The Times-Picayune 07-20-2026

U.SAIRSTRIKES CONTINUEINIRAN

An overturned car sitsonasection of adestroyed bridge after astrikeinHormozgan province, southernIran, on Saturday. TheU.S.has launched moreairstrikes at Iran in response to the killingofservice members

BY JON GAMBRELL, SAM METZ and BEN FINLEY Associated Press

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates The United States began anew round of airstrikes early Mondaytargeting Iran after announcing the death of another American service member,and Iran fired missiles towardJordan that risked widening the conflict into neighboring Israel.

Stepbystep,the U.S.and Iran have inchedcloser to all-outwar as last month’s interim dealmeantto permanently end the fighting has crumbledand shippingtrafficin the Strait of Hormuz haslargely stalled Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied onbymillions of people.

The U.S. military said the service member was killed in IraqonSaturday during the “controlled detonation” of adowned Iranian drone. Earlier,the military said itsstrikes targeted Iran’sparamilitary Revolutionary Guard to retaliate for Friday’s

killing of troops in Jordan.One service member was missing after that attack, and themilitary’snew statement said “unidentified remains” were found Sunday and were being examined. Since the war began, 17 U.S. service members have beenkilled.

The renewed exchanges of fire, now in theirsecond week,haveseen the U.S. targetbridges and electrical facilities in Iran.

which hasbeen aroute the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travelto avoid Iran’scontrol.

The U.S. military’sCentralCommand announced anew round of strikes early Monday,now into their ninthstraight night.

“The strikes will continue degrading Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercialvessels and civilian mariners transiting theStrait of Hormuz,”Central Commandsaid in astatement.

As the strikes began, ashipcaught fire early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz near thecoastline of Oman, the Britishmilitary said.Itwas unclear whatsparked the blaze off Oman,

Schoolssearch forsavings to offset fundingcut

Scrapping raises,pausing construction,leaving jobs unfilled allontable

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

As Louisiana school systems plan for the coming schoolyear, some areexpectingtocancelraises and hold off on hiring to make up for astate funding cut.

School districts are slated to receive state payments by July 25 that will be smaller than what they previously budgeted for.The reduction is due to adecision by Gov. Jeff Landry and state lawmakers to payfor teacher stipends by sending less money to schools rather than pulling from the state budget, as they had in the past.

Some school districtleaders hadheldout hope forareprieve. But those hopes fizzled last month afterlawmakers voted in favor of the $168 million funding reduction, and education advocates dropped alawsuit challenging the cut. Now that school systemsknow their state funding will be trimmedbyanaverage of 5% this school year,some are starting to share how they intend to plug the budget hole.

Tehran has retaliated by hitting U.S.-alliedcountries throughout the Middle East Bahrain, Jordan and Kuwait again activated airdefenses for incomingIranian drones andmissiles. Israel warned that missiles launched toward neighboring Jordan could cause fire to spill over into Israeli territory for the first time in weeks.

Footage released Sunday by the U.S. military appeared to show strikes carried outbyfighterjets andbyTomahawk cruise missiles launched from thesea. Onetarget site appeared to be in avalley of amountainous region.

The Guard often hasmissile bases and other military equipment tucked into mountain ranges.

Iran’satomicenergy agency said U.S. strikestargeted the construction

ä See IRAN, page 5A

Bills that didn’t pass this sessioncould return

BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer

During Louisiana’srecent legislative session, a slew of bills restrictingthe useofartificialintelligencestalledafter President Donald Trump’s administration said it wanted to create anational regulatory frameworkaround thetechnology and threatened states’ federal broadband funding if they acted on their own.

Noncontroversialbills, including ones that toughenedpenalties relatedtoAI-generated child pornography,did pass. But proposals that entailed moredramatic changes —such as restrictions to how insurance companies and employers can use AI —died on the vine despite bipartisan support.

ä See REGULATION, page 7A

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

PASCAGOULA, Miss. Thechangestransforming this coastal Mississippi cityare easy to spot. Where alot sat vacant, a boutique hotel is now welcoming visitors. In abuilding that once housed an oldbank, young professionals aremoving into modern apartments with arooftop bar Where atraindepot longlanguished in disrepair,anelegant new brew pub just opened.

“There’sa lot of neat things going on,” said Joe Cloyd, who developed the brew pub project, called Chandeleur Depot. “The vibes in Pascagoula are good.” It is astriking contrast to thedowntown Pascagoula of 10 yearsago, which residents and developers calleda“ghost town.” Most storefronts were vacant. The streets emptied by eveningasthousands of employees at Ingalls Shipbuilding and anearbyrefinery drove home to Alabama or elsewhere in Mississippi. Butyears of targeted efforts are now turning downtown Pascagoula into ahub of trendy businesses designed to lure newcomers and visitors —including

“The vibesin Pascagoula are good.”

JOE

CLOyD, developerof Chandeleur Depot, abrewpub in Pascagoula

fromLouisiana —whose numbers are growing across the Gulf Coast region. Chandeleur Depotopenedin June and is brewing beer and serving meals, including steak frites and Korean fried wings to Pascagoula residents and the 15 or so passengers who wander in off the city’snew Amtrak stop each day.The brew pub’sacclaimed chef Austin Sumrall, has earned nods from the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide. Thesetting includes chandeliers and signature cocktails with names like “Train Station Smash” and “Box Car Paloma.”

ä See PASCAGOULA, page 7A

SUN HERALD FILE PHOTO By HANNAH RUHOFF

Anew Amtrak sign is placed at the old Pascagoula, Miss., train station in 2025. Amtrak trains began running between NewOrleans and Mobile, Alabama, in August.

MEHR NEWSAGENCyPHOTO By MAHDINEGAHBAN

Rescuers in Indonesia

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS Authorities say family was out hiking

find 2 from sunken boat PALU Indonesia Rescuers in eastern Indonesia found two more survivors, a mother and son, on Sunday from a passenger boat that sank last week and were searching for 18 others still missing

The 46-year-old woman and her 24-year-old son were found stranded on Balaloho Island, one of the small inhabited islands in Selayar by fishermen, officials said.

More than 200 rescuers aboard vessels were joined by Indonesian troops, police, fishermen and residents, said Andi Sultan, head of emergency response in Makassar

“Rescue teams also faced extremely harsh weather conditions including waves as high as 2 to 3 meters and strong winds,” Sultan said.

Search and rescue team retrieved five survivors on Saturday evening, including a 7-yearold girl, who were clinging to a fish trap. At least one person was confirmed dead.

The KM Nurul Salsa, which was carrying 78 passengers and crew, experienced engine failure and sank Wednesday about 43 nautical miles from the port in the Selayar Islands, in South Sulawesi Province.

Suspected Somali pirates hijack tanker

MOGADISHU, Somalia A Tanzanian-flagged tanker was hijacked by suspected Somali pirates off Yemen’s coast, security sources and local officials familiar with the incident said Sunday

The commercial tanker has since been moved to waters off Somalia’s northeastern Bari region, according local officials.

The MT ASANA, a general tanker was seized on Friday after departing from Mukalla, Yemen, according to the sources. The vessel is now being held off the coast of Caluula in the semiautonomous state of Puntland’s Bari region.

According to sources who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the incident publicly, the ship was hijacked by seven armed Somali pirates. Public vessel-tracking data reviewed by The Associated Press showed the MT ASANA transmitting its position on Friday as it moved slowly in the Gulf of Aden, listing Bosaso, Somalia, as its destination. The vessel was traveling at about 2 knots, an unusually slow speed consistent with earlier reports that it had transmitted a distress signal during the incident. It was not immediately clear how many crew members were aboard the tanker or whether anyone had been injured. There was no immediate information on the nationality of the crew Puntland authorities have not publicly commented on the reported hijacking.

Judge: Clause doesn’t allow cuts to funding

BOSTON A federal judge in Boston on Friday ruled the Trump administration can’t use an obscure clause relating to agency priorities to make billions of dollars in funding cuts.

Twenty-three states had a filed a lawsuit last year accusing the administration of using the clause to make cuts to everything from crime prevention to food security to scientific research. They were concerned that it would be used to cancel current and future grants.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani granted a summary judgment preventing the administration from relying on the clause to make cuts and denied a motion by the government to dismiss the case.

“Defendants’ interpretation of the Termination Clause is not clearly supported by the text of the provision runs counter to the regulatory scheme, receives no support in the rule-making history, and would violate the Spending Clause’s requirement that conditions be imposed unambiguously,” Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, wrote The lawsuit argued that the Office of Management and Budget promulgated the use of the clause in question to justify what it described as a “nationwide slash-and-burn campaign.”

5 found dead after flash flood in Utah

fire department, his wife and their sons, according to fire officials. A daughter who was not on the trip survived.

By The Associated Press

BICKNELL, Utah Five fam-

ily members who had set out for a day of hiking were killed after a flash flood swept through canyons of southern Utah on Friday, law enforcement officials said.

The victims were a captain in the Provo, Utah,

The family arrived Friday at Sunglow Campground in a scenic red rock canyon near Bicknell, Utah for their day excursion, the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office said.

“It is believed the family fell victim to flooding caused by heavy rains,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Although the sheriff’s

office did not identify the victims, the Provo Fire Department confirmed in a social media post that a fire captain, Spencer Long, and his family members were killed.

“We are absolutely heartbroken by the death of Captain Spencer Long and his family. Our thoughts are with his family friends, and colleagues during this difficult time,” officials with the fire department wrote.

Later Friday night, deputies were called to the

campground after the body of a young male was found in the flood wash. The bodies of the other family members were recovered late Friday and Saturday

Meanwhile, tributes poured into the family

Long, his wife Katrina and their sons Reid, Thayne and Gage died in the devastating floods according to a GoFundMe site set up by a family friend to support the Longs’ daughter as she navigates the loss of her family

“Spencer and Katrina

were loving, devoted parents whose greatest joy was their family They touched the lives of so many with their kindness, generosity, and unwavering love,” Bree Nielson wrote on the page.

Katrina Long was the co-founder of a medical spa. “Our hearts are with all of their loved ones as we grieve the unimaginable loss of Katrina, her husband, and their three beautiful boys,” Summit Medical Spa posted on Facebook.

Russian attacks kill 6 in Kyiv, other cities

Strikes expose gaps in Ukraine’s air defenses

By The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Russia attacked Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities with ballistic missiles, drones and guided bombs Sunday killing at least six people and wounding dozens, authorities said, again highlighting Ukraine’s shortage of U.S.-made Patriot air defense systems.

Moscow has in recent weeks stepped up its use of ballistic missiles as it seeks to choke off Ukrainian strikes on oil facilities deep inside Russia that have caused critical fuel shortages affecting both the military and the civilian population

President Donald Trump has said he is prepared to grant Ukraine licenses to produce Patriots, the most effective means of intercepting Russian ballistic missiles, potentially bolstering Kyiv’s defenses.

However, the details and timeline remain unclear and full production could take years.

The latest attack on Kyiv began at around 1:30 a.m. and continued for several hours, with explosions echoing across the city Russia launched 41 missiles and 125 drones across Ukraine overnight, according to the Ukrainian air force. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said most of the missiles had targeted the capital.

Later Sunday, a Russian attack on a postal facility near Ukraine’s secondlargest city of Kharkiv killed three people and

An

wounded at least 20, according to the regional administration.

Russian guided bombs also hit the cities of Kherson and Sumy, local authorities and Ukraine’s emergency service reported, with each of the strikes leaving at least one person dead.

The strikes on Kyiv sparked fires in five districts, damaging residential buildings, office and industrial sites, a dormitory and vehicles, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service.

Viktoria Shejko, 32, was taking shelter in the corridor of her apartment block with her seven children and husband when they heard the loud explosions.

“When the alarm started, we checked that there were ballistics, then went into the corridor Then it started exploding one

missile after another,” she said.

The strain of constant bombardment is “very difficult psychologically,” she said. “It used to be once a week or even more rarely, but now if not every day, then every other day.”

Rescuers pulled four people from a burning home in the Sviatoshynskyi district, while in the Shevchenkivskyi district, they rushed to save residents from a three-story building on fire. One person was found dead. Firefighters also responded to blazes in the Solomyanskyi Desnianskyi and Dnipro districts.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed the attack on Kyiv targeted sites linked to the Ukrainian military — including plants producing Flamingo drones and parts for Neptune guided missiles, as well as a postal terminal used for

5.5 magnitude quake hits Peru, killing at least 6

By The Associated Press

LIMA, Peru A 5.5 magnitude earthquake shook the Andes region of Peru, killing at least six people, injuring more than 30 and displacing 300, authorities said Sunday

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake struck on Saturday at 9:24 p.m., with its epicenter located 1.24 miles west-southwest of the city of Sicaya in Huancayo province. It was 6.21 miles deep.

Peru’s National Civil Defense Institute said in a statement the total number of missing is still unknown. Several buildings collapsed or suffered structural damage, including the historic “Santiago de León” church and former convent in Chongos Bajo, which was built in 1565 and designated as national heritage site for being a 16th century “architectural gem.”

Luis Vásquez, head of the local civil defense office told journalists that the use of rustic adobe

materials in construction in that Andean area “has contributed to the greater impact and damage.”

Earthquakes are frequent in Peru, which is located in the so-called Pacific “Ring of Fire.” Images broadcast by local media captured the anguish of victims’ relatives in one of the hardesthit areas, the agricultural region of Chongos Bajo, where residents huddled under blankets outside

severely damaged homes. Animals were also seen under the rubble.

“My home has been destroyed,” Hermenegilda Guamalato told a local radio station as she sought a place to stay with her three children in the neighboring province of Huayucachi.

In 2007, a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck the province of Pisco in the Ica region, killing nearly 600 people.

storing dual-use goods and assembling drones, robotic systems and electronic warfare equipment.

Separately, a strike on two oil tankers at the Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal off Russia’s Black Sea halted oil loadings at the site, the CPC said Sunday The attack on the ASIA and NISSOS tankers in the port of Novorossiysk sparked a fire aboard the ASIA, which was extinguished. The company did not say who was responsible for the attack.

It added there were no casualties or oil spills, and the tankers — sailing under the flags of Liberia and the Marshall Islands respectively — remained afloat.

Both Russia and Ukraine

have sharply ramped up strikes on ships in the Black and Azov seas over the past week. Ukraine’s strikes on oil tankers there are part of its efforts to cut fuel supplies to the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. Kyiv also says it targets Russia’s socalled shadow fleet, which ships oil in violation of international sanctions over the Kremlin’s invasion of its neighbor Kyiv has for months been targeting Russia’s oil industry which it says both directly fuels Moscow’s war effort and funds it through export revenues, triggering acute fuel shortages in a country that is one of the world’s top oil producers. The CPC is a 940-mile oil pipeline connecting Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea oil deposits with Novorossiysk, where the oil is loaded and shipped by tanker to world markets. The pipeline accounts for about 80% of oilrich Kazakhstan’s crude exports, with the Russian government and Russian state oil firms holding a combined 31% stake in the enterprise. Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that Ukrainian units struck more energy infrastructure in Russian territory He said units of Ukraine’s Security Service agency struck three oil depots in the Stavropol region, while a separate unit of the army hit another fuel-related facility in the same region. Three Russian tankers were also struck in the Black Sea, he said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By EFREM LUKATSKy

owner looks at her damaged car on Sunday after a Russia missile attack in Kyiv Ukraine.

ASSOCIATED

DOJ activates court for ‘alien terrorist’ deportations

Court, created in 1996, has never received a petition before

BY ERIC TUCKER Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration has filed a first-ever petition to a secretive and dormant court created 30 years ago to consider government requests to deport so-called “alien terrorists” from the United States. The Alien Terrorist Removal Court was estab-

lished in 1996 but had never received a petition until this past Wednesday, when the Justice Department filed an application seeking the removal of an individual whose name is withheld from the single-page document posted on the court’s website.

The chief judge of the five-member court, Joan Ericksen, said in a written response to the petition that a hearing was held on Thursday during which the court had “questions about the nexus that the government alleges between the actions of the respondent and the specific sections and subsec-

tions it invokes with respect to those actions.

“The answers persuaded the Court that the Government could benefit from the opportunity for more thoughtful consideration,” wrote Ericksen, a federal judge in Minnesota.

She directed the Justice Department to provide more information by Wednesday

The court’s authorities emerged from the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996, which permits the attorney general to file under seal applications for the deportation of a suspected “alien

DAVID SANTIAGO

Freed Cuban dissident, artist arrives in U.S.

By The Associated Press

MIAMI A famous Cuban dissident artist and musician, Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara, arrived in Miami on Saturday after being released from a five-year prison sentence on the condition that he leave his country Alcántara, 38, was greeted at the airport by a crowd that was cheering, singing and holding their phones high in the air to get a photo of him. They draped him in a Cuban flag, printed with the words “Patria y Vida” “Homeland and Life” — the title of a song he shared a Grammy for that became an anthem for Cuba’s political opposition against repression.

The United States granted him parole into the country earlier this week, according to a social media page maintained by his friends and supporters. They wrote that he accepted exile as the only way to escape persecu-

tion and continue his art and activism.

Alcántara co-founded a group of Havana artists, writers and musicians called the San Isidro Movement — named for the neighborhood where Alcántara lived.

He was arrested on July 11, 2021, during a public protest In 2022, a court sentenced him to five years in prison for public disorder contempt and disrespect toward national symbols.

His arrest and incarceration had long been denounced by human rights organizations and the U.S. government Groups including Amnesty International called him a political prisoner, an allegation the Cuban government rejected.

Alcántara was held in a maximum-security prison, he said, and was expected to be released last week. But for days, advocates said they still could not contact him and did not know where he was.

The organization Cubalex, which legally advises dissidents and reports human rights violations from outside of the country, filed a habeas corpus petition on his behalf Monday Until he boarded a plane Saturday, his advocates were not sure of his location, or if he was truly free.

His said his first stop on American soil would be at the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity to make an offering.

Other political prisoners remained imprisoned, including his fellow artist Maykel “Osorbo” Castillo Pérez, his advocates said, and they hoped Alcántara’s release would prompt insistence that Pérez also be set free.

Alcántara brought from Cuba a broken statue of the Virgin Mary, which he described as a symbol of hope and healing, a chance to put back together something from fragments.

Second death reported in New York Legionnaires’ disease outbreak

By The Associated Press

NEW YORK A second person has died in connection with an outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease in New York, the New York City Health Department announced Saturday The outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has infected 72 people, according to health officials Two people have died. The first death was announced Friday, and the second was announced Saturday

“We are heartbroken to

learn that another New Yorker has lost their life to Legionnaires’ disease on the Upper East Side. Our deepest condolences are with their loved ones as they grieve,” New York City Health Commissioner Dr Alister F. Martin said in a statement. Legionnaires’ disease is a form of severe pneumonia caused by a type of bacteria that thrives in warm, stagnant water Health officials have focused on testing cooling towers that are part of air conditioning systems for large buildings Property

owners have been ordered to drain and disinfect towers where there has been a positive test result Health officials did not pinpoint a source for the current outbreak but said there has been a sustained decline in new cases. They said that indicates the source of exposure to Legionella bacteria has likely been eliminated. Legionnaires’ disease is treatable but 10% of people will die due to complications from the illness, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Dozens missing after ferry carrying 133 people capsizes off Guyana

BY BERT WILKINSON Associated Press

GEORGETOWN, Guyana A government ferry carrying 133 passengers and crew capsized in Guyana with 67 people rescued so far authorities said Sunday, as a massive search and rescue operation tried to find the dozens of people still missing. The MV Barima was sail-

ing from the capital, Georgetown, along the North Atlantic coast to Port Kaituma, said Guyanese Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who is leading the government’s response

Phillips said the group that had been rescued included 41 men, 11 women and 15 children. He did not say whether authorities feared the missing passengers were dead or not. Helicopters, planes and

terrorist.” If an application is granted, the court must hold a public hearing at which the government has the burden to prove that the individual satisfies that definition. Applications must be approved by the attorney general or deputy attorney general.

Federal law says that an individual could qualify as an “alien terrorist” by, among other factors, having “engaged in a terrorist activity,” endorsing or espousing terrorist activities and by belonging to a political or social group that encourages terrorist activity

The court has been dor-

mant since its creation having received — until last week — no applications and conducting no hearings, according to a summary posted on the Federal Judicial Center website. It is comprised of five judges selected by Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Trump administration has moved aggressively over the last year to carry out deportations, including invoking a 1798 wartime law, the Alien Enemies Act, to remove Venezuelan migrants who officials accuse of being part of a terrorist gang. During a hearing in that case last year, the Wash-

ington judge presiding over it, James Boasberg, indicated that the Alien Terrorist Removal Court would be the natural forum to consider a request for deportation on national security grounds.

“In fact, Congress has an answer for us, doesn’t it? Because they created the Alien Terrorist Removal Court,” he said. “So if there’s a national security concern with having these hearings you can always go to the ATRC, which would be a first, but that’s what it’s there for, right?”

The petition was first reported by Court Watch, an independent news site.

Ukrainian prosecutors release video of bombing in Monaco

Tycoon, his family hurt in June 30 blast

By The Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine Ukrainian prosecutors have released video of what they say is the bombing in Monaco that seriously injured tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev and his family

The June 30 attack deeply shook the discreet and ultrawealthy principality on the Mediterranean coast. The motive remains unclear. The case has involved investigators in Monaco, France and Ukraine as well as international police agency Interpol.

The suspected perpetrator Anastasiia Berezovska, was found dead in Ukraine a few days later A Ukrainian military intelligence officer confessed to killing her, but said he acted on his own and without the knowledge of his superiors, according to the Ukrainian Security Service, known as the SBU.

In the video provided to The Associated Press on Saturday, a person with a hat and carrying a bag is seen placing an object in the entryway of a building, and then walking away A man, woman and child are climbing the hill in the background. The three approach the entryway, and a blast is

License

heard, while the video turns into a blur Ukrainian chief prosecutor Ruslan Kravchenko said in a Telegram post that the video came from a surveillance camera installed by the suspected perpetrators to ensure that the attack took place. He said that the images were initially deleted but specialists from the SBU were able to restore them.

The Monaco prosecutor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the video or the status of the investigation.

Yermolaiev’s lawyers released a letter this week accusing Ukrainian security services of organizing the explosion, and urging protection for his family

In his letter, provided to

French media, Yermolaiev said the Ukrainian military intelligence agency was directly involved in an attempt to assassinate his family Yermolaiev wrote that he remains hospitalized, his partner Anna has “irreversible” injuries, and their 13-year-old son had burns and fractures. Unusually, the letter thanks Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for his personal attention to the case and for unspecified assistance, according to the French media reports. Yermolaiev was sanctioned by Zelenskyy’s government in 2023 for his ties to Russia, and has said he renounced his Ukrainian citizenship. Zelenskyy has not commented about whether he helped in the case.

revoked for boarding school where Paris Hilton says she was abused

By The Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY Utah revoked another campus license on Friday for the boarding school where Paris Hilton said she was abused as a teenager marking a major victory in the hotel heiress’ yearslong effort to get the school shut down.

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services’ decision cites a multitude of noncompliance citations in 2026 for the Provo Canyon School’s Provo campus, including not protecting “a client from potential harm or acts of violence,” and “using cruel and unnecessary practice on a child.” More than a dozen of the citations were noted on Friday

“This horrific chapter of abuse, neglect, and trauma has finally come to an end,” she said in a statement.

The school, which is described on its website as a psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth ages

12 to 18, has until Aug. 15 to stop providing services at its Provo campus. In the interim, Utah officials will be monitoring the facility at least once a week, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services.

fishing vessels are scanning a 1,000-square-mile area in search efforts. The MV Barima departed shortly after 3 p.m. on Saturday and ran into trouble shortly before midnight, officials said. A distress call was received at 11:01 p.m., which prompted a search and rescue operation involving state and private boats, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill said on Facebook.

“No child should be hurt in a program that is meant to protect them; particularly programs that require the authorization of the state to operate,” Shannon Thoman-Black, director of the division of licensing and background checks at the health and human services department, said in a statement Earlier this month, the state revoked the license for the Provo Canyon School’s other campus in Utah, saying the school has “failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients.” Hilton, the media personality who spent almost a year at the school in the late 1990s, said the latest announcement means she finally feels a sense of “peace.”

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By

Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrives Saturday at Miami International Airport after serving a five-year prison sentence in Cuba

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PHILIPPE MAGONI

A shattered window of a residential building is seen on June 30 in Monaco, a day after an explosive device seriously injured three people at a nearby building

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

People walk Fridaypastthe Grand Mosque of Paris,where abanner marking its 100th anniversaryreads, ‘100 yearsoflight, acentury of history,spirituality and

Paris’ GrandMosque marks100th anniversary

BY NICOLAS GARRIGA Associated Press

PARIS Ahundred years

ago, Paris erectedamonumental mosque to honor Muslim soldiers from French colonieswho fought in World WarI.It’snow an integral part of the capital’s bustling Latin Quarter,and as it celebratesits centenary, worshippers are reflecting on being Muslim in today’sFrance.

The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris seesitas asymbolofinterfaithdialogue and France’sdiversity,but worries about religious tensions in the country linked to conflicts in the Middle East and the polarizing campaign for next year’s presidential election.

“It’sthe responsibility of everyone to see Muslims as apart of the national community,” Chems-eddine Hafiz toldThe Associated Press.

Visitors arriving for 100th anniversary prayers Fridayincluded people from differentregionsaround Paris, those born in France or those who came over the decades from Algeria, Senegal and beyond. Many trace their origins to France’scolonial empire.

The Paris city tourism office’swebsitelists the mosque as atop attraction, calling its ornate, carpeted prayer room a“must-see.” Inspired by the Alhambra in Spain’sGranada, the mosque has a108-foot-high minaret that overlooks the Seine River —complement-

ingbut not overshadowing the twin towers of nearby Notre Dame Cathedral. The mosque housesapopular tea room and hammam steam baths.

But most of all it is aplace of worship and history French authorities wanted to honor the“bloodspilled during WWI by Muslim soldiers who died in trenches of Verdun and beyond to defend France, Hafiz said. Most came from coloniesin Africa.

Themosque’simam duringthe Nazioccupationof Paris, Abdelkader Mesli, helped shelterJews and supply false documents to try to protectthem, and was later himself deported to death camps,according to Hafiz. He survived, butreturned in poor healthand died afew years later.Mesli’swartime effortswererediscovered in 2015 when his family found notebooks documentingthe period.

“When it was built, French President Gaston Doumergue made adeclaration reminding us that France’sdiversity could only reinforceits national community,” Hafiz said, callingita”beautiful message.”

“I believethe political will and the politicalmessage have remainedunchanged” since 1926, Hafiz said. “The problem lies in people’sattitudes. Today,anti-Muslim acts arestill beingcommitted against Muslims. Islam is oftenmisunderstood,and talkingabout MuslimsorIslam can trigger hostility.

Islam is nowthe second religioninFrance, whichhas the largest Muslim population in Western Europe. But thecountry’sMuslimsoften struggle to gain full acceptance andface discrimination. Stigmasagainst Muslims worsened after deadly Islamic extremist attacks in France over the past decade.

France is in the midst of acampaign for next year’s presidentialelectionsofar dominated by Marine Le Pen and her far-right National Rally,which hastargeted Islam and immigration.

Fatma Chouchane,a volunteer at theGrand Mosque, lamented restrictions on women wearingMuslim headscarves in French schools and someworkplaces. “I askFrancetoleave these people alone”and let them make theirreligious choices, she said.

Like other worshippers at Friday’sprayers, however she focusedonmessages of tolerance and celebrating themosque anniversary

“It’sasymbol, it is the Paris museumfor Muslims,” shesaid. “Wemustall be in solidarity.”

For IbrahimaSeye, the mosque wasone of thefirst places he visited after arriving in France from Senegal.

“It’s always open,” he said. “It’sgood for the Muslim community,and Isee that it’sa mosquethat is appreciated by alot of tourists,too.”

Associated Press writer Angela Charlton contributed tothis report.

JD andUshaVance welcomebabyboy

Childis firstborn to asitting VP in over 150years

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

WASHINGTON Vice President JD Vance and his wife, second lady Usha Vance, on Sunday announced the birth of their fourth child, the first born to asitting vice president in morethan 150 years. Born Sunday,AlecNeel Vance joins older siblings Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6; and Mirabel, 4. Vanceannounced the birth on social media with astatement signed by him and his wife.

“Weare excited to announce thatour baby boy Alec Neel Vance, was born this morning. Usha andthe baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” the statement said.

They thanked doctors and staff at the Walter Reed National MilitaryMedical Center and with the White House medical team

The Republican vice president’sgrowing family is in keeping with hispassionate advocacy forAmericans to have morechildren. He has alsosuggested that the 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was his friend, factored into the decision to have another child.

Vance, aformer U.S. Marine, repeatedly expressed alarm aboutdeclining birthrates in America as he launched his political career in 2021 with abid for aU.S. Senateseat from Ohio. As vice president,he said in Washington at the 2025March forLifeantiabortionrally,“Iwant more babies in the United States of America.”

Thevicepresident, who’s 41, has been accompanied on overseas trips by Usha Vance, 40, andtheir children, with the kids often pajamaclad as theyboard Air Force Twofor theovernight flights Usha Vance, thedaughter of immigrants from India had already been the subject of some public fascination because of her husband. Her pregnancy,whichwas announced in January,amplified that spotlight since

it is rare for occupants of the United States’ highest public offices to add to their families while serving.

The last time asitting vice president became anew father was in the 1800s.

Schuyler Colfax and his second wife, Ellen Wade, hada son,Schuyler Colfax III, in 1870 when Colfax was serving as vicepresident, according to the White House HistoricalAssociation. Decadesbefore that, John C. Calhoun and his wife,Floride Bonneau, had ason, William, in 1829 when Calhoun was vice president, the association said.

The newest addition to Vance’sfamily waspart of arecent mini baby boom among top members of President Donald Trump’s administration. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller’swife, Katie Miller, recentlygavebirth to the couple’sfourth child, andWhite Housepress secretary Karoline Leavitt had her second child with her husband, NicholasRiccio, in May Usha Vance recently came under scrutiny after The New York Times’fashion critic called attention to the stomach-hugging, coral maternity dress she worefor aFather’sDay episode of “Storytime with the Second Lady,” avideo podcastshe launched during the pregnancy The Times wrotethatthe attention that Vance, Miller and Leavitt had put on their pregnanciesoffered “an image of idealizedwomanhood that gives literal shape to thepronatalist movement,” which encourages couplestohaveas many children as possible

to counter declining birth rates. The second lady responded on social media, writing, “Now that we know the political significance of my $8.75 coral maternity dress fromOld Navy,can’t wait to hear what The NewYork Times has to say about my elastic-waistband pants and compression socks! In the meantime,enjoy my pregnancyfashion (orlack thereof) and agood story with your kids on Storytime with the Second Lady.” She later shared the receipt for thedress, andher husband applauded her frugality “She bought a$50 dress for$8.75. America: meet your next director of the federalbudget!” the vice presidentwrote on social media.

JD Vance hassaid it was Kirk’swidow, ErikaKirk, telling them that she wished she’d had more than two childrenwithher husband before he wasassassinated last September in Utah that led him and the second lady to decide to grow their family. Usha Vance, aformer attorney whoonce clerked for Supreme Court Chief JusticeJohnRoberts,concurred —inpart. “It was very powerful, what (Erika) said about her own family,and certainly very moving to both of us. I think Ihad alreadystarted to open my mind to the possibility,” Usha Vancesaid during ajoint interview with herhusband for “CBS SundayMorning” thataired in June. “I wouldn’tsay that this was, formeinany way, the decisive factor.But it came in the middle of a conversation that we were already having.”

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI

Associated Press

SOUTH HAVEN, Mich. Senate

candidate Haley Stevens talks often about manufacturing, taking on President Donald Trump and whyshe’s the Democrat best positioned to win Michigan. The congresswomanhas far less to say about the pro-Israel group that has spent millions trying to get her elected.

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, and its affiliated groups have spent closeto $30million backingStevens —their largestinvestment ever in asingle race —as they seek to defeat progressive favorite Abdul El-Sayed in the Aug. 4primary Stevens has largelyavoided discussing the organization directly,even as its spending has reshaped the race. Asked twice about AIPAC during a July campaign stop in West Michigan, she responded for more than 800 wordswithout mentioning the group a single time. Israelcame up only once,whenshe said she “wanted to see the U.S. and Israel working togetherto rebuild Gaza.”

“Anyone who supported me is supporting me because of my dedication to the people of Michigan, and the things that Ihave done for Michiganders,” Stevens told TheAssociated Press when asked whether she welcomed AIPAC’ssupport.

The exchange illustrates how politicallyfraught AIPAC has become in Demo-

craticpolitics as the warin Gaza has divided the party over U.S. supportfor Israel. AIPAC works to elect lawmakers whosupport its mission of strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship and advancingpolicies it says enhance the security of both countries

AIPAC did not respond to arequestfor comment.The organization’ssuper PAC, UnitedDemocracy Project, declinedtocomment.

The issue carries particular weight in Michigan, home to the nation’slargest Arab American population Beyond Michigan, El-Sayed’s progressive allies are framing the race as abroadertest of whether grassrootsorganizing can overcome unprecedented outsidespending.

“One of the laws of nature in politics is whoeverspends themostmoney wins,” said New York Rep.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who hasbeen campaigning for El-Sayedin Michigan this weekend

“It is an opportunityto show that thingsother than money can win in America.”

The four-term congresswoman raised halfofwhat El-Sayed did in the latestfundraising period until June 30

Herteam saidina statement that the campaign “is raising the resources we need to win this race.”

She spent only$12,000 of her own campaign funds on advertising through early July, before bumping it up to close to $1 million, according to AdImpact. Outside organizations, meanwhile, have

poured closeto$50 million into boosting her candidacy

One of them, AStronger Michigan, has spent roughly $12 million without disclosing its donors.

El-Sayedhas madeAIPAC and the tensofmillions of dollarsspent to supportStevens acenterpiece of his campaign. He andhis allies have accused Stevens as being amouthpiece for her large donors.

“She is nothing more than an employee of thesebillionaires,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, who is alsocampaigning with El-Sayed this weekend at rallies in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids.

Stevens has said she supports “comprehensive campaign finance reform.”

Most voters are unlikely to realizemany of the ads blanketing Michigan’sairwaves are funded by AIPAC.They nevermention Israel,instead highlighting Stevens’ workonmanufacturing and featuring former President Barack Obama. “AIPAC neverruns on AIPAC. Theynevereven talk about Israel andPalestine,” said former Rep. Andy Levin, whom Stevensdefeatedina2022 Democratic primary after redistricting. AIPACspent millions opposing Levin, who is Jewish. “If you’re justavoter and you see amillion ads, you don’t know who paid for it.”

The surge of spending from AIPAC comes as the Democratic candidates have taken sharply different positions on Israel’swar in Gaza.

While Stevens is not Jewish, shehas long been one of Congress’ mostoutspoken supportersofIsrael. She has described herself as a“proud pro-Israel Democrat” and once said during aHanukkahcelebration that “Israel comes to me in my dreams.” Stevens hascriticized IsraeliPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. During arecent debate, she said he “has

notmadeussafer,has not brought us closer to peace, and he’sendangeredJews here in Americaand around the world.” El-Sayedhas embraced the contrast. The son of Egyptian immigrants, he has called Israel’smilitary campaign in Gaza a“genocide,” described the Israeli government as “evil,”and repeatedlyargued that AIPAC’sinfluence distorts Democratic politics. “The reason that we’ve seen this warfought is because of the impact of AIPAC in our politics,” El-Sayed said during arecent debate. If elected,El-Sayed would become the first Muslim U.S. senator.Herecently addressedquestions about whether his faith would hurt his electability in the battleground state.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON Second lady Usha Vancearrives March12ata Women’s HistoryMonth event in the East Room at the White House in Washington. The Vances announced the birth of their fourthchild on Sunday

PHOTO By MICHEL EULER

dialogue.

Nigerian children pay the price for the Iran war

Rising fuel prices impact food security

BY OPE ADETAYO Associated Press

SOKOTO, Nigeria Maryam Aminu was hardly surprised when the last of her six children was diagnosed with malnutrition in April for a second time. She was barely feeding the 18-month-old regularly let alone with nutritious foods.

Although the family in northwest Nigeria has struggled with economic hardship, their situation deteriorated after February when her husband, Shehu Aminu, lost his job as a taxi driver due to a spike in the retail price of gasoline caused by the war in Iran.

“When she was diagnosed the second time, even though I suspected it, I was sad and angry because I knew why,” Aminu said in the living area of their unvarnished two-bedroom house in the quiet town of Kware, Sokoto, as ash from the coal stove billowed into the room. “Times are tough, and the food is not consistent.” Children relapsing into malnutrition has become an increasingly common occurrence in the state and across northern Nigeria, according to local health and aid workers, who cite knock-on effects from the Iran war Northern Nigeria, one of the world’s poorest regions, is already under pressure from an insurgency crisis. Now, the conflict in the Middle East has worsened food security for millions of people living in poverty, especially children

IRAN

Continued from page 1A

site of a planned nuclear power plant in the southwest state television reported.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC of the Darkhovin nuclear plant site showed earth clearing but little construction as of July 9 Iran did not previously announce it as being targeted.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said the site, in the “very early stages of construction,” contained no nuclear material when the U.N. watchdog last visited.

Arab states have been targeted

Jordan’s military said it shot down several Iranian missiles The country hosts major U.S. bases and relies on U.S. air-defense systems. The missiles did not cause casualties or damage, according to Jordan’s military Jordan later summoned Iran’s chargé d’affaires to protest, staterun television reported.

Israel’s military said Iranian missiles launched toward the Jordanian port city of Aqaba just across the border could spill over, warning Israelis to expect the first air-raid sirens in weeks

Eilat, the Israeli city that neighbors Aqaba, cited security officials as saying two interceptors were launched from its outskirts to prevent the fall of debris.

During the latest fighting, Iran has focused attacks on U.S.-allied Arab states rather than Israel, which launched the war with the U.S. on Feb. 28. “We are prepared to immediately resume combat,” the Israeli military chief of staff,

President Donald Trump has been trying to force Iran to fully reopen the route for months, turning to everything from airstrikes and naval blockades to negotiations and threats.

In Sokoto, where the soaring prices have brought more hardship for families, health workers told The Associated Press that they’ve been seeing more children returned to health facilities this year after falling back into malnutrition.

At a hospital in Sokoto, records shared with AP show nearly 40 children previously treated for malnutrition since February are currently under treatment again, in addition to those not documented.

“I am worried and sometimes angry about the increasing numbers we are seeing,” said health worker Halimah Muhammad.

with armed groups.

“I wake up every morning unhappy, seeing I can no longer provide for my family,” said Shehu, Maryam’s husband. “Then, 2,000 naira could buy you a nutritious meal for the whole family Now, you need 5,000 naira to buy what 2,000 naira would buy.”

Most of their meals are pap, a kind of corn pudding, and rice.

“There is no way to feed the children,” he said.

‘I wish she were excited’

People in northwest Nigeria are caught between regular attacks by bandit groups who specialize in kidnapping for ransom and Islamist militants who have been expanding their territory The Iran war, analysts say, compounds the impact.

At the same time, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu’s vast economic reforms sparked high inflation after fuel subsidies were removed three years ago and the currency was devalued. A World Bank technical report this week stated that 139 million Nigerians are now poor or vulnerable to poverty

If the war in the Middle East continues, up to 23.4 million additional children could fall into monetary poverty — meaning a lack of income or consumption by the end of the year, the United Nations children’s agency UNICEF said in a report this week. It warned that at least 80% would be in Africa and Asia.

“Children are paying the price for the escalating conflict in the

Middle East, including children far beyond the region,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “The longer this continues, the worse the consequences will be.”

Dangers ahead for children

Amid the Iran war, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz — through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passed before the war sent a ripple effect across the world. A worldwide fuel shock drove up the prices of everything from gas and groceries to fertilizer and airline tickets.

In Nigeria, fuel pump prices jumped from $0.58 per liter in February to $1.02 in April, with a knock-on effect on the prices of food and necessities.

Beyond current realities, soaring prices and economic hardship mean that children in poor households are more likely to be stunted in the long term, UNICEF’s Russell said in an interview with the AP as she was visiting Sokoto this week.

“Their development will be compromised. They are less likely to stay in school because their parents are under so much financial stress. So the long-term implications for children are absolutely terrible,” said Russell.

The war has also affected fertilizer supplies and prices, threatening the planting season and worsening the fate of mostly farming communities in northern Nigeria who have struggled to access their farmlands amid a deadly conflict

“This distant war offers no relief for the north’s vulnerable,” Ikemesit Effiong, a partner at SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical risk advisory, said.

Larai Malami, a 35-year-old mother of 10, gave birth to her last child in December but the infant has already been diagnosed with malnutrition twice.

Her family has been struggling after her husband lost his job as a motorcycle rider and crossed the border into neighboring Niger to look for work.

Malami worries about the fuel price because it keeps the price of food high and her husband away “I worry that the child might never be fully well,” she said.

That is a sentiment shared by Aminu, too. “I wish she were excited and full of life,” she said.

Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, said. Kuwait said one of its power and water desalination plants was attacked for the second time in two days, causing fires Its Ministry of Electricity, Water and Renewable Energy said the power grid remains stable. In Kuwait, about 90% of drinking water comes from desalination.

The secretary-general of the sixnation Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, has accused Iran of war crimes for strikes on infrastructure and civilian facilities. International humanitarian law generally protects civilian infrastructure such as bridges and power plants from attack, but such

sites can lose protections if used for military purposes. In such cases, attacks must be proportionate and minimize civilian harm.

Strait of Hormuz remains key

U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to target Iran’s power stations and bridges to try to compel Tehran to loosen its hold on the Strait of Hormuz, which saw onefifth of global oil supplies transit before the war Recent attacks suggest the U.S. military is carrying out that plan.

The U.S. in the past week reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports to halt its shipments of crude oil. The military on Saturday said it had redirected six ships and dis-

abled one since then.

A maritime organization overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday that the threat to mariners is severe after previous Iranian attacks, “with deliberate hostile action considered highly likely.”

It said traffic remained low with eight transits on Saturday and three on Friday The daily average before the war was almost 140.

Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, in a statement Saturday, warned of “unforgettable lessons” if the U.S. keeps attacking the Islamic Republic. An Iranian negotiator said Tehran was suspending its commitments to the interim deal and accused the U.S. of violating it.

The halfway point has passed in the 60 days the deal set out to negotiate the permanent end of the war and other issues, including Iran’s nuclear program.

Iranian authorities on Sunday said at least 50 people have been killed and 517 wounded in the latest U.S. strikes. Iran has provided no overall information on its materiel losses.

Far from the region, the war’s effects on the prices of fuel and other goods have hit some of the world’s most vulnerable areas hard.

Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank, and Finley from Washington. Associated Press writer Toqa Ezzidin in Cairo contributed.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Halimah Muhammad, a local health worker, right, attends to a child suffering from malnutrition, as his mother Larai Malami, a 35-year-old mother of 10, holds him at the Rumbukawa Primary Health Centre in Sokoto northwestern Nigeria, on Thursday.

ISLAMIC SOCIETy OF NORTH AMERICA PHOTO By AMIRHOSEIN KHORGOOI

on Saturday

By The Associated Press

BEIJING TheChinese company that formerly owned BritishSteel demanded Sunday compensation from the U.K. government for investment losses following the nationalization of the manufacturer last week.

The British government took operational control of the company last yearafter Jingye Group said that it was considering closing the blast furnaces at its Scunthorpe

plant in northern England, the last in the United Kingdom to make“virgin steel” from raw materials.

JingyeGroupsaid in aWeChatstatement that the nationalizationmove tarnished thecredibility of the British government,spooked international investors and caused great losses to the company’s operation and British taxpayers’ funds.Italsodemanded thatthe U.K. government stop“trampling on international investment rules.”

The Chinese companyannounced it hadinitiated negotiation proceduresunder relevant bilateral investment agreements, reserving all rights, including to international arbitration. Jingye said it will also represent British taxpayers seekingtoholdthe U.K. government andBritish Steel’smanagement legally liable. However,itdid not specify how it would handle the case.

“The U.K. disregarded Jingye’s continuous invest-

ment andsignificantcontributionand was only willing to provide almost zero compensation,” it said.

An independent evaluation will be carried outtodetermine whether any compensationwill be paid to Jingye Group, the U.K. government said last week.

The Department for Business and Trade announced the move on July17, saying it would save thousands of jobs andprotectthe U.K.’snational interestbyensuring asup-

ply of domestically produced steel formajor construction projectsand thedefense industry

BritishSteel andits forebears have been making steel at Scunthorpe for more than 130 years, building on theU.K.’sdevelopment of improved steelmaking technology during the Industrial Revolution. The plant currently employs about 2,700 people.

Jingye bought British Steel in 2020 and said it saved the

steel company from crisis. The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Saturdaysaidthe way the U.K. handlesthe issue would directlyinfluence how Chinese investors view theBritish investmentenvironmentand thecredibility of the British government.

“China urges the U.K. to earnestly respect market principles and the spirit of contract, and find solutions on compensationand other issues acceptable to both sides,” it said in astatement.

PASCAGOULA

Continued from page1A

“Wewanted to be elevated,” Ridge Chambers, the general manager, said.

Nearby,a mixed-use property called City Centre opened several years ago and includes 28 residences, office spaceand arooftop lounge with panoramic views called The Hancock Bar.Down the road, the boutique Hotel Whiskey opened in 2024. Between 2020 and 2025, according to the nonprofit economic development group Main Street Pascagoula, 39 new downtown businesses opened and created 114 new jobs.

Ramsay Taylor,aPascagoula nativewho developed the Hancock Bar and several other properties in downtown Pascagoula,lists dozens morenew spots. A pizza place. Aclothing store. Abutcher shop. Pascagoula even has aPilates studio now

“It really was just kind of like abowling ball,” Taylorsaid of the investments. “Other people started taking notice.”

Luring development

Pascagoula is ablue-collar city of about 21,000 people, and many who work in its powerful industriesstill leave for Ocean Springs, Mississippi, or Mobile, Alabama,bythe endofthe day TheU.S.CensusBureau estimates the city as awhole has lost about 600 residents over thepastfive years— a declineofabout 3%.

But leaders say thechanges are significant for the smallcity.MayorJay Willis said downtown Pascagoula hadnoliving optionsfive yearsago.Now,headded, there are almost100 residential units and all have beenleased By 2010, most of Pascagoula’sdowntownbusinesses had been drawn away from the city center to anearby mall or acommercialstretchofU.S.90, a

SCHOOLS

Continued from page1A

Afew districts might scrap plannedraises and instead give the one-time stipends —$2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for school support staff —that Landry’s order dictates. Others plan to cut costs by pausing construction projects or keepingpositions vacant when employees leave.

In TangipahoaParish, the school system’schief financial officer presented possible cost-saving measures to the school board this month.

The district could pause nonessential purchases, delay nonemergency capital projects, or temporarily freeze employees’ annual salary increase, said the official, Jeff McKneely

“There’snogood options,” he said, adding that the state funding reduction is no longer just apotential hazard.

“It’sadone deal.”

Cuts andsavings

Landry issued his execu-

REGULATION

Continued from page1A

YetDemocrats and even some Republicanlawmakers,including the Senate president, have expressed adesire to revisit the bills in 2027. That could set the stage for afight in the Legislature next year,depending on where Gov.Jeff Landry stands and what happens at the federal level.

In May,Senate President Cameron Henry,R-Metairie, said he told the White House that Louisiana would hold many AI bills this year but move forward with them if Congress does not create national regulationsbythe time the next regular session arrives.

“We’re going to hold those for ayear,and then next year at this time, if they haven’ttaken any action, then we’ll pass the bills that we would have liked to have passed this year,”Henry said.

The Senate president did not specify whichof the many AI bills filed this year he favored. Henry did not return multiple follow-up request for comments this month.

Other Republican lawmakers have expressed interest in moving ahead with Henry’splan.

“I agree with Cameron (Henry) —you know,if Congress doesn’tact within the next year, the states are going to have to do something,” said state Rep. Vincent Cox,R-Gretna,who unsuccessfullysponsored two AI-related bills. “I don’tsee (Congress) doing anything right now.” Meanwhile, it appears unlikely that Landry would green-light legislation in defiance of the Trump administration. Landry,who has the power to veto most bills, is aclose friend of the president.

investmentand ledtoatotal of $67.5million invested in downtown redevelopment projects.

“It’sworked beautifully,” Willis said. “It’sgiven the residents, thecitizens and the people that work here atotally different perspective of what Pascagoula is and can be moving forward.”

The city also sought advice from young professionals who worked in Pascagoula but did notlive there.

Cloyd said he attendeda focus group several years ago in whichlocal leaders asked agrouptolist amenities that might convince them to move to Pascagoula.

andthe Chevronrefinery

tive order last month after voters rejected aplan to finance teacher raises by tapping education trust funds, and the Legislature did not include moneyfor teacher stipends in the statebudget Landry has argued that schooldistrictscan offset thecut by drawing on their savings and finding ways to “tighten their belt.” He also says the money is stayingin education because it is going toward teacher pay.

“Nota singledollar isbeing taken away from public education,” he said in a social media post.“We’re investing in teachers, not bureaucracy.”

School board members and superintendents have pushedback, saying their rainy-day funds are meant for natural disasters and other emergencies. They also dispute thesuggestion that their school systems are top-heavy, arguingthat central-officestaffers account for asmall fraction of district budgets

“It’sgreat politicstosay that what we need to do is cut the fat and cut the ad-

busy thoroughfare that cuts acrossthe Mississippi coast. Then the cityused more than $16 millioninpublic funding,includingfrom the BP oil spill settlement, to offer incentives to developers througha group calledthe Pascagoula Redevelopment

ministration,” McKneely saidatthe July7board meeting, “but the math just doesn’twork.”

School employees are districts’ largest expense, andthat’swhere some are looking for savings. In Jefferson Parish, school board members said theymight postpone 1% teacher raises, whichwould have cost $6 million annually,and instead give the required stipends. In Ascension Parish, theschool board will pay for thestipends rather than increase salaries by $1,500.

“Wejustcan’t do that,” boardPresidentJared Bercegeay said at ameeting Tuesday,citing the governor’s order and the possibility of future state cuts.

Jacob Newsom, an Ascension Parish teacher andlocal union leader,said educators arewoefully underpaid, adding that many cannot afford to buy homesinthe parish. He argued that thestate could afford to raise teachers’ pay without dissolving trust funds or cutting school budgets.

“I don’tunderstandwhy

Authority

Developers whorehabilitated downtown eyesores beganapplying for that fundingabout five years ago to receive up to 25% of their project’s total cost. Thecity says that tactic lured more than $51 millioninprivate

every time that teachers or school employees are up for a payincrease, it’saCatch-22,” he said. “Something elsehas to give.”

Boards have proceeded with planned raises in some school districts, including East Baton Rouge as wellas Assumption, Caddo, and St. Tammany parishes. Those districts are looking forother ways to cut costs

“Wedidn’twant to freeze salaries,”saidFrank Jabbia, superintendent of the St. Tammany School System, which gave employees a $350-$500 pay bump. “That would just send ahorrible message.”

Instead, the district will seek to eliminateabout 300 staff positionsthrough attrition, Jabbia said. In Assumption Parish, where officials saystarting teacherswill see a$5,200 salary increase, thedistrict planstotrimthe budget through attrition and by pausing some school renovations.

After an outcryfromschool system leaders, Landry said last monththatlocal pay increases would count to-

Many wantedmoredowntown apartments. Another idea,Cloyd said, was the brewery City leaders and businesses nowsay they arenoticing more visitors who getoff the Amtraktrains for lunch and shopping. Developers say many of thenew apartments arerentedbyprofessionals who work at Ingalls

ward the required stipend amounts. But more than four weeks later,school districts still have notreceived writtenguidance aboutwhich local raises meet the governor’srequirements.

“They don’tknow anything yet,” said David Claxton, executive director of theLouisiana Association of School Superintendents.

Aspokespersonfor the state Department of Education said guidanceisbeing finalized.

Fundingfears

The slash in state funding comes as school systems alreadyare reelingfrom enrollmentdeclines and rising costs of everything from fuel to propertyinsurance. Rural districts with limited local revenue have been hit especially hard.

In Caldwell Parish, the school system closed a campus this year and is eliminating 11 positions to address itsshortfall, said Superintendent Nicki McCann.But nowthe state cut has put them further behind.

Willis said when he goes downtown for dinner on Fridays andSaturdays now, he oftenfinds no place to park. And Cloyd and others say more development is coming. Pascagoula is still quieter than many popular spots along the Mississippi, including Bay St. Louis andOcean Springs. Some groups of professionals strolled the sidewalks one recent weekday or stopped at Chandeleur Depot. It was not crowded. But down the road from the brew pub, as anearby train whistle echoed offthe buildings, Tobie Decoteau rang up afew customers at Lee Tracy Boutique.She said she has been hearing newaccents in thestore ever since Amtrak service returned to theGulf Coast last summer. Many are from Louisiana andMobile. “It’sa great thing,”Decoteau said. “We’re so happy that all this is newand developed.”

“Itbasically did away with all the cost savings we had worked so hard to do,” she said. Even as they navigate the currentcut,school systems are bracing forfuture reductions.

In conjunction with Landry’sorder,the Legislature establisheda task force to review the state’sschool fundingformula,known as the Minimum Foundation Program. The committee, which is expected to begin meetingnext month, has been taskedwith finding a way to pay for permanent educator raises.

Some local officialsworry thetask force will recommend taking the money from school systemsrather than tapping thestate budget.

“Wehave to be prepared for this type of cut to be reoccurring,” Jabbia said. “If we don’tprepare, we’re going to be in the same situation we‘re in right now.” Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@ theadvocate.com.

Trump has generally been reluctant to curb the use of AI,arguing that restrictions would hinder U.S.advances in the technology In March, the Trump administration released its AI policy agenda, which says Congress should block state AI lawsthat“impose undue burdens,” all with the goal of ensuring “a minimallyburdensome national standard” to promoteAmericandominance in the technology

Butthe framework endorsedregulations that would protect children from the dangersofAI, such as sexual exploitation and selfharm linked to chatbot use. And in June, the president took asmall step toward creating morerestrictions around the technology,signing anexecutiveorder that established afederal framework for reviewing the risks AI systems pose to national security.Participation by developers wouldbevoluntary,according to the order The order also stressed theimportance of laws that prevent AI from being used to commit crimes Louisianabills that failed In the spring, numerous bills filed by Republicans and Democrats alike lost their shot at moving forward amid opposition from theTrump administration.

Oneofthe many bills on the table would have required humans to review health insurance claim denialsmade usingAI. Another proposal would have required employerstodothe same for decisions to hire, fire and promote employees.

“Weagreewith the Trump administrationthat these decisions are bestregulated at the federal level,” said Kate Kelly,a spokesperson forLandry.“The Trump administration issued the nationalpolicy framework in March of 2026. They also issued an executiveorder on June 2. We will use those two documents as guiding lights going forward.”

Cox voiced frustration thathis twobills, which included the bill regulating employers, House Bill 421, “didn’tget achance to pass.”

The state representative’s other proposal, House Bill 157, attempted to protect Louisiana musicians by making it illegal to use AIgenerated contentofanother person’s likeness or voice for commercial purposeswithout that person’s permission.

Coxpulledboth bills upon learning from the Landry administration that Trump threatened to go after federal funds used to expand broadband access if states passed certainAIregulations. That could have put millions of dollars that Louisiana was slatedtoreceive on the line, though it was unclear howmuchpower the Trump administration actually hadoverthe funding.

Cox recentlyvowed to bring HB157 back next year; he said he is less certain about whether he will move forward with HB421, which wouldbemorecontroversial.

The health insurancelegislation— Senate Bill 246

—was sponsored by state Sen. Jay Luneau,aDemocrat from Alexandria, who also parked his bill outof concernfor the broadband funds but promised to sponsor it againnextyear

“My plan all along has been to bring my bill back, andthe reason for that is because it really is avery commonsensical bill,” he said. “It’snot unreasonable, certainly,and Ithink awhole lot of people wanttosee that.”

SB246 received earlysupport from state Sen. Adam Bass, aRepublican from Bossier City, who helped shape the legislation. The teamworkbetweenBass and Luneau was unusual, considering the two senators often clash on insurance issues. Bass did not return arequest for comment.

What didpass Measures that did pass included laws toughening criminal penalties around theuse of some AI-generated pornography,regulatingthe use of AI in political advertisements and requiring healthcare workers to disclose when they record patient visits forAItranscriptions.

Forexample, Act 806 by state Rep. Mandie Landry D-New Orleans, requires politicaladvertisementsto disclosethe use AI to imitate acandidate in some cases Act 782 by state Rep.Bryan Fontenot,R-Thibodaux, made it acrime forminorsto “possess, sell or maliciously disseminate” AI-generated pornography “with theintenttocoerce, harass, or intimidate another person.”

It also requires schools to educate kids about AI-generated pornography laws.

And Act 211 by state Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek,madeita crimeto use achild’simage to train AI to generate pornography The child pornography laws passed thanks to the Trumpadministration’ssupport of AI laws protecting children.

But other bills in that vein did not moveforward.

HB734 by state Rep. Josh Carlson, R-Lafayette, one of the most conservative voices in the House,would have established an AI consumer bill of rightsand required parental permission forAI chatbot interactions with children. Carlson did not return requests forcomment.

Chatbots have caused growing publicconcern

after severalhigh-profile cases in which they have encouraged people in mental health crises to harm themselves. Some users diedby suicide.

StateRep.LaurieSchlegel, R-Metairie, who did not sponsora chatbot bill but has helped shape state technology regulations, said she agreed it would be best to have oneset of national AI restrictions in place. But she, too, expressed interest in pursuing state AI regulations, especially when it comestochild protection —and she said she believed Trump’spositiongives“leeway” forsuch policies. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Email Meghan Friedmann at meghan.friedmann@ theadvocate.com.

SUN HERALD FILE PHOTO By HANNAHRUHOFF

Developer JoeCloyd standsinthe old Pascagoula train station in 2025. Chandeleur Depot opened in the building in June.

• That’s Right...No Co-Pay!NoExamFee! No AdjustmentFee! If youhavethiscard, youmay qualifyfor free hearing aids! Call today to verifyyour benefits

Sushi, hibachi eatery coming downtown

Cooking will be visible to passersby

BY JONAH MEADOWS Staff writer

A new sushi and hibachi restaurant is slated to open in the ground floor of a downtown parking garage by the end of the year, bringing the flamboyant flat top grilling style to a long-vacant space on the edge of the Central Busi-

ness District Uni Sushi & Hibachi is set to occupy the 3,700-squarefoot space at the corner of Roosevelt Way and Common Street next to the Orpheum Theater after city officials this month issued a permit for a more than $1 million buildout of the property The space was home to Cleo’s Mediterranean Cuisine and Convenience from 2013 to 2017. The new restaurant will be operated by Lin and Sky Huang, relatives of Florida-based property owner Thomas Gigliotti, whose company Parking Management Services owns seven garages and handles valet services for 58 different

Police: Woman shot in head by boyfriend

Records show victim had previously reported man for domestic violence

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

The man arrested in connection with the killing of a woman found dead inside a Mid-City shotgun last week was the victim’s romantic partner whom she had previously reported for domestic violence, according to arrest records.

Victor Fernandez, 36, was booked on a count of second-degree murder Tuesday in connection with the killing of 42-year-old Jessyca Gelpi.

Police found Gelpi deceased in her bedroom on the 4000 block of Banks Street on July 10, and the coroner’s office later determined she suffered blunt force trauma to her body and a gunshot wound to her head

In an interview with police, Fernandez said he had been Gelpi’s boyfriend for approximately four years, according to an affidavit in support of the arrest warrant for second-degree murder. An acquaintance of Gelpi’s also told police that Fernandez and Gelpi had been dating and lived together at the Banks Street home.

Records showed police had previously responded to an incident at Gelpi’s home involving Fernandez. In September 2024, police obtained an arrest warrant for Fernandez on charges of simple domestic abuse battery and aggravated burglary based on allegations that he forced his way past Gelpi into her home, stealing her purse and phone. At the time, Gelpi told police that Fernandez was her ex-boyfriend. Gelpi and Fernandez had separated six months earlier, after dating and living together for a year and a half, police wrote in the September 2024 affidavit.

Police responded to the most recent incident based on a report from an acquaintance of Gelpi’s.

On July 14, after Gelpi hadn’t shown up at work and wasn’t seen for several days, the acquaintance went to check on her They found her unresponsive in her bedroom.

The acquaintance told police that Fernandez was Gelpi’s boyfriend and that they lived together, but that he wasn’t at the home when she went to check on Gelpi, nor was Gelpi’s dog.

Police later obtained an order to track Fernandez’s cellphone and found him driving Gelpi’s 2023 silver Ford Escape near the intersection of North Derbigny Street and Egania Street in the Lower 9th Ward.

Police handcuffed Fernandez without incident around noon on Tuesday, and officers allegedly

hotels in New Orleans Gigliotti said the space has been designed to make the cooking visible to passersby.

up and it’ll be a little showtime.”

Plans for the restaurant

call for more than 100 seats spread across three dining rooms and a bar area, with four hibachi tables and a sushi counter The restaurant plans to serve alcohol and operate from 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week, according to documents filed with the city The ground floor remodel coincides with more than $1.2 million in separate renovations Gigliotti has planned for the University

Caring community

New Orleans officials eye storm brewing in Gulf

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

A system brewing in the Gulf is all but sure to reach tropical storm strength as it nears Louisiana early this week and New Orleans officials are opening sandbag distribution sites and urging locals to prepare as much of the Gulf Coast braces for potentially

heavy rains and damaging winds. In a video posted to social media Sunday, Mayor Helena Moreno said the New Orleans metro could be under a tropical storm watch as early as Monday afternoon thanks to what National Hurricane Center forecasters warned

is time to get prepared for what could potentially come our way,” Moreno said. Moreno said the New Orleans Office of Coordination and Emergency Management had been in touch with the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to ensure collaboration between the city and state. The city’s emergency operations center will likely be activated sometime Mon-

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

Father Peter Harris gives school supplies to a driver during the 10th annual NOLA Back 2 School Fest at Xavier University in New Orleans on Saturday.

ABOVE: Bridget Magner stacks backpacks of school supplies LEFT: Cameron McCall loads school supplies into a car’s trunk.

LSU Lakes revival on track to be finished by end of year

BY HALEY MILLER Staff writer

Three years ago, the LSU Lakes averaged only 2.5 feet deep, with layers of silt accumulated at the bottom of the lake floor Algae bloomed across the murky water Every summer, fish died en masse from low oxygen levels.

“They weren’t attractive,” said Mark Goodson, project manager for the multi-agency effort to restore the lakes. “They weren’t a healthy environment or ecosystem. The key improvement that had to be made was making the lakes deeper so that you could restore the health to the lakes.”

Now, the $81 million facelift on five of the six lakes near the LSU campus is almost at an end, with all funded work, including dredging, landscaping and the reconstruction of nearby May Street, on track to be done by the end of the year, Goodson said.

While the project — a joint endeavor between the state, LSU, the city-parish and BREC — began in summer 2023, it can be traced back to a master plan sponsored by the Baton Rouge Area Foundation in 2016.

That plan called for creating “a robust and scenic natural amenity” in Baton Rouge that would serve as a habitat for birds and wildlife, increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists and motivate people to go outside and get active.

Community members, particularly those living near the lakes, have been vocal about the project and what they see as deviations from the BRAF plan.

The intent of the project — to revive the lakes — hasn’t changed in its final form, Goodson said. In fact, it’s expanded to include flood control, he said.

“The desired outcomes

STORM

Continued from page 1B

Church, 2916 Paris Ave.

n Upper Room Bible

Church, 8600 Lake Forest Blvd.

n Sanchez Multi-Service Center, 1616 Fats Domino Ave.

The forecast

A tropical depression that formed Sunday morning was about 190 miles southsoutheast of Panama City, Florida, as of 4 p.m., producing winds of 30 mph. The system is expected to continue strengthening as it moves slowly north or northwestward over the next few days, according to center forecasters.

Forecasters with the National Weather Service in New Orleans said the system will not bring significant impacts to the local area for at least the next couple of days, but could bring gusty winds, elevated tides and heavy rainfall to portions of the area midweek.

The depression is forecast to be a strong tropical storm as it moves west across or near the Mississippi and Louisiana coasts on Wednesday, according to the weather service.

That day, forecasters said local coastal areas could see 1 to 3 inches of rain, with higher amounts that could lead to flooding possible in some areas Some minor to moderate storm surge flooding could occur as the system passes. Tropical storm-force winds are also possible in

SHOT

Continued from page 1B

going back to the 2016 plan and today still are to make the lakes healthier, to make a healthier ecosystem, to make it safer and more accessible for the people who want to enjoy it,” Goodson said “One of the key benefits that we unlocked, if you will, as we started working on implementation of the plan is that while they weren’t initially constructed to help with flood mitigation, they did have the ability to do that.”

The project has also run into complications in developing an agreement for future maintenance on the lakes. BREC, the city-parish and LSU all have ownership claims along the shorelines where work has been com-

southern Louisiana, mainly in Plaquemines Parish from Tuesday morning through Wednesday evening, weather service forecasters said A few places could see damaging gusts strong enough to cause isolated power outages.

A tropical storm watch was in effect Sunday for portions of the Florida Panhandle.

Get prepared

Moreno encouraged New Orleans residents to clean out catch basins in their neighborhoods to help prevent street flooding

“If you’re walking around, check out the catch basins on your street, please, and do what you can to clean them out,” she said. “Particularly since we just had a storm that sent debris into the catch basins.”

The S&WB came under fire last weekend when a brief but intense thunderstorm overwhelmed streets across the city, flooding cars and buildings. Officials have since blamed the amount of rain that fell, human error at pumping stations and clogged catch basins, leading to concerns about the potential for similar issues during more severe storms.

City officials are also asking the public to monitor local weather updates and avoid travel during periods of heavy rainfall whenever possible.

People can sign up for NOLA Ready emergency text alerts by texting NOLAREADY to 77295.

Email Kasey Bubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com

pleted, Goodson said.

“We’re working with those same entities, BREC, LSU and the city-parish, to create a sustainable solution for doing that, whether it is through a dedicated nonprofit that can take over the maintenance of the system long term or just some sort of better coordination between those three entities,” Goodson said “But it is absolutely on our radar and something we’re trying to figure out very soon.”

Lakes progress

The restoration is focused on making the lakes deeper, landscaping the shorelines and cutting a channel between City Park and University lakes, which requires

building a bridge over it on May Street, Goodson explained.

So far he said, dredging is complete for City Park, Lake Erie and College Lake. That process is still underway for University Lake and Campus Lake, with the former scheduled to be finished at the end of July and the latter in October

The project also made changes to the existing weir — a type of dam — at Stanford Avenue, allowing the gate to be opened to drain the lakes and create room for stormwater, Goodson said. Landscaping along the shorelines of the lakes is at varying degrees of completion. The process involves building up “living shore-

lines” with native plants to clean stormwater runoff as it enters the lakes, Goodson said.

Some residents expressed concern at recent community meetings that renovated shorelines were already looking unkempt.

“We are well aware that some of those new shoreline areas have become overgrown and are unsightly,” Goodson said. “We’re working on ways to address it Once the landscaping gets installed, they will look better.”

He said he’s optimistic that May Street will be reopened by the end of the year Workers on the project are currently driving piles into the ground for the planned bridge, he said.

When the street reopens, it will feature 14-foot paths for pedestrians and cyclists — part of the larger goal for increased safety and less conflict between vehicles and other modes of transport around the lakes, Goodson said.

“Those intersections will be made safer,” Goodson said. “Ideally, we’ll have new paths all the way around the lakes eventually as more funding becomes available.” What comes next?

Dredging, shoreline improvements and the May Street reconstruction encompass all the work that is currently funded for the project, Goodson said. An additional $20 million awarded to the city-parish from Federal Emergency Management Agency will be put toward renovating Corporation Canal and Lake Crest.

Looking ahead, he said, the goal is to continue to enhance the pedestrian and bicycling experience around the lakes, creating more paths safe from vehicles.

“There are a lot of conflict points around the lakes where it’s just unsafe for those three groups to coexist,” Goodson said. “That’s the priority as we move forward, is to fund more bike and pedestrian improvements off-street.”

For Goodson, the significance of the project to the community is never far from mind. There hasn’t been a day in the last six years that he hasn’t been asked a question about the lakes, he joked.

“Arguably, they’re the greatest quality of life asset that we have in Baton Rouge,” he said. “They’re sort of synonymous with Baton Rouge.”

Email Haley Miller at haley.miller@theadvocate. com.

&

RENDERING By

Uni Sushi & Hibachi is a new Japanese restaurant planned for 765 Roosevelt Way in the Central Business District. The flamboyant, flat-top grilling space is designed to make the cooking visible to passersby.

SUSHI

Continued from page 1B

a second location of Delmonico’s Steakhouse and a more casual spot called The Cafe by Emeril.

Second concept

chef.

“He came to my house and did the show for us,” he recalled. “I was like, ‘You know what? I think that would be very nice.’”

found him in possession of an off-white powder, suspected to be heroin.

Fernandez is currently being held in the Orleans Parish jail on a $700,000 bail for the second-degree murder count and a combined $70,000 bail for the aggravated burglary, domestic battery and drug counts jail records show

In addition to seconddegree murder, Fernandez was arrested on counts of possession of Schedule I drugs aggravated burglary and domestic abuse battery

Gigliotti said he had long wanted to bring the former Cleo’s space back into commerce and effectively offered to provide a free restaurant build-out to attract a tenant.

“I interviewed so many people,” he said. “Nobody would take me up on it.”

But that changed after a visit with his wife’s niece, Lin, and her husband Sky an experienced hibachi

Uni Sushi & Hibachi’s management team is also in line to open up a second, faster-format sushi spot in the lobby of the Fulton Place parking garage, which is also owned by Gigliotti.

Unlike the former Cleo’s space, there has been significant interest in the vacancy at the garage in anticipation of the planned Omni Convention Center hotel to be built across from the garage, Gugliotti said.

“I’ve had so many people approach me to build out

that one little 1,100 square feet,” he said. “Whoever’s in the restaurant, obviously, they’ll do a lot of business as that hotel gets developed.” Last month, the City Council signed off on zoning changes to clear the way for construction of the $600 million, 1,000-room Omni New Orleans A series of tax rebates sought by the developer has yet to win the approval of state legislators or Superdome commissioners. Currently, the ground floor of the Fulton Place parking garage is home to several restaurants, including a Joe’s

Chicks

and a Subway sandwich shop as well as offices of FedEx, Hertz and the Mexican consulate

STAFF PHOTO By JOHN BALLANCE

Work on the LSU Lakes restoration project continues Wednesday at Wampold Park, across from West Lakeshore Drive

HIBACHI

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Bryant,Bruce Ourso, Cindy Willard,Elliot

Obituaries

Bryant, Bruce Howard

In Loving Memory of Bruce Howard Bryant

October 5, 1934 -July 3, 2026

BruceHoward Bryant, age 91, passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 2nd. Aresident of both Three Lakes, Wisconsin, and Mandeville, Louisiana, Bruce lived aremarkably full, vibrant, and generous life.

Born in DeKalb, Illinois, Bruce graduated from the Kentucky Military Institute before serving as a Boatswain's Mate in the U.S. Coast Guard during the KoreanWar, where he developeda lifelong mastery of small boat handling. After asuccessful career operating atuxedo rental business in Des Moines,Iowa, he retired in 1992, splitting his time between the culture of New Orleans and his beloved home on Butternut Lake in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

Bruce was aman of diverse and rich passions. An avid sailor and boater he fulfilled alifelong dream by acquiring "Dream," aclassic wooden Chris Craftboat, giving cherished rides to his family around the lake. He was an original "Rebel Without aCause," riding motorcycles from his teenage years up until the impressive age of 90. Adie-hard Chicago White Sox fan, one of his greatest joys was witnessing his beloved "Go Go Sox" win the 2005 World Series, apassion he celebrated withannual family reunions at the ballpark. He also loved Frank Lloyd Wright architecture—contributing to the restoration of the HistoricPark Inn in Mason City, Iowa—and held adeep fascination for wild wolves, traveling above the Arctic Circle to study and support their preservation.

Above all, Bruce loved his family, eclectic music (ranging from Bluegrassto Zydeco and Big Band), and good-humored mischief—such as playfully waking his adolescent children at 6:30 a.m. with loud marching band records, achaotic tradition remembered fondly by all. Known for his humor, kind spirit, and unwavering integrity, Bruce was ahumble philanthropist who quietly supported dozens of charitable causes throughout his life.

Bruce was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 56 years, Carol Anne (Sauer), his son Nathan Lloyd, and his son-in-law Jeb Ball.

He is survived by his five children: Kathleen Powell of Houston, TX, Elena Ball of Eagle River, WI, Julie Bryant of Iowa City, IA, Patrick (Laurie) Bryant of Bloomington, MN, John (Wendy) Bryant of Des Moines, IA

He also leaves behind eleven cherished grandchildren—Caroline Powell; Katie Reynolds and Melissa Parsons; Nicholas Bryant; Williamand Samantha Bryant; and

Nauris, Jaenelle, Dita,Jack, and Aleks Bryant—as well as nine great-grandchildren, along with awide networkoffriendsand communitymembers whoselives he touched.

Service& Memorial Details,Date& Time: Saturday, August 1st | Visitationbegins at 1:00 p.m., followed by agraveside service andgathering. Location: Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home,Eagle River, WI. Memorial Contributions: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bruce's honor to two of his favoritecharities: the American Cancer SocietyorAll Hands and Hearts.

Arrangements by Gaffney-Busha Funeral Home, Eagle River. Online condolencesmay beexpressed at gaffneybusha.com

Ourso,Cindy Ann

Cindy Ann Ourso,76, a native of Donaldsonville, LA, and resident of Metairie, LA, passed away on Monday,July 13, 2026. Ann was aloving twin, sister, aunt,godmother, cousin, and friend whose kindness and generous spirit touched everyone who knewher.She loved her nieces and nephews unconditionally, always making themfeelcherished and supported.Ann livedlifeonher own terms with quiet strength andindependence. She took great prideinher yard, her home and being atwin. Some of her greatest pleasures were bottled Coke, a box of Sno-Caps and her favorite Biscoff cookies. Those little treats brought her happiness and an appreciation forthe little thingsthat made each day special.Her greatest claim to fame was her famous Sensation salad dressing afamilyfavorite that only she could seem to make. Sheleaves behindtocherish her memory, hersister, Lori Ourso Babin,brother in-law, Dennis Caballero; nieces and nephews, Celie Webre (Gary),Kaye Templet(Marty), Paul Caballero (Penny), John Ourso (Stephanie), Chad Ourso (Mendy), Thomas

Ross Babin, and Philip Babin; greatnieces and nephews, IsabelWebre, Anna Webre, Jane Templet, Sam Templet, Mackenzie Caballero, Cameron Caballero,PorterOurso Miles Ourso,Beaux Ourso, and EthanOurso and her life-longdearfriend,Clare WeilNeely.She is preceded in death by her parents, Eucharist "EJ" Ourso and Marjory Barbier Ourso;siblings, Philip Ourso,Nancy Ourso,twinbrother, Sidney "Tuba" Ourso,and Cecile "Cissy" Caballero,who passed earlier thesame dayasAnn. Pallbearers willbeLannieDenoux Jr., Gary Webre, Marty Templet, Paul Caballero, John Ourso,Thomas Ross Babin, Philip Babin, and Sam Templet.A visitation willbeheldonTuesday, July21, 2026, at Ascension of Our Lord Catholic Church, located at 716 Mississippi Street Donaldsonville,LA, from9 am until theMass of ChristianBurial at Noon. Celebrating the Mass willbeFr. Kurt Young, Fr. Parker Thompson, and Fr.Matt Dupre. Interment to follow in thechurch mausoleum. Donations in her memory can be madetoThe Sisters, ServantsofMary, 5001 Perlita St.inNew Orleans, LA,70122-1999.

ElliotJoseph Cornelius Willard Jr. December 19, 1953 -May 29, 2026

ElliotJoseph Cornelius Willard Jr. passed away peacefully at hishome in Columbia, SouthCarolina, on May 29, 2026, at theage of 72.Though he willbe greatlymissed, his legacy livesonthrough thefamily he lovedsofiercely and thecountless liveshe touched Memorial:10:30am on 7/ 21/26 at St. Raymond/St. LeoCatholicChurch in NewOrleans.

Willard, Elliot Joseph Cornelius

Ahumanedose of ‘socialism’ improves quality of life in a capitalist society

The June 27 cartoon showing a wrecking ball labeled “Socialism” threatening to smash the “Democratic Party” was, to me,misleading because the wrecking ball carried the hammer and sickle of communism.

Socialism is not communism, and this confusion occurs so often that Iwonder if it’sintentional. Both of America’smajor parties have been beholdento Wall Street for too long, and the Democrats, who once claimed to be champions of the working class and downtrodden, are now experiencinganinternal backlash promotingdemocratic socialism.

Having learned from my “libertarian zealotry” days that no human idea ever works to perfection (especially my idea of libertarianism), Ibelievethat diametrically opposed ideas must sometimes be merged in orderto create asatisfactory outcome.

Ibelieve capitalism to bethe best mechanism for economic growth, but that it must be tempered by policies that protect the environment,conserve natural resources, protect workers and ensure that all Americanshave what is necessary to live adecent life.

Americans seem to always see things in black and white. It’s eithercapitalism or socialism. One or the other.This reflects neither logic nor nature

In democratic socialistWestern European countries, most cities have clean streets, good mass transportation and plenty of green space for recreation.Everyone hasaccess to good medical care, paid time off for family care, etc. Caring for people is prioritized.

In the U.S., establishing effective socialpolicies often requires aprotracted, acrimonious fight to overcome Republican ideological opposition. This may be aresult of ideological fears that asmall amountof “socialism” will eventually result in complete government control. But the opposite argument can also be made: that too little government willleadtoexcessive power being possessed by wealth, at the expense of the general welfare.

WAYNE PARKER Baton Rouge

As state’sprimary economic engine,N.O.mustbeapriority

Do Baton Rouge’sleaders truly appreciate New Orleans’ importance to Louisiana? The facts speak forthemselves.

As the newspaper recently reported, the entirecity of New Orleans was added to an inaugural list of U.S. sites deemed irreplaceable andinneed of preservation.

Beyond beingnewly recognized as anationaltreasure, New Orleans servesasthe primaryeconomic engine of Louisiana.Tourism in the city generates roughly $7 billion of Louisiana’s annual $18 billion tourism income.

Recognized globally for its historic architecture, world-class cuisine, jazzand Mardi Gras, the city stands undisputed as Louisiana’sgreatest cultural magnet.

However,inTulane University’sinaugural “State of the States” report,Louisiana ranks last among all 50 states and Washington, D.C. This study tracks long-term metrics back to

1990, pointing out the state’sdeep systemic shortcomings across key health, education and quality-of-life indicators.

AllowingLouisiana’sprimary economicengine to stall carries severe statewide consequences. As Walt Leger,president and CEO of New Orleans& Company,stated: “Without funds generated by New Orleans tourism, every family in Louisiana would pay thousands of dollars moreintaxes to support the samelevel of service.”

Gov.Jeff Landry and state legislators, it’s time to stop playing political games and focus on what is truly important forthe people of Louisiana.

Recognize theirreplaceablevalue of our cultural and economic hubs, and invest in a sustainable future for all 64 parishes.

WENDELL

DUPUY Gonzales

Conflicts of interest pointtocorruptionathighlevels

Twobillion dollars! That is what President Donald Trumpmade during his firstyear of thepresidency.$2billion!What?

Over $1.4 billion of this was madeonhis investments in cryptocurrency.Aspresident,hehas ahuge influence over how much money someonecan make in the crypto market, so how is this not ablatant conflict of interest?

None of this includes the money his family made during this time, and we haven’teven mentioned the apparent insider trading that he and hisfamily took part in right before announcingchanges in tariff policy that would boost the amount they would make off those stocks.

Oh,Inearly forgot about the new jumbojet he is flying around in, which he plans to keep as apersonal gift from aforeign country after he leaves office! This is just plain crazy! Howcan we sit still for this type of blatant corruption?

Beforeanyone mentionsNancy Pelosi or Hunter Biden, Ijust wanna say,“Youare right!” We have got to put astop to all of this odious ethical decay

The president said that in his first term (where he made just millions instead of billions), he “didn’tget any credit” formaking his family forgo corrupt deals, and no one seemstocare. Well, Icare and Ibet millions of other Americansdo, too. We deserve better than this from our leaders. When costsare up for all of us but paychecks are not keeping pace, it’stimewe demand that our leaders end this corruption from thepresident and everyone in elected office. Rep.SteveScalise, Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy,Rep. Julia Letlow,demandchange and take action now THOMAS SHEPLEY NewOrleans

Is agonyunavoidable in execution, or is it deliberate?

U.S. Health and Human Services

Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.recently cited 27 Louisiana hospitals fornoncompliance with afederal transparency requirement to publicly post discounted cash prices and insurer-negotiated rates for medical procedures. These transparent prices are often significantly lower than what hospitals charge patients. Louisiana families need honest price information to protect themselves from rampant, and often predatory,hospital overcharges. Currently,around 20% of Louisianans have medical debt, and 15% avoid needed medical care forfear of financial ruin. This is shameful. House Bill 946, which Iauthored, would have codified the federal rules at the state level while providing increased enforcement. It also would have prohibited noncompliant hospitals from sending patient debt to collections or reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. These protections are essential to prevent patients from financial ruin, solely forseeing the doctor Unfortunately,Louisiana’s Republican-controlled Legislature effectively allowed HB946 to die this spring forpartisan reasons. All Republicans —save one pragmatic supporter,Rep. Raymond Crews— put politics over patients, judging the bill based on party rather than what it would have accomplished fortheir constituents.

In stark contrast to the Louisiana Legislature, the Trumpadministration has madeprice transparency its signature healthcare reform issue, enacting aggressive executive orders to mandate actual, upfront prices.

Louisiana’sfederal delegation in Washington has also been supportive of this needed transparency Sens. John Kennedy and Bill Cassidy have put forth price transparency bills, and Reps. Mike Johnson and Steve Scalise led the House to overwhelmingly pass bipartisan price transparency legislation last Congress.

Louisiana state Republicans should follow the lead of their federal counterparts and join Democrats to hold Louisiana hospitals accountable, increase patient choice and reduce debt and costs.

If Republicans support hospital price transparency in Washington, they should support it in Baton Rouge.

REP.MANDIELANDRY

District 91 NewOrleans

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone 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 ALETTER SCAN HERE

The designofLouisiana’snitrogen execution protocol seemstomaximize agony.It could bechanged to eliminate pain, based on what has been learned in aviation.

To paraphraseFAA literature, altitude hypoxiaispainlessand develops so gradually that symptoms may be well established before apilot recognizes them. There have

also been deaths in industry due to the gradual loss of oxygen. Hypoxia has been recommended for execution based on this knowledge, but it seemstohave been implemented with other objectives in mind.

JOHN TAYLOR Baton Rouge

Some criminals haveearneda crueland painfuldeath

Ihave read themorning newspaper ever since Iwas oldenough to read —for 71 years —but your recent opinion is enough to make me cancel my subscriptionand get my news in other places, like so muchofthe U.S. is already doing.A criminal with a15-page rap sheet deserves no pain-free execution after what hehas put his victimsthrough.

What if it were your mother,wife or daughterwho was held captive, raped by gangs over severaldays or weeks and months isn’tthat considered “crueland unusual“ punishment?

Even the Bible says “an eye foraneye.”

NANCY LONG Metairie

StoryonUnitedFruit Companyfounder says he exploitedworkers Where’sproof?

As aproud U.S. Navy veteran residing in Metairie, and aJew,I wasinsulted by the tone of the recent article on Sam Zemurray,the founder of United Fruit Company

After quoting astatement issued by the Museum of the Jewish People about Zemurray,and then detailing the fact that he wasaRussian Jewish immigrant, the article states very matter-of-factly that he exploited workers.

The author of the article offered no proof to support this smear,and as aJewish veteran whoisstill active, along with my wife, in veterans’ affairs, Itake umbrage at this insult and call foranapology

GERALD AND JUDYNEWMAN

Metairie

STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETT DUKE

Gov. Jeff Landrygives athumbs-upasNew Orleans MayorHelena Moreno looksonduring a kickoff news conference for the HondoRodeo Fest on April 10.

Childcareisthe work that makesworking possible

Shannon Johns GUEST COLUMNIST

Every morning before 7a.m., my parking lot fills with parentswho are already tired. Anurse heading into a 12-hour shift. An EMT clocking infor an overnight. Ayoung mother who, almostapologizing, tells me this is the only way she keeps her job They hand me theirchildren andgo to work. That is what early childhood education is in Louisiana. It is the work that makes everyone else’swork possible. What Idoisnot babysitting. Iam trained in how children learn before they can read. I know what a4-year-old needs to be ready for kindergarten, and Ibuildmydays around getting them there. The people Iemploy are early educators. The state holds us to quality standards and we meet them. Ialso run abusiness. Across seven centers, Iemploy 106 teachers and staff and serve approximately 305 families. Imake payroll, hold my ratios, pass my inspections andkeep tuition within reachofworkingfamilies, all at the same time.

Iknow to the dollar what quality care costs to deliver,because Ideliver it every day.Noformulawrittenin Washington knows that number better than Ido.

Astatewide poll from theLouisiana Policy Institute for Children found nearly 3in4Louisiana parents could not work or attend school without consistent childcare. Paying full price runs more than$14,000 ayear per child. That strain climbs well past lowincome families into householdsearn-

ing acomfortable living, the workers this state cannotaffordtolose. When parents cannot find care, they leave theworkforce. That absence andturnover costLouisiana businesses an estimated $762 million ayear The wider economy loses $1.3 billion. That moneyissitting on the table. We can gopick it up. Congress hasaserious answer in front of it. TheChild Care Modernization Act, led by abipartisan group of U.S. senators, would reauthorize the Child Care and Development Block Grantfor thefirst time since 2014. It keeps the choice of care with parents instead of bureaucrats.Itprotects a mixed system,soafamily can pick a center,ahome or afaith-based programthat fitstheir values and their schedule. And it fixes the broken models states use to pay providers, so therate finally reflects whatcare costs the people

who deliver it. For someone running acenter in arural parish, that is the line between open doors and aclosing notice. This block grant is 30 years old and long overdue for an update. The bill gives it one, on termsany Louisiana family would recognize. It rewards work and leaves thechoice withparents. Most of all, it pays theprofessionals who run our centers what the work is actually worth.

Iamnot asking anyone to pity the families in my lot. They are not asking either.They show up, they work, they raise their kids and they do it well. What they need is asystem as reliable as they are. Louisiana lawmakers can help build that. It starts with passing this bill.

Shannon Johns is theowner of childcare centers in Louisiana.

Missingingredientincivics educationisconversation

As America celebratesits 250th anniversary,many communities are revisiting the documents, eventsand leaders that shaped our nation’shistory.Louisiana has an opportunitytodo something equally important:Help prepare the next generation not only to understand self-government but to practice the habits of citizenship through thoughtful civil discourse.

Louisiana has renewed itsfocus on civics education in recent years. Students are learning more about the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the structure of government and the responsibilities of citizenship. These efforts deserve praise.

Butcivic education involves more than knowledge.

told them?

Theclassroom plays avital role in that process. Civics is not merely something studentslearn.Itissomething they must experience.

Every day,Louisiana teachers have the opportunity to do morethan help students master facts.

ing its principles together

Louisiana’sown Walter Isaacson, a noted historian, has called the Declaration’smost famous sentence “the greatest sentence ever written”:

Democrats’ extremism, stupidityare catching up with theGOP’s

A2005 obituary in the Chicago Tribune advised, “In lieu of flowers, please send acerbic letters to Republicans.” From such comparatively decorous partisanship, we have descended to the long dying of Graham Platner’sludicrous-from-the-start Senate campaign. His reputation is in tatters. So should be the reputations of all those national figures who triedtoput him in the Senate from Maine. The Platnerdebacle is just asmidgenofthe Everest of evidence for two propositions:

The Democratic Party no longer has aknack for its business, which supposedly is politics. In America, this means cobbling together majority coalitions from apolitically and culturally diverse continental nation. The second proposition is that the nation cannot have just one healthy party.When one welcomes contamination by the extremism and stupidity on its side of the spectrum, the other, relishing the collapse of standards, does likewise Platner’scampaign was born of the cynicism that permeates the Democrats’ devotion to identity politics. Nevermind that Platner is alout whose work résumé is thinner than his record of sponging off his parents. Rather than assess him as —Heaven forfend! —anindividual, Democrats anointed him the embodiment of acategory: the working class. He could be their favorite thing, avictim. He could make vivid their simpleminded binary of “oppressors” and “oppressed.” Oblivious of their insult to America’sworking class, Democrats wonder why whatonce wastheir base has abandoned them. Republicans, however,should shed anypostPlatner delusions of moral superiority.Ten years ago, they turned the louche star of the “Access Hollywood” tape, and the payer of hush money to his porn star paramour,into apresident. Conjured from the populism of celebrity worship, he today is frighteningly out of his depth, dumbstruckthat his son-in-law,intandem aNew York realestate crony,cannot pacify Iran and end the war against Ukraine America’sstill-multiplying embarrassments are rank weeds fertilizedbythe manure of populism. And by populism’sinherent, aggressive disdain for the importance of character in politics. Populism is almost everything rejected by America’sunsentimental Founders, who,afew days ago, the nation briefly,and often uncomprehendingly,celebrated. The clear-eyed Founders, steeped in sobering histories of short-lived republics, constructed asophisticated constitutional architecture that blends democracy and distrust. They built abulwark against populism because they believed this: Majorities must rule in the end, but their opinions must be mediated —and cooled —bybeing filtered through institutions. Those institutions must be occupied by people possessing “republican virtue,” an attribute not evenly distributed among “the people.”

Theycan create classrooms where thoughtful questionsare encouraged, different perspectives are explored respectfully and civil discourse becomes ahabit rather than an aspiration. Those moments are every bit as important as learning the dates, documentsand structures of government.

Jay Lapeyre GUEST COLUMNIST

The purpose of civics is not simply to help studentsmemorize historical facts, foundingdocumentsorgovernmental processes. It is to prepare citizens for the responsibilities of self-government.

Students should leave theclassroom not only knowing what the Declaration says but also having reflected on what its principles mean fortheir lives, their communities andtheirresponsibilities as citizens

That requires more than information. It requires practice.

One of the most important habits students can practice is thoughtful civil discourse. That meanslistening carefully,asking honest questions, considering different perspectives, and discussing importantideas with people who may see them differently

Studentsmay be able to identify thethree branches of government, explain the separation of powers and recite portions of the Declaration of Independence. Yetthe real test of civics education comes when those students encounter others withdifferent perspectives and must decidehow to respond.

Can they listen thoughtfully?

Canthey ask honestquestions?

Can they engage disagreement without hostility?

Can they think independently rather than simply repeat what others have

The best civics classrooms invite students to wrestle with enduring questions together They create opportunities for respectful discussion, thoughtful disagreement andgenuine curiosity about ideas that have shaped our nation for 250 years. Civil discourse is not separate from civics education. It is one of the best ways students learn to becomecitizens. What does it mean that all people are created equal?

Wheredoour rightscome from? What responsibilities accompany liberty?

What obligations do citizens owe oneanotherifself-government is to endure?

Studentsmay not agree on every answer.Nor should they.Afree society does not require uniformity of opinion

Butitdoes require citizens capable of discussingimportant questions with honesty,humilityand respect.

Theresponsibility of preparing citizens does not belong to schools alone. Families, churches,civic organizations and communities all play arole in helping young people understand the principles of self-government and practice the habitsthat sustain it

The250th anniversary offers an opportunity not only to teach thenext generation about the Declaration but to engage everygeneration in discuss-

“Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and thepursuit of Happiness.”

Most Americansrecognize those words. Far fewer have spent meaningful time discussing what they mean.

Yetdiscussion is where civic learning comes alive. Ideas that are merely memorized are easily forgotten. Ideas that are discussed, debated, and applied are far more likely to shape the way we live as citizens.

That is why the FreeSocietyCoalition is inviting Americans to participate in the One-Hour Declaration Challenge (FreeSocietyCoalition.org/Challenge)

The invitation is simple.

Gather family members, friends, students, neighbors, church members, colleagues or fellow citizens and spend one hour discussing theDeclaration’sfoundational principles.

There should be no script. No partisan litmustest. No expectation that participantswill reach agreement.

The goal is not consensus.

The goal is civic conversation.

Civic conversation strengthens a free society

Louisiana’sinvestmentincivics education reflects an important truth: Self-government cannot be inherited automatically.Itmust be learned, practiced and renewed by every generation.

The Declaration was never intended merely to be admired. Itsprinciples were meant to be understood, discussed, applied and passed from one generation to thenext.

Perhaps themost meaningful way to honor theDeclaration this year is not simply to read it

It is to discuss it Oneconversation at atime.

Jay Lapeyre is thepresident of Laitram LLC and co-founder of the Free Society Coalition.

What animated the Founding was the antonym of American populism. Populism celebrates popular passions incited by,and channeled swiftly into action by,anunconstrained executive.

The paradox of today’spopulism is that it empowers not “the people” but small, intense,compact minorities. They dominate the parties’ candidateselecting primaries. They are the kind who thought “Senator Platner” was aneat idea. They arethe kind who, on Aug. 4, might give Michigan’sDemocratic Senate nomination to someone comfortable in the company of Holocaust deniers.

But look who the Republican Party hasplaced a heartbeat away from Lincoln’schair.ConsiderVice President JD Vance’ssolicitude, though inconstant, for the White supremacist, Holocaust-denying antisemite Nick Fuentes, who demonstrates thatsinister infantilism is not an oxymoron.

Vance is broad-minded about the narrow-minded. Fuentes luxuriated in along, friendly session on apodcast with Vance’sfriend Tucker Carlson, who,speaking at the memorial servicefor Charlie Kirk, insinuated that Kirk’sassassinationcould be blamed on a“bunch of guys sitting around eating hummus” —Jews —inJerusalem.Vance highmindedly rejected, as intolerable “purity tests,” demands that people like Fuentes should not have a place in the conservative movement.

Vance: “Wehave far more important work to do than canceling each other.” One would like to see his list of the things “far more” important than cleansing antisemitism from the party of Lincoln, Eisenhower and Reagan.

It took amighty lever of scandals to finally pry loose from Platner the warm embraces of Democratic populists such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as many otherpopulist moralizers. And the nation’ssecond-highest elected official is aRepublican populist who, as amatter of principle,defends the equity of including in his party’sdiversity the dregs of America’spolitical swamp.

Neither party seems likely to pose what should be the election-defining question for 2028 voters: Do you want the nation’sunsavory recent past and exhausting present to also be its foreseeable future? EmailGeorge Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

George Will

STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER Kids play on the playground at achildcare center in NewOrleans.

with meteorologist DamonSingleton

SpainclaimsWorld Cupglory in extratimewith Torres’go-aheadgoaltodethroneMessi,Argentina

SPANISH REIGN

BY TIMREYNOLDS Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD,N.J —FerranTorres’ first goal ofthis year’sWorld Cup was the goal of hislife, and it put Spain back atop thesoccer world

Burning questions awaitLSU, Kiffin

Tigers settotakestage on last dayofevent

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

If summer is “talkin’ season” in college football, then SEC media days could be comparable to Super BowlSunday Only it kicks offonMonday. Andstretches through Thursday as four programsapiece pass through the TampaMarriott Water Street and JW Marriott each day LSU, afront-page story in Lane Kiffin’sdebut season, is being saved for the very last day, whichwill releasea buildup of questions about the coach’smove to athird SEC institution and ahighly anticipated matchup with his last, Ole Miss, in September Before the talking commences, here are someburning questions to help set the stage. Do Kiffin, Goldingexchangeshots? OleMisswillbeavailable forinterviews Wednesday,which means there will be no Jets versus Sharks showdown in the halls with LSU But the staggering of Kiffin’sold and new programs does create an interesting dynamic: What jabs do OleMisscoach Pete Golding and his players throw at LSU on Wednesday,ifany,and how do Kiffinand Co. respond on Thursday?

See LSU, page 3C

Above: Spain players celebrate with thetrophyafter winning the WorldCup final against Argentina on SundayinEast Rutherford,N.J.Spainwon 1-0. Below: Spain forward Ferran Torres celebrates winning theWorld Cup final match against ArgentinaonSunday. It wasagoal scored by 47 million people.”

Denying Lionel Messi asecond straight title in what he has indicated would be his final World Cup match, Torres came off the bench and scored in the 106th minute and Spain —ina matchitsimplydominated —ended Argentina’sreign with a1-0 win on Sunday Torres pounced on abouncingball in the box andusedhis left foot to bury ashot just under the crossbar and into the back of the net.

“It was agoal scored by47million people,” Torressaid, referring to Spain’spopulation.

Maybe not by them —but certainly for them.

It was Spain’ssecondtitle, thistrophy getting added to the one claimed in 2010. And there’snoquestion about the center of the soccer universe now,not after this display.

FERRAN TORRES,Spain forward, on scoring game winning-goal

Spain allowedonly onegoal in eight matches at thetournament, setting aWorldCup record forfewest goals allowed by achampion. And this title, combined with theWorld Cup won by Spain’swomen in 2023,

makes the European nation the first to hold both the men’sand women’s titles simultaneously “I feel sad,” said Messi, who was movedtotears after receiving his runner-up medal andstaringinto the crowd at Argentina supporters. “Theywerebetter,tobehonest.”

The score indicates this match was close, but only one team was in command.

La Roja took the game’sfirst 20 shots on goal before Argentina— desperate for an equalizer —got its first attempt off in the second half of extratime. Spain took nine of the game’sfirst 10 cornerkicks, andonly aWorld Cup final-record 12 saves by Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez gave the 2022 champions ashot at going back-to-back.

Spain is now unbeaten in itslast 38 matches —29wins,nine draws— and now is theoutright holder of the longest such streak by any European team ever.Italy went37matches(28 wins, nine draws) from October2018

FoxwinsBritish Open with birdie on final hole

Former LSUstandout Burnscomes up just short

BY DOUG FERGUSON AP golf writer

SOUTHPORT,England

—The hard work for Ryan Fox was just getting to the18th hole in the British Open with ashare ofthe lead Still to come was the toughest hole at Royal Birkdale, which had yielded only four birdies to the 76 players who had already come through Sunday For a39-year-oldfrom New Zealand,the son of an All Blacks rugby starwho once only dreamed of having acard on anytour, this was no time to back down

“I did say to my caddieDean (Smith)that we were going to take it on, that Iwas going to try to win the tournament, and I’d live with the consequences if Istuffedit up,” Fox said. It turned out to be the stuff of major champions. The drive was powerful andpure. The 9-iron from 175 yardslooked good in the air and even better on the ground when it settled 12 feet belowthe hole. The birdie putt

was thebiggest of hislife. Fox closed with four birdies over his last six holes —and onebogey that felt equally important —for a2-under 68 and a one-shot victory over hard-luck Cameron Young forhis first major title.

This was pure theater to cap off aweek of so much drama —three record-tying rounds of 62, Bryson DeChambeau’s animatedprotest over atwo-shotpenalty Tommy Fleetwood thrilling and teasing his hometown crowd to massive ovations on every hole.

Four playershad ashare of theleadat some point in the finalround. Young was atopthe leaderboard for two hours without hitting ashotanywhere but the range because he finished his astonishing 6-under 64 as the last few groups were on thefront nine Young wasonthe range when he heard themassive roar andknewitwas over He bowed his head, lifted his driverand tappedthe ground before packingupwhen Foxmade his final birdie.

“Everyonepractices on thegreen —you’ve got aputttowin amajor

Scott Rabalais

Southeastern Conference football media days start Monday in Tampa, Florida, which meansinessence the 2026 football season is upon us. In the nameofNIL,the transfer portal, conference realignment and College Football Playoffexpansion, it’snot amoment too soon. Talking season will finally, at least in part, transition into sometalk about quarterbacks and offensive and defensive alignments. And Lane Kiffin. Leave no doubt that the first-year LSU coach and college football’s favorite dart board will be one of the mainattractions.

The gross tonnage of words that will be written and spoken about Kiffinwill likely be enough to fill TampaBay before it’sall done. And lest you think that the SEC saved Kiffinand the rest of the LSU contingent forThursday —just before the media days closing ceremony —purely at random, think again. Attendance wasapparently starting to get light on the final day,sothe SEC wanted to hold one of its headliners

stage ä See RABALAIS, page 3C

AP PHOTO By JON SUPER

Ryan Fox poses with the Claret Jug after winning the British Open on Sunday at RoyalBirkdale golf clubinSouthport, England

STAFFFILE PHOTOByMICHAEL JOHNSON LSUcoachLane Kiffinspeaksatan introductorynewsconferenceonDec.1 at TigerStadium. Kiffinisset to speak at SEC media days on Thursday.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOSByJULIOCORTEZ ANDMATTSLOCUM

See WORLD CUP, page 4C

Antonelli wins Belgian Grand Prix

Italian gets big F1 title boost after teammate Russell fails to finish race

By The Associated Press

SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium

Kimi Antonelli always believed he had the momentum in the Formula 1 title race even when results didn’t go his way He made it count with a dominant win Sunday as his teammate and title rival George Russell failed to finish.

Antonelli saw off a challenge from Charles Leclerc to get back to winning ways at the Belgian Grand Prix after reliability issues had allowed Russell to whittle down his lead in recent weeks. Russell was left fuming in a gravel trap at his Mercedes car’s shortcomings.

Antonelli started on the pole but lost the lead to Leclerc when a virtual safety car slowdown allowed the Ferrari driver to save time during his pit stop.

Antonelli sped back past Leclerc with 10 laps remaining and cruised from there to his sixth win of the season — and his F1 career and first since last month’s Monaco Grand Prix. It gives him a 45-point overall lead after recent reliability problems and keeps the 19-year-old firmly on target to become F1’s youngest-ever champion.

“The momentum has always been there despite what happened in the previous races, and that’s why you just need to take one weekend at a time, because you never know what can happen,” Antonelli said. “With these new cars, new regs, there’s so much going on and so much unpredictable.” With six wins, Antonelli is now tied for second all time among Italian F1 drivers, behind only Alberto Ascari, a 13-time Grand Prix winner and two-time champion in

the early 1950s In a marker-pen message on a Champagne bottle, Antonelli dedicated the win to his father former sportscar racer Marco Antonelli, whose birthday was on Saturday Leclerc strong again

Leclerc was second after avoiding a penalty for a collision which damaged Oscar Piastri’s McLaren, and Max Verstappen was third after briefly taking, then losing, the lead from Antonelli on a hectic opening lap

The Italian stretched his standings lead after Russell was left stuck in the gravel on the first lap after he was pushed into a spin by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli went into the race with a 25-point lead over Russell after recent reliability issues for the Italian had cut his advantage. That has now nearly doubled. An-

tonelli will leave Belgium with a 45-point gap over Hamilton, who moved up to second, and is 50 ahead of Russell. In a sign of tension at Mercedes after a heavy blow to his title chances, Russell seemed to blame his car, rather than Hamilton, for the incident. Russell said the incident wouldn’t have happened if his car hadn’t lost speed on the straight into the corner dropping him behind Hamilton. Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suggested it was a software problem affecting multiple cars with Mercedes engines

Hamilton crew member struck Hamilton was fourth for Ferrari after an eventful race including a five-second penalty for colliding with Russell, verbal spats with Ferrari over strategy and car setups over the radio, and knocking

over a Ferrari mechanic as his car started to leave the pits.

Hamilton immediately asked after the team member’s health and was told he was OK. A post-race inquiry by the stewards found Hamilton was “in no respect at fault” and fined Ferrari $34,300.

Piastri was fifth for McLaren and Isack Hadjar was a strong sixth for Red Bull despite starting at the back of the field because of a penalty Lando Norris started 13th for McLaren thanks to a grid penalty but sliced through the field and even briefly led the race when others pitted. A pit stop delay dropped him back but he still finished seventh.

Gabriel Bortoleto placed eighth for Audi, Arvid Lindblad ninth for Racing Bulls and Alpine’s Franco Colapinto took the final point in 10th.

Ball still up in the air on LeBron’s decision

BY IRA WINDERMAN

South Florida Sun-Sentinel (TNS)

MIAMI The balls have stopped bouncing, but with one ball still up in the air for the Miami Heat Having completed their eightgame summer-league schedule late Friday night, the waiting game remains for Pat Riley’s team regarding the free agency of LeBron James.

The final tally for the Heat in the combined outings at the California Classic and Las Vegas NBA Summer League was a 4-4 record under Wayne Ellington, the Erik Spoelstra assistant who guided the Heat’s summer roster. But when it comes to the final summer tally for the Heat front office, that math largely remains in the hands of James, who is relocating in free agency after parting last month with the Los Angeles Lakers.

After four appearances over two days at Fanatics Fest in New York, James again has gone silent, as he has been for most of the month. The latest conjecture has the Heat and his hometown Cleve-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By JESSIE

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James dunks against the Phoenix Suns during a game on April 10 in Los Angeles.

land Cavaliers as the presumed finalists. For the Heat, a James signing would complete a massive makeover, one that has included the trade acquisition of Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Milwaukee Bucks.

“We don’t have an announcement to make just yet,” James said, as he concluded his New

York appearances. In many ways, James’ closing comments in New York mirrored the Heat mantra he lived under when he played for the team from 2010 to 2014, advancing to four NBA Finals and winning NBA championships in 2012 and ’13.

“Most important is I want to compete,” James said. “I want to

compete at a high level. I want to join a franchise that kind of shares the same motto as myself, and that’s practicing championship habits every day.”

With salary funds diminished across the league, including the Heat able to offer no more than $7 million of their mid-level exception, James, 41, recognized how he could sway the championship chase.

“There’s been eight straight years of different champions,” he said. “So everyone feels coming into the season, thinking, ‘This could be our year.’”

As for James, he again distanced himself from 2026-27 possibly being a retirement tour

“I’m just trying to squeeze as much of the juice out of it as possible,” he said.

At midday Saturday, both the Kalshi and Polymarket predictive markets had the Heat as the favorites to land James On Kalshi, the Heat was listed as a 45% favorite, compared to the Cavaliers at 25% On Polymarket, the Heat was listed as a 46% favorite, compared to the Cavaliers at 23% Hard Rock Bet also had the Heat as favorites.

going from Thunder to Hawks in 3-team deal

BY TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press

Oklahoma City is trading starting forward and defensive standout Lu Dort to Atlanta

Reese accepts Brondello’s apology for comment

ATLANTA Angel Reese has accepted Toronto Tempo coach Sandy Brondello’s apology for an inappropriate comment about the Atlanta Dream star

The WNBA suspended Brondello one game for being overheard calling the former LSU star a “protected species” during Atlanta’s 111-92 win over the Tempo on Friday Brondello apologized on social media and Reese posted “ARE WE SURPRISED?!” after the game, tagging Brondello’s account. Brondello, in her first season with the expansion Tempo, is Australian. The “protected species” phrase is used in Australian sports to express frustration for a lack of calls against a player However, in the U.S., the phrase suggests someone isn’t human and could be seen as derogatory toward Black people.

Rising pro boxer killed by vehicle while cycling

BRYAN, Texas A rising professional boxer who was cycling along a rural Texas road died after officials say a motorist drove by her, stopped and then reversed into her Hannah Rapp, 26, was riding with another person Saturday when she was hit, the Brazos County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Rescue workers responded and took her to a nearby hospital, where she died, officials said.

Rapp was training to be a pro boxer, achieving a record of 8-0-1. Rapp challenged Tiara Brown last month in Orlando, Florida, for the WBC women’s featherweight title but lost by unanimous decision. According to the sheriff’s office, Charles Medina, 31, had passed Rapp and the other cyclist in his vehicle before stopping, reversing and striking Rapp. Investigators didn’t immediately offer a motive. Medina was arrested and charged with manslaughter

Mazzoli prevails at Corales Puntacana Championship

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic Stefano Mazzoli of Italy won the Corales Puntacana Championship on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory

The 29-year-old Mazzoli was one of 50 European tour players in the co-sanctioned event played opposite the British Open. He earned a PGA Tour card through 2027 and jumped from 127th to 39th in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai standings.

Four strokes behind Todd Clements entering the round on the windswept Corales course, Mazzoli made a 24-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to post at 20-under 268. He accepted PGA Tour membership after the round.

Evenepoel wins 15th Tour stage; Vingegaard crashes

PLATEAU DE SOLAISON,France Remco

Evenepoel held off Tadej Pogacar and his teammate Isaac Del Toro to win the 15th stage of the Tour de France, while Pogacar kept his commanding overall lead and saw his main rival Jonas Vingegaard crash out of the race.

Vingegaard fell about 12 miles from the end of the 114-mile trek, which ended with a big climb. His Visma-Lease a Bike team said in a statement posted on X that he sustained a fractured collarbone, which will require surgery in the coming days, and multiple abrasions.

“I’m really sad to see Jonas crash out. Without him the Tour will not be the same,” Pogacar said. “We go back a long way.”

McGregor tore ACL in his shortened return fight

LAS VEGAS Conor McGregor confirmed he suffered a torn right ACL in his shortened UFC 329 fight against Max Holloway McGregor said he also suffered meniscus damage in the fight on July 11 that lasted 1:09, comparing it to an injury he suffered in the opposite leg against Holloway in 2013.

It was acl and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OMAR HAVANA

ALCHEH

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Improved Lionstackle Sewell votedamongst

thebestbyAP panel

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

Penei Sewellhas long been known as perhaps the top runblocking tackle in the NFL. Once his work in pass protection took a step up, he moved himself into a different category.

Theimprovement in pass protection by Sewell last season, whenhe was named an All-Profor thethird straight season, helped him earn the honorsasthe toptackle in the NFL by The Associated Press.

Apanel of eight AP Pro Football Writers ranked the top five players at tackle, basing selections on current status enteringthe 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second-through fifth-place votes wereworth5, 3, 2 and 1points. Sewell got three first-place votes and won the voting with55points TampaBay’s TristanWirfs got three first-place votes and finished secondwith 44 points. Denver’s Garett Bolles gotthe other two first-place votes and came in third with 28 points. San Francisco’s Trent Williams was fourth and Philadelphia’s Jordan Mailatawas fifth. Philadelphia’sLane Johnson, Washington’sLaremy Tunsil, the Chargers’ Rashawn Slater, theGiants’ Andrew Thomas andChicago’sDarnell Wright also received votes.

1. PeneiSewell, Lions Sewell allowed pressureonjust 3.3% of pass plays last season, according to Pro FootballFocus, to rank second among right tackles and fifth among all tackles. He was also the game’stop run blockerat tackle as akey part of therunning game for the Lions. Sewell’sstrong overall play helped him win the award as the top protector in the league last season from PFF. After spending most of his first five seasons playing on the right side,Sewellwillreturn to his college spot at left tackle this season as Detroit wants him protecting Jared Goff’s blindside.

2. TristanWirfs,Buccaneers

Wirfs made the switch from right side to left side in 2023 and became the first player to be an All-Pro at both spots since the AP

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

for last. LSU and Texas —whose coach Steve Sarkisian has recently outpaced Kiffin in attentiongrabbing comments, along with Texas quarterback Arch Manning —will close out the SEC football showcase summer event Kiffinhas been mostly in radio silence as of late. He’sdonea couple of interviews, includinga news conferenceinlate May at the SEC spring meetings, but he hasn’tposted anything on his X account since May 11. In Kiffin years, that’saneternity That changes this week,of course. TheKiffin faucet will be open full throttle, includingan upcoming book about him. Just don’t expect Kiffin to standat the media days podium and start blasting awaywith abunch of hot takes. That’snot his preferred medium.

LSU is the third different SEC schoolthat Kiffin will represent at media days, following Ole Miss (stop that hissing, will you?) and Tennessee. He will be the first coach to do that, andheofficially is the first man to coach three different SEC teams. Paul “Bear”Bryant technically did it by coaching Alabama, Kentucky and Texas A&M, but his stint in College Station was back in the Aggies’ days in the long-defunct Southwest Conference. While on asocial-mediadiet, Kiffin apparently has been makinghis presence felt in other ways. Recruiting expert Steve Wiltfong of On3/Rivals recently predicted that LSU will flipBrother Martin’sEaston Royal—the nation’stop-rated receiver and No. 6prospect overall —away from Texas. That could make for an interesting encounter if Kiffin and Sarkisian crosspaths Thursday Then there’s scheduling. On Friday,LSU announced that itis adding four nonconference games againstin-state opponents to its schedules over the next four seasons: Northwestern Statein2027, Southern and UL-Monroein2028,

Ravens’Hamiltonvoted top safety in theNFL by AP panel

BY ROBMAADDI AP pro football writer

began separating thepositions in 2016.

Wirfs hasexcelled at both run and pass blocking over his career and has madethe Pro Bowl in five straight seasons. He missedthe start of last season recovering from aknee injury but quickly got back to his usualform.

3. Garett Bolles,Broncos

Bolles entered the NFL as afirstround pick in 2017 and took alittle time to develop into atop tackle ButBolleshas been theanchor of one of the top offensive lines thepastfew years in Denverand earned All-Pro honors for the first time in 2025.

Bolles allowed nosacks and only 19 pressuresduring the2025 regular season, according to PFF

4. TrentWilliams, 49ers

Williams stillperformed at a high level last season at age 37 as he bouncedback fromaninjuryplagued 2024 to help SanFrancisco get back to the playoffs. Williams is coming off his12thPro Bowl season —the most for any offensive tackle —and is two shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews’record foranoffensive lineman Williams made three straight AllProteamsfrom 2021-23 before the injuries limited him to 10 games in 2024. He was healthyfor most of last season, playing 16 games for the first time since 2013 when he once againwas adominant run blocker.

His pass blocking dropped off a bit withhis 40 pressures allowed themost since hisrookie season with Washington in 2010, according to PFF,but he remains atop playerathis position.

5. Jordan Mailata, Eagles

Mailata is one of the best development stories in the modern NFL. The former Australianrugby star had never played American football before the Eagles drafted him in the seventh round in 2018. Under offensive line coachJeffStoutland’sguidance, he’sbecome one of the best in the game.

Mailata earnedsecond-team AllProhonorsin2024and hasbeena steadying force on one of the more consistentlines in theNFL.

andTulane in2030.

Three of thosegames—Northwestern State nextseason, ULM in ’28 and Tulane in ’30 —will be season openers. The lone outlier in that runwill be 2029, when LSU opens against SMU at theDallas Cowboys’ AT&T StadiuminArlington,Texas.

That game will be athrowback to thekind of Power Four opener LSUhas played,and struggled to win,since 2021. Thekind of opener LSUwill play this season when it hostsClemson on Sept. 5. Kiffin likes those kinds of high-stakes openers as much as he likes a dirt-stained visor. Clearly it looks like LSU is buildingout astringof openers to his liking.

By the way, when Kiffin was at Ole Miss,the Rebels lost their 2020 opener to Florida 51-35 when SECteamsplayed aconferenceonly10-gameschedule because of the pandemic. After that, Ole Miss beatLouisville 43-24inAtlanta, then Troy 28-10in2022, Mercer 73-7 in 2023, Furman 76-0 in 2024 and Georgia State 63-7 in 2025. Youcan see where this is going. As for theopponents, LSU has shown apreference for keeping the guaranteedmoney in state as much as possible, so these gamesmake sense. Butfrankly,I didn’tthink the Tigers would play Southern againafter what looked like aone-off in 2022, and Ididn’t knowwhether LSUever would playTulane againafter last facing the Green Wave way back in 2009. YoungerLSU fansnever have seen their team lose to Tulane, with an 18-game winning streak for the Tigers sincea31-28 upset loss in 1982. Ithink it’sgreat to see another meeting on the books against LSU’soldest and once most-played rival (Mississippi State now has that distinction), especially since Tulanereached the CFPthispast season, losing to Ole Miss. Butthose are games to focus on later.The attention is on what maywell bethe most anticipatedLSU footballseason ever where it should be.

For more LSU sportsupdates, sign up for our newsletter at theadvocate.com/lsunewsletter

Kyle Hamilton does it all for the BaltimoreRavens defense.

The two-time All-Prosafety can play slot cornerback and coverreceivers or tight ends. He can play in thebox andstopthe run. He can drop intozone and play traditional deep safety. He can blitz. Hamilton’sversatility and productivityhelped him earn thetop safetyspotinthe NFL as voted by The Associated Press.

Apanel of eight AP ProFootball Writers ranked thetop five players at safety,basing selections on current status enteringthe 2026 season. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2and 1points.

Hamilton received six firstplace votes. All-Pro Kevin Byard finished second,followed by Derwin James, Antoine Winfield Jr and Xavier McKinney

1. Kyle Hamilton,Ravens

Hamilton is an elite defensive back no matter where he plays He can line up anywhere, giving thedefense multiple optionsand theoffense fits.

He had no interceptions and one sack and received 46 of 50 votes for first-team All-Pro last season because his value isn’tmeasured in glamorous stats. Opposing quarterbacks hada49rating when Hamiltonwas on thefield and 90 when he was off it.

Hamilton forced two fumbles, had seven tackles for loss and 105 overall.

2. KevinByard,Patriots

Byard led the NFLwith seven

interceptionslastseasonand earned his third All-Pro honors.

He’s aprototypical modern safety who can be atraditional deep centerfielder,quick and savvy enough to undercut routes in man coverage. He’salso strong against the run.

Byard receivedtwo first-place votes, one second and one fourth, appearing on four ballots.

3. Derwin JamesJr.,Chargers

James is another versatile hybrid safety who earnedsecondteam All-Pro honors at slotcornerback last year

Jameshad three interceptions, twosacks, one forced fumble, 94 tackles and six foraloss.

TheChargerslineJames up in thebox, the slot, or at deep safety and he produces from each spot.

ON STAGEMONDAY

4. AntoineWinfieldJr, Bucs

A2023 All-Pro, Winfieldbounced back from an injury-plagued seasontomakethe Pro Bowl roster last year

He had two interceptions, one sack, one forced fumble, 93 tackles and four foraloss.

Winfield is aversatile playmaker with excellent ball-tracking ability. He has18career sacks, nine interceptions and 12 forced fumbles in six seasons.

5. Xavier McKinney,Packers

McKinneyfollowed up hisfirst All-Pro season by earning secondteam honors in 2025.

He had twointerceptions, 107 tackles, one forced fumble and one sack.

McKinney can play traditional free safety,step into the box and disguise coverages.

KENTUCKY

LAST YEAR:5-7 (2-6SEC)

CO ein (1st year)

PL Bryant, QB KennyMinchey,TE Willie Rodriguez

TH Wildcats decided last year that it was time to y firedMark Stoops and hired Stein —the for offensivecoordinator who’sgot more resources than expect. Kentucky signed atop-10 transfer cl in the mixfor afew of the best available quar

MISSOURI

LAST YEAR:8-5 (4-4SEC)

COACH:Eli Drinkwitz(7thyear)

PLAYERS:OLCaydenGreen,RBJamal Roberts,LBNicholas Rodriguez

THE BUZZ:How healthy is Ahmad Hardy? The startailback was OK, thankfully,after he suffered agunshot woundin May, but Drinkwitz hasn’t been abletooffer aconcrete timetable forhis returntofootball. The Tigers mayneed him on the field if theywant to climb back into playoff contention

LSU

Continuedfrom page1C

Golding, the former Alabama assistant, wouldn’tbeatOle Miss if not for Kiffin, but the nature of Kiffin’sexit —pre-College Football Playoff run, while trying to bring OleMissstaff andplayers with him to Baton Rouge— complicated the relationship.

Rebels athleticdirector Keith Carter just toldthe Clarion-Ledgerhehasn’truled outsuing for buyout money fromPrincewill Umanmielen and Devin Harper, who bounced to LSUlate in January’sportal window after signing revenue-sharing dealswithOle Miss.

Kiffindidn’texactlyleavequietly,either.Heclaimed Ole Miss fans tried to runhim off theroad on his way to the airport. Then he made comments to VanityFair about the difficulty of recruiting Black athletes to Mississippi.

Ole Missquarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who will be at SEC media days, rebutted thelatter notion in June, but Chambliss went ahead and floated that theS.W.A.T team might need to be in attendance for LSU’svisit on Sept. 19.

When it’s allover, will Wednesday and Thursday’scomments increaseordecrease the temperature of theOle Miss-LSU feud? Both sides will likelyaim to dial things down, but Goldingcan be brash and Kiffinenjoys trolling. Things could get heated. What questionssteal theshow?

Before LSU and Ole Miss arrive,

OKLAHOMA

LAST YEAR:10-3(6-2SEC)

COACH:Brent Venables (5th year)

PLAYERS:QBJohn Mateer,OLEddyPierre-Louis, DL Taylor Wein

THEBUZZ:Oklahoma punched intothe CFP field in 2025 eventhough Mateer spent most of the season battling a stubbornhand injury. He’shealthynow,which is good news for aSooners program that has fielded one of the nation’sbest defenses in back-to-back years.The next step is aplayoff win.

TENNESSEE

LAST YEAR:8-5 (4-4 SEC)

COACH:JoshHeupel (6th year)

PLAYERS:RBDeSean Bishop, LB Arion Carter,LBJeremiah Telander

THEBUZZ:Tennessee’stop storyline is thequarterback competition it’s expected to hold in preseason camp.Will fivestar true freshman Faizon Brandon win the job? Or will it go to 6-foot-6 redshirtfreshman GeorgeMacintyre? Either way, Heupel has his work cutout for him after adisappointing 2025 season.

ReedDarcey

SEC commissionerGregSankey will have his turn at the podium Andthere is much to discuss.

Yahoo’sRoss Dellengerreportedlast week that the SEC is considering a“Plan B” where it breaksaway from theNCAA and governsitself if the Protect College Sports Act isn’tamended as theconference wants.

Considering the hubbub following an increase from eight to nine conference games, does Sankey really believe SEC teams would be OK only competing against each other? What does the SEC, including LSU, need adjusted to actually support federal legislation?

There are numerous other issues, some LSU-adjacent, including tampering concerns, contract buyouts, lawsuits concerning eligibility andthe new“5-for-5” model, andballooning athletic department budgets. Does Sankey use the bully pulpit to start, continue,orextinguish any number of conversations?

Thecommissioner will have the floor Monday,but his answers could be atalking pointthrough Thursday and beyond.

Are finerdetails addressed?

Every detail that emerges from SEC media days doesn’thavetobe dramatic or existential. On amore granular level, there are plenty of questions about LSU’sroster heading into the season. Maybe tight endTrey’Dez Green can offer insight on how quarterback Sam Leavitt, who won’tbeatmedia days, is syncing up with arevamped receiving corps.

Maybe linebackers T.J. Dottery and Whit Weeks can speak to the growth of freshman defensive linemen Deuce Geralds, Lamar Brown, andRichard Anderson, whocould play an outsized role in the Tigers’ success or failure. Are any young cornerbacks emerging to deepen what seems to be ashallowroom? Are there good reasonstobelieve LSU’soffensive line will be improved? There are many football questions on the table. While nothing will truly be answered until Sept. 5against Clemson, maybe Kiffin and Co. drop someclues on what’s coming.

WheredoTigerssit in poll?

Four days of talkingshouldbe equal parts informative and entertaining, but theSEC preseason poll released the day after the eventstartsanotherconversationentirely Is LSU over-orunderrated? Kiffinand LSU arecoming into the 2026 season with significant hype because of atalented transferclass. But Texasisexpecting fireworksfrom itsArch Manning-CamColeman connection, Georgia is aback-to-back SEC champion, Alabama hasyet to fade into obscurity,and Ole Miss, TexasA&M andOklahomaseem formidable Allofthoseteams could, or arguably should, rank ahead of LSU heading intothe season.Dothe voters believe otherwise?

Expectations in Baton Rouge remain high, regardless, but it will be revealing to see exactly where LSU’sbar is set in thepreseason poll.

WILLIAMS

Baltimore Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton runs onto the fieldduring player introductions before agame against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Dec.7 in Baltimore.

WORLDCUP 2026

WC’s integrityquestionedbyEuropeanrightsbody

FIFA urgedtohelpprotect 2030 tournament

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR

AP sportswriter

GENEVA— Europe’stop human rights body questioned the integrity of the WorldCup and urged FIFAonSunday to helpbuild a stronger framework for the 2030 edition being played mostly in Spain and Portugal.

“The next crisis has already begun. It has two names: money and power,” the head of the 46-nation Council of Europe wrote Sunday in an open letter to its formal working partner FIFAhours before the final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford,New Jersey Swiss politician Alain Berset cited FIFAsuspending aban for United States forward Folarin

Balugunwhile under pressure from U.S.President Donald Trump and therisk of fraud in the soccer body signing aprediction market as aWorld Cupsponsor

“When the rules bend under pressure,every result is open to doubt,” Berset wrote about Balogun being freed from amandatoryone-game ban to face Belgium with aquarterfinals place at stake. Belgiumwon 4-1.

“Political influence has also movedontothe field,”saidBerset, whowas twice apresident of FIFA’shome country Switzerland.

“The sanctionsuspendedmid-tournament came afterahead of state called the president of FIFA.”

FIFAsignedaprediction market sponsor deal in April worth are-

Mbappé wins another Golden Boot,Spain’s RodrigetsGoldenBall

BY BRIAN MAHONEY AP sportswriter

EAST RUTHERFORD,N.J.— Kylian

Mbappé kept the Golden Boot award and Spain wouldn’t let Lionel Messi get anything else.

Shortly after winning the World Cup title Sunday,the Spaniards claimed all three individual player awards, keeping Messifrom leaving with any more personal hardware.

Rodri won the Golden Ballas the tournament’sbest player, Unai Simón won the Golden Glove for the top performance by a goalkeeper,and Pau Cubarsí won the BestYoung Player Award, beatingout fellow 19-year-old teammate Lamine Yamal.

Messi was hoping to wina record-extending third Golden Ball adding to his 2014 and 2022 honors. He’salready the only player to win the award multiple times since it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina’s runto asecond straightfinalatage 39 gave him astrong case for another

But the award went to Rodri forcaptaining Spain’srun to its second World Cup title after the Manchester City midfielder struggled early after returning in May 2025 from knee surgery that sidelined him eight months. “For me, it’s been averytough time. Ijust want the new generation to see my example as an opportunity to that if you go down, you can rise again,” he said. “This is my philosophy my entire life Of course, sometimes things go well, things go wrong. But always the positive.”

Rodri had no goals or assistsin the tournament, but he was critical to Spain’spossession-heavy style of play.Hecompleted more passes than anyone (753) with 94% accuracy.Hewas involved in 1,803 plays, according toFIFA stats, nearly 200more than anyone else in this World Cup.

“I heard that at the beginning of the tournament Iwasn’table to play,now thatIrecovered my shape. Itried nottolisten too much,” Rodri saidonthe eve of the final. “I’ve always been confident of myself. Ithink oneofthe big parts of my game is trying to replicate this accuracy in terms of passing and being very safe with the ball.”

Rodri became just the 11th man to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League and theBallon d’Or —the biggest individual award in soccer,awarded forsoccer’splayer of the year,whichhe won in 2024 when Spain won the European title.

FIFAsays the Golden Ball was awarded to the best player in the tournament basedona ranking compiled by the FIFA Technical Study Group. Messi won the Silver Ball and Mbappé theBronze Ball. Simón set arecord with his seven shutouts in the tournament, allowing justone goal in eight games. Cubarsí, the Barcelona defender, helped anchor Spain’s record-setting defensiveeffort and had the most completed passes in the final. Cubarsí and Yamal became the

ported $150 million with ADIPredictstreet, oneweekafter theAbu Dhabi-backed company was formally created. FIFAalsohas other commercial dealswith thegambling industry for this World Cup.

Prediction betting has been criticized as rewarding insider trading, and Berset noted that in soccer it allowed wagers to be won on “moments asingle player can produce without changing the score.”

“It is an open door to fraud,” he wrote. “And this World Cup has opened the door wider.”

TheCouncilofEurope(CoE) aired its concerns publicly despite having aformal working agreementwithFIFAsigned by itspresident Gianni Infantino in 2018.

The inter-governmental body, whichcreated the European Convention on Human Rights, hasa stated mission:“To promotedemoc-

racy,human rights and the rule of law across Europe and beyond.”

Whensigning theFIFA-CoEmemorandum of understanding eight years ago, Infantino said: “It is anaturalrelationship, as we share common values andgoals: transparency, accountability,integrity,safety in sport and respect forhuman rights, for children’s rights.”

Infantino and Berset met in 2024 on the sidelines of theUnited Nations generalassembly in New York.

FIFA’sdisciplinary ruling on Balogun was fiercely criticized by European soccer body UEFA which said the decision “crossed ared line” in soccer’srule of law andtransparency.FIFAhas yet to publish documents explaining the reasoning of its disciplinary judge from theUnited Arab Emirates.

“A sanction suspended under

pressure, within days, with no reasons given,” Berset wrote, before adding other concerns about the first 48-team, 104-game World Cup.

“The authority of referees is called into question. Racist abuse of players, someofitfrom elected officials.Betting on every pass, every card, every corner.”

Thenext men’s WorldCup will be stagedmostlyinEurope,with Morocco also co-hosting. Three South American neighbors, Argentina,Paraguayand Uruguay, are currently scheduled to host onegame each at thestart of the centenary editioninJune 2030 to mark the original1930 World Cup host Uruguay

“So here is my proposaltoFIFA,” Berset wrote. “A working dialogue that starts tonight,tobuild theintegrityframeworkofthe 2030 World Cup before it is played.”

WorldCup Golden Boot winners

YearPlayerG

1930 Guillermo Stabile, Argentina 8 1934 Oldrich Nejedly,Czechoslovakia5

1938 Leônidas, Brazil 7 1950 Ademir,Brazil9 1954 Sándor Kocsis, Hungary11

1958 Just Fontaine, France 13 1962 Garrincha, Brazil 4 1962 ValentinIvanov, Soviet Union 4 1962 Leonel Sánchez, Chile 4 1962 Vavá, Brazil 4 1962 Florian Albert,Hungary4

1962 Drazan Jerkovic, Yugoslavia4

1966 Eusébio, Portugal 9 1970 GerdMüller, West Germany 10 1974 Grzegorz Lato, Poland 7 1978 Mario Kempes, Argentina 6 1982 Paolo Rossi, Italy 6 1986 Gary Lineker, England 6 1990 SalvatoreSchillaci, Italy 6 1994 Hristo Stoichkov,Bulgaria 6 1994 Oleg Salenko, Russia 6 1998 DavorSuker, Croatia 6 2002 Ronaldo, Brazil 8 2006 MiroslavKlose, Germany5

2010 Thomas Müller, Germany5

2014 James Rodriguez, Colombia6

2018 Harry Kane, England 6 2022 Kylian Mbappé,France8 2026 Kylian Mbappé,France10

AP PHOTO By REBECCA BLACKWELL

France forward Kylian Mbappé walksoff the pitch after the World Cup third-place match against England on SaturdayinMiami Gardens, Fla. Mbappé wonthe 2026 Golden Boot award

first teenagers to start for the winningteam in the World Cup finalsince Mbappé was also 19 when France won the 2018 title. He won that young player award that year.

Mbappé totaled 10 goalsand four assists this timefor aFrance team that finished fourth. Messi ended up with eightgoalsand fourassists after going without a goalor an assist Sundayfor the first time in hislast 12 World Cup games.

TheGolden Boot is one of the few things Messihas neverwon in his storied career,but he went intothe final weekendwith the lead. Both Messi and Mbappé had eight goals through the semifinals,but Messiowned the tiebreaker with one more assist Mbappé then scored two goals and had an assist Saturday in France’s6-4 loss to England in thethird-placegame, making himthe first player with 10 goalsinaWorld Cup since Germany great Gerd Müller had10 in 1970. Mbappé has 22 career World Cup goals, one better thanMessi for the tournament record.

Messi only hadone attempt Sunday that momentarily appeared dangerous,abending left-footed shot in the 115th minute that landedontop of thenet.

He came into the game with a chance to becomethe first Golden Boot winner to play for the champion since Ronaldo scored eight goalswhenBrazil won the title in 2002.

Dancers performascolorful smokerises

WORLD CUP

Continuedfrom page1C

through September2021, before Spain ended that streak.

Andfor the last two-plus years, nobody has beaten Spain. Not even Messi.AnArgentina team that was the kingsofthe late-game rally in this tournament hadnoanswer this time.

Messi took acorner kick with about four minutes left before the final whistle and the ball took a fortunate skip toward reserve Giuliano Simeone —who sent it high andoverthe crossbar, holding his head in disbelief afterward.

“Whenyou have Messionthe other side, well, you are nervous,” Torres said. “Atthe end of the day, we alwaysdependedonus. We always come up with ourfootball, and we showed it again.”

The win made Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach ever to lead ateam to the World Cup title.

“Weare world champions,” de la Fuentesaid. “It was together we reached this stage.”

There was somepushing and shoving afterthe final whistle, which was quickly cleaned up and Spain commenced its celebration as most Argentinaplayerssat on theturfindisbelief. Cooler heads prevailed, and Spain’splayers linedupminuteslater to form an honor guard of sorts for Argentina’ssquad to walk through on its waytothe stagefor the runner-up medals.

Enzo Fernandez was sent off in second-half stoppage time after getting his second yellow card, meaning Argentina was forced to finish the match with only 10 players. Fernandezwas carded fora reckless playthatsentSpain defender PauCubarsi cartwheeling intothe air,and the card came out immediately It was the 104thand last match of the biggest World Cup ever, a48team event that played out over the U.S., Canadaand Mexico. Because there weremorematches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals thanall other editions —morethan 300, nearly threeper match. Except,ofcourse, when Spain was involved. Spain’splan was simple and flawless: Hold the ball as much as possible,denying opponentsany hint of chances.

“I experienced alot of things on this pitch, good and not so good,” Messi said that night. “I’ll take the good with me.”

In theMessiera, there was alot of good. Alot of great, actually There was the World Cup title in 2022, obviously topping the list. There was the Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Games. The twoCopaAmérica titles, the first in 2021 andthe secondin2024. He won Argentina’splayer of the year award 16 times in aspan of 19 years, first winning it as ateenager and continuing to win it all the way into his late 30s. He’s alegendwithin thegame and on all corners of the globe. But Spain was better Sunday

It worked, all the way to the end. “Thereissadness, but also the knowledgethat we gave it our all,” Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said.“Icould say alot about how we gothere, but it’snot worth it. Iameternallygrateful to these guys; they competed right to the end. The other team wasbetter.” Spain came into this tournament considered as oneofthe favorites, andwiththe full belief it couldend Argentina’sreign. It had to go through the game’s greatestplayer —maybe ever to makegood on that promise. Messiis39and the math certainly suggests that theInter Miami star is at the endofhis international career.There have been hints —such as Messi himself declaring that ahomeWorld Cup qualifying matchagainst Venezuela last year would be his final competitivecontest for Argentina on his nation’ssoil.

“I spoke to my players, and they said: ‘Look,we’vewon everything, coach. We’ve woneverything,’ ” de la Fuente said. “And that is beautiful.”

The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.There was ahalftime show,afirst forFIFA. There were aton of celebrities there from stage, screen andsports: BradPitt, TomCruise, Matt Damon, CillianMurphy, DanielCraig, Stephen Curry,Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz, David Beckham,Zinedine Zidane and dozens more. They cametosee ashow.Sodid 80,000 other people, not to mentionperhaps as many as 2billion watching around the globe. Spain didn’tdisappoint. No team has wonback-to-back men’s World Cups since Brazilin1958 and 1962, and Spain kept Argentina from pulling off that repeat.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTOByJULIOCORTEZ Spain forward Ferran Torres celebrates after scoring agoal during the WorldCup final match against Argentina on SundayinEast Rutherford, N.J. Spain won1-0. AP PHOTO By STEPHANIE SCARBROUGH Argentina star Lionel Messireacts at the end of the WorldCup final match on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J.

AnotherOpenslips from Young’sgrasp

American finishes runner-upagain at BritishOpen

BY STEVE DOUGLAS Associated Press

SOUTHPORT,England Cameron

Young was waiting on the range at Royal Birkdale, driverinhand, when ahuge roar came that he didn’twant to hear

Just astone’sthrow away on the 18th green, Ryan Fox hadholed a 12-foot birdie putt to win the BritishOpen. There’d be no playoff forYoung.

No chance to end his wait for a first major championshiptitle

The American bowed his head, swunghis driver gently over his shoulder then back onto the ground, and trudged off.

Some 21/2 hours earlier,Young hadbeen on that 18th hole himself, getting up-and-downfrom a greenside bunker —heactually nearly holed it —tosalvage bogeyand shoot 64 for what would remain the lowest scoreofthe final round. Then came the long, agonizing wait to discover whether his 9-un-

der 271 total would be enough to win.

Younghad some food, cleared out hislocker —“forefficiency’s sake,” he said —and spent some time in the players’ lounge.

By 6p.m., he was practicing on the putting green. And around half an hour later thespectatorsinthe huge grandstands lining one of the most famouswalksingolfgavehim the badnews.

AddBirkdale to the 29-year-old Young’sclose callsatthe majors, following arunner-up finishatthe British Open in 2022 —hemade eagle on thefinalhole to be one stroke back from Cameron Smith at St. Andrews —and atie for third at the Masters this year aftersharing the 54-hole lead.

Now up to No. 4inthe world, the widespreadbelief in golfing circles is thatYoung’stime will come. That’sbecause he has risen to elite company this year with wins at The Players ChampionshipinMarch andthe Cadillac

nine at the Masters until Rory McIlroy overtook him.

“I gave it everything Ihad all the way through,”Young said when he finished. He declined interviews when Fox ended the154th Open.

ChampionshipatDoral,infront of PresidentDonaldTrump,a couple of months later

‘Itcould have been 60’

Speaking after his round, Young said he thought 10-under par would have a“decent chance” of victory.

So it proved.

And he would have gotthere —ormaybe better —had he not found afairway bunker on No. 18 after choosing to hit driver.He barely got out of the sandwithhis secondshot that struck thetop of the bunker wall and spilledout 20 yards forward, andwentonto scramble bogey With apar there, he would have matched thelowest final-round score in amajor

Abirdie? Well, thatwould have won him thewhole thing.

“Itcouldhave been 60,” Young said of his round that includeda front-nine 29.

“I played agreat round of golf,” he added, “and Idid it in areally

Cameron young reacts after playing out of abunker on the 18th

during the final dayofthe British Open on Sunday at RoyalBirkdalegolf club in Southport, England.

good way.”

Young’sthoughtsafter Fox completed thevictory are amystery becausehedeclined to talk to the media. He surely will regrethis 3-over

73 on Saturday that cameafter two 67s anddroppedhim to atie for 20thovernight.

“I had achance to win with not everything I’vegot,” he said.“So I think that’sa good takeaway.”

championship, to win TheOpen It’snot like that in real life. It’snot avery comfortable feeling,” Fox said. “It’scertainly very enjoyable when you see it go in.”

He thrust those powerful arms into the air and wasonthe phone with his family moments later andwas heard telling them,“You asked me to bring atrophy home, and Iam, aren’tI?”

His name will go on the base of that shiny claret jug along with another Kiwi, Bob Charles, who won the British Open in 1963.Michael Campbell is the other New Zealand man to win amajor at Pinehurst No. 2inthe 2005 U.S. Open.

Fox’ssterling moment brought more disappointment forYoung The American also finishedone shot behindinthe BritishOpen at St. Andrews four years ago, and he had aSunday lead on the front

Sam Burns, the 54-hole leader whowas never planning to be at the Open until his wifegavebirthto their daughter earlier than expected, lost atwo-shot lead anddidn’t make birdieoverthe last 12 holes to finish two shots behind.

“I just couldn’tfind them today Just didn’thave mybest stuff,” the former LSU standout said. “Given the circumstances, I’mvery pleasedwith theweek. I’m looking forward to being home.”

Reigning champion Scottie Schefflersomehowmanaged to stick around untilthe end, gettingtwo bad bouncesthat cost him momentum, thengetting one big breakfor amost improbable birdie. He closed with a67and shared fourth with Fleetwood, who fell back early but delivered abirdiebirdiefinish for a68.

at theend. DeChambeau shot a72 andtied for14th.

Fox won forthe 10th time worldwide,his biggest title before Sunday comingatthe BMW PGA Championship in 2023. He is the oldest first-time major champion sinceHenrik Stenson was 40 at Royal Troon 10 years ago.

Fox finished at 10-under 270, got his hands on the jug and heard those magic words when he was introducedasthe “Champion Golfer of the Year.”

“I’mnot quite sure how Ihit that putt on 18. Look, it is adream come true,” Fox said.“Lookingatthattrophy now,it’sthe first time I’ve seen it up close. So it’spretty amazing.”

Missing from all drama, remarkably,was DeChambeau. He lost a golf ball and madetriple bogey on the 11th hole and didn’tmake a birdie until he was well out of contention. That two-shot penalty he received Friday for improving the path of his swing wasn’t an issue

Young was flawless until the finalhole,his tee shot finding apot bunker.Hetriedtoopen the face of a6-iron but caught it thin and it smacked into the vetted wall and into therough. He hit the next shot into agreenside bunkerand nearly holed it for par.The bogey put him at 9-under 271. Burns was losing ground quick-

ly on the front nine with three straight bogeys, none more damaging than apitch to the reachable par-4 fifth hole that wentover the back of the green. Si WooKim emergedasthe leader going to theback nine until he made bogeys on the 11th and 12th holes, and he fell outofcontention for good witha pair of late bogeys that added to a40onthe back nine for72. Thatleft Young at the topofthe leaderboard, waiting to see if anyone could match him Fox’s hopestook anasty turn on thepar-3 15th when his tee shot caromed offthe side of abunker and settled next to the lip, leaving him no stanceand no shot. He smartly played away from the back pin to the fairway,chipped from 45 yards away to 6feet andmadebogey It wasasbig as any shot he hit until the last. Fox was alate bloomer,aEuropean tour rookie at age 30 and aPGA Tour rookie whenhewas 37. His goal when he startedwas to have atour card. Nowhe’samajor champion

AP PHOTO By DAVIDGOLDMAN

Former LSU golfer Sam Burns reacts on the 15thgreen after putting in

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOByPETER MORRISON

green

Friendship immortalized

BY KASEY BUBNASH

Staff writer

In apatch of twisted oldyew trees on the edge ofNew Orleans’ West End Park, awooden bench beckonspassersbytotake aload off andlisten to the birds twitter. Where the clump of nonnative trees camefrom is largely amystery —they’ve been there for as long as anyone nearbycan remember.

But thebiggestmystery of all sits at the center of the grove: the weathered statue of alargedog, frozen in time, panting andstaring intothe distance.

There’snoplaque, andnomention of the statue in anyhistorical directories. There’sjustaslab of concrete in thegrass afew feet away that reads“Gus” in faded ceramic tiles.

Gus the dog memorial, as it’s known to inquiringlocals online, has becomeabeloved fixture of thepark over the years. Gusis often dressed accordingtoseason and decorated for holidays. He’s visited regularly by neighborhood

PHOTO

dogs,who sometimes mistake him fora living creature before alittle sniffing confirmsotherwise.

He even has an official marker and flawless, five-star rating on Google Maps, where adoring fans describe him as a“national treasure” and, better yet, a“good boy.”

Still, it seemseven those who jog and walk past Gus on anear daily basis don’tknow his story “I feel like Iknow Gus,”said one woman who visits thepark roughly five times aweek. “But I don’tknow him.”

To Lee Henderson, who lives in aboathouse across thestreet, that’spart of thefun. Gus has generated amythology of his own It’sthe subject of multiple Reddit threads, where local users describe their peaceful visits with Gus (and which sometimes involve hallucinatory substances). Countless commenters have questioned whether the real Gus loved to chase squirrels or hated the mailman Henderson reads through these postsfrom time to time, delighted at the stories people invent and share.

“I like it when people tell me about Gus,” Henderson said. The truth is that Guswas just a regulardog who lived in the neighborhood. But,like all dogs, he was legendary to thosewho knew him.

Piranhafor dinner andother noteworthy tales

BY JANRISHER Staff

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

TwoLouisiana athletes have their sights set on reaching “Mount Midoriyama.”

For the uninitiated,that’sthe last obstaclebetween an “American Ninja Warrior” finalist and $1 million. TheNBC competitionseries’ 18th season will enter the central regional qualifying phase with Monday’s episode. New Orleans native Genny Culotta Hillsand Joseph Lukachick of Geismarare scheduled to compete —sprinting over “shrinking steps,” swinging through the “kite surfer” andgrabbing narrow ledges for dear life in the “wall-to-wall.” One wrong move, and they’ll fall into the pool below,abruptly ending that run.

The “Ninja” obstacle course phases change each season so thatnew hopefuls won’ttotally know what they’re facing. As the season progresses, winners advancetoregionalfinals, semifinals and finals, alltaking place in LasVegas.The finals are where they’ll attempt to conquer “Mount Midoriyama.”

See ATHLETES, page 2D

As theschool

starts, we’re thinking about thepeoplewho standatthe front of

who

with asmile.Sometimesastranger in August becomesthe persona studentnever forgets. Certain teacherssay something on arandom October afternoon and students repeat it for decades to

—orateacher maylead by example and givein waysthat changes lives. We invitereaderstotellus about that teacher who made all thedifference:writealetter directly to theteacher and send it to us.Ortellthe story plain: a name,aclassroom and themoment that stuck. We’relooking for thelessons that have outlasted thechalkboard(or thedry-erase board, as thecase maybe). Sendyour letter or story,including thename of theteacher,name of school, city and year to jan.risher@ theadvocate.comby2 p.m.July 28. Photos of theteacher arealso welcome

STAFF

PHOTO By KASEy BUBNASH

The Gusthe dog memorial statue in West End Park

PROVIDED

FROM LEEHENDERSON

Lee Henderson with his late dog, Gus

PROVIDED PHOTOBy

WHITE/NBC

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday,July 20, the 201st day of 2026.There are 164 days left in the year

TodayinHistory: On July 20, 1969, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching its surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.

Also on this date: In 1917, America’sWorld WarIdraft lotterybegan as Secretary of WarNewton Baker,wearing ablindfold, reached into aglass bowl and pulled out acapsule containing the number 258 during aceremony in the Senate office building.

In 1944, an attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler withabombinabriefcase failed as the explosion only wounded the Nazi leader In 1951, Jordan’sKing Abdullah Iwas assassinated in Jerusalembya Palestinian gunman who was shot dead on the spot by security. In 1976, America’sViking 1robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.

ATHLETES

Continued from page1D

The Louisiana hopefuls have trainedyears for their moment on the “American Ninja Warrior”stage.

Stumblingintoit

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Hills was introduced to Ninja workouts at asmall Jefferson gym, NOLA Muscle Park. The facility was also where she first heard about the NBC series. At that time, the city was behind the curveasfar as Ninja goes.

“My coachesatthe gym and everyone Idid it with were kind of struggling to get business and keep the gym popular,” Hills, 38, said.

“Thatwas what gave me the idea, ‘Well, maybe Icould help grow the sport in our community.’”

Her coaches and fellow gym members convinced her to apply for the show, which entailed an application and videos of her Ninja workouts.

“Tobehonest, Ilove that it is both apersonal and ateam sport. It’salot more mental toughness than it is just physical strength, whichI love,” she said.

Hills says she grew up loving competition, and she and her twin sister played various sports. With that foundation, Hills entered afew of themany Ninja competitions happening around the country, training for each one as it approached by keeping up on her skills andworking through obstacle courses at the gym —mimicking ones from the show

Once an athlete gets the call from “American Ninja Warrior” that they have been selected to compete, there’s about amonth until the athlete has to go to theLas Vegascontestsite. By thetime she was recruited, NOLA Muscle Park had closed, and Hills was training at Crescent City Ninjas in Gretna. Hills has worked as a physician assistant in neurocritical care for brain injury,and in 2020 was hired as academic director of the new Ochsner Xavier Physician Assistant Program.

This year, Hills andher husband relocated to Lon-

POSTCARDS

Continued from page1D

apirarucu is —and boy, was Iinfor some learning!

The pirarucu is the world’s largest freshwater fish. They grow up to 10 feet long andcan weighmore than 400 pounds. Their skin is puncture-proof (designedto withstand the piranhas they share rivers with) and is used to make exotic leather goods.Ihad no idea.

In Milan, Cosban wrote that he went fabric shopping

TODAYINHISTORY

In 1977, aflash flood hit Johnstown,Pennsylvania, killing more than 80 people andcausing $350 million worth of damage.

In 1990, Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of thecourt’smost liberal voices, announced he was steppingdown.

In 1993, White House deputycounsel Vincent Foster Jr., 48, was foundshot to death in apark near Washington, D.C.; it was ruled a suicide.

In 2006, the Senatevoted 98-0 to renew thelandmark 1965 Voting Rights Act for another quarter-century

In 2007, PresidentGeorge W. Bush signed an executiveorder prohibiting cruel andinhuman treatment, including humiliation or denigration of religious beliefs, in thedetention and interrogation of terrorism suspects.

In 2012, gunman James Holmes openedfire inside acrowded movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, duringa midnightshowing of“The Dark KnightRises,”killing 12 people and wounding70 others. (Holmes was later convicted of murder and attempted murder,and

sentenced tolife in prison without the possibility of parole.)

In 2015, theUnited States and Cuba restored full diplomatic relations after morethan five decades of frosty relations rooted in theCold War.

Today’sBirthdays: Baseball Hall of Famer Tony Oliva is 88. Artist Judy Chicago is 87. Country singer T.G. Sheppard is 82. Singer Kim Carnes is 81. Rock musician Carlos Santana is 79. Author and commentator Thomas Friedman is 73. Rock musician Paul Cook (Sex Pistols) is 70. Actor Frank Whaley is 63. Conservationist and TV personality Terri Irwin is 62. Rock musician Stone Gossard (PearlJam) is 60. Actor Josh Holloway (TV: “Lost”) is 57. Singer Vitamin Cis57. Actor Sandra Oh is 55. Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Forsbergis53. Actor Omar Epps is 53. Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen is 51. Hockey Hall of Famer Pavel Datsyuk is 48. Actor Percy Daggs III is 44. Actor John Francis Daley is 41. Dancer-singer-actor Julianne Hough is 38. Former MLB pitcher Stephen Strasburg is 38.

don, where she’salready found anew Ninja gym.

GrowingupNinja Lukachick, 27,has been following “American Ninja Warrior” since childhood.

Like Hills, the pandemic also nudged him into Ninja training “Wewerebored.Myparents have some property,so we’relike, ‘Hey,let’sbuild aNinja course.’ We cutup some telephone poles and dug some holesand built a pretty big course that we played around.”

In 2021, four-time “American Ninja Warrior” competitor Jared Greer spoke at Fellowship Church,the Prairieville church which Lukachick attends. Greer’s nonprofit organization Overcoming Obstaclesvisits churches and schools, bringing“American Ninja Warrior”-type obstacles and sharing the gospel.

After talkingtoGreer and finding alocal Ninja gym, AIM Gym, Lukachick said he fell in lovewith thesport Twoyears ago, Lukachick submittedanapplication to the show,but he wasn’t picked. Instead, he was a partofateam that tests the obstacles for safetybefore theevent starts.

Last year, he re-applied and secured his slot for Season 18.

When he’snot at work at Home Protection Systems or at the gym, the husband andfather of a3-month-old daughter puts in Ninja time at home.

“The family Ninja course is alittlerundown nowbecause it’sbeen sitting outside for six years now,but me and my wife were able to build ahouse twoyears

and stopped by Lake Como, which hesaid lived up to the hype.

LindaBerggren from New Orleans founda 1984 Louisiana World’sFair postcard in Arkansas andsent itmy way, fondlyrecountingthe gondola rides. Sandra Adamssent apostcardfromthe Sonoran Desert andwrote that thetemperatures were high, but “the lack of humidity makes it bearable.” Olivia Regard from Lafayetteisvisiting Torontoand foundtimetozipline across the Niagara Falls. She also

Tourist’sclothes —and attitude —needanadjustment

Dear Miss Manners: What is wrong with tourists looking like tourists?Dothey expect us to pack fancy clothes? Alocal tour guide chewed out all of us Americansfor wearing shorts, halter tops, sandals and backpacks. “Would you dress this way in your capital?” he kept saying.

ago,” he explained. “What we’vedoneinour living room is put rings up and a big bar thatyou can swing across and kind of traverse the entirety of the living room.”

Hiswife goes along with this setup, as she didNinja alongsidehim untilher pregnancy Lukachick, achildhood leukemiasurvivor, has found Ninjatraining to be lessphysically impacting to his hips,knees,ankles and such, sincehis bones are more brittle sincegoing through cancer treatment.

“You’rebasically always on mats, so you already have that cushion when youare running and you have shoes. It is very physically taxing, but not in aharsh manner on your body,” he said. “I was like, ‘Hey,Icould really thrive in this and use this as agreat exercise.

Lastspring, Lukachick was able to start running again and started pushing himself to get his endurance up. This gave the athlete ahead startonhis reality show training. After his selection, he opted to maintain his regimen in the month leading up to show filming.

In Las Vegas for thebig day,Lukachickrecalls the nerves not setting in until about 10 seconds before his turn on the mat.

“When you got on the stage, it was like, ‘Oh,OK, I’mhere. …I’m about to do this,’”he said. “But it wasjust that pressure of, ‘Well, how far can Iget it?’ Ithink that was in the back of my head,because you just want to do good.”

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

mentioned that Torontohas the longest underground shopping and walking network. It’s 19 miles long. We are still looking for postcards from seven states —the samestubborn seven listed above. ThePostcard Project is like atreasure hunt.Itends on Labor Day Keep those cards and letters coming to Jan Risher TheAdvocate, 10705 Rieger Rd., Baton Rouge, LA 70809.

Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Frankly,yes —Iwould, and Ihave. It’sdamn hot in our fine capital. I’m tired of thehostility. We all know that it’sour money that supportsthe countries we visit. Tourism is agood thing. It’sa way to get to know foreign cultures.

Gentlereader: Afair point. AndMiss Manners totally agrees that it is ridiculous for touriststobeashamed of being tourists. Some carry it to theextent of

Dear Heloise: Irecently found out something that I think should be shared with your readers. Youprinted aletterfromapersonwho had ahint about allowing your electric toothbrush head to spin around for afew seconds after you rinse it so that it’d dry out faster.When Itriedit, Inoticed thatthe head Ihad on my toothbrush didn’tspin around. Turns out, it was acheap knockoff brand, andlittle didI know, some of these just vibrate for effect and don’trotate or do avery goodjob of cleaning your teeth!So, Iwent backto the original, name-brand electric toothbrush heads.

CURIOUS

vilifying other tourists as opposed to themselves, whoidentifyas“travelers.” But it is difficult to get to know a country when you do not know the language. And Miss Manners does not mean the spoken language. After all, English is widely understood throughout the world, and manytourists makeaneffort to speak the languages of countries they visit. But Americans tend to be in denial that there is a language of clothes. Everyone claims to dress either forcomfort or to express themselves, yet they are judging other people’sappearances by their clothes. And when having weddings, manygosofar as to issue specific dress codes and are angry when these are defied. In many other countries, there is moreformality than Americans are used to, and violating this is interpreted as disrespect. To be sure, there are other factors prejudicing local populations against the tourists they attract, notably overcrowding. And sometourists give the rest abad namebybehaving badly,even destructively But traveling in lightweight, climate-appropriate clothing without flaunting body parts is not adifficult concession to maketolocal custom.

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

Reader discoversfaketoothbrush

Sometimes it doesn’tpay to cutcorners! —N.K., in California Bath or shower

DearHeloise: Ifind that our modern society seems to shun baths and opt for showers. Not only does awarm bath help with aches and pains, especially with soaking solutions for this purpose, but baths are very relaxing. People are in such hurried states these days that they jump in ashower and hurry off to their day If they’d set aside even one day aweek to relax in a warm/hot bathtub (maybe with bubbles?), Ithink they’d have less aching and amore relaxed attitude that

would benefit them greatly Yes, it mayentail using more water,but what price can one put on acalm,relaxed body and mood? Slow down occasionally,folks, and give it atry! —Frank A., in Ventura, California Frank, Ithink it’sjust a matter of personal preference. For me, abath means sitting in water with daily perspiration, body oils, dirt, and dead skin cells. Ifind ashower to be very relaxing at night and invigorating in the morning, but that’sjust me. Readers, how do you feel about showering versus bathing? Let us know at Heloise@ Heloise.com —Heloise Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Continuedfrom page1D

The 125-pound, meatball of aRottweiler loved to takelong walks on his own around West End Park, before getting butt scratches and snuggling with his family as they read stories before bed.

Henderson knows, becauseGus was his dog. His study buddy through college at Tulane University, his securityguard after Hurricane Katrina, his road trip partner when he traveled for work, and his best friend for about 14 years.

“So Gus is alegend,” Henderson said.

Alegendisborn

Henderson and Gus first met when they wereboth just pups.

Gus belonged to someof Henderson’sclassmates at Tulane for about six weeks until he destroyed their bathroom and they decided they didn’tneed a purebred Rottweiler.Henderson agreed totake the dog for aweek. The week turned to years.

Henderson was living with multiple roommates in amessy rental he likened to a“modern-day Animal House. There was apool table in the living room, which Henderson and his friends trained Gus to jump on whenever someone came to thefront door.This way, thefirst thingvisitors saw upon entry was agiant Rottweiler standing several feet tall.

Gus was just another one of the guys, really.Every morning after abig party, Henderson said Gus would go around the house and knock over every halfempty beer can and glass, happily lapping up theremaining contents, whether it was beer,whiskey or cigarette butts.

He was never picky GrowingupwithGus

As Henderson and Gus grew up together,they

STAFF PHOTO By KASEy BUBNASH

Aneighbor of Gus’s owner left the statue as agift after the dog passed away around 2014.

both matured. But Gus, at his core, never really changed.

When Henderson started dating the woman who would becomehis wife, Gusrefused to accept it. He sought vengeance for ayear and ahalf, eating or destroying practically everything she owned: shoes, underwear,beauty products.

When Gusfinally realized she wasn’tgoing anywhere, Henderson said the dog grew to love and accept her as part of the pack.

After Katrina hit, the trio were stuck living in corporate housing in Houston. But, because of a rule prohibiting big dogs, Henderson said they were evicted afew weeks later

As they packed up to head home, Gussuddenly leapt from the car and charged the property manager Terrified, the property manager froze as Gus pounced and began furiously humping his leg.

Good DogGus

The days rebuilding in New Orleans after Katrina werelong and hard, but Henderson said Gusprotected their Mid-City home with his life. He even burst through glass-paned windows—more than once.

In 2010, Henderson and his wife moved to aboathouse in West End, where Gusquickly gained notoriety “You get to know your neighbors through their dogs,” he said. When Henderson’s daughter was born, they bought her all the “Good DogCarl” books they could find, classic children’s stories about aRottweiler named Carl whoisleft to babysit alittle girl. Gus would snuggle up as they read, always changing the words to “Good Dog Gus.” RememberingGus

About three weeks after Gusdied of old age around 2014, Henderson’swife came rushing back to the boathouse after awalk outside. “Lee,” she said, “Gus is in the park.” He didn’tunderstand until he saw it forhimself It wasdawn. Golden light wasshining through the yew trees just so, through an early morning haze over the park. Sitting at the center of the grove, right where they’d buried Gusweeks before, wasthe statue.

Aneighbor had quietly leftitasagift. It’s not a perfect replica of Gus, a little moreLabrador than Rottweiler,but it was an almostspiritual momentfor Henderson and his family Bryan Whited, executive director of the Municipal Yacht Harbor ManagementCorporation, which maintains West End Park, said they’ve never thought to have the statue removed, even though it wasn’texactly asanctioned addition.

“Itadds to the lore of the park if anything,” he said. Pretty much everyone in Henderson’ssocial circle has astory about Gus. So it’sfitting that now,years after his death, even people whonever knew the real dog have Gusstories too.

Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

Hints from Heloise

PROVIDEDPHOTO By SCOTT EVERETTWHITE/NBC

Genny CulottaHills races through the ‘shrinking steps’ while on the video screens her family watches from home.

cAncER (June21-July 22) Opportunity begins with you. Speak up and show how muchfight youhave. Refuse to let anyone dominate youorthe conversation. Let your memory and experience lead the way.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Don't waste time when opportunityawaits. Makecalls, draw information fromexperts and put your best foot forward. Trust and believe in yourself instead of enlisting others to complete your mission.

VIRGo (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Choose aplatform to express your thoughtsand feelings, and you'll discover apassage to personal growth. Don't allowsomeone's negativitytomake you secondguess yourself. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Revamping your surroundings or updating your credentials or visiontosuit what's popular will help change your perspective and offer insight intohow to utilizeyour knowledge andexperience to get ahead.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) By stepping outside your comfort zone, youwill grow and recognize the possibilities. Keep atight grip on spending habits, and use your intelligence andconnections to ensure youget the mostfor the least.

sAGIttARIus (nov.23-Dec. 21) Take responsibilityfor your happiness. Cut emotionaland financiallosses, eliminate what's holding you back and turn your attentiontowhat makes the mostsense and improves your self-awareness and confidence.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Chill; take a moment to center yourself and to evaluateyourpast,presentand future.Use your imagination, and put your energy into something you enjoy doing. It'snot always about the money.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Push forward with hope, innovative ideas and aquest to make your dreams cometrue. Trust in your skills, and set up meetings to self-propel your interests.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Putinstitutional matterstorest quickly and move on. Refuse to let emotions factor into joint ventures, shared expenses or contracts thathavegoneawry. Be the onetoset the record straight ARIEs (March 21-April 19) Check out every possibility, venue andperson who can help you gain insight into how to reach your goal.Bereceptive to the suggestions and help you receive.

tAuRus(April20-May 20) Speak up if you find something confusing. The options you receive will help you make adecision that offers insight intohow to invest or handle your cash flowbetter.

GEMInI (May21-June 20) Focus on what's importanttoachieve.Havinganupbeat attitude and the ability to offerunique ideas will help you gain respect and acceptance from those who may not have been receptive in the past.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is notbasedonscientific fact. ©2026 by nEa,inc.,dist.Byandrews mcmeel syndication

Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created from quotations by famous people,pastand present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.

toDAy's cLuE: AEQuALs n

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placingpuzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increasesfrom monday to sunday

Saturday’s PuzzleAnswer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

PhyllisDiller, acomedienne, said, “Houseworkcan’tkill you, but why take achance?”

Thinking at trick one cannot kill you, butifyou play without thought, you will probably kill your chance of making or breaking thecontract

In today’s deal,though, the hard part is spottingthe second chance that declarer hasavailable tomake his six-spade contract.What should South do after West leads theheartqueen?

North’s three-diamond rebid promises some points, usually five or more.

Declarer has 11 top tricks: six spades, twohearts,two diamonds and one club. The first thought is probably to hope that Westhasthediamondqueen.ThenSouth would draw trumps, cash his diamond ace, and overtake hisdiamond 10 with dummy’s jack. That getsthe jobdone if the finesse wins, but leaves declarer with no chance whenEast has the diamond queen. Now look at theclubs. If one of the two finesses works, South can get asecond club winner. Buttwo finesses require twodummy entries. Where are they?

Afterdrawing trumps, Southshould lead his diamond 10 and overtake it with dummy’sjack. If East wins withhis queen, declarer can claimbecause he has at leastthree diamond tricks. Alternatively, if East ducks his queen, South can take the first club finesse. Then, in amoment, by overtaking the diamond king with dummy’s ace, declarer is back in the dummy for that second club finesse.

wuzzles

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.

toDAy’s

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

PearlsBefore swiNe

garfield

B.C.

ScrabbleGramS

dIrectIons: make a2-to 7-letter word from thelettersineach row. add points of each word, usingscoring directionsat right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus “Blanks”used as any letter havenopoint value. all the words are in theOfficial sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

Formoreinformationontournamentsand clubs, emailnaspa –north american sCraBBlE playersassociation: info@scrabbleplayers.org.Visit ourwebsite:www.scrabbleplayers.org. For puzzle inquiriescontact scrgrams@gmail.com. Hasbro andits logo sCraBBlE associated logo,the design of thedistinctive sCraBBlE brand gamecard, and thedistinctivelettertile designs aretrademarks of Hasbrointhe United states and Canada. ©2021 Hasbro. allrightsreserved. Distributed by Tribune Content agency, llC.

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 -Each row and each columnmust containthe numbers1thorugh4(easy) or 1through 6 (challenging) without repeating 2 -The numberswithin the heavily outlinedboxes, calledcages, mustcombine 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

WiShinG Well

HErE is aplEasanT liTTlE

thenumberofletters

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe

on April15, 2010, as In‐strument No.1005821, in theOffice of theMort‐gage Recordsofthe ClerkofCourt,Orleans Parish,Louisiana;and WHEREASthe Mortgage wasinsured by the United States Secretary of Housing andUrban De‐velopmentpursuantto theNationalHousing Act forthe purposeofpro‐viding single family housing; andWHEREAS theMortgageisnow ownedbythe Secretary, pursuanttoanassign‐ment datedAugust21, 2019, andrecordedJanu‐ary13, 2020 as Instru‐ment No.1321411 in the Office of theMortgage Recordsofthe Clerkof Court, OrleansParish, Louisiana; andWHEREAS adefault has been made in thecovenants and conditions of theMort‐gage in that theproperty is noteitherborrowers principalresidence;and WHEREASthe entire amount delinquentasof is $201,001.12; and WHEREAS, by virtue of this default,the Secre‐tary hasdeclaredthe en‐tire amount of thein‐debtedness securedby theMortgagetobeim‐mediatelydue and payable. NOWTHERE‐FORE,pursuanttopow‐ersvestedinmebythe Single Family Mortgage ForeclosureAct of 1994, 12 U.S.C. 3751 et seq.,by 24 CFRpart27, subpartB andbythe Secretary's designationofmeas ForeclosureCommis‐sioner,recordedonNo‐vember 24, 2025 as In‐strument No.762591, Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, notice is hereby giventhatonat localtime, allrealand personal property at or used in connectionwith thefollowing described premises ("Property") will be sold at public auctiontothe highest bidder:THATCERTAIN PIECEORPORTION OF GROUND,TOGETHER WITH ALLTHE BUILDINGS ANDIMPROVE-MENTS THEREON, ANDALL THE RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVI‐LEGES, SERVITUDES, AP‐PURTENANCESAND AD‐VANTAGES THEREUNTO BELONGINGORINANY‐WISE APPERTAININGSIT‐UATEDINTHE STATEOF LOUISIANA, PARISH OF ORLEANS, IN THE THIRD DISTRICT OF THECITYOF NEWORLEANS,INGEN‐TILLYPARKSUBDIVISION WHICHSAIDLOT,AC‐CORDINGTOA SURVEY BY WILLIAMCASE, SUR‐VEYORDATED AUGUST 14, 1950, APRINT WHEREOFISATTACHED TO ACTPASSEDBEFORE LEONARD11. ROSENSON NOTARY PUBLIC,DATED SEPTEMBER11. 1950. IS DESIGNATED AS LOT"II" IN BLOCK"E" BOUNDED BY WALLACEDRIVE MANDOLIN ANDST. AN‐THONYSTREETSAND THE EASTERLY LINEOFTHE SUBDIVISIONSAIDLOT "II" COMMENCESAT A DISTANCE OF 294 FEET FROM THECORNEROF WALLACEDRIVE ANDST. ANTHONYSTREET AND MEASURES THENCE 42 FEET FRONTONWALLACE DRIVESAMEINWIDTH IN THEREAR, ALONGTHE EASTERLY LINEOFTHE SUBDIVI-SION,BY A DEPTHOF125 FEET BE‐TWEEN EQUALAND

of theforeclosure sale When making theirbids, allbidders except the Secretarymustsubmit a deposittotaling $20,100.11 in theformof acertified checkor cashier'scheck made outtothe Secretaryof HUD. Adeposit need not accompanyeachoral bid. If thesuccessfulbid is oral,a depositof $20,100.11 must be pre‐sented before thebid‐ding is closed.The de‐positisnon-refundable. Theremainder of the purchase pricemustbe deliveredwithin30days of thesaleoratsuch othertimeasthe Secre‐tary maydetermine for good causeshown, time beingofthe essence. This amount,likethe bid deposits,mustbedeliv‐ered in theformofacer‐tified or cashier'scheck If theSecretary is the highestbidder, he/she need notpay thebid amount in cash.The suc‐cessfulbidderwillpay all conveyingfees,all real estate andother taxes that aredue on or after thedeliverydateofthe remainderofthe pay‐ment andall othercosts associated with the transfer of thetitle.At theconclusionofthe sale,the deposits of the unsuccessful bidderswill be returned to them.The Secretarymay grantan extensionoftimewithin which to deliverthe re‐mainderofthe payment. Allextensionswillbefor 15-dayincrementsfor a feeof$500.00, paid in ad‐vance. Theextension fee shallbeinthe form of a certified or cashier's checkmadepayable to theSecretary of HUD. If thehighbiddercloses thesaleprior to theexpi‐ration of anyextension period,the unused por‐tion of theextension fee shallbeapplied toward theamountdue.Ifthe high bidder is unable to closethe sale within the required period,orwithin anyextensionsoftime grantedbythe Secretary, thehighbiddermay be required to forfeit the cash depositor, at the election of theForeclo‐sure Commissioner after consultation with the HUDrepresentative, will be liable to HUDfor any costsincurredasa result of such failure.The Com‐missionermay,atthe di‐rectionofthe HUDrepre‐sentative, offerthe prop‐erty to thesecondhigh‐estbidderfor an amount equaltothe highest priceofferedbythatbid‐der. Thereisnoright of redemption,orright of possessionbased upon a rightredemption, in the mortgagor or others sub‐sequenttoa foreclosure completedpursuantto theAct.Therefore,the ForeclosureCommis‐sioner will issuea Deed to thepurchaser(s)upon receiptofthe entire pur‐chaseprice in accor‐dancewiththe termsof thesaleasprovided herein.HUD does not

guarantee that theprop‐erty will be vacant.The scheduledforeclosure sale shallbecancelled or adjournedifitisestab‐lished,bydocumented writtenapplicationofthe mortgagor to theFore‐closureCommissioner notlessthan3 days be‐fore thedateofsale, or otherwise, that thede‐fault or defaultsupon whichthe foreclosureis baseddid notexist at the time of serviceofthisno‐ticeofdefault andfore‐closuresale, or all amountsdue under the mortgage agreementare tendered to theForeclo‐sure Commissioner, in theformofa certified or cashier'scheck payable to theSecretary of HUD, before public auctionof thepropertyiscom‐pleted.The amount that must be paid if themort‐gage is to be reinstated priortothe scheduled sale is $201,001.12 as of May20, 2026, plus all otheramountsthat wouldbedue under the mortgage agreementif payments under the mortgage hadnot been accelerated, advertising costsand postageex‐penses incurred in giving notice,mileage by the most reasonable road distance forposting no‐ticesand forthe Foreclo‐sure Commissionerfor recordingdocuments a commission forthe Fore‐closureCommissioner, andallother costsin‐curred in connection with theforeclosure priortoreinstatement Tender of paymentby certified or cashier's checkorapplicationfor cancellation of thefore‐closuresaleshall be sub‐mitted to theaddressof theForeclosure Commis‐sioner provided below. Date:June12, 2026. 192855-JUL20-1T $859

PUBLIC NOTICE

NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF RIGHTS

NOTICE TO ALLPERSONS CLAIMING AN INTEREST IN IMMOVABLE PROPERTY

Property Address: 6937 Barrington Court, New Orleans, Louisiana70128 Parcel/Tax ID: 39W080218

LegalDescription: Square 2, Barrington CourtSubdivision,Lot 31A,BarringtonCourt measuring23feet by 98 feet,together with the two-storybrick veneer andsidingtownhouse andall buildings, im‐provements,rights, servitudes,and appurte‐nances thereto.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that DerrickParker, Sr.is theholderoftax sale titletothe above-de‐scribedpropertyby virtue of atax sale cer‐tificate recorded in the Conveyance Recordsfor theParishofOrleans on

April22, 2015. NOTICE IS FURTHER

IMMOVABLE PROPERTY Property Address: 5102 Lakeview Court, NewOrleans,Louisiana TaxBillNo.:39W081279 LegalDescription: Square 3, Westlake Sub‐division,Lot 61-B, Lake‐view Court, measuring29 feet 32 inches by 100 feet,together with the two-storybrick/stucco townhousebearing Mu‐nicipalNo. 5102 Lakeview Court, NewOrleans Louisiana, andall build‐ings,improvements, rights,servitudes, and appurtenancesthere‐untobelonging or in any‐wise appertaining NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that DerrickParker, Sr.is theholderofa TaxSale Certificate covering im‐movablepropertyby virtue of atax sale recorded in theCon‐veyanceRecords forthe Parish of OrleansonApril 22, 2015.

NOTICE IS FURTHER GIVEN that anyperson claiming an ownership interest,mortgage, lien privilege,orany other right in theabove-de‐ib d

foranorder granting them theauthority to to sell at privatesale, thefollow‐ingdescribed property to wit: ONECERTAIN LOTOF GROUND,together with allthe buildingsand im‐provements thereon, and allthe rights,ways, privi‐leges, servitudes,appur‐tenances andadvan‐tagesthereuntobelong‐ingorinanywise apper‐taining, situated in the Parish of Jefferson, State of Louisiana, in that part thereofknown as EDMO ELMS SUBDIVISION, lo‐catedinthe square bounded by Harang Av‐enue,north line of the Subdivision, W. Metairie Avenue,KingStreet and theeastlineofthe Sub‐division,and designated as LOT33, which com‐mences at adistanceof 500 feet from thecorner of King Street andHa‐rang Avenue,and mea‐suresthence50feet frontonHarangAvenue same width in therear, by adepth of 120 feet be‐tween equaland parallel lines; allaccording to a survey by Gilbert, Kelly & Couturie -James H. Cou‐turie, Surveyor,dated February 6, 1984. Improvements thereon bear theMunicipal No 641 Harang Avenue Metairie,Louisiana 70001. Beingthe same property acquired by Robert J. Shirer from Kelly Ott, wife of/and Thomas B. Bender,IV, by ActofSale datedNovember4,2024, passedbeforeDanielM Douglass, Notary Public recorded November 4, 2024 as Inst.No. 12444183 of therecords of Jeffer‐sonParish, Louisiana. THIS ACTISMADE, EXE‐CUTEDAND ACCEPTED

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF NEW

on June30, 2026, in connection with Council Docket No.UD-17-03 and Council Docket No.UD18-07. Thecover sheet summarizes the filing and attached to the cover sheet summary is acopy of the filing so that anyone who wishes to may review it and may make acopy,atthat person’s expense. Acopyofthis notice, the Summary, and the filing is to be located at the mainbranch andevery satellite branch of the New Orleans Public Library and also at the Entergy New Orleans, LLC Customer CareCenters. Acopy will also be available at the office of the Clerk of Council of theCity of New Orleans. SUMMARYOFENTERGY NEW ORLEANS, LLC’S FILING UPDATING ITS ENERGY EFFICIENCY COST RECOVERYRIDER

On June 30, 2026, Entergy New Orleans, LLC (“ENO”)

and

NewOrleans(HANO), Department of Procurementand Contracts, until August 10, 2026 at 2:00 pm to the following address: HousingAuthority of New Orleans Department of Procurement and Contracts Attn: Paul Marquette, Senior Procurement Specialist 1555 Poydras Street, Suite1800 New Orleans,Louisiana 70112

The full scope of workand single copies of the IFB package may be downloaded from HANO’swebsite at https://www.hano.org/business/ solicitations/ -ActiveSolicitations or at Housing AgencyMarketplace. All responses submitted aresubject to the Instructions, Supplemental InstructionstoOfferors, General andSupplementalConditions, andall otherrequirements containedtherein, allofwhichare made apart of the Invitation for Bids by reference.

HANO reserves the righttoreject anyorall offers for just cause and waive anyformalitiesinthe submission process if it is in the best interest of the public to do so.

194013-667229-jul 13-20-27-3t $316.05