The Advocate 07-24-2026 by The Advocate

‘Us and LSU’

ffin

speaks on difficult decisions, joining historic Tigers at SEC Media Days

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin finally had his moment at the podium on the final day of SEC Media Days in Tampa, Florida, and he faced more questions Thursday related to his controversial departure from Ole Miss in November

While not shying away from the questions, Kifﬁn addressed the topic in his own distinct way

“I can’t be so concerned about little things and what people say,” he said as he wrapped up his explanation. “You’ve got to make decisions.”

As for whether Kifﬁn can avoid controversy through the 2026 season, he may have taken a signiﬁcant step in that direction by deleting all social media apps from his phone this summer

Livingston library board recommends property tax increase

Millage rate could be raised to 8.2 mills

BY GIGI LIMAN Staff writer

After years of political turmoil, turnover among both directors and board members, long debates about what is appropriate for young readers and talks about reducing services, the Livings-

ton Parish Council will be asked to raise the tax that funds the libraries.

The Library Board of Control, which oversees the parish’s five libraries, voted Tuesday to recommend that the council raise the property tax that funds the library system. If approved, the board’s recommendation would raise the rate

BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD Staff writer

East Baton Rouge city-parish government is seeking to join in on a lawsuit that asks a judge to answer a long-debated question with a huge ﬁnancial impact: What is the incorporation date for the city of St. George? East Baton Rouge Parish Attorney John McLindon ﬁled a peti-

tion Thursday to intervene in a lawsuit ﬁled by a developer, LRK LLC — a move that Mayor-President Sid Edwards quickly spoke out against. LRK sued St. George government in June over the city’s proposal to rezone a 60-acre parcel, which is part of the Kleinpeter family’s land. As part of that challenge, the company’s lawyers argue no legal date was ever set for St. George’s incorporation, which means it was never incorporated. The city-parish effort to intervene in the case only involves the incorporation aspect not the rezoning issue.

Murrill says she’s lost trust with N.O. officials

Morrell: ‘Pursuing vendettas is beneath all of our offices’

JOHN SIMERMAN, JAMES FINN and MATT BRUCE Staff writers

If New Orleans looks upon her as a felon, Attorney General Liz Murrill chalks it up to bad inﬂuences in the city

“They literally think that I’m a criminal because everybody told them I was,” Murrill said in a lengthy interview Thursday, a day after special prosecutor Laurie White dismissed the 16-count indictment that lit a political ﬁrestorm in Louisiana.

The Republican attorney general heaped much of the blame on District Attorney Jason Williams and Mayor Helena Moreno, saying she has reason to suspect Williams held inﬂuence over the grand jury despite his recusal a month before the indictment on charges of public intimidation and malfeasance in ofﬁce.

Murrill concedes the ﬁngerprints remain blurry on the blockbuster indictment, but she argues that Williams, at minimum, led the grand jury off the rails and said she won’t soon forget it.

“They incited this and they fed it. They promoted a false interpretation of law,” Murrill said. “And whether they directly put a grand juror up to it or not, other individual agencies will have to determine. But you can’t say they had no hand in it. Whether they directly incited the grand jury, I can’t say.” The indictment accused Murrill of

“The city-parish has a direct and justiciable interest in the incorporation date of St. George, including but not limited to tax, zoning and property implications for the cityparish,” the petition states.

But Edwards released a statement Thursday evening stating he did not approve the parish attorney ﬁling the petition. “I strongly disagree with the decision to insert our government into this dispute,” Edwards stated. “It is important for the public to understand that the Parish Attorney is not under the authority

STAFF PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Murrill

Illinois to annually honor

Chicago teen Emmett Till

CHICAGO Illinois will annually honor Emmett Till, the Black teenager from Chicago whose 1955 murder galvanized the Civil Rights Movement and became a glaring example of failures in the justice system, under a law Gov JB Pritzker signed Thursday.

“Every policy that advances justice passed, every bill signed, every monument built, is in the spirit of the legacy of accountability and progress, every inch of which was fought for, often with blood,” Pritzker said. “Today, we are building on that legacy.”

Speakers on Thursday at the Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ in Bronzeville, the location of Till’s funeral that in 2023 became a national landmark dedicated to Till and his mother said the annual commemoration on Till’s birthday, July 25, will serve as a reminder of both the nation’s past moral failures and the possibility of working for a better future.

Till, who was in Mississippi visiting relatives, was abducted and killed in August 1955 after he reportedly whistled at a White woman shopkeeper, Carolyn Bryant. He was 14 years old

A jury of all White men found her husband, Roy Bryant, and his half-brother J.W Milam not guilty after just more than an hour of deliberation on Sept. 23, 1955. The pair confessed to killing Till months later in an article in Look magazine.

Secret Service agent put on leave after leaks

A Secret Service agent assigned to protect Vice President JD Vance has reportedly been put on administrative leave amid an investigation into leaks of embarrassing information about his “inappropriate” travel requests.

The unnamed agent is suspected of being the anonymous source who revealed grousing among Vance’s team over his last-minute and questionable travel like using a Marine Two chopper for house-hunting trips in rural Virginia where the second family have found an expansive property to live part time.

The Secret Service and the FBI are investigating the leak which could be considered to be an unauthorized disclosure of operational details about its protection of Vance and his family

The most eye-catching claim in the original leaked story was that Vance planned to use the chopper for a golf lesson for his elementary school age son at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland The trip was scrapped due to bad weather.

2 dead in flash floods caused by rain in W.Va.

BUCKHANNON, W.Va. — Two people have died in flash floods caused by torrential rains in West Virginia this week, the governor’s office said Thursday An emailed statement from Lars Dalseide, communications director for Gov Patrick Morrisey, did not provide details.

They are the first confirmed deaths from Tuesday’s floods, when forecasters said up to 7 inches of rain fell. Morrisey said some places received 4.5 inches in 37 minutes. Officials in northcentral West Virginia have described the devastation as extensive.

Video and photos on social media showed submerged vehicles in parking lots.

Alligator Alcatraz era formally ends in Florida

MIAMI Miami-Dade has resumed control of the former Alligator Alcatraz immigration detention camp, returning to the county a remote airﬁeld previously used as a small airport for training landings and takeoffs, the county’s Aviation Department conﬁrmed on Thursday

The news comes roughly a year after Gov Ron DeSantis seized the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport from MiamiDade under emergency powers he claimed for himself based upon what he deemed a statewide crisis from illegal immigration. His administration converted the airﬁeld into a temporary detention camp for people accused of federal immigration violations, a move the county criticized but did not ﬁght in court.

Trump sets slew of new tariffs

BY PAUL WISEMAN and MAE ANDERSON AP business writers

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is going ahead with new double-digit tariffs on dozens of U.S. trading partners just as the clock runs out Friday on stopgap levies he imposed after a stinging defeat at the Supreme Court.

The United States will slap taxes of 10% to 12.5% on imports from 60 countries accounting for 99% of U.S. imports, charging that they have inadequately enforced bans on goods produced by forced labor

“The United States has had a forced labor import ban for nearly a century, and rigorously enforces it; it’s well past time for our trading partners to do the same,” said U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer “Today’s action will begin to correct what is both a human

rights abuse and distortive trade practice to improve the welfare of workers everywhere.

The new tariffs will take effect just as temporary 10% worldwide tariffs expire. Trump had turned to those temporary levies after the Supreme Court struck down his biggest and boldest tariffs in February.

Now he’s tapping more durable tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which permits the president to impose import taxes and other sanctions against countries found to engage in “unjustifiable,” “unreasonable” or “discriminatory” trade practices.

Trump used Section 301 to impose big tariffs on China in his ﬁrst term, and they survived court challenges

More Section 301 tariffs are likely coming: The U.S. Trade Representative’s ofﬁce has launched a probe into whether 16 countries

— accounting for 70% of U.S imports — have overproduced goods, pushing down prices and putting U.S. companies at a disadvantage in global markets. The administration has yet to complete that investigation.

Trump, who argues that high tariffs will revive American manufacturing, last year overturned decades of U.S. policy that favored lower tariffs and ever-freer trade. Invoking the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), he imposed double-digit tariffs on imports from almost every country on Earth, saying America’s longstanding trade deficit amounted to a national emergency

But the Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize tariffs. The decision forced the administration to pay refunds to importers that had paid the tariffs. In response, Trump announced

Police shooting of man with knife roils Madison

Protesters crash news conference, politicians call for transparency

BY SCOTT BAUER

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. — Protesters burst into a

Thursday news conference about the police shooting of a homeless man in Madison, taking the microphone from the police chief and arguing with some attendees who said they wanted to hear more about the investigation.

The group of roughly 20 protesters burst into the room at the Madison police station, shortly after Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and Common Council

President Sabrina Madison identified the man killed by police as Corey Ruiz, a homeless resident.

Ruiz was shot and killed Wednesday after police said he resisted arrest and injured an ofﬁcer with a knife.

Police Chief John Patterson stepped away from the microphone when the protesters were shouting, and one man in the group took his spot at the podium. The event quickly devolved into a shouting match.

One protester held a sign saying “Corrupt cops deserve to die too!!!” Moments earlier, the mayor said the shooting will be “rigorously investigated.”

“It does not matter who you are or what your past is, you should not lose your life as a result of an encounter with law enforcement,” Satya Rhodes-Conway said. Madison, for her part, said “Corey could have been my brother because my brother is homeless and he often rides a bike.”

Once the protesters quieted down the chief resumed his presentation, promising his department’s full cooperation with the state investigation.

Police have released few details

The shooting has roiled Wisconsin’s capital city, with Gov Tony Evers calling for “transparency and accountability” and Madison community members gathering Thursday at a growing memorial.

None of the four ofﬁcers who were detaining the man wore body cameras, but passersby recorded the confrontation on video, and accused the ofﬁcers of overreacting.

“I thought, ‘Holy cow — what could have warranted that?’ It looked to me like they had him under control,” David OrtizWhittingham, who saw ofﬁcers swarming and heard the gunshots, said Thursday. “Even now, knowing about the knife, did he have to die for it? Could this have been de-escalated without him losing his life?”

The police chief released few details

Thursday, saying the Wisconsin Department of Criminal Investigation into the officer-involved shooting must run its course.

Chief urges caution on conclusions

Patterson has urged caution in reading too much from the cellphone videos. He said none show the perspective of the ofﬁcers, and additional video that hasn’t been released is being reviewed.

The officer who fired his weapon is a veteran of the force, the chief said. He and the three other responding officers will be placed on administrative leave pending an independent investigation.

Patterson said police were responding to calls that someone was attempting to enter parked vehicles, and the suspect fled on a bike before the officers surrounded him One deployed a taser but failed to control the man, Patterson said.

In the videos circulating online, the man can be seen standing before he’s brought to his knees as the officers struggle to force him into a prone position. Then he falls quickly to the pavement after what sounds like three gunshots, and seems motionless as the officers handcuff him behind his back. Arriving officers then escort one of the officers a short distance away

Questions about race, technology

The race of the ofﬁcer who ﬁred his gun on Wednesday and that of the man he killed were not released by police.

But Black advocacy groups, protesters and politicians spoke out against the crime and said they believe the man was Black.

The shooting also focused attention on the Madison Police Department’s lack of body-worn cameras. The force of around 500 is among the largest in the Midwest that doesn’t use the devices.

Madison said Thursday that she expects a police request for $400,000 to be approved, enabling the cameras to be phased in over the next three years Others lamented that cameras aren’t already being used.

10% worldwide tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. But he can only use Section 122 levies for 150 days; time runs out on them Friday

The administration initially proposed the forced labor tariffs last month. Since then, some countries have tightened forced labor enforcement and qualified for lower tariffs, said a senior administration official who spoke under condition of anonymity For example, the official said, the tariff on imports from India initially was set at 12.5% but now will be 10%.

Some products — including oil and gas and fertilizer — are exempted from the new tariffs announced Thursday Also being spared are products that qualify for duty-free status under the USMexico-Canada Agreement, the North American trade pact Trump negotiated in his ﬁrst term.

FDA panel backs peptide drugs that RFK Jr. supports

BY MATTHEW PERRONE Associated Press

WASHINGTON A panel of federal health advisers on Thursday narrowly recommended easing access to several peptides popular with wellness inﬂuencers and celebrities, despite warnings from government scientists that the chemicals haven’t been shown safe or effective.

In a series of votes, outside experts to the Food and Drug Administration advised the agency to drop current restrictions barring pharmacies from producing injectable peptides with names like BPC-157, TB-500 and KPV

The panel’s vote is not binding but is likely to embolden Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has described himself as a “big fan” of peptides and vowed to overturn FDA restrictions put in place under President Joe Biden.

Across several votes, the panelists voted 8-6, with one abstention, in favor of putting the peptides on FDA’s list of substances considered safe for pharmacy

compounding. If FDA follows that advice, telehealth companies are expected to ramp up marketing of the chemicals for wellness and cosmetic uses. Before the meeting, more than a half-dozen people with connections to the peptide industry were added to the panel, including doctors, pharmacists or consultants who work in the field. “I voted yes because it’s time to put this decision back in the hands of the patient, the physician and the pharmacist,” said David Pope, chief pharmacy officer of Xifin Pharmacy Solutions, after the vote on BPC-157.

The panel will vote Friday on three more peptides The positive votes came despite highly critical reviews from FDA staff scientists, who said there was little data that BPC157, TB-500 and the other chemicals can be safely used for medical purposes. Panel members with backgrounds in academia, rather than peptides, mostly voted against the substances, which are widely advertised on social media.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By SCOTT BAUER

Mourners gather on Thursday around a memorial at the site where a man was shot and killed on Wednesday by Madison police in Madison, Wis.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By KAyLA WOLF

Attendees gesture during a candlelight memorial where a police officer shot and killed a man Wednesday in Madison, Wis.

Entergyjoins pledge on electricitycosts

Measureseeks to shield ratepayers from data

center needs

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Entergy was among more than 220utilities, tech companies and state political ofﬁcials that signed onto apledge not to pass alongtoregularcustomers theincreasedcosts forproducing more electricitytofuel artiﬁcialintelligence data centers, President Donald Trump announced Thursday

Gov.Jeff Landry,Entergy CEO Drew Marsh and Richland Parish schoolsSuperintendent Sheldon Jones all attended the ceremony in Washington, D.C., where Trump made the announcement.

“These companies are spending tremendous amounts of moneyin these communities,” Trumpsaid at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency event.

The new commitments mean that signatories to Trump’s“Ratepayer Protection Pledge” account for about 80% of all power deliv-

BY AAMER MADHANI, COLLIN BINKLEY andMICHELLE L. PRICE

Associated Press

WASHINGTON PresidentDonald Trump on Thursday appeared to add acondition to the newly signed agreementwith Saudi Arabia for acivilian nuclear program,saying the deal would require the kingdom to normalize its relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords. When the deal was announced Wednesday,neither the U.S.Energy Department nor the Saudi government made any mention of it being contingent on the kingdom’s relations with Israel Trump’ssocial media post aday later asserting that the agreement was subject to the Saudis joining the accords was unexpectedand almost certain to complicateany finalapproval. The accordsap-

ered to U.S. homesand businesses, he added.

Landry andthe other signatories didn’tparticipate in the public portion ofthe event —thoughTrump didname-check thegovernor,sayinghewas “smart” and “popular.”

Landrywas overheard afterward asking if Trump would attend afootball gamewith him. Trump responded he will as thepresident left the event.

Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, is building amassive datacenter in Richland Parish.

Landry and other Louisiana ofﬁcials have heraldedthe plant as a transformative economic development win. But they have also faced concerns thatthe power-hungry centers will jack up utilitybills: A consultant for the Public Service

with

proved in 2020 expanded the number of Arab and Muslim-majority nations with diplomatic ties with Israel.

Getting Saudi Arabia to join wouldbea monumental diplomatic achievement. The Saudis have previouslymade clear that normalizing relations with Israel would ﬁrst require the establishment of aclear path forPalestinian statehood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected the idea of Palestinian statehood as being untenable for hiscountry’s security

The Republican president also said thepact does not allow for enrichment of uranium.Nonproliferation experts have raised concernsthat the deal fails to include guardrails to prevent enrichment of uranium to weapons-grade levels.

Trump said the agreement “will

be approved, but is totally subject to Saudi Arabiajoining the very respected andsuccessfulAbraham Accords.” He added that the U.S. “isnot opposed to Civil (NonEnriched) Nuclear Facilities.”

When asked by areporter why the condition was not mentioned in the initial announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt saidthe president was the “ﬁnal dealmaker” and has called on Saudi Arabia to join the accords “on numerous occasions.”

The Saudi Embassy in Washington declined to commentThursday on Trump’sassertions about the deal.

Netanyahu’s ofﬁceina statement applaudedthe prospect of Saudi Arabia joining theaccords as a “historicleap forwardfor peace in the Middle East.”The statement madenomention of the deal to bolster Saudi’scivil nuclear program.

Commission, which regulates utilities in Louisiana, recently said the data center was driving the need forEntergy to purchaseanew powerplant for$1.8 billion, costing ratepayers an average of $8 a month

Entergyand Meta have said the consultant is incorrect andthatthe tech company is paying forall its own power needs.

Landry last month signed an executive order stating that data centerprojects must have their benefits to residents “evaluated and balanced” against their use of electricgeneration, water and land.

Trumpsaid “smart” people support building data centers in their communities as AI is an emerging industry and the facilities being constructed will create alot of jobs

The data center boom is to service the expanding use of remote servers and the internet cloud to help increase visuals, develop applications andother internet functions.

Trump came up with the pledge earlier this year as businesses and homeowners around thecountry saw their utility bills escalate, and theburgeoning AI industry sought to more open database centers that

Trump hassought to build on the accords, which also formalized commercial ties between Israel and some Arab and Muslim-majority nations. Saudi Arabia is the most important Arab power in the Middle East, and Trump believes thekingdom joining the accords is critical to establishing long-term stability in the region.

Thenew nucleardealisexpected to last 30 yearsand involveU.S firms in the program’sdevelopment.The agreementcould allow for the building of auranium-enrichment facility in Saudi Arabia following ajoint U.S.-Saudi study according to apersonfamiliar with thematter whowas not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity

The deal does not include the International Atomic Energy Agency’s“additional protocol,” which would allow formoremonitoring,

requirelots morepower than is usually available.

Monthly residential electricity bills have increased 8.8% on average nationwide since 2025, according to Electric Choice, aTyler,Texas, service that compares federal data to calculate electricity rates.

“They’re just very large. They go on for miles. They also throw off alot of money,” Trumpsaid of the data centers. Opposition was pushingsome of the companiestostart looking overseas for locations,withChinabeing amain beneﬁciary,Trump said. Thecosts of expandingelectricity generation and transmission in most jurisdictions, including Louisiana,ispaidfor by autility company’scustomers.

Entergy Corp., whose subsidiaries sell power to most of Louisiana, was one of the utility companies signing thepledge. The utility agreed to protect its current customers from cost-shiftinginMeta’sRichland Parish project. Customers can expect to save $2.65 billion over 20 years, according to the company

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate.com.

inspections and verification, according to asecondperson familiar with the agreement.

Enrichment is not an automatic path to anuclear weapon —a nation also must master other steps, including the use of synchronized high explosives, forinstance. But it does open the door to weaponization, which has fueled concerns over Iran’sprogram

As details of the deal emerged Wednesday,opposition on Capitol Hill and elsewhere began to snowball, withRepublicansand Democrats both questioning the wisdom of the agreement. Conservative commentators who have generally supported Trump’spolices asked why the president would give Saudi Arabia sucha deal without getting anything in return. Then on Thursday, Trump abruptly announced that the deal is contingent on the Saudis joining the accords.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump, left, speaks at the Environmental Protection AgencyonThursdayinWashington, as Gov. Jeff Landryapplauds.

or control of the Mayor-President.”

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled in favor of St. George becoming acity in 2024, butthe contentious question of whenthe city officially incorporated hasbeen left unanswered.

St. George leaders, including Mayor Dustin Yates, have consis-

MURRILL

Continued from page1A

crimes when she wrote to warn Williams,Moreno and ﬁve City Council members that they could lose their jobs for backing an election for acitywide court clerk New Orleans City Council President JP Morrell, one of thecouncil memberson the receiving end of Murrill’sletters,said Thursday that New Orleans city officials are focused on the city instead of the mudslinging. Gov.Jeff Landry on Wednesday questioned whetherMorrell should lose his lawlicense over backing the election that Murrill warnedabout.

“The people of thestate haverealproblems and pursuing vendettas is beneath all of our ofﬁces,”Morrell said. Murrill, meanwhile, said Thursdayshe suspects a rolefor Williams evenafter his ofﬁce recused.

“I have information indicating that Laurie White made aphone call to administrative staff at the Louisiana Supreme Court” requesting support after the indictment dropped andthat she “stated she had been gettingassistance from the DA’s Ofﬁce.”

White denied making that comment to anybody at the Supreme Court.

“This case was prosecuted by me, myself and I,”she said. Murrill pressed the case for state and federal investigations to ﬁnd out, “which I think they should do jointly,” she said. “Everybody needs to have afull investigation to determine whether there was illegalconduct.”

Murrill said she’sheard a federal probe has gotten underway butsaidshe hadn’t heard directly from investigators.A Louisiana State Police spokesperson declined to comment.

Since Murrill and Landry’s attacks erupted on Wednesday,Williams has not respond to requests for comment so far Murrill continued an attack she launched Wednesday at anews conference with Landry shortly after White dismissed the indictment. In tossing the case, White cited letters this week from the elected officials who Murrill wrote to in May. They urged White to reconsider the July 2indictment that castthemasvictims. Williams’ letter cited a threat to apartnership with Murrill’sofﬁcethathedescribed as “a hallmark of my administration.” White also cited “extraordi-

tently arguedthatthe city incorporatedin2019 after voters approved thenew city.However,Edwards and his predecessor Sharon Weston Broome both have insisted the incorporationdate was in 2024, after thecourt ruling.

If acourt ruled 2019 as the incorporation date, St. George could sue fortax collections going back to thatyear,which could result in the city-parishpotentiallyhaving to pay the new city an estimated $200 million, according to annual

sales tax revenue estimates.

Other potential repercussions to setting an incorporation date include St. George being required to helppay for city-parish workers’ retirementand healthbeneﬁts.

Edwards, in hisstatement, said both the city-parish and St.George negotiated earlier this year and reached an agreement to resolve the issuessurrounding the incorporation of the new city.

“But, before that agreement could move forward, aseparate

nary interference” in acase that Louisiana Supreme Court quickly froze while casting doubt on thevalidity of the charges against Murrill.

Chargesonthe table

White’sdismissal of the case cameasan ad hoc judge,RobertChaisson, was due to rule on subpoenasissued by Murrill’sattorneys for records from Williams andWhite that might reveal the originsofthe grand jury inquiry.

Laura Cannizzaro Rodrigue, one of Murrill’sattorneys, said Thursday that she expectsafederal investigation to pick up where those subpoenas left off in seeking those records and others. Murrill said shemay suedown the road for maliciousprosecution

“Right now, I’m happy to sit and let federal and state investigators (review)this matter to determine whether there was jury tampering,”Murrill said. “That, to me,isthe larger concern.”

Veteran former federal prosecutorswho are not involved in the case said a federal review of the grand jury processcould potentially hinge on questions of whether Murrill’scivil rights were violated Federal law makes it a crime to “deprive aperson of aright or privilege” that’s protectedbyfederal law or theU.S. Constitution.

“The most plausible federal theory of investigation would be the criminal civil rights statute,” saidAndre Lagarde,a lawyer for the Social MediaVictimsLaw Center and aformer federal public corruption prosecutor in New Orleans.

Investigators couldbeusing the civil rights statute as a“guide” for grounds to prosecute acriminalcase, saidformer federal prosecutor Matt Coman,who ledthe trialofformer Mayor Ray Nagin

In the past, federal prosecutors havewielded the civil rightsstatute against state andlocal lawenforce-

ment officers accused of serious misconduct.

The statute played asignificant role after Hurricane Katrina, when the Justice Department charged ﬁve New Orleanspolice ofﬁcers in the fatal shooting of twoinnocent civilians on theDanziger Bridge and a subsequent cover-up.

The former ofﬁcers each were convicted and handed sentences ranging from three to 12 years.

The Justice Department’s Washington, D.C.-based Civil Rights Division has undergone dramatic changes since President Donald Trump took office, as Trump’spick to head thesection,Harmeet Dhillon,has fired veteran employees and reshaped the kinds of cases theoffice pursues. Washington-based officials within that division have historically been key decision-makers on whether to file civil rights charges in jurisdictionsaround the country

Calls fora federal investigation intoMurrill’s indictment began theday after grand jurors handed it up, when U.S. Rep Clay Higgins, R-Lafayette, wrote to FBIDirector Kash Patelasking for aprobe of “significant questions regardingthe proper application of thelaw” in the process. An FBIspokesperson this week confirmedthe bureau’s New Orleans Field Officereceived the letter but declined to confirm or deny aprobe, citing agency policy.Assistant FBI DirectorCatherine Treadwell wrote to Higgins’office on Thursday that the congressman’sconcerns had been “routed tothe appropriate personnel” anddeclining further comment, according to acopy of the letter

Neither the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans nor JusticeDepartment headquarters in Washington, D.C., responded to multiple inquiriesabout afederal probe. Whe nt he FBI re-

legal action derailed the process and brought those negotiations to an end,”Edwards continued.

“Now, rather than learning from that failure, theParish Attorney’s ofﬁce has once again chosen to put thecity-parish in the middle of another legal dispute.”

Aspokesperson for the city of St. George said Thursdaythatthe city’sposition remains the sameas when LRK ﬁrst sued.

“The LouisianaSupreme Court ruledinfavorofincorporation, and

AttorneyGeneral Liz Murrill holds up alegal pad full of notes while speaking about the felony charges she faced from an Orleans Parish grand jury during anews conference in Baton Rougeon Wednesday.

ceives atip it considers credible, agents perform a “preliminary assessment” to weigh grounds to open a formal investigation,then seekagreement from prosecutors. After that, “things like grand jury subpoenas and search warrants become available tools,” Lagarde said.

An investigation regarding apublic figure like Murrill would typically be assigned to an outside federal prosecutor,possibly one based in Washington, D.C., Coman said.

Doomed partnership

Murrill insistedThursday that Williams,despitebeing apurported victim, had aresponsibilitytotell the grand jury that she was shielded by the First Amendment and the public intimidation law didn’tapply to her letters.

But in aTVinterview shortly after Murrill’sletters, Williams called her actions “an abuse of power.”

nothing about this lawsuit changes that.Cityservicescontinue, city business continuesand we remain focused on serving thepeople of St. George,” Yates said in June. State District Judge Beau Higginbotham, whoispresiding over the case, had not signed off on the city-parish’spetition to intervene as of Thursday evening.

Email Claire Grunewaldat claire.grunewald@theadvocate. com.

Murrill said that only stoked the public ﬂames.

“The DA is thefirst line of defenseagainstroving grandjurieswalking around perceiving crimes to be committed in thecommunity,” Murrill said. “Especially in this environment we’re in now that everyone whose feelings arehurt thinks a crime has been committed against them.”

According to Williams, his ofﬁce recused after the grand jury said it wanted to pursue charges against Murrill, who argued Thursday that Judge Leon Rocheand White also had aresponsibility to rein in the grand jury

Murrill said she last spoke with Williamsaround Mardi Grasand described abroken trust.

“We’ve had avery cordial, professional and good personal relationship. IlikeJason. That’swhy this is so disappointing to me,” she said.

“It wasn’tjust apolitical act or alegal misunderstanding. It was an attack that affected me very deeply and personally,” she added. “Ifthey come to your houseand try to burnyour house down, and your family is in it, they’re in the house —that’sthe threat of putting me in jail.I havefourchildren. Ihave agrandchild on the way.”

Murrill, Williams and Landry were all smiles in November 2023, whenthey stood together inside Caesars Superdome to announce apartnership to empower the Attorney General’sOfﬁce to prosecute Louisiana State Police cases in New Orleans.

Murrill and Williamsﬁnalized thehistoric agreement twomonths later as Landry waslaunching Troop NOLA, the dedicated State Police unit thathas fueled hundreds of cases under the agreement.

Williamsheralded the partnership with the AttorneyGeneral’s Office as a“hallmark of my administration” in hisletterlobbying White to reconsider the indictment against Murrill. He crediteditfor helping yield the mostdramatic crime reductions in modern NewOrleans history Metropolitan Crime Commission President Rafael Goyeneche described high stakes over the agreement,whichheexpects to survive.

Williams “could unilaterally end the attorney general’s ability to prosecute casesin OrleansParish. But if he does, it’ll probably result in theState Police pulling out, because theirpresence is predicated on the fact that the cases thattheymake are going to be prosecuted by the AG’sOffice,” Goyeneche said.

“It’sgoing to remainintact because they seehow important it is forpublic safety in the city.”

Murrill said the agreement doesn’trequire much interaction between the two ofﬁces and that she has “no intentionofwithdrawing” her prosecutors from Orleans Parish, though her ofﬁceispushing to have Roche recusedfrommore than 50 cases. She saidshe has no plans to seek recusalsfrom other judges.

STAFF PHOTO By JAVIER GALLEGOS

Tropical Storm Bertha strikes Gulf Coast in second landfall

BY RUSS BYNUM Associated Press

Tropical Storm Bertha

made a second landfall Thursday near the TexasLouisiana state line after grazing southern Louisiana in a slow crawl that triggered heavy surf and some flooding along the Gulf Coast. Forecasters said more ﬂooding was possible as heavy rains moved onshore into southeast Texas. Bertha moved inland about 75 miles northeast of Galveston, Texas, on Thursday afternoon, the National Hurricane Center said. Three hours later it remained a tropical storm, though its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 40 mph. More weakening was expected overnight. Thick clouds associated with Bertha prompted SpaceX to call off Thursday evening’s planned Starship launch from the southern tip of Texas. The spaceskimming test ﬂight was rescheduled for Friday, when the forecast called for clear skies. No deaths or significant damage have been reported since Bertha formed Monday in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Florida Panhandle. The storm caused

TAX

Continued from page 1A

from the 7.53 mills over the past two years to 8.2 mills.

Under the higher rate, the average homeowner would pay about $143.50 a year in library taxes, about $12 more than under the current rate.

A millage rate is a local property tax, charged as a rate on the assessed value of homes, that helps fund local agencies, including the library and the Fire Department. Voters narrowly approved an up to 10-mill library rate in 2023, but a stateordered reassessment adjusted the rate to 7.53 in 2024, where it has stayed since

The question Tuesday was whether to raise the rate — taxing homeowners more but giving the library more money or to hold or lower it, easing the burden on taxpayers while leaving the library with less.

For the past few years, Livingston Parish library board meetings have been riddled with disputes over library leadership, funding and book content for minors

Most recently, the board has been searching for its third director within the past year, following its last director resigning after less than two months on the job.

The board recently agreed to raise the starting salary for its next director and hopes to have someone in the position by early fall

some coastal flooding as its center ﬁrst struck land Wednesday in Louisiana southwest of New Orleans, but its heaviest rains stayed over the Gulf waters. That rainfall south of the storm’s center began moving inland along Texas’ southeastern coast Thursday afternoon. A tropical storm warning remained in effect from Sargent, Texas, to the Vermilion and Cameron Parish line in Louisiana. The hurricane center said Bertha could cause up to 2 feet of storm surge along the coast and trigger isolated flash flooding from heavy rains in coastal and

“The library stands upon the edge of a knife,” Assistant Director of Branch Services Dustin Cotton told the board, warning that holding or cutting the millage would erode services. “You stray but a little and it will fail, to the ruin of the parish.”

A rate of 7.53 or less would leave the library with fewer funds to maintain the building, services and salaries, although there were some proponents of cutting funding.

“This system is not a community service apparatus,” resident and former board member Larry Davis said during the public comment period, criticizing some of the extra programs and services the library offers. Davis is running to represent Louisiana’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“If we all type into Google what the purpose of a library is, it is a collection of books and resources,” he said.

Board member Rebecca Howze Morgan called that view outdated. Libraries have evolved into the third most important hub in a community behind the home and the workplace, she said. She got emotional describing what libraries offer children.

“It is no longer just a booklending institution,” she said.

Central to the vote were the wages of the library employees. The millage discussion followed a labor report presentation showing how far Livingston’s pay lags behind neighboring parishes

south Texas.

Tropical storm force winds on Thursday extended as far as 140 miles from the storm’s center the hurricane center said. Still, forecasters expected the storm to weaken as it moved over inland Texas and dissipate by Friday Businesses stay open

In Galveston, an island city of 53,000 people southeast of Houston, local officials urged residents to brace for a “windy day” and secure any outdoor objects that might become airborne projectiles.

The Galveston Historic

Its library assistants have a starting wage of between $9.95 and $11.31 an hour, and the system’s associates make between $14.97 and $16.30 — less than the wages in Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Iberville and St. Tammany parishes. Meeting the average pay across the parishes would cost about $352,470 over ﬁve years.

The board will vote on the raises in the fall, but the pay hikes would not be possible without the higher millage.

“I have a really hard time doing anything that would not allow our library staff to have a livable wage,” board member Kristan Whann said. “As a teacher, I consciously understand that our library staff getting paid $11 an hour is not OK.”

Whann voted for the 8.2mill rate after her own proposal for a more modest increase was rejected.

Among the three members who voted against the ﬁnal rate was board president Jonathan Davis, who had ﬂoated a separate resolution to hand the decision to the Parish Council instead.

There were “too many opinions for us to declare as a volunteer board,” he said.

The idea drew comments from the audience that the board was not doing its job

District Attorney Scott M. Perrilloux told members the move might not be illegal but would be neglecting their responsibilities. Davis withdrew the proposal and later said he was glad people voiced their opinions.

Seaport canceled its sightseeing boat tours Thursday afternoon as a precaution,

but was otherwise operating normally, said employee

Jesi Hahn.

“We’ll deﬁnitely be open,” Hahn said. “We usually close for big hurricanes.”

damaged nearby Strong gales earlier in the week knocked over a Wafﬂe House sign onto a car in Panama City Beach, Florida. Heavy surf and

At the nearby Harbor House Hotel and Marina, employee Justin Timber said he wasn’t aware of any canceled reservations.

“It seems like a normal day,” he said. “Restaurants are clicking. Everything’s great.”

Storm topples sign

Electrical outages across the Gulf Coast were minimal, according to the website poweroutage.us.

In Pensacola, Florida, ofﬁcials closed an area around a storm-damaged beach boardwalk, Mayor D.C. Reeves said Thursday on Facebook. He posted a photo showing part of the boardwalk’s support structure ripped away and a fence

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Grettel Badillo catches the wind from Tropical Storm Bertha at the Hurricane Katrina Memorial in Shell Beach on Wednesday.

Anotherround of strikeslaunchedonIran

BY ELENA BECATOROS, FATMA KHALED andCOLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

CO IN T MI EAST

CAIRO— The U.S. military announced Thursday that it is conducting the 13th night of strikes against Iran as clashes escalate over shipping routes. Earlier Yemen’sIran-backed Houthi rebels said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, potentially widening the Iran war as international oil topped $100 abarrel. U.S. Central Command said the latest attacks are designed to “further degrade Iran’sabilityto threatencivilian mariners and commercial vessels transiting regional waters” as the Americans push to regain control over the Strait of Hormuzand restore theflowofinternational shipping.

NFLICT HE DDLE AST

Ashort time later,Iranian state media reported explosions along thestrait in Bandar Abbas and Qeshm, as well as to the northwest near Andimeshk and Omidiyeh Meanwhile, the Houthis threatened to shut down anotherkey trade route, with the world economyalready reelingfromIran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz ThethreatcameasIranand the

U.S. have steppedupattacks as they vie forcontrol of the strait, through which aﬁfth of theworld’s oil and gas transited in peacetime, setting off ascramble for alternative routes.

President DonaldTrump threatened “major military punishment” against the Houthis if their attacks on shipscontinue.

“Iftheydothisagain, the U.S. will hold Iran responsible, in that the Houthis are aSurrogate and/or Proxy of Iran, and major military

punishment will be inﬂicted upon Iran and, of course, theHouthis, themselves,” Trump wrote on social media.

Prime Minister Alial-Zaidi of Iraq, whichhas close tiestoboth theU.S. and Iran, was in Tehran on Thursday to call for peace and dialogue, and he promised not to allow Iraqi territory to be used for attacksonIran, his ofﬁce said. AlZaidi metwith Trumpearlier this month in Washington.

An Arabdiplomat said Gulf

states areincreasingly pessimisticaboutﬁndinganoff-ramp. The diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said regional countries like Pakistanand Turkey continue to push forde-escalation.

‘Doublewhammy’ on oil

TheHouthis’ SABA news agency saidthe rebels hadstrucktwo tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, in the RedSea, leading to ﬁres on both. There were no reports of casualties.

Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is avital shipping chokepoint connecting the RedSea to the Gulf of Aden. Around 12% of the world’s trade, including afourth of global container trafﬁc, passes through there, moving between Europeand Asia via Egypt’sSuez Canal.

TheHouthi attacksput at risk oil shipments from Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu port on the Red Sea and present a“double whammy” on top of thedisruption in the Strait of Hormuz, said maritime data andanalysis ﬁrm Lloyd’sList Intelligence.

Saudi Arabiahas diverted millions of barrels aday of oil exports to Yanbu via an overlandpipeline as the warhas bottled up the Persian Gulf.

The Houthi threat “raises ques-

tions on the viability of this route,” Lloyd’ssaid in slides accompanying an online webinar Thursday Both sidesdig in over strait Iran says it has the right to manage trafﬁc and potentially charge fees in the Strait of Hormuz, which was open to all and toll-free before the war.Ithas attacked ships using aroute through the strait thatis overseen by U.S. forces andintended to be outside Tehran’scontrol. In response to Iran’sattacks, the U.S. began the widening campaign of strikes across Iran and restored anaval blockadeofIran’sports. U.S. Central Command said it has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one since the blockade resumed nine days ago.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would adopt an “eye for an eye” policy on U.S. strikes against its infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio retorted that Trump’spolicy is “a head foraneye.”

“The price will continue to get higher every single night until they come to their senses,” Rubio told reporters while traveling in the Philippines for aregional summit.

Iran’shealth ministry said Thursday that 55 people have been killed and 629 have been wounded since renewed U.S. airstrikes began on June 27.

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House on Thursday narrowlypassed aresolution to halt U.S. military action in Iran, sending awarningtoPresident Donald Trump for the second time as the war has escalated. The 214-208 vote requiring congressional approval for the war came just before the Senate narrowly rejected asimilarresolution, 47-49. Though the votes forced by Democrats are largely symbolic, they are meant as asignal to the Republican president

that hissupport on Capitol Hill is chippingaway

The war has had “no clear mission,nostrategy,noend goal,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash.,who ledthe resolution on theHouse ﬂoor

TheHouse resolutionpassed after ahandful of Republicans voted with Democrats to end the war.But the vastmajority of Republicans in both chambers voted to backthe war andcede congressional war powers to Trump. Trump has insisted that continuedU.S. attacks against Iran do notmean areturn to war or longterm action

Astatement of administration policyissued by the WhiteHouse on Thursday noted that the resolutions don’thave the force of law

andencouraged lawmakers to vote against them

As the House debated the resolutionWednesdayevening, Foreign AffairsCommittee Chairman Brian Mast, R-Fla.,readout names of 18 servicemembers killed since thewar began.

“Tobelittle this mission is to belittle and demean the very service thesemembersgavetheir life for,” Mast said. “Their sacriﬁce was not meaningless. This operationis bringing reckoning for the hundreds of times Iran has attacked andkilledpeople of theUnited States of America.”

Democrats saidtheywould continue to force Republicans to vote on theissue. “If Donald Trump won’tlisten to the people and end

this war then Congress must,” said Senate MinorityLeader Chuck Schumer,D-N.Y Republicans on both sides of the Capitolknowthat voting against the warcan have apolitical cost, even as many of them have privately questioned theTrump administration’shandling of the conﬂict. Whenthe Senate passed awar powersresolution on Iran forthe ﬁrst time in June, Trump called the four Republicans who votedfor it “losers” and thenreprimanded themataSenate GOP luncheon that he attended the next day Sen. Bill Cassidy,one of the Republicanswho hadvoted with Democrats,said afterward that he had clashed with Trump over the issue. He said he told Trump directly that

he needed to give more details to the public about the conﬂict.

“This was supposed to last four weeks. It’s lasted four months,” said Cassidy,who hadjust lost reelection in aprimary after Trump endorsed one of his opponents. “Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

Trumpargued back, Cassidy later told reporters, and he told the president that he wouldn’tchange his vote until he got abrieﬁng. The WhiteHouse laterrelented, giving Cassidy aone-on-one meeting, andthe Baton RougeRepublican changed his vote in alate-night doover vote before theSenateleft for atwo-week recess. Cassidy voted against the resolution again Thursday

PHOTO PROVIDEDByIRANIAN PRESIDENCy OFFICE

Iraq’sPrime Minister Ali al-Zaidi, center,reviews an honor guard as he is welcomed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, left, during his officialwelcoming ceremonyinTehran on Thursday

Government withdrawssubpoenas of 3reporters

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK, ERIC TUCKER and LARRYNEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK Criticized by a federal judge for sloppy legal work, the governmenton Thursday grudgingly withdrew subpoenas that would have compelled three New York Times reporters to testify about their sources for articles about President Donald Trump’sQatari-gifted Air Force One jet The withdrawals in U.S District Court followeda remarkable back-and-forth between avisibly irritated Judge Arun Subramanian and government lawyers. They come at atime when the Trump administration is vigorously going after news organizations whose reporting and coverage it doesn’t like —and also trying to crack down on leaks inside the government.

The government’sretreat in theface of vigorouslegal opposition and astern reprimand from ajudgemarked thelatest instance of the Justice Department pulling back on its aggressive efforts to compel journalists to identify their sources before agrandjury.The administration recently withdrew similar subpoenas that sought to compel testimony in Virginia from journalists for the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal re-

lated to separatenational security coverage.

Subramanian said he otherwise would havegranted the newspaper’srequest to reject thesubpoenas because laws and regulations pertaining to subpoenas served on journalists maintain that theyshouldbeissued as alastresort in an investigation.

“Subpoenas are the last step, not the ﬁrststep, but thelast step,” the judge said, citing rules set to protect against violations of the First Amendment. He said thegovernment’s actions had turnedthe law and the regulations “on its head.”

“When you see something like this, if this were acivil proceeding, whatIwould normally do is ask theparties to show causes why sanctions should not be is-

sued,” the judge said, referencing punishment for lawyers for egregious actions.

After the hearing, the JusticeDepartment lashed out at thejudge in astatement, saying he “threatened our attorneys with sanctions unless subpoenas were withdrawn, andblocked us from presentingthe meticulous process of this investigation.”

Subramanian noted that with protections for journalists at stake, the government wasrequiredtoensure it could not obtain what it needed from any other sources before issuing subpoenas to journalists.

AJustice Department lawyer,Sean Buckley,cast the government’s missteps as inadvertent errors and said“no one was trying to pull afast one.” Buckleyapologized for other subpoenas that sought

recordsfor phone numbers belonging to onereporter’s mother and two of the journalists’ spouses.

“That was an error,judge, which we own,” Buckley said. “It was aconsequence of trying to move quickly.”

“These thingsare starting to pile up,” Subramanian said, becoming increasingly testy

The hearing was held publicly despiteefforts by theTrumpadministration to keep secretthe litigation spawned by subpoenas it served on theTimes’ journalists to try to get them to divulge their sources.

The newspaper’slawyers hadchallengedthe validity of thegrand jury subpoenas, along with subpoenas issued for phone records of several Times journalists and some of their relatives. Senior Times officials,including thepaper’smanagingeditor and general counsel, sat in

the gallery watching during Thursday’sproceedings.

The new jet in question, apresent from Qatar that Trump’sadministration spent $400 milliontoretroﬁt andupgrade, recently entered service. But Trump used an older model Air Force One jet to leave a NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month.

The Times, citing anonymous sources, reported that the switch hadcome at the urging of theSecret Service and that the newer plane lacked someofthe advanced security features of theolderAir Force Oneaircraft, including antimissile capabilities. On social media, Trump rejected claims of security concerns.

The Times wrote in aletter to the judge several days ago that two subpoenas seek records beginning on Jan. 1, long before the newspaper published articles on July8

and July 9that became the basis forthe grand jury subpoenas. It said that lengthy stretch of records sought would indicate that the purpose of the subpoenas might have been “to forage forinformation about the Journalists’ source relationships more broadly.” At Thursday’shearing, aﬁnal rebukefrom thejudge to the government came when he askedits lawyers to assure him that it won’trepeat ascenario that leftone journalist being serveda subpoena by an FBI agent while he washome watching the family-friendly movie “The Sheep Detectives,”about sheep on aquest to solve the murderofthe shepherd who took care of them. Said the judge, to loud courtroom laughter: “I can’t think of anything more inconsistent with ‘Sheep Detectives’ than an FBI showing agent up at your door.”

Grandjuryto review case

BY MARTHA SANCHEZ Staff writer

The district attorney overseeing an investigation into the death of Nolan Wells,a teenager whose body was found near aMississippi Coast barrier island earlier this month, said Thursday she has instructed local authorities to avoid making public statements about the case. The 18-year-old’sdeath has shaken and divided many in hishometown of Ocean Springs,Mississippi, and beyond as news of the case spread acrossthe country Wells’ cause of death is still uncertain, and the search for answers is unleashing intense scrutiny on authorities investigating the case in Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath issueda recorded statement saying that keeping information confidential during the investigation will protectthe integrity of theprocess and “is not an effort to keep the truth from the public.”

“I understand the public’s urgency to know what happened to Nolan,” McIlrath said. “But we are not taking time for time’ssake. We are taking the time requiredto completethe work this investigation demands.”

The move likely means the results of the Mississippi statemedical examiner’s autopsy report, among other evidence,willnot be released until agrand juryreviews thecase. The Biloxi Sun Herald reported Thursday that the state autopsy will remain sealed until after the grand jury’sreview.The timeline of that processisunclear. Authorities have said Wells, who attendedand played football at Southwest Mississippi Community College, disappeared duringcrowded Fourth of July celebrations on HornIsland, about 10 miles off the Mississippi coast. Asearch crew found Wells’ body in the water two days later Jackson County Sheriff JohnLedbetter said earlier this month that his office’s preliminaryinvestigation uncovered no signsoffoul play but that authorities were still collecting evidence andinterviewing witnesses. BenCrump, anational civil rightsattorney who is representing Wells’ family is independently investigating theteenager’sdeath.

Thetragedy began drawing national attention as a photo circulated online that shows Wells,who was Black, sitting on aboat with several friends, whoare White Crumpand othernational ﬁgures have raised questions about whetherrace played a factor in Wells’death.

On Wednesday,Crump

said an independent autopsy hadbeen largely inconclusive. He said theautopsy had identiﬁed a12-by-8-inch area of discoloration on the back of Wells’ head but found no fractures or deep tissue injuries.

“Westand for truth, no matter whoitimplicatesor whoitexonerates,” Crump said Wednesday. “Westand for justice, no matterwho it convictsoritacquits.We stand for transparency.”

McIlrath and Ledbetter have pledged athorough investigation. McIlrath said Thursday that prosecutors present evidence surrounding everydeath in the county —exceptfor those of natural causes and noncriminal car wrecks —toagrand jury.The grandjury then decides whether the evidence supportscriminal charges.

McIlrath alsosaid local, state and federal agencies investigatingthe case must avoid making public statements that could inﬂuence witnesses, prejudice the proceeding or compromise thefairnessofthe judicial process.

“Nolan’sfamily deserves answers, andour communitydeserves answers,” McIlrath said. “Theserules exist to protect the search for the truth, nottoprevent it,” she added. “We allwant the same thing: To understand what happened to Nolan.”

Staff writer Poet Wolfe contributed to this story

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREENIKHINSON

The newAir Force One, seen parked at Joint Base Andrews, Md., on Wednesday,recently entered service.

La. lawmakers question no-bid contract

$54M Motorola deal would buy bodycams, other police tech

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Louisiana ofﬁcials want to award Motorola a $54 million, no-bid contract for police technology including body cameras, dashcams and radios, but some lawmakers are raising concerns about a lack of public scrutiny on the deal.

“It shines a bad light that we’re rushing through something that is so important,” said state Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette

He said lawmakers should “hit the brakes” on the contract approval and instead hold a special hearing to review the details and give the public and other vendors a chance to weigh in.

That would bring more credibility to the deal and avoid the perception that state leaders are trying to “slide something in for Motorola,” Boudreaux said.

During a budget committee meeting Thursday, officials from Louisiana State Police and the

Office of Technol-

ogy Services, the statewide IT agency, told legislators that Motorola is offering big savings for the technology and that having one company provide all of the equipment will improve its functionality and public safety

Boudreaux

“What it’s going to allow us to do is get much deeper discounts for state agencies, local sheriffs’ departments and local police departments for the same equipment that we all use, and it’s gonna lock us in at those discounts for 10 years,” said Evelina Broussard, chief information ofﬁcer

for the state. The Ofﬁce of Technology Services is asking for permission from legislators to enter into a 10-year “sole source” contract with Motorola for portable radios, body cameras, dashcams, software that manages video streams and other data, and the statewide radio system used by various law enforcement agencies, according to a document provided to lawmakers summarizing the request. The two-page document says Motorola is the only company that can offer all of the policing equipment together as one uniﬁed system, and Motorola’s “guaranteed discounts would result in approximately $40 million in savings.”

ON THE GROW

Richard Elliot Knox helps carry plants bought from Mizell Farms to a customer’s car at the Red Stick Farmers Market downtown on Saturday. The market features farm-fresh produce and goods, including wine, seafood, plants, ﬂowers, prepared and baked items and more.

WBR Parish jail warden resigns

Cites ‘personal circumstances’ in his notice

BY OLIVIA TEES Staff writer

The West Baton Rouge Parish Detention Center is searching for new leadership, as Trevor McDonald has resigned after 10 months as warden, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said. McDonald submitted his resignation letter on July 13. Maj. Steven Judge, chief of corrections, is presiding as interim warden while a permanent replacement is sought, said Sgt. Landon Groger a spokesperson for the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce. In his resignation letter, McDonald said he was not able to give a two-week notice due to “personal circumstances” that required his immediate attention. He will serve as warden of a different correctional facility, though the department did not

Center tenant, to be

Jos. A. Bank to move into spot after outdoor retailer closes next month

BY IANNE SALVOSA Staff writer

One of the original tenants in Towne Center at Cedar Lodge will be replaced by a menswear store that is returning to the Baton Rouge market Massey’s Professional Outﬁtters, which has sold outdoor gear from brands such as Patagonia, Hoka and Big Green Egg since the lifestyle center opened in 2005, will close next month. Shawn Bentley, Massey’s manager, said the shopping center found a new tenant for the space. Massey’s was notiﬁed on Thursday that it needs to vacate by the end of August, he said. Jos. A. Bank, which sells tailored men’s clothing, shoes and accessories, will move into Massey’s spot next to Whole Foods. The menswear store used to have a location at the Mall of Louisiana but closed in 2021 as part of a mass shuttering as the company faced financial pressures from the

COVID-19 pandemic. It has two other Louisiana locations in Mandeville and Metairie. Jos A. Bank already has the Towne Center store listed on its website. Towne Center has experienced high trafﬁc as open-air, grocery store-anchored centers have surged in popularity and tenants like Whole Foods and Barnes & Noble draw in shoppers. Massey’s, which has a team of about seven people, will

run deals before it closes next month. An Instagram post

Several state agencies would be covered by the contract, including State Police, the Ofﬁce of Juvenile Justice, the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, the Governor’s Ofﬁce of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and others, the summary says.

Broussard said the total value of the contract over 10 years is $54 million. Her ofﬁce is working toward ﬁnalizing the proposed contract, which should be ready for review by lawmakers next month, Broussard said. Lt. Col. Robert Burns, chief

Judge’s son wants rape convictions set aside

2001 motion was never ruled on, he argues

BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer

The son of Baton Rouge District Judge Gail Horne Ray returned to court Wednesday in a bid to have multiple forcible rape convictions and their sentences set aside, nearly 30 years after the crimes were committed.

Speaking on his own behalf during much of Wednesday’s status conference, Nelson Taylor, 46, argued that a 2001 motion to set aside his conviction was never ruled on by a judge and clariﬁcation was still needed on its status.

The status conference was the ﬁrst hearing for Taylor in his ﬁght to have the convictions dropped.

The motion leading to Wednesday’s hearing was originally filed in November, but hadn’t yet been taken up because all of the 19th Judicial District Court judges recused themselves from the case last year over Taylor being Ray’s son. District Attorney Hillar Moore also filed to recuse his office.

Retired 1st Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Michael McDonald was then assigned by the Louisiana Supreme Court to handle Taylor’s case. Brett Sommer, an assistant district attorney from Livingston Parish, was assigned as the prosecutor Taylor originally pleaded guilty to three counts of forcible rape and ﬁve counts of aggravated burglary in 1997 for a series of attacks the then-high school track star committed against multiple girls, some who were his classmates, from fall 1995 to spring 1996.

Prosecutors said Taylor surprised the victims in their bedrooms while armed with a knife or gun and while wearing a mask. He was accused of using tape to cover the girls’ eyes and mouths, as well.

The 1997 plea avoided a life sentence for Taylor, then 17, with a judge giving him 50 years for the collected charges.

A post-conviction plea deal in 2001 dropped the burglary charges, reducing Taylor’s total sentence to 40 years for the forcible rapes.

The practice of amending a plea agreement after the conviction was ruled as unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court in 2023 on the grounds it allowed the judiciary to pardon a final conviction, a power reserved for the governor Taylor’s argument rests on that ruling. Taylor said in court Wednesday he had filed to have both his forcible rape and burglary convictions set aside in 2001 while the window to ﬁle was still open. But instead of having that filing considered by a judge, Taylor was instead offered a post-conviction plea deal that led to his burglary charges being dropped, he said Wednesday

Since this kind of deal has now been found unconstitutional, Taylor’s

STAFF PHOTO

JAVIER GALLEGOS

Outdoor gear retailer Massey’s Outfitters will be replaced by men’s clothing store Jos. A Bank next month, a Massey’s manager confirmed. The store had been at the Towne Center at Cedar Lodge since it opened in 2005.

Cyclospora outbreak growsinLouisiana

79 casesand sixhospitalizations have been reported

BY MARGARET DeLANEY Staff writer

Cases of cyclospora continue to climb in Louisiana,with79total cases including six hospitalizations reported by theLouisiana Department of Health as of Thursday —a jump from 43 cases including ﬁve hospitalizations reported theprevious week.

TheCenters forDisease Control andPrevention founda link between cyclospora and shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico from Taco Bell locations in Indiana, Kentucky,Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia.

On July 17, Taylor Farmsiniti-

ated arecall of all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico. The recall includesiceberg lettuce sold at retail stores andrestaurants. It also includesotherrecalled products distributed to food service customers, according to the CDC.

Neither theCDC norstate ofﬁcials, however,have reported any connection toLouisiana cyclospora cases.

Nationally,there have been 1,644 people infected with cyclospora between May13and July 13. There have been94hospitalizations and no deaths reported.

TheHealthDepartmentgets notice of cyclospora cases as soon as they are conﬁrmed through lab results in hospitalmedical records.

Theparasiteisdiagnosed through agastrointestinal pathogen panel, aone-hour,highly sensitivestool test that simultaneouslydetects the DNA or RNA of multiple bacteria,

viruses and parasites causing diarrhea.

“This is arareone,” saidDr. Katie Taylor,who runs infection control and outbreak management at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. “(Cyclospora) tendsto last longer and may improve and relapse beforeitcompletely resolves.”

The threshold for hospitalization, sitting at six people so far in Louisiana,rests primarily on dehydration.

“Louisiana has slightly higher than normallevelsgoing around right now,”Taylor said. “The center of where this is happening is around Michigan.”

What is cyclospora?

Cyclospora is an infection from aparasite that can cause diarrhea. People areexposed when ingesting contaminated food or water

Ex-officer sentencedto35years

Aformer St. Gabriel police ofﬁcer has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for killing aman at the home of his estranged wife in 2023.

Earlier this month, Andre Redditt, 30, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the March 2023 death of 26-year-old Dylan Martin, according to the LivingstonParish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

Deputies were dispatched to the DenhamSprings home of Redditt’sestranged spouse just after midnightonMarch 2, 2023. At the scene, deputies found Martin, who had been shot multiple times. Investigators determined that Redditt entered the home without permission, went into aroom where Martin and his estranged wifewere, and ﬁred six rounds at Martin in the bedroom and then the hallway as he attempted to escape. Redditt claimed he acted in selfdefense, but evidence showed he was the aggressor,the Sheriff’sOfﬁce stated.

According to previous Advocate reporting, Redditt’swife ﬁled for divorce in January 2023. She accused Redditt of domestic abuse andrequested arestraining order against him hours after the shooting. Her allegations included that he abused herthroughouther pregnancy,threatened to “hire someone

CONTRACT

Continued from page1B

administrative ofﬁcer for Louisiana State Police, said theproposal would result in big savings for the state, technology that works better and improvements to public safety Local police departments and sheriff’s ofﬁces would not be requiredtouse theMotorolaequipment, though they would have the option, Burns said.

Lawmakersraise questions

Lawmakers pressed for more details on the rationale for the no-bid contract, however Rep. Tony Bacala, R-Prairieville, said state ofﬁcials should present options from other companies, provide acost comparison anddetail

to ‘beat hertodeath,’”and triedto prevent her from calling 911 as he was attacking her.Healso allegedly followed her in aco-worker’scar twomonths before the shooting.

Twoarrested in alleged stolen gift cards scheme

Twopeople face more than 100 counts of fraud each after they were arrested in Livingston Parishwith more than$40,000 worth of stolen giftcards, according to the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce.

The Amazon andApple gift cards were obtained as part of adeliberate scheme,according to theSheriff’s Ofﬁce. In the racket, individualsalter gift cards in stores and retrieve theunique codes; whenunsuspecting customers buy the cards, the money added goes to the scammer Federal law enforcement ofﬁcials have previouslylinked these types of gift card schemes to organized Chinesecrime groups.

Awoman,Meiyu Cai,55, of Rosemead, California, was standingoutsidea carstopped at South RangeAvenueand VincentRoad in Denham Springs when adeputy attempted to approach the vehicle, the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce said.The vehicle drove off, andwhen it eventually came to astop,authorities found the gift cards were inside.

Jail records show Cai and the car’sdriver,Kang Shang Huang, 29,

whythey are choosing to go with Motorola instead of other companies.

“I think it’sa valid question,” he said. “The public needs to know the answer.”

In the meantime, Burns acknowledgedthat state ofﬁcials were essentially asking legislators to “take our word for it” that Motorola has thebestoffer

Thebudget committee is allowed to vote as soon as next monthto approvethe deal,though it isn’trequired to, said chair Rep. Jack McFarland. He said whether they take avote is contingent on ﬁrst seeing adraft of the contract proposal and stateofﬁcials’ addressing lawmakers’ concerns. Sen. Regina Barrow,D-Baton Rouge,said she is “definitely not inclined”tovote on thecostly10year contract until they have more

of Las Vegas, were arrested.Each faces 112 countsofaccess device fraud, amongother charges, and they arebeing held at the Livingston ParishDetention Center on abail set at more than$2.8million.

19-year old killed in vehicle crashonThursday

Awoman died after her vehicle struck therear of an SUV stopped on Nicholson Drive near Innovation Park Drive on Thursday morning, LouisianaState Police said.

Troopersbegan investigating the crash around 2:40 a.m. ARam pickup truckwas stoppedonthe side of the road after it had become disabled. A2013Cadillac Escalade had stopped in the northbound travel lane ashorttime later to assist thetruckwhen aKia K4 slammed into therear of the SUV, according to State Police.

The driverofthe Kia, Madison Marshall, 19, sustained severe injuries and was transported to a hospital where she died. Marshall was unrestrainedatthe time of the crash, according to StatePolice. The driverofthe Cadillac was also unrestrained, suffered minor injuries and was transported to a hospital.

Impairment is not suspected,but routine toxicologysamples will be run.

details.

Aday earlier on Wednesday,a separate legislative committeethat handlestechnologymatters authorized theno-bid contract negotiationstoproceed,arequirement understate law.Thatcommittee gave one day’snotice that it was taking up the Motorola contract. Motorola’scurrent contract for the statewide radio system, the Louisiana Wireless Information Networks, is up in 2030. However, aseparate state contract for Axon body cameras and dashcams expired this year,and that gives ofﬁcials achance right now to negotiatea deal with Motorola to provide the radio system, cameras and other software, which will save the state money,Burns said.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

“As far as we know,humans are theonly animal that gets sick with this parasite,” said Dr.Obinna Nnedu, an infectious disease physician at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. “Dying from cyclospora is extremely rare.”

The parasite spends half itslife cycleinthe soil and half in the body.Lettuce species and berries arecommon sources of cyclospora because they grow close to the ground. Berries and lettuce are alsooften consumed without being cooked. (Cooking kills the parasite.)

“What happens is some form of sewage or stool thathas this organism in it gets into the soil of where this produce is being grown, and then gets on that produce through thesoil,” Taylor said.

Thereare some other parasites that will go into the body and infect morethan oneorgan system

WARDEN

Continued from page1B

disclose where

“I want to make it clear that my decision to resign is unrelated to therecenteventsatthe detentioncenter,” McDonald saidinhis letter,referring to recentinstances of inmate drug overdoses.

“In my opinion the level of contraband within the facility

CONVICTIONS

Continued from page1B

attorney,Michael Mitchell, arguedthat Taylorshould be allowed to reenter anew guilty plea with asentencenogreater than theoriginal.

Thesecondpartofthisargument is thatTaylor’soriginal2001 motion to have the conviction set aside is still pending, since a judge never formally ruled on it.

Sommer argued it was an inappropriate time to consider the merits of Taylor’smotion, since a judge would ﬁrst have to approve that hisapplication forpostconviction relief is timely

“They haven’tcarried their burden to show that there’ssome exceptionorsome reason that this court has jurisdiction to address a2001 plea when we’re now 25, 26 years later,” Sommer said. McDonald made no ruling on thecase Wednesday Taylor hadbeen previously grantedparole, but wasplaced back in parish prison after a2024 arrest forobscenity. He argued his case Wednesday while still in an orange jumpsuit.

Taylor’sstatus as aconvicted rapistled Moore to seek Ray’s recusal last year from presiding over the case against Casen Carver,one of themen accused of raping LSUstudent Madison Brooks.

Prosecutors argued the recusal wasnecessarybecause Rayhad represented her son in his 1997 case, andtexts between Carver andhis parents showedthe 21-year-old believed Ray would look favorably on his circumstance due to her son’sconviction

The state SupremeCourt ruled

“This is not one of those,” Taylor said. Previous outbreaks in Louisiana and the United States were linked to imported produce from other countries.

“If youhavediarrheathatis prolonged, that goes on for more than twodays unstopped, you may want to talk with your physician,” Nnedu said.

Common symptoms of cyclospora include: n Watery diarrhea n Loss of appetite n Weight loss n Cramping n Bloating n Increased gas n Nausea n Fatigue.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@theadvocate. com.

remains minimal and our personnel continue to perform their duties with dedication and integrity,” McDonald wrote. McDonald started as warden on Sept. 22 and has 25 years of experience in law enforcement andcorrections, the department said in aFacebook post announcing his hiring. The jailhas faced an increased issue withdrugusage in the prison, which resulted in the deaths of four inmates before McDonald took the position.

in May that Ray does not need to be recused, overruling two lower courts and allowing the bench trial to be scheduled forlater this year

Email Quinn Coffmanatquinn. coffman@theadvocate.com.

BRIEFS

Ford to partner with Chinese automaker

Ford and Chinese automotive company Geely Auto announcedplans on Thursday to jointly manufacture lowandzero-emission vehiclesat Ford’sValencia, Spain factory

The partnership is abid to reignite Ford’s offeringsfor the European auto market as the legacy carmaker seeks to compete with the likesoffast-moving Chinese companies thatare rapidly dominating auto sales acrossthe globe.

In the U.S., policy all but locks Chinese ﬁrms out of the market —though American automakersstill partner with companiesinChina forproduction, and Chinese vehicles are making inroads in North America more broadly.

The joint venture, pending regulatory approval, will be owned two-thirds by Ford and one-third by Geely,which also owns brands such as Volvo, Polestar and more.

The two companiessaid they will focus on ﬁve vehicles. Under the partnership,Ford plans to continue production of theFord Kugaplug-in hybrid vehicle,aswell as anew Bronco SUV, production for which will begin in 2028. Geely plans to make two electric SUVs atthe plant, the ﬁrst of which is also scheduled tobegin production in 2028.

The automakers saidthey will also jointly develop anew “multi-energy” crossover model to arrive in 2028.

Filings forjobless aid fewest since 1969

WASHINGTON U.S. applications for jobless beneﬁts tumbledto thelowest level in more than ﬁve decades last week as layoffs remain historically low despite global economic uncertainty

Thenumber of Americans applying forunemployment beneﬁts in the week ending July 18 declined by 22,000 to 187,000, theLabor Department reported Thursday.That’sthe fewest number of weekly applications since the week ending Sept. 6, 1969, according to LaborDepartment data

It’salso well below the215,000 new applications forecast by analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet. Weekly filings for unemploymentbenefits are considered a proxy for layoffs and are close to areal-time indicator of the healthofthe U.S. job market.

“The economic crisis caused by the energy supply shock is notoveryet,” said Carl Weinberg,chief economist at High Frequency Trading. “But the labor market has yet to show any sign of wear and tear from the surge in oil prices.”

In its expansive Junejobs report earlier this month, the government reported that employerspulled back on hiring, adding only57,000 jobs. Amazon cuts jobs within AI team

Amazon’sartificial general intelligence organization is the company’slatest targetfor workforce reductions evenas the e-commerce giant continues to heavily investinAI.

On Thursday,an Amazon spokespersonconﬁrmed the layoffs butdeclined to share details, including the number of layoffs and the typesofrolescut.

Over the last several years, Amazonhas developed its own generative AI models, primarily throughits Amazon Nova and Amazon Titan foundation model families.Those models havesimilarconcepts to OpenAI’s GPT or Anthropic’sClaude models. However,Amazon’smodels are builtprimarily for businesses or computer programmers.

Artiﬁcial general intelligence or AGI, is ahypothetical branch of AI that surpasseshuman intelligenceand gains autonomy.

An Amazon spokesperson said building large AI models remain apriority

The layoffs add to morethan 30,000 job cuts at Amazon over the past 10 months amid efforts to slim itsheadcount and restructure.

Brentcrude hits $100 again

BYSTANCHOE Associated Press

NEW YORK Brentoil shot to its highest pricesince May after increasedﬁghting in theMiddleEast on Thursdaythreatened to slow the global flow of crude. At the same time, sharp drops for two of Wall Street’s most inﬂuential companies, Alphabet and Tesla, yanked the U.S. stock market to itsworst loss in amonth Stocks fell under thepressureof

rising oil prices,which raise costs forbusinessesand erodetheir customers’ abilitytospend. The price for abarrel of Brent crude oil, the international standard, jumped 7% to settle at $100.69. It touched $102 during the day, thehighest price since May for themostactively traded Brent contract in the market. The cause: attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in theRed Sea. That threatens another avenue that oilcompaniesuse to move their crude from theMiddle East to customers worldwide,along with theStrait of Hormuz. It was just afew weeks ago that

Brenthad dropped below$72 per barrel, roughly back to where it was before the United Statesand Israel attacked Iran to begin their war, on hopesthata wind-down in thewar wouldfully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Thejumps in oilprices will worsen inﬂation, just when it had begun to decelerate by more than economists expected. That in turn could push the Federal Reserve andother central banks to raise interest rates, which would slow economies and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

The European Central Bankheld its main interest rates steady at its

meeting Thursday. Buttraders are bettingona 36% chance the Fed will hike thefederal funds rate at its meeting next week.That’sup from the nearly 12%probability seen aweek ago, according to data from CME Group.

An increase by the Fed would be the ﬁrst since 2023.

Higheroil prices pushedthe yield of the 10-year Treasury up to 4.69% from 4.67% late Wednesday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran began. That’sasigniﬁcant increase, and it’salready brought long-term U.S. mortgage ratestotheir highestlevelsin nearly ayear

Higher oilpricescould impact gas, groceriesand back-to-school items

BY CATHY BUSSEWITZ, MAEANDERSON and ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writers

NEWYORK Already feeling pinched since the start of theIran war,consumers are likely to feel more painahead as oilprices pushedpast$100 abarrelThursday amid renewed ﬁghting and militarystrikesthathave left globaloil supplies stranded in theMiddle East.

The elevated price marked aturn from loweroil prices enjoyed brieﬂy whenhostilities between theU.S. and Iran waned in June.

Brent crude,the internationalstandard,last reached$100 abarrelinMay

Companies that produceand sellfresh food,schoolsuppliesand anything that gets shipped using fuel reported costimpacts from an earlier spike in energy prices after theU.S. andIsrael attacked Iran.They’re likely to continue passing some of their increasedexpenses to consumers.

“Since everything reliesonpetroleum in our economy, for good or ill, if the cost of petroleumgoes up,theneverythingelse goes up as well,”said Joe Adamski, amanaging directoratprocurement services company

ProcureAbility

Gasoline prices return to $4

The U.S.price for regulargasoline averaged$4.09 agallon Thursday,15cents more than aweek ago, anddrivers in moststates were paying $4 or more, according to AAA.

“Given thetypicallag alongthe oil industry’s supply chain, prices at the pump are poised to keep rising at leastinto next week,” said Pavel Molchanov,aninvestment strategy analystatinvestment bank Raymond James.

Shoppers paying more forgroceries

Grocery prices generally rise with oilbecausefarmersuse dieselfuel to power equipment, while many food products are transported by trucks that require fuel.

“Oil at $100 doesn’tmake food prices jump right away,but it does put upward pressure acrossthe food supply chains,especially for categories that depend heavily on trucking, cold storage and packaging,” said Miguel Gomez, aCornell Universityprofessor who directs theschool’sFood Industry Management Program. Freshproduceand dairy could feel alarger impact because theyrequire refrigeration during delivery.

Grocery chain AlbertsonsonThursday lowered its2026 ﬁscal outlook, citing pressure on itscore grocerybusiness anda pullback in consumer spending.

Higher fuel costs for ships, trucks and air carriers can trickle down to consumers and businesses that depend on shipping.UPS, FedEx and other shipping services introduced fuel surchargesand other fees as fuel prices increased.

Consumerspullingback

Rural lifestyle retailerTractor SupplyCo. reducedits annualsales outlook on Thursday,

citing in part higherfuelprices during its spring sellingseason that weighed on customer spending.

“Our customers often drive longer distances to shopfrequently in pickup trucks, many of which arediesel-powered, making them especially sensitive to higher fuel costs,” CEO HalLawtontold analysts.

Lawton said customers are still investing in theirpets, animals,farms andproperties, but shopping has become “more deliberate. Customers areconsolidating trips, prioritizing needs-based purchases and taking a more measuredapproach to discretionary spending.

Higher prices forback-to-schoolshoppers

The Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America trade groupwarned in areport Wednesday that increasing freightand materialcosts, alongwith rising tariffs costs, werecreating bigchallenges forthe footwearindustry as families prepare forbackto-school shopping and companies plan for the remainder of the year Matt Priest, CEOand president of the trade group, said someofits members have cited 25% priceincreases for petroleumbased materialsusedinfootwear manufacturing due to the Middle East conﬂict. Those costs could eventually translate into roughly a5%increase in the cost of ﬁnishedfootwear products soldtoconsumers, Priestsaidin the report.

Canadian National supports UnionPacific acquisitionplan

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

OMAHA,Neb.— Union Pacific struck adeal with CanadianNational to secure that rival’ssupport forits proposed$85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern railroad. The deal to createthe nation’s first transcontinental railroad has beendivisive withinthe industry becauseitwould concentrate so much market power in the hands of onecompany that would control more than 40% of all railtraffic and reduce the numberofmajor freightrailroads in theUnited Statesdown to five. BNSF,CPKC and CSX railroads all strongly op-

pose the merger,but nowCanadian National said it will support it after winning concessionsfromUnion Paciﬁc. The U.S.Surface Transportation Board is justbeginningtoreview the proposed$85 billionmerger, but it has demanded more informationfromthe railroads by the end of the month before it will move forward. Shippers have also lined up on bothsides of thedeal with someexcited about the promises of faster cross-country deliveries while other companies mainly in thechemical and agriculture industriesworry about the possibilityof higher rates and serviceproblems. UP CEOJim Vena said he be-

lieves these agreements with Canadian National will address many of thecompetitiveconcernswith the merger because CN will gain permission to be able to serve any customers that will see significantly reduced shipping options after themerger.And CN will take over NorfolkSouthern’sownership of smallerrailroadsinSt. Louis and Kansas City to ensure the merged railroad will never control the majority of those operations. Canadian National will also gain access to tracksbetween St.Louis andKansas City where there was themost overlap between UP and NS, and CN will be able to use akey rail yard in Kansas Citythat will help that railroad compete better forbusiness to andfrom Mexico. Union Pacific will get the ability to move more traffic around the congested tracks in Chicago. “Asthe railindustry considers significantstructural change, it is essential that customers continue to benefit from meaningful competition and choice,” CN President and CEO Tracy Robinson said. But BNSF spokesperson Zak Andersensaidthese agreementsshow what canalready be accomplished through cooperative agreements betweenrailroadswithoutall the disruptions of amerger that would leave many customers with fewer competitive shipping options.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS

PHOTOByNAM y. HUH

Guillory,Steve

OurLadyofMount Carmel Catholic Church Hall in St.Francisville at noon.

Harger,Carolyn

OurLadyofMercy Catholic Church 445 MarquetteAvenue,at2:30p.m

Harris, Julia NazareneBaptist Church,1707 SpanishTownRoad, at 11 a.m.

Kleinpeter, Milton Progressive BaptistChurch,998 Julia Street,at10:30 a.m.

Marionneaux, Patricia

Immaculate HeartofMaryCatholic Church in Maringouinat11:30am

McCrary, Charlotte

OurLadyofMercy Catholic Church at 10 a.m.

Smith,Thomas SealeFuneralHomeinDenham Springs at 3p.m

Obituaries

Edwards Oubre,Elvia Lee

Elvia Lee Edwards Oubre

anative of White Castle and resident of Baton Rouge departed this life on Tuesday, July 14, 2026. She leaves to cherish her memory Allen Oubre, her husband of 54 years; sons, Donald Edwards and Denzel Jordan; six grandchildren, Kaylynn, Justen, Harlem, Ariah, Lailah, and Malachi. Five sisters; Shirley Edwards, Glenda (Alton) Green, Linda (Donald) Jordan, Jacqueline (Harold) Johnson, Geraldine (Clement) Brown, one brother; Alvin (Delois) Edwards; four brothers-in law, Lester ThomasSr. Ivan (Linda) Oubre, Kevin (Patricia) Oubre Sr., Oliver Clayton Sr.; five sisters-inlaw; Marion Brown, Joyce Dunmars, Lorraine Murray, Chiketta (Milton) Hawkins and Christine Edwards., a host of cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, and other loved ones. Services will be held Saturday, July 25, 2026 at Asberry Methodist Church White Castle, LA, visitation begins at 9:00 until 11:00am. She was proceeded in death by her parents; Willie and Virginia Edwards, parents-in-law; Joseph and Veronica Oubre, three brothers; Willie Roy, Charles, and JC Edwards, five sisters; Delores Clayton, Gloria Dickerson, Olivia Edwards, Barbara Fleming, and Joyce Thomas; six brothers-inlaw; Gayward Oubre, Edward Oubre, Larry Oubre, Wayne Oubre, Tyrone Knighten, and Felton Fleming; maternal and paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Howard, Delois Alice Delois Alice Howard born August 24,1946de-

Clarence Victor "C.V." Hutchinson, passed away peacefully on July22, 2026, his 81st birthday. C.V. was adevoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He found his greatest joyin spending time with his family, who meant everything to him. He was happiestwhensurrounded by those he loved, creating memoriesthat willbe cherishedfor generations. An avid fisherman, C.V. loved being on the water, wherehefoundpeace and contentment. Whether castinga line or sharing storieswith familyand friends, he appreciated life's simplepleasures and the beauty of the outdoors. C.V. proudly served his country in the United States Army and later retired from Tembec Paper Mill aftermany years of dedicatedservice. He is survived byhis beloved wifeof62years,Cheryl Wicker Hutchinson;his children,Mike(Dana) Hutchinson, Rene (Keith) Cranford, and Jennifer (David)McVea; hisgrandchildren, Brennanand Kaleigh Hutchinson, Bailey CranfordBurke, Collier Cranford,Abby Guerra Wilson,and GaugeMcVea; as well as sevengreat-grandchildren,with one more precious blessing on the way. He is precededin death by his parents, Clarence Vivian Hutchinson,and JuanitaJarreau Hutchinson; sisters, Patricia Gayle Smith, and Deborah Thibodeaux, and grandson, Colton Robert Hutchinson. C.V.'s legacy is oneoflove, hard work, faithfulness, and dedication to his family. He will be deeply missedbyall who knew and lovedhim, buthis memory willliveon in the heartsofthose whoselives he touched Graveside Servicewill be held on Saturday, July 25, 2026 at 10amatAzalea Rest CemeteryinZachary Sharesympathies, condolences, and memoriesat www.charletfuneralhome. com.

Kinsley,Sue Don SueDon Peel Kinsley,age 95, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 18, 2026,surroundedby her lovingfamilyafter a brief illness. Born on May 12, 1931, in Jonesville, Louisiana,Sue lived alife defined by faith, family education, and serviceto others. On June 4, 1954,she married the love of her life

Charles T. KinsleySr.,beginning amarriagefilled with love and devotion Sue waspreceded in death by her belovedhusband, Charles T. Kinsley Sr.; her parents, SusieA.Peeland DonaldO.Peel; her daughter, Kathy Kinsley Edgens; and her son-in-law,Hubert F. Kolb Jr.She is survived by her loving daughter, Susan Kolb; her son, Charles T. KinsleyJr. and hiswife, Royeann; and her son-inlaw, Gerald W. Edgens. She was aproud grandmother to Katherine K. Neal (Dave), BrittanyK.Elliser (Bryan), Breann K. Kelly (Michael), Hunter R. Edgens (Bailey), Heather L. Edgens, Jason M. Kolb (Lori), and Jeremy L. Kolb. She was also blessed with twelve greatgrandchildren: HarrisonNeal, Brady Elliser, Briggs Elliser, Brooks Kelly, John Michael Kelly, AbelLandry, Easton Edgens, GreysonThibodeaux, GracieKolb, Remi Kolb, EmilyEvans (Jake), and Grant Kolb.Sue graduated fromIstrouma High School in 1948 before earning her bachelor'sdegree fromSoutheastern Louisiana Universityin 1954, where she was also a cheerleader. She later earnedher master's degree,furthering her lifelong commitment to education. Her teaching career beganatHahnville High School before she returned to Baton Rouge,where she taught physicaleducation at Istrouma Junior High, Park Forest Middle School, and Central Middle School. After obtaining her master's degree,Sue became a librarian, serving many years at Central Middle School and Starkey Academy. Throughout her career, she inspiredcountlessstudents with her kindness enthusiasm, and dedication. Alifelong sports enthusiast,Sue enjoyed playing basketball during her years at IstroumaHigh School and later coached numerous teams while teaching.She especially lovedwatching her great grandkidsplay. Adevoted LSUfan, she faithfully followedTigersbaseballand women's basketballand continued attending games well intoher nineties. Sue also had a specialtalentfor crocheting and lovingly created countless handmade gifts forher family and friends. Her generosity, warmth and unwavering love for those around herwillbe remembered by allwho knew her. The family extends heartfelt gratitudeto Dr. Gerald Miletello and the staff of BatonRouge Hospice forthe compassionate care and support they providedduring Sue's final days.Sue's legacy of love dedication to education, and devotion to her family willliveoninthe many livesshe touched.She will be deeply missed and forever cherished.Family and friends are invited to attend aFuneralService on Monday, July 27th, 2026, at Blackwater United Methodist Church, 10000 Blackwater Rd., Baker LA 70714 at 12:00 PM.Visitation willbeheldfrom 9:00 AM until service time. Burial willfollow in Greenoaks Memorial Park

Dr. MiltonHaynes Kleinpeterwas born on September25, 1931, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Louis and Fannye Haynes Kleinpeterasthe fifthofseven children. Raised in the Church of God in Christ,he attended local Christian and publicschools, graduating from McKinley High School in 1950 beforeearning aBachelor of Arts in Educationfrom Southern University. While in school, he learned thetrade of brick masonry, worked during summers, and became amember of Progressive Baptist Church under theleadership of Rev. Walker Thomas.

After receiving an educational deferment, Dr. Kleinpeter proudly served four years in the United States Army as apersonnel specialistduring the Korean Conflict.Hewas honorably discharged and awarded theGoodConduct Medal.

Returning to Louisiana, he beganhis career as an educator,teaching in several parishes. While living in Lafayette, he met Eva Bonnett, and they married in 1961, building alife centered on faith, family,and education. Together they achieveda remarkable milestonebyearning DoctorofPhilosophy degrees in Education from Kansas StateUniversity whileraising their threechildren, becoming thefirst husbandand-wife team in theUnited States to do so.

Dr. Kleinpeter spent much of his professional career in the CollegeofEducationatSouthern University, where he mentored graduatestudents, secured grants,and helped strengthen academicprograms. He served on numerous university committees, including as adedicated University Marshal at commencementceremonies.His workalso extendedinternationally througha U.S. Department of Stategrant supporting

teacher education programs in Jamaica.

Adevoted member of Alpha PhiAlpha Fraternity, Inc.,Dr. Kleinpeteractively supported communityservice initiatives andmentoredgenerationsofyoung men.Hewas also apassionate supporter of Southern University Athletics, faithfully attending games throughout the years.

Dr.Kleinpeterissurvived by hisbeloved wife of 65 years, Dr.Eva Bonnet Kleinpeter; his children, Dr Myra A. Kleinpeter, Milton H. Kleinpeter, Jr., and Milowe A. Kleinpeter; his granddaughter, Maya A. Kleinpeter, J.D.; nieces FannyeP.Wiltz (Jeanerette), Reverend FreidaK.Brown (Baton Rouge), Dr. Lisa Green (Chicago), Patricia Dunbar (Houston), nephew Louis StevenGreen (Chicago), and cousinsJulius Kleinpeter(Baton Rouge), Johnnie Hayes(Baton Rouge), and many other relativesand friends. He wasprecededin death by his parents Louis andFannye Kleinpeter, brothers Louis (Bernice) Kleinpeter, Joseph Kleinpeter, Gene Kleinpeter, sisters MarionPierre, Freida (Willie) Green,Ida Leon Kleinpeterand several more relativesand friends In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that memorial contributions be made to theSouthernUniversity Foundation in support of theDr. MiltonH

Kleinpeter Endowed Professorship in theCollegeof Education or the Kleinpeter Scholarship,honoringhis lifelongcommitmenttoeducation andstudent success. Aviewing (wake) will be held from9:00 AM to 10:30 AM on 2026-07-24 at Progressive Baptist Church, 998 JuliaStreet. Afuneral service will be held from10:30 AM to 12:00 PM on 2026-07-24 at Progressive Baptist Church, 998 JuliaStreet, Baton Rouge,LA70802 Aburialwillbeheld from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM on 2026-07-24 at LouisianaNational Cemetary, 303 WMt. Pleasant Road.Zachary, LA 70726 Areception will be held from2:30 PM to 4:00 PM on 2026-07-24 at Progressive Baptist Church Fellowship Hall, 998 JuliaStreet, Baton Rouge,LA70802

Kleinpeter, Milton Haynes

Miller, Angela Drummond

when she went home to be with her Lord and Savior

All of her life she selflessly and faithfully used her gifts, talents and time to help others. Born on October4,1959 to June and William Drummond in West Point, Mississippi, Angela was aresident of West Point, Columbus, and finally Tupelo as achild. She was an active Girl Scout and member of the competition chorus at Tupelo High School graduating in 1977. An Alpha Delta Pi at the University of Mississippi, Angela continued to cheer on the Rebels and even became aTiger fan upon moving to Baton Rouge after graduation. Through her career and life of serving others, she served with the Baton Rouge Police Department after graduating from the police academy. Angela was passionate about supporting those battling cancerasthe Program Director at Cancer Services of Greater Baton Rougeand later the Executive Director of Komen Baton Rouge and Komen Louisiana.Angela faithfully served the church and helped to start several churches in the Baton Rouge area. She was on the support staff at Church at Addis, and she lead many initiatives including the annual Westside Easter egg hunt, the church's social media presence,griefsupport group and the weeklyAA meeting. She had aheart forthe least of these and showed her love througha weekly commitment to a bible study at Baton Rouge Rehab where she ministered to and mentored many men battling addiction. Affectionately known as Mom to many of "her guys," she showed them a mother's love and the love of Christ. Angela is survived by her husband of 43 years, Johnny Miller of Plaquemine; daughter, Chrislyn and beloved sonin-law Adam Maher of Baton Rouge; and son Charles Naylor of Prairieville; siblings, Cathy (Ricky) Cockrell,Desiree (Steve)Warrenand Bill (Shannon) Drummond of Tupelo Mississippi;inlaws, Judy (Steve) Whitfield, Kevin(Tammy) Miller. Ricky Andre and Janna (Chris) Kershaw, and many verybeloved nieces and nephews each of whom she found away to make feel special and loved. She is proceeded in death by sisters-in-laws, Kellye Andre and Kathy Elliott; nephews, John Hunter Miller and JohnMicah Cockrell;in-laws, Evelyn and John Miller; and her parents, June and William Drummond. Friends and family, and all h l d l i

who loved Angela, are invited to celebrate herlife on Saturday, July 25, at Church at Addis.Visitation willbegin at 9:30to11:30 a.m., followedbythe service at 11:30 a.m., conducted by Rev. Tom Shepard and Doc. LawtonSearcy. Burial willfollow at Grace Memorial. Angela was giving and selfless even in the end. Shewas an organ and tissuedonortohelpimpact the livesofothers. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Church at Addis (Pastoral Missions Fund).

Stewart, Norma Jean 'Granny'

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Norma "Granny" Stewart, wholeftthisworld peacefully at her homeonJuly 18, 2026. Born on October 6, 1940, in BatonRouge, Louisiana, Normawas a treasuredwife,mother, grandmother,great-grandmother, sister, andfriend. Herlove of Jesus, her warmth,kindness, andunwavering devotiontoher family and community will be deeplymissed. Normawas thecherished wife of Lonnie Wayne Stewart Sr., with whom she shared 66 beautifulyearsofmarriage. Together,theybuilt alife filledwithlove, laughter, and countless memories. Shewas adevotedmother to LonnieStewart Jr.(Susan), Byron Stewart (Kelly), Becky Price(Scott), and Phyllis Callahan (Joel). Herlove and legacy extend throughher grandchildren Lauren Madison(Brad), CassieStewart,Randy Price(Jade),HolleyWheeler,Hillary Wheat (Dalton), ElizabethStewart (Kyle), andHaley Callahan, as well as hergreat-grandchildren, Connor Blalock, Ethan Madison,Baylor Dufren,LoreleiDufren, Holden Wheat, Bennett Wheat, Macy Wheat, Kyler Booluck, CaydenWheeler, AveryWheeler,Matilda Fitzpatrick, and Wyatt Price. Normaisalsosur-

vived by her siblings, Diane Heard,Pat Dungan, Alvin Dungan, Carolyn Cooper, and Butch Grenada. She waspredeceased by her parents, Samuel and Edna Dungan, and her siblings Juanita Dunaway, Joan Beverson, Edna Earl Milton, and Thomas Dungan, with whom she is now joyfully reunited.

Normawas an active and beloved member of Zoar BaptistChurch, where she foundgreat joyin singing with thechoir. Her passionfor community service wasevident in her instrumental role in running the ceramic ministry at Zoar,where she touched many lives with her creativityand kindness.

Morethan anything, Normatreasured her family.She relished celebrating milestonesand cheering on her "grands" and "greats", creatingmemories that will be cherished forgenerations to come. Herlegacy of love, faith and family will forever live on in the heartsofthose whowere truly blessed to know her.

Aservice to honor and celebrate Norma'slife will be heldonJuly25, 2026, at Greenoaks Funeral Home, located at 9595 Florida Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70815. Visitationfrom12:00 pm -2:00pm, Service at 2:00 pm with the Graveside service to follow. Donations can be made to St Jude, reflectingNorma's generous spirit andlove forhelping others.

The Stewart family would liketoextend their deepest gratitudetoHospice Specialist of Louisiana and The Claiborne at Shoe Creek. Theirkindness, dedication, and support brought comfort to Norma and her family and will always be remembered with heartfeltappreciation

belovedgrandchildren, Emma and EliWilliams, to whom she was known as "Quinoa".They truly were thelight of her life.Also survivedbyher brother, Paul Werner, sister, Nancy LeBlanc(John), and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.Catherine had a long career as an Early ChildhoodSpecial Education teacher Agraveside service will be held on Saturday, July 25, Resthaven Gardens of Memory, 11817 Jefferson Highway, Baton Rouge at 10 a.m. in the King Solomon area. In lieu of flowers,pleaseconsider donatingtothe Capital Area AnimalWelfare Society.

Keith Robert Wyckoff passed fromthislife on Sunday, July19, 2026, at Terrebonne GeneralHospitalinHouma, LA. Keith wasbornMay 15, 1957, in Hopewell,New Jersey to GeorgeRichard and MargaretWyckoff.Hewas one of four children. At theage

of 18 he came to Louisiana to join afamilybusiness andneverleft.Nomore shoveling snowfor Keith. He wasa businessman and entrepreneur for many years in Baton Rouge most notably with Yellow Cab Company. Keithwas adedicated, loving father and awonderfulgrandfather and great grandfather.Hewas an amazing friendwho wasalways theretogive advice or help.Keith was an avidfisherman, outdoorsman anda gardener especially after he retired to Cocodrie.Heloved to talkand laugh andwould share histhoughts with all He wasa pranksterwith a sometime raunchy sense of humor. He enjoyed traveling, especially to family reunions andscenic places. In hisown words, "I've been blessed witha fantastic life andenjoyed eachand everymoment." He added agentlewarning to hisloved ones, "...I will be goingtoclasses for hauntingsoconsider yourself warned, Iamnot done with you yet..."

Acelebration of Life will be held in hismemory on August 8, 2026, at Ashley ManoronOld Hammond Hwy., Baton Rouge,LA. In lieu of flowers, Keithrequests that you buy alivingplant andgive it to someone you love

Keithwas preceded in death by hisparents and hiswife,RhondaHubert

Wyckoff. Thoseleft to cherish hismemory are his twosonsand daughters-in -law,Robertand Jessica, Michael andTaylor,Brenda Hubert,his wife andhis stepchildren, Joey and Meghan. He is also survived by hissiblings Rich Wyckoff, Cheryl Saleem andKevin Wyckoff along with hisgrandchildren Harley, Maren, Christian, Kaelin, Cassidy, Brayden, Maddy, Aydan,Greyson Vellaand hisgreat-grandchildrenHayes, Mary Claire,Ozzy, Emery, and Rynlee. Ahostofextended familymembers, aunts, uncles,and cousins, as well as close friends, will miss him. Keith'sfinal message wastohis familyand friends, "GodBless....you will feelmesoon andoften. Live everyday with love andsmiles ." Acelebration of life will be held from11:00 AM to 2:00 PM on 2026-08-08 at Ashley Manor, 14214 Old HammondHwy.

Wyckoff, KeithRobert

Every hurricane season, meteorologists track storms to prepare for their effects. Emergency managers trainand preposition supplies for their communities.Elected officialsdeclarestates of emergencyinadvance of landfall.But long before any of that happens, the first line of defense against acatastrophic hurricane is already doing its quiet, essential work. It is not alevee. It is not apumpstation. It consists of our wetlands and barrier islands Coastal Louisiana’swetlands are among the most consequential natural systems in the world They are home to some of the most productive fisheries in North America, anursery for species that feed the entire Gulf Coast. They are an economic engine supportingthe energy maritime and seafood industries that drive Louisiana’seconomy. And they are an importantbuffer and shock absorber,standingbe-

OPINION

THEADVOCATE.COM/opinions

Natalie Robottom GUEST COLUMNIST

tween the Gulf andthe morethan two million peoplewho call south Louisiana home. Ispent years serving thepeople of St.John the Baptist Parish, acommunity that knows firsthand what it means to live in hurricanecountry with dwindlingnatural protection. After multiple major floods, the West Shore Leveeisunder construction. Butlevees are one of the last protectionsofour Multiple LinesofDefense Strategy against flooding. Thefirst lines of defense are our coastal ecosystems. As board chair of Pontchartrain Conservancy,Iwork alongside scientists and partners who are fighting to restore defense systems that have been lost. We are losing too much,too quickly The now-familiar numbers are staggering.Since the 1930s, Louisiana has lost more than 2,000 square miles of land —anarea roughlythe size of Delaware. A football field of wetlands disap-

pears every 100 minutes.Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 alone converted an estimated 100 square miles of marsh to open water in days. Hurricane Ida, in 2021, may have erased another 106 square miles of marsh. Each acre of wetland lost brings the water one step closer to our front doors, schools and hospitals.

The science is clear.Coastal wetlands absorb and slow storm surge, and can mean the difference between acommunity surviving astormand being destroyed. These protective features of our coastal wetlands reduce thecosts of our levees and extend their life. Every mile of wetland we lose brings more risk to people and propertyinthis region.

The coast has always been our ﬁrst line of defense against hurricanes. Recognizing this, Pontchartrain Conservancy developed theMultiple Lines of Defense Strategy designed to explain how our ecosystems and infrastructure work together to

State’soffshorereservesa key part of energy security,future

As geopolitical instability reshapes global energy markets and alliesincreasingly look to the United Statesfor reliable supply,Louisianaand our nation face acritical question: Will we continue to lead on energy or voluntarily limit one ofour greatest strategic advantages?

The answer starts offshore.

expertise.Itisalack of accessand longterm certainty. Offshore projects often take adecade or moretomove from leasesale to production. The decisions policymakers make todaywill determine America’senergy positionwellintothe 2030s andbeyond.

help save ourcoast. In the simplest terms,natural features of our coast (such as barrier islands, marshes and ridges) complement man-made features (such as levees) to protect the greater New Orleansarea from hurricanes. No single line of defense is sufficient on its own. The natural lines of defense generally protect the man-made lines of defense, which in turn protect ourcommunities. Thus, thework of coastal restoration is not merely environmental stewardship. It is public safety.Itis emergency management. It is the mostcost-effective form of hurricane protection. Louisiana has the plans. The Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority’sMaster Plan outlines thepath forward with clarity and scientific rigor.In 2025, CPRA delivered what it called some of the mostimpactful work in its history —12new construction starts, 9,216 acres of wetlands restored or enhanced, nearly five miles of levees

strengthened. This is real progress, and it should be recognized. But the pace of restoration does not match the pace of loss. Every year,projects becomeharder and moreexpensive. Every year we debate, the marsh retreats alittle further.Wehave too little time and money to start over with new strategies and plans. The Pontchartrain Conservancy coined the Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy twodecades ago —the idea that natural systems, structural protection, and community preparedness worktogether.We believe in that strategy.But the natural line of defense has to actually be there forittowork. The looming peak of hurricane season reminds us of how vital our coast is in being the ﬁrst line of defense that protects this region we call home.

Natalie Robottom is the former parish president of St.Johnthe Baptist Parish andcurrently serves as board chairofthe Pontchartrain Conservancy

At atime of rising global energy demand, expanding access to U.S.offshore oil and natural gas resources —particularly in the South-Central Gulf of America, an area that corresponds to the waters offshore of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama proposed withinthe federal government’soffshore leasing program —isone of the clearest opportunitiesto strengthen American energy security, reinforce economic growth and maintain U.S. geopolitical inﬂuence.

When access is delayed or constrained, investment slows andfuturesupply becomes less certain. Whenaccessisexpanded and leasing remains predictable, investment follows, production grows and America’sposition as aglobal energy leader is strengthened.

The opportunity is signiﬁcant, but it will not remain open indeﬁnitely

Arecent analysis from Energy and Industrial Advisory Partners found that opening the South-CentralGulf of America to development could support more than 133,000 jobs, contribute $11.3 billion to U.S. GDP and add more than 470,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day by 2040. That is not marginalproduction. It is ameaningful addition to secure, American-controlled energy supply

In Louisiana, supported GDP is projected to reach just over $1.6 billion in 2040. Over the 10-year periodbetween 2031 and 2040, supported GDPinLouisiana is anticipated to average around $725 million. Offshore drilling and natural gas exploration and development would also signiﬁcantly expand employment opportunities. In Louisiana alone,employment is projected to reach justover18,000 jobs by 2040.

Importantly,this is not aspeculative frontier.The Gulf of Americaisalready among the most productive offshore energy regions in the world, backedby decades of infrastructureinvestment, technological innovation and ahighly skilled workforce. Expansion would build on that existing foundation, allowingnew production to come online more efﬁciently and at lower costthanmany competing global projects

The need to open new offshoreareas is becoming more urgent. Independent research from Rystad Energy shows that future Gulf production growth increasingly dependsondeepwater development, while legacy shallow-water production continues to decline.Without access to newoffshore opportunities, maintaining current productionlevels willbecome increasinglydifﬁcult over time. For offshore energy,the challenge is notalack of technology,investment or

This is fundamentally an energy security issue. Expanding domestic offshore productionreduces reliance on lessstable foreign sources, strengthens supply resilienceand helps shield consumers fromglobalvolatility.Inanincreasingly uncertain world, maintaining control over moreofour own energy future is essential.

Toooften, energy debates in Washington treatinaction as the safer option. It is not.

If theUnited States restricts offshore development,global demand for oil and naturalgas will not disappear.Productionwill simply shift to other countries, many with weaker environmental standards, less transparency and greater geopolitical instability.

The path forward is straightforward.

The UnitedStates should expand access to new offshore areas, including the South-Central Gulf of America, while advancing arobustand predictable offshoreleasingprogramthat gives companiesthe long-term certainty needed to invest. These are practical, proven policiesgrounded in decades of successfuloffshoredevelopment in the Gulf of America Thanks to states like Louisiana leading the way,America already has the resources,infrastructure and workforce necessary to remain aglobal energy leader.Whatisneeded now is policy alignment that recognizes offshoreenergyasastrategic national asset,not a resourcetobesidelined.

The longerthe United States delays expanding offshoreaccess, thegreater the risk that investment and energy leadership move elsewhere.

The South-Central Gulf of America presentsaclear opportunity to strengthen energy security,support economic growth and reinforce America’srole as the world’sleading energy producer But offshore development requires access, andthe time to act is

GiffordBriggsisthe Gulf Coast region director for theAmerican Petroleum Institute

Gov.Jeff Landry has spent weeks making his feelings about New Orleans unmistakable. He said thecity “thinks they’re so special,” declared that the old axiom “where goes New Orleans, so goes thestate” no longer applies and accused Mayor Helena Moreno of treating the state “as an ATM.”

He has vetoed tens of millions in city funding, helped strip New Orleans of 10 elected positions including nine judgeships and stiﬂed abond-commission request tolet the city borrow from private banks to manage cash ﬂow

Iserved as astate legislator for16 years, lieutenant governor for six and mayor of New Orleans for eight. I worked with six governors from both parties and hundreds of legislators statewide. Governors have quarreled with New Orleans mayorsbefore, over crime, money, who runs what. Butnoone has misunderstood or hated New Orleansquite like Jeff Landry

promoting tourism, Iused the analogy of agumbo at ahistoric New Orleans restaurant. The seafood comes from the coastal parishes, the rice from southwest Louisiana, the andouille from River Parishes —all in the samepot. The port here exports soybeans and other goods from North Louisiana to the world. We have to be one team, because Louisiana is getting lapped by our neighbors on economic development and population growth.

Even his own economists disagree with his central premise. Stephen Barnes, who sitsonthe state’sRevenue EstimatingConference, has said New Orleansremains the state’slargest cluster of economic activity —avery different claim than “New Orleans no longer matters.”

The numbers show New Orleans is the state’slargest economic engine, not adrain. OrleansParishpunches above its weight on thestate’sbiggest revenue sources, income and sales tax,thanks to its incomes, property values and retail spending

Visitor spending approached $10 billion in 2023, drawing morethan 18 million visitors. The hotel industry alone generated nearly $9 billion in economic impact in 2025, supported more than 51,000 jobs, and contributed $1.2 billion in taxes —asector Landry himself called “a crown jewel of ourstate’s economy” this spring.

The same story holds for trade, healthcare, higher education and federal research dollars. The PortofNew Orleans, for example, is the gateway to the global economy for 38 states.

Louisiana’sbrand overseas —the reason conventions, ﬁlm productions and international tourists choose the state —isinseparable from New Orleans. Acity supplying a disproportionateshare of statetaxes, brand recognition and cultural export value isn’t “special” in the dismissive sense Landry means. It’s specialbecause it generates revenue and brand value others cannot replace. Undercutting the city’sﬁnances andcapacity to govern itself doesn’thelp Louisiana’s budget;iterodes an asset the rest of the staterelies on.

The rest of the state needs New Orleans as much as New Orleansneeds the rest of thestate. When Iwas lieutenant governor

Ifear the governor believes this ﬁght helps him politically,borrowing from the Trump-era playbook of red-state governors limiting blue cities. Tennessee cut Nashville’sMetro Council in half and took control of its airport authority.Mississippi expanded Capitol Police jurisdiction across Jackson and installed state-appointed judges there. Texas has preempted local authority in Austin. We’ve seen the same pattern in Birmingham,St. Louis andKansas City.But Iknowthe people of Louisiana understandour unique value.

Landrymay also be attackingNew Orleans to obscure his own record. Louisiana ranks last in U.S. News’best states, with woeful marks in crime, economy,fiscal stability,education and health care. CNBC rated it the 4th-worst quality of lifeinthe country; WalletHub ranked it the worst state to live in. Tulane’sMurphy Institute ranked Louisiana dead last this year,driven by poverty,child mortality,single-parent households, low-birthweight births and life expectancy.Even stripping New Orleans out of the FBI crime data, Louisiana would still rank among the worst in violent crime. Of course, no single governor is responsible forevery ranking. But it is worth noting Landry has spent mostofthe last 15 years in government —inCongress, eight years as attorney general and now as governor Louisiana is asmall, poor state. We won’t out-compete Texas, Georgia or Tennessee by fighting ourselves. Every dollar spent stripping elected offices and blocking loans forNew Orleans is adollar not spent closing the pension gap, lifting our kids out of last place, fixing our coast or keeping young people from leaving forAtlanta and Houston.

None of this meansNew Orleans is beyond criticism. But afair accounting of who’s carrying weight for whom has to start with the fact that NewOrleans isn’tthe cause of Louisiana’sproblems. We are asource of goodwill and economic strength forthe whole state. It’s timetoend the waronNew Orleans. We all do better when we partner together to moveLouisiana forward.

Mitch Landrieu is aformer legislator, lieutenant governor and mayor of New Orleans.

Gifford Briggs GUEST COLUMNIST

COMMENTARY

ISSUE OF THE WEEK DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

Candidates whobelong to theDemocratic Socialists of America have made asplash in recent elections in Newyork,Michigan andelsewhere.The term“socialism”carriesmuch baggageinAmericanpolitics,but victories by the party seem to indicatethat couldbechanging.What doessocialism meaninthe context of today’s politics? Are these candidates promising something different than what wascalled socialisminthe past, and which votersare responding to theirmessage? Here are twoperspectives:

Workersof theworld not exactlyuniting behind DSA

What did the countryever do to White college graduates to makethemfeelso disaffected from its economic and political system?

The wave of socialist victories in Democratic primaries is being driven by well-educated White voters who are more extreme than the rest of the Democratic coalition. The latest evidence is anew poll in the closely watched Democratic primary for aSenate seat in Michigan. The AOC-endorsed, Israel-hating insurgent, Abdul El-Sayed, has had momentum, but is now narrowly trailing the establishment candidate, Haley Stevens. According to aDetroit News survey, Stevens is ahead by aboutseven points, with demographic advantages that are very telling.

prospectofaworker revolution, and then looked around the room and saw no workers, only intellectuals and activists like themselves.

Thegood news for DSA-aligned candidates is that college-educated White people are very reliable voters who can make abig difference in the kind of low-turnout primaries where anti-establishment, leftwing candidates thrive.

Arecent analysis in The New York Times noted that Zohran Mamdani-endorsed socialist Darializa Avila Chevalier defeated Rep. Adriano Espaillat in amarquee New York City congressional primary while winning high-education and higher-incomeareas; Espaillat, in contrast, won in majorityHispanicand lower-incomeareas.

Self-described ‘socialists’ arejustthat, socialists

I’ve come to expect pushback on my columns from readers whodisagree. I enjoy the back-and-forth. Occasionally,however,Iencounter aresponse so off the wall that Iamtoo speechless to dive intothe fray.This happened afew weeks ago, when I wrote about the rising socialist faction stirring up Democratic politics.

“Why are you callingthem socialists?” somereaders demanded.

Stevens, agoofy White lady, leadsElSayed by a3-to-1 margin among Black voters. On the other hand,El-Sayed, a person of colorfullyvested in the left’s Third Worldist agenda, leadsamong White voters, 51-39%.

Stevens, acareer apparatchik andpolitician, leads among noncollege-educated voters, 56-34%, whereas El-Sayed, who has been endorsed by theWorking Families Party,isahead with college-educated voters, 48-41%.

The respective strengths of thetwo candidates runagainst thegrain of what you might expect in arace betweena conventionalDemocrat anda radical, yet accord with what we’ve seen in campaign after campaign.

Socialistsmay imaginethemselvesthe champions of people of color and of workers,but their movement is, by andlarge, most attractive to Caucasian associate professors of sociology who think they haven’tachieved the station in life that they deserve.

It’sless aproletarian phenomenon than aproject of frustrated Ph.D.candidates andmedium-level professionals

Because many socialist candidates have immigrant backgrounds, it canbetempting to consider the movementasfundamentally afunction of immigration, when that’snot true.

A2021 survey of DSAmembers found that they were disproportionately White, at 85%, and disproportionately had collegedegrees (80%) or ahigher degree (35%).

This leaves them in asimilar predicament to pioneering communists and socialistsinEurope whotalked upthe

Another Mamdani pick, Brad Lander similarly wiped up in high-incomeand high-education areas while crushing Rep. Dan Goldman, whose strong performance in low-income parts of thedistrict didn’t save him.

Socialistic economics may have appeal to working-class voters in theory,but the DSAcouples its economics with extreme views on cultural issues that have very little appeal with non-college-educated voters. Taxthe rich? Sure. Transcend the genderbinary? No, thanks —whatever that means.

That the average Black Democrat is more moderate and pragmatic than the averageWhite Democrat may prove the ultimate check on whether an AOC-type candidate can claim the big prize of the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

It’sone thing to appeal to theso-called CommieBelt in New York City, the young, highly educated, diverse neighborhoods in Queens and Brooklyn that so strongly backed Zohran Mamdani; it’squite another to win over theolder, religious African American voters in, say, SouthCarolina’sI-95 Black Belt.

In the2020 primaries, Bernie Sanders ran acampaign of great verve and ideologicalenergy,while Joe Biden stumbled from one early setback to another —yet, Black Democrats decided that the former vicepresidentwas the safer choice, and that was theend of Sanders.

In short, the workers of the world may oneday unite, but not behind asocialist vessel forthe grievances of ideologically exotic, college-educated White people. Rich Lowry is on X, @RichLowry

ega McArdle M n

Feebly,Iresponded, “Because they call themselves socialists.”It’sliterally in the nameof their organization: Democratic Socialists of America.

Butisn’tthere adifference between theUnion of Soviet Socialist Republics and democratic socialism?That was the question from readers who were scandalized by my remark that “aging Gen Xers who thought that socialism had been decisively refuted by thefall of the Berlin Wall have been refuted ourselves” as DSAmembers won primary after primary Indeed, if we start with the word “democratic,” those differences are interesting to consider Istandbymyassertion that the Soviet Union’sdemise cast along pall over the word “socialism” —atleast for those who had not already recoiled from thepurges, famines and censorship. Igrew up on the Upper West Side, one of the remaining redoubts of socialism in theReagan era, and watched as the toppling of the Berlin Wall crushed the last hopes that central planning could work. Encountering asocialist holdout in the 1990s was as quaint as ﬁnding someonewho still believed in alchemy. This makes thecurrentrenaissance all the more remarkable. Yet what’salso striking is how little the movementresembles the socialists I remember from my youth. Sure, you can see the common ancestry in spots —notably Darializa Avila Chevalier,who recently won theDemocratic nomination forNew York’s13th Congressional District, and whose now-deletedtweets occasionally sounded borderlineLeninist. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a member of theDSA,promoted aplan for government-owned grocery stores that certainly gave off old-school socialist vibes.

But broadly,the party seemsfar from traditional socialists —doctrinaire, immersed in the deep lore of the movement, obsessed with details of their proposed systems. The DSA’s platform seemscuriously sparse by contrast, moreofa vibe than aﬁve-year plan. Notethat Mamdani couched his grocery proposal as apilot project and has now delayed it. That’ssome comfort to Democrats whomight want afew moregovernment programs, but don’tactually want the government to nationalize their Chevy Tahoes. They can insist that the socialists aren’treally socialists under the old meaning of the word; really, they’re just good progressives who want social democracy —you know,a Scandinavian-style welfare state. That’snot really true —the DSA candidates whohave recently elbowed establishment Democrats aside wantsomething moretransformational than abigger safety net. But one could argue that it’sfunctionally true of how socialists will govern, because there’slittle appetite outside of progressive primary voters for radical change, or the taxes to pay for it. In fact, we seem to be experiencing something of atax revolt.

Today’sAmerica is an aging society with alooming entitlement crisis and wage growth that is not even outpacing inflation. Any big expansion of the welfare state will mean significantly curtailing the disposable incomeof the middle class. The rise of the neo-socialists reflects frustrated older dreamsofa European-style social democracy Obamacare wasthe high-water mark of that hope, but its architects lacked amandate forthe requisite taxes or true disruption of the status quo, so they settled formodest patches rather than comprehensive reform. Disappointed socialists have decided we must transform existing political and economic frameworks, rather than working inside them

That was also the understanding of the socialists of yore. The difference is that they were clearer about what that would entail —which is whythey never got very farpolitically MeganMcArdle is on X, @asymmetricinfo.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOTOByKRISTEN NORMAN

Rep. HaleyStevens, D-Mich., left, speaks withcustomers Tanyaand Ed Thompson at the Decadent Dogs petstore in South Haven, Mich., on July 7.

Rich Lowry

CENTER STAGE

First-year coachusesspotlight to explain— again— whyhespurned

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

TAMPA, Fla. The question Lane Kifﬁn received Thursdaywas meandering, beginning withall of the wins and highly-ranked recruiting classesheaccumulatedinsix seasons at Ole Miss and ending withhis controversial comments in Vanity Fair.

If Oxford,Mississippi,didn’thavethe “diversity”challenges Kifﬁn described in the magazine, does he believe those numberscould havebeen even better?

“I had afeeling that was going somewhere,” Kifﬁn interjected from theSEC mediadayspodium, smiling as he started an equally windinganswer.

He made,admittedly,a difﬁcult decision takingthe LSU job. This might not seem related, but he recently watched atelevision special on HulkHogan, whodied in July 2025, and there were two peopleKifﬁn believed would never leavethis earth.

His dad, Monte, thelegendaryBucsdefensive coordinator,and The Hulkster

“It just made me reﬂect really on,like, Ican’t be so concerned about littlethings and what peoplesay,” Kifﬁn said. “You’ve got to make decisions.”

Pelicans coach Jamahl Mosleyposes with draft pick Jaron Pierre during an introductory news conference on June 29. Pierre, a NewOrleans native, signed atwo-way contract with the Pelicans on Thursday.

Polarizing Kiffi

Tigers coachtopic of conversation all week

TAMPA, Fla. No one is neutral on Lane Kifﬁn.

People love him or hate him.AtOle Miss, fans used to love him and now hate him

He may never ﬁnd an explanation thatresonates with everyone, but Kifﬁn at least tried to use the SEC media days stage toexplain why he’srepresenting his leaguerecord third conference school as ahead coach.

His apologies may never satisfy Ole Miss partisans after he left before aCollegeFootball Playoffrun andlater characterized Oxford as he did. He said Thursday he believes his quoteonthe difﬁculties of recruiting Black athletes to Mississippi was “factual,” but he mayhave chosen the wrong words at the wrong time.

He knows he can be as detailed as humanly possible about why he took the LSU job, and he may still failto convince people. That’smaybe why he held back from adding one more data point afterhis Hulk Hogan refrain.

But Kifﬁn reached the next microphone, and he offered his point anyway

“I didn’treally wanttosay it,”Kifﬁnsaid.“But when you talk about the change in places, somebody said it the other day… ‘He’sbeen(at LSU) six months, andhe’shad more ﬁve-star signings and commits thanhedid in the previous six years combined.’

“That’skind of proof to me of thedecision andofthe

ä See KIFFIN, page 4C

BY RODWALKER Staff writer

The New Orleans Pelicans have signed their hometown draft pick Jaron Pierre, the former St. Augustine High standoutselected in thesecond round in June’sNBA draft, signeda two-way contract withthe Pelicans. The Pelicans announced the signing Thursday morning. Pierre,who ﬁnished his collegiate career at SMU,was drafted with the No. 58 overall pick.Hewas theonly draft pick the Pelicans hadthis year Joe Dumars, thePelicans’ executive vicepresidentofbasketballoperations, spoke after the draft about what the team liked about the 6-foot-5 guard.

“We’re trying to hit on every pickthatwe bring in here,” Dumars said. “Wedon’t take anyofthemfor granted. There’sacertain

At LSU,they used to hate him (admit it) and now love him.Much of college football fandom,which casts Ole Miss in the role of underdog/jilted lover now that KiffinisatLSU,doesn’t like him.His approval ratings, were he running for national office, would have a political consultant reaching foranice bag and acouple of aspirin. But no one shrugs and says, “Kiffin? Don’thave an opinion.”

Kifﬁnand LSU ﬁnally had their turn Thursday in person in the SEC media days spotlight at the TampaMarriott Water Street.

Kiffinreally washere all four days. In the air.Being mentioned either by the reporters and pundits covering the league’s enormous kickoffevent or by the other players and coaches themselves. Whichever side of the Kiffinfence you come downon—Adonis or troll, to use points of reference from Georgia coach Kirby Smart —LSU’s first-year coach was THE story of SEC Media Days2026. Texas quarterback Arch Manning, he of the New Orleans quarterbacking House of Manning, got his due attention. And the aforementioned Georgia Bulldogs, going for their third straight SEC title forthe first timesince the days of Herschel Walker were also headline grabbers. But let’sbereal. Kiffinisthe mostfamouscollege coach in the country going into this season. Afew examples: n The provision in the proposed Protect College Sports Act that would prohibit coaches from changing schools before their current school’sseason is over is referred to as the “Lane Kiffin Rule” because of the timing of his move from Ole Miss to LSU.

type of player that we are looking for. We are looking for guys who are competitive. We are looking for guys who have toughness. And we are looking for guys who really want to be here in New Orleans. Jaron checksthe box for all of those.”

Pierre averaged 17.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and2.1 assists during his one year at SMU. He scored acareer-best 21.6 pointsper gamethe year before at Jacksonville State. Pierre shot 37% on 3-pointers at SMU, the fourth school he attended. He began his college career at Southern Miss before transferring to Wichita State. Pierre playedinthreegames forthe Pelicans during Summer League play in LasVegas. He averaged 10 points and 1.7 rebounds. Hisbest gamecame against the Phoenix Suns when he scored 16 points and grabbed three rebounds.

Scott Rabalais

PROVIDED PHOTO By TODD VANEMST/SEC LSUcoach Lane Kiffinspeaks at SEC mediadaysonThursdayatthe Tampa Marriott Water Street in Tampa,Fla.

PROVIDED PHOTOByTODD VANEMST/SEC LSUcoachLane KiffinspeaksatSEC media days on Thursday.

Kohles takes 1st-round lead in 3M Open

BY MIKE COOK Associated Press

BLAINE, Minn. Ben Kohles eagled the final hole for a 9-under 62 and a two-shot lead Thursday after the first round of the 3M Open, leaving top-ranked Scottie Scheffler three shots back.

Emiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland opened with 64s, and Schefﬂer topped the group at 65 in his ﬁrst appearance in the event.

Coming off a fourth-place finish Sunday in the British Open, Scheffler was 1 under through eight holes, then birdied five of the next eight.

“I didn’t hit a bunch of fairways early, but I was able to kind of manage my way around and get out of some trouble areas without making any bogeys That was important keeping my momentum going,” he said “Once I started to hit fairways and gave myself some looks, was able to start making some birdies.”

Kohles’ second shot from 241 yards out on the par-5 ﬁnishing hole settled 4 feet from the cup.

The short putt capped a careerbest round for the 36-year-old who has split the season between the PGA and Korn Ferry tours

In a nine-hole stretch beginning on No. 6, he birdied every other hole and added another birdie at No. 15 to tie for the lead at 7 under “I was just in control all day,” he said.

Three weeks ago, Kohles nearly got his first career win, but a double bogey on the final hole resulted in a third-place finish at the John Deere Classic.

“Of course you would like the outcome to be different, but you’ve just got to keep putting the pedal down and see where you go,” he said. Koivun birdied four holes on the front nine and three on the back during a bogey-free round at the TPC Twin Cities where scores are traditionally low In the tournament’s seven previous years, the average winning score was 19 under “Playing smart, playing for a score. Just executing when the time is right and getting aggressive when you can,” he said. “Just felt like I did a good job of taking advantage of that today.” In his 13th tour start, but just third as a professional, 64 is the lowest score in Koivun’s 43 career rounds. The 21-year-old turned professional in June after dominating at Auburn, in-

cluding a school-record 11 wins. Grillo made birdie on five of his first seven holes and added three straight birdies starting at No. 12. However he played the final three holes in 1-over “Any day beating Scottie Scheffler is a good day, so I’ll take that,” he said. Reigning champion Kurt Kitayama shot 68.

Alonso links future to making cars enjoyable to drive

The Associated Press

MOGYOROD, Hungary Fernando Alonso has suggested his future in Formula 1 could depend on whether the cars become more enjoyable to drive.

Alonso and Aston Martin have struggled with a slow and unreliable car the ﬁrst produced with car design great Adrian Newey in charge. Alonso scored the team’s only point so far this season at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The two-time F1 champion turns 45 next week and signed what was described as a “multiyear” extension in 2024. He conﬁrmed he still has a contract for 2027 with Aston Martin, “so I’m not moving.”

“For me, I’m relaxed. As I’ve said many times, I’m thinking. I need to know what I do next year and in the years to come. I feel fresh, I feel motivated, I feel fast, but I need to enjoy also what I do,” Alonso said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Alonso was sharply critical of the last two races in Britain and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By OMAR HAVANA Aston Martin driver Fernando Alonso steers his car during free practice ahead of the Formula One Grand Prix on Saturday at the SpaFrancorchamps racetrack in Stavelot, Belgium.

Belgium, where the cars ran out of battery power on the long straights.

“I think it’s not fun to watch, it’s not fun to drive, and we’ve been

repeating the same thing every single Grand Prix,” he said. “It’s not the same adrenaline that I used to have driving a Formula 1 car That’s something that I need

to put on the table It’s not a problem with the competitiveness of the team It’s just a problem of whether Formula 1 gives me the adrenaline that I need to live.”

Aston Martin is bringing a major package of upgrades to its car for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

An engine upgrade from supplier Honda is expected later but Hungary’s relatively slow and twisty track could make up for the Aston Martin’s lack of power Alonso said he still believed Newey and Honda could deliver a world-beating car and engine combination given time.

“I think I have a pretty clear picture of the team, that we will ﬁx all the problems. They take time, but I have no doubts, zero doubts, that Adrian will provide the best car on the grid sooner or later,” he said.

“I would like to see the first step with this package and I think there’s going to be more to come next year, that’s for sure, and in the years to come. On the power unit, I have no doubts as well.”

Bowman to retire from full-time racing after ’27 season

The

CONCORD N.C. NASCAR driver Alex Bowman will retire from full-time racing following the 2027 season. Bowman, who had been in the ﬁnal year of his contract at powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports, signed a one-year extension before announcing his future plans on Thursday The 33-year-old Bowman missed four races earlier this season because of vertigo and also was sidelined in 2022 because of a concussion and the

following year because of a back injury He drives the No. 48 Chevrolet for Hendrick and currently sits 29th in points, well below the 16-driver cutline for the postseason.

“I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what’s next, and this feels like the right decision at the right time,” Bowman said

“The sport asks a lot of you, and I’ve learned it’s important to listen to your body and make the right choices for yourself.

“My focus now is on making the most of my time on the racetrack and competing for wins.

We still have a lot to accomplish, and I want to close my career on a high note for our team and our fans. To have the chance to do that with this organization and these people is really special.”

While driving most of his 12-year career for Hendrick, Bowman has eight Cup Series victories and has qualiﬁed for the playoffs seven times since 2018. The 2027 campaign would be Bowman’s 10th with Hendrick.

“Alex has meant so much to our organization for a long time,” team owner Rick Hen-

drick said. “He’s overcome adversity, won big races and represented our team and partners with professionalism, personality and class. Alex is a tremendous talent in the race car and an even better person outside of it. We’re proud he’ll have the opportunity to ﬁnish his full-time career with us on his terms. He’s family.” Bowman is expected to eclipse 400 career Cup starts next season. He has competed in 307 races for Hendrick, which ranks sixth in team history

Raiders sign No. 1 pick Mendoza to 4-year deal

HENDERSON,Nev Quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the top overall pick in this year’s draft, signed a fouryear, $57.27 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders on Thursday The Raiders hold a ﬁfth-year option. Mendoza was the last of the Raiders’ 10 draft picks to sign.

“I’m excited to get this thing signed,” Mendoza said on the team’s social media post. “I’m excited to be a part of the silver and black. Can’t wait.”

He ran the third-team offense in organized team activities and minicamp, but is expected to take on a larger role in training camp, which begins Wednesday Veteran Kirk Cousins, who signed a free-agent contract worth $20 million guaranteed, enters camp as the No. 1 quarterback.

Braves’ Acuña could return from IL for Baltimore series

ATLANTA Braves right fielder Ronald Acuña Jr could be activated from the injured list and return to the lineup for the team’s threegame series in Baltimore starting Friday, Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said Thursday Acuña is scheduled to play Thursday night with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Acuña was placed on the injured list with a left hamstring strain on June 9, the second time this season it prompted a trip to the IL Acuña missed 15 games in May with the same injury

The 2023 MVP has played seven minor league games during his rehab assignment, three with the Braves rookie league afﬁliate in Florida and four with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Mavericks re-sign Cisse after reports of offer from Knicks

DALLAS The Dallas Mavericks have re-signed restricted free agent Moussa Cisse in the wake of multiple reports that the second-year center had signed an offer sheet with the New York Knicks. The team didn’t disclose the terms in the deal announced Wednesday According to multiple reports, the Mavericks matched the Knicks’ offer on a $4.7 million, two-year contract.

Cisse went undrafted out of Memphis last year and spent the season with the Mavericks on a two-way contract The 6-foot-11 Cisse gives Dallas depth at center behind Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford.

Cisse tied Roy Tarpley’s Dallas rookie record of 20 rebounds in the 2025-26 season finale against Chicago.

Osborne becomes 1st living inductee to Nebraska HOF LINCOLN, Neb Tom Osborne, who coached Nebraska to three national championships in the 1990s and ended his career with one of the highest winning percentages in college football history on Wednesday became the first living person voted into the state historical society’s Nebraska Hall of Fame.

The state legislature in April passed a law paving the way for the 89-year-old Osborne’s entry The law set aside the stipulation that a person must be deceased at least 35 years before he or she can be considered. The hall of fame commission voted 7-0 in favor of Osborne’s induction.

After retiring from coaching after the 1997 season, Osborne was a three-term congressman.

Trump fetes Dodgers at White House again

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump feted Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers at the White House on Thursday, calling the team “one of the great brands anywhere in the world” during a Rose Garden event celebrating their second title in as many years.

Trump said the Dodgers edging the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 last fall capped “a hell of a series.” He indicated he was surprised to learn the Dodgers had never before won consecutive titles.

The Dodgers gave Trump what looked like a replica of a World Series ring. That prompted Trump to exclaim: “Wow Do I have to report this? I don’t want to report this” before slipping the ring into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By BRUCE KLUCKHOHN

Ben Kohles hits from the 16th hole during the first round of the 3M Open at the Tournament Players Club on Thursday in Blaine, Minn.

Trumpprovokescomplaint to FIFA ethics investigators

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR AP sportswriter

GENEVA— U.S.President

Donald Trump’srole in clearing Folarin Balogun from amandatory one-game ban at the World Cup is set to provoke aformalcomplaint to FIFAethics investigators.

The Norway soccer federation said Thursday its board of directors will consider ﬁling the complaintat its next meeting, likely on Aug. 6.

“Weneed our leader in FIFAtosay that this was an error,”Norwegianfederation president Lise Klaveness told London daily The Times in an interview published Thursday

After Trump called FIFA president Gianni Infantino,a one-game banfor Balogun’sred-cardtackle against Bosnia-Herzegovina was deferred so he could play against Belgium with aquarterﬁnals place at stake.

Belgium beat the U.S. 4-1 after achaotic 36 hours at the World Cup. The Belgium players were seemingly fired up by one of the alltimecontroversies in tournament history

Trump called the referee’s red card for Balogun after videoreview a“horrible”

call and took credit for get-

ting FIFAtoreview what should routinely have been aone-game ban

“Weall know that this verdict wasinfluenced fromexternal forces and didnot havethe proper process,” Klavenesstold TheTimes of the FIFAruling that was unprecedented in the past 60 years at World Cups.

“When you bend arule like this,you’reonaslippery slopethat will put the whole game at risk,” said theformer Women’sWorld Cupplayer for Norway,who is an elected member of European soccer body UEFA’s executivecommittee.

Soccer’s conscience

Klaveness is alawyerand judge who has positioned the Norwegian federationasa conscience in world soccer since her election in 2022.

“It is aworry for the game when you compromise fundamental rules of thegame,” she said Thursday about not enforcing Balogun’s ban

Norway previously joined aLondon-based NGO’s complaint to the FIFA ethics committee alleging Infantinobreached astatutory duty of politicalneutrality, including by creating apeace prize to award to

Trump at theWorld Cup draw in December

The close personal and politicaltiesbetween Trump and Infantino include the U.S. president believing the soccerofﬁcial could be agood pick as next secretary generalofthe United Nations,the New York Post reported this week.

Olympicscomplaint

The human rightsNGO, FairSquare,alsohas ﬁled an ethics complaint about the Balogun incident to the International Olympic Committee, where Infantino is an elected member, about breaching its rules on political neutrality

FIFAand the IOCrarely acknowledge or provide updates on potential cases before their ethics bodies.

Theindependenceof FIFA’sprocess to handle complaints alleging unethical conduct has been questioned since the lead investigator and judge both were replacedin2017, in thesecond year of Infantino’spresidency FIFAhas yet to publish documents explaining how its disciplinary judges reached verdicts aboutBalogun or other World Cup players.

FIFApresident Gianni Infantino, left, and President

congratulate the Spanishplayers after their WorldCup

Rutherford,N.J

discusssteps to protect playersfromonlineharassment

BY DOUG FEINBERG

AP basketball writer

WNBA Commissioner

Cathy Engelbert discussed what more can be done to protect players from online harassment during avirtual meeting with the players’ union executive committee and the union’s Justice, Equity,Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

The call Tuesday night came at the union’srequest. Players have been sharing threats and harassment they’ve received on social media over the lastfew weeks. Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces posted a message from aman thatincluded aracial slur.The man was tracked down and ﬁred from his job at Hilton Grand Vacations.

“The conversation underscored the importance of addressing issues early through proactive communication and strengthening the league-union relationship,” the league and union saidinajoint statement Wednesday.“The league committed to continuing to enhance security resources and will work with the players’ union to explore collaborations with organizations that share the values of our league and advance our shared priorities.”

Dealing with abuse toward players has beenapriority of theleague thelastfew years,including the“No Space for Hate” platform that was introduced last season. Part of that programin-

cluded theuse of AI technology that players can useto ﬁlter out hateful comments When harassment escalates, theleague’ssecurity ofﬁce launches an investigation. Additional steps thatwere discussed in themeeting included pursuingaccountability from tech companies andhavingmore streamlined conversations between the WNBA and law enforcement

“The biggest thing was communication,” WNBPA secretary Elizabeth Williams told reporters at shootaround Wednesday before herChicago team played New York. “Communication fromCathy and theleague sidebeinga little more consistent, sowefeel more comfortable.”

Alyssa Thomas received deaththreats andsocial

Carapazwinsstage 18 of theTourdeFrance

TheAssociated Press

ORCIERES-MERLETTE, France

Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz timed his attack perfectly in theﬁnalclimb to win the18th stage of the Tour de France on Thursday, while TadejPogacar finished afew minutes behind andmaintainedhis signiﬁcant overalllead

It was the33-year-old Carapaz’s ﬁrst stage win at this year’sraceand second overall. He was not chased down by Pogacar because he is not considered a threat to winthe Tour,and is in 10th spot.

“This is awonderful victory,”Carapaz said. “I dedicate it to my family.”

After moving ahead about 3kilometers (2 miles) fromthe summit, Carapaz raced clear.He patted each side of his head as he approached the ﬁnish line, and was 45 seconds ahead of Swiss rider Mauro Schmid and American MatteoJorgenson.

“It’sbeen aspecial day It took alot of hard work,” said Carapaz,who failed to win withasimilar breakaway earlierinthisyear’s race. “This is the most rewarding thing for me, knowing that the work I

PELS

Continuedfrom page1C

“JP has been the constant,” said Pelicans’ Summer League coach God Shammgod. “He’sa rookie and still trying to ﬁndhis way.But he’s being aggressive defensively and offensively. …JPisa hard worker.He’sagamer.”

On histwo-way deal, Pierre will splittime between the Pelicansand theLaketown Squadron, the Pels’GLeague

put in has paid off.”

Pogacar is chasing athird straight Tour title and ﬁfth overall. TheSlovenian star rolled over the line in a large group containing his closestrivalRemco Evenepoel and Pogacar’sUAE EmiratesXRG teammate Isaac DelToro. There was no change overall as Pogacar maintained hislead of 4minutes,32seconds over the Belgian time trial star Evenepoel, the winner of two stages at this year’s race, and6:51 over the22-yearold Mexican Del Toro in third overall.

Thursday’sstage was the ﬁrst of three straight days of Alpine climbs.

The 185-kilometer (115mile) trek featured an early Category 1climb —the second-hardest category —upCôte d’Engins, before ending with aCat. 1ascent to the Orcières-Merlette ski station.

Aftergoing over Engins, Jorgenson was in asmall group at the front. They were then joined by Carapaz with Pogacar’syellow jersey group clearly hanging back.

“I think nobody would really commit,” said Pogacar, whohas wonfourstagesat this year’srace.

“It means everything Igrewupwatching thePelicans.Soplaying forthe Pelicans is beautiful.”

JARONPIERRE, Pelicans guard

affiliate thatwill playits games in Kenner this season. NBA teams are allowed to have three players on atwoway contract. Those players are allowedtobeactive for up to 50 NBAgames.

During his introductory

Carapaz’sstage could have ended when he had anear miss with afan stood in the road, just swerving around him in time.

Heading into thefinal climbupOrcièresMerlette, Jorgensonand Schmid could not respond when Carapaz, who won the 2019 Giro d’Italia,attacked.

“This finalclimbwas tough and suited my strengths well,” said Carapaz, whoseother Tour stage win came in 2024. “This was ahard-fought victory,but just as tough as thefirst one. It gets harder every year to winhere.”

Toughclimbs ahead Friday’s19th stage ends with aHCclimb (the hardest category) up L’Alpe d’Huez, an iconic Tour climb and among the most famed in cycling. Saturday’s 20th and penultimate stage is brutal and could be epic. It features three HC climbs —Col de la Croix de Fer, ColduGalibierand Colde Sarenne —and one Cat. 1 climbupCol du Télégraphe,beforeahilly ﬁnish to L’Alpe d’Huez. TheraceendsSunday on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

newsconference following the draft, Pierre talked about how special it is for him to start his professional career in his hometown. “It means everything,” Pierre said. “From watching those gameswhenI was young to now everybody coming and watching me play is abig lifechange. Full circlefor me.I grew up watching the Pelicans. So playing forthe Pelicans is beautiful.”

Email RodWalker at rwalker@theadvocate.com

media vitriol after she hit Caitlin Clark in the throat a fewweeks ago. No foul was called on the play,but the league upgraded it to aFlagrant-2foul andsuspended her for agame. Thomas said at thetimeshe hadn’t heard from theleague about the threatsshe had received.

Natasha Cloud, who previously saidEngelberthasn’t done enough to help the players, backed off abit on Tuesday

“There’s only so much that the league can do becausepeople aregoing to be miserableand they’re going to be continue tobe hateful humanbeings,” the Sky guard said Tuesday after practice. “Wecan ﬁnd these IP addresses. We can make sure that bans are banned for life from certain arenas,certain teams, certain leagues.”

Carapaz celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the 18th stageofthe Tour de France with startinVoiron and finish in Orcieres Merlette, France, on Thursday.

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

Donald J. Trumptalkastheywait to

finalvictoryonSundayinEast

SEC MEDIA DAYS

THREE AND OUT: SCOTT RABALAIS’ TOP THREE TAKEAWAyS FROM LANE KIFFIN’S APPEARANCE AT SEC MEDIA DAyS

LESS IS MORE

1

Kiffin was uncommonly candid about eliminating negatives in his life including alcohol, changing his diet and what he called “toxic relationships.” His son Knox challenged him to get off social media which has been trouble for Kiffin in the past.“If you know me, that’s the best thing to do. Just say I can’t do it and I’m going to do it.” Kiffin’s accounts still bear monitoring, but he has posted only once on X.com since May 11.

NOTEBOOK

2

THE TAMPA 2 Kiffin was asked about the “Lane Kiffin Rule,” part of the Protect College Sports Act to prohibit coaches leaving before their season ends, and his comments about cultural difficulties in recruiting at Ole Miss compared to LSU Kiffin said he hopes future coaches are “not put in that situation” as he was changing jobs. He didn’t walk back, saying civil rights issues made recruiting tough at Ole Miss, but apologized for his timing and choice of words.

ASSOCIATED

Sarkisian: ‘99% of people’ would have been ‘destroyed’ Texas coach credits Manning’s poise after rough start

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

TAMPA,Fla. Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was elated when he received his ﬁrst question Thursday about quarterback Arch Manning

He’d waited all day to address criticism of the New Orleans native, which had nothing to do with the player and everything to do with his last name.

“It’d like to touch on that,” Sarkisian said at SEC media days. “Arch Manning a year ago wasn’t on social media or on television saying ‘I’m gonna be the ﬁrst pick of the (NFL) draft.’ He wasn’t on television saying ‘I’m gonna win the Heisman Trophy.’ ” But others were saying it for the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning

Then he guided the Longhorns to a 9-3 season that fell just shy of the College Football Playoff.

“He didn’t play to the way he was capable of playing, and then those same people that were saying that about him wanted to criticize and demean him for letting them down because he didn’t live up to what they thought he would be,” Sarkisian said.

“What he got put through probably would have melted or destroyed 99% of people.”

But Manning arrived in Tampa, Florida, this week, fully intact, coolly answering reporters’ questions.

Earlier in the day, LSU coach Lane Kiffin talked about comparison being a thief of joy, because he felt so much better being off of social media. Manning has hundreds of thousands of followers on social media, but his accounts are purely for promotional purposes. He literally “follows” no one on the site X.

“My goal this offseason was just to stay present, take it one day at a time. I’m not really worried about the outside world,” Manning said.

“That’s what I’ll continue to try to do.”

Texas comes into the 2026 season with immense expectations because the redshirt junior Manning, a Newman High School grad, has one of the most talented receiving duos in the country with Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman He’s certainly looking forward to a visit to his home state and LSU on Nov 14.

“I grew up going to Baton Rouge for football games,” Manning said. “It’s going to be a good game. They’re a great program with a bunch of good players. So we’re

excited.”

More schedule talk

Sarkisian has experienced both the risks and the rewards of playing meaningful nonconference games.

In 2024, the Longhorns handled a top-10 Michigan team, which probably helped two-loss Texas host a ﬁrst-round game in the CFP and make a run to the semiﬁnals.

In 2025, Texas lost the first game of a home-and-home series at Ohio State, which probably bounced the three-loss Longhorns from the CFP

He posed a rhetorical question Thursday: If he scheduled Jones Junior High in 2025 rather than the Buckeyes, would 10-2 Texas have made the 12-team ﬁeld?

“There’s risk involved in playing a high-level, nonconference schedule. But there’s a lot of value in that win,” Sarkisian said. “Is the juice worth the squeeze or not?”

Sarkisian wasn’t as critical as some of his colleagues at SEC media days, such as Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz who agreed with Kifﬁn that the league’s nine-game slate, plus a required Power Four nonconference opponent, wasn’t the “right play.”

The Longhorns coach did say it’s “common sense” to weigh wins that come on the road more heavily than home games, which the CFP committee doesn’t.

Power Four programs are trending toward more matchups with Jones Junior High because the committee doesn’t seem to delve deeply into a team’s record.

“If we’re at 9-3, these other teams (are) getting in and strength of schedule’s not mattering like it should,” Kifﬁn said, “you’re going to get teams that start not playing big nonconference games be-

cause they realize the risk-reward isn’t there.”

Silverfield doesn’t throw podium

Florida coach Jon Sumrall joked about throwing his media days podium at a reporter Wednesday after their phone alarm went off in the middle of his Q and A.

Another ﬁrst-year coach, Arkansas’ Ryan Silverfield, didn’t playfully lose his cool when he was asked why the Razorbacks aren’t highly regarded. Because the question included a mention of Silverﬁeld’s 5-1 record against the SEC’s current slate of coaches.

“Keep doubting me,” said Silverﬁeld, who was previously at Memphis. “What did you say my record was against the coaches in this conference?”

“5-1, coach,” the media member responded.

“OK, thanks. Yeah, that’s great,” Silverﬁeld said. “I won’t throw the podium at you. I appreciate that.”

That stat has a caveat: Those wins came against just two coaches.

Silverﬁeld beat South Florida’s Alex Golesh who is now the head coach at Auburn, three times. He also topped Sumrall and Tulane twice, while he lost a game to Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz in 2023.

Now, Silverfield faces a ninegame conference slate with a program that ﬁnished 2-10 last season. His SEC schedule will end with LSU on Nov 28.

“Listen, we’ll look up in December and see where we’re at, and so be it. Hopefully we’re not at the back end,” Silverfield said. “We continue to make steps in the right direction let people have their opinions and their thoughts.”

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ theadvocate.com

3

LOUISIANA LANE

Kiffin has gotten a lot of play, positive and negative, about saying LSU “is just different.” He expounded on that Thursday: “These seven months at LSU have been awesome. Just seeing that Louisiana is built out of hardworking people that are really passionate and love football. I think that really fits in well with our staff and the values and principles that we bring into our organization, into our football program.That’s been great.”

KIFFIN

Continued from page 1C

combination of the two, us and LSU.”

Kiffin doesn’t like to speak in the third-person. But it’s the “Lane Kifﬁn Effect,” he said.

LSU has the branding, the history the 100,000-seat stadium.

“Then you put that with us, with our systems,” Kifﬁn said, and it should amplify everything. He pointed out that a dozen LSU players are slated to have NIL deals with Nike this season No other school has more than eight.

“It’s a big reason why we’re here,” Kifﬁn said. “I said it at that ﬁrst press conference (in December); it’s just different. We’re going to make this thing different than anywhere else when you combine LSU and us And you’re seeing that.”

Inevitably, negative storylines have swirled nationally about the duplicitous Lane Kifﬁn who left Tennessee for Southern Cal after just one season, then bounced from Ole Miss to LSU and attempted to raid the Rebels’ roster

Kifﬁn was asked directly if his reputation as “the coach who left his team” has made it more difﬁcult to build trust with recruits and their families.

“People were saying that would be a big thing. They don’t (ask),” Kifﬁn said. “They wanna know how they’ll be coached, how do they ﬁt into the program, and what’s their NIL deal.”

For the first three days of SEC media days, other schools’ coaches and players were peppered with questions about Kifﬁn. They provided answers that were colorful and cold.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel joked that Knoxville needs to be well-stocked with golf balls and mustard bottles for Kifﬁn’s next trip to Neyland Stadium.

Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy, who was courted to Baton Rouge but stayed in Oxford, was asked to describe his rela-

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

tionship with Kifﬁn and plainly described him as his “old head coach last year.” And that was it.

Kiffin said he doesn’t hear most of the outside noise because of a recent social media cleanse — he hasn’t posted to X since May 11 — but his PR person gave him a printout of Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding’s comments about a lack of “ill will” between them.

“We have a great relationship,” Kifﬁn said, comparing his three seasons with Golding to his three as an understudy at Nick Saban’s Alabama. “We went through a lot in those three years, probably had the best three-year run in the history of the school.”

Kifﬁn sometimes likes to chart instances of the “butterﬂy effect” with the coordinator still at his side, Charlie Weis Jr., and they have talked about Ole Miss’ win over then-No. 4 LSU last September and how it eventually led to Brian Kelly’s ouster

Not everyone might agree or understand but Kifﬁn believes everything worked out.

For Ole Miss and LSU.

“We took a new job, and in a lot of ways, a lot of people won,” Kifﬁn said. “A lot of coaches either stayed or came. They were able to keep Pete Golding, so he became a head coach. Players got a lot of really big contracts at both places.

“And both places are talked about a lot as premier programs heading into next year There’s a lot of positives that came from that game that day.”

On this day in Tampa, he preached the gospel of what a Kifﬁn-led LSU can be.

“I’ve built my life on pushing out of comfort. And that may not be for everybody, and that’s ﬁne. That’s just how I am,” Kifﬁn said.

“Everyone talks about the pressure of LSU and what comes with that then there’s the expectations that everybody in the media has that we’re supposed to be this great team right away

“That’s an awesome challenge. You want to talk about getting uncomfortable? That does it.”

And because of Kifﬁn The whole thing is a heady mix that ESPN’s Jordan Rodgers said must produce a national contender now or Year 1 is a failure.

I think that’s hyperbole, but Kifﬁn has promised a national title in his tenure. He clearly sounds more conﬁdent than ever that he made the right move in going to LSU.

“I said seven months ago when I took the job we’re coming to LSU to sign the best players in the country out of high school and then mix that with the best portal players in the country and put them together,” Kifﬁn said.

“That’s led us into this roster that we have now, which is a really good mixture of that.

“That roster is exciting to work with. I can’t wait to get to the ﬁeld, get back to fall camp to do that. But it also excites me about the future of LSU, too. Not just this year.” The potential of an exciting era at LSU brings the prospect of more love for Kifﬁn More hate. More headlines.

But no neutrality Who needs it, anyway?

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

n Which coach was featured in a cover story — a controversial cover story, naturally — in Vanity Fair of all places? Not to pick on him per se, but it wasn’t Mississippi State’s Jeff Lebby n Even when Kiffin didn’t make news this offseason, it made news. He’s only posted once on X.com (formerly Twitter) since May 11. Highly unusual. Like many of you, I assumed Kiffin had been off social media because of backlash about his comments in the Vanity Fair piece, in which he basically said it was harder to recruit to Ole Miss than LSU because of his former school’s checkered civil rights history Kiffin said Thursday he cut himself off because of a challenge from his son Knox to go cold turkey As always with Kiffin, it’s up for the observer to decide. Kiffin hasn’t won a national championship like Smart, who has two. He hasn’t even coached in a College Football Playoff game like Jon Sumrall did at Tulane before taking the job at Florida. Tulane, as Sumrall reminded everyone here Tuesday, played Ole Miss twice in 2025 “and they beat the (bleep) out of us.” Once in the regular season with Kiffin, once in the CFP without Kiffin who left a program still running straight and true on a course the visor-wearing hot yoga devotee set for it. Still, Kiffin is the story He is the show Why? Because he’s considered an offensive genius, much in the way Nick Saban (who hired him at Alabama then got rid of him mid-playoff run because Kiffin was distracted by his next job at FAU) was considered a defensive genius when LSU hired him in 1999. LSU bet on Saban’s reputation when it lured him away from Michigan State. LSU is doing the same thing with Kiffin now No games played yet. Certainly no wins. But there are signs. Kiffin said LSU has a nation’sbest 12 players with Nike NIL deals. That number includes a returning vet like linebacker Whit Weeks as well as Colorado transfer Jordan Seaton, who Kiffin said is the first offensive lineman with such a deal. Kiffin said no other school has more than eight Nike NIL-ers. Why LSU? Because they’re talented players, certainly Because LSU has an established and colorful brand, for sure.

PRESS FILE PHOTO

Texas quarterback Arch Manning looks to make a pass under pressure during the second half of a game against Florida on Oct. 4 in Gainesville, Fla.

PROVIDED PHOTO By SEC Texas quarterback Arch Manning answers questions at SEC media days on Thursday in Tampa, Fla.

Panthers lose OLB Scourton to torn ACL

BY STEVE REED AP sportswriter

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers

have lost outside linebacker Nic Scourton for the season after tore the ACL in his right knee on the ﬁrst day of training camp on Thursday, according to a person familiar with the situation

The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team has not yet announced the news, said Scourton will be placed on injured reserve this week.

Scourton is expected to have a second opinion on the diagnosis, the person said It’s a huge blow for the Panthers, who were counting on Scourton to be a top pass rusher opposite recently signed free agent Jaelan Phillips.

Scourton, a second-round pick in 2025 out of Texas A&M, had an outstanding rookie season for the Panthers, playing in 17 games with eight starts. He ﬁnished the season with 47 tackles, ﬁve sacks and nine quarterback hits while developing into a key starter for the NFL’s 15th-ranked defense.

“I’m just sick about it,” Panthers general manager Dan Morgan said Thursday night Scourton went down on a wet ﬁeld late in practice during team drills. Players immediately gathered around him on one knee

Scourton held his hand over his face as he was led into an awaiting cart

As he was leaving the field, the cart stopped and Canales and every player on the roster individually walked over to hug Scourton before he was taken to the training room.

“They care about each other,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said “Whenever you’re

in a group of people doing something hard together, it has a way of creating a special bond Between all the workouts and going through a full season and an offseason and all that, it means something to the guys. I’m proud of that.”

Scourton appeared to be engaged in a block with an offensive lineman at the time of the injury Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was near the play at the time, but said he did not see what happened.

He praised Scourton for how quickly he has developed into a leader on defense.

“It’s been really cool to see him come into his own,” Young said. “He has a superhigh motor, has great energy He’s fun to be around He turns into that different competitor when he’s on the ﬁeld. We feel that during practice. He has raised the level of (intensity at) practice many times. We don’t know anything yet (on the injury), but we’re just praying for him.”

It’s unclear who will take Scourton’s place in the starting lineup.

The defending NFC South champions are struggling out of the gate with setbacks.

Panthers longtime right tackle Taylor Moton is out after a blood clot was discovered in his lungs. With left tackle Ickey Ekwonu still recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his knee suffered in last season’s wildcard playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Panthers will begin the season without both starting tackles on the sideline.

Both are expected to return at some point this season, Morgan said.

Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is dealing with a foot laceration and did not practice Thursday Defensive tackles Tershawn Wharton (neck) and Bobby Brown (hamstring) were also out.

QB Brissett practices for Cardinals but his contract situation remains unsettled

BY DAVID BRANDT AP sportswriter

GLENDALE, Ariz. — One of the initial tasks for first-year Arizona Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur is ﬁguring out who the team’s starting quarterback will be, now that the postKyler Murray era has arrived The answer might not be coming any time soon.

Veteran Jacoby Brissett — who started the ﬁnal 12 games last season — was the initial favorite to land the role, but didn’t practice with the team during the offseason because he’s unhappy with his contract situation. However, he participated in Thursday’s workout in a signal a new deal could be close.

Brissett appears to be in a three-man battle with veteran Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck for the starting job, but LaFleur didn’t give any clues about the depth chart when asked to describe the competition.

“I’d describe it as practice one on July 23,” LaFleur said.

The 33-year-old Brissett is in the ﬁnal year of a $12.5 million, two-year deal, though only $1.5 million is guaranteed. If he remains the starter, he would be among the league’s lowest-paid quarterbacks Brissett had good individual stats last season with 3,366 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but the Cardinals went 1-11 in his starts. The Cardinals ﬁnished last in the NFC West at 3-14.

Safety Budda Baker made his feelings known about Brissett’s situation on social media earlier this month, posting: “Just want bro to get his (expletive) done… he is not asking for what you think Bro is asking for below the bare minimum. Let’s just get it done!!!” Baker stood by his statement on Thursday.

“I deﬁnitely think Jacoby did a great job coming in last year,” Baker said. “I know we didn’t get the wins that we wanted to get, but I think he commanded the offense at a high level.”

Johnson,Sweat on the PUP list

Starting left tackle Paris Johnson (knee) and star edge rusher Josh Sweat (knee) opened camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

LaFleur said he wasn’t concerned about the long-term prognosis for either player “The Paris thing, that’s really, honestly nothing. We’re all on the same page, it’s really just maintenance stuff so he’ll be back before you know it,” LaFleur said “Same thing with Josh. Seeing him yesterday, he’s ﬁred up to be here. He was in great spirits and looked really good.”

Johnson and Sweat won’t practice, but they still count toward the 90-man training camp roster limit. They are permitted to attend meetings and can return to practice at any point during the preseason Johnson is entering his fourth season as a starter, while Sweat had a career-high 12

Florida to make billion-dollar stadium renovation gamble

Sumrall expected to generate wins, belief in program

BY MIKE BIANCHI Orlando Sentinel (TNS)

sacks last season.

The other two on the PUP list — cornerback Garrett Williams (Achilles tendon) and Tip Reiman (ankle) — are still recovering from serious injuries that happened last season.

Off-the-field issues percolate

LaFleur’s ﬁrst training camp — including the quarterback battle — has been overshadowed by off-the-ﬁeld issues over the past few weeks.

The NFL suspended Cardinals personnel executive Ryan Gold indeﬁnitely on July 17 for violating the league’s gambling policy. The league said its investigation determined that Gold provided conﬁdential, non-public inside information regarding 2026 draft selections by the Cardinals before the picks were announced, and Gold also participated in parlay bets on NFL and college games. Gold is in his 13th season with the organization. More recently, Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams was arrested in Canada on four weapons charges. Adams, a third-year player who is competing for a starting spot, was at camp Thursday

The 25-year-old was charged with possession of a firearm obtained in a crime, possession of a restricted/prohibited firearm, no license while in possession of a loaded firearm and possessing a prohibited device Adams’ attorney, Adam Weisberg said in a statement that Adams is “completely innocent in this matter.”

“He’s doing good,” LaFleur said of Adams. “I’m not going to comment too much on that obviously but he’s doing good and it’s good to see him.”

ORLANDO, Fla. — Steve Spurrier always called this time of year “the talkin’ season.” It was one of those classic Spurrier expressions that perfectly captured the annual ritual of SEC Media Days and preseason news conferences. Every coach is undefeated. Every quarterback has taken the next step. Every transfer is exactly what the program needed. Every new strength and conditioning coach has made the players bigger, stronger, faster Every new offensive coordinator is going to play fast and be explosive. Every new defensive coordinator promises his guys will pin their ears back and be more physical and aggressive. Meanwhile, every fan base convinces itself that this is ﬁnally the year Translation: There are no losses in July, only optimism. And if somebody handed out championship rings for the talkin’ season, Florida coach Jon Sumrall would already have one. Since the day he walked into Gainesville, Sumrall has been exactly what a weary Gator fan base desperately needed after four years of Billy Napier He’s been candid, charismatic and refreshingly quotable. He has challenged his players publicly energized donors privately and reconnected with a fan base that had grown emotionally exhausted. His candidness, energy and intensity even won over the room Wednesday at SEC Media Days in Tampa Here’s a sampling: n On his decision to coach Tulane in the College Football Playoff af-

ter accepting the job at Florida (with the obvious but unsaid comparison to Lane Kiffin choosing not to coach Ole Miss in the playoff): “It (being able to coach Tulane in the playoff) was non-negotiable. I don’t care what the offer was, if somebody had said we need you to take this job and do it on our terms (and not coach Tulane in the playoff), the answer would not only have been no; it would have been hell no!”

n After a reporter’s phone goes off and starts playing music during his Media Days news conference: “If this was a team meeting, you’d be kicked out. You’re lucky I’m not gonna throw this freaking podium.”

n On what it means to coach in the most storied conference in college football: “As a kid, I grew up thinking there were three leagues the AFC, the NFC and the SEC. To be an SEC head coach is surreal.”

n On his philosophy: “I’m a firm believer that the only disability in life is a bad attitude. I ain’t going to have a bad attitude even when things go bad. That’s not purple skies and butterflies. There’s going to be adversity, but when it hits, you better respond with the right attitude. I want everybody in our building to be filled with urgency, excitement and passion about what they do.”

n On his team’s potential outlook this season: “If we don’t improve, we’re going to get our ass beat.”

There is no question Sumrall has been undefeated during the talkin’ season. His personality has been a welcome departure from the monotonous corporate droning that deﬁned the Napier era, when listening to a press conference sometimes felt like sitting

through a quarterly shareholders meeting. Sumrall sounds like a football coach. More importantly, he sounds like somebody who understands exactly what Florida football is supposed to be.

But eventually, every talkin’ season comes to an end. Soon enough, microphones give way to scoreboards, and first impressions are replaced by final records. That’s why this season feels different from most coaching debuts. Sumrall isn’t simply trying to rebuild a football program. He’s taking over at perhaps the most consequential moment in the modern history of Florida athletics. The timing could hardly be more significant. Florida recently announced plans for a staggering $1.45 billion renovation of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, believed to be the most expensive stadium renovation in the history of college athletics. The project will preserve the character of The Swamp while modernizing virtually every aspect of the facility, and much of it will be financed through long-term debt.

That represents a dramatic shift for an athletic department that has long prided itself on financial discipline. While other schools eagerly borrowed against the future to build ever-larger facilities, Florida generally preferred a more conservative approach. Now the Gators are preparing to carry roughly a billion dollars in debt into an era when nobody can confidently explain what the financial model of college athletics will even look like five years from now

PROVIDED PHOTO By TODD VAN EMST/SEC Florida coach John Sumrall speaks during SEC media days on Wednesday in Tampa, Fla.

ASSOCOCIATEC PRESS ROSS D FRANKLIN Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett throws during training camp practice on Thursday in Glendale, Ariz.

RUNNING THE SHOW

Kids will runLouisiana’sOld State Capitol from 9a.m. to 3p.m. Saturday for an event spotlighting local kid makers plus adoptable CAAWS dogs. Akids market on the castle grounds will be selling itemsmade by the kids themselves. Also check out dogs looking for their foreverhomes. eventbrite.com

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND

Phil Brady’sto celebrate 40 yearsof bluesjams

BY JOHN WIRT Contributing writer

Forty years is along time to have the blues.

But as the Louisiana-born, nine-timeGrammy-winning blues star BuddyGuy says, “Blues chase the blues away.” Blues musicians and fans will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Phil Brady’sblues jamin Baton Rouge on Thursday. Through the past four decades, Thursday nights at the Mid City baronGovernment Street have been aweekly opportunityfor musicians of all stripes to sing and play the blues. Aspiring youngsters learned from the local blueseldersand, in some instances, launched music careers of their own.

Shannon “Bayou” Williford founded the Phil Brady’s blues jam in 1986,and ran it until his 1995 move to Nashville. Williford,now aresident of Pass Christian, Mississippi,returns next week to host the jam’s40th anniversary event.

STAFF FILEPHOTO

TRAVIS SPRADLING

On the Phil Brady’s ‘Legends’ wall, icons, from lowercenter, Lawrence Taylor,TabbyThomas and JohnnyRossetti, top right, performinvarious years at the Phil Brady’sbluesjam.

Recent years have seenthe passing of many musicianswho contributed to the Baton Rouge blues scene, including drummer Jo Monk, born MichaelWayne Caesar;guitarist andlongtime Brady’sblues jam manager Johnny Rossetti; and singers LutherKent, MamiePorter and SunDanze Dunston. In honor of those gone greats, Williford will perform his original song,“Ghosts of Phil Brady’s,”atthe anniversaryjam Williford, during acalltoBatonRouge earlier this year regarding the staging of a40thanniversary Brady’sblues jam,got a“hell, yeah”from Phil Brady’s Bar &Grill owner Joe Hall.

“It’sspecial to have one gig running40years,” Hall said.“I’m proud to be involved in it for 23 years. I’ve kept it going because it’sspecial to me. But themusicians make the jam night happen, not me. Ijust have agood time.”

See PHIL BRADY’S, page 2D

PHIL BRADY’S 40TH ANNIVERSARY BLUES JAM

8p.m.Thursday l Phil Brady’s Bar &Grill, 4848 GovernmentSt., Baton Rouge l $5 l facebook. com/philbradys.bar

Scout

ALITTLE RETROFUN

The nine-pieceThat ’70s Band of Louisiana specializes in 1970s pop, funkand disco. The group performs hits from artists likeMichaelJackson, Earth Wind &Fire,Donna Summer,Chicago and more. Catchthem at the Manship Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.$25-$45. manshiptheatre.org

SAVED BY THE BELL?

ProgressiveBaptist Church’sBack

2School Bash will takeplace at the church from 11 a.m. to 3p.m Saturday.Backpacks, school supplies, food, games,music, entertainment and giveaways—it’sall free. Also, free haircuts forthe first boys in line and prizes. eventbrite.com

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Beforeanother football season marches in, fans will wanttoplan their music outings around the biggames. Here’salook at adozen showscoming your way now through September

BATONROUGE

n KOEWETZEL: 6:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4, Raising Cane’sRiver Center, 275 S. River Road. Chart-topping country artist Wetzel’s“The Night Champion WorldTour” is scheduled for 45 cities this summer and fall throughout the U.S.,Canada and Australia. Expect new tracks like “Surrounded” and “TimeGoes On”

and, of course, 2025’sthree-time platinum, ﬁve-week No.1hit “High Road.” The East Texasnative’s 2024 “DamnNear Normal Tour” drew 250,000-plus fans. $32 and up https://raisingcanesrivercenter com/. n “WEIRD AL”YANKOVIC: 7:30 p.m Wednesday, Sept. 23, Raising Cane’s River Center Arena. The ﬁve-time Grammywinner’s“Bigger &Weirder 2026 Tour”will featurehis signature full-production multimedia comedy rock show. He’ll be performing his iconic hits as well as some neverperformed-live-beforefan favorites. Yankovic is best known forhis parodies of the biggest-selling musical artists overthe last four decades,including Madonna, MichaelJackson TaylorSwift, Queen, U2 and Lady Gaga, who have all given“WeirdAl” their blessings. $39 and up. https:// raisingcanesrivercenter.com/ n GAVIN ADCOCK: 7p.m.Thursday, Sept. 24, Raising Cane’s River Center Arena. Billboardhas called the Georgia-born country star “one of country music’s most buzzed-about country artists.” After recording and

releasing his ﬁrstoriginal single in 2021, Adcock has gainedmorethan 1.5 billion global streamsacross singlesincluding “A Cigarette,” “Run Your Mouth,” “Deep End,” “Four Leaf Clover” and more. Released in 2024, his album “Actin’ Up Again” was designated thelargest major-label country debutfromasolo male artist. Hislatest album, “Own WorstEnemy,”was released in August 2025. $45 and up.https://tix.axs.com.

n FOREVER SIMON AND GARFUNKEL: 7:30 p.m.Thursday, Aug. 6, Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St. Sean Altman and Jack Skullercelebrate folk rock icons Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel,the bestselling duoin rock ’n’ roll history.Inaddition to Sand G’s biggest hits, they’llalso perform some from Simon’s solo years. Expect to hear “The Sound Of Silence,” “Bridge Over TroubledWater,” “Mrs.Robinson,” “I Am ARock,” “The Boxer,” “Homeward Bound,” “Cecilia,” “Hazy Shade Of Winter,” “Feeling Groovy,” “Me&Julio Down by theSchoolyard,” “Kodachrome

in 2019.

BY KASEYBUBNASH Staff writer

There’sahouse in Covington that you can always count on to be festooned with professionalcaliber decorations, no matter theholiday Richard Bentley-Smith still remembers the impressively detailed Egyptian tomb theme thatdeﬁned

’70s Bandreturnsto the Manship Theatre at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, bringing itslively, retro

SHOWSTOWATCH —BATON ROUGEAREA

FRIDAY

BRYCEBROUSSARD: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6p.m

RACHAEL HALLACK &ERIC

CANTRELLE: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6p.m

KEEPIN’TIME BAND: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6p.m.

MELISSASINGS: BLDG 5, 6p.m.

DRAMA KINGS: El Paso,Denham Springs, 6p.m

SHANE MADERE: Court to Table, 6:30 p.m.

JOSH MARTIN: Le Chien Brewing Co., Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

KENDALL SHAFFER: Copa, Gonzales, 7p.m

THE LONGNECK SOCIETY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7p.m.

MY FRIENDS AND ME BAND: The RedBarnTavern, Prairieville,8 p.m.

HENRYTURNER JR. &ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room,8p.m

3:05 EXPRESS: Phil Brady’s, 8p.m.

BUBBAPLAUCHÉ: Patio Lounge, 8p.m.

PRESS 1FOR ENGLISH: Icehouse TapRoom, 9p.m.

QUIANA LYNELL: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 9p.m

ORYVEILLON: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9p.m

BRIAN &JOEY: TheVineyard, 9p.m.

MJ &THE REDEEMERS: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 9p.m

SATURDAY

CLAYTON SHILLING: Fred’son the River, Prairieville, 2p.m.

BRITTON MAJOR: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

DOC HEARL: Central City

5:30 p.m.

FLOYDBROWN TRIBUTE: El Paso, Denham Springs,6 p.m

TAYLOR RAE DUO: Pelican to Mars, 6p.m.

JOVIN WEBB: Victoria’s Mexican, Denham Springs,6 p.m.

MATT HOLT: BLDG 5, 6p.m.

STUDIO4: T’Quilas, Denham Springs,6p.m.

SHADOWROAD: Court to Table, 6:30 p.m.

ASH TRAYS: Le ChienBrewing Co., DenhamSprings, 6:30 p.m.

ACOUSTICRATS: BinQ

6:30 p.m.

THE COVERLYBROTHERS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7p.m.

PHIL BRADY’S

Continued from page1D

In1986, then teenager Jay Michael attended his first Phil Brady’sjam.In2024, Michael, asinger,guitarist and songwriter,succeeded Rossetti as jam manager “Tohave come from a place where Iwas totally intimidated,” Michael said, “to running the whole show, it’samazing. I’d go there as akid and not evenattempt to getonstage.All of those great characters —Kenny Acosta, Raful Neal, Rudy Richard, Will Jackson, Big Bo Melvin. Istillsit on a stool by the stage,get hypnotized by the music, soak it in and learn from everybody.” Before he launched the Brady’sjam session, Williford was aregular at Wednesday night jams at Tabby’sBlues Box and Heritage Hall. He also formed the ﬁrst Brady’sjam house band with Jim George,Joe Hunter and Troy Turner Williford expects to see George and Turner at the anniversary,but Hunter is amaybe.

ADAM PEARCE: Copa, Gonzales, 7p.m.

THAT‘70S BAND: Manship Theatre, 7:30p.m.

LUKE HUVAL CAJUN BAND: Ric Seeling Dance Studio, 7:30 p.m

ACOUSTIC SATURDAYSW/ HENRYTURNER, DIXIE ROSE AND UNCLE CHESS: Henry Turner Jr.’s ListeningRoom 8p.m.

KAITLYN WALLACE: Rally Cap Brewing Company, 8:30 p.m.

COOPER MOHRMANN/THE SOUTHERLIES: The Texas Club,9p.m.

JAKE ROUNDS: Papi’s Fajita Factory,Watson,9 p.m THE DRUNK UNCLES: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 9p.m.

SAVANT: The Basin Music Hall, 9p.m.

WHISKEY BENT: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville,9p.m.

SPANK THE MONKEYTRIO: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St. Amant, 9p.m.

PARADE GROUND JUNKIES: O’Hara’s IrishPub, 9p.m.

DAMON KING &BOJAMISON: The Vineyard, 9p.m.

SUNDAY

JIM STANDLEY: Copa, Gonzales, 10 a.m

SHAYCHIK: On The Half Shell, Prairieville,11a.m.

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill-MidCity,11a.m

MICHAEL BINGHAM: RedStick Social, noon

OLD DAWGS: VFW Zachary Taylor Post,2 p.m

KEKE BOURQUE BAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville 3p.m.

JOEL COOPER: Icehouse Tap Room, 4p.m.

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Cafe, 5p.m.

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Pizza Byronz, 5:30 p.m

GEORGE BELL: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 6:30p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 7p.m.

MONDAY

KATIE KENNEY: Superior GrillMidCity,6 p.m

TUESDAY

CHRISLEBLANC: Superior Grill-MidCity,6 p.m

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: Brickyard South, 8p.m

Jam nightsduring the past 40-plus years at Phil Brady’s andthe late Tabby Thomas’ Tabby’s Blues Box served as blues school for Williford andsomany more. Williford continued that tradition afterhemoved to Nashville, teachingmusicfor 22 years. “I put kids in bands, kind of like ‘School of Rock,’ but Itaught them the blues,” he said. “I taught them like I learned from Guitar Kelly and Silas Hogan and all them (in Baton Rouge).It’s not aboutlearning toplay asong, it’slearningabout playing agroove.”

Williford took his blues lessons from ageneration of Baton Rougebluesmen.

“I love the way that Silas andKelly and Henry (Gray) andRafultookme under their armsand showed me,” he said. “Now,I’m thatold guy who’s passing it on.”

Some young students of the blues graduated to majorsuccess. Williford remembers when ateenage TabBenoit humbly asked for aspot on the Brady’sjam stage.

“Tab getsupand he’swearing aStevie Ray Vaughan hat and dancing. He wasn’t much of aguitar player,but,

Keepingyourskinpristine

Dear Heloise: Every skincare company claims to have theperfect solution to staying young, but thetruthisthat lines and wrinkles are going to show up sooner or later For manypeople, plastic surgery, skin peels and $200 creams are out of reach and might not do anything to remove thelines on your face. The best thingyou can do for yourself is to prevent these lines in the ﬁrst place. Wear sunblock during

CONCERTS

WEDNESDAY

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

CAMPYLE: Superior GrillMidCity, 6p.m

BRENT ARMSTRONG: Danny’s DiveBar, 6p.m

LSU JAZZ JAM: Classic Vinyls, 6p.m

ERIC LEGER: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

SONGWRITERS OPENMIC W/ HEATH RANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7p.m

CHRIS LEBLANC: Jefferson Lounge, 7p.m

ANDYPIZZOTRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30 p.m.

OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8p.m

THURSDAY

CHRIS OCMAND: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m.

CHRIS LEBLANC: Lagniappe Steak and Seafood, 5:30 p.m.

DOROTHYLEBLANC: La Divina Italian Cafe,6 p.m.

KYBALION: El Paso, 6p.m

JEFF BAJON PROJECT: Superior Grill- MidCity, 6p.m

ERIC WHITFIELD: Thai Kitchen 6p.m

KAITLYN WALLACE: Pedro’s, 6p.m

ELIZABETH SHAR: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Patio Lounge, 7p.m TET DUR: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris,St. Amant, 7p.m

HENRY TURNER JR. &ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m PARTLY CLOUDY: Gino’s Italian, 8p.m

BLUES JAM: Phil Brady’s, 9p.m

RHETT GUILLOT: The Vineyard,9 p.m. OUTLYING

FRIDAY

TREY MORGAN: BayouSara Brewing, St.Francisville, 6:30 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s musiclisted? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper

lawdy,mercy,hecould sing! Andhewas having fun. It’s nice to seethathejumped out and did stuff,”hesaid.

Williford’sjam coordinating philosophy included regular participation by African American musicians.

“Raful (Neal)loved coming in,” he said. “And Iloved that, because it’snot my music, it’stheir music. I’m just hanging on, loving it, but as far as where it came from, it didn’tcome from us.”

Michael, avisual artist as wellasa musicianand jammanager,has created a commemorative 40th anniversary Brady’sjam poster. Nextweek’s anniversary jam night, he said, begins at 8p.m., earlier than usual Thursdays, and, if theblues power stays strong, will go till closing time.

“AtBrady’s,”the lateRossetti said prior to the 25th anniversary jam in 2011, “younever know who you’re gonna see. Just let the jam roll.”

“Wouldn’titbeamazing,” Michael said last week, “to be at the 100th anniversary blues jam?”

Email John Wirt at j_wirt@ msn.com.

Hints from Heloise

the summer and winter; moisturize your skin (don’tforget your neck); never sleep in your makeup; and eat a healthy,balanced diet. Add to this a little exercise and try to stay within 5pounds of your ideal weight —that is, no morethan 5 pounds up or down. Yo-yo dieting can (and usually does) cause sagging skin and is hard on the body

Find askincare routine and stay with it, but re-

Continuedfrom page1D

and more. $40 and up. manshiptheatre.org.

n ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY: THE STREISAND SONGBOOK: 7p.m.Sunday, Aug. 23, Manship Theatre. $39 and up. manshiptheatre.org.Platinum Award-winning singersongwriter Callaway’s show is described as “a night of soaringsongs and stories.” Celebrating oneofAmerica’s most powerfuland enduring musical artists, look for Streisand’s timeless classics In herown right, Callaway is an accomplished jazzand pop singer, pianist, composer, lyricistand arranger as well as an actress, educator, TV host and producer. Special guest for her Manship concert will be Shelly Berg aSteinwaypiano artist and multi-Grammy-nominated arranger and producer. $39 and up. manshiptheatre.org

n THE BAND OF HEATHENS: 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, Manship Theatre. Presented by RedDragon Listening Room, this concertwas originally scheduled for April 23. The Americanaand roots rock band from Austinis known forincisivelyrics and asound they crafted that’s become mainstream. The band’s new album,“Country Sides,”was released Feb. 20, and takes alook back at their career. Local duo Clay Parker and Jodi James will open theshow. $72.24 and up. manshiptheatre.org

n BODEANS: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 16, Manship Theatre. Centeredon roots rock, heartland rock and alternativerock,BoDeans is marking the 40th anniversary of its critically-acclaimed debut album, “Love &Hope &Sex &Dreams” In honorofthe milestone, the band will perform atwo-anda-half-hour showfeaturing a video retrospective that will include songs from their 14 studiorecords covering ﬁve decades of music —1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 2010s and the 2020s. Among the songs will be “Good Things,” “You Don’t Get Much,” “Idaho”and “Closer to Free.”$51 and up. manshiptheatre.org

n JASON CARTER BAND: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Manship Theatre. The Grammy-winning bluegrass and Americana band is led by ﬁddlerCarter, alongtime

MORTUARY

Continuedfrom page1D

Recreation, where he serves as executive director When he foundout the Griswold in his neighborhood was none other than Jeff Borne, thecreative behind NewOrleans projects like The Mortuary Haunted House andCityPark’sformer Scout Island Scream Park, Bentley-Smith hoped Borne would agree todecorate theCovingtonpark complex for Halloween. It turns out Borne was up forawhole lotmore than that.Now,after twoyears of planning, Borne is expanding his reign of terror to thenorthshorefor Halloween 2026.

“Weare very excited to be hosting ahauntedhouse on thenorthshore once again, so thekids from Hammond all theway to Mississippi don’thave to drive across the lake,”Bentley-Smith said.

Touted as Louisiana’s “newest andmost intense nightmare,”The Sawmill Haunted Houseopens to the public in Coquille’sRiver Mill eventscenter on Oct. 2 and will run through Nov.1 With months to go before the pumpkins are carved and the trick-or-treaters hit the streets, Bentley-Smith said many of thenitty gritty

member,your skin tone changes as you age. So, the tints in your makeup need to be changed alittle as your skin changes. A rosy pink may have looked great on you at 25, but not at 45. If you smoke, please stop. This goes forvaping, too. Both are terrible for your skin. Take care of yourself and love the skin that you’re in! —Anonymous MakeupArtist, in Hollywood, California

Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

member of theiconic Del McCoury Band. They offera modern, hard-driving take on traditional bluegrass, and theirliveshows arerecognized for lightning-fastpicking, tight arrangements and adynamic energy.$38 and up.manshiptheatre.org

LAFAYETTE n MICHAELSCOTT BOUDREAUX+DOM ELLIS: 7:30 p.m.Friday,Aug. 7, Acadiana Center for the Arts —James Devin Moncus Theater, 101 W. Vermilion St. BreauxBridge native Boudreauxoffers heartfelt storytelling and country grit.Ellis,aNashville-based singer-songwriter who grew up in Lafayette, stirs up a gumboofcountry,folk and Americana, seasonedwith rawemotion and timeless soul. It promises to be an evening showcasing apair of Louisiana’snextgeneration of country music. $30. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/.

n TANK AND THE BANGAS: 7:30 p.m.Saturday, Aug. 29, Acadiana Center for the Arts —James Devin Moncus Theater. AGrammy-winning NewOrleans soul/hip-hop ensembleanchored by lead vocalist Tarriona “Tank” Ball, theband madeits viral breakthrough as thewinners of theNPR TinyDesk Contest. The performance has morethan 14 million views on YouTube. Ballisknown for herquirky raps, poetry

details of Coquille’sfestivities are still being ironed out. But he said “thesky is the limit” forBorne and his team

“You couldn’task for abetter group locally,” he said.

ANew Orleansnative with along history in the haunted attraction business, Borne opened The Mortuary in agutted Victorian mansionand former funeral homeatthe end of Canal Street in Mid-Cityin 2007. The haunted house hasbeen terrifying visitors ever since, becoming a staple stop during the Crescent City’sspooky season.

Borne’s résumé also includes work on Universal Studios rollercoasters, AREA15 District in Las Vegas, andbygone local hits like Scream Factory,abelovednorthshorehaunted house that wasforced to close in Hurricane Katrina’swake.

Borne said he jumped at the opportunity to getback to Covington, where he lives and where his various businesses are headquartered.

“I’m excited about it,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Sawmill’snamewas inspired by itshostvenue, the River Mill, and much of itsdesign andtheme,including its ﬁctional setting of ahaunted town called Widow’sLanding, will be

and rich melodies, evidenced in thegroup’s mostrecent album, “The Last Balloon.” $35. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/. n GIRL NAMED TOM: 7:30 p.m Friday,Sept. 25, Acadiana Center for theArts— James DevinMoncus Theater. The Liechty siblings —Bekah, Caleband Joshua —made history as theﬁrstgroup to win NBC’scompetition series “The Voice.” Themusicians fuse folk and popintheir soul-stirring performances. The trio has sold morethan 100,000 tickets across40 states, headlined nationwide tours,and performed at the Grand Ole Opry,the Indianapolis 500 and on “The Ellen Show.” $45. https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/ n BRANFORD MARSALIS AND DIANNE REEVES CELEBRATE JOHN COLTRANE: 3p.m. Sunday,Sept. 27, Heymann Performing Arts Center,1373 S. College Road. Presented by thePerforming Arts Society of Acadiana, the afternoon brings together Grammy-winning modern jazz mastersBranfordMarsalis and Dianne Reeves performing thetimeless ballads of Coltrane.Marsalis’ tenor saxophone and Reeves’ soaring vocal range arebacked by theBranfordMarsalis Quartet. $30 and up.https:// www.heymanncenter.com/. Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

inﬂuenced by the ghost stories and lore of Madisonville. Borne said visitors canexpecttosee ghosts —including oneinspired by Madisonville’sSilk Lady legend —pirates and, of course, chain saws. Unlike The Mortuary apermanent fixture that hosts events year-round, The Sawmill will operate seasonally in the more traditional haunted house format. Borne’steam has already been at work building collapsible sets, which they’ll start moving into the space early this fall. Eventually Borne said he hopes The Sawmill will gain enough of afollowing that it could one day becomesimilar to anotherone of his past projects, ScoutIsland Scream Park, aweekslong Halloween festival in City Parkthatultimatelyfell victimtothe COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’sthe prospect of how muchitcould grow over the next 10 years that we’re really looking at,” he said. Like at The Mortuary general admission andVIP tickets to The Sawmill will be available online and onsite this fall. Ticketswill range from $25 to $55, and true fearfanaticscan get a season pass for$150. Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By ROBN MILLER

That

sound. Tickets are $25 and up

PROVIDED PHOTOByJEREMy TAURIAC Tank and the Bangas

FRIDAY

ONCE UPON ACASTLE: STO-

RYTIME &PUPPET THEATRE: 11 a.m., Louisiana’s Old State Capitol, 100North Blvd. Puppet showinspired by “Mama Opossum’s Misadventures” by Gina Gallois. Free,but donations accepted to support the castle. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

FRIDAY-SATURDAY

EVENING SKY VIEWING:

8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., BREC Highland Road Park Observatory,13800 Highland Road See the majesty of the night sky,for those 6and up.hrpo. lsu.edu/events.

SATURDAY RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

8a.m. to noon, Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farmfresh produce and goods,including wine, seafood, plants, ﬂowers, prepared and baked items and more. breada.org

FAMILY-HOUR STARGAZING:

10 a.m., Irene W. Pennington Planetariumatthe Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road.Learnabout the stars and constellations in the local nighttime sky, followedbyanall-ages show lasm.org.

GREATER BATONROUGE

MODEL RAILROADERS: 10 a.m. to 2p.m., Republic of West Florida Historical Museum, 3406 College St., Jackson. Electric trains of all sizes will be running on ﬁvedifferent layouts. Free admission and parking.

SUMMERTIME CAJUN DANCE:

7:30 p.m., RicSeelingDance Studio, 10776 NHarrells Ferry Road. Livemusicbythe Luke Huval Cajun Band. 6:30 p.m., doors open; 6:45 p.m., free dance lessons (included with admission).

SATURDAY-SUNDAY

BASF’SKIDS’ LAB: 11 a.m.-

3:45 p.m. Saturdayand 1:30 p.m.-3:45 p.m. Sunday, Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Explorethe science of chemistry during 45-minute handson workshops for young scientists ages 6-12 and their accompanying adults. Included in regularadmission lasm.org.

TUESDAY RED STICK FARMERS MAR-

KET: 3p.m. to 6p.m.,Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh

By The Associated Press

Today is Friday,July24, the 205th day of 2026. There are 160 days left in the year

TodayinHistory: On July 24, 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts —two of whom were the first humans to set foot on the moon —splashed down safely in the Pacific. Also on this date: In 1567, Mary,Queen of Scots, was forced to abdicate her throne to her 1-year-old son James. In 1866, Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War.

In 1915, the SS Eastland apassenger ship carrying more than 2,500 people, rolled onto its side while dockedatthe Clark Street Bridge on the Chicago River.Anestimated 844 people died in the disaster In 1959, during avisit to

through Saturday. Free. (225) 927-7676 or annconnelly.com.

ARTGUILD OF LOUISIANA: Independence Park Theatre, 7800 Independence Blvd. “Workshop Show,”through Sept. 9. Life Drawing sessions 6p.m.-9 p.m. Wednesdays

$15 per session; open studio; no instruction. Classes are held at AGLPark Studio,2490 Silverest Ave.

BATONROUGE GALLERY CENTER FORCONTEMPORARYART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive. WorksbyMitchell Gaudet, MarkJane Parker and Brandon Surtain, through July 26. Hours: noonto6 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.batonrougegallery.org.

theRailway in Baton Rouge,” through Oct. 1; and “Going Places: Transportation Toys of thePast,” through Aug. 9. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for theArts, 100 Lafayette St. “ReVision: Womenin Photography,”through Aug. 30. “SouthArtsSouthern Prize &State Fellowshipsfor Visual Arts, through Sept. 6. “The Folk Art Gallery,” through June 30, 2027. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

norsmansion.com.

OLD STATECAPITOL: 100 NorthBlvd. 10 a.m. to 3p.m. Tuesday-Saturday,plus Free FirstSunday.“Excursions, Expeditions,and Discoveries: AYoung Nation Expands &Reimagining America: The Maps of Lewis &Clark, through Dec. 18. Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org.

USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displaysofavariety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and navalmilitary history.Note:

produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org

BATONROUGE CHESS CLUB: 6p.m.-8 p.m., La DivinaItalian Cafe,3535 PerkinsRoad, Unit 360. Achance to playand learn; all levels welcome. Free.

TUESDAY, THURSDAY

TWILIGHTTOURS: 6p.m.7:30 p.m., BREC’sBaton Rouge Zoo, 3000 ZooCircle. Take a tram ridethroughthe zooin thecool of the evening, enjoy anarrated ride through the zoo, an animal encounter at theWildlife Safari Theatre and an evening snack.Adults and teens, $16; children ages 2-12, $13; registration required. https://brzoo.org/. HERBALIST CORINNEMARTIN: 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., LSU Hilltop Arboretum’s Beverly BrownCoates Auditorium, 11855 Highland Road.Part of the Discovery Nature Series, Martin will discuss herbook,“LouisianaHealing Garden: MedicinalPlants for aSustainable Future.” $10, students, Hilltop Arboretum members and LMNGBR members; $15,general public; and free, Hilltop Magnolia membersand above.Advance registration encouraged. https:// lsu.edu/hilltop/programs/ adult/discovernature.php.

WEDNESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 9a.m. to noon, ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd Farm-fresh produce,goods and more. www.facebook

TODAYINHISTORY

Moscow,Vice President Richard Nixon engaged in hisfamous “Kitchen Debate” with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev In 1974, theU.S.Supreme Court unanimouslyruled that President Richard Nixon had to turn over subpoenaed White House tape recordings to the Watergate special prosecutor In 1975,anApollo spacecraftsplasheddown in the Paciﬁc, completing amission whichincluded the ﬁrst docking witha Soyuz capsule fromthe Soviet Union. In 2010, astampede inside atunnelcrowded with technomusicfansleft 21 peopledead andmore than 500 injured at thefamed Love Parade festival in Duisburg,Germany In 2013, ahigh-speedtrain crash outsideSantiago de Compostela in northwest Spainkilled 79 people In 2025, an Antonov An-24

com/redstickfarmersmarket.

THURSDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8a.m.tonoon,Pennington Biomedical Research Center, 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

OUTDOOR COMMUNITY

YOGA: 6p.m.to7p.m pavilionbythe pond, LSU Hilltop Arboretum, 11855 Highland Road. Drop-in; no registration required; bring your ownmat. Free, but donations welcome. lsu.edu/hilltop.

BATONROUGE CHORUS OF SWEET ADELINES INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS IN JULY

REHEARSAL AND PARTY:

6:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,Ingleside Methodist Church, 4264 Capital Heights Ave. Louisiana-themed event for women 18 years and older. No auditionrequired to attend; previous barbershop experience notnecessary. www.BatonRougeChorus.org or (225) 939-9115.

WEEKLYSOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7:30 p.m.,Geaux Ride, 601 Laurel St.Free. geauxridebikes.com.

KARAOKE,TRIVIA, BINGO AND MORE: 8p.m.to11p.m., BrickyardSouth Bar +Patio, 174 SouthBlvd. Presented by BarFly Entertainment. Free to play. acebook.com/brickyardsouth

ONGOING

ANN CONNELLYFINE ART: 1670 LobdellAve.Hours are 9a.m.to5 p.m. Wednesday

turboprop passenger plane operated by Angara Airlines crashed near Tynda in Russia’sFar East, killing all 48 passengers and crew Today’sbirthdays: ActorDan Hedaya is 86. Actor Chris Sarandon is 84. Actor RobertHays is 79. Actor Michael Richards is 77. Actor Lynda Carter is 75. Movie director Gus VanSant is 74. Countrysinger Pam Tillis is 69. Basketball Hall of Famer KarlMalone is 63. RetiredMLB All-Star Barry Bonds is 62. Actor Kadeem Hardison is 61. Actor-singer Kristin Chenoweth is 58. ActorLauraLeighton is 58. Actor-singerJennifer Lopez is 57. Director Patty Jenkins (“Wonder Woman”) is 55. Actor Eric Szmanda is 51. ActorRoseByrne is 47. Country singer Jerrod Niemann is 47. Actor Elisabeth Moss is 44. Actor Anna Paquin is 44. Former NHLcenterPatriceBergeron is 41.

CAPITOLPARK MUSEUM: 660 N. Fourth St.“We the People,” aliving portrait of 21st-century American identity through nearly 200 paired photographs by Steven G. Smith shown across twogiant screens, together measuring about 12 feet high and 36 feet wide, through Jan. 2, 2027. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St.Ferdinand St “Tell AVision,” through Aug. 14. Hours arefrom9a.m.to 4p.m.weekdays.artsbr.org.

ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway. Call (225) 924-6437 or followthe gallery’s Facebook page. THE GALLERYATMANSHIP: 100 Lafayette St.“The Monsters We Sometimes Become,” multimedia art exhibition featuring original works of artist Nathaniel A.J. Landry with an original musical scoreand liveperformance by Monoblack,through Aug. 14. Hours are9 a.m. to 4p.m Monday,9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 9a.m to 11 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturdayand 11 a.m. to 5p.m.Sunday.

KNOCK KNOCK CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: 1900 Dalrymple Drive. Offering interactiveexhibits, programsand resources that inspire childrentobecome creative problem solvers and lifelong learners.Summer hours are10a.m.-4 p.m. daily, through Aug. 3. https://knockknockmuseum.org.

LOUISIANA ART&SCIENCE

MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “PermanentImpressions: Women Deﬁning Our Louisiana Collection,” through Aug. 2; “Spirit of theSwamp: The PhotographyofJulia Sims,” through Aug. 9; “Crossroads &Connections: ACenturyof

LSU TEXTILE &COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, TowerDrive, LSU campus. “Stitches in Time: Quilts & Fashion,”exploring theenduring dialogue between quilt making and dress, through Jan. 15, 2027. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu

MAGNOLIA MOUNDMUSEUM +HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive.Guided and selfguided tours.10a.m. to 4p.m. Monday-Saturday and 1p.m. to 4p.m. Sunday.brec.org/ facility/MagnoliaMound

OLD GOVERNOR’SMANSION: 502 North Blvd. Open fortours. 9a.m.to4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Free admission. oldgover-

LEO (July23-Aug. 22) Engage in activities, andshowoff your skills, attributesand generosity. Think big, but implement discipline and fine-tune your plans to suit your budget. Helping others won't be easy.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Keep your guard up when dealingwith contracts, joint ventures and shared expenses. Don't forceyour will on others; if youwant to winapproval or acceptance, use diplomacy

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Trynot to be too revealing. Be agood listener, size up situations and work quietlyonyour own as you collect what you need to succeed. An unexpected opportunity will surface.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Be clear regarding what you can and arewilling to do Walk away from any situation that makesyou uncomfortable. Use your insight andintelligence to outmaneuveranyone tryingtotake advantage of you

SAGITTARIUS(Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Putmore time andeffort into your home, surroundings and relationships. Share your feelings andintentions,and find outwhere you standbeforeyou make acommitment to anyone whomay have different opinions.

CAPRICORN(Dec.22-Jan. 19) Save time; cut your losses and focus on feeling, looking and doing what's best for you. Protect your assets and your reputation from anyonetrying to outmaneuver you.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Don't letnegativity set in when apositive attitude will

attract farbetter people and prospects. Consider what youare good at and enjoy doing, and find away to turn your skills into aprofit.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Be good to yourself and the ones you love. Spending timenurturing meaningful relationships will encourage apositive lifestyle change.Loveand romance areinthe stars.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Turn your creative imagination into something spectacular.Position yourselfwithpeople whoinspire you to let your heart lead theway.Happiness is theprerequisite of doingwhat's best for you whenever you can.

TAURUS(April 20-May20) Tame what tempts you. Be rational,use common sense and put your money to work toward greater stability and security, not loss and debt.

GEMINI(May21-June 20) Pursuing education, traveling, promoting and presenting whatyou can do, networking and forming connections with people who can help push your agenda will getyou on the road to victory.

CANCER (June21-July 22) Sharing too much will be detrimental. Putyourtime and effort into building asolid base to house your dreams, hopes andwishes. Don't be afraid to be different.

CelebrityCiphercryptograms are createdfrom quotations by famous people, past and present. Eachletter in the cipherstands for another. TODAy'SCLUE: GEQUALS N

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row,eachcolumn and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Frank A. Clark, alawyer and politician who died in 1936, said, “If youcan find apath with no obstacles, it probably doesn’t lead anywhere.”

Sometimes theopening lead shows the path to the defeat of thecontract if one of the defenders finds theright subsequent play.

First, though, look only at theWest hand. What should he lead against three no-trump?

Some players open twono-trump with 19high-cardpoints,especiallywhenthey have agood five-card suit. It can be reasonable, but notwith that North hand. Almosthalf of the points are in quacks (queens andjacks),which is notgood, andthere is oneunstopped suit. One diamond is correct. Lengthrulesagainstno-trump,soWest should lead aheart. And because he has no honor in thesuit, he should choose thenine —top of nothing when thetop two cardsare touching. (When you have something like 9-7-6-4-3, lead the seven, thesecond-highest.)

Southhasseventoptricks:threehearts and four clubs. He will take the first trick with dummy’squeen andplay on diamonds. What should East do?

The opening lead marks South with theheart ace andking. So he cannot also have the spade ace, because then he would have been too strong to respond oneno-trump. East should grab thetrick andshift to hisspade four,the lowcard guaranteeingatleast onehonor in the suit.Westwillwinwithhisaceandreturn thespade eight,the highercard from a remainingdoubleton.Eastwilltakethree more spade tricks for down one. ©2026 by NEA, Inc.,dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

EachWuzzle is awordriddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats”or“dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAY’s WoRD DEMEAns: dih-MEENS: Lowers in character, status or reputation.

Average mark 25 words

Time limit 40 minutes

Can you find 32 or more words in DEMEANS?