EBR fire departments to get access to automated CPR devices
BY BLAKE LESCHBER Staff writer
One machine will soon be able to help streamline lifesaving efforts across the parish thanks to East Baton Rouge Emergency Medical Services’ decision to loan automated CPR devices to area fire departments starting Saturday Brad Harris, public information officer for EBR EMS, said the devices, known as LUCAS Chest Compression Systems, will help first responders access lifesaving technology if they arrive before an ambulance Under the cooperative agreement, EMS will loan the devices to any participating fire departments in the parish.
“There’s a lot more fire trucks on the street than there are ambulances, so a majority of the time, the fire truck will get to the scene before us,” Harris said. “They’ll be able to actually use this and start CPR with this device before we get there.”
Harris said that the St. George and Zachary fire departments already use the LUCAS device EMS will deploy 35 devices across the parish in addition to the 35 they already have, plus the units in St. George and Zachary, making a total of about 85 devices in service throughout the parish.
The LUCAS device consists of a backplate, two support legs and a pistonstyle suction cup. When it is put onto a person’s body, the suction cup moves up and down on the center of the chest and can send electrical currents through the body to restart the heart.
First responders can use the device on patients who are either sitting up or lying down, meaning they can administer CPR wherever and whenever.
“The earlier you can start CPR, the higher the probability of a good neurological outcome,” Dan Godbee, medical director for EBR Emergency Medical Services and emergency medicine
physician, said. The device is used continuously without breaks, reducing human fatigue and allowing more efficient CPR.
“Normally, when you do CPR, you’re sitting there doing compressions for typically three to five minutes, and then you rotate responders out just because it’s tiresome,” Harris said.
“Even in a hospital where I’ve got multiple people in an emergency room working with me to do CPR,” Godbee said. “They eventually get worn out, then you’ve got to worry about trying to transition every
dr dan Godbee, medical director for East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services, talks about the benefits of the LUCAS Chest Compression System.
Carter interested in leading Black caucus
He’s currently no. 2 in Capitol group
BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer
WASHINGTON New Orleans Democratic
U.S Rep. Troy Carter is the first candidate running for chair of the Congressional Black Caucus — arguing that he wants the influential caucus on Capitol Hill to work more effectively in pushing policies that help everyday people “I’m absolutely going to run, and (I’m) hopeful that I will have the support of my colleagues to lead this very power-
ful and significant caucus,” Carter said Thursday In his third two-year term in the U.S. House, Carter is in the No. 2 role as first vice chair for the Congressional Black Caucus and well-positioned to take over from Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., who is stepping down.
“The CBC is more than a caucus. It is a powerful voice for millions of African Americans and for all people who have too often been overlooked, underserved or denied equal opportunity Should my colleagues entrust me with this responsibility I will lead with humility courage and an unwavering commitment to liberty,
justice, equality and opportunity for all,” Carter, 62, said in an interview
The election for caucus chair will be held after the Nov 3 midterm elections, and the new leader will take office in January Carter believes the caucus is growing into a stronger influence in policy debates.
“I’ve worked very hard to be a bridge-builder within the caucus and outside the caucus. And I think now more than ever, it’s what we need in Washington,” Carter said. “People that are able to work within the caucus, but also recognize that the
ä See CARTER, page 4A
Incumbents, challengers prepare for EBR School Board race
Advocates for charter, traditional schools have recruited candidates
BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer
Six of the nine members of the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board say they are seeking reelection this fall to oversee the state’s secondlargest traditional school district for four more years. All six face an uncertain number of challengers when voters head to the polls on Nov 3. Some rival candidates will likely be alumni of training programs organized by the Baton Rouge Alliance for Students, a well-funded, pro-charter-school education reform group founded in 2021. Other possible contenders include traditional public education advocates, many of them recruited by local teacher organizer Storm Matthews.
A handful of candidates have already formally announced. More are expected to sign up in time for qualifying, Aug. 5-7.
In addition to competitive seats, two or three seats will be open this fall thanks to incumbents not running again.
This election will be held using new district maps the School Board approved in May 2022, but which were then held up by a court challenge that has since ended.
The new maps when they were drawn, were designed to maintain a White majority on the board, with five White members and four Black members. But it is possible the parish’s racial balance has shifted enough since 2022 to elect a majorityBlack School Board.
Committee to review education funding formula
Some concerned about makeup of board, short time frame
BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer
Beginning next month, 15 people could decide the future of school funding in Louisiana Lawmakers established the school-funding task force with a unanimous vote on the last day of the legislative session in June. It was pitched as a way to increase pay for teachers, who once again this year received one-time stipends instead of permanent raises.
But the committee, which is scheduled to begin meeting Aug. 13, has a far more sweeping mission than simply to find more money for teachers. Its job is to conduct a “top-to-bottom review” of the more than 30-year-old formula that determines how much state funding every public school in Louisiana receives, according to the resolution establishing the task force. Called the Minimum Foundation Program, the formula doles out about $4 billion annually, which schools use to pay teachers, purchase textbooks, operate buses, provide special education services and much more. After studying the MFP, the committee must recommend a “revised or replacement formula” by Jan. 1, according to the resolution. If their proposals are adopted, these 15 people will have overhauled the decades-old funding system in a matter of months.
ä See FUNDING, page 4A
STAFF PHoToS By JoHn BALLAnCE
Brad Harris, public information officer for East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services, connects a LUCAS Chest Compression System to a CPR manikin
Carter
Injunction upheld to block federal voter list
A federal appeals court has upheld a ruling that in nearly half of U.S. states halted President Donald Trump’s executive order to create a federal list of eligible voters and limit delivery of mail ballots only to people on that list.
The ruling Saturday by judges of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s effort to move forward with the mail-in voting restrictions in 23 U.S. states that sued ahead of November’s midterm elections
Trump issued an executive order in March for the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. It also ordered the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.
Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged Trump’s order in a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Boston. They argued that Trump’s order was unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the authority to set election rules.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, agreed and halted Trump’s order from being implemented for the Nov 3 elections — but only in the states that have sued.
Sweltering heat wave grips U.S. another day
At least 40 million people were under extreme heat warnings across central and southern parts of the United States on Sunday as high temperatures and severe humidity gripped large swaths of the country for a second straight day Heat indexes exceeding 105 degrees stretched from Minnesota down to Mississippi, extending west into southern California and Nevada. Parts of the Southwest could see highs of 120 degrees Sunday according to the National Weather Service.
Meteorologists said the sweltering weather was the result of another heat dome — a phenomenon in which atmospheric conditions trap heat, accentuating and prolonging already high temperatures
“Right now, it’s affecting a lot of people right in the middle of the country,” said Bob Oravec, an NWS meteorologist. “The core of the heat sinks southward by early next week.”
The moist air was also producing other volatility around the top of the heat dome, including the risk of severe thunderstorms, flash flooding and hail around the Great Lakes on Sunday The potential for heavy storms was expected to move east in the coming days.
“If you have a heat dome in one part of the country, you’ll have a different corresponding weather in another part,” Oravec said.
“It’s all related.”
Temporary relief will come to the central U.S. toward the middle of the week, but high temperatures could return by the weekend, he noted.
Raúl Castro absent from Cuba celebration
HAVANA Cuba held a traditional rally on Sunday to commemorate one of the revolution’s most important anniversaries but former President Raúl Castro was conspicuously absent. It was the first time in at least three decades that 95-year-old Castro did not attend the event, and no explanation was given. President Miguel Díaz-Canel read a congratulatory message from Castro to his compatriots at the rally, held in the eastern city of Pinar del Río.
The annual event commemorates the July 26, 1953, assault led by brothers Fidel and Raúl Castro on the Moncada and Carlos Manuel de Céspedes barracks in Cuba’s eastern region. The military action against former dictator Fulgencio Batista failed, but it marked the beginning of the revolutionary struggle that culminated on Jan. 1, 1959.
Raúl Castro’s last public appearances were in June, during an event to establish the Ministry of the Interior and on May 1 to celebrate Labor Day BRIEFS
Deadly Berlin Pride attack suspect killed
Police say German citizen sought to join terrorist group
BY GEIR MOULSON, KIRSTEN GRIESHABER and STEFANIE DAZIO Associated Press
BERLIN The suspect in the deadly Berlin Pride attack that left one person dead and 29 injured was shot and killed by police during a confrontation on Sunday in a suburb of the city, authorities said. Abdul Ballout, a German citizen with Lebanese roots, was killed following a search that lasted nearly 24 hours after the attack in downtown Berlin. Prosecutors said he had previously sought to join the militant Islamic State group. Ballout was suspected of driving a van into a crowd near Berlin’s Pride festival Saturday night before apparently stabbing others with a machete in what authorities believe was an Islamic extremist terror attack.
Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt said the attack occurred a few hundred yards from a party near the Brandenburg Gate that was supposed to close out the city’s Pride festival.
Ballout was tracked down around 6 p.m. Sunday at a garden in Spandau, a Berlin suburb, the city’s police department wrote on X. They said he apparently ran toward officers with a sharp instrument, and police fired at least one shot. He died at the scene. Ballout was born in Germany, the minister said His mother was naturalized in 2002, three years before he was born.
Ballout traveled to Lebanon in 2025 with the goal of going to Syria to join the Islamic State group, Berlin prosecutors said Sunday There, he made contact with several people who were presumed members of the militant group — or at least he believed them to be, prosecutors said.
In May, a juvenile court in Berlin convicted Ballout of preparing a serious act of violence endangering the state, as well as publishing Islamic State propaganda on his Instagram account and other charges, prosecutors said.
The court handed down a suspended sentence of one year and 10 months in youth custody which Berlin prosecutors had appealed.
The court said it took Ballout’s months of pretrial detention in Germany and Lebanon into account. It also said it considered that Ballout had admitted to the crimes, appeared to distance
himself from the militant group and no actual threat had ever materialized.
He was released from detention pending the appeal.
Berlin’s Pride festival is one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.
According to police, a white van drove into the Tiergarten park about 10 p.m. and hit several people before colliding with a tree. The closing party at the Pride festival, known as Christopher Street Day, was ongoing at the time next to the Brandenburg Gate, a short distance away Police said a woman was killed.
On Sunday afternoon, hundreds of mourners gathered at a memorial at the iconic gate. They hugged each other and laid down flowers, candles, rainbow flags and homemade signs, including a cardboard one that said: “the only thing more powerful than hate is love.”
Hundreds of thousands had come to Berlin to celebrate on Saturday, though it’s unclear how many were still at the festival by late evening. It’s one of Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ celebrations.
“We are simply stunned by what happened,” said Andre Lehmann, a top official with the main national LGBTQ+ association, LSVD+. “This suspected attack hits the heart of the queer community.”
2 West Bank mosques set on fire amid surge in settler violence
BY MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press
TEL AVIV, Israel Two mosques in the Israelioccupied West Bank were set on fire overnight in an apparent Israeli settler attack, officials said Sunday after a spate of deadly violence that killed four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers.
Palestinians and the Israeli opposition accuse Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s hard-line government of turning a blind eye to attacks by settlers against Palestinians, which threaten to ignite widespread violence across the territory.
Israeli soldiers and police fanned out across the West Bank after the attack, closing off major roads and blocking access to a hospital where it said two militants were hiding.
Israel also arrested more than 70 Palestinians over the weekend as they attempted to contain the escalating violence.
The mosques, in the villages of Qusra and Kour in the northern West Bank, suffered extensive damage in the fires In Qusra, the attackers spray-painted “revenge Benayahu,” referring to one of the Israeli soldiers killed on Friday and “the land of Israel is redeemed
with blood.” The soldier lived in a nearby settlement.
Ahmed Abu Mahmoud, 64, who lives next to the Qusra mosque, said he heard noises at 3 a.m. and discovered the mosque had been set on fire. The fire was too large for him to fight on his own, so he called for help.
“The military arrived here, saw with their own eyes and then left,” Mahmoud said.
Security footage in Kour obtained by The Associated Press showed three people dressed in civilian clothes setting off a large explosion in the entrance of the mosque in the middle of the night On Sunday, residents held prayers despite damage to the entrance.
Israel’s military said it was working with police to investigate the mosque attack.
“The security forces strongly condemn incidents of this kind, including harm to religious sites, and will continue to act decisively to maintain security and public order in the area,” it said.
The Israeli army often announces investigations into violence against Palestinians but rarely makes arrests or prosecutes settlers involved in violence.
The military also reported it had sealed the homes of two Palestinian militants suspected of killing the soldiers in preparation for their demolition. Israel often demolishes the homes of attackers, claiming it deters future attacks.
U.S. and Iran pause attacks after days of escalation
BY SAMY MAGDY and CARA ANNA Associated Press
CAIRO The United States and Iran paused their attacks for a second straight day Sunday, as efforts continued to bring them back to negotiations on an interim ceasefire deal largely undermined by recent exchanges of fire. It was not clear why the U.S. has paused after targeting Iranian coastal areas and infrastructure in a nearly two-week escalation sparked by Iran’s firing at ships trying to transit the Strait of Hormuz. The Pentagon did not respond to questions
President Donald Trump is “giving talks some space. He’s giving it a little bit of room,” Mike Waltz, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told Fox News “We’ve had both Oman and Iran, and a number of our other negotiators, engaged at every level, from the most senior levels all the way down to the technical level over the past few weeks, and particularly in the past few days.”
Waltz dismissed the idea that the U.S. stockpile of interceptors crucial in defending against Iranian attacks is running low but experts have questioned how long both the U.S and Iran can afford to keep up attacks.
Since the U.S. has halted attacks for the past two nights, Iran has as well, its army spokesperson told Iran’s state TV on Sunday Tehran in recent days has counterattacked against countries in the region hosting U.S. military forces, killing at least three service members at a base in Jordan and one in Iraq.
The 60-day period that began when the interim deal was signed by both countries in mid-June is well into its second half, and major issues that were meant to be negotiated — notably Iran’s nuclear program at the heart of tensions — remain set aside asmediatorstrytokeepbothsidestalking. A regional official involved in mediation efforts said diplomacy was underway and that a pause in U.S. and Iranian strikes was a “positive signal that helps their efforts to de-escalate.”
The official said both countries want to return to the interim ceasefire deal and that a compromise being negotiated centers on having Iran run vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz with fewer restrictions on ships.
Commercial shipping traffic on the Strait of Hormuz was at a three-week low a maritime body overseen by the U.S. Navy said Sunday, adding that no new attacks had been confirmed in the past 72 hours.
People gather outside the Brandenburg Gate on Sunday for a demonstration in support of the LGBTQ+ community after a car rammed into a crowd at the Pride March in Berlin on Saturday night.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By LEo CoRREA A Palestinian man prays Sunday inside a mosque that was burned during an attack by Israeli settlers early in the morning in the West Bank village of Qusra.
By next year,“hopefully
we’ll have abrand-new MFP
—a new dawn —inLouisiana,” Gov.Jeff Landry said in June when he and legislative leaders formed the task force.
But as the group gets set to convene, public education advocates are raising concerns. While most agree that the funding formula needs to be updated, they argue that thefive-month timelineis too condensed.They also questionwhy the committee includes 10 lawmakers and someone fromthe Governor’sOffice, but just four people representing education groups.
Other states have engaged in lengthy school-funding reviews before overhauling their systems. Tennessee’s review process involved 18 subcommittees with more than 200 members and public hearings across the state, while Texas’ school-finance commission produced a165page report with dozens of recommendations.
Critics havesuggested that Louisiana’stask force is designed to give Landry and the Legislature more sway over schoolfunding,even though the state board of education legally controls the MFP.They fear the committee will lockinthe funding cut that Landry ordered this year to pay for the teacher stipends, forcing schoolsto make do with less money.
“I’m praying for the best,” said St. Tammany Parish School Board member Isabelle Moore,but “I do worry.” School fundingdebate
The task forcewas ostensibly created to secure funding forpermanent teacher raises. But it sprang froma much larger debate: Do Louisiana public schools need
CARTER
Continued from page1A
caucus makes up one part of the Congress. Our responsibility is to use that force to build with other forces to advancegood, soundpolicy.”
Louisianapower players
Should the Democrats win the majorityinthe 120th Congress that begins its two-year term in January Carter’selection as caucus leader would mitigate Louisiana’sloss of influence on Capitol Hill.
anewsconference
more money —ormore fiscaldiscipline?
The debate is centered on the MFP, thesystemLouisianaadopted in 1992 todistributestate education dollars, which comprise about 40% of school funding (local and federal moneymakeup the rest). The formula doles out funding to school systems based on how many students they enroll, giving extra money to districts with less local tax revenue and to schools serving students with additional needs, including those with disabilities or fromlow-income families.
Public schooladvocates generally approve ofthe formula’sbasicdesign, which distributes dollars based on local needs and resources.
Themain problem, they argue, is thatthe baseline funding amount —$4,015 per student —has increased by less than $600 over the past 20 years. Meanwhile, the cost of goods andservices has soared, and schools face mountingdemands to provide tutoring,mental health
services, career education, enhanced security andmore.
“One wordthey don’twant to hear is ‘adequacy,’”said Michael Faulk,the former head of thestatewide superintendentsassociation, referring to lawmakers. “What does it actually take to provide everystudent an education that meets all the requirementsthe state puts on schools?”
But notall statelawmakers, who allocate school funding,are convinced that schools need moremoney
Senate President Cameron Henry,who introduced the resolution creatingthe task force, said advocates who askfor moreeducation funding can’texplain theformula or how schools spend the dollars theyreceive.
“You’re nevergoing to get more money when no oneunderstands where the money thatyou’recurrently getting goes,” he said in an interview last month.
The funding debatecame to ahead this spring over the question of teacher pay
After voters rejected Landry’s plantouse education trust funds to finance raises, he pulled$168 million out of school district budgets to cover stipends for teachers andsupport staff. He arguedthatschool districts can stretch the dollars they getbyreducing“waste and bureaucracy.”
“Wedonot have arevenue problem in this state,” Landry said. “Wehave apriorities problem.”
Around thesame time, Landryand Henry said the MFP taskforce would figure out how to insert teacher raises into the formula so that, after this year,temporary stipends wouldnot be necessary
“Thereisnoway we can’t
finda permanent pay raise in those dollars,” Henry said.
‘Tallorder’for task force
The task force faces aformidable to-do list when it convenes next month.
The committee must conduct a“comprehensive” review of the MFP,then propose anew or revised formulathatistransparent, sustainable and includes “permanentand predictable” funding for educator raises, theestablishing resolution says.
The resolutiondoes not address what educators and advocates sayisthe underlying problem —that the state has not put enough money into K-12 education to keep up with rising needs and costs.
“I think the formula’s pretty fair,” said David Claxton, executive director of the Louisiana Association of School Superintendents, whoisonthe task force.
“The issue is more about funding it.”
Another task force member,Sen. Glen Womack, R-Harrisonburg, said he is open to considering whether schools need moremoney after the group digs into the funding formula.
“I think our first step is finding outhow we got here,” said Womack, who chairs the Senate Finance Committee. “Where is the money going now?”
When other states revamped their school-funding formulasinrecent years,theysimultaneously boosted funding levels. Tennessee adopteda newformula in 2022 that increased annual education funding by $1 billion. Texas revamped
its formula in 2019, increasing per-student funding by about 20% and boosting spending by morethan $6 billion. Thechanges came after acommission met for about ayear,hearing testimony from more than 150 educators, advocates and policy experts.
Barry Erwin is chief policyofficer of the research and advocacy group Leaders for aBetter Louisiana.He saidhequestions how lawmakers who are not schoolfinance experts will be able to rewritethe MFPinless than five months.
“Honestly,itdoesn’tseem feasible to me,” he said “Once they start really digging into it,they’re going to see how complex it is.” Even if the group does propose anew formula,the Legislature can’tsimply adopt it. Under the Louisiana Constitution, the state Board of Elementary andSecondary Education sets the funding formula, which theLegislaturecan only approve or reject. Kevin Berken, who chairs theboard’seducation finance committee, said the boardisopentorecommendations, adding that there already have beentwo independent studies of the MFP this year.Hesaidthe board will consider the task force’srecommendations, but noted that the group has been given ashort timeline to propose aschool-funding overhaul.
“It’sa pretty tall order,” he said. “I wish them alot of luck.”
Email Patrick Wall at patrick.wall@theadvocate. com.
gressional Black Caucus is one of the more influential voicesinCongress,particularlywithin the Democratic Party
Former PresidentBarack Obama and former Vice President Kamala Harris were members when they were inCongress. So was civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga. Becoming caucus chairs has been aboost for the holders ofthe office.
CedricRichmond, who wentonto becomeatop aide to President Joe Biden, and KarenBass, whoismayor of LosAngeles,have been caucuschairs.
balances healthy again.”
The Black Caucus, like therestofthe Democratic Party,alsoisstruggling with how to incorporate farleft wingmembers whoseek more radical solutions and more aggressive confrontationswith the Trumpadministration.
Carter saysthat theme has been overblown by the media.
HouseSpeakerMike Johnson, of Benton, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, of Jefferson, now the chamber’s top two leaders, will step into new roles should the Republicans lose the majority in November In that scenario, which polls suggest is not unlikely, Carter predicts his friend and fraternity brother , Rep .H a -
keem Jeffries, D-N.Y., will become House speaker.The two have agood relationship and are on the same page for most issues, he said.
Thecaucusisimportant
With 435 representatives and 100 senators, Congress often breaks up into cliques who discuss policies, figure out stances and create strategies that enhance their influence.
The largest Democratic group is the New Democrat Coalition, with 114 members who focus on economic policy and national security Carter is amember of that group too. The RepublicanStudy Committee, whose 189members research and develop conservative policies, is that party’slargest caucus. Both Scalise and Johnson have chaired the Study Committee. Formed in 1971, the Con-
Challenges ahead
The62-member Congressional Black Caucushas more members than ever before —but it faces more challenges inanera where Republicans control all three branches of government and thus control the levers of power
Those numberslikely will changeafter theNov.3midterm elections.
Some states, including Louisiana, used the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais to redraw and eliminate the districts that had been configured to elect minority candidates.
“We’ve lost my colleague andfriend, Congressman Cleo Fields,” Carter saidof the BatonRouge Democrat, who announced Tuesday he wouldnot seek reelection in aseat that wasredrawn in May to ensure that five of Louisiana’ssix representativeswouldbeWhite Republicans.
“That repeats itselfin Texasand Alabama,perhaps,and other places, so we will losesome (seats).But in otherplaces,we’ll pick up, certainly offset some of the losses,” Carter said.“So, this notion that the CongressionalBlack Caucus will be weakened is not true. We’ve demonstrated that even with small numbers, we have good voices.” Carter said the caucuswill continue fighting for votingrightsand challenging the Supreme Court, which “seems tohave lost their way.We need to reform measuressowe can get the guardrailsofour checks and
“New members coming in who have verybold ideas are not going to be silenced. We’re not going to just throw them to the side because they have bold ideas,”Carter said. “Part of leadership is harnessing those ideas, harnessing thatenergy, and morphing it into aposition that we can allwork on to advance what’s best for theAmericanpeople.The role that Iintendtoplayas leader of the caucus is to not allow outside voices to tryto pit one against theother.”
Carter began his political career in the 1980s as an aide to New Orleans Mayor Sidney Barthelemy.Herepresented Algiers in the Louisiana House starting in 1991, then theNew Orleans City Council in 1994.
In 2015, Carter was elected to thestate Senateand won election to Congress in 2021 when Richmondresigned to work in theWhiteHouse.
He serves on theHouse CommitteeonEnergy and Commerce, which oversees oiland gasexploration and production policies.
Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.
Collegeathletics haschanged dramatically in recent yearsthankstoNIL rulesthatallow student-athletestoearncompensationthrough businessrelationshipsandarevampedtransfer portal that makesiteasier for them to move betweenschools withoutmissing aseason.
As aresult, today’scollege recruits consider more factorswhenmakingadecision, includinguniversityfacilitiesand athletic support services,academic assistance,brand visibility andopportunities to maximize theirpotential As Universities work to demonstratethey canprovide apositiveexperience,Corporate Partnerships have becomeanessential part of successfulAthleticprograms.
At Southern University,those partnerships do more than placelogos on scoreboards. They help fund scholarships,upgrade facilities and technology andgiveJaguarStudent-Athletes theresources they need to competeatthe highestlevels.
“Whenyougoonsomeofthesecampusvisits andseethefacilities,thatplaysacriticalcomponent as faraswhere you’re going,”saidEFCU Presidentand CEOTom Kuslikis.“Finding differentwaysasa corporatepartner that we canhelpworkwithSouthernathleticsandmake aninvestmentsotheycanbringthebestandthe brightesttothe University is somethingthatis importanttous.
andwewant to help every sportenhance itsrecruiting efforts.” While Corporate Partnerships benefitSouthernJaguars teams, they alsogenerate meaningful valuefor businesses
“They’re so creativeand they’reopentoso manydifferentideas.Alltheywanttodoishelp us enhanceour brandinexchangefor giving to theUniversity,”Gabriel said.“OtherCorporate Partners have alreadyreached outtomeet me andfigure outhow we cancollaborate on differentthings. Kuslikissaidseveralcommunityleadershave remarkedonEFCU’sCorporatePartnershipwith Southern University sports,helping thecredit unionraise itsbrand awarenessand opening doorstoother business opportunities.
“Oneofthehugebenefitsistyingourbrandto an establishedbrand that’s doingsomuchgood fortheGreaterBatonRougecommunity,”hesaid. “Southernhas an excellentteamthatwillwork withyouasfarasfindingthetypeofassetsthat youneedtohelpyourbusinessgrow. It’s trulya symbioticrelationship.”
Southern University holdsdeepmeaning forAttorneyWalterGabriel,founder of Walter GabrielInjuryLawyers,asheisagraduateof itslaw school.Gabriel’s firmbegan as atable sponsorfor Southern University Athletics Annual Gala andother fundraisingevents, andthatrelationshiphas evolvedintothe firm becoming afullCorporate Partnerthisyear. “It’sadreamcometrue,”Gabrielsaid.“Being able to be aCorporate Partner to wherewecan help this University upgradeits facilities and competeinrecruitmentinthisNILlandscapeis criticallyimportantforus.I’mjustexcitedtosee howwecanhelp.We’reinvolvedwithallsports,
As Southern University continuesinvesting in itsstudent-athletesand athletic programs corporatepartnershipswillremainanimportant partofhelpingJaguarscompeteintheSWACand onthenationalstage…BuildingBeyondtheBluff TobecomeaCorporatePartnerwithSouthern University Jaguar Athletics, contactdenise. rankins@sus.edu.
Johnson
Scalise
Gov. Jeff Landryspeaksduring
aboutteacher payraises at the State Capitol on May26.
7,500 constructionjobs,$1.6billionfor Louisianabusinesses.Upto$50,000 for teacherbonuses. Part of apartnership that’sjust gettingstarted.
Tim Food truckowner
Thomasina 2ndgrade teacher
Storm has maximum sustained winds of 140 mph
By The Associated Press
MIAMI Genevieve strengthened into a major hurricane in the Pa-
HIGH-TECH
Continued from page 1A
two minutes.” Godbee said the device frees up responders to perform other lifesaving actions like starting airways and administering IV medications.
The impact of devices
Before the Saturday launch date, all firefighters have to attend an orientation on when not to use the machine — particularly if the patient is too large or small — and day-to-day maintenance on it such as changing the batteries.
Harris said each device costs about $25,000 plus additional maintenance costs. Baton Rouge fire stations, however, will not have to pay for the units. EMS will gather 35 devices they already possess and distribute them for use among the departments.
“A lot of rural or volunteer fire departments can’t afford that kind of money,” Harris said. “We have them in stock; we might as well just go for it. We’re not buying more devices to gear out; we already have them.”
In his experience working in an emergency room, Godbee said the device will benefit patients and emergency room personnel even when in the hospital.
Genevieve had maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, making it a Category 4 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami A major hurricane is Category 3, with winds of at least 111 mph or higher
cific Ocean on Sunday and is expected to intensify well southwest of Mexico but stay far out to sea on a course roughly parallel to the coast
Genevieve’s center was located about 530 miles southwest of Manzanillo, and it was headed westnorthwest at 14 mph.
No coastal watches or warnings were in effect but the hurricane center said that swells from the storm — likely causing “life-threatening surf and rip current conditions” — were affecting parts of Mexico’s southwest-
ern coast and would likely reach southern parts of the Baja California Peninsula on Sunday night or Monday
The storm was expected to strengthen further before weakening by midweek.
Farther northwest in the Pacific, Hurricane Fausto weakened to a Category 1 storm as it continued on a path in the general direction of the Hawaiian Islands. Forecasters said Fausto was expected to be downgraded to a tropical storm in the coming days but warned that it could still generate significant surf for parts of Hawaii. Fausto had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph. It was about 825 miles east of Hilo and was moving west at 14 mph.
“It is even a relief to us in the emergency department when they come in from the pre-hospital world with the device on. It even frees up one of our providers,” Godbee said. “You can see the sides of the head and the feet, and the patients are still accessible. We have greater access to the
patient with this machine even in an emergency department.” “We’ve had patients that
were intubated, even in our services, whose gag reflex returns because their brain is being perfused so well with the device that they’re actually returning lower-level brain function,” Godbee said.
STAFF PHoTo By JoHn BALLAnCE
Brad Harris, public information officer for East Baton Rouge Parish Emergency Medical Services, and dr. dan Godbee, medical director, talk about the LUCAS Chest Compression System.
SEOUL, South Korea World WarII’s D-Day landing beaches in northern France and the iconicMount Olympus in Greece were among thesitesadded to theWorld Heritage List on Sunday at aU.N. committee meeting in SouthKorea reviewing dozens of nominations.
The UNESCO committee, which meets in Busan through Wednesday,also inscribed the ancient Japanese capitals of Asuka and Fujiwara and South Sudan’sBomaBadingilo Migratory Landscape, host to one of the world’slargest land mammal migrationsand the country’sfirst addition to the World Heritage List.
TheFrench designation covers the five Normandy landing beaches —Omaha, Utah, Sword,
RACE
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Lowertemperature
The six incumbents seeking reelection say they want to keep pursuing the current district agenda they’ve developed with Superintendent LaMont Cole.
Cole, who took over in July 2024, has helped calm adistrict that was in turmoil after COVID, aschool transportation crisis, the voluntary buyout of predecessor Sito Narcisse and atumultuous searchtoreplace Narcisse.
The longevity of the parish school district was also helped greatly by the decisivefailure in May of the statewide referendum that sought to create aSt. George school district as acompanion of the new city
“I’m going to stay here so that Ican continue the work that has started, see that it can really fullybe implemented in the way that we all wanttosee,” said Shashonnie Steward, board president and representative for District 4, which includes the Belaire and Park Forest communities
“I’m now getting achance to see some of the vision that I’ve had for our (school)district and District 3beable to come to pass,” said Carla Powell-Lewis, who represents District 3, which includes most of Scotlandville, where she lives. All six of the incumbents seeking reelection arefinishing their first terms. Three of them —Cliff Lewis, Nathan Rust and Patrick Martin V—had defeated incumbents in difficult, costly elections, capitalizing on a sour electorate.
Now,like those they replaced, they are trying to persuade voters thingsare going well enough that they should remain in office.
The BatonRouge Alliance for Students, via its campaign arm,was the biggest spender in fall 2022 to change the board —nearly $1 million. It is once again planning to interview,endorse and financeindependent campaigns for favored candidates.
Adonica Duggan, CEO and co-founder of the alliance, sees amuch better environment education-wise in BatonRouge than fouryears ago.
“Weare excitedatthis time to continue in the direction we areheading,” Duggan said. “Wethink that the superintendent and the board are makingtough decisionsthatare benefiting students,and the proof is in the data.” Cole and the boardhave pushed through several big changes in the past two years: closing low-enrollment schools, changing school start times, beefing up security and, most recently,approving significant employee pay raises.
Standardized scores grew this past year, keeping pace with the state, improving in almost every grade and
Gold and Juno —where more than150,000 Allied troops came ashore on June 6, 1944, along with the Pointe du Hoc assault site, all central to thecampaign to liberate Western Europe from Nazi occupation during World WarII.
InternationalCouncil on Monuments and Sites,which evaluates submissionstothe heritage committee,said the sites contain extensive remnants, from German fortifications and bomb-scarred landscapes to Alliedharbor structures and sunken vessels, marking an “event widely perceived as havingenabled thereturn of freedom and heralded alasting peace on the European continent.”
ICOMOS also called for stronger monitoring and preservationeffortsonthe sites,citing potential threatsposed by tourism, climate change and risingsea levels, and thedevelopmentofwindfarms nearthe areas.
Ahlem Gharbi, France’spermanent delegatetoUNESCO, said theNormandy landings marked a turning point from global conflict toward apostwar order built on peaceand security,and that the
subject.
As controversy has waned, board meetings are shorter and less contentious,with fewer speakers and lower temperatures.
Whilethe mood is more upbeat, Duggannotes that the school district still has a lot of issues, including thousands of children whoare reading below grade level.
She said herorganization wants to make sure voters don’tlapseinto complacency and elect people who changecourse.
“I am focused on makingsure we don’tlean back and say,‘We gotit,’ and go on cruise control,” Duggan said.
Open seats, newfaces
The uncertainty about whether there will betwo or three open seats rests with incumbent Dadrius Lanus.
The38-year-oldLanus has represented District 2since 2019. He said he is notsure if he will seek athird term; he planstodecide within theweek. He said his job as executive director of the LouisianaDemocratic Party, whichheassumed in spring 2025, has kept him busy criss-crossingthe state.
“I hate missing School Board meetings, because these are decisions that we are making for kids,” Lanus said.
District7representative MikeGaudet, who narrowly wonreelectionin2022, fending offheavy spending by thealliance, announced long ago he won’tseek a third term.He reiterated that stance last week
Mark Bellue, who joined the board in 2015, is barred by statelaw from seeking a fourth term in District 1.
Kim Bainguel is running again for that district. Bainguel, who is Black, came within 22 votes of defeating Bellue,who is White, despite being outspent by a 20-to-1 margin
“Our district has strengths worth protecting —and gaps worth closing,” said Bainguel, alicensed social worker with threechildren in public schools. Centered in the Broad-
designationofthe sitescarries addedsignificance at atime of escalatinginternational crises and wars.
“It’s probably thegreatest amphibious landing there’severbeen It ought to be remembered forthat alone,” historianDavid Edgerton said in arecent interview withThe Associated Press.
The WorldHeritage inscription of Mount Olympus, themythical homeofthe 12 Olympian gods, rewarded a12-year effort by Greece to secure recognition for itstallest mountain as amixed cultural and naturalheritagesite.Rising 9,573 feet from abasenear sealevel, the mountain was believed to be the throne of Zeus, king of thegods, while also harboring rich biodiversity.
Evangelos Geroliolios,mayor of Dion-Olympus, amunicipalityat the foot of the mountain, said in a recent interview with the AP that inclusion on theWorld Heritage List“places greater obligations on ourpart to protect thisenvironment,” citing the potential impact of increased tourism.
“Wereaffirm our unwavering
moor area,District1 has shifted racially over the past fouryears, adding 1,300 Black voters and losing about 1,000 White voters. Theracialbalance of the district, however,isunclear moving forward. The Louisiana Secretary of State’s Officewon’tbeupdating its voting registration to the newEastBaton Rouge Parish School Board maps until qualifying, said aspokesperson for the stateagency Several traditional public education advocates have announced their candidacies for School Board.
Hannah Amoroso, aphysical therapist withtwo childrenattendingdistrict schools,announced months back that she is running to replace Gaudet torepresent District 7. Amoroso is best known forher work pressing for new school start times.She points to her yearsofexperience dealing with the district.
“Through these experiences, I’ve seen both the strengths of our schools and the real challenges they face,” Amoroso said.
Morerecently, Nicole Fitzgerald, aformer Spanish teacher at Westdale Middle, announced afew weeksago that she plans to run against Rust to represent District 6. She says she is campaigning to “bring classroom insight, honestaccountability and a deep belief in public education to thedecisionsthataffect District6 students and families.”
Melissa “Dani”Altazin,a mother of three anda parent leader, announced Friday that she is running against Emily Soulé to represent District 8. She has been endorsed by SteveCrump, a retiredUnitarian minister who losttoSoulé in a2024 special election for the seat
“Parents are vital front line stakeholders in our schools, and when the district treats familiesasan afterthought,itloses the public’strust,” Altazin said.
Thomasina Joseph has announcedshe is running against Powell-Lewisfor District3.Joseph is aformer clerkatScotlandville
commitmenttosafeguarding Mount Olympus forthe benefit of present and future generations,” said Georgios Koumoutsakos, Greece’sdelegatetoUNESCO. “As Greekmythology wiselyreminds us,itisalways best to remain on good terms with gods.”
The designated Japaneselocations in the western prefecture of Nara cover19archaeological sites from the 6th- to 8th-centurycapitals of Asuka and Fujiwara, where Japanestablished its first centralized state modeled after Chinese systems.The sites preserve the largely buried remains of royal palaces,government offices, Buddhist templesand tombs from capitals that influenced the later capitals of Naraand Kyoto. Japanese Vice Culture Minister Shigeki Kobayashi thanked the committee for inscribing the Asuka-Fujiwara sites andsaid Japan reaffirms its commitment to “transmitting this valuable property to the future generations.” Japanese Prime MinisterSanae Takaichi, aNaranative, wrote on Xthatshe hopes the World Heritagedesignation will boost tourism
High and mother of agraduatefromthe high school. She has long been civically active. She is currently neighborhood director of Clean Green Neighborhood Alliance.
Tebbe Jackson, aschool administrator who spent adecadeworking in East Baton Rouge public schools,isrunning again for the District 4seat held by Steward.She placed third in 2022 when she
ran for that same seat.
to the site.
Yoshiyuki Aihara, aNara University archaeology professor, toldAPthe sites are significant because they show howJapan’s ancientstate was formedthrough influences from China and the Korean Peninsula.
“If you dig underneath these rice paddiesabout 1meter,you start finding astretch of ruins in this area, though that’snot easyfor ordinary visitors to understand,” said Aihara, whoiscontinuing excavation work at the site.
South Sudan’sBoma-Badingilo site encompasses vast wetlands, flood plains and savannas shaped by seasonal rainfall and flood dynamics, with an estimated 6million white-eared kob, tiang andMongalla gazelles moving across the landscape in response to changing environmental conditions.
It also provides habitatfor elephants, lions, cheetahs and other wildlife while supporting various ethnic communitiesthat have lived by herding, farming and fishing for centuries, according to UNESCO. AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this story.
Matthews said shehas more candidates whowill be announcing soon. She said shehad moreluckrecruiting than she thought shewould.She credits the highly charged state of currentpolitics, from fights over immigration to the St. George school vote.
“It was all the crap that’s been happening,” Matthews said.
District1isthe only districtwhere Matthews said she is still looking forsomeone willing to run. “All of the people are either educators or they are present. Youknow them,” Matthewssaid. “Theyare at board meetings. They are fighting forcommunity issues every day.”
Email Charles Lussier at clussier@theadvocate.com.
By Stevie Cavalier Licciardi stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com
This storyisbrought to youbyMeta.
Cool Kids,Inc.isanearlydevelopment& mentoringprogram based in Northeast Louisianathatprovides communitysupport to school-agechildren andtheirfamilies.Fromwarming sheltersand freshmeals to enrichment learningexperiences,Cool Kids,Inc strives to help kids unlock their full potentialwithin theircommunities Kelsey Higdon, Digital Sales Manager forNola.com and The Advocate visited with Deanna Hubbard, owner of Cool Kids, Inc., to getthe inside scoop on howthe recentMeta investmenthas been impacting thislocal community program.
This organization wasstarted by my son, Jordan Hubbard,who wasatone timevery undisciplined. To makea long story short, Itold him thatifhecould find afew other young men who needed the same support he wasthen Iwould start an organization to help them. He wasable to findabout ten young men, and so it grew from tenyoung men to fifty, and then from fiftyall theway to whatwehavenow.Itchanged hiswhole lifewhen the program started. Jordan was able to go to MorehouseCollegeinAtlanta He is the CEO of Cool Kids,Inc. andwas recently elected as alderman forthe Town of Rayville.
Duringa recentstorm,the powerwas out andpeopleweredisplaced.Kidsweren’t eating because everything wasclosed— stores,restaurants,and schools.Jordan Hubbardcalled HenryThornton, Community Development Regional Manager forMeta, andsaid, “Our kids need to eat. Within twodays, we were able to feed 1,600 kids with themeals Meta provided We alsopetitionedMeta foradditional funding to help with our building’s repairs and the mealsweprovide for250 kids throughout three parishes eachweek. Our Cool Kids,Grab& Go Program provides
breakfast and lunch 5daysaweek throughout the summer whenchildren areout of school.Meta said they would help,and theydid everything they said theyweregoing to do.Wehavea brand-newcomputer room in the back of our building, thanks to Meta.Itwas unusable, but nowit’susable. We arealsogetting ready to repair the outside of the building, as well, and we will have abeautiful building to operate in becauseofthe impact thatMetahas had on thiscommunity.
That statement goes hand-in-handwith ourmotto,which is,“Youare nota product of your environment,yourenvironment is aproduct of you.”Welooktoinstill in our kids theideathatyou canbewhoever you have decided youwanttobe. That means youcan be adoctor,lawyer, nurse, or whatever youclaim foryourself.That’samajor part of ourprogram.Whenakid comes to ourdoorwelooktomakesurethatthey have what theyneededucationally,spiritually,and emotionally.Webelieve that every child hasa chance to excel, andwithMeta comingin, notonlydotheyhavea chanceto excelinthe present, buttheyhavea chance to have ajob fora long time in thefuture. Follow @coolkidsinc1 on Instagram for regular programupdates
Formoreinformation on the Meta project in Richland Parish, see meta.com/ BuildingLouisiana.
BACK2SCHOOL
Gameka Roby, of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library, fills bags with pencils.
Musicians explore roots of Louisiana zydeco
Creole la-la sound influences newer bands
BY JOANNA BROWN
Staff writer
Long before electrified zydeco bands filled dance halls, Creole musicians gathered for acoustic “la-la” house parties across southwest Louisiana. Two young Lafayette musicians are trying to bring that tradition back.
Cajun music leans on Louisiana French folk traditions built around the fiddle, accordion and triangle Zydeco added rhythm and blues, electric guitars and the rub board, creating a louder, more energetic sound. But no matter what kind of band is playing, there’s a beating heart in the music that drives people to gather, dance and make friends out of strangers. It’s possible to hear the unbroken traditions in the sounds, and even see it, when you observe traditional Cajun and Creole artists and zydeco players sit in jams together, or play on each other’s records. Then, it becomes clear that Louisiana roots music has evolved together over the years, producing a modern day sound that wins Grammys and attracts visitors from across the world.
Those shared roots are exactly what two young Lafayette musicians hope to highlight through a new acoustic project. Le Nouveau Zydeco highlights one of southwest Louisiana’s oldest recorded musical traditions — Creole la-la. Considered a precursor to modern zydeco music, “la-la” is the music that would have been played at a rural house party in 19th- and early 20th-century Creole communities — similar to the Acadian folk music played across the countryside, but leading in a new
direction.
“It’s like a root that fed into the tree of zydeco,” said Joshua Caffery, the director of the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where they hold archival recordings of Creole la-la players going back to the 1920s and ‘30s.
“I think one analogy you can make is bluegrass is to American old-time music, what zydeco is to la-la. You know, there’s these older, more traditional strands of the music, then there’s the modernized version of it. When people like Clifton Chenier came along and fused rhythm and blues in a bigger, electrified band with some of these older la-la traditions, it created a modern style that was designed, to some degree, to meet people where they were at in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.”
La-la music first became known through the sounds of early players like Amédé Ardoin and the Carrière Brothers, who were highly influential in building the Louisiana French songbook that Creole, Cajun and zydeco players still use today
“There’s not too many acoustic Creole bands out there,” said 19-year-old Israel Chaisson, who formed Le Nouveau Zydeco with Brayden Janice, who is 22. “I want to make sure that the younger generation of people not only know about the music, but understand it and understand the origins of it.”
They played a set this summer at Sojourn Tea House in Lafayette, showcasing a musical confidence that speaks to their roots — Chaisson has been playing on stages with his father, Zydeco Mike, since he was 2 years old, and Janice also plays in a band called Next Gen Zydeco.
“In my zydeco band, we do play a lot of old Creole songs, but I really like with this band that it’s acoustic,” said Janice. “It’s like old times. With my other band, we
A list of commercial and residential building permits issued by East Baton Rouge Parish government from July 20-24.
BUSINESS
7521 JEFFERSON HIGHWAY: 258-square-foot oyster bar addition to Cafe American, $45,000; applicant, Britany Dealminana; owner, Brian Blackledge. 1750 BRIGHTSIDE DRIVE: remodeling 1,000-square-foot commercial building, $4,800; applicant, Walter Saunders; contractor, Building From the Heart. 3132 COLLEGE DRIVE: change in use to snowball and ice cream shop, $25,000; applicant, Sinh Truong. 11960 BRICKSOME AVE.: office use; applicant, Nilesh Patel. 10310 THE GROVE BLVD.: wall sign, $32,653; applicant, Ti Cabirac; owner, Britnee Lombas; contractor, Signworx. 14027 PERKINS ROAD: washateria and pickup for dry cleaning; applicant and owner, Stephen Rockenbaugh. 200 LAUREL ST.: nonprofit organization; applicant, Jennifer LePage; owner, Prescott Bailey 11969 BRICKSOME AVE.: office for professional architecture firm; applicant and owner, Phillip Kern. 1381 N. ACADIAN THRUWAY W.: renovation and change of use of 860-square-foot building from event venue to daiquiri shop; applicant and owner, Wilton Alexander; HR3 Production. 11445 COURSEY BLVD.: boiled seafood sales; applicant, Jeremy Belona. 11826 COURSEY BLVD,: remodel for a 750-square-foot tea shop, $37,500; applicant, Chau Pham; owner, Mei Qiu. 8322 BLUEBONNET BLVD.: remodel of former Roux 61 Seafood & Grill to a 9,921-square-foot physical therapy and MRI office for Baton Rouge Orthopedic Clinic, $1.2 million; applicant, Mark Matthews; owner, Trey Williamson; contractor, Matthews General Contractors.
7570 JEFFERSON HIGHWAY: commercial pylon sign, $11,000; applicant, Michael Washington. 3859 CHOCTAW DRIVE: interior remodel to convert a 2,808-squarefoot hair salon into a church assembly facility, $18,750; applicant, Adran Ard; contractor Ka Construction.
7517 JEFFERSON HIGHWAY: retail needlepoint shop, $5,000; applicant, Sarah Edgecomb. 8121 FLORIDA BLVD.: restaurant; applicant and owner, Mohammad Alawi.
2819 NEEDHAM: warehouse for fans and other property restoration tools and equipment; applicant and owner, David Vercher.
3156 COLLEGE DRIVE: park trucks and store pesticides; applicant, Ethan Farrer; owner, Bryant Butler. 5201 NICHOLSON DRIVE: bar, not serving food; applicant, William Scott.
have a lot of big speakers, and it’s a full piece band. This is just an accordion, a fiddle and maybe an acoustic bass — it’s a completely different feeling.”
Zydeco musician Brandon Ledet, who plays with Brandon Ledet & Creole Touch, said he likes to explain the differences between oldtime Creole and Cajun music in simple terms — “it’s dependent on the flavor of the people making it.”
“There are similarities, because it was pretty much all stirred out of the same pot,” he said. “As far as Creole la-la music and Cajun music, I find that Cajun music has more of a straightforward flow to it, where your Creole la-la music is more centered around a pulsating beat.”
As the bands got amplified and genres like zydeco and swamp pop entered the mix — influenced by predominant trends in pop music, such as the rise of country-western and R&B music — Louisiana music and players continued to evolve, while maintaining a connection to the roots Ledet said that when he is invited to Cajun jam sessions in the area, the playing style is a familiar one with direct links to old Cajun music icons like Iry LeJeune, who was influenced by Ardoin.
“Myself, I play across the board,” said Ledet. “I can play Cajun music, I can play Creole, I play zydeco. You can sit me in with a Cajun band, close your eyes, and say, ‘That’s a Cajun artist up there.’
“Usually music gets labeled by the identity of the person playing it,” he added. “They can play the same tune, and have a different style band backing them up, because it comes from the same root of where the music started. And you can’t grow a seed without a root first.”
Email Joanna Brown at joanna. brown@theadvocate.com.
2575 O’NEAL LANE: build out of 1,755-square-foot space for restaurant, $85,000; applicant, Lonnie Bonacorso; owner, Daulat Sthanki; contractor, Bonacorso — Sthanki Sthanki Builders.
2040 S. ACADIAN THRUWAY: exterior improvements to the playground, outdoor theater and sidewalks at Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts Elementary School, $900,000; applicant, Jonathan Guelfo; owner, Doug Pourciau; contractor, Build Commercial Construction.
660 ARLINGTON CREEK CENTRE BLVD.: wall sign; $10,500; applicant, Cody Jenkins; owner, Xianggang Chen; contractor, Brightbox Wholesale Signage.
11592 S. CHOCTAW DRIVE: wholesale millwork sales to construction industry; applicant, David Berke; owner, Roy Maughan.
2798 O’NEAL LANE: pediatric therapy for children; applicant, Danielle Mixon.
4961 GUS YOUNG AVE.: tire shop with sale of new and used tires; applicant, Ali Abdulrahman Shaafal.
12606 WARWICK AVE.: political sign for Jermaine Guillory; applicant, Jermaine Guillory 3084 WESTFORK DRIVE: financial services for St. George Fire Department; applicant, Blake Townsend; owner, Richard Hedley
NEW HOMES
316 WOODSONG AVE: $566,709, 3,413 square feet; applicant and owner, Scott Bardwell; contractor, Bardwell Construction Co. 21052 CHANEY ROAD, ZACHARY: $450,000, 3,640 square feet; applicant, owner and contractor, Bayleigh Guerin. 1941 GREEN OAK DRIVE: $148,000, 1,630 square feet; applicant, Phillip Johnson; owner, Magnolia Property Solutions.
9433 DAWSON TRACE AVE.: $200,000, 2,465 square feet; applicant, Jacob Harelson; owner, Carlos Alvarez; contractor, Alvarez Construction Co.
9452 DAWSON TRACE AVE.: $200,000, 1,979 square feet; applicant, Jacob Harelson; owner, Carlos Alvarez; contractor, Alvarez Construction Co.
Mental
into a new office on Goodwood Boulevard, across the street from the Main Library The outpatient mental health facility is renovating and expanding an office building at 7938 Goodwood Blvd., right in front of its current location at 7946 Goodwood. The new building will be about 4,900 square feet, said Peter Turner of JCT Solutions, the general contractor for the project. That is about 1,000 square feet larger than the current site. The work should be completed in the next couple of months, Turner said. Elemental Health is owned by Marc Crawford, and Dr Majid Khan is the medical director
Is there a building under construction or renovation in your neighborhood and you want to know what it is? Send an email with a picture or the location to ianne.salvosa@ theadvocate.com.
STAFF PHoToS By JAVIER GALLEGoS
Metro Council member Cleve dunn Jr smiles while handing backpacks to a motorist alongside Andrea Lafayette during the Back 2 School Giveaway at the district 6 Council office on Saturday.
STAFF PHoTo By TIMoTHy BoonE
A new office building for Elemental Health is under construction on Goodwood Boulevard. COMING UP
PanelchallengesU.S.radiation safety practice
BY JENNIFER McDERMOTT Associated Press
TheNuclear Regulatory Commission is proposing to eliminate afoundationalsafety principle that has for 50 years minimizedthe radiation peopleinthe UnitedStatesare exposed to and that has been adopted around the world.
Currently,facilities such as nuclear plants, hospitals or academic institutions that use radioactive materials must ensureradiation exposures are kept“as low as reasonably achievable” —the ALARA principle. The NRC proposalwould abandon that philosophy while keeping aseparate standard on maximum radiation exposure.
The twostandards have worked together in radiation safety. Dose limits setthe maximumamountof radiation the public and radiation workers can be exposed to, while ALARA kept radiationexposure as low as practical under those limits. Research shows radiationexposure increases aperson’schanceofgetting cancer,arisk that increases as the dose increases.
The dose limits arenot changing. But the NRC, which regulates civilian nuclear energy technologies and radioactive materials, now wantsto replace ALARA with a“gradedapproach” that includesseveral actions facilities must take depending on the potential dose of radiation to workers. More rigorous radiation protection measureswouldbe required when approaching dose limits to ensure they aren’texceeded.
This comes as President Donald Trump attempts to quadruple domesticnuclear energyproductionbecause of surging electricity demand
amid adata center andartificial intelligence boom.Reforming the NRC is one way Trump is trying to speed up nuclear reactor development. He instructed the federal agency in an executive order last year to “adopt science-based radiation limits.
The Energy Department, which oversees national energy policies, has already stopped using ALARA.
TheNRC expects to finalizeits radiation protection regulations in the coming months
NRCChairmanHoNiehsaidthe commissionisnot lowering thebar on safety.
“We’re just removingthe ambiguity,” he said in acall with reporters. “But thestandardfor exposure to workers and the public, those are not changing. We’rejust putting in place greater clarification.”
Nieh doesn’texpect major changes within thenation’sexisting fleet of large, traditional reactors. But companies designing and building new, smallerreactors could move faster with aclearer picture of the radiation protection requirements, he said.
The NRC said radiation exposure limitsare set well below levels associated with health effects, and it expectsremaining standards and industry practices to keep radiation dosesfar below thelimits.There’s incentive to do so —it’smore expensive and time-consuming to work in areas with higher radiation because access must be restrictedand more surveys arerequired
Thenuclear industry’strade associationagrees with the NRC.
“Wewill always continue to look at what can we do to reducethe dose to workers, and maintainour dosesto the off-sitepublic as low as possible,”
said DougTrue, chief nuclearofficer at theNuclear Energy Institute.“It’s not like we’re just going to throw open the doors and let everything run up to the limits.”
ALARA created a“moving target” forregulation, saidJustinFriedman, anuclear energy consultant whopreviouslyspent three decades at the U.S.DepartmentofState. Getting rid of the rule would allow NRCscientists to makemore rational decisions aboutappropriate levels of manageable risk, he added.
Edwin Lyman, director of nuclear power safety at theUnionofConcerned Scientists, cautions that some parts of theNRC proposal could raisepermissibleradiation doses in certain cases, while still staying below the cap. Lyman highlighted aproposed revision toradionuclide emissions standards, in particular Radiationexposure to thegeneral public is limitedto100 milliremper year.Atypical dose of radiation from achest X-ray is 10 millirem.
The NRC wants to increase its radionuclide emissions standards from aconservative 10 milliremper year dose to 25 milliremper year,based on ahypothetical personlivingina house at theproperty line foranuclear plant.
TheNRC says actual dosestothe public would remainfar lower because, in reality,people live farther from nuclear sites and benefit from dispersion in air andwater
The NRC should improve,rather than eliminate, ALARA, Lyman said, to protect the public andworkers. ALARA hasbecome apolitical targetbecause some people mistakenly believe radiation exposures have to be as lowaspossible no matter the cost, Lyman said. In reality,itallows
tradeoffs. Katy Huff, aformer U.S. assistant secretary for nuclear energy,saidin somecases, the requirement may be challenging to regulate. Additional clarity would improve the regulatory environment without harming the public,added Huff, aprofessor and department chair at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
However,Huff said, she thought theNRC wasgoing to clarify what reasonable meansinALARA withoutscrappingit. Shesaidshe’s open to being convinced thegradedapproach will be just as effective
The National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements, chartered by Congress to provide independent scientific guidance, has not formally weighedinyet.Council president Kathryn Higley said she personally likessome things in the 180-page document and thinks others are problematic. The NRC should look at the whole picturefor managing risk, she said.For instance,ifa workerata nuclear power plant were to enter an area where airborne radioactive materials are present, in keeping with ALARA, they mightwearfull personal protective equipment with respirators, said Higley, professor emeritusatOregonState University.That makes them move slower, potentially subjecting them to heat stress that could hurt themmore thana lowdose of radioactivity,she said. Aconcern with the proposal, Higley said, is that it maintains the current occupational dose limit for adult radiation workers at 5rem, or 5,000 millirem, peryear.WithALARA in place, the average dose to workers has been well belowthatcap
BY MARK CARLSON, EMMADASILVA and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press
LEGE-CAP FERRET,France Araging
wildfire in southwest France forced the evacuationof55,000people overnight Sunday,bringingthe total forced out of their homes to astaggering 220,000 in one region alone, as flames crept ever closer to the wine region city of Bordeaux.Neighboring Spain oversaw its own fire evacuations on the country’seastcoast.
Shifting and gusting winds, as well as arid conditions, complicated massive efforts to limit the spread of the monster blaze burningout of control since midweek in France’sGironde region, where Bordeaux is located. Authorities issued overnight evacuation orders for five morelocalities southwest of the historic city
“The situation remains very unfavorable,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said after what he described as “another difficult night” for fire crews battling roundthe-clock againstthe blaze that has burned an area four timesthe size of Paris.
“The fire became extremely virulent again and unpredictable,generating its own windsand advancing erratically toward the Bordeaux metropolitanarea,” Nunez posted on X.
“It became calmer by the end of the night,” the minister added. At the end of his Sunday Angelus prayer, Pope LeoXIV referenced “the devastating wildfires” in France and Spain and said: “I express my solidarity and invite everyone to pray for those affected and forthe work of the rescue workers.”
An estimated 162 square miles had burned in Gironde, the region’s pre-
fecture said, muchofitforests and scrubland made tinder-dry by successive heat waves.That is seven times the area of Manhattan island and four times the size of Paris.
Firefighters racedintruckstofight flare-ups and planesdropping water and retardantsrotated in the smokefilled air.Farmers delivered water in tanks to firecrews so they could fight theflames without interruption.
“Thisallows firefighters to focus on the fire,” saidTheo Hernandez, a wine grower.“It’s verystrong, very virulent, it’sspreading everywhere.”
Thenumberoffirefighters mobilized grew to 2,500, backed by 18
planes and helicopters, including from otherEuropeannations. Soldiers have also been called in.A giantA400M military cargoaircraft dropped plumes of ochre-colored retardant.
In afirst for France, theblaze alarmingly developed into aselffeeding firestorm on several occasions,most recentlyonSaturday night,generating lightning bolts that can startnew flare-ups, authorities said.
“It’slike being confronted by a hurricane,”saidGironde firechief Marc Vermeulen.
Forecast high temperatures start-
ing Tuesdaycould complicate the firefighting, Gironde prefect Sophie Brocas said.
In Spain, wildfires burnedout of controlaround Madrid. Evacuations were also carried out Sunday in the Valencia region. Aman waskilled Saturday in awildfire in Manises, aValenciasuburb, markingSpain’s first recorded death in the latest fires.
“Westill have some difficult hours ahead,” PrimeMinister Pedro Sánchez said Sunday, but the night was “very positive in terms of bringing the flames under control.”
Atotal of 76,000peoplehavebeen evacuatedinSpain while 30,000 others have been confinedtotheir homes, the government said.
Evacuees fretted aboutwhat they’ll find when they’re allowedto return.
Rocío Domínguezfled herhouse with onlythe clothes on herback.
“All the clothes, all thememories, everything, everything, everything,” wereleft behind, she told The Associated Press.
“TheonlythingI hadtimeto grabwas akit Ihave for the dogs,” Domínguez added, surrounded by hertwo belovedpets. Everything else she has with her now —from the clothes she wears to herfood and toiletries —she received at the shelter.
At the evacuation center,where cots have been set up for about 200 people,Domínguez still has the terrifying memoryoftheir escape fresh in her mind.
“Itwas madnesswithcarsgoing up and down, trafficjamsinthe village streets as people tried to get out. It looked likethe apocalypse,” said Domínguez, 35. “You couldn’tsee anything.”
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By MAnU FERnAndEZ
de Valdeiglesias, Spain, west of Madrid.
Racism isn’tdestiny in important U.S. Senate race
Nothing less than the future of Louisiana is at stake in the U.S. Senate race. That’swhy it can’t be calledoff before it even begins by racism about the choices in the November election. The campaign must be about the quality of life for every family in Louisiana: healthcare in rural areas and metro areas, the ability of families to be financially secure and earn alivable wage, the protectionofaccess to reproductive healthcare and protections for all citizens.
But some people want totell you the election is over now, before asingle general election ballot is cast.
When Shawn Wilson was running for governor in 2024, I was so aggravated by the White Democratsand no-party folks parroting the line that aBlack man could not be elected. What that race proved is that ahighly qualified Black man can’twin if we don’tvote for him. And the state is poorer today for the election of Jeff Landry over Wilson.
Ihope my White friends understand what is at stake this year.Weneed to highlight why the Democratic Senate nominee Jamie Davis is agenerational leader, who understandsrural Louisiana, abusinessman who farms 3,200 acres and understands the critical impact of federalpolicies on Louisiana farmers and working families.
Davis understands the balance between business and protecting our naturalresources, environmentand communities.
We need White people of character and conscience to understand this opportunity to bridge the fault linesofrace, class, region and political party They can help elect aman who embodies the best of Louisiana. Jamie Davis can win if we vote like our future depends on it. It is time for Louisiana to move past the racism that has polluted our politics for generations.
MELISSA S. FLOURNOY Baton Rouge
Surgeonsoperating on apatient at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston in 2025. Researchintonew treatments for cancer relies on federal funding
Thebreakthroughcancer drugsoftomorrowdepend on ourinvestment today
Fordecades, pancreatic cancer has remained one of themost difficult cancers to treat.
Most patients are diagnosed at an advanced stage,when surgery is no longer an option,and for those whose cancer has worsened despite chemotherapy,treatment options have been extremely limited. That is why therecent dataondaraxonrasib presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meetingearlier this summer is so important. In apivotal Phase 3study of patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer,daraxonrasib nearly doubled survival compared with chemotherapy
Aonce-daily oral tablet, it is also thefirst chemotherapy-free treatment to show benefit in aPhase3trial for patientswith advanced pancreatic cancer
This progressdid not happen overnight. It is the result of decades of scientific research into KRAS, aprotein that is mutated in most pancreatic cancers
Foryears, KRAS was considered “undruggable.” Continued investment in science and persistence from researchershave begun to
change that narrative.
Abreakthrough like this is not just aheadline. It can mean moretime, something my patientsand their families hopefor every day
Daraxonrasib is not yet FDA-approved, but it is available through the FDA’s Expanded AccessProgram in partnership with the manufacturer for certain patients with previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer
Researchers are also studying it in earlier stages of pancreatic cancer,inpatients with untreated stage IV disease andincombination with other novel therapies. That is how progress builds: One discovery opens the door to thenext.
As policymakers debatehealthcare reform and scientific research funding, they should remember that thediscoveries that will save lives tomorrow depend on the investments we make today
Patients need care tobeaffordable and accessible, but they also need asystem that continues to support scientific innovation.
As someone who has spent years workingwith Louisiana communities living near petrochemical facilities, Iamtroubled by a familiar pattern.
dustrial pollution exposure, including learningdisabilities and anemia among children, reproductive healthcomplications among women and other adverse health outcomes.
n.o. will paya highprice for antagonizing thegovernor
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno recently retracted a$110 millionbond sale request before the State Bond Commission, saying she expected it to be rejected as retribution for the indictment of the attorney general.
Gee,who could ever imagine this would be the inevitable outcome of the city attacking the attorney general?
Dane Ciolino, law professor at Loyola University,opined during a recent interview that the indictment of the attorney general for cautioning city officials that they were breaking state law and could pay a price they did not want to pay was going to be anonstarter
The fact that all 12 Criminal District Court judges recused themselves because they were smart enough to realize that they did not want any part of this fiasco should be evidence that city officials got way over their skis.
Let’sberealists. Grand jury members didn’tget together and decide to indict Liz Murrill. Someone put that motion before them. That was adumb move, and the city is going to pay abig price for a long time.
Ihope that Moreno doesn’tcontinue to antagonize the governor and his staff. The real losers will be the citizens of New Orleans.
RICK ELLIS neworleans
Size,placement of photos tell theirown storyafter election
Irecently read an article in a national newspaper highlighting 16 things America got right. The one that caught my eye was titled, “Our Aspiration to Fairness.”
Soon afterward, Iread my regional paper.The headlined story showed alarge photo of the Republican Senate primary winner, the written commentary,asmaller photo of the Republican runner-up and below that aphoto of the Democratic primary winner
Most of the article detailed the Republican winner’sstory and her connection to the president, with abrief mention of the Democratic winner’sname.
Ithen looked on my social media page and noticed alocal newsstation’spost with the winners in sideby-side photos. The photo of one winner featured her professionally dressed, while the photo of the other winner depicted him in his working gear —farming attire.
GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.o. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com.
Followingrecent industrial incidents—includingthe May refinery explosion and fire in Chalmette and the April refinery fire in St.CharlesParish —residents were quickly reassured that there was no threat to public health.
Yetmanyfamilies living closest to these facilities continue to ask an important question: How do we know?
Fordecades, residents of Louisiana’sindustrialcorridor have reported concerns aboutcancer,respiratory illness, reproductive health problems, childhood learning disabilities and other chronic health conditions affectingmultiple generations. Toooften, these concerns have been dismissed or minimized.
Therecently released CoDA Environmental Health Study provides new evidence that these concerns deserve serious attention.
UsingLouisiana Medicaid data and government environmental data, researchers found elevated risks for several health conditions amongpeople living in areas with higher in-
Importantly,these findings echoed stories shared by residentsthemselves during focus groups held throughout thestate.
Louisiana’scommunities are not asking for alarmism. We are asking for transparency, accountability,honest answers and the basic right to breathe clean air and drink clean water
This is not unreasonable. When industrial accidents occur,residents deservemore than reassurance without clarity.Wedeserve to know therisk when disastrouschemical fires, spills and other industrial disasters happen in our communities.
We deserve robust environmental monitoring,clear public communication and a commitment to understanding the long-term healthimpacts of living near industrial facilities.
The people who live beside these plants every day deserve to be heard.Residents of Louisianadeserve better!
KANITRACASTON neworleans
While Idobelieve that what someone wears could be thought of as aminor indicator of ability in someminds and also that someone wearing casual or working attire could be thought of as amore relatable candidate, aphoto depicting a candidate in business attire almost surely presents that person as capable of doing abetter job.
It is incumbent upon reporting entities to makemore of an effort to present fairly.Thinking about the sheer level of effort, energy and finance it surely takes to run foroffice, it is my hope that in the future, especially as the November election approaches, the media reporting stories live up to their claims of fair and nonpartisan reporting, including the headline, body and photos.
DEDRA MAJOR Chalmette
PRoVIdEd PHoTo
PresidentDonald Trump arrivesto speak at Wheeler High School on July 22 in Marietta, Ga. ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
Is Trumplosinghis touch?
For over adecade, Donald Trump has demonstrated ashrewd —even brilliant —grasp of what motivates his followers. That’swhy he’s won two elections and only barelylost athird. But Trump has always been more effective as achallengerthanasan incumbent —the one electionhelost was as asitting president —and 18 months into his secondterm, the president seems to be losing his political touch. Aglaring gap keeps growing between what he’sfocused on and whatvoters care about, and his recent tone-deaf speech about voter fraud highlights that damaging disconnect.
port hiseconomic policies and 27% back thewar effort. Two-thirds describe groceries as “unaffordable,” up from 45% in February,and manyRepublicans areincreasingly frustrated with the president’srelentless rants.
Onebrave Democrat delivers ablunt partyautopsy
important’ to votein2026 than in previous midterm elections, compared with just over half of Republicans.”
“Tome, it’sjust amissed opportunity to talk about an issue that voters are actually going to cast votes on,” Michigan Republican strategist Jason Cabel Roe told The Hill. “Wecontinue to have to revert backtohim airing his grievances,and,you know,Republicans are expected to just stand and salute to it.”
America is at war,awar Trump chose to fight after promising to avoid foreign conflicts, and the costs are mounting rapidly.Atleast17U.S. soldiersare dead andabout500 injured
The White House has requested an emergency aid package of $67 billion to fund the war,and the Washington Post reports: “The Pentagon faces an urgent budget shortfallcaused largely by the war in Iran, with some critical lines of funding set to run outwithin weeks…” For civilians, the averageprice of gas is now back to over $4 agallon, and according to Brown University’s Iran WarEnergy Cost Tracker, Americans have shoulderedmore than $72 billion in increased fuel bills since the war began in February.That works outto morethan $550 per household, and consumerresentmentisrising.
In arecent WashingtonPost poll, Trump’soverall approval ratingremains stuck at 37%, but only 33% sup-
“When moms and dads lie down to sleep at night and can’t, what are they mostly worried about? Iwould say cost of living. That’s what Ibelieve,” said Sen. John Kennedy ofLouisiana. “But he’sthe president and hewas elected by thepeople and he cantalk about whatever he wants.”
Other GOP lawmakerssay Trumpis ignoring abasic truth: that American politics is always about the future, notthe past.“It’slike it’sa really good show,” said Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina. “But you’ve watched thereruns too many times.”
As aresult, reports thePost, there
“are signs that Trump’sbase is weakening.” Only 15%ofTrumpbackers “approve strongly” of the president, a new low,down from 19% in February Andthere is agrowing enthusiasm gap between potential Democratic andRepublican voters.
“Democrats are 10 pointsmore likely to be certain to votethis year than Republicans,”writes the Post. “And more than 7in 10 Democrats say it is ‘more
To somestrategists,this fading zeal explains Trump’sspeech on voter fraud. He pulled out all the favorite catchphrases that have always motivated his base —plot, fraud, cheat, even Deep State —inanattemptto generatepressure on Congress topass theSAVEAct, abill that would rig the fall election for Republicans by disenfranchising as many as 21 million valid voters. Andifthe bill fails, as is likely, he acquires one more grievance to motivatehis supporters.
Buthis ploy could also ignite “a political backfire for the GOP,” warns The Wall Street Journal. “If Republican voters believe” the election system is corrupt, then “why waste time going to thepolls in November?”
Rep.Thomas Massie of Kentucky, wholost aprimary to aTrump-backed challenger,argues that since Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress —plus the SupremeCourt —playing thevictim won’twork.
“And we’re trying to convince people that the problem is we can’twin electionsorthe elections weren’tfair?” Massie told The Hill. “It may energize asmall amount of the base, but it’s going to fall flat among the swing voters.”
Do those swing voters care more about election fraud in Venezuela or gas and grocery prices in Visalia or Vincennes or Vicksburg? The answer is obvious, but not to Trump. Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.
When theguardrailsare destroyed
People of acertainage were taught to respect the police, obey thelaw and other rules and regulations mostly practiced by our parents and grandparents. They believed such things would lead to better lives for themselves and for the nation. For many, they did.
Today we look at the lawlessness,the antisemitism, thehate speechdirected at the president, teen takeovers, attacks on police officers and others and we might ask: Why is this happening?
The answer can be foundonthe side of the road. To use ametaphor,the guardrails have been removed. Guardrails are crash-tested barriers designed to keep vehicles from running off the road. Moral, ethical anddeportment “guardrails” have functioned to keep us from “running off theroad.” Politicians, including PresidentDonald Trump and Democrats in Congress, throw rhetorical barbs at each other, sometimes using vulgar language What kind of lesson does this teach young people?
AWashington Post editorial titled “Name-calling won’twin election”puts it this way: “Republicans could explain why putting bureaucrats in charge of the economy has ended disastrously everywhere it has happened.They
could lay outwhy economic incentives, rather than government diktats, are more effective at allocating resources. But theGOP led by President Donald Trumphas spent more time name-calling than making apositive case for the American system.”
Calling people names doesn’t changetheir minds. It hardens their hearts.Republicans should focus on why they think —and prove —theirideas are better than what the Democratic Socialists are selling. Alittle bit of history might help, especiallywhen theyounger generation may have missed learning aboutmuch of the 20th century which saw communism and socialism kill millions of people, the imprisonment of millions more, suppression of speech andreligion and astate-controlled press. If guardrails are destroyed, where does one turnfor protection of what we in America know as basic human rights? No guardrails, no freedom and anythinggoes, depending on who has thepower.Asthe verse says: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can therighteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). Assuming, that is, anyone can be called “righteous.”
The World Cup, watched by hundreds ofmillions around theworld,
has boundaries on the field. So do other sports. There are speed limits and limitations on other behavior to protect our safety,allow for the pursuit of happiness or at least contentment, and contribute to the general welfare. If there were no boundaries in sports how could anyone keep score? If there are no moral boundaries in life, anarchy results. Replacingthese guardrails cannot be done by government alone, or even mainly.Itrequires achange of heart for individuals, which can then lead to achange in direction for thecountry
I’ve quoted it before, but thecondition in which we find ourselves deserves repeating it:“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25)
Guardrails are coming down faster than Trump’sname on The Kennedy Center in Washington. Truthhas become subjective. Everyone does what seemstohim or herself to be right —without being able to define right or wrong using auniversal standard. Notice the number of politicians who refuse to define “woman.” As in ancient times,weare seeing the resultsofwhat we are dismantling. Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com
Former South Carolina congressman Joe Cunningham talks —and writes —like someone whohas nothing to lose. Or,heisone brave man,willing to tell the unvarnished truth to his fellow Democrats. At 44, Cunningham isn’tnearly finished with what he started out to do when he was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 after running on apromise to vote against Nancy Pelosi as House speaker.Hequickly transformed into anational political star after becoming the first Democrat to winthe state’s1st Congressional District in four decades. His career was cut short just twoyears later when Republican Nancy Mace ousted him in aclose election. A run forSouth Carolina governor in 2022 against the seemingly invincible Gov. Henry McMaster,aRepublican, also proved quixotic. Somemight say that aDemocrat such as Cunningham isn’telectable in MAGA-red South Carolina, where President Donald Trumpisstill the endorser-in-chief.Cunningham admits that campaigning wasoften tough. In Trumpstrongholds such as Goose Creek (near Charleston) or even Hilton Head, people don’twant to hear aword from Democrats, he told me in an hourlong conversation. At least Cunningham was hearing people out as he tackled atour of the state’s46counties before the governor’srace. He heard what voters cared about —not the Democratic Party’sgreen energy tax breaks, but grocery prices, affordable housing, education and health care. The mayor of one small towntold Cunningham that residents just wanted agrocery store.
These days, Cunningham is less frustrated by his defeats than by the sorry state of the Democratic Party —the hypocrisy,disingenuousness and disconnect from what Americans generally care about. He detailed his observations in arecently self-published book, “Lifeofthe Party,” an easy-to-read autopsy of his beloved party’s departure from reality “The Party’sgaze has drifted beyond the basic needs …and has settled on aculture war that includes gender identity,racial quotas, DEI, and bathrooms,” he wrote. “Ithas cost them swaths of voters whomay never come back.”
He points out that atiny percentage of people are transgender and asks what percentage of those wanttoplay sports. Victory fora minuscule slice of the population may fill the virtue cup, but it’snot awin forthe country.Diversity he wrote, should be the nation’sbarometer,not its guiding star Cunningham’s book offers insights, as well as statistics and stories from his Kentucky upbringing, into his heroes and simpler times when humility,honesty and accountability were social norms. The world has changed so rapidly in the past twodecades that mostAmericans struggle not only to makeends meet but also to makesense of things. Most baffling (and frightening) are advances in artificial intelligence and the predatory practices of Big Tech. Afather of two with ababy due any day Cunningham said the Democratic Party should shiftfocus from tangential issues to, among other things, the challenges all parents face in protecting their children.
Those mostconfused are sometimes elderly elected officials —the people Cunningham calls the “geriatric oligarchy.” He argues that the country needs younger representation from generations that understand the complexities of technology.Inhis book, he recounts an anecdote from 2018 when Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg testified at aU.S. Senate committee hearing about data abuse and social media privacy.Then 84-year-old Sen. Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah, asked, “How do you sustain a business model in which users don’tpay for your service?” Zuckerberg responded, “Senator,werun ads.” In 2006, during adebate about net neutrality, Sen. TedStevens, R-Alaska, then 82, shared his expertise, explaining that “the internet is not something that you just dumpsomething on. It’s not abig truck. It’s aseries of tubes.” Cunningham proposes age limits forelected officials and the judiciary.“It’s hard to take the keys away from your parents,” he told me, but age matters.
He argues that his party,more than Republicans, needs new ideas. “You have to make things simple, and Trumpdoes makethings simple,” he told me. “Notax on tips was one. We can’tbetter dissect our healthcare system and come up with somenew ideas?
Cunningham said he hopes his book will contribute to amore honest self-appraisal by his former colleagues and areturn to big ideas. One might also hope it will lead him to run again forpublic service. Athird party might be just the ticket.
Kathleen Parker is on X, @kathleenparker
Kathleen Parker
Steve Roberts
Cal Thomas
After nFL-worst finish in 2025, Saints committed to fixing special teams
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
Quietly, the New Orleans Saints allocated some of their offseason resources toward addressing a third phase that had grown stagnant in recent years — special teams.
The first came in free agency, when the Saints signed former Minnesota Vikings (and Tulane Green Wave) punter Ryan Wright to a four-year, $14 million deal — hopefully putting a stopper into the creaky revolving door at the position they created when they cut Thomas Morstead five years earlier
Then, on Day 3 of the draft, New Orleans used a sixthround pick on one of the draft’s most electric return men, LSU’s Barion Brown. That may not sound like much, until one remembers New Orleans has found its last two AllPro returners in the undrafted ranks.
And, finally, the Saints waited until one of the final days of their offseason program to add kicker Tanner Brown — who was named the United Football League’s 2026 Special Teams Player of the Year to compete with incumbent Charlie Smyth
BY KENNY LACY JR.
Press
Pels ink training camp deal with Bufkin
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
The investment was necessary Last season, New Orleans ranked dead last in both field goal percentage (71.1%) and gross (43.3 yards) and net punting average (36.1).
Depth chart (name, height, weight, experience)
n Charlie Smyth, 6-foot-4, 210 pounds, 2 years
n Tanner Brown, 6-0, 177, 1
n Ryan Wright, 6-3, 245, 5
n Zach Wood, 6-3, 255, 10
n Barion Brown, 5-11, 177, R
n Ty Chandler, 5-11, 205, 5
Number to know: -63.3
That is the cumulative Expected Points Added (EPA)
contributed by the Saints special teams units in 2025. Take note of the minus sign in front of that number. It was the worst figure in the NFL last season by a significant margin. The difference between the Saints and the second-worst team, the Arizona Cardinals (minus-44.2),
ä See SAINTS, page 5B
BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter
STAFF FILE PHoTo By SoPHIA GERMER Saints’ sixth-round draft-pick Barion Brown runs with the ball during rookie mini-camp on May 9 at the team’s indoor practice facility in Metairie.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By SETH WEnIG
The 2026 Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Jeff Kent, left, Andruw Jones, center, and Carlos Beltran pose for pictures after the induction ceremony on Sunday in Cooperstown, n.y
5:50 p.m.
6p.m.
6p.m.Gotham City vs.Red Rose FS1
8p.m.JHX Hoops at Aftershocks
10
9p.m.Los
Pogacarconfirmsstatusascycling great
BY JEROME PUGMIRE AP sportswiter
PARIS Tadej Pogacar confirmed his status as one of cycling’salltime greats after winning arecord-equaling fifth Tour de France title in emphatic style. Daring mountain attacksfrom deep, multiple stage wins and an ice-cool temperament all helped the 27-year-old Slovenianseal his victory on Sunday.Hejoined Belgian Eddy Merckx, Spaniard Miguel Indurain and Frenchmen Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault as the only riders to win five Tours.
“I’mspeechless.It’sanincredible day,there was an incredible atmosphere,” Pogacar said. “I’ve ridden seven Tours already and I’vealways finished on the podium. Youmight think this is afairytale, it’sincrediblefor me too.”
After competing strongly in Sunday’s21st and exciting final stage in Paris, Pogacarfinished 6minutes, 26 seconds ahead of Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings
Two-time Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard was Pogacar’smain rival heading into the racebut theDanecrashed outonthe 15th stage.
“Shame that Jonasand others crashed out of this Tour,” Pogacar said. “I hope we can all fight again next year.”
Pogacar’sUAE Team Emirates XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro, a22-year-oldMexican making his Tour debut, was third at 9:42 back from Pogacar,who smiled and held up his hand to signify his wins. His teammates then joined him as they stood proudly on the Champs-Élysées.
“I don’tknow how Idoit,” Pogacar said. “I nowhave to find anew goal to chase. Which goal?Let’s just not jump ahead of ourselves, and enjoy this moment.”
Slovenia’sTadej Pogacar
Pogacar wonthe Girod’Italia in 2024 but has not won the Spanish Vuelta, which startsonAug. 22. “Will IbeatLa Vuelta in afew weeks?” he said. “Let’ssee.”
Peerless Pogacar
Pogacar won five stagesatthis year’srace to take his impressive tally to 26 overall.
He tried to winonSunday,too, but victory ultimately went to Dutchman Mathieu van derPoel, whojust heldoff thechasing pack on the home straight for his secondstage win at thisyear’s race andfourth overall.
Sunday’s88.7-kilometer (55mile) stagelooped around Paris and was mostly processional,although less so than in previous years, whichwere usually entirely flat stagesfor sprintersand not for therest of thepeloton.
Thestagewas shortened from 133 kilometersand its starting point in Thoiry, west of the capital, was changed to Paris so as to reducepressure on emergency services combating wildfiresin
the
thesouthwest. Some security forces initially mobilizedfor Paris were redeployed to help response efforts.
Forthe second straight year the stage featured the hugely popularuphillclimbthrough the Montmartredistrict, asharp 1-kilometer dash whichriderstackled three times beforefinishing on the Champs-Élysées. It proved even too much for Pogacar,who could not match Van der Poel’s rawpower in theclosing stages. Shortly before 6p.m. local time, Pogacar shook hands at the start line with Evenepoel and Ecuadorian veteran Richard Carapaz, wearing the polka-dot jersey for thebest climber “I battled hard to win this jersey,itwas agreatfight,”the 33-year-old Carapaz said. “It’sthe best feeling to win it.”
Exciting finale
Vander Poel andDaneMads Pedersen, thegreen jersey winnerasbest sprinter, wereamong
the expected contenders forthe stage win.
Crowds roared as the riders beganthe first climbupRue Lepic in Montmartre, with the famed Sacré-Coeur basilica looming over them. Pogacar moved ahead after the secondascensionofMontmartre, with Vander Poel, Evenepoel and Pedersen alongside him Vander Poel attacked on the thirdand final climb with Pogacar responding well, and the one-day classics rivals surged ahead.
But they were caught with 700 metersleftand, after Pogacar faded, the31-year-old Vander Poel still had worktodo.
He gothis bike just over the line ahead of Belgian Jasper Philipsen, his Alpecin-Premier Tech teammate,and Pedersen. Pogacar eased up and finished 30th.
“I thought thesprinterswould catch us up so Ilaunched(my attack) fromveryfar away,” Vander Poel said. “I gave everything Ihad left in my legs and it was just enough.”
Cyclingpedigree
Vander Poel is widely considered one of the best cyclists in the world. He has multiple victories in one-day classics and Cyclocross world championship titles, and is alsoaformer world road race champion.
His father Adri vander Poel won two stages on the Tour in the late 1980s.
His maternal grandfather was French cyclist Raymond Poulidor, whoraced in the 1960s and ’70s, finishing second on the Tour three times and third fivetimes. Nicknamed “Poupou” and“The EternalRunnerup,” he wasadored by French fans.
Women’sTour
Thenine-stage women’sTour starts in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Aug. 1and finishesinNice on Aug9
Shin claims first LPGA wininmorethanadecade
The Associated Press
TROON, Scotland South Korean golfer Jenny Shin secured atwoshot victory at the Women’sScottishOpen on Sunday to enda wait of more than 10 years for her second LPGA win.
The 33-year-old Shin, who won the Texas ShootoutinMay 2016, carded a3-over 75 on the DundonaldLinks to finish at 9 under “My first one didn’treally feel like awin at the time,” Shin said. “I didn’tfeel like Ideserved it. It felt very accidental. But this one definitelyfeelsalot different. This one feels like Iearned it. Iworked hard for it.”
Shin was in tears after the final putt dropped on the 18th and was doused withwater and champagne by agroup of friends.
Leading since the first round, Shin could afford three straight
Koivun
BYDAVECAMPBELL AP sportswriter
bogies on Nos. 6-8 after starting thefinal round with afive-shot lead over Thailand’sPajaree
Anannarukarn(74). Shin also bogeyedtwo of the last three holes but had made twobirdies earlier
“I wasn’t as nervous as yesterday,” Shinsaid. “I feel like I’ve done everything right but just wasn’thitting it like Iwas the last three days and just hitting it into bunkers andbushes andthat wasn’tfun.
“With three bogiesina row Ithought, ‘oh boy,I don’tknow where this is going to go’. But yeah, Ihung in there, so I’m quite proud ofmyselfand very happy.”
Shin is now thinking about the next challenge.
“I’m goingtodoeverythingI can to winagain,”Shin said. “I can’tbelieve it happenedthis week.”
ALim Kimfinished second after a4-under68, with four
straight birdies helping her leapfrog twoshotsahead of Anannarukarn, whodroppedto third. The Women’sScottish Open
comes between the final two majors —the Evian Championship and the Women’sBritish Openstarting Thursday at Royal Lytham &St. Annes.
wins thePGA 3M Open in his3rd prostart
BLAINE, Minn. JacksonKoivun felt the nerves but never flinched, securing his first PGA Tour win in the face of astrong finish by the world’s top-ranked player and clear fan favorite in Scottie Scheffler Koivun won the 3M Openby three strokesSunday in only his third start as aprofessional, holding off Scheffler with aclosing 5-under 66 for atournament-record 25-under 259 total.
“All throughout the crowd Ikept hearing, ‘Scottie’scoming. Scottie’scoming,’ ”the 21-year-old Koivun said. “I just tried to tune that out and keep playingthe golf Iknew Icould.” Scheffler,who played five groups ahead of Koivun, surged into contention with a63but settled for his fourth runner-up finish this season. His lonewin this year was in his first start at The American Express in California.
“We’re seeing alot of really, really goodyoung talent in the game
today,”Scheffler said.“When you see theguyscomeout of college, they’re really,really prepared, even more prepared than we were comingout.”
Hideki Matsuyama, Brian Harman, Chandler Phillipsand Denny McCarthy tied forthird at 20 under Koivunplayed asafe and steady gameona 97-degree afternoon at theTPC Twin Cities, going bogeyfreefor the secondstraight day after a61inthe third round gave himathree-shot cushionafter 54 holes. His par-saving putt on the 9th green after his approach landed in thesandgavehim an energy boost for the back nine.
“Might be the biggest putt I made all week,” Koivun said.
“Scoreboardwas rightthere, and Isaw exactly how Istood.If Imissedthat, thenI only hada two-shotlead —where last time Ichecked Ihad afive-shotlead
So making that was huge for my momentum.”
Lee Hodges held the previous 3M Open record, finishing at 24-under 260 in 2023.
Koivun, who became the fourth rookie winner this season, missed the cut at the John Deere Classic in Illinois and tiedfor 10thatthe ISCO Championship in Kentucky earlierthis month. He made 10 starts as an amateurontour events. Earning $1,584,000 for his win in Minnesota, Koivun also jumped 124 spots in theFedEx Cup standings into70th, thelastplaceabove thecut for theplayoffs withtwo regularseasoneventsremaining on theschedule.
“I feel like I’ve gotten alot betterover the past couple years of being able to beat guys with my mentality,” said Koivun, who broke the NCAA career recordfor per-round stroke average (68.89) and helped lead Auburn to thenational championship last month
“Sometimes Iwatch guys hit on therange and Idon’tfeel like I’m the mosttalented out there, but if Ican go out there and believe and use my brain to my advantage, then that’sdefinitely kind of like asuperpower.” Scheffler,who began thefinal
LHP Schmidt won’t sign withCleveland Guardians
OneofLSU baseball’stop freshman signees has decided to hold off the start of hisprofessional career —but it’sunclear if that moveisasignhe’scoming to BatonRouge.
Left-handedpitcherLogan Schmidt said Sunday in asocial media post that he has “made the difficult decision not to sign with theCleveland Guardians” —the club that selected himwith the59th overall pick of the2026 MLBDraft Thehigh-profile prospect was the first LSU signeechoseninthe draft, and he had until Monday to decide if he wanted to join theGuardians organization Schmidt can now either play for LSU next season and reenter the draft in 2029, or he could enroll at ajunior college and put his name back into the draft next year
All-Star Bellinger heads to IL with hamstring strain
PHILADELPHIA The Yankees have placed All-Star outfielderCody Bellinger on the 10-day injured list with aleft hamstring strain, ablow to New York’sdefense on ateam already missing several big bats.
TheYankees recalled outfielder Spencer Jones from Triple-A Scranton/WilkesBarre before Sunday night’sgameatPhiladelphia to take Bellinger’s spoton the roster NewYork hasbeen without slugger Aaron Judge since May 31 because of afracturedrib anddesignated hitter Giancarlo Stanton is still out with astrained right calf that’ssidelinedhim sinceApril 24. The Yankees entered Sunday’s game21/2 games behind TampaBay in the AL East.
F1’s BahrainGrand Prix to be held in Malaysia
MOGYOROD, Hungary— Formula 1is heading back to Malaysia for the first timeinnine years as the Bahrain Grand Prix was rescheduled there forOct. 4. The Sepang circuit is slotted in between races in Azerbaijanand Singapore, subject to approval from theFIA’s worldmotor sport council, F1 andthe FIA said Sunday F1 called offits races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which had been set for March and April, as the Iran warescalated.
Despite taking place in Malaysia, the race will still have Bahrain Grand Prix branding.
It’s not the first time an F1 race has been named for one country and took place in another.The long-running San Marino Grand Prix washeld in neighboring Italy but last used that namein2006.
TexasSSSeager takes
firstBPsincebackinjury
ARLINGTON, Texas Corey Seager took live battingpracticeSunday for the first time since the Texas Rangers shortstop was sidelined by aback injuryfor the second timethis season on July 1. Seager finished the session with ahome run andwas planning to take live BP again Monday before whatwould appear to be aminor league rehab assignment.
The two-time World Series MVP andfive-time All-Star playedtwo games in the minors in early June when he was returning from a three-week absence because of lowerback inflammation. Seager spenttwo moreweeks on the injured list in June after getting a concussion.
round sixshots back, needed acollapse by Koivun to catch up. That never came.
Schefflerplayed anearly flawless game, save fora5-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole that lipped in and out. As he was conducting his post-match interview,Koivun birdied the16th to go 25 under “Anytimeyou’re trying to win forthe first time,it’sawfully difficult,especially for ayoung guy coming out of college,” Scheffler said. “I thinkthat showsnot only howtalentedofaplayer he is, but themental strength he hasas well.”
Koivun, who grewupinSan Jose, California, before moving to ChapelHill, North Carolina,at age 17, got his start in thegame on apublic nine-hole course. After hugging his father,George, on the course, he got on aFaceTimecall with his mother,Meghan, who was unable to attend the tournament.
“She was crying,” Koivu said. “I was tryingtomake out alittle bit of what she said, but she kept saying how proud she was. Those two are just my rocks.”
Memphis,Caldwell-Pope reachbuyout agreement MEMPHIS,Tenn. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope reached abuyout agreementwith the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday ESPN, citing sources, reported late on Saturday thatCaldwell-Pope plans to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers after clearing waivers. Caldwell-Pope averaged 8.4 points and21.9 minutes in 51 games last season forMemphis. He had finger surgery in February and missedthe final31games of theseason Caldwell-Pope underwent surgery to addressamisalignmentofhis right pinkiefingerinFebruary andmissed the last31games of the season. The33-year-old guard hasacareer 11-point average in 963 games in 13 seasons with Detroit, the Los AngelesLakers, Washington, Denver, Orlando and theGrizzlies. He was part of championship teams with the Lakers in 2020 and theNuggets in 2023.
ASSoCICATEd PRESS PHoTo By STEVE WELSH
JennyShin of South Korea celebrates after winning the 2026 ISPS HAndA Scottish open on Sunday at dundonald Links, Ayrshire.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By MoSA’AB ELSHAMy
celebrates as he crosses
finish line in the last stageofthe Tour de France on Sunday in Paris.
Heim holdsonfor historic Brickyard400 win
BY MICHAELMAROT AP sportswriter
INDIANAPOLIS Corey Heim
passed team co-owner Denny Hamlin on the final restart Sunday and then held off the hard-charging cars of Christopher Bell and Joey Logano to capture his first Brickyard400 crown.
The24-year-oldhas won twice this season, even though he won’tbedriving full-time in NASCAR’sCup series until nextseason. He’s the first Cup driver to win twice in his first 15 career starts since A.J. Foyt in 1965. And he did it this time with adaring outside move to overtake Hamlin, then leading the final 35 laps and holding off Bell by 0.287 seconds on Indianapolis Motor Speedway’shistoric 2.5-mile oval. Logano, last week’s winner,finished third, 0.972 seconds behind, again keepingteam owner Roger Penske out of victory lane
“That was adamn handful,” Heim said. “I was hanging on for dear life once the shade went down and the pace picked up, my car got really loose and Inever really got alot of clean air throughout the day,sothat was the hardest I’ve ever fought in my life to make sure Ifocused on the exits and get through dirtyair ” Hamlin, who is part of Michael Jordan’sownership group with 23XI Racing,
made his second straight trip to victory lane as a team owner.Bubba Wallace, Heim’steammate, won the2025 title.But Hamlin finished fifth, more than six seconds back, as he tried to addthe only missing link in acareer sweepofNASCAR’s
fourcrown jewel races. He’s now0for 18 all-time at Indy
Todd Gilliland of Front Row Motorsports surprised everyone by collecting the $1 million In-SeasonChallenge despite qualifying 36th and spending mostof the daybehind 2023 Cup
champ Ryan Blaney.Healso finished second in thesecond stage. Butthe payoff came after2023 Cup champ Ryan Blaney was collected in anine-car crashwith41 lapstogo. Team Penske’s crew members tried to get
in
Blaney’sNo. 12 Ford back in cotention, but he couldn’t pass Gilliland, who finished 24th. Blaney was 26th. Ty Gibbs won stage one and finished third in stage twobefore getting shuffled back to 14thduring apit stop in stage three. Ross Chastain
won the second stage. Kyle Larson and Daniel Dye were knocked out of the race earlywhen blown tires sent them into the wallbefore the end of stage two. Chase Elliott also was knocked outearly whenhe hit the wall and the right rear wheel went flat.
Larson’s drought
It was another tough weekend for Larson, the defending Cup champ whose winlessstreakreached46 races as he finished last in the 39-car field late in stage one. First, Larsonqualified 10th with alap timemore than0.3 seconds behind pole winner Carson Hocevar. ThenSunday, he was ready to cycle into the lead when aleft rear blew,sendinghim hard into thewall coming outofTurn 3and making him the first car out of the race. “Wejust had atire let go. Iwouldn’tsay pushing had anything to do with it,” he said. “Just alittle bit of bad luck, Iguess.”
He’s won 26 races and two series crowns since joining Hendrick Motorsports in 2021. But even though theNo. 5Chevrolet last reached victory lane in May2025atKansas, the longest drought in Larson’s Hendricks tenure may not deter him from defending his Cup title.
BY JOHN PYE AP sportswriter
BRISBANE,Australia Apesky
native bird appeared on the podium almost on cue as organizers prepared to unveil acountdown clockmarking six years to go until the 2032 Olympics.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner noted the timely whiteibisinhis welcoming remarks, joking with the crowd that it wouldn’tbean event in Brisbanewithout the appearance of a“bin chicken,” as the bird is colloquially known.
There’sasmall, humorous push locally for the ibis to become amascot for the Brisbane Games rather than one of Australia’smore widely known native animals such as the kangaroo or the koala.
Schrinner didn’tmiss a beat and the bird moved off before the big digital Omega clock officially started counting downThursday in the downtown Queen Street mall. That was amatterof hours after the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority published revamped designs for the NationalAquatic Center that will host Olympic events.
Aticking timeline
The new clock put even more emphasis on the diminishing time for construction for the Olympics, with no major works yet underway on the 3.6 billion Australian dollar ($2.6 billion) main stadium almost five years after Brisbane was
awardedrights to theSummerGames.
AndrewLiveris,president of the Brisbane 2032 organizing committee, said there’snocause for panic.
“Six years is perfectly fine in construction, even under stress conditions,”hesaid.
“I’m very confident that the contingencies are built (in) to allow that to happen.”
Liveris saidhebriefed IOC president Kirsty Coventry as recently asMonday in New York, in the wake of theWorld Cup final.
“Wehad along conversation about timelines, venues, sports,and we’reconfident it’snot 6minutes to midnight,” he said TheInternational OlympicCommittee last year backed the Queensland government’s revised venue plan afterseveral false starts, saying the Brisbane Games were “on the right path.”
There arestill groups opposed to building major sports venues in the downtown parklands,and more general concern over rising costs of stagingthe Games. GIICA, thecoordination authority,only tookover possessionofthe Victoria Park site for the 63,000-seat main stadium last month, after police removed protesters.
Aquaticcenterrevamp
It won’tget control of the nearby site for the aquatic venue untilSeptember. Organizers haven’trevealed if thetemporary Olympic capacity —initially projected to be 25,000— for
theaquatic centerhad been scaled down to avoidcost blowouts.
Whatever that temporary capacity is, Schrinner said the legacy outcome —a permanent 8,000-seatvenue —would be “fantastic.”
The Queensland state government,which is the major backer of the 2032 Olympicand Paralympic Games with support from the federal andlocal governments, sent theoriginal conceptfor the aquatics venue back to planning for budgetary reasons.
TheQueensland “government is doingthe responsible thing, in these conditions and changing costs,” Schrinner said. “You have to makeadjustments to the plan, and that’sexactly what’shappening, it’sa responsible thingtodo.”
More than adozen new sports venues are in the pipeline,including acontentious rowing center in Rockhampton, acoastal city in Central Queensland. Critics argue the impact of tidal flow and crocodile habitat in the Fitzroy River make it unsuitable to host Olympic events.
Liveris said all venues were still going through validation reporting, including rowing.
“Right now we’ve had no red lightsand some very good greens, and acouple of yellows,”hesaid. “And they’re being worked on for later this year.”
Liveris said he was preparing arevised“bottomup budget” to present early next
The Associated Press
MOGYOROD,Hungary— Lando Norris ended an eightmonth wait by “flying” to aFormula 1victorywith strong pace and adose of good fortune at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Sunday The defending champion was on pole but lostthe lead to hisMcLaren teammate OscarPiastri when he ran wide at the second corner Norrisgot theleadback after Piastriwas delayed by acollision with Carlos Sainz Jr.while lapping the Williams driver,allowing Norris to come out of the pitsahead of his teammate. He cruised to the win from there “Car was unbelievable today,well done guys,incredible.Wewere flying,” Norris said. “Nicetobefinally able to do it all for you. Feels like it’sbeen awhile.” Piastri then stopped witha broken gearbox, paving the way for MaxVerstappento take second, with KimiAntonelli third.
Antonelligetsboost
Even with Mercedes largely offthe pacefor once and athree-place grid penalty in qualifying, Antonelli recovered from seventh to take his ninthpodium finish in 11 races and make astatement to his titlerivals. Antonelli increased his
standingsleadto50points
over Lewis Hamilton, who was fifthafter apenalty for speeding in the pits. George Russell was barely afactor as he drove through the field to seventh aftera near-stall at thestart droppedhim to theback.He drops 59 points behind his Mercedes teammateAntonelli.
Norrishadn’twon afull Grand Prix race sinceSao Paulo in November,though he did win asprint in Miami in May Hungary wasthe last race before the mid-season break. The next race is the Dutch Grand Prix on Aug. 23.
Hamilton rues penalty
“Sometimes you just can’t catch abreak,” Hamilton
had written on Instagram on Saturday.Hediscussed how his three-place penalty in qualifying —Hamilton’s third penalty in three race weekends—madeit“difficult to hang on to that positivity”.
Afourthpenalty won’t have helped, andnor will yet another Ferrari strategy blunder When Piastri’sbreakdown at the side of the road broughta virtual safety car slowdown, Ferrari decided it was worth calling in Hamilton forfresh tires. Unfortunatelyfor the seven-timechampion, he left the pit lane to seeAntonelli approachingfast. In what appeared to be arush to keep the Mercedesdriver at bay,Hamilton broke the pit lane speed limit.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoToByMICHAEL ConRoy
CoreyHeim heads into the first turnduring the nASCAR CupSeries race at Indianapolis Motor SpeedwayonSunday
Indianapolis.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By nAM y. HUH
WnBAcommissionerCathy Engelbertspeaks at anewsconference aheadofthe league’sAll-Star game on SaturdayinChicago.
WNBA to addan NBA-style replay center next season
BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer
CHICAGO— The WNBA will have areplay center similartothe NBA next season as the league continues to invest in officiating, commissioner Cathy Engelbert announced at her state of the league press conference Saturday before the All-Star Game.
Officiating has been ahot topic around the league for the last few seasons, with physical play being amajor point of contention.The league put together atask force in the offseason to help clean up some of the physicality in the game.
“This is one of the mostsignificant investments we’ve ever made in our basketballoperations; these investmentsoftens of millions of dollarswill help bring greater consistency,efficiency,and transparency to our officiatingprocess while continuing to improve the quality of the game,” Engelbert said.
Engelbert said that alot of the details on the replay centerstill need to be worked out, although she said, as of now,the last twominute report that the NBA has won’tbeused in the WNBA yet. Fouls have been up this season as there has been an emphasis to help players’ freedom of movement. The increase in fouls has led to more offense as teams are averaging arecord-high number of points. It has also led to longer games. Earlier this month, league gametimeswere at an average of 2hours, 8minutes—the longest in league history
Player safety
Engelbert said the league is continuing to work with the players to tryand improve their safety off the court. The league and players’ union had avirtual meeting on Tuesday night to discuss what more can be done to combat the online hate.
“(For) too many playersacross the WNBA, that experience is unacceptable,” she said. “Many cases, it’s disgusting.Racism, misogyny,homophobia, theharassment and threats directed to ourplayers has no place in sport or anywhereelse.” Engelbertsaidthefeedbackfrom the players was helpful to her Aces investigationwraps up The WNBA’s investigation into whether aLas Vegas Aces sponsorship deal violated the salary cap was inconclusive, Engelbert said. “No discipline will be recommended or imposed. Of course, if new or additionalevidence comes to light, we’ll continue to investigate. But, you know,the integrity of our game is number one,”the commissioner said.
PELS
Continued from page1B
assists and 3.7 rebounds.Heshot 41.9% on 3-pointers for South Bay He put up similar numbers playing for the Pelicans in Summer League. He played in three games in Vegas and led the Pelicans in scoring with 21.3 points per game. Hisbest game wasthe firstone against the Minnesota Timberwolves when he poured in 30 points and shot 5-for-9 on 3-pointers.
“Our coaches putmeina position to thrive, so Ijust tookadvantage of the opportunities that they gave me,” Bufkin said after the first game.
His3-point shootingdropped off in the other two games and he finished Summer League7-of-22 (31.8 %) from long distance. He also averaged5.3 rebounds, 3assists and 2steals.
helpsliftTeamSpoon past Team Coop in WnBA All-Star Game
BY JAYCOHEN AP sportswriter
CHICAGO Jonquel Jones,Nneka
Ogwumike and Dominique Malonga made WNBA history on Saturday night
It was quite theAll-Star party in theleague’s30th season.
Jones had 22 points, 13 rebounds andeight assists, helping Caitlin Clark and Team Spoon outlast Marina Mabrey and Team Coop 129122 in the WNBA All-Star Game.
The LasVegas Convention andVisitorsAuthority offered in May 2024 a$100,000 sponsorship agreement to Aces players for each of the following two seasons. That amount exceeded the salaries for six of theplayers, accordingtoSpotrac. No suchagreement was offered forthis season, but player salaries alsodramaticallyroseafterthe newcollective-bargaining agreement was completed in May.Each Aces player earnsat least $270,000, according to Spotrac. The initial offer prompted theleague to launch aprobeinto whetheritskirted salary-cap rules.
“Wedid this the right way,” LVCVA president and CEO Steve Hill said at the time. “Wedid something that we think works forLas Vegas andIthink great for the players. We did this without theteam. It was ouridea and any questions theyask they’ll find that out.”
Increasedcommunication
Engelbert said that theleague needstodobetter communicating with its players, whether its through texts or emails or some other form. Oneofthe chief complaintsfrom playershas been that they have no relationship with the commissioner.A’jaWilson said before the game that the only timeshe talks to Engelbert is when she’sreceiving trophies.
“I’ve been talking with theplayers about how much they want to hear fromus, howmuch they don’t,” Engelbert said. “Wedo send them alot of email updates andthingslike that.They’re a generation thatdoesn’tcheck email as much.Sowehave to get betterata textchain. We have to be better at it. it’s something certainly,likeifaplayerisgettinghonored or players gets hurt or something like, Itry to reach outto them, and, yeah. So we need to be better at it.There’sno doubt Ineed to bebetter.”
Engelbert’sfuture
Engelbertsidestepped aquestion about herfuture next season
“I’m so blessed to have to be at thehelm of this league during this incredible hypergrowth period. So blessed that these players are puttingthe product on the court,” she said.“Iwilljustcontinueto, you know,domyjob, execute the strategy because it has been working.”
Positive metrics
Engelbert said that thisisalready the most-watched WNBA season of all-time, withthe 117 broadcastsreaching over 73 million uniqueviewers. Twenty-nine of the games averaged over one million viewers— the most ever at theAll-Starbreak. Theyhad 11 all of last season
Before theteam made the trip to Vegas, first-year Pelicans head coach Jamahl Mosley talked about what an opportunity like this could mean for the former first-round draft pick.
“I think it’sgreat for Kobe,” Mosley said.“He’s been excellent in his communication with thecoaches inwhat he’strying to do and what we’reasking of him to do.Justbeafacilitator and attack the basket when he needsto. Defensively, canhe pickguys up full court? Can he make it harder for theother team’s point guard? It’sa great opportunity for him,but it’s a greatopportunity for all these guys to show what they are capable of doing.”
Now Bufkin will get to attend training camp and try to earn a roster spot.
Email RodWalker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com
Playing with aheavyheart afterthe death of an aunt, Jones wasnamed MVP.The 32-year-old New York Liberty center became thefirst player to winthe league, WNBAFinals,Commissioner’s Cup and All-Star MVP awards.
“Nomatterwhat mood I’min, basketball can pick me back up,” Jones said, “and so just leaning into that.”
Malonga had afirst-half dunk forTeam Coop,but Team Spoon had eight playersscoreindouble figuresinanAll-StarGame that featured 127 3-point attempts and verylittledefense. Allisha Gray had19points for Team Spoon, and Clark finished with 17.
It was the firstWNBA All-Star GameinChicago since 2022. This time, themarquee eventwas played in front of arecord crowd of 19,783 at the United Center instead of the smaller Wintrust Arena in downtown Chicago.
“Tobeable to have tonight, have 19,000 people in thehighestattendance ever in the All-Star Game just really shows that our league is growing and people wanttobe around us and want to be apart of this and understand how special it is,” Jones said.
Ogwumike scored 11 points for Team Spoon while passing Maya Moore (119) for the most career pointsinAll-Star Game history
Kelsey Mitchell had 28 points for Team Coop, and Mabrey scored all of her 23 pointsduring ared-hot first half. The 20-year-old Malonga finished with 12 points and13rebounds.
“I gottosee afew go down early,” said Mabrey,who matched the WNBA scoring record when she had 53 pointsfor Torontoina winover LosAngelesonJune25. “That’skind of like my thing. Get them up when they’re going in.” WNBAgreats Cynthia Cooper
JAMES
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his MVP heyday,LeBronJames is still, wellLeBron Jamesand his addition should lift any team miredinthe NBA mucky middle such as the Sixers intocontention. Throw himinto in alineupthat includesa league MVPinEmbiid, All-Stars Tyrese Maxeyand Jaylen Brown, and promising secondyear standout VJ Edgecombe, and it’snoshock the Sixers moved up few afew pegs Friday on the bettingboard and into the short list of favorites for an NBA title. Just not the favorite.
James is again chasing aring and his arrivalona two-year deal for the veterans’ minimum of about $3.9 million per season shook up the Sixers and put the Eastern Conference on notice —yes,even the NBA champion Knicks —that areal championshipcontender might finally emerge in Philly 76erswon theoffseason
Here they come, team of the year?
The Sixers earned straight A’son their summerschool report card even before James saidhewould sign withteam. The Sixers fired team president Daryl Morey and replaced him with longtime ClevelandexecutiveMikeGansey,who came out swinging for thefences in his first month on the job. He pulled off the shockerofa tradewithBoston that landed them Brown —the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, afive-time All-Starand theleague’sfourthleading scorer this past season.
It’s difficult to fathom that an oftinjured Embiid —who won Olympic gold withJames —and Maxey alonewould have been enough to coax James to Philadelphia.
Butadding astudlike Brown?
Brown surelyplayed akey deciding factor in James’ decision his “last” one, he says —and now theSixersboast perhaps thetop
Team Spoon center Jonquel Jones, left,and Team Coop forward natasha Howard, right, battlefor arebound during the All-Star game Saturdayin Chicago.
andTeresa Weatherspoon drafted the All-Star teamsfrom players that were eithervoted as starters by fans, media and fellow players or chosen as reservesby the league’scoaches. Las Vegas’ BeckyHammon coached Cooper’s team, andMinnesota’sCheryl Reeve was in charge of Weatherspoon’ssquad.
Clark went5for 15 from beyond the arcand had fiveassists in her return to the All-Star game. The Indiana Fever guard missedlast year’sevent in Indianapolis because of agroin injury
“Lastyear really stunk being in our home city; younever want to miss that forthe fans,” Clark said.
“I love to show up and compete.”
The 24-year-old Clark came out firing, connecting from 33 feet and 37 feet on her wayto11points in the first 21/2 minutes. She buried another 3early in the second quarter off a slickno-look pass from Minnesota Lynx guardOliviaMiles,the only rookie selected forthe game. Clarkand Mabrey each put on
starting fiveinthe NBA. Andboy,what abargain. There are some caveats, of course. James turns 42 in December and there are alot of mileson those legs. James battled injuries last season and played in only 60 games. Embiid has never been reliable, withonly 57 combined games played the last two seasons, and the Sixers have churned through aslew of imported stars overthe last decade —James Harden, Jimmy Butler,Paul George —and still haven’t advanced out of the second round since 2001.
There’sonly one ball and alot of talentthat has the resumetocommandit.
Butwith apologies to Wilt Chamberlain, many,many apologies, James becomes the most accomplishedplayer to ever wear a76ers uniform
He won’tbealone in that No. 23 uniform —Fanatics soldout almost instantly of his jerseys on Friday.
It’salsoa big win forfront officeboss Bob Myers, whoopenly pitched for James to sign in Philadelphia on his agent’spodcastand won fourchampionships as aGolden State Warriors executive.
Powershiftsinthe East
The Sixers endedtheir season with asecond-round sweep to Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart andthe NBA champion Knicks.
The Knicks are still the team to beat. By talent, by virtueofwinning it all and, at least outofthe East, the betting favorite to again reach the NBAFinals.
The Knicks have largelystayed patwhile otherhopefulcontenders went for major moves. The Heat —hey,when exactly is that presser? —liketheir chances after they traded with Milwaukee for Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP was the latest on a long list of superstaracquisitions madesince Pat Riley arrived to take over as team presidentin1995. Muchlike the Sixers before they acquired Brown, the Heat
an offensive show,but Malonga got the biggest cheer of the night. The 6-foot-6 centerfromthe Seattle Storm ran downthe lane, got apass from former LSU standout Angel Reese and threw down a right-handed jamwith6:24 left in the first half Reese jumped up and down as Malonga finished the play,and the twoexchanged amid-air chest bump on theirway back down the court.
“The way she makes it look easy theexcitement around it,” said Paige Bueckers, who scored 12 points forTeam Coop. “I love Dom really happy forher in just how easy she makes it look.” It wasthe first dunk in aWNBA All-Star Game since Sylvia Fowles in 2022. Lisa Leslie (2005), Jones (2017), Brittney Griner (2019) also have accomplished the feat. Leslie was on hand forthe festivities, alongwith South Carolina coach and former WNBA guard Dawn Staley.Former NBAstar Dwyane Wade also wascourtside. Heavy-heartedJones
are atwo-star team withAntetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo. Antetokounmpo,Adebayo andJames would have made them anew Big 3, much likewhenJames wontitles in MiamiwithDwyaneWadeand Chris Bosh. Toronto is hopeful for aresolution to their held-up trade with the Los AngelesClippers thatshould land them KawhiLeonard. The trade is on hold pending the outcome of the NBA’s investigation into whetherthe Clipperscircumvented salary cap rules.
Abad dayfor Cleveland
The Cavaliers would have loved asentimental third tour with Jamesand have thefranchise’s greatest playereventually retire in Cleveland.
Jamesinstead left theCavaliers in alurch, and they have to hope they can re-sign 36-year-old James Harden as part of alineup that includes Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Donovan Mitchell. They will be projected to finish behindtheKnicksand76ersintheEast. Don’tforget,Detroitwon60games lastseasonandwouldliketoproveits early playoff exit was apart of the growing pains of acontender LeBron’s legacy
Look,James’legacy is setand not even aflameout in Philly is going to change his indelible stamp on the game from the court to the cash register
There is onemajor markhecould hit should he send theSixers on a parade route down Broad Street. He would become the first player to win NBAtitleswithfourteams.
Sixers coach Nick Nurse turned 59 on Fridayand there’s no better professional gifthecould have received than LeBron James. Purchased on adiscount rack. Look for LeBron on opening night in New York. Look for LeBronona Christmas game in Philadelphia. Look for LeBron to keep Sixers’ tickets sky high on the secondary market even on nights when Embiid sits.
Seahawks open camp with key players on PUP
BY LUKE OLSON Associated Press
— Seattle Seahawks
RENTON,Wash.
head coach Mike Macdonald is ready to turn the page after capturing the franchise’s second Super Bowl in his second season at the helm.
“Look, I’m different than I was this time last year I’m different than I was at the end of the season. We got, I don’t know 30 percent of our rosters probably different,” Macdonald said Saturday “We got changes to our coaching staff We got guys with a new perspective.
We’re all kind of new people here in this situation, which, by definition, makes us a new team too.”
Seattle opened training camp with much of its core in place. It did, however, lose key contributors this past offseason, such as Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III (Chiefs), safety Coby Bryant (Bears), linebacker Boye Mafe (Bengals), and cornerback Riq Woolen (Eagles)
It is unclear whether Seattle intends to replace Walker’s production, either by committee with the likes of Emanuel Wilson, who was signed in free agency after three seasons with the Green Bay Packers, rookie Jadarian Price, George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. Or, if the injured Zach Charbonnet will become the main option once he’s healthy Charbonnet was placed on the physically unable to perform list before camp after tearing his ACL in the divisional game against the San Francisco 49ers. He and Walker were part of a committee approach most of last season, but Charbonnett received a bulk of the carries in the red zone and capitalized with a career-high 12 touchdowns.
“He’s just attacked the heck out of the offseason in his rehab, as you’d expect, and the returns
SAINTS
Continued from page 1B
is about the difference between the Cardinals and the eighth-worst team. It was an all-around poor performance. The field goal unit struggled throughout the course of the season (though things were better after Smyth took over). The punting unit routinely underperformed and also allowed two kicks to be blocked. The Saints’ best overall performance came from their punt returners, who finished 19th in average yards per return.
The lowdown
At bare minimum, the Saints should be a competent team when theirpuntingunitjogsontothefield. While New Orleans was struggling last season, Wright was enjoying one of the best years of his career He finished 2025 ranked No. 3 in the NFL in net punting average (44.5, more than eight yards better than the Saints’ total), No. 7 in average hang time (4.49 seconds) and No. 4 in touchback percentage (4.6%). He also had the longest punt in the NFL last season, a 77-yarder against the Cleveland Browns in London that traveled 63 yards in the air before rolling to the 2-yard line, where it was downed. Even if Wright doesn’t maintain that standard, he’s a safe bet to be better than what the Saints have trotted out since letting go of Morstead. Since the start of the 2021 season, 168 punters have recorded at least 20 punts in a season. The four players who have punted for the Saints in that span achieved the following ranks in gross punting average: 65 (Blake Gillikin), 109 (Gillikin), 138 (Kai Kroeger), 152 (Matthew Hayball) and 162 (Lou Hedley). In other words, three of the five are in the bottom 20th percentile. The return game had been steady for a long time in New Orleans, whether it was Deonte Harty or Rashid Shaheed back to strike fear into opposing specialists. But the Saints had a need after trading Shaheed to the Seattle Seahawks last offseason, and Brown should be the first to get a
have been what he deserved,” Macdonald said.
The Seahawks had a welcoming sight as second-year wide receiver Tory Horton was healthy and running routes all afternoon after a shin injury ended his season prematurely after a scintillating start to his rookie campaign.
After missing minicamp and OTA’s, there was optimism he would be ready to go at the start of training camp
“It’s great to see Tory back out there,” Macdonald said.
Horton, a fifth-round pick out of Colorado State, scored six touchdowns in his first eight games with Seattle before he was placed on the injured reserve in Novem-
ber
He provides depth to an already deep wide receiver room with AP Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp and last season’s midseason acquisition Rashid Shaheed.
The Seahawks also placed standout safety Nick Emmanwori on the PUP list after recently having ankle surgery, but there’s expectation he will be ready for their Wednesday night opener on Sept. 9 in a rematch with the New England Patriots.
He suffered a low sprain four days before the Super Bowl, but played through the injury
“I think the best way to describe it is something that he’s been dealing with since the Super Bowl,” Macdonald said. “He was able to perform, did some things in the offseason program, but he just got to the point where it was the best for him for the long term to just go ahead and get it fixed.”
Emmanwori had 11 passes defended, an interception and 2.5 sacks in 14 games for Seattle.
But Macdonald wouldn’t confirm — or deny — that the runnerup for Rookie of the Year would be available.
“He could play in the opener,” Macdonald said.
shot at filling it. Brown was an exceptional college football return man, setting the Southeastern Conference record for career kick-return touchdowns (six) during his time at Kentucky and LSU. It will be interesting to see if Brown gets a shot to return punts in the pros — in college, he returned only 11 punts in his career.
If Brown is unable to duplicate his success in the NFL, the Saints could lean on free agent signee Ty Chandler, who has a 25.7-yard career kick return average in the NFL (albeit in a limited sample size).
As for kicker, well Training camp battle
Smyth waited a long time to earn his place on an NFL active roster, spending about 18 months on the practice squad after signing from Ireland via the International Player Pathway And while he wasn’t perfect in his debut season — he drilled a game-winner in the closing seconds against Carolina and hit from 57 yards out, but he also missed four of his 11 field goal attempts beyond 40 yards — he showed more than enough potential to merit a longer look.
It’s just a question of how long that look will be.
New Orleans has actively pursued competition for Smyth this offseason It signed (and subsequently released) former Texas kicker Mason Shipley after the draft and also worked out former Pro Bowler Younghoe Koo. But the most daunting challenge may come from Brown.
Some have compared Brown to Dallas Cowboys All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey, not only because of where they came from (Aubrey found immediate success after playing in the USFL; Brown is trying to make a similar leap from the UFL), but because of their powerful kicking legs.
While Smyth has shown more than enough leg in practice settings, hitting some that look like they’d be good from 70 yards, Brown has proven it in a game setting. He connected on a pair of 60-plus-yard field goals in one UFL playoff game last year, following up a regular season in which he successfully converted 29 of his 32 kicks.
A reset in Kansas City
Reid brings rookies, QBs in early after last year’s collapse
BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter
ST JOSEPH, Mo. The past few years, Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid had drifted away from bringing rookies and quarterbacks into training camp a few days early, reasoning that such a veteran team coming off deep playoff runs could do without it. After all, for a decade, the Chiefs had made at least the wild-card round. Many of those seasons ended in February
But the Chiefs collapsed last season, finishing a dismal 6-11 while losing quarterback Patrick Mahomes to a major knee injury There were significant roster issues on both sides of the ball, depth problems at important positions that became exacerbated when injuries happened to other players, and it all meant an end to the season far earlier than anyone in Kansas City had expected. So, with the team in need of a reset among other reasons Reid opted to bring his quarterbacks and rookies, along with a few other players coming off injuries, back to Missouri Western State University for a few days of work before the full squad arrives.
“I didn’t like not doing it last
year after I got done with it, to be honest with you,” Reid said of the three-day crash course, which continued through heat indexes topping triple digits Sunday “It’s a good thing for the quarterbacks, good thing for the rookies coming in. We do have more numbers (of rookies) this year, so it allows us to get more reps.
“I think,” Reid added, “that will benefit us.”
It couldn’t hurt.
Start with the quarterbacks: Mahomes was cleared this past week to fully participate in training camp after undergoing surgery in December to repair torn knee ligaments. And while Reid insisted this week that the two-time MVP would have no limitations, there is nevertheless a certain comfort that comes with getting some reps without a full team flying around him.
“You just have to build that confidence back,” Mahomes said, “and I’m glad I get to do that from Day 1 of training camp. I didn’t want to have to get only a couple of weeks of practice in and then have to go play a game. I wanted to build it up, see how training camp goes as we gradually build, and so I think that’ll help me get back to where I need to be.”
For the next two QBs on the depth chart, there’s the matter of learning the offense.
The Chiefs swung a trade with the Jets to bring in Justin Fields as the veteran backup, in part to have someone capable of winning
a couple of games should Mahomes be unable to start Week 1. Their young project QB is Garrett Nussmeier, the once-heralded college star from LSU who fell all the way to the 249th overall pick in the NFL draft last April.
Beyond the quarterbacks, though, is the chance to get some extra work for a rookie class — more than two dozen are in camp — that Kansas City will be leaning upon more heavily than perhaps any other point in Reid’s tenure.
Defensive back Mansoor Delane, the first cornerback taken in the draft, is expected to start Week 1, and he may not be the only first-year player on the field. The Chiefs’ other first-round pick, defensive tackle Peter Woods, could find himself playing alongside perennial Pro Bowl pick Chris Jones, while pass rusher R Mason Thomas will be counted upon to pressure the quarterback. That makes every extra rep they can get before the veterans arrive invaluable.
“I’m super grateful for the three days (of rookie camp),” Woods said. “I told someone earlier that the veterans, they have a standard for what they want to see from us young guys. Just coming in and being able to have some days to prepare myself to be able to mesh well with the veterans, that means a lot to me. Not everyone gets a chance to do that.”
Not in Kansas City Not the past few years.
Brissett agrees to reworked 1-year deal with Cardinals, is likely Week 1 starter
BY DAVID BRANDT Associated Press
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Now that Jacoby Brissett has his new contract with the Arizona Cardinals, the veteran quarterback is ready to go to work with first-year coach Mike LaFleur and help the team bounce back from last season’s 3-14 record.
But first, he’s looking forward to some quality rest.
“I’m pretty sure I’ll probably sleep more than three hours tonight,” Brissett said with a grin.
Brissett and the Cardinals agreed to a reworked one-year deal Sunday worth a reported $15.5 million and LaFleur confirmed that the veteran is the team’s likely starter for Week 1.
The 33-year-old Brissett was unhappy with his previous contract, which included just $1.5 million of guaranteed money for the upcoming season He reported for training camp last week, but was limited during practices while he and the Cardinals worked on the deal.
Brissett said it got “dark a couple times” during negotiations, but he had enough confidence in himself to persevere. This will be his 11th NFL season. “It felt good to be back out there,” Brissett said. “Standing around wasn’t particularly fun.”
Brissett was the team’s starter for the final 12 games last year after Kyler Murray suffered a season-ending foot injury He did well individually with a careerhigh 3,366 yards passing, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions, but the Cardinals had a 1-11 record in those games.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By RoSS d FRAnKLIn Arizona Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett throws a pass during training camp on Sunday in Glendale, Ariz.
LaFleur confirmed that Brissett’s deal was done before Sunday’s practice and said that the quarterback would begin working with the starters soon. The team’s other main options under center are veteran Gardner Minshew and rookie Carson Beck.
“It hasn’t been a distraction by any means I think we’ve got some very mature and professional players,” LaFleur said. “But it’s just one more thing that we don’t have to talk about.”
Brissett is a popular presence in the Cardinals’ locker room and some players — most notably eight-time Pro Bowl safety Budda Baker — were publicly supportive of a new deal for the quarterback.
“I think that’s the ultimate reward of this game, the respect of your teammates,” Brissett said. “That’s what I pride myself
on. That’s the only thing I really value. Contracts come and go but your teammates and the people you work with, the ones who want to go bat for you, that’s what matters most.”
LaFleur said he wasn’t worried about Brissett’s lost practice time.
The quarterback didn’t practice with the team during the offseason because of the contract situation.
“He’s got a level head about himself,” LaFleur said. “He’s been in a lot of different systems and heard a lot of different things and seen a lot of different things. He’s had the ups and downs with teams. He’s in a good spot and I’m excited to really start working with him.” The Cardinals open the preseason Aug. 6 against the Carolina Panthers in the Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio.
ASSoCIATEd PRESS PHoTo By CHARLIE RIEdEL Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes talks with coach Andy Reid in between drills during training camp Saturday in St. Joseph, Mo.
BY ROBIN MILLER | Staff writer
What started out as asimple internet search ended with alost piece of Louisiana entertainment history for Michael Wynne. Now Wynne, the Alexandria historian,iscuriousastowhy there isn’t astate historical marker dedicated to Spencer Williams Jr.inVidalia, where he was bornonJuly14, 1893.
Who is Spencer Williams Jr.? He’sprobably bestknownfor hisfinal acting role as Andrew “Hogg”Brown, or simply Andy,inCBS’s1950s era television version of “The Amos ‘n’ Andy Show.” The show began as anightlyradio program in the1920s featuring White actors. Racial stereotypes stirred intense controversy,and the television series was canceled ä See CURIOUS, page 2C
Smearcampaign
BY MOLLYQUELL Associated Press
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands More than 800 pounds of peanut butter —enough for around 15,000 sandwiches —has beenspread across the floor of amuseum in the Netherlandsintribute to Dutch artist WimT.Schippers, who died last month. The conceptual artist, who diedatthe age of 83, first created the Pindakaasvloer,or
peanut butter floor,in1969. Thework was unveiled in June at theDepot offshoot of Museum Boijmans VanBeuningen in theDutch port cityofRotterdam for atwo-month show Schippers was abeloved nonconformist character in the Netherlands,where he also voiced Ernie and Kermit the Frog in the Dutchversionof “SesameStreet,” and created
Museum honors late artist within enough peanut butter to make 15,000 sandwiches ä See HONORS, page 2C
Workers spread peanut butter on a floor to recreate the ‘Peanut Butter Floor’ artwork in tribute to dutchartist WimT.Schippers at the Museum Boijmans VanBeuningen in Rotterdam, netherlands.
Thebagel’s journeyto American breakfast staple
BY JOSH CORNFIELD Associated Press
NEW YORK The bagel in Amer-
ica is an immigrant story with a hole in the middle. It came to AmericawithEastern European Jews escaping poverty andantisemitism. It landed in NewYork street carts and neighborhood bakeries.Later, it madeits way to supermarket freezer aisles andinto the breakfast order of so many every day. And like every food story,itstarts withthe first bite. As alayer of crunch prepares your brain foracrusty piece of bread, it’simmediately met by thesoft yetdense chew of the inside. Eating the two textures together brings afeeling of joy, along with whatever toppings you’ve added.
Aschmear of cream cheese to keep it simple.A flavored spread to adda bitofzest. Or abagel topped taller than the human mouth can handle with fish,tomato, cucumberand red onions. And we haven’teven talked about the flavor choices. Asimple plain or egg bagel works for some (no judgment). Others insist on seeds —poppy, sesame—orshards of onion or salt. Others say it’snot abagel unless it’saneverything, each bite snapping back at you with adifferent cascade of flavors. Puristswilltellyou to keep it simple. But with abagel, like so much in American life, you can have it any way you’d like.
ä See BAGEL, page 2C
AP PHoTo By dARIo LoPEZ-MILLS Aplain bagel with creamcheese
A sign at the
CURIOUS
Continued from page 1C
While perusing the internet for a favorite childhood episode of the TV comedy, Wynne discovered that Williams not only made filmmaking history, but he maintained his Louisiana roots.
“He kept ownership of two lots of land in the Bingham addition in Vidalia until his death,” Wynne said. “He also married a Louisiana woman, Olivia Jones, in 1929, and had one daughter.” Williams was considered one of the top pioneers in Black cinema.
“He paved the way for Black actors and Black directors in the movie industry,” Wynne said. “They wouldn’t have had those opportunities in the early movie industry if it wasn’t for Williams.”
Why no remembrance?
But the “Amos ‘n’ Andy” controversy eclipsed Williams’ career
“Forget about ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy,’” Wynne said. “Spencer Williams should be honored for his pioneering work. So, why isn’t there a historical marker honoring him?”
Then again, Wynne already knows the answer Williams fell out of favor with Hollywood after CBS canceled its Thursday night series on June 11, 1953, and faded into obscurity Wynne knows that if he didn’t know Williams’ story, neither did others So, no marker But that wasn’t the case when Williams was on television. Archived editions of The Advocate and The Times-Picayune include photos of the actor, along with mentions that he was a Louisianan from Vidalia during the series’ run. And historians have since written of Williams.
Historian G. William Jones’ short biography of Williams for the Texas State Historical Association’s “Handbook of Texas,” notes that Williams moved from Vidalia to New York in his teens Texas was both his home and filmmaking base in the 1940s, but as a teenager in New York, Williams worked as a “call boy,” or stagehand, for theater impresario Oscar Hammerstein — grandfather to playwright-lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II, who would co-write and stage some of Broadway’s most legendary musicals Williams eventually left New York and enrolled at
HONORS
Continued from page 1C
absurdist and silly works that challenged conventional ideas about the meaning of art.
“Isn’t it fantastic that we are all standing here looking at peanut butter?” Schippers told journalists gathered at the Central Museum in Utrecht in 1997 where Pindakaasvloer was on display for the second time. Schippers created the work as part of a Floor Covering Series, which also included floors covered with glass shards and salt. The aroma, redolent of breakfasts and lunch boxes, is what lingers with many who experience the work first hand. Museum staff directed visitors for the opening to “follow the smell” which was wafting by the ticket counter, three floors below where the artwork is laid out.
PUBLIC doMAIn
A movie poster for Spencer Williams Jr.’s 1941 selfproduced film ‘The Blood of Jesus’
the University of Minnesota, but his time there was cut short by the U.S Army “In 1914, he began his four-year Army service at Fort Slocum, New York,” Wynne said. “He became Gen. John J ‘Black Jack’ Pershing’s personal bugler in Mexico, while the general was on the trail of Pancho Villa. After World War I started, Spencer served extensively in military intelligence in France after his promotion to sergeant major.”
After that, it was back to New York, where Williams recorded the duet “It Feels So Good” with native New Orleans jazz guitarist Lonnie Johnson on the Okeh Race Records label, which targeted African American audiences. New Orleans’ King Oliver and Louis Armstrong also produced early recordings on the label with Armstrong eventually making music history
Taking a different path
But Williams’ recording would point him down a different path
“Williams’ work in the New York recording industry led to an invitation to move to Hollywood as a sound technician for Christy Studios,” Jones writes.
“Like other studios, Christy was gearing up to meet the new challenge of sound motion pictures. Al Christy, the studio head, began making a series of Black cast short films adapted from the magazine stories of Jewish writer Octavus Roy Cohen.”
Christy asked Williams to write the scripts to give the dialogue a more authentic sound By the 1930s, Williams also was acting in these films produced for Black audiences.
“Williams also wrote and appeared in the first horror film with an all-black cast, ‘Son of Ingagi’ (1940),”
“The thing I remember is the smell,” Mieke Weismann told The Associated Press. The food photographer and writer saw the 1997 exhibition as a teenager The art installation may not be for everybody. A sign at the museum’s entrance warns visitors with peanut allergies that they might not want to enter the space. It took two employees of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen several days to spread 40 buckets of peanut butter across a 270-squarefoot hexagon.
“It was a lot of work,” Leon Duenk, one of the two men who installed the artwork, told AP. The pair used drywall trowels to smear the peanut butter to a thickness of 0.8 inch. Prior to his death the museum and Schippers discussed how to recreate the work in the future, producing a 20-point plan that included the requirement to apply the peanut butter “as
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, July 27, the 208th day of 2026. There are 157 days left in the year Today in History:
On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom, ending three years of fighting on the Korean peninsula that killed an estimated 4 million people.
Also on this date:
Jones writes. “In the early 1940s, Williams met Al Sack, a Dallas-based film distributor whose company, Sack Amusement Enterprises, provided ‘ethnic films’ for many theaters in the Southwest.”
And it was in Dallas where Sack financially backed Williams in a series of feature films for Black audiences, resulting in 10 films for which Williams wrote, directed and acted.
“Sack evidently gave Williams the freedom to shape the films as he saw fit,” Jones writes. “Unlike most of the genre, Williams’ films are generally faithful to reality and unmarred by stereotypes.”
Probably Williams’ most noted movie was the 1941 feature, “The Blood of Jesus,” filmed for $5,000 by the Amegro Film Co., founded by Williams that same year National Registry of Films
According to the nonprofit Black history website BlackPast.org, “The Blood of Jesus” is “considered one of the most effective depictions of Black church life in the South and was selected by the United States Congress for entry into the National Registry of Films in 1991.” The website also points out that Williams also composed music.
Then came 1951, when Williams landed the role of Andy
“Although he is best remembered for his role as slow-witted, often duped and frequently unemployed Andy, Williams later protested the demeaning public images in which Hollywood subjected Blacks to portray,” BlackPast.org states. “He pressed for more serious depictions of Blacks in motion pictures and attempted to rectify the stereotypical climate by making movies after the ‘Amos ‘n’ Andy’ series that were more in line with African American life.”
But Williams’ attempts failed. He died of kidney failure in his Los Angeles home on Dec. 13, 1969.
“His tombstone in the Los Angeles National Military Cemetery notes his home state as Louisiana,” Wynne said. “His life is worthy of a historical marker and a book.”
Do you have a question about something in Louisiana that’s got you curious? Email your question to curiouslouisiana@ theadvocate.com. Include your name, phone number and the city where you live.
smoothly and boringly as possible” and that “no one is supposed to stand in, or lie down on the peanut butter.”
Schippers did not specify the size or shape of the work, but he did say it needed to be smooth peanut butter and that he preferred the Dutch peanut butter brand Calvé. The company donated 40 tubs of peanut butter for the work.
Multiple visitors stepped into the artwork when it was on display in 2011. In 1997, the work was “vandalized” when a group of people placed 12 slices of bread and several bags of hagelslag — chocolate sprinkles commonly eaten on bread at breakfast in the Netherlands — on the floor
“It doesn’t look bad,” Schippers told Dutch newspaper Volkskrant at the time. “The sprinkles have been applied with a sense of proportion and a skillful hand.”
AP writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed.
In 1789, President George Washington signed a measure establishing the Department of Foreign Affairs, forerunner of the Department of State.
In 1909, during the first official test of the U.S. Army’s first airplane, Orville Wright flew himself and a passenger, Lt. Frank Lahm, above Fort Myer, Virginia, for one hour and 12 minutes
In 1940, Billboard magazine published its first “music popularity chart” listing bestselling retail records. In first place was “I’ll Never Smile Again” recorded by Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, with featured vocalist Frank Sinatra.
In 1974, the House Judiciary Committee voted 27-11 to adopt the first of three articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, charging he had personally engaged in a course of conduct designed to obstruct justice in the Watergate case.
In 1980, on day 267 of the Iranian hostage crisis,
the deposed Shah of Iran died at a military hospital outside Cairo, Egypt, at age 60.
In 1981, 6-year-old Adam Walsh was abducted from a department store in Hollywood, Florida, and was later killed (Adam’s father, John Walsh, subsequently became a victims’ rights activist and, in 1988, launched and hosted the television show “America’s Most Wanted”).
In 1996, terror struck the Atlanta Olympics as a pipe bomb exploded at Centennial Olympic Park, directly killing one person and injuring 111. (Anti-government extremist Eric Rudolph later pleaded guilty to the bombing, exonerating security guard Richard Jewell, who had been wrongly suspected.)
In 2012, Britain opened its Summer Olympic Games in a celebration of Old England and new, even cheekily featuring stunt doubles for Queen Elizabeth II and fictional special agent James Bond parachuting into Olympic Stadium.
In 2013, security forces and armed men clashed with supporters of Egypt’s ousted president, Mohammed Morsi, killing at least 72 people.
In 2015, the Boy Scouts of America ended its blanket ban on gay adult leaders while allowing churchsponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.
In 2018, the White House announced that North Korea had returned the remains of what were believed to be U.S. servicemen killed during the Korean War, with a U.S. military plane making a rare trip into North Korea to retrieve 55 cases of remains. In 2020, the world’s biggest COVID-19 vaccine study began with the first of 30,000 planned volunteers helping to test shots created by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc. Today’s birthdays: Singersongwriter Bobbie Gentry is 84. Actor-director Betty Thomas is 79. Olympic gold medal figure skater Peggy Fleming is 78. Singer Maureen McGovern is 77. Comedian-actorwriter Carol Leifer is 70. Comedian Bill Engvall is 69. Actor-martial artist Donnie Yen is 63. Jazz singer Karrin Allyson is 63. Rock musician Juliana Hatfield is 59. Former professional wrestler Triple H
BAGEL
Continued from page 1C
The bagel started in Jewish communities in Poland and was brought here by Eastern European Jews escaping growing antisemitism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries After arriving from Poland, Harry Lender worked at a New Jersey bakery to earn enough to bring his family to America. His sons grew the family’s work from their New Haven, Connecticut, bakery to supermarkets around the country
with frozen bagels.
The bagel, then, is another story of the success of immigrants in America
The shops that now sell them are run by families of those original immigrants and new groups who’ve come for a better life.
But no matter how far the bagel spreads, it maintains a special place for American Jews. Many moments in the circle of life for Jews in America include boiled rings of dough stacked high to celebrate or eat away the grief.
Ritual circumcision for a baby boy? Snip snip, then bagels for all.
Bar mitzvah day 13 years later? Months of practice for an hour of work. Then: bagels.
Shiva house mourning a loved one? “Sorry for your loss.” “Thank you. Bagels are in the other room.” In these situations, the bagel brings comfort — just as it has for generations of American Jews, immigrants, and anyone else looking for their place at the table.
Part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.
end of the Mississippi bridge connecting Concordia Parish to Adams County, Mississippi, at natchez, welcomes travelers to the town of Vidalia. Vidalia was Black filmmaker Spencer Williams Jr.’s native home.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Choose to do something that encourages you to learn and experience something newand exciting. Connect with people who share your concerns and interests. Angerisa waste of time andeffort.
VIRGO (Aug.23-sept. 22) Reach outto those alreadydoingsomethingyou want to pursue,but don't bank on having the sameexperience.Fine-tuneyourpath forward to bypass the pitfalls others encountered.
LIBRA(sept. 23-Oct. 23) Keep personal information asecret. Take careofmatterswithinstitutions, government agencies and authority figures. Researching something will help you determine the best alternatives to implement.
scORPIO (Oct. 24-nov. 22) Speak up. Honestyisthe best way to stifle negativity. Stopworrying about who walks away. If aconnection is causing you grief, let it go.Takethe path that offersfood for thought.
sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Allisgood if you take care of your health and physical well-being. Taking on too much or more than you can handlewill leave you subject to risk and injury.
cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Address issues concerning legalities, health issues andyourfinancial future with those who influence your lifestyle and howyou proceed. Acommitment will help youget back on track.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Keep your thoughts to yourself. Listen, learn and formulate aplan that encourages you
to broaden your awareness, needs and what you wanttopursue.Alifestyle change is overdue.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Pay attention to detail and what others think and do.If youbecome aspokesperson andarticulate your thoughts and plans,you'll attract people who want to achieve the same goals.
ARIEs(March 21-April 19) If youtakethe plunge andlet your imaginationleadthe way, you'll devise innovative ideas and plans that will help you shine in your professional arena.
tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Letting situations, people andworry takeupyour time will result in few accomplishments.Put your time to good use, focus on physical activities and reiterate to thoseclose to you what you feel is important.
GEMInI(May 21-June 20) An instinctive move on your part or that of someone closetoyou will have two parts —benefits willunfold, butthe cost and emotional mayhem that transpires may put adamper on the outcome.
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Slow down, breatheand focusonwhatbrings you peace and joy. Refusetolet mixed emotions causeproblems with associates, lovers or friends. Pay moreattention to your surroundings.
Celebrity Cipher cryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Each letter in the cipher stands foranother.
tODAy's cLuE: WEQuALs L
beetLe bAILeY
Sudoku
InstructIons: Sudokuis anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday
Saturday’s Puzzle Answer
THewiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS CurTiS
By PHILLIPALDER
ZigZiglar,awriter,salesmanandmotivational speakerwho died in 2012, said, “You were born to win, buttobeawinner,youmustplantowin,preparetowin, and expect to win.” To succeed in abridgedealmay require taking awinner at theright moment. Atrick too soon or toolate may prove fatal.
In today’s deal, South is in fourspades. West leadsthe club queen. What should declarer do?
In the auction, Southprobablyshould have rebid three no-trump. With eight winners, he needed partner to provide onlyone more trick, or forthe opening lead to be alow heart away from the ace.
Declarer apparently has these10 tricks:six spades, one heart, twodiamonds and one club.
However, to get that heart trick,South has to leadhis king to drive out the ace, then get to the dummytocash the queen Andapparently the only dummy entry, theclubace,hasbeenremovedbyWest’s opening lead. Well,ifahearttrick is impossible, maybe South’s 10th trick can be aclubruff in dummy.
Some players would take the first trick and return aclub, but the defenderwho won that trick would surely shift to a trump to stop declarer’sclub ruff.
wuzzles
Instead, suppose West is allowed to take trickone. What will he do next?
Each Wuzzleisa word riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previousanswers:
word game
InstRuctIOns: 1. Words mustbeoffour or more letters. 2. Wordsthat acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.
sAtuRDAy’s WORD —FERVIDLy
loCKhorNs
Be diligentfor theLord. Manyare counting on us. G.E. Dean
