cut in theshorteningwith apastrycutter until the pieces are the size of small peas.

3. Sprinkle in 1tablespoon of the cold water over the flour mixture and gently toss with afork.Repeat,adding water until all the flour is slightly moistened.

4. Form into aballand roll into a 1⁄8-inchthickness on alightly floured work surface.Fit loosely into a9-inch pie pan. Prick the crust with aforkto prevent bubbling.

5. Bakefor 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool completely before filling.

6. Layer the vanilla ice cream on the bottom of thecooled pie shell, and in layers add the remaining flavors.

7. Place the pie in the freezer while you makethe meringue.

8. In alarge mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whitesand cream of tartar until soft peaks form.

9. Gradually add the sugar,beating untilthe eggwhites arestill andglossy and sugar is dissolved.

2. Blindbake the crust and cool completely before assembling.

3. Iprefer aSwiss meringue for thecrown; it doesn’trequire much time, helps stabilize themixture and eliminates the quandary of consuming raw egg whites.

4. Depending on time, Ihave prepared thepie in various ways:

I’ve assembled and frozen everything except for the meringue, opting to complete it just prior to serving.

I’ve assembled thedessert completewith Swiss meringue, held

10. Spread themeringue over the ice cream,sealing it to the edges of the pastry

11. Broila few inches from the broiler element forabout 1minute to brownthe meringue.

12. Freezethe pie severalhours or overnight.

13. In the top of adouble boiler (or a bowl set over asaucepan of simmeringwater), melt the chocolate withthe sugar and ¼ cup of the cream, stirring until wellblended and thick.

14. Add as much of the remaining cream as necessary to achieve apourable consistency

15. Cut pie intowedgesand serve with chocolate sauce.

NOTE: Isoftened each pint of ice cream for30minutes and pressed the contents of the pint, one at atime, into the crust. Ithen froze the pie for 30 minutes before adding the next layer.This technique makes it easierto spread the icecream andmakes for moredistinct layers.

it in the freezer for up to twodays (covered in plastic wraponce it firms up) and then torched it. When therehave been leftovers (rarely), I’ve covered and placed them in the freezer,re-torching themeringue beforeserving, just as arefresh. 5. In the heat of summer,cool heads (and hands)prevail. This is adessert deserving of achilly environment;dothe slicingand plating in acool kitchen.Ifthingsare heating up, return thepie to the freezer (that’swhy freezer real estate should be establishedinthe very beginning) and letthe pie firm up before slicing. It’s alsoafine ideato clean off your knife between slices. Athin, long blade works best.

With apologies to Ellen, Idid negotiate with the meringue, making the formula as described in the recipe and also, since my daughters were visiting, scooped in some of their favorite ice cream flavors instead of the ones listed (Guinness and coffee in place of strawberry and peppermint). When peppermint ice cream is making its rounds in the grocery,Iwill whip up a Mile High Pie precisely as prescribed. My non-negotiable advice is for you to makethis dessert foryour next special occasion, layering in your favorite ice creams and serving without hesitation with chilled forks.

Hints from Heloise

PROVIDED PHOTO By REX MILLER/VORACIOUS

STAFFPHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Apeek inside The Pontchartrain Hotel’sMile High Pie

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Speakup, and formulate your plan. Do the legwork and proceed to the finish line. Complete whatever you've left undone so youcan put your timeand effort into something new and exciting youwanttopursue

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Setboundariesand abudget if temptation comes your way. You can bypass regretand have fun if you maintain levelheadedness. Implement restraint and abide by the rules.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Helping others maymake you feel good, but be careful not to let anyone take advantage of your generosity. Offer conversation, suggestions and kindness, but don't pay for someone else's mistakes.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Join forces with thosewho share your agenda and can also contribute suggestions that encouragegreater success. Be open to change, learning and investing in a lifestyle that suitsyourneeds.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Verify information before passing it along. Someone willoffer an inflated assessment of asituationthat can cost you or cause regret.Beprecise andbebold

sAGITTARIus(nov. 23-Dec. 21) Takea critical look at your surroundings and consider what youcan do to add to your comfortand how you can utilize your space to make your life more efficient.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Stop worrying about what to do next,and head in the direction that offers personal growth, self-improvement or invest-

ment opportunities. Don't rely on otherstogive you the lowdown.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Payattention to your personal finances and investments. Howyou handle your cashwill determine the lifestyle you can afford andsustain. Job opportunitiesshow potential.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Networking, socializing and mixing business with pleasure will pay offifyou are agood listener, but when it comes to sharing personal information, keep your secretstoyourself.

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Weigh the pros and cons and do what must be done to reach your destinationofchoice. It's up to youtocontrolthe outcome using aunique strategy thatkeepsanyone trying to outmaneuver you at adisadvantage TAuRus (April 20-May20) Look inward, and do whatputs yourmindatease. You can't control what others do or say, but youcan controlhow youreact and protect yourselffromany fallout that comes your way.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Time is on your side, and exploring possibilities will give youasense of what youcan afford as well as what youdoand don't need in your life. It's outwith the old andin withthe new.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptogramsare created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands for another.

ToDAy's cLuE:u EQuALs o

CeLebrItY CIpher

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

Have youevermadeawild overbid on adeal because it felt like the right thing to do at thetime? Of courseyou have; we allhave. But then you probably found yourself in ahopeless contract, went down and apologized to your partner. Sometimes, though, you might have beenabletocallontheassistanceofyour opponents.

In today’s deal, South is in four spades. West leads the club jack. That wins the first trick and South ruffs the second club. How should declarer continue?

When North rebid one no-trumpto showabalanced12-14points,Southmight have settled for atwo-spade signoff, but one can understand agame-invitational three-spade rebid. Here, North would probably have passed because he does not have avery suitable hand for aspade contract.

Four spades appears to be one level too high. Southseems destined to lose two spades, one heart and one club. But he has aMachiavellian chance. He should cross to thedummy in ared suitand call for the spade jack

Many Easts, looking at the queen and 10, would notbeabletoresist thetemptation to cover with the queen. Then, though, after South wins with his ace, there will be astunned silence when West is forced to play hisking. Declarer drives outthe spade 10 and claims hiscontract

wuzzles

Although theopponentsare supposedlytryingtodefeatyourcontract,remember that many of them will misdefend if you give them half achance. ©2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word,phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four lettersbythe addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,”are not allowed. 3. additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAy’s WoRD VEsTuRE: VESS-chur: Something thatcovers agarment

Averagemark18words

Timelimit 30 minutes

Can you find 26 or more words in VESTURE?

yEsTERDAy’sWoRD —ALAcRITy

Whatpathare

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from the lettersineach row. add points of each word, using scoring directionsat right.Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus “Blanks”used as anyletter havenopoint value. all the words are in theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition For more information on tournaments and clubs, emailnaspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation:info@scrabbleplayers.org. Visitour website: www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzleinquiries contact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated logo,the design of thedistinctive sCraBBlE

and

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1thorugh 4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 -The numbers within the heavily outlinedboxes called cages must combine using the given operation(in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners 3 -Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

HErEisaplEasanT liTTlEgamE that will give you amessageevery

numerical puzzle designed to spell outyourfortune.Count

the number of letters is 6ormore, subtract4.ifthe numberislessthan 6,

is your key number. start at the upperleft-hand corner and check each of

bers,left to right. Thenreadthe message the checked figures give you

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe

animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

p procureware.com/home, beginning on July 2, 2026. RTAinaccordancewith 49CodeofFederal Regu‐lations (CFR)Part26has anobligationtoensure nondiscrimination

concerning the IFBmay be submittedVia https://norta. h

don’t miss don’t miss don’t miss

30th international piano competition

A dozen of the world’s top emerging pianists vie for $100,000 starting Sunday at Roussel Hall at Loyola University. A recital featuring Angela Cheng starts things at 4 p.m., with master classes throughout the day. Semifinal rounds will be held through July 23. Final rounds are July 24-25. The top three perform July 26 with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, followed by an awards ceremony. During the competition, the hopefuls each perform the debut of Courtney Bryan’s “Ancestor Tree.” Tickets start at $20. The mpetition is held in conjunction with the Piano Institute and Keyboard Festival, both hosted by the Musical Arts Society of New Orleans. masno.org.

midsummer market ma

Beat the heat for an indoor spread of vendors with art, crafts, vintage items, jewelry and natural beauty products plus homemade food at Hotel Peter & Paul, 2317 Burgundy St. The market also features live music. ash.world/hotels/ peter-and-paul.

island strong music fest spritz and sparkle

Food, arts and crafts and more accompany live music by Ryan Foret & Foret Tradition, Groovy 7, Waylon Thibodaux and The Chee Weez at the Tarpon Rodeo Pavilion, 4500 Tarpon Rodeo Drive, Grand Isle. Gates open at 4:30 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Tickets start at $10. islandstrongmusicfest.com.

ABOUT LAGNIAPPE

The Lagniappe section is published each Thursday by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. All inquiries about Lagniappe should be directed to the editor.

LAGNIAPPE EDITOR: Lauren Walck, lauren.walck@theadvocate.com

COVER DESIGN: Andrea Daniel

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Victor Andrews, Julia Guilbeau, Joy Holden, Ian McNulty, Keith Spera, Poet Wolfe

GET LISTED IN LAGNIAPPE

Submit events to Lagniappe at least two weeks in advance by sending an email to events@theadvocate.com.

ON THE COVER

A bartender adds a spritz to a drink during the 2024 Tales of the Cocktail. Photo by Josh Brasted. The annual party drawing mixologists from across the world starts Sunday. Story by Ian McNulty on Page 6.

The Women’s Opera Guild is continuing the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at 2504 Prytania St. in the Garden District with the bubbly effervescence of a cool spritz and the cocktail jazz of Tim Nielson. Fundraiser tickets are $45. neworleansopera. org.

don’t miss don’t miss don’t miss

medieval games day

The Wagner Library, 6646 Riverside Drive, Metairie, will be time traveling back to the Middle Ages for a day of gaming sponsored by the Krewe Jeanne d’Arc. Games for all ages and group sizes will be played from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday. This includes modern board games about the Hundred Years War and medieval card and dice games. Costumes are encouraged. jefferson.lib.la.us.

underwater robotics

Learn programming, use an underwater amera and pilot a remotely operated vehicle over three days at the New Canal Lighthouse, 8001 Lakeshore Drive, New Orleans. The Pontchartrain Conservancy hosts the annual expo, starting at 1 p.m. Thursday and Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday, featuring six activities daily to inspire curiosity about the lake and STEM learning. Admission is $15 and includes access to the lighthouse museum. scienceforourcoast.org.

stages stages stages

Just behind thecurtains

Characters areappearing anddisappearingout of thin airinupcomingproductions

New shows, old showsand evena TV show make their marks at metro area playhousesassummerswings into gearwith musicals,merriment and mayhem. FromTennessee Williams to Walt Disney,the stage is a“bigworld” in the coming days.

‘The Rose Tattoo’

The Tennessee Williams Theatre Co. delves into the story of Williams’ affinity for all thingsItalian through his unique visionofhow worlds intersect and often dissolve in the light of day in thestaging of “TheRose Tattoo,” whichwill previewJuly 23and run July 24 to Aug. 9atLoyola University’s Marquette Theatre.

Director Augustin J. Correro saidthe show “was Williams’ loveletter to his longtime partner (FrankMerlo) andto Italy and the Italianpeople. It’sbursting with warmth, humor,sensuality, and contradiction —likeany passionateromance.”

Correro, the co-founding artistic directorofthe company,added, “The play is so delightfully silly and overthe-top that it’salmost operatic, while remaining deeply human and emotionally relatable.

“In the play,asinlife, we’re all clowns from time to time.”

Kristin Witt plays theSicilian widow Serafina Delle Rose, living somewhere in Mississippi with her daughter,who deifiesher late husband, in spite of his all-too-human foibles. Sheltering herself and her daughter,played by Lauren VanMullem, she begins to come out with the arrival of another truck drivernamed Alvaro, played by Nick DiJulio.

The show blends passion, comedy and hope in the Tony-winning show that “reminds us that grief and joy are neverasfar apart as wethink,” said company co-founder Nick Shackleford. “At its heart, this is aplay about redis-

PROVIDED

PHOTOByJAMESKELLEy

Kristin Witt is Serafina and NickDiJulio is Alvaro in the Tennessee Williams Theatre Co.’s production of ‘The Rose Tattoo’ opening July 23.

Victor Andrews

stages stages stages

covering life after unimaginable loss. It’s funny, sensual, deeply moving, and, perhaps more than any other Williams play, leaves audiences believing in the possibility of renewal. That’s a story worth telling right now.”

The cast also features Quinn Lapeyrouse, Alex Martinez Wallace, Daphne Armbruster, Adam Breaux, Desiree Burrell, Lalanya Gunn, Kelley Holcomb and Kalimah Williams, with Gwendolyn Foxworth and Janet Shea.

Tickets start at $45 The show is at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays at 6363 St. Charles Ave. Visit twtheatrenola.com.

‘Mary Poppins’

“Practically perfect in every way.” That’s the way Mary Poppins’ magical measuring tape sums up the British nanny everyone has grown to love. The River Region Drama Guild brings the high-flying Disney character to life Friday through Sunday.

Based on the Oscarwinning movie, the Tony-winning stage show features many of the same songs, including “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly A Kite” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.”

pre-World War II Germany and Berlin’s Kit Kat Club for “Cabaret,” Kander and Ebb’s story of love, resilience and the impending cataclysm that waits.

With bawdy numbers and heartfelt anthems, the show is packed with familiar tunes, including “Cabaret,” “Willkommen” and “The Money Song.”

The multiple Tony-winning show focuses on Sally Bowles, a

The show runs at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday at 800 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette. Tickets start at $15. Visit cur8.com for tickets.

‘Gilligan’s Island the Musical’

A three-hour tour turned into gold for Sherwood and Lloyd J. Schwartz when their rag-tag group of castaways become a television sensation and now a musical.

‘Mary Poppins’ follows a turn-of-the-last-century proper British family (he’s a banker, she’s a suffragette), their uncontrollable children and a mystical nanny who arrives on the scene to put everything to rights ... just maybe not exactly as one might think.

The show will run at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at the Lafon Performing Arts Center, 275 Judge Edward Dufresne Parkway, in Luling. Tickets start at $15 Visit lafonartscenter.org.

‘Cabaret’

The Company: A St. Bernard Community Theatre sends out a big willkommen as it travels to

Brit expat who performs at the club, with the emcee leading the ensemble of players.

Jorden Majeau is the emcee and Arianna D’Antonio is Bowles, with Michael Chandler as the American writer Clifford Bradshaw. Other cast includes Roxanne Gray/Jennifer Landry, Charles Reaves, Marc Lewallen, Felicity White, Trisha Allon, Harley Crowe, Vieta Collins, Jada Brown, Darlene Stofira, Roshard Hooper, Eli Geeting, Ellis Callahan, Bob Mendel, Greg Nacozy, JJ Lloyd and Kit Kat Club waitresses Rachel Carderara, Jane D’Antonio, Shana Powers and Mary Collins.

“Gilligan’s Island the Musical” at Playmakers Theater in Covington distills much of the mirth and madcap merriment that made the 1960s show such in-demand watching.

The premise features the seven main characters who discover ancient cave drawings foretelling a legend. Well, this is “Gilligan,” and so there’s a storm, foiled rescue plans and even an other-worldly encounter

David Thursh directs with Shane Carter as Gilligan, Vince Boston as the Skipper, Maggie Lawshe as Ginger, Aisha Sofia Johnson as Mary Ann and Christian Gray as the Professor.

The show is at 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays through July 26 at the theater at 19106 Playmakers Road. Tickets start at $23. Visit playmakersinc.com.

In production

“LEGALLY BLONDE”: 7:30 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sunday; Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts, 325 Minor St., Kenner When a vivacious, rich, California sorority girl gets dumped by her East Coast snob boyfriend, she makes it her business to not only learn the law She rescues the day, finds out she deserves “so much more” and saves a woman from getting railroaded in court. Tickets start at $52. rivertowntheaters.com.

Email Victor Andrews at vandrews@theadvocate.com.

music music music

West’s ‘yeezus’ tour stopped at the New Orleans Arena, now Smoothie King Center, on Dec. 5, 2013.

Ye concert set for Superdome this summer Show is

among only 3 U.S. stops

BY KEITH SPERA Staff writer

Rapper Ye, previously known as Kanye West, has announced that his intermittent stadium tour is headed for the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

He is slated to headline the Superdome on Aug. 28. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday. A link to preregister for ticket access is available at yelouisiana.com.

The New Orleans date is one of only six concerts currently listed on his website, three of which are in Europe.

He performed Sunday in Tirana, Albania, and is scheduled for shows July 30 in Madrid and Aug. 7 in Algarve, Portugal.

After the New Orleans show on Aug. 28, he’ll play two shows Sept. 3-4 at Chicago’s Soldier Field, if all goes as planned.

West last performed in New Orleans on Dec. 5, 2013, when his “Yeezus Tour” stopped at what is now the Smoothie King Center

He appeared at the Essence Festival of Culture in the Superdome in 2008 and 2011.

His career in recent years has been overshadowed by a series of controversies and unconventional affiliations.

Email Keith Spera at kspera@theadvocate.com.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Kanye

PROVIDED PHOTO

Jorden Majeau is the emcee at Berlin’s Kit Kat Club in The Company’s production of ‘Cabaret.’

world

A drinks

as industry expertspourintoNew Orleans

Forone week in late July, Tales of the Cocktail draws professionals fromacross the world of cocktails, spirits and barstolearn, network and party.

See TALES, page 8

Ian McNulty

LEFT: Tales of the Cocktail brings professionalsfrom the worldofcocktails, spirits and bars to New Orleanseach summer

PROVIDED PHOTOBy TALES OF THECOCKTAIL

BOTTOM: Bartenders prepare specialty drinks with dryice during an event at Talesofthe Cocktail in 2023.

STAFFFILEPHOTO BY IANMcNULTY

events events events

TALES

Continued from page 6

New this year is a program called Tales Passport, a slate of programs aimed at giving people with a more recreational interest in cocktails new ways to take part with high-end cocktail dinners, cocktail master classes and a new hub for interactive experiences around the craft of cocktails.

“We like to say this is for people who enjoy being on the other side of the bar,” said Charlotte Voisey, executive director of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, and a former bartender herself.

Tales is based at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 921 Canal St., which, beginning Sunday becomes a hive of tasting rooms and seminar sessions. The conference also fills the city with special events, happy hours, guest bartender stints, brand takeovers and such, like a mini version of the Super Bowl for the spirits world.

For cocktail lovers, there is great sport to be had in taking one of those summer weekday afternoons off for a self-guided tour of all the tasting rooms, which brands from around the world set up to showcase their latest releases and signature labels. That’s still available this year with Tasting Room day passes.

But Tales Passport events are more focused experiences, built around the worldwide talent and brands that gather in the city for the event.

Here’s what’s new and how it works:

TALES HOUSE: THE IMMERSIVE COCKTAIL JOURNEY

July 23-25, Royal Frenchmen Hotel & Bar

For three days, a French Quarter property will be transformed into a multifaceted showcase for cocktail lovers.

People who sign up will join small groups on timed entries to progress through a series of six rooms, each focused on different experiences that inform taste and bring cocktails to life, from the visual to texture to storytelling.

Tickets are $99.

SPIRITED DINING RESERVE: A SEVEN STAR DINING EXPERIENCE

July 22, Emeril’s Restaurant

“Spirited Dinners” built around cocktail pairings have long been part of Tales of the Cocktail week at local restaurants.

But this year, Emeril’s Restaurant is

hosting a one-night “reserve” experience on July 22 with three Michelin star-winning chefs sharing the kitchen.

Emeril’s chef E.J. Lagasse will be collaborating with chef Enrique Olvera, of Pujol in Mexico City, and chef Val Cantu, of Californios in San Francisco.

Emeril’s has two Michelin Stars, as does Pujol, while Californios was elevated to three stars in June, the highest ranking from Michelin. Thus, the dinner is dubbed a “Seven Star Dining Experience.”

Cocktails are from Handshake Speakeasy, the Mexico City bar that has ranked No. 1 on the World’s 50 Best Bars list (where it’s currently ranked No. 2 globally).

Tickets are $995.

THE COCKTAIL STUDIO SERIES

July 24-25, Royal Frenchmen Hotel & Bar

Tales House will host master classes on cocktails led by Neal Bodenheimer, founder of the New Orleans bar Cure and co-chair of the Tales of the Cocktail Foundation, and Francesco Lafranconi, who leads beverages for the Las Vegas group Carver Road Hospitality.

Tickets are $125.

THE HIDDEN OMAKASE EXPERIENCE

July 24-25, Royal Frenchmen Hotel & Bar

Tales House will also host an omakase Japanese tasting menu and cocktail dinner, served for just 10 guests at a time.

Tickets are $285.

Tickets

Tales Passport tickets are on sale, with a waitlist to sign up for first access. See details at talesofthecocktail.org/talespassport.

As in past years, the public can also access Tales of the Cocktail with Tasting Room day passes, starting at $45 a day, which are aimed at people who want to dip in for a taste. Full week passes and guided cocktail history walking tours are available, too.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.

TALES OF THE COCKTAIL

Week, day and festival entry passes ● cocktail tours ● Tales Passport ● more Sunday through July 24 ● various locations talesofthecocktail.org

PROVIDED PHOTO By JOSEPH VIDRINE Tales of the Cocktail brings professionals from the world of cocktails, spirits and bars to New Orleans each summer.

Lagasse

Bodenheimer

food food food

Hubig’s collaborated with local brand PJ’s Coffee for its new mocha hand pie.

The filling is a blend of Hubig’s chocolate pie mixed with PJ’s cold brew.

Hubig’s Pies releasing summer flavors

Launch party set at Tipitina’s for return of banana

Are you a lemon Hubig’s Pie guy, or maybe a pineapple girl? The friedand-iced hand pies are a New Orleans staple that can inspire loyalties along with cravings. Soon, two more flavors will be in the mix to consider, for a limited time each.

Hubig’s has a pair of seasonal summer flavors in the works, and the Uptown music club Tipitina’s even has a party planned around one of them.

First up, Hubig’s collaborated with local brand PJ’s Coffee for its new mocha hand pie. The filling is a blend of Hubig’s chocolate pie mixed with PJ’s cold brew.

This mocha pie began hitting stores Monday along with normal Hu-

big’s deliveries. It will have a short production run of just two weeks.

Next, in late July, Hubig’s will bring back one of its much-missed flavors: banana. This too will be a limited seasonal run.

It’s the first time banana has returned since 2012, the year a fire destroyed the original Hubig’s factory in Faubourg Marigny and led to a decadelong drought for the New Orleans staples.

Banana pies are slated to hit stores on July 27, the 14-year anniversary of the fire.

Tipitina’s, 501 Napoleon Ave., is hosting a release party on July 25, with samples of Hubig’s banana pie and live music from Big Chief Juan Pardo & The Golden Comanche and Dave Jordan & The NIA.

Admission is free, with doors opening at 7 p.m.; bands take the stage at 8 p.m. There will be a Savory Simon costume contest (the baker logo emblazoned on Hubig’s pie wrappers; you know New Orleans has plenty of these stashed in its costume closets).

Tipitina’s makes a fitting venue for a banana pie party, with a partially peeled cartoon banana as part of its logo, a vestige from the early days in the 1980s when it had a juice bar

Like Hubig’s, the club is a revival of a valued New Orleans name. Members of

the local band Galactic bought Tipitina’s in 2018 in an act of cultural preservation and continue to run it today.

Email Ian McNulty at imcnulty@ theadvocate.com.

Staff writer

STAFF FILE PHOTO By KEITH SPERA Big Chief Juan Pardo, right, & The Golden Comanche are set to perform at the Tipitina’s release party July 25.

STAFF PHOTO BY IAN McNULTY

2 N.O.-born ‘The Pitt’ actors nominated for Emmys

BY JULIA GUILBEAU Staff writer

Two New Orleans-born actresses who star in the hit hospital drama “The Pitt” were nominated July 8 for Emmy awards honoring their performances.

Katherine LaNasa, 59, and Tal Anderson, 28, were nominated for outstanding supporting actress in a drama series and outstanding guest actress in a drama series, respectively.

Both star in the emergencyroom show that follows the staff at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center through each hour of their workday. The program, which first aired in 2025, received the highest number of nominations this cycle with 25.

LaNasa, who was born in

New Orleans and raised in Baton Rouge, plays a tough yet compassionate charge nurse, Dana, opposite Noah Wyle’s Dr. Michael Robinavitch. She won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actress in 2025 for the role, more than 30 years after her Hollywood debut.

Anderson was born in New Orleans and raised in Cape Coral, Florida. She previously starred as Sid in “Atypical,” appears in “The Pitt” as the twin sister of Dr. Mel King, played by actress Taylor Dearden. It’s the first Emmy nomination for Anderson, who has autism and has been outspoken about disability inclusion in TV and film.

The 2026 Emmy Awards show will air on NBC on Sept. 14 and is set to be hosted by Mariska Hargitay

Documentary featuring La. librarian is award show bound

PROVIDED PHOTO

‘The Librarians,’ a documentary following librarians fighting against censorship in school libraries, has been nominated for an Emmy Award.

BY JOY HOLDEN Staff writer

“The Librarians,” a documentary executive produced by Sarah Jessica Parker, is nominated for “Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking” at the 78th Emmy Awards. The documentary features Amanda Jones, Live Oak Middle School librarian in Livingston Parish, as one of the librarians fighting against censorship in school libraries.

“I didn’t even know an Emmy was on the table,” Jones said.

premiered Feb. 9 on PBS. Since then, the film has collected 31 accolades from film festivals, The New York Times and The Guardian.

The film, a joint effort between Oscarnominated director/producer Kim A. Snyder and executive producer Sarah Jessica Parker through her Pretty Matches Productions banner, explores a four-year period of book bans unfolding in schools across the U.S. and the librarians confronting those restrictions.

She said the makers and stars of the film (school librarians) are still on a group text together One of the producers, Janique Robillard, texted the news to everyone. Jones said everyone responded with shock and excitement.

“The Librarians” premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 24, 2025, was released in theaters around the United States on Oct. 3, 2025, and

“The recognition will bring more people to the film and get more conversations started,” Jones said. “We hope people will go to our resource page on the website, not only to support Freedom to Read but also the mental health of librarians.”

The Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking award is reviewed by a jury on the basis of the filmmaker’s vision, storytelling and capacity to inform and impact.

The other nominee is National Geographic’s “The Tale Of Silyan,” a documentary about a Macedonian farmer who nurses a white stork back to health while contemplating the end of his farm.

The only previous nominee and winner for this award that featured Louisiana was Spike Lee’s “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” a documentary about the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, which won the award in 2007.

“The Librarians” documentary is one of five nominations for PBS in 2026.

The Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking award is handed out during the Creative Arts Emmy Awards on Sep. 5-6.

The 78th Primetime Emmy Awards will be broadcast live on NBC on Sept. 14, and stream live on Peacock at 7 p.m. from the Peacock Theater at L.A. Live in Los Angeles.

Email Joy Holden at joy.holden@ theadvocate.com.

Louisiana native Katherine LaNasa, right, stars in the HBO Max medical drama ‘The Pitt.’ PROVIDED PHOTO By HBO MAX/ WARRICK PAGE

Jones

culture culture culture

Electric Ladyland inkedlocals, starsover3 decades

FrenchmenStreettattoo parlor quietly shutsdoors

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

After three decades of tattooingNew Orleanians, tourists and Hollywood stars, Electric LadylandTattoo Parlor quietly vacated its canary-yellow building on Frenchmen Street, closing its red doors for good in May.

Its closure reflects abroader transformation unfolding on thethoroughfare, once acorridor of clubs and local establishments thathas evolved into one of the city’sbusiest nightlife destinations, crowded with bars, venues and tourists.

Over the past six months, several independent businesses have come and gone along Frenchmen. In November,Mélange began servingdrinks made with zero-proof liquor and THCinfused beverages in an elegant space aboveBamboula’s.Meanwhile, in January, Frenchmen All Day closed after five years of making bloody marys and Cuban sandwiches within adistinctly European atmosphere.

Named after Jimi Hendrix’s final studioalbum, Electric LadylandTattoo attracted asteady clienteleoflocals and celebrities.

In its early years, artiststattooed a flower on Marisa Tomei’sankleand a parrot on Harry Anderson’s back. Billy Bob Thornton even had one“Angelina”

Electric

FROM ELECTRIC LADyLAND’SFACEBOOK

Ladyland Tattoo Parlor,which closed in May, wasa fixture on Frenchmen Street in NewOrleans.

tattoo inked in black cursive on his forearm

Theshopfirst began operating from an outpostonEarhart Street in Uptown before founderErnie Gosnell sold the businesstoAnnette LaRue, who relocated it to the Marigny in 2000.

Thirteen years later,LaRue sold the shop to Ed Dieringer,alongtime friend and veteran employee who made few

changes to abusiness that had long established itself as aFrenchmen institution.

Dieringer could not be reached for comment.

The shop took on anew meaning after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleansin2005. Artists inked fleursde-lis, levees and waves on the arms and backs of storm victims —from

police officers and ambulance drivers to fathers and daughters.

Then-artist Jay Lyons described that period as “a busy time” forthe shop, with anew waveofclientele seeking to memorialize their hardships even as manylocal businesses struggled to recover.

“Wehad limited resources, but we stayed open as long as possible,” Lyons said in a2015 interview, “tattooing until we couldn’ttattoo any more.”

Dieringer took over Electric Ladyland Tattoo nearly adecade after the storm,making only minor changes to preserve the shop as the Marigny and Bywater underwent rapid change. He assembled astaffwith expertise spanning large-scale Japanese-style tattooing, traditional Americana and black-and-white photorealism

Electric Ladyland Tattoo faced another challenge when the coronavirus pandemic shut downNew Orleans in 2020. Even as businesses reopened after twomonths of lockdown, the shop remained closed during the first phase of the state’seconomic comeback because of regulations governing tattoo parlors.

Eventually,however,the shop welcomed customers through its red doors once again, continuing until its final appointment.

Asked in a2013 interview what made Electric Ladyland so inviting, Dieringer offered asimple answer: “Ithas personality.And just like anything, it has soul.”

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