The Times-Picayune 07-28-2026

SAINTS TRAINING CAMP Whattowatch

CouncilsharesS&WBoversight plan

Newlaw givescitymorecontrol over utility

BY JONI HESS Staff writer

The New Orleans City Council plans to nix estimated water billing and have more say over Sewerage &Water Board’sleadership once anew statelaw takes effect

Saturday. In adraft ordinancereleased last week,the City Council detailed sweeping changesahead forthe utilitythatinclude greater scrutiny over its $467 million operating budgetand giving the mayor power to removemembers from

theboard of directors. Those directors can select or removethe agency’sexecutive director,astep thecouncil would approve.

City Council member Aimee McCarron on Monday saidthe ordinance is aframework forS&WB’s future governance structure.

The changes,subject tothe City Council’sapproval at alater date, were recommended by the Public Utility Modernization ProcessSubgroup that Mayor Helena Moreno establishedthrough an executive order last month. The group is comprised of City Council members, members of heradministration,S&WB officials and experts.

“Itoffers improved budgetary and operational oversight as we learn moreabout the internal functions of the agency,” she said, adding that the changes won’t happen overnight. The council will consider them at afuture meeting. The changes marka pivotal juncture forthe quasi-independent, centuries-old agency that has long been criticizedfor inaccurate meter readingsand an unreliable

Restorationdispute

Madame John’s Legacy,an18th-centuryFrench Colonial house and National Historic Landmarkat632 Dumaine

center of adisputebetween preservationists forthe state and NewOrleans.

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

More than two years after thestate and New Orleans preservationiststhought they had agreed on how torestoreone of the rarest historic structures in the French Quarter,the twosides remain at odds as the state is moving ahead withthe project.

The disputecenters onMadameJohn’s Legacy at 632 Dumaine St., one of the oldest buildings in the city and best surviv-

ingexamplesofFrench Colonial architecture. Built in 1788, it withstood devastating fires that wiped outmostother neighborhood structures from that era.

Since 2021, local preservationistshave disagreed with the state, which owns thebuilding, accusing its contractorsof botching therestoration project by ignoring preservation guidelines and doing unnecessarywork, aclaim the state denies.

In 2023,the twosides nearlywent to court over the issue —acrisis that was averted when the state agreed to commissionan

expert report on the history of the building to help guide how future work should be done.

Butthat report,technically knownasa “historic structures report,” has yet to be commissioned, much less completed. Now,anew fundraisingorganization formed to support therestoration effort is exploring potential commercial uses for the building, including opening aculinary museum thatwouldhost visiting

Musiciansexplore rootsofzydeco

Creole la-lasound influences newerbands

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Long before electrifiedzydeco bands filled dance halls, Creole musicians gathered for acoustic “la-la” house parties across southwest Louisiana. Twoyoung 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 andblues, electric guitars and the rubboard, creating alouder,more energetic sound.

Butnomatter what kind of band is playing, there’sa beating heart in the music that drives people to gather,dance andmake friends outofstrangers. It’s possible to hearthe unbrokentraditions in the sounds, and even see it, whenyou observetraditional Cajun and Creole artists andzydeco playerssit in jams together,orplay on each other’srecords. Then,itbecomes clear that Louisiana roots music has evolved together over the years, producing amodern 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.LeNouveau Zydeco highlightsone of southwestLouisiana’soldest recorded musicaltraditions—Creole la-la. Considered aprecursor to modern zydeco music,“la-la”isthe music thatwould have been playedat aruralhouse party in 19th-and early 20th-century Creole communities —similar to the Acadian folk music played across thecountryside, but leading in anew direction

“It’s like aroot that fed into the tree of zydeco,” said Joshua Caffery,the director of the Center for LouisianaStudiesatthe University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where

ä See ROOTS, page 4A

ä See COUNCIL, page 4A

La.senatorssay they supportmilitary action

BY MARK BALLARD Staff writer

WASHINGTON Louisiana’s twoU.S senators support the military action in Iran but say it’stimefor the president to explain the purpose, strategy and off-ramp.

“What we do need to do, though, is have anational dialogue, where the president comes to the American people, comes to Congress, (and)Congress helps make atough decision,” Sen.BillCassidy, R-Baton Rouge, saidSundayon CNN’s“State of the Union.”

ä Mediators see progress in efforts to halt war.

“Weall need to do abetter job messaging,” Sen. JohnKennedy,RMadisonville, said Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation,” adding that President Donald Trumporone of his top advisers should “either in aspeech or in along press conference, explain what’sgoing on in Iran. Why we wentin. Why we’re still there.”

Over thenext two weeks,the Senate will be considering legislation to spendmoremoney replacing

ä See IRAN, page 4A

PHOTO By ROBIN MAy

Le Nouveau Zydeco, an acoustic band dedicated to preserving and celebratingtraditional Louisiana Creole music, particularly ‘la-la’ music, the precursortomodernzydeco, plays in Lafayette on July 11.

Cassidy

Kennedy

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

St., is at the

ä See DISPUTE, page 4A

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

McConnell remains in rehab, statement says WASHINGTON The office of Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., released an update on his health Monday this time with a statement from the congressional Office of Attending Physician stating the senator has not yet been medically cleared to leave a rehabilitation facility where he is undergoing physical therapy

The update comes shortly before his home state’s annual Fancy Farm picnic, which features speeches from politicians throughout the state seeking elected office. McConnell said in a written statement that he won’t be able to attend the event

“There’s no place I’d rather be on the first Saturday in August than with the good people of western Kentucky feasting on pork and mutton,” McConnell said McConnell, 84, was admitted to the hospital on June 14 and revealed weeks later that it was due to a fall.

‘Today’ host makes plea in mom’s disappearance

“Today” show host Savannah Guthrie says in a new video that her family is living an unending nightmare nearly six months after her mother’s disappearance and pleads with her kidnappers: “Tell us where to look for her.”

The video released Monday is the latest public plea from the journalist about 84-year-old Nancy Guthrie since her disappearance on Feb. 1 from her home just outside Tucson, Arizona Savannah Guthrie said her family will never stop looking for her.

“The world can be a cruel and unforgiving place and I know that you have tried to do things the right way,” she said. “So I’m asking you, begging you, to do the right thing now Make the right choice. Help us find her Tell us where to look for her I truly believe it is never too late to do the right thing.” Authorities believe Nancy Guthrie was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will on Feb. 1.

Comey: Seashell post was political speech

WASHINGTON — Former FBI Director James Comey urged a judge on Monday to throw out federal charges against him, arguing that a photo of seashells arranged on a beach he posted on social media was not a call to violence against President Donald Trump but protected political speech.

Comey’s lawyers argue the government cannot prove the Instagram photo of seashells in the numerical arrangement of “86 47” constituted a “true threat” against the Republican president, who fired Comey in 2017 and has publicly called for his prosecution. The slogan — which has long meant to “get rid of” or “eject” — has been featured on thousands of items sold online and regularly displayed at protests, defense lawyers wrote in court papers. “But the government now singles out Mr Comey to prosecute one of the President’s most prominent critics for publishing another person’s statement of political opposition,” his attorney’s wrote. “That attempt to suppress core political speech contravenes both the statutes at issue and the First Amendment.” The seashells case against Comey was the second in months targeting the ex-FBI director

Performer accidentally shot with arrow at circus

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y A circus performer was accidentally shot in the neck by an arrow during a performance at a county fair in upstate New York, police and organizers said. It happened Friday night at the Orange County Fair in Middletown, northwest of New York City, according to state police.

Ana Daza Tavera, 42, and Edwin Cuervo Rangel, 38, a married couple from Waukesha, Wisconsin, had been performing their crossbow sharpshooting act when she accidentally struck him in the neck with an arrow as he held up a foam target, police said. Rangel was airlifted to a hospital in stable condition and the circus was canceled for the night. He was released from the hospital Saturday after the arrow was safely removed and he received stitches

SEATTLE

At least 3 involved in shooting, police say

Authorities say shootout near Space Needle may have been gang-related

BY GENE JOHNSON Associated Press

SEATTLE Police said Monday there were at least three suspects involved in a shootout at a crowded food festival near Seattle’s Space Needle over the weekend. One of them was among those killed in the violence.

In a document filed in juvenile court in Seattle, where a 15-year-old arrested in the case waived his initial appearance Monday, police said they believe there were at least three shooters, rather than two: the 15-year-old; an acquaintance who died at the scene; and “at least one other unknown suspect.”

Nicole Powell, the Seattle Police Department’s assistant chief of investigations, told a news conference Monday afternoon that investigators believe the shooting may have been gang-related, with two groups firing at each other The deceased shooter was 19.

A judge ordered the 15-year-old held in juvenile detention for investigation of firearms violations and first-degree assault. The King County prosecutor’s office said it expected to receive the case from Seattle police on Wednesday for a charging decision.

The gunfire erupted around 6 p.m. Sunday in the waning hours of the Bite of Seattle, leaving three people dead and at least four others, including a toddler injured. The annual three-day festival draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers to Seattle Center, a sprawling park in the shadow of the Space Needle. Many attendees rushed into campus buildings or ran from the park at the sound of the shots.

News that there were at least three sus-

pects followed a series of confusing statements from city officials concerning the shooting.

On Sunday, the police department waited five hours to share with the public that one shooter had been arrested and that they believed another to be on the loose. Earlier, Mayor Katie Wilson had announced two people were in custody, a statement she retracted.

At a news conference before the court hearing Monday, Police Chief Shon Barnes said investigators weren’t sure if the second shooter was among the dead. Neither he nor the mayor made any reference to additional shooters. Barnes had been out of town Sunday, attending a conference of Black law enforcement executives in Dallas.

The officials defended their handling of the case, saying they were trying to ensure they provided accurate information about chaotic events.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office on Monday identified the dead as Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba, 44; Ashley Whitehead, 56; and Junior Cee Niko Semo, 19. Villalba was a husband and father of three known for his kindness and willingness to help others, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched Monday to help his family with funeral expenses. He died from a gunshot wound to his torso, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The four wounded included a 2-year-old boy, who was in satisfactory condition Monday The others — two men, ages 23 and 27, and a woman, 39 — were discharged, a hospital spokesperson said.

One of the victims was walking a bicycle when struck, the court document said. The toddler was with his mother Vendors were allowed to return to the campus Monday morning to collect their equipment. Skewered squid on grills, roasted ducks in ovens and plates full of food were among the items left behind as people fled.

Wisconsin tornado causes extensive damage, cuts power

BY SCOTT BAUER, JOHN SEEWER and CYBELE MAYES-OSTERMAN Associated Press

MADISON, Wis

A tornado struck northeastern Wisconsin on Monday, blackening the midday sky and sending workers sheltering in office basements as fierce winds splintered homes scattered twisted metal across a highway and knocked out power to more than 30,000 people. There were no reports of fatalities or injuries as of Monday evening, but emergency officials were still searching, said Gordon Hintz, Winnebago County’s top elected official.

The National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Winnebago County, about 90 miles northwest of Milwaukee. Damage was reported in cities including Appleton and Menasha, where Police Chief Matt Albrecht said some homes and businesses were severely impacted.

The twister was spun off by a large storm system that moved through the Great Lakes, fueled by a buildup of heat and humidity National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Berschback said. Hintz said it could be several days before power in the stricken area is restored.

Heather Schroeder said she heard cracking and popping all around her as the tornado tore apart a laundromat, a bakery and a neighborhood tavern that were clustered around a street corner in Menasha, about 30 miles south of Green Bay

Rescue workers pulled someone out of one of the buildings, said Schroeder, who works nearby She said it wasn’t clear

PROVIDED PHOTO By

if the person had survived. Cars were turned upside-down, and there was a gas leak at the laundromat, she said.

“There’s nothing left,” Schroeder said.

The twister ripped roofs off homes and flipped vehicles in one neighborhood in Menasha, just blocks from the shores of Lake Winnebago. Video showed a trail of destruction, with some homes reduced to their outer walls.

Greg Van Driest was working in downtown Appleton when the sky got as dark as night.

“The word we all were using was ‘ominous,’” he said. “It’s like, ‘Whoa, look at that.’ You looked outside and you thought it was three in the morning, it was that dark.”

Hintz said he’s received multiple reports of buildings destroyed and vehicles overturned. All storm warnings that could be made ahead of time to get people to safety were activated, he said.

“Obviously when you look at the damage, Mother Nature doesn’t really care,” he said.

Administration urges justices to allow voting order

Trump’s plan for mail-in ballots blocked by lower court

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections.

The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking work to implement the sweeping changes in nearly half the country

The request comes shortly after Trump delivered a primetime address elevating his yearslong push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections, and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest.

Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.

Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Their attorneys have said Trump’s proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.

A judge in Massachusetts blocked the order for the plaintiff states, and a divided 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel left her ruling in place over the weekend.

The executive order issued in March calls for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to create a federal list of eligible voters. It tells the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people

on that list.

The order also calls for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique bar codes for tracking. Federal funding could be withheld from states and localities that don’t comply The appeal argues that Trump’s order lays out “general policy guidance” and doesn’t directly dictate how states run their elections. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the high court to freeze the judge’s order as lawsuits play out, calling it indefensible.

“And the injunction is especially indefensible because the agencies are still deliberating over how (if at all) to implement the Order, yet the district court preemptively decided that whatever the agencies may choose to do will necessarily be unlawful,” Sauer wrote.

He urged the high court to move quickly, arguing that any new policies would have to be in place as soon as August to be effective for the November elections. A response to the appeal is due Aug. 3.

Trump promoted the proposed changes as safeguards to keep non-U.S. citizens from voting. Noncitizen voting has been shown to be rare, and is a felony that can be punishable by deportation.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was nominated by Democratic President Barack Obama, agreed in June to halt implementation for the Nov 3 elections. Her ruling differed from that of another federal judge based in Washington. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, found in May it was too early to block the order because it had not yet been implemented.

The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit, did not immediately comment on the Trump administration’s appeal. New York Attorney General Letitia James’ office declined to comment.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

The U.S flag flies at half-staff Monday over the Space Needle as cleanup continues the day after a shooting at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival.

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drainage pump system. And while the council has changed board policies in the past, such as mandating that billing disputes be heard through a third-party process,cityleaders consider the new law as afirst step toward folding S&WB into city government. Last week,CityCouncilPresident JP Morrell and McCarron said at atown hall-stylemeeting that they will explore whether the agency even needs an executive director —ajob Randy Hayman has held for ayear In anews release Monday, S&WB laid out Hayman’srésumé and touted his efforts in his current role pushing legislation for alead pipe replacement program that voters will considerfunding on the ballot this fall

“Executive Director Randy Hayman, Esq. is recognized as one of thenation’s leaders in public utilities,environmentallaw,and infrastructure management, bringing more than three decades of executive, legal, and operational leadership overseeing some of the largest water andwastewater systems in the United States,” agency officials said S&WB alsonoted its Enhanced PromisePay Program, aprogram thatoffered interest-free payment plans forcustomers with past-due balances and has prevented over 6,000 shutoffs, while recovering morethan $19 million in past-due bills since 2024.

Hayman said S&WB is “committed to working under any governance structure that supports the mission of improving critical infrastructure anddelivering reliable service to our customers,” and that theordinancecan “help improve alignment” as the agency carries out its mission.

DISPUTE

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chefs and wine dinners.

Louisiana State Museum ExecutiveDirector Becky Mackie, whose agency oversees the historic building, said thestate is being aresponsible steward and is properly caring for the building as it works through funding challenges and methodically undergoes a yearslong restoration.

“Wehave completed roof repairs so todaywehave a structurally sound building that is no longer vulnerable to the elements,” she said.“Now, we’reawaiting engineering designs for the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and such.” She said the report could be commissioned before work beginsonthe exterior of the building when more money is available. But local preservationists, whohave been trying to monitor the progressofthe work, say they’ve been cut out of the loop, which has fueled suspicion and questions. Without the historic structures report, they say they fear the worst.

“Wedon’tknow what has

IRAN

Continued from page1A

military hardware that has been used up during the hostilities that began Feb. 28 and have continued off and on since, pausing temporarily from time to time under fragile ceasefires to negotiate asettlement

“I don’thave enough information to know about continuingthe attacks,” Kennedy said. “The president likes thedaily attacks. He believes that sometimes you have to kill afew chickens to scare the monkeys Idon’tthink that’sgoing to work with the Iranian leadership.”

The Senate passed aresolution in June urging an end

happenedthere over the past year,” said architect Robert Cangelosi,an expert in historic preservation. “We have heardthe buildinghas beenbadly damaged and have notbeen abletoget inside to see it for ourselves.”

Thedisputehighlights a long-simmering frictionin the French Quarter between the NewOrleans Vieux CarreCommission, which regulates all construction work in the French Quarter, andthe state, which owns several historic buildings, including the Cabildo and the Presbytère, the Lower Pontalbaapartments and MadameJohn’s Legacy Vieux Carre Commission Executive Director Bryan Block did not respond to requests seekingcomment.

Architecturallysignificant

Madame John’sLegacy, which gets its unusualname from ashort story by George WashingtonCable, is considered oneofthe finest surviving examplesofan18th-century Creole building. The propertyincludes a main house made of wood, raised aboveground on a brick masonry basement, adouble-hitched hiproof and wide galleries. It hasa separate kitchen withliving

to the conflict or for Trump to cometoCongress for permission to continuethe militaryaction

The House passed one on Thursday.But theresolutions carried no enforcement weightand acted merely as asymbolic criticism of the war

CassidyinJune had a shouting match with Trump during aclosed-door meetingwith senators over why he supporteda procedural vote leadingtoacongressional demand for war powersauthority.Heeventually votedagainst the actual measure when it came to the floor,sayingthe administrationhad briefed himinthe meantime.

Cassidy went on to tell CNNonSunday that the U.S. would not abandon troops or

“Wewill have many more discussions and policy considerations as we learn more. Iamdiligently working with my council colleagues and city leaders to improve S&WB for our residents, our businesses and everyone in between.”

AIMEE McCARRON, NewOrleans City Council member

The council currentlyapproves water and sewer rates while the governing board oversees operations.Meanwhile, the mayor appointsamajority of the utility’s governing board who serve alternating four-year terms, which hasprompted complaints from Moreno about notbeing able to remove anyexisting members.

Many of thememberswere appointedunderformer Mayor LaToya Cantrell’sadministration

ROOTS

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they hold archival recordings of Creole la-la players goingbackto the1920s 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 themusic, then there’sthe modernized version of it. When people like Clifton Chenier came along and fusedrhythm andbluesinabigger electrified band with some of these older la-la traditions, it created a modern style thatwas designed, to some degree,tomeet people where they were at in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.”

La-la music first became known through thesounds of early playerslikeAmédé Ardoin andthe Carrière Brothers, who were highly influential in building the Louisiana French songbook that Creole,Cajun andzydecoplayers still use today

“There’snot too manyacoustic Creole bands outthere,” said 19-year-old Israel Chaisson, who formed Le Nouveau Zydeco with Brayden Janice, who is 22. “I want

quarters for thecook and a two-story outbuilding.

The state hasowned the property since 1947. In 1970, it was designateda National HistoricLandmark and ranks withthe Presbytère, theCabildo and St. Louis Cathedral among the French Quarter’smost important structures.

Becauseofits historic significance, Cangelosi and other preservation groups, including the Vieux Carre Commission, Preservation Resource Centers andLouisiana Landmarks Commission, were watching closely when the state began restoration work in 2021. They noted what they said were serious problems with the way work was being done.

Amongtheir specific concernswere changestothe façade, the destruction of the house’s chimney, the fate of astaircaseatthe rear of thebuildingand themethodsthe contractor used to deal withmoisture.

In late 2023, theVieux Carre Commission issued astop-work order. Afew weeks later,the two sides cametogether and work was allowed to proceed, withthe state agreeing not to replace porch columns or postsonthe streetlevel with

agree to allowIran to have controlofthe Strait of Hormuz,through which about 20% of the world’soil is supplied. The closures and chaos at the strait areresponsible for thedramatic increase in the price of oil and thus the price of gasoline and diesel fuel.

High-cost energy is responsible for higherprices acrossthe board. Aseries of polls show that up to twothirds of the U.S. public oppose the hostilitieswith Iran. The Pentagon reported Monday that 18 service members have been killed and another 624 have been injured.

Email Mark Ballard at mballard@theadvocate. com.

Furtherchangestothe board’s structure, such as changing the numberofmembers,wouldrequirea city charteramendment approved by voters. Under the proposed regulations, Moreno would be able to remove boardmembersand the council may require approval, if it chooses, of the agency’s executivedirector and general superintendent.The latterjob is held by Kaitlin Tymrak. Under theordinance, S&WB can no longer estimate monthly water usage.Rates,fees,policiesand contract agreements are also subject to the council’sapproval, according to the draft. Customer bill disputes will be handledbya firm designatedbythe City Council to respond to customer complaints. The firm will be supervised by the Council Utilities Regulatory Office.

Moving forward, theutilitywill havetoprepare its annualbudget in conjunction with City Hall and

to make sure that the younger generation of people notonlyknow aboutthe music,but understand it and understand the origins of it.”

They played aset this summer at Sojourn TeaHouse in Lafayette, showcasinga musical confidence that speaks to their roots—Chaisson has been playing on stages withhis father,Zydeco Mike, since he was 2years old, and Janice also plays in abandcalledNextGen Zydeco.

“In my zydeco band, we do play a lot of old Creole songs, but Ireally like withthis band that it’sacoustic,” said Janice. “It’slike old times. With my other band, we have alot of big speakers, and it’safull piece band. This is just an accordion, a fiddle and maybe an acousticbass —it’sacompletely different feeling.

Zydeco musicianBrandon Ledet, who plays with Brandon Ledet& Creole Touch, said he likes to explain the differences between old-time Creole and Cajunmusic in simple terms —“it’s dependent on the flavor of the people making it.”

“There aresimilarities, because it was pretty muchall stirred out of the same pot,” he said. “As faras Creole la-la music and Cajun music, Ifind that Cajun music has more of

anything permanent —or anything that might appear permanent —until after the historic structures report was completed. That report has yet to be issued. Mackie, whose agency oversees 10 state museums, said part of the problem is funding. The Louisiana Legislature haspenciled in $3.6 million for theproject in the state’s constructionbudget, but only $325,000 of thattotal can be spent this year

Some of that money could go to ahistoric structures report, Mackiesaid.But most of the money will go toward design engineering work forrepairs to theHVAC, electrical system, plumbing and alarm system so the building can be brought up to code and partially opened to thepublic as arevenuegenerating museum

“Our goal would be to offer tours on the ground level and then move into restoring the interior of the building once more state fundingcan be used,” Mackie said. When funds become avail-

submit it to the councilfor approval by Oct. 1. Beginning next year,it will also have to devise afive-year capitalimprovement planfor majorprojectsinconsultationwith the Department of Public Works andother relevant offices to ensureprojects align with thecity’s adopted Climate Action Plan.

Theordinance also requires S&WB to notify customers, city officials and local newsmedia of any conditions that could put public health or safety at risk, suchaswater service disruptionsimpacting morethan 50 customers or places that serve vulnerable residents.

“Wewill have manymore discussionsand policyconsiderationsas we learn more,” McCarron said. “I am diligently working withmy council colleagues and city leaders to improve S&WB forour residents, our businesses and everyone in between.”

Email Joni Hessatjoni.hess@ theadvocate.com.

astraightforward flowtoit, where your Creole la-la music is more centered around apulsating beat.”

As the bands gotamplifiedand genres like zydeco andswamp pop entered the mix—influenced by predominanttrends in popmusic, such as the rise of country-western and R&B music —Louisiana music andplayers continued to evolve, while maintaining aconnection to theroots.Ledet said that when he is invited to Cajun jam sessions in the area, the playing style is afamiliar onewith direct links to oldCajun music iconslike Iry LeJeune,who was influenced by Ardoin.

“Myself, Iplay across the board,” said Ledet. “I can play Cajun music, Ican playCreole, Iplay zydeco. Youcan sit me in with aCajunband, closeyoureyes, and say,‘That’saCajun artist up there.’

“Usually,music gets labeledby the identity of the person playing it,” he added. “They can playthe same tune,and have adifferent stylebandbackingthemup, because it comesfrom the same root of wherethe music started. And youcan’t growaseedwithout a root first.”

Email Joanna Brownatjoanna. brown@theadvocate.com.

able to begin restoring the front of the building, Mackie said the state would “eventually have an architect work with us to complete that and the studies that have to be done.”

Dinners, education?

For local preservationists, though, theissue is about trust and what they feel is a lack of transparency Those frustrations were amplifiedearly this year when the Louisiana State Museum Board entered into an agreement with anew fundraising organization, Friends of Madame John’s Legacy,headed by Kevin Kelly, whorenovatedHoumas House Estate and Gardens in Darrow in the early 2000s andturneditinto a successful commercial venture with an upscale restaurant.

According to minutes from the board’smeeting in March, Kelly madeapresentation to the board on the new group’sfundraising campaign. The group’sgoal,

the minutes show,isto“create aculinary museum that highlights Louisiana’sfood heritagewhile remaining sustainable, hosting visiting chefs, wine dinners, and educational programming.” Mackie said the group is “very active” in helping raise moneyfor therestoration effort, enabling it to moveforward.

Kelly did not respond to a request seeking comment. AnnMasson, alongtime French Quarter preservationist and former architecturehistory professorat Tulane University,said the potential commercialization of the building is chilling, especially given the many unanswered questions that remainabout the standards that will guideits restoration going forward.

“It is unbelievable to me, shesaid. “Afterbeing in this business for50years or more, Ihave never seen ahistorically significant buildingsopoorly treated, the public so completely misinformed.”

PHOTO By ROBINMAy

Brayden Janice plays music withhis band Le NouveauZydeco at Sojourn TeaShop in downtown Lafayette onJuly 11.

Mediators see progress in efforts to halt Iran war

said Iran had asked for more discussions, reaching out directly “because we’ve been hitting them very hard.”

BY SAMY MAGDY and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

CAIRO Mediators have achieved progress in getting the United States and Iran back to negotiations, regional officials said Monday after both sides paused attacks following a period of rapidly escalating tensions. But scattered attacks by armed groups across the region underscored the lingering tensions. Saudi Arabia said it had shot down drones fired by Iran-backed militias in Iraq that had targeted its petroleum facilities. Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen meanwhile claimed to have attacked Saudi oil facilities as part of a separate but related conflict. It was unclear if they referred to the same attack. Neither the U.S. nor Iran reported carrying out any attacks for three days — a respite after about two weeks of sustained bombardments that had led to increasing fears of a return to all-out war

President Donald Trump

Iran has said there are no direct talks underway

“We’re having good talks, so we’ll see what happens,”

Trump told reporters Monday on Air Force One. “I think there’s a good chance that something could happen. And if it does, good If it doesn’t, we go back to doing what we were doing two days ago.”

The two regional officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door talks, said mediators led by Qatar and Pakistan were working to bridge the gap between Washington and Tehran to return to an interim ceasefire deal that had collapsed after exchanges of fire.

discuss sensitive conversations, said this message was delivered as part of Caine’s regular duties of providing military advice and options to Trump. Caine told lawmakers at a hearing last week that “airpower has its limits” in achieving military objectives. The U.S. military has employed airstrikes almost exclusively against Iran. One of the regional officials who spoke to AP on Monday described the progress made in mediation efforts as “significant.” He said mediators were working with Iran and Oman on a mechanism for managing vessels’ transit through the Strait of Hormuz, the flashpoint for the latest strikes and counterstrikes. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said during a news conference in Tehran on Monday that “mediators may convey messages to us from the American side” but that there were no direct negotiations. He said Iran and Oman, which lies on the other side of the Strait of Hormuz, had already held talks on Friday and Saturday on how to manage ship traffic through the waterway Drone

In addition to the attack on Saudi Arabia, two drone attacks were reported against a Kurdish Iranian dissident group in Iraq on Monday and Jordan said it had shot down two drones, without saying where they originated There were no reports of casualties or damage. Iran and Ukraine, meanwhile, have been publicly feuding since Ukraine fired on at least one Iranian ves-

Zelenskyy, U.K.’s new prime minister meet

BY JILL LAWLESS Associated Press

LONDON Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and new U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham met Monday at a British naval base and discussed joint drone projects and Ukraine’s urgent need for ballistic missile interceptors to counter Russian attacks. Zelenskyy’s visit was the first by a foreign leader since Burnham took office a week ago, and the prime minister said it signaled the U.K.’s “unwavering” support for Kyiv to defend itself against Russia’s 4-yearold, full-scale invasion.

His predecessor, Keir Starmer, was in the Ukrainian capital less than two weeks ago in his last overseas trip before leaving office, and Burnham said he planned to visit soon.

Burnham is the fifth British prime minister Zelenskyy has dealt with since Russia launched the war in 2022.

“You are the first leader I have welcomed in person since taking office, and that is no accident,” Burnham told Zelenskyy “It is intended to send a very clear message: we are with Ukraine 100%, I am personally with you 100%, and I will honor every commit-

Tate brothers to remain in jail at least 2 more weeks

By The Associated Press

MIAMI Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate will remain in jail at least two more weeks until their next hearing as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, a federal judge said Monday U.S Magistrate Lauren Louis set a detention hearing for Aug. 13 to determine whether the Tates should stay in jail or be released during what could be a monthslong extradition process. The brothers weren’t in court Monday or required to be there and have remained in jail since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire.

ment this country has made to Ukraine in full.”

Zelenskyy said the two countries’ relationship was “stronger than ever.”

The meeting, aboard the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth docked at Portsmouth on England’s south coast, came a day before Zelenskyy is expected to visit U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington.

Burnham said they had “talked at length” about Kyiv’s need for more interceptors to shoot down Russian ballistic missiles, “particularly in terms of Ukraine protecting critical national infrastructure during the winters.”

“We’ve taken away some things that we will now follow up with our partners,” Burnham said after the meeting.

Russia has intensified strikes on gas stations, power facilities and other infrastructure this year in a broad campaign to strain Ukraine’s logistics and energy networks

Zelenskyy said on X that the leaders also discussed “joint defense production.” Britain and Ukraine already have a deal to work together on new drones, and Zelenskyy told Sky News beforehand that he hoped to build a “big, big factory” in Britain.

sel in the Caspian Sea over the weekend. Iran, which said a sailor had been killed in the attack, is an important ally of Russia in its war against Ukraine and helped Moscow build up its drone expertise.

The U.S. paused attacks 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, a crucial waterway for global oil shipments. Iran had responded to

the strikes with missile and drone attacks on countries hosting U.S. troops, killing at least three service members at a base in Jordan and one in Iraq. Iran halted its attacks following the American pause, Tehran’s army spokesperson told Iranian state TV on Sunday

The Iran war has drawn down the U.S. stockpile of key weapons systems like missiles and interceptors, analysts say

Asked if the U.S. munitions

stockpile was running low, Trump said both that it was “in very good shape,” and “I’d like to have more, to be honest.” Experts have questioned how long both the U.S. and Iran can afford to keep up attacks.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Trump that the state of the country’s stockpile could have an impact on military operations in Iran, a U.S. official said.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to

Judge: D4vd to stand trial in killing of teen

BY ANDREW DALTON AP entertainment writer

LOSANGELES A judge ruled Monday that there is enough evidence to put singer D4vd on trial in the killing and dismemberment of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez after authorities said, she had threatened to expose their relationship and crater his career

Los Angeles Judge Charlaine Olmedo decided the evidence prosecutors presented at a preliminary hearing that spanned five days provided probable cause for a trial on charges of murder, continuous sexual abuse of a child under the age of 14 and unlawful mutilation of human remains.

“The people have met their burden on all counts,” Olmedo said. She ordered that D4vd continue to be held without bail.

D4vd, the 21-year-old singer born David Burke whose career was steeply rising before the allegations emerged, has pleaded not guilty He showed no emotion when the judge issued her ruling. Defense lawyers declined to comment outside court after the ruling.

Olmedo emphasized that the probable cause standard for a preliminary hearing like this is much lower than the threshold at trial However prosecutors asserted

the evidence was overwhelming.

“Based on the mountains of evidence presented,” Deputy District Attorney Beth Silverman said, “all of the allegations have been proved way beyond the standard required.”

By StevieCavalier Licciardi stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Thisstory is brought to youbyMeta.

Many facets of lifeand businesshave been shifting in Northeast Louisiana since construction forthe newworld-classMeta AI data centerbegan in Richland Parish. With families relocating to the region, the CityofMonroe has experienced an upward tilt in the real estate market

To betterunderstand howthe housing market has changed since Meta’s construction started and the big picture forfamilies in the area,Kelsey Higdon, Digital Sales Manager forNola.com and The Advocate,spokeone-on-one with Linda Edwards,a realtor at John ReaRealty.

Canyoutellmealittlebitabout whatthehousingandcommercial marketwaslikebeforeMetacame?

Ithas always been agood market here, but it has alsohad its dips.However, since Meta announced the project, the market has skyrocketed. I’ve helped so manyfamilies who have left their homes to relocate here

Whatdoyouthinkpeople lovesomuchaboutMonroe? Whatmightsurprisesomeone aboutmovinghere?

Ithink theylove the small-townfeel. It’s not too big, but it’salsonot toosmall. I’ve alsoheard people sayhow welcoming and friendly the communityhas been. Theyfeel lovedand valued. Their kids have parks to playin. Thereare amazing restaurants and amazing churches

Howquicklydidthemarket reactoncetheannouncement wasmade?

My broker and Iare all about the

community,and we always try to stayahead of the curve. We knewitwas coming, and we started to do research on the properties and the building sites.Weattended all the Chamber of Commerce events and knew howmanypeople would come in and in what month. Then we started marketing and looking forlistings. We started talking to people and worked to makesurethat everyone who came in would have ahome.

Oneofthereasonsyoulovereal estateisthatyoucanpositively impactandserveyourcommunity. Inwhatwaysdoesthismarketgive youtheopportunitytoliveoutyour purpose?

Ialwayslook to gettoknowthe family and understand whatisimportantto them. Do they liketogoout to eatonthe weekends?Dotheyliketoget out on the water? Learning about each family and their hobbies helps me determine howfar from the site theyprefertobe. Factorssuch as shorter commutes or waterfrontaccess could be dealbreakersfor them. Thereare so many variables to consider when making sureour families aretaken care of The most important thing is to ensure theyare happywith their newlocation and thattheir needs arebeing met,whether that’shavingagood school fortheir children or having agreat neighborhood with proximitytothe activities theyenjoy.

Canyoutellusaboutatime youhelpedafamilyfindthe perfecthome?

My mostrecentcouple has four children and three dogs, and theywereliving in an apartmentatthe time Imet them. She loves cooking, but their limited space didn’tallow forit. So,she wanted to find ahome with a full kitchen, and he wanted to find ahome with apool. We searched high and lowfor the perfect home,and we just closed on it last week. Theyare going to renovate it and makeitspectacular Ihavehundreds of stories likethis one, and theytruly touch my heart.I’m very attached to all my clients,and theyknow that. We’refriends forlife.

To learn moreabout John ReaRealty, visit www.johnrearealty.com.

Formoreinformation on the Meta project in Richland Parish, see meta.com/ BuildingLouisiana.

ISNA PHOTO By RAZIEH POUDAT

Small boats line the shore as cargo ships and other commercial vessels are anchored Monday in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran.

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Stocks drift on Wall Streetasoil prices drop

Stocks on Wall Street drifted to amixed closeMonday as oil prices fell after the U.S. and Iran paused their attacks while work resumed on restarting negotiations to end the war

The S&P 500 roseless than 0.1% after spending much of the day bouncing between small gains and losses. The benchmark index was coming off two weekly losses in arow

The Dow Jones IndustrialAverage rose 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.2%, its fourth straightloss.

The three major stock indexesare on pace to close out this month in the red. It would be the second straight monthly loss for the S&P 500and Nasdaq Oil prices reversed course from aweek ago, when asharp escalationinfighting between the U.S. andIran worsened worries about global oilsupplies. The price of Brent crude, the internationalstandard, dropped 6.3% to settle at $85.87 abarrel forOctober delivery.Prices surgedtoover $100 abarrel last week before easing.

U.S. crude oil for September delivery fell 7.5% to settleat $82.61 abarrel.

The war between the U.S. and Iran has sharply curtailed, and at times halted, traffic through thevital Strait of Hormuz. That hashad aripple effect throughout theworld’seconomy.Gasoline prices have surged and shipping costs formost goods are rising, with businesses typicallypassing those costs along to households.

Markets closed higher in Europeand Asia. Bond yields fell. The yield on the10-yearTreasuryfellto 4.65% from 4.69% late Friday Technology companies were behind much of the shifts in the market, with gains and declines for amix of bigcompaniesresulting in uncertain trading Nvidia fell 5% andMicron Technology slumped 2.3%. At the same time, Microsoftrose 1.9% and Apple rose1.2%. They areall among themost valuable companies in the world, and those huge valuationsgive them more influence overthe direction of the broader market. The mix of gains and losses from avariety of those companies hadmore impact in pushing and pulling the market, even as the majority of companies in the S&P 500gained ground. Communications company stocks were among the gainers Monday.Google parent Alphabet rose 2.1%,whileCharter Communications jumped 6.7% and Comcastrose 2.3%.

Chinese chipmaker

CXMT’sshares soar

HONG KONG Shares of CXMT, China’slargestmemory chipmaker, shot skyward Monday as they begantrading in Shanghai in mainland China’sbiggest initial public stock offering in recent years.

CXMT’sshares surged 466% in their first day of trading.The company has become themost valuable onelisted on amainlandChinese exchange, with an estimatedmarketcapitalizationofmore than $487 billion. Butthat’s still smaller than those of South Korean and American memory chipmakers likeSamsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology. CXMT,orChangXinMemory Technologies, is among many chipmakers that have profited mightilyfrom the boom in artificialintelligence. Its business is thriving as China pushes for greater self-sufficiency in leading-edgetechnologies while contending with limited access to advanced chipmaking machinesdue to American-led restrictions. The company raised at least $8.6 billion with the offering, priced at $1.3 per share, in its listingonthe Shanghai Stock Exchange’sNasdaq-like STAR market, also known as theScience andTechnology InnovationBoard.

CrackerBarrelCEO stepping down

Logo andrebrand caused backlash

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer

Cracker Barrel’s CEO is stepping down nearlyayear after an attempted rebrand of the chain led to afierce customer backlash. Cracker Barrel said Monday that CEO Julie Masino will step down next monthbut remainwith the company until Oct. 9inanadvisory capacity David Denowill succeed Masino on Aug.10asCEO. Deno served

as the CEO of Bloomin’ Brands, which owns Outback Steakhouse and other chains, from 2019 until he retired in 2024. He has also held executive rolesatBest Buy and YumBrands, which is theparent company of KFC and Taco Bell. Lebanon, Tennessee-based Cracker Barrel hired Masino, a longtime Taco Bell andStarbucks executive, in July 2023. She was chosen for her recordasaninnovator withthe hope that she would attract newcustomers to Cracker Barrel, which operates nearly 660 restaurantsin43states Masino introduced updated menu items, like Hashbrown Cas-

serole Shepherd’sPie,toincrease CrackerBarrel’sdinnertime traffic.She also started remodeling the company’sdark, antique-filled restaurants, lightening the walls and installing more comfortable seating. Then, last August, Cracker Barrelannounced plans to ditch its longtimelogo, whichfeatures an older,overall-clad manleaning on abarrelaswellasthe words“Old Country Store.” The company said it would continue to honor Uncle Herschel —the man in itslogo, whorepresentsthe uncle of Cracker Barrel’s founder —onits menu and on items sold in its stores. But

the new logo would be simpler and easier to read on road signs and in phone apps. The backlash was immediate. Fans didn’tlike the new logo and also rebelledagainst thestoreredesigns. Even President Donald Trumpweighed in,saying in a Truth Social post that Cracker Barrel “should go back to the old logo.” Masino reversedcoursewithin afew days, but the damage was done. Cracker Barrel’ssame-store restaurantsales plunged5%last fall and7%inthe quarterending Jan. 30. Same-store sales at the retail storesconnected to its restaurants dropped even further

Fedfaces newpressuretohike ratesasprice risksrebound

Eyes arestill on Mideast, fluctuatingoil prices

BYJONNELLE MARTE and MARIA ELOISA CAPURRO Bloomberg News (TNS)

Federal Reserve officialswill head into their policy meeting this week confronting aresurgence in price pressures that could make theirdecisiononwhethertohold or hike interestrates aclosecall —and acontentious one. Renewed tensions in theMiddle East have sent oilprices soaring again, overshadowingatamer-than-expected reading on June consumer prices that seemed to offerofficials breathing room to keep rates stable. Addtothat ademandboom fueled by artificialintelligence and the Trump administration’s announcements of new tariffs,and Fed watchers see the possibility of dissents at the Tuesday-Wednesday meetingsifofficials again leave policy unchanged.

Investors in recent days have also boosted their betsthe central bank could hike at this week’smeeting, putting the odds close to 40% at onepointlast week.

“Things are definitelyheatingupinthe conflict in the Middle Eastand, for oil, the risk of moving significantly higher from here hasincreased,” said Alex Payne, aseniorportfoliomanager at Vanguard. “The market is adjusting to the risk of inflation being alittle bit stickier due to some of these geopolitical issues.”

Oil prices retreated somewhat over the weekend as theU.S.and Iran held back from initiating fresh military strikes. But fresh economic data provided further evidence of astrong U.S. economy,with orders for business equipmentrising in June by morethan projected.

Potentialpushback

Agrowing number of policymakershave outlined arationale for why they support higher ratesnow,orcould soon.

Dallas Fed President Lorie Logan earlier this month called for modestly higher rates, citing herview that inflation isn’theadingsustainably back to the Fed’s2%goal Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack also chimed in recently,saying “there is no conflict” in theFed’smandates and inflation is abiggerconcern than employment currently.Both will vote on this week’sinterestrate decision and could dissentifofficials opt to holdsteady

“It is clear listening to the Fed officials that you have asmall group —like Logan, Hammack —who probably are ready to get going,” said Claudia Sahm, chiefeconomist at New Century Advisors LLC. “And then there’sapretty large group thatwants to see

BY ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE Associated Press

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’splantoopenaslate of government-ownedgrocerystores stirred up critics whoroasted the idea as the democratic socialist’s first steptoward creating communist bread linesin the city. The mayoroffered adifferent vision for the city-owned shops on Monday,announcingthatthey would instead provide a30% discount on produce, meat anda host of other kitchen staples as away to offset therisingfoodpricesinone of America’s mostexpensivecities.

moreimprovement— and soon.”

Even at last month’smeeting, when officials left policy stable for afourth consecutivetime, afew policymakers already saw a case for raising rates.

Minutesofthatgathering also showed most officials haddiscussedscenarios in which inflation remained elevated due to AIrelated demand, the Middle Eastconflictor the effectsoftariffs. And almost all in that group indicated that such scenarios would likely warrant higher rates.

Since that meeting, theTrump administration said it would impose fresh tariffs on Canada and other trading partners, afragile ceasefire between Iran andthe U.S. fracturedand robustAIinvestmenthas shown few signs of slowing.

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh has reaffirmed theFed’scommitment to reducing inflation, vowing on Capitol Hill this month to use the central bank’stoolstoachieve price stability. But his reluctance to offer specifics on how he plans to use those toolshas kept markets guessing about where ratesare headed even in the near term.

As of Monday morning, investors were pricing in about a35% chance forarate increaseatthismeeting, according to federal funds futures contracts. Those odds had dropped to roughly 10% after Labor Department data releasedonJuly 14 showed the U.S. ConsumerPrice IndexfellinJune for thefirst time in sixyears as gasoline prices declined. Butthe drop reversed amidthe reescalation of the war with Iran.

“Roughly one third of the banks we work

with are positioning for further rate increases, while the rest are hedging against cuts,” said Pradeep Bhatia, chief executive officer of Derivative Path Inc., which helps financial institutions hedge rates and currency risks. “Thatkind of bifurcation tells you the market has stopped trying to predict the Fed and started preparing forboth outcomes.”

Nowvs. later

Officialsmay be comfortable leavingrates unchanged on the heels of the cooler June inflation reading, said Veronica Clark, an economist at CitigroupInc. If future data reports show limited pass-through from higher energy prices and rising unemployment, policymakers may opt to extend the hold on borrowing costs or even cut rates, she said. Some officials have indeed suggestedthe Fed can be patient fornow.But they’ve also said the central bank may need to hike in upcoming meetings if price pressures don’t abate.

“In ascenario where actual inflation does notstart to cool down soon,I believe that it could be appropriate to reconsiderour current policy stance,” Fed Vice Chair Philip Jefferson said two days after the CPI report. Lifting rates this month could help Warsh build credibility in his fight against inflation and maybeviewed as less political than a rate move closer to the midterm elections in November, saidJoseph Lavorgna,chief economist of the Americas forSMBC Nikko Securities America and aformer Treasury Department official during President Donald Trump’ssecond term.

The five storesare expected to be placed in each of the city’sfive boroughs, with thefirst set to open towardthe end of 2027 in the Bronx. He planstohaveall five operational by the end of his four-year term.

“Thirty percent off adds up to real money for New Yorkers,” Mamdani, aDemocrat, said at a newsconference at awarehouse in Brooklyn while standing in front of adisplay of fruits and vegetables. “In the wealthiest city, in the wealthiestcountryinthe history of the world, no New Yorker should have to worry aboutbeing able to affordtofeed their family.”

The cityhas started the process of picking private operators to handle day-to-dayoperations of theshops. The administration will provide storefrontswhile covering

toward policies to help the city’s struggling working class. At one point last year,heframed theidea as amodest experiment and said if it doesn’twork, “C’est la vie, then the idea was wrong.”

Still, theplanhas rankledsome smallergrocersand ownersofthe city’subiquitous bodega corner stores, who worry they won’t be abletocompete withprices at the city-run shops. Mamdani said the city-owned stores would not sell hot

or other items like

or cigarettes, as away to avoidsap-

rentalcosts and

said.

on

of government

business from private stores.

Andrew Rein, president of the Citizens BudgetCommission, a watchdoggroup, called for amore thorough public analysis of theprogram’scost.

TNS PHOTO By KAyLA BARTKOWSKI

Honor Fuchs, 25, right, pumps gasalongside aUPS driver at agas station in Los Angeles.

AP PHOTO By RyAN MURPHy Newyork City MayorZohran Mamdani discusses plans for citywide discounted grocerystores on Monday.

Trump defends his sweeping tariffs in Michigan stop

BY WILL WEISSERT and DARLENE SUPERVILLE Associated Press

MILFORD, Mich. — President Donald Trump came to Michigan on Monday and argued that his economic policies have revived the auto industry and American manufacturing, even as some businesses contend that the sweeping tariffs he’s imposed have actually hurt the state.

Trump visited a sprawling General Motors facility in the Detroit suburb of Milford that is a testing ground for its vehicles. He pumped a fist after watching a trio of drag races that involved muscle cars and luxury vehicles like the Corvette Z06, Cadillac Escalade V, and EV Hummer — events the announcer promised were “all America First power.”

It was the kind of thundering speed the president is expecting at an IndyCar race in Washington next month which is part of America’s 250th birthday celebrations

In a subsequent speech inside a design facility, the president cheered GM’s plans to expand production domestically in coming years and declared himself a president who was standing up for auto workers “at long last.”

“I’ve done more for you than your parents, OK?” he joked.

Michigan was one of the 2024 battlegrounds Trump flipped after it backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. But the state has seen parts of its economy affected by the president’s tariffs, including on imported cars and auto parts Automakers have long said tariffs increase the cost of doing business, which leads to higher prices for consumers Company officials led Trump on a tour where he saw various GM models, including the latest versions of the Chevrolet Suburban, GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado — the production of which he argued had been

boosted by tariffs.

At one point, POTUS grabbed a pen and signed the hood of a white Corvette that was made specifically for America’s 250th birthday

“They’ve come a long way,” he said to reporters about the Detroit-based automaker during the tour “It’s amazing what tariffs are doing for GM.” Trump said he’s been good to the company but he declined to say more.

“The rest of the world doesn’t love me, but that’s OK,” he said, alluding to tariffs. “It’s called ‘America first.’”

The president’s speech lasted more than an hour

and was wide ranging — hitting on the economy, the war in Iran and the U.S. military operation that toppled the leader of Venezuela.

He also touched on communism, crime rates, his administration’s efforts to transform the nation’s capital and even how carefully he treads to keep from tripping while on stage or deplaning from Air Force One.

With early primary voting already underway, Trump called on stage Republican Reps. Lisa McClain, Tom Barrett and Tim Walberg, as well as gubernatorial candidate John James and Senate candidate Mike Rogers.

Rogers is unopposed in the Senate primary, but the GOP gubernatorial contest pits James, who is backed by Trump, against Perry Johnson, a businessman turned politician who has launched unsuccessful campaigns before, including for president in 2024. A new round of steep import levies is taking effect on dozens of U.S. trading partners. Yet Trump has singled out Canada with tariffs as high as 50% on a wide array of its products, including cars. The GM facility he toured is in Oakland County, which encompasses much of Detroit’s northern suburbs. Once a Republican stronghold, it has increasingly leaned Democratic, backing Biden against Trump in 2020 and Vice President Kamala Harris against Trump four years later

GM says its facility is the oldest dedicated vehicle testing operation in the United States, where 4,200 employees work to refine nearly every vehicle the company makes before they reach consumers. It has more than 150 miles of test roads and the early innovations perfected on site include the first mass-produced automatic transmission, known as the “Hydra-Matic.” Michigan’s economy relies heavily on Canada, meaning the new tariffs coupled with inflation still running high and gas prices rising again as the already unpopular war in Iran escalates — have created additional economic concerns statewide. Some advocacy groups citing import and tariff data, says tariffs have cost Michigan businesses billions of dollars just since last spring. The latest tariffs come at a time when voters across the country were already increasingly dissatisfied with Trump’s handling of the economy Jason Roe, a former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party who tried unsuccessfully to distance it from Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement in 2021, said that more than coinciding with his new round of tariffs, Trump’s visit is a function of Michigan’s relatively late primary and is meant to ensure that James secures the nomination. But Roe also said it was a risk for the president to tie himself too closely to top Republicans before the general election, calling it “kryptonite to November voters.” Trump, who won the White House on a promise to lower the cost of living, also has seen his approval ratings sag, meaning kitchen table issues could be a liability for Republicans trying to hold control of Congress in the Nov 3 elections.

President demands Senate pass voting bill before taking break

BY JOEY CAPPELLETTI and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Monday demanded that Senate Majority Leader John Thune cancel the chamber’s upcoming August break until senators pass a strict pr oof -o fcitizenship voting bill, even as Republicans lack the votes to advance it.

Trump has repeatedly urged Thune to scrap the legislative filibuster, which effectively sets a 60-vote threshold for most legislation in the 100-member

Senate, or find another workaround to pass the voting bill, known as the SAVE America Act. But Republicans hold only a 5347 majority and Thune has consistently said they don’t have the votes to pass the bill or change the rules to get around the filibuster

“John Thune should not allow the United States Senate to ‘leave town’ until it passes The Save America Act or, far better still, TERMINATES THE FILIBUSTER,” Trump wrote on social media.

He later insisted to reporters Monday that he has a good relationship with the Senate majority leader but said Thune has “got to get his job done.” It’s the latest escalation in a monthslong pressure campaign by Trump and others

in the GOP base to pass the SAVE Act ahead of the midterms. A small but vocal group of Republican senators has also increasingly pressed Thune to find a way forward.

Thune responded Monday afternoon, telling reporters he would be supportive of canceling the break if there was a path forward on the legislation.

“We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” said Thune, who counted each number on his hand for reporters. “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”

House Republicans have also attempted to create another path for the legislation through the budget reconciliation process, which

would allow grant money associated with voting rules to pass the Senate with a simple majority The House last week approved a budget framework that included $10 billion for voting-related changes aligned with the SAVE America Act But Thune has said Republicans don’t currently have the votes for that approach, either

The fight threatens to com-

BY JIM MORRIS Associated Press

single shell casing was found and there was damage to the building’s facade. Toronto deputy chief Frank Barredo said a high-speed chase ensued that lasted an hour but that no arrest was made. He vowed that the search for the perpetrator or perpetrators would continue.

“We will approach this investigation with great seriousness,” Barredo said at a news conference. “We will bring the people responsible for this to justice.”

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow called the shooting a “brazen attack.”

“I want to say to the person or persons responsible, we will get you,” said Chow

The U.S. Consulate was targeted March 10, when two suspects allegedly fired multiple shots at the building before driving away in a stolen vehicle.

plicate the Senate’s final legislative sprint before the August break, when Thune had hoped to focus on a long list of priorities that includes government funding, cryptocurrency legislation and sanctions on Russia. The August break, scheduled to start on Aug. 7, is a pivotal stretch for senators to return home and campaign ahead of the midterm elections.

Several Republican senators are facing competitive races, including Maine Sen. Susan Collins, Ohio Sen. Jon Husted and Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 Senate majority Republicans are confronting broader political headwinds as well, including an unpopular war in Iran, surging gas prices and costs that remain high for voters.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALEX BRANDON

President Donald Trump pauses Monday during a speech at a General Motors facility in Milford, Mich.

Thune

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LOUISIANA AT LARGE

Artmuseum’s wallshave secret lives

Last Thursday,Ifollowed Charlie Tatum through astaff-only door at the New Orleans Museum of Art. Behind it were 72 movable walls, 12,000 pounds of paint and amachine no one can name.

Tatum is NOMA’s directorof marketingand communications. He met me in the museum’slightfilled marble lobby.Minutes later, we stepped into the 6,240-squarefoot Ella West Freeman Gallery between exhibitions. Its corners weredark, and its grandeur had been dismantled andstacked against awall.

Louise Neal and TravisKeene, both senior preparators, beganto tell me about the work they do to change the giant space fromone installation to another.Ihad never heard of amuseum preparator.I learned that “prepare the space” barely begins to describetheir work. The ceiling of the Freeman Gallery is asteel grid installedin 1971, when the museum was still city property.The gridislaidout in 5-foot squares. The terrazzo floor beneath it is laid out in the same 5-foot squares, divided by metal inlays rather than grout, so the ceiling and the flooragree exactly The gallery walls are actually

STAFF PHOTO By JANRISHER

Louise Neal, senior preparator at the NewOrleans Museum of Art movesone of the 72 wall panels used in the Ella West Freeman Gallery.

modular panels, each 5feet wide and 12 feet tall. Curators use the grid pattern to designexhibitions on graph paper.The preparators then build entirely new rooms. To move each panel, Keene and Neal use amachine they simply call the wall mover.Noone has ever known another name forit, and it bears no manufacturer’s plate —only an old tin tag reading: Property of City of New Orleans. Museum lore says the system was modeled after one at the Whitney,but no one knowsfor sure Neal hasn’tfound another museum that moves walls this way Most build new and tear downold drywall for every exhibition.

This summer,for the first time in 55 years, NOMA’s panels were stripped clean. Each panelis half-inch plywood over 2-by-4 framing with Styrofoam inside forsoundproofing. Stripped down, one weighs280 pounds. Underthe paint, most of them were carrying another 150 pounds.

Do that arithmetic across five decades of regular installations, and the paint stops being paint. It becomes sediment. Keene and Neal peeled the layers off in giant sheets —gray,brown,black, orange, green, burgundy.Each revealed another era. Neal weighed the layersof removed paint because she was worried about exceeding the maximum weight of theirdumpster.The old paint weighed12,000 pounds —6tons.

In cross-section, the paint looked

ä See AT LARGE, page 2B

Judgerules on evidence in staged wrecks

BY JAMES FINN Staff writer

Aman accused of slaying an FBIinformant in New Orleans’ staged wrecks sagascored awin ahead of his trial when ajudge on Thursday barred prosecutors from telling jurors about an unrelated cold-case killing for which he was arrested more than ade-

cade ago but never charged. Along withher ruling for accused hitman Leon “Chunky” Parker,Chief U.S. DistrictJudge Wendy Vitter also limited evidence that prosecutorshoped to present against his co-defendant, Sean Alfortish, about an earlier fraud case that landed him in federal prison and got him disbarred. In a21-page ruling, Vitter set key guardrails for atrial slated to start Aug. 10 in which Parker and Alfortish face murder,conspiracy,witnesstampering and other counts. They are accused of plottingthe 2020 killing of Cornelius Garrison III, a“slammer” who was shot deadinhis mother’sdoorway in Gentilly.Atthe time, Garrison had been talking to the FBI for months about his career packing cars with people,staging wrecks with bigrigs and bringing passengers to Alfortish. Prosecutorssay Alfortish, aformer Kennermagistrate,enlisted lawyers to snag bogus insurance payouts. One was injury lawyer

‘A NET POSITIVE’

Approximately 2,000 people have applied for jobswith the NewOrleans Police Department in 2026. The department, which has struggled for years withunderstaffing,isrelying heavily on new hiring strategies, including revamped online job boards and swifter testing

NOPD sees spikeinjob applicants thanks to broaderrecruitment strategies

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The New Orleans Police Department, which has struggled for yearswith chronic understaffing and anemic recruitment, is seeing aspike in job applicants this year thanks to strategies ranging from revamped online jobboard listings to swifter testing.

Approximately 2,000 people have applied so far this year, with roughly aquarter submitting applications through Indeed.com, according to Civil ServiceDepartment data. That nearly matches the 2,197 applicants recorded in 2025 andsurpassesthe 1,735 who applied in 2024, accordingtothe city’s police hiring dashboard.

“Since relaunching our enhanced digital outreach ef-

BYJIM DERRY Staff writer

David Maki, a20-year veteran of the St.TammanyParishSheriff’sOffice who retired earlier this year as alieutenant, has announcedhis run for sheriff. He becomes thethird candidate to enter therace for theNov 3special election beingheldto fillthe remainder of the term of ex-Sheriff Randy Smith, who was forced to resign following aguilty

forts,wehaveexperienced increased engagement from prospective applicants, including higherapplication volume,stronger participation in testing and continued growthinrecruit class sizes,”

said Hydia L. Green, chief of staff of NOPD’sRecruitment and Applicant Investigation section. Green spearheads recruit-

Vanessa Motta, his then-fiancée, who wasconvicted in March for her role in the fraud scheme. In Parker’scase, the U.S. Attorney’sOffice in NewOrleans asked Vitter to allow evidence about his earlier arrest in the cold-case murderofMarcel Trudeau, a plumbershotdead in his home four days before HurricaneKatrina. Parker wasbookedfor the killing in 2010 but never charged. Prosecutors suggested that it

Kenner busroute timescut in half

BY LARA NICHOLSON Staff writer

Bus riders in Kenner are getting to their destinations in half thetime after Jefferson Transit shortened one main route and added asecond route, officials said. Jefferson Parish Transit and Kenner officials saidthe original E201 Kenner Loop route was changed into asmaller route that runs in acircle along LoyolaDrive,WestEsplanade Avenue, WilliamsBoulevard and 31st Street. The original route took about one hour and 20 minutestocomplete, while the smaller route takes 40 minutes. Anew E9 Williams Boulevard routealsotakes 40 minutesto complete. The new routes went into effect last Sunday Underthe newroutes, the northwest corner of Kenner will no longer receive bus services and will instead be put under anew program with Lyft calledMoving Kenner. The programallowsKennerriders in the area north of West Esplanade Avenue and west of East Loyola Drive to take Lyft rides forthe samecost as bus fare on weekdays from 6a.m. to 7p.m. Theycan also ride to the KennerLoop bus stop near Ochsner Medical Center’sKennercampus forfree. JP Transit offers asimilar Lyft curb-to-curb transportation program in Metairie as well.

“This is an exciting timefor JP Transit as we expand the use of on-demand microtransit services to reduce bus wait times, improve mobility and provide more flexible transportation options,”saidJeffersonParish President Cynthia Lee Sheng in astatement.

JP Transit also installed new bus signage to notifyriders of the changes.

plea of second-degree battery last month. Abig part of his incentivetorun, he says, stems from “leadership issues” he dealt with while workinginthe Sheriff’s Officeunder Smith. “I spent along time fighting thoseissues.Atmylevel,there was only so much Icould do,”

Maki said Monday afternoon. “When the former sheriff had his issues and obviously wasn’tgoing to be there, it left avacuum “I have hada lotofencouragement and support from friends and family and alot of (former) coworkers who askedmeto do this.Myheart is in this 100%.”

Maki joins longtime Slidell policeofficerand former interim Chief Daniel Seuzeneau and Scott Illing, aformer U.S. marshal andLouisiana State Po-

licetrooper,thus farinthe race. Qualifying will be held Aug. 5 through Aug. 7. The50-year-old also served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army in the late 1990s andone year in theArmyNational Guard. He has two daughters andtwo sons,and he and his wife, Kristen, live near Pearl River He joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2006 and immediately wenttowork in the parish jail.

Maki

FILEPHOTO By JOHN McCUSKER

State schools chief renews calls for strict discipline

BY PATRICK WALL Staff writer

Louisiana educators must “stand

against student misbehavior this school year enforcing the rules so that classrooms remain “peaceful and orderly,” state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley said Monday In a letter to school system leaders, Brumley urged principals and teachers to “set clear behavioral expectations and enforce consequences,” adding that “unruly classrooms and ungovernable students” make it

RECRUITMENT

Continued from page 1B

ment, along with division commander Capt Gwen Nolan and Sgt. Kurt Eischen. Since taking over recruitment in 2025, the team has embraced unconventional strategies, including placing recruitment ads on bottles of Crystal Hot Sauce and hiring a marketing firm known for its work promoting New Orleans tourism.

But most effective, according to the New Orleans Police & Justice Foundation, is their willingness to reach out to recruits fast

“It’s a global market now, so the good candidates we are looking for are also looking at Houston, Atlanta, Nashville,” said Matt Stone, director of communications and development for the foundation, a police booster organization that managed the NOPD’s recruitment efforts for a decade and now serves as a consultant “What it comes down to is who picks up the phone first. Having a team that’s very responsive has been huge.

A swifter testing and background check process has also helped convert applicants into New Orleans cops, Stone said. That’s especially crucial for out-of-state applicants

In 2026, the NOPD drew applicants from 49 states, plus Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S Virgin Islands and Alberta, Canada Most applicants — 1,292 — were from Louisiana. Texas ranked second with 143 applicants, followed by Florida with 88, according to Civil Service Department data.

“Before it took up to six months to test an applicant,” Stone said. “Now, they take the civil service exam and the physical test the first time we meet them.”

After a yearslong decline that began in 2021 amid a wave of postpandemic violence and heightened anti-police sentiment following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, the NOPD’s force has plateaued since 2023 at around 900 officers — several hundred below Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick’s stated goal.

Stone believes 2026 could mark a turning point. He projects the department will end the year with about 930 commissioned officers, a “net positive” for staffing He also cited the NOPD’s effective work at driving crime down to record levels not seen since the 1960s as a selling point.

“Current NOPD officers are the biggest brand ambassadors,” Stone said. Staff writer John Simerman contributed to this report.

AT LARGE

Continued from page 1B

like a canyon wall. The top layer came from the Hayward Oubre installation, which closed in May. Beneath it: African Masquerades. Then Dawoud Bey “Then it gets away from you,” Keene said.

In moving one of the 72 panels, Keene turned the crank on the wall mover the way a person turns a steering wheel, with one hand. Then Neal asked if I wanted to try Under close supervision, turning the crank took all my strength. Neal suggested using both my hands.

On a good day, she moves 18 to 20 panels. Respect, sister Standing beside a panel, Neal affectionately said, “She’s slimmed down for summer.”

The machine that helps the duo move the panels is 55 years old, but it looks like something from the industrial revolution This summer Keene stripped it down for what they believe was its first overhaul.

harder for all students to learn.

Brumley has repeatedly called on schools to take a stricter approach to discipline, echoing some educators and conservative critics who argue that past efforts to reduce suspensions and expulsions led to lax discipline policies and out-ofcontrol classrooms.

“Schools have spent too much time tolerating inappropriate student behavior,” Brumley said in an interview Monday “I understand that kids are going to be kids, but when you have students who habitually demonstrate poor behavior or behavior that is so severe that it impacts the learning environment, there has to be consequences.”

Louisiana lawmakers have also sought to crack down on student

Bar send-off

misconduct. Under a new state law that takes effect Saturday, students who assault school employees will be automatically expelled for at least two semesters. A 2024 law requires teachers to remove students from the classroom if their behavior prevents other students from learning or poses a safety risk. It also prohibits principals from discouraging teachers from disciplining disruptive students. Brumley also reminded schools that they must take steps to prevent bullying, which he noted can occur “in hallways, buses, online or other areas where supervision is more challenging.” He pointed to a recent legislative resolution urging schools to follow state laws that

require them to adopt anti-bullying policies, train staff on bullying prevention and investigate reports of bullying.

In the interview, Brumley said social media has contributed to a rise in cyberbullying and online spats, which can turn into physical altercations at school. A 2024 state law banned students from having cellphones out during the school day

He found brand names on the gearboxes but nothing else. They believe that someone built it specifically for the task at hand.

Friends of Ian Price gathered Saturday at Brothers Three Lounge on Magazine Street to celebrate the life of the beloved British member of the bar’s extended family The memorial included a second-line, music food and shared stories honoring Price and his love for his wife, family and friends.

ROUTE

Continued from page 1B

Kenner Mayor Michael Glaser told the Jefferson Parish Council last week the Kenner Loop bus route had been one of the biggest sources of complaints when he first came into office, and that he personally rode the route to understand the issues it created for residents and for travelers to the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.

“If you went to the grocery

None of this is visible from the other side of the door and that’s the point.

ABOVE: A marching band plays Saturday in front of the Brothers III Lounge. TOP: A memorial for Price is on display at the lounge.

LEFT: A second-line in honor of Price marches down Magazine Street.

STAFF PHOTOS By ENAN CHEDIAK

store, you buy something frozen, you buy ice cream, and by the time you get home it’s half-melted,” Glaser said. Jefferson and Kenner officials have spent the past two years looking for ways to improve the city’s public transportation system after the parish withdrew from the Regional Transit Authority and took over the city’s bus services. RTA still runs two lines through Jefferson Parish to the airport and Elmwood.

Email Lara Nicholson at lnicholson@theadvocate.com.

“There’s just this mystical element to walking into a space that’s been completely rearranged,” Keene said.

The panels go back up the week of Aug. 24 for “Second Nature: Japanese Rinpa Paintings from the Gitter-Yelen Collection,” opening Oct. 2. The scrolls and other works represent an influential school of Japan’s Edo period.

Lisa Rotondo-McCord, NOMA’s deputy director and curator of Asian art, is overseeing the six-week installation. She has narrowed the wall color to a few candidates. Keene and Neal are hoping for a beautiful shade of blue.

Looking at the giant sheets of peeled-off layers of paint, Tatum and I talked about whether anyone could still identify each of the visible layers. Curators remember colors, he said. But after enough years, institutional memory fades and a layer becomes a stripe of chartreuse that nobody can place.

I have a new appreciation for how much went into that choice. And I suspect somebody, somewhere, remembers that chartreuse.

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

A new state law adds additional criminal penalties for creating or sharing deepfakes. It also requires principals to provide information to students in grades six through 12 at the start of the school year about the consequences of spreading deepfakes.

“As artificial intelligence advances, it’s going to be really important to stay vigilant on new ways that bullying can occur,” Brumley said, “so that every child feels comfortable going to school each day.”

A newer discipline issue schools have had to contend with are “deepfakes,” or artificial intelligencegenerated nude images. The issue grabbed headlines last year when a middle school student in Lafourche Parish was criminally charged for sharing fake nude photos of an eighth grade girl The school district faced backlash for temporarily expelling the girl because she hit the boy who was spreading the AI-created images.

Email Patrick Wall at patrick. wall@theadvocate.com.

Officials investigate after inmate found dead in cell

BY MISSY WILKINSON Staff writer

The Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Of-

fice is investigating after a deputy found a man dead in his jail cell on Monday morning.

A deputy discovered the man unresponsive about 6:30 a.m during rounds in Unit E on the second floor of the Orleans Justice Center’s housing unit, according to Keith Lampkin, the Sheriff’s Office’s chief administrative officer Jail medical staff began lifesaving measures while awaiting emergency medical personnel, but the man could not be revived. Police did not immediately release the

WRECKS

Continued from page 1B

served to show why an admitted conspirator, Ryan “Red” Harris, approached Parker to kill Garrison in the first place.

Parker’s attorney Stephen Haedicke, lashed the government in court filings for trying to tag his client as responsible for Trudeau’s killing in the course of a trial centered on Garrison’s death.

“The Orleans Parish District Attorney declined to pursue any charges against Mr. Parker or even to bring evidence to a grand jury, related to the baseless allegation he was involved in that murder,” Haedicke wrote in May “And for good reason: The charge is false.”

For Vitter, the “danger of unfair prejudice” proved too much to include it, she wrote.

“Allowing evidence of this crime would truly opened (sic) this case up to yet another ‘trial within a trial,’ and one involving murder,” Vitter wrote.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office declined to comment.

Federal prosecutors also wanted to argue that a 2011 fraud conviction and disbarment on Alfortish’s record show why, when he emerged from federal prison, he allegedly enlisted other attorneys to litigate what became a flow of bogus car insurance cases.

Vitter declined to let prosecutors tell a jury about Alfortish’s previous white-collar conviction, which arose from fraud within the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association.

But she allowed them to detail his disbarment over it, reasoning that it relates to why he needed other lawyers to carry out the alleged fraud.

A disbarment, cold case murder

Vitter’s ruling generally heeded vigorous protests from defense attorneys who argued the material

SHERIFF

Continued from page 1B

He later became a member of the uniformed patrol division, serving mostly on the east side of the parish and in Lacombe and Mandeville. Maki was a member of the unit’s SWAT team and commander of the bomb squad. Before moving to Louisiana, he worked in law enforcement in Michigan and Ohio.

He says if he were to become sheriff, he would get to work right away on the things he perceives to be the most important in the parish.

“Safety is paramount; that has to be the central mission of a sheriff’s office,” Maki said. “And then there’s the financial respon-

man’s identity The New Orleans Police Department and Sheriff’s Office’s Investigative Services Bureau are investigating, including by retracing the man’s movements and activities in the hours leading up to his death.

The Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office will determine the cause of death.

The death inside the jail comes several weeks after multiple inmates in Pod 3D started fires and then attacked the deputies sent to move them to a disciplinary pod. Two inmates accused of starting blazes inside their cells were each rebooked on counts of battery of a police officer

was only loosely tied to the case would unfairly sour the jury on their clients.

She also left open a window for courtroom discussions of domestic violence leveled against Parker by Harris, a slammer and key government witness. Harris had known Parker for years and said his mother suffered domestic abuse during a decadelong relationship she had with Parker

A Garrison protégé who pleaded guilty to helping plot his mentor’s execution-style hit, Harris is expected to testify that he introduced Parker and Alfortish, who had become skittish about Garrison’s cooperation with the feds. Harris has tagged Parker as the triggerman in Garrison’s murder Pre-Katrina cold case

The debate over whether prosecutors could invoke Trudeau’s killing, on St. Roch Avenue in Gentilly a few days before Hurricane Katrina, dredged up complicated feelings for his siblings, Avis Adams and Marvin Trudeau. Parker was arrested in 2010 alongside three others. But justice in tracking who killed Marcel Trudeau, the son of a prominent civil rights lawyer whose plumbing business had been taking off, has been hard to come by since. The siblings hoped its mention at such a high-profile trial might trigger fresh attempts to find more perpetrators. Only this spring did they learn in a federal court filing of Parker’s ties to Harris, who told the FBI he’d bailed Parker out of jail after his 2010 arrest for the killing.

“I would’ve liked for it to play out because it could’ve pressured the state to pursue Marcel’s case,” Adams said Monday “Now it’s like you’ve opened a wound for nothing.”

Still, “I really believe that Marcel will get justice in some form,” she added, “because of the kind of guy he was.”

Email James Finn at jfinn@ theadvocate.com.

sibility side. We have to manage taxpayer dollars they have entrusted us with. We have to do that conservatively and transparently “Those are two big issues for me, and also there’s the leadership side, in which I would use everything I have learned throughout my career.”

Jim Derry can be reached via email at jderry@theadvocate. com.

Brumley

STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER

Louise Neal and Travis Keene, both senior preparators at the New Orleans Museum of Art, examine a giant pile of the layers of paint they have been removing from 72 wall panels used to separate exhibits. This is the first time the panels have been cleared since they were put in service 55 years ago. In all, they removed 12,000 pounds of paint.

NewOrleans Area Deaths

Dias,Dale

Doskey,Mary Gram,Richard LeBeauxJoseph, Esther Sanders III,Arnolie

Obituaries

Dias, Dale Paul

Dale Paul Diaspassed away at the age of 75 yrs. on July 4, 2026 at Ochsner Hospital. He was born on August 5, 1950 in Napoleonville, LA and residedinHarahan, LA at the time of his death. Dale was preceded in death by his mother, Lucy Denoux Dias andfather, Leroy J. Dias. He is survived by his daughter, Diedra K. Dias Kramer and her family, devoted brother, Dana M. Dias, nephew, Bryan Dias, and sister, Cathy Dias Bordelon.

Dale was educated in New Orleans, LA at Andrew W. Wilson Elementary School, Eleanor McMain Junior High School, and Alcee Fortier High School. While attending Alcee Fortier High School,hejoined Phi Lambda Epsilon (PLE) Fraternitywhere he met many fraternity brothers who later became lifelong friends.

Dale was afan of many sports, butmainly, New OrleansSaints, LSUsports, horseracing, and golf. He will be remembered as afun-loving, positive andupbeatperson always looking at the brighter side of life.

Dale received an HonorableDischarge from the U. S. Army after having served several years in Frankfurt, Germany. He will be laid to rest in Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery in Slidell, LA on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 at 10:00 o'clock a.m. Dale will receive atraditional U.S. military graveside service. All are welcome to attend.

Notre Dame University, and did some postgraduate studiesatLoyola University, NewOrleans Shetaught in Catholic schools in and near New Orleans. Shetaught at St. Mary'sDominican College andXavier University in NewOrleansand at Nunez Community College in Chalmette,LA.

Shewas preceded in death by her parents Camille C. and Elsie ZollingerDoskey; asister Elsie D. McCarthy; and brothers Rev. Msgr. Clinton Doskey,Jamesand David Doskey.She issurvived by brother Richard.

The funeral liturgy will be held at Rosaryville at 11:00AMonJuly30, 2026 followed by burial at Dominican Sisters' CemeteryRosaryville in Ponchatoula, LA. Memorial gifts in Sr. Betty'smemory maybesent to the Dominican Sisters of Peace, OfficeofMission Advancement, 2320Airport Dr., Columbus, OH 43219 or submitted securely at oppeace.org Amass of christianburial willbeheld at 11:00 AM on 2026-07-30 at Rosaryville, 39003 Rosaryville Road.

Richard Gram, 76, departedthis life on July 14, 2026. He leavestocherish his beloved wife, Violet Gram,along with ahost of loving family membersand friends whoseliveswere forevertouched by his kindness and unwavering presence.

Richard was adevoted husbandand friendwho believed in showing up for the people he loved Whether celebrating birth-

days,graduations, holidays,orsimply spending time with family,hewas alwayspresent. His generosity,warm spirit, and steady love created lasting memories that willbetreasured forgenerations. He was precededindeath by his belovedmother, Georgia Albright

Though heartsare heavy with his passing,we are grateful forthe life he livedand thecountless memories he gaveus. His kindness,quiet strength, and dedication to others will continue to live on in theheartsofall who had theprivilegeofknowing him. Hislife remindsus that thegreatest gift we can give one another is simply to be there.

Familyand friends are invitedtoattendthe Funeral Service for 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, at United Fellowship Church, 1029 FatsDomino Ave.,New Orleans, LA 70117. Pastor Harold Goodloe willofficiate. Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins .com. (504) 282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and Donavin D. Boyd,Owners/Funeral Directors.

EstherLeBeaux Joseph passed away on July14, 2026, at theage

Conerly,Errolyn(Garry) JosephStewart,Ellana Joseph, bonus daughter Tenisha Thompson. Her legacy is carried on by siblings, Albert (Marilyn), Kent (Aletha), Darren, Kim (Danny), and Shonrine Smith, alongwith15grandchildrenand 13 greatgrandchildren. She is also remembered by sisters-inlaw, Veronica Nolan, Linda, WandaJoseph, brother-inlaw, Saffiyyullah Yusuf, and many relatives and friends Estherwas precededin death by her mother, Rose MarySmith;father, Phillip LeBeaux; bonus daughter, Chevelle Herbert; son, Erroyl JosephJr.;brother, Kevin Smith. Esther worked in FoodServices within theOrleans Parish SchoolSystem. Family and friends are invitedtohonorher memory on Thursday, July30, 2026, at 10:00 A.M. at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church, located at 8282 I-10 Service Road,New Orleans, LA 70126, withvisitation starting promptlyat9:00 A.M. PastorFred Luterofficiating.Guestbook Online: www.anewtraditionbegins .com(504)282-0600. Linear Brooks Boyd and DonavinD.BoydOwners/ Funeral Directors.

at Veterans Affairs Medical Center,New Orleans, Louisiana. He wasborn July 17, 1948, to the late ArnolieSanders Jr.and the lateLeander Dobard Sanders. He is anative of Jesuit Bend, Louisiana anda residentofNew Orleans, Louisiana formany years. He attendedScottville School before joiningthe Military. Havingservedhis time in the United States Army, he workedmany years at the Myrtle Grove Terminal untilhis retirement.

Arnolieleaves to cherish hismemory,his son, Demetrius Sanders; hisonly brother, Hughes Sanders (Mildred); adevoted partner, Brenda West; two grandchildren, oneaunt, onedaughterinlaw anda host of nieces, nephews, cousins, otherrelatives andfriends.Hewas precededindeathbyhis wife Betty Black Sanders; two sons, TorrannoSanders andStanford Sullen Relativesand friends of thefamily, former andcurrent employeesofMyrtle Grove Terminal, officers andmembersofOur Lady of PerpetualHelpCatholic Church,and all neighboringchurches are invited to attendvisitation Wednesday, July 29, 2026, 8:00 am to 9:00 am, Our Lady of PerpetualHelp Catholic Church 8968 LA23, Belle Chasse,Louisiana. Mass of Christian Burial

James August Rogers was ason of his parents Raymond J. Rogers, Sr. and Ellendor Brown Rogers of New Orleans, LA. Raised in Tremé, James adored his grandmother, Josephine Rogers, and began learning how to cook with her at a young age. His aunt and uncle, Bernadette Rogers and Joseph Rogers, and older brother, Raymond J. Rogers, Jr., joined his other caregivers in nurturing him in Christian faith, love, kindness, joy, patience, selfcontrol, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, peace, independence, leadership, and autonomy.

James attended St. Peter Claver School and St. Augustine High School in the Tremé where Sisters, Priests, Brothers, and lay teachers required active Christian faith, respect, excellence, effective critical thinking skills, leadership, and autonomy in community. Becoming asection leader in Mr. Hampton's band assured success at state competitions and proved an effective segue into college and beyond. After ayear in the military and time at Kansas State University, James returned home to share what he knew. His career in mental health began at DePaul Hospital and Touro Hospital, continued and flourished at St. Bernard Group Homes and the Awesome Girls Mentoring Program. He began with adults and found his niche with young people -boys, then girls.

James was genuine. He was real. He was present in ways that made children and young people feel safe, seen and heard. They took positive action in their lives and those of others. He listened calmly, then challenged and encouraged gently (most of the time!).

He has been honored by colleagues and peers that knew his work and admired

Interested in Print?

IN LOVING MEMORY OF James Rogers

him. An audit by an accreditation Board yielded national honors in Nashville, Tennessee. Acolleague's recommendation yielded his selection as one of 100 U.S. citizens (and one two Louisianians) for outstanding public service. This recognition motivated the St. Bernard Parish Council to name James an "Honored Citizen." Because of his work with the Awesome Girls, alocal funder introduced him to afoundation that helped the Awesome Girls survive Katrina for longer than they promised. Asimilar international organization selected afew handfuls of nonprofits worldwide that helped children survive devastating natural disasters -James was called upon once again to share his experience and care for his young people at aconclave in Mumbai, India. "Well done, my good and faithful servant! Come and share in your Master's joy." [Matthew 25:23] James leaves his wife, Dale, his nephew Ray (Kaylin), niece, Aliska (Stephen), sister, Lea' (Rick), and brothers-in-law, Ray and Eric to share their faith, hope and love with each other and all of us. James elicited kindness in others. May we do the same.

Gram, Richard

LeBeauxJoseph, EstherS

OUR VIEWS

Cyclospora outbreak requires vigilance

The parasite cyclospora continuestosicken people around the country,and casesinLouisiana are growing. Though ourstate isnot at the center of the outbreak, which began in theMidwest and has affected that area most severely, the situation here bears monitoring That’swhy we’re glad theLouisianaDepartment of Health is doing just that.The department last week reported ajumpinthe number of cases to 79 total,includingsix that required hospitalization.

The illness appearstobelinked to shredded iceberg lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico served at Taco Bell locationsinIndiana, Kentucky,Michigan, Ohio andWest Virginia,according to the Centers for Disease Controland Prevention. The parasite causescyclosporiasis, which causes symptoms such as watery diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, cramping and bloating.

Nationwide, more than 1,000 cases havebeen reportedwithalmost 100hospitalizations. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported.

Taylor Farms issued avoluntary recall of lettuce from its Mexico farms. Severalrestaurants and grocery stores have pulled theproduct from menus and shelves.

LDH says it gets notice once apatientisdiagnosedwith the illness through agastrointestinal panel that detectsthe pathogen instool.The Food and Drug Administration says it is still investigating to ensure it hasidentifiedall sources of the parasite

We urge coordination amongall agenciesinvolved in tracking this outbreak.

When such outbreaks occur, we rely on our public health officials for accurate andclear communication. Some havepointedtocuts to the FDA and the CDC as affectingour ability to deal with food-borne illnesses. We certainly seethe valueofhaving arobust responsetoany threatsinour food supply,and we believe that one of the most importantfunctions of government is to promote the healthand safety of its citizens.

We would like to see increased scrutinyof food suppliers and growers. Thefederalgovernment delayed implementation of theFDA’s Food TraceabilityRule, which wassupposed to go into effect in January. It would haverequired companiestokeepdetailed recordsofwhere food was grown and packaged, so that thegovernment canmore easilycontain outbreakslike this one. It now is set to gointoeffect in 2028. The rule wasadvanced during President Donald Trump’sfirstterm,but facedabacklash from some industry groupswho said it addedan unnecessary layer of regulation. Yetnow we are seeing acyclospora outbreak that goes beyond anything we’veseenbefore.

We understand the necessityofbalancing the needs of commerce with the burdens of regulation. But there can be no higher goalthanmaking sure the public has confidence that what we are eating and feeding our children is safe.We must learn from this outbreak andvow to do everythingnecessary to prevent similaronesin the future.

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OPINION

Drawingfromschoolfunding forstipend won’tfix teacherpay

Another milestone has been reached in Louisiana, but there is still more work to do.

Recently,the LouisianaDepartment of Education released its LEAP score datafor schools in 2026. There was a vast improvement across theboard throughout thestate.

Asignificant number of students met or exceeded the state expectations in reading and math. These scores show that the investments made in literacy numeracy andhigh-dosage tutoring have yielded theresults we want.

While there are many people to acknowledge and congratulate for these gains, thebulk of the gratitude must go to theteachers who work directly with students every day.They are the unsung heroes who have done so much with so little to ensure our students reach their full potential. Iamsure the teachers appreciate being lauded; however,Iamsure that they would much

rather receive better compensation.

Recently,the governor swept $168 million from theMinimum Foundation Program (thepublic school funding mechanism) to subsidize aone-time teacher stipend. Iapplaud the governor for keeping his promise to teachers. However,Iadmonish the governor for failing to pursue apermanent solution to teacher pay,and instead relying on an unprecedented budget gimmick that robs Peter to pay Paul. Education ReformNow understands that this is aunique situation, but our teachers require us to find asustainable solution that will keep teacher pay competitive as student achievement markers continue toincrease. We stand ready towork with all parties to find that solution.

TERRENCE LOCKETT executivedirector,Education ReformNow Louisiana NewOrleans

Murrillshouldfocus on crime, notpolitics

The feud between thepolitical leaders of New Orleansand Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is an embarrassment toour state. Sending lettersthreatening toremove political leaders from office because theyhave adifferent opinion on alegal matterissodisrespectful. What other state attorneygeneral around the United States sends out letterslike that? What other stateattorney general works to eliminate an elected clerk of court (Calvin Duncan) because their preferred candidateloses?

The residents of New Orleanselect

our public officials, not the state attorney general. Thus, it wasgood to see theOrleans Parish grand jury follow thelaw and stand up forour respected political leaders. We need to see our state attorney general spend 100% of her time, like theother attorneys general across the United States, working to put whiteand blue-collar criminals in jail. Leavethe political, vindictive foolishness alone —for the betterment of our community KEVIN WILLIAMS NewOrleans

Military skilldoesnot depend on hormonelevels

Re:“Hegsethannounces new policy to test troops for low testosterone.”

So, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says our U.S. militaryservice members 30 and older will undergo annual testosterone level screening. Is our administrationplanning to groom thescreened servicemembersfor their formof sumowrestling or gladiator combat next Independence Day?

This could be theiropportunityto one-up the recent Ultimate Fighting Championship on the White House South Lawn. Certainly,many militaries have deadly young girls, young boys and ladies of all ages as service members

on the battlefield, successfully wielding lethal weapons, drones, missiles, etc. Testosterone levels are inconsequential for these children and female warriors’ kills. Testosterone levels are much moreimportant for those in body-building competitions. Testosterone levels mayplay into hand-to-hand combat, but our modern militaryisnot dependent on much morethan aerial assaults. Our adversary’smilitary does not care about our militarysix-packs. Whydrain even a drop of blood carrying testosterone for this foolish endeavor?

MARC SAMUELS Baton Rouge

One-party leadership has obstructed accountability in NewOrleans

While reading about the legal wrangling going on in New Orleans regarding the consolidation of the court system,I’m reminded of author A.J. Liebling’sremark in “The Earl of Louisiana,” wherein he described politics in Louisiana as having “an intensity and complexity matched only in the Republic of Lebanon.”

That was in 1961. It could be that entrenched Democratic leadership plays arole. The last Republican mayor of New Orleans wasin1872. There’sevidence here that oneparty rule over 150 years can lead to malfeasance and corruption.

But there is little hope for change. In NewOrleans, the populace lines up, zombie-like, to pull the Democratic lever every time. This long-term political inbreeding can’tbeagood thing, and this entire kerfuffle is as entertaining as it is sad.

The governor,Legislature and the judiciary have madeitclear that NewOrleans can’tgoits own way. Leadership and accountability ought to have meaning and substance.

Ihope the new mayor and other officials in New Orleans will cooperate with the governor and fix accountability forwhat appear to be nefarious machinations to indict the state attorney general. Iwonder what hotshot big-truck lawyer came up with this idea.

We have arelatively new governor,and New Orleans has arelatively new mayor.They could pull together.Maybe appoint someRepublicans (if there are any) to key positions in NewOrleans. Republicans have long held the reputation of fiscal control and responsibility Hey,itcan’tget any worse. Everyone agrees NewOrleans is critical to the state of Louisiana. The governor,aschief executive and aRepublican, is right in shining abright light on the city’s problemsand exerting influence to chart apath forward to asuccessfulrecovery and abright, perhaps politically diverse, future.

DAVID STUART Covington

Whoare ourdomesticenemies?

Theoath is afamiliar one. Thepresident and vice president takeit, as do members of Congress and many other high government officials. It requires the oath taker to defend the Constitution “against allenemies, foreign and domestic.”

We can identify many of America’sforeign enemies, but what about domestic ones?

Cal Thomas

Now that the Democratic Socialists of America have published their platform, it appears they would qualifyasa domestic enemyofthe Constitution.

If they achieved power,they would, to quote the stated goal of former President Barack Obama, “fundamentally transform the United States of America.”

When someone tells you their intentions in advance about how they would restructure what theFounders gave us in 1776 and 1789, we had better take them seriously and respondaccordingly

This is not conjecture. Amongother things theirgoals includeeliminatingthe U.S. Senate and expanding the House of Representatives, while creating amulti-party system, free housing and healthcare for all, free Palestine (translated —eliminate Israel),abolish ICE, empty prisons, which would release murderers and other hardened criminals to prey on the innocent, abolishthe ElectoralCollege, replace the

president and SupremeCourt with an executiveand judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress, establish public ownership of the largestcorporations and essential industries to ensure democratic principles and accountability to the people (meaning governmentcontrol), and enact aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporationstospend on public goods and infrastructure.

The problem with the last one is that after avery short time there would be no wealth or corporations to tax.Are youpayingattention to Cuba wherethe lights were off again last week? Aman interviewed in Havana by aMiami TV reporter said he couldn’tafford meat, even if hecould get it, because it costs 3,000 pesos.

Theignorantand sometimes deliberate voters whosupport theDSA agenda should becareful what they wish for They shouldlook around the world and studyhistory to learn where socialism has been tried and miserably failed, leading, along with its twin sister communism, to massive deaths, imprisonment,censorship and denial of rights that are protected by our Constitution. Cuba isjust one of manyexamples Anyonefamiliar with the past that extendsbeyond yesterday might recall theslogan “Workers of the World Unite; youhave nothing to losebut your chains.” It is the most famous

English translation of the rallying cry from the1848 pamphlet “The Communist Manifesto,”byKarl Marx and Friedrich Engels. The DSA agenda might be considered amodern version of the Manifesto, because its goals are remarkably similar More from theDSA:“Youhave no debt.You don’tneed health insurance. Youdon’tpay amortgage or have a landlord, because comfortable housing is ahuman right.Your retirement is publicly funded. Food,education, energy,medicine, and transportation aren’t for-profit businesses; they are common goods and utilities.”

As studies have shown, apparently to no avail for those who embrace the DSA agenda, even if the government confiscated all the money owned by corporations, billionaires and millionaires, it wouldn’tpay for all of this. Socialism is equally shared poverty, robbing people of incentives towork and prosper according to their talents and persistence. If ever there was an identifiable domestic enemy, this is it.Itmust be fought, not only at election time, but by membersofboth parties and publicly, or we will lose theConstitution to our regret and to the regret of generations to come who will blame us for refusing to fight this scourge that is expanding its influence before our eyes.

Email Cal Thomasattcaeditors@ tribpub.com

MAGA makesanOrwellian case on racism at theSmithsonian

Crucialquestions to askSenate candidates

Prying policy specifics from apolitical candidate often is like tugging abone from abulldog. So, democracy sometimes resembles kakistocracy,anactual wordthat meansgovernment by the least qualified.

The winners among those seeking election or reelection to the Senate this year have a rendezvous with acrisis that will arrive in their six-year terms. They should be asked about two entangled problems: soaring budget deficits and Social Security’s insolvency

Clarence Page

If you haven’theard that the Smithsonian’sNational Museum of American Historyisahotbed of “anti-White activism,” “illegal alien activism” and “transgender activism,” the Trump administration and its MAGA allies in Congress have some news for you. Youcan read all about it in what news accounts have called a“scathing” 162-page reportreleased July 4bythe White House. It accuses the museum and its leaders of presenting a“radical view” of American history

Such was the language usedbyRep TimBurchett, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the House Subcommittee on Delivering on Government Efficiency,inhis opening remarks to ahearing titled “Rewriting American History: Examining the Smithsonian’s Efforts to Reshape the Past,” although the “reshaping” amountedtoafew choice sound bites. Burchett claimed the National Museum is pushing radical left-wingnarratives, aviewthatechoed President Donald Trump’searlier claims, but I cannot confirm that Trump hasever read abook, including his own. Burchett also noted that these narratives are driven by NationalMuseum Director Anthea Hartig, who believes that history is a“prime tool of social justice” —asifthat’sabad thing. MAGA’s rhetorical lexiconisfull of terms the movement has appropriated from the left, such as “social justice,” which they endow with axiomatically bad connotations. “Social justicewarriors” rank next to “wokeness” among the threats supposedly posed bythe left. Seeing lawmakers meet to decide whose version of history is permissible reminds me of what the scholarlySupreme Court Justice Potter Stewart said about censorship. It “reflects asociety’s lack of confidence in itself. It is the hallmark of an authoritarianregime.” Heaven help us

Although the SmithsonianInstitution oversees dozens of museums and libraries, plus galleries, historical landmarks and the national zoo, the White House report particularly takes aim at its National Museum of American History

Thereport accuses the museum’s leadership of adopting “an ideological framework that no longer treats the American story as ashared national inheritance to be taught or celebrated, but as apolitical instrument to divide, dispirit, and discourageour citizens.” That’spretty grim, and I’m sure Trump approves. It’squite anovel way to look at the institution, in my view,and Isay that having made countlessvisits

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

House Committee on Oversight and GovernmentReformSubcommittee on Delivering on GovernmentEfficiency Chair Rep.Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., attendsa subcommittee hearingaboutthe Smithsonian last week in Washington.

with friendsand family over the years. The reportiswritten in language designed to conceal as muchitreveals. It reminds me,asbureaucratic documents oftendo, of the rulesand manufactured “truth”decreedbyBig Brother in the authoritarian “Newspeak” of George Orwell’sdystopian novel “1984.”

Gemslike“anti-Whiteactivism” and “illegal alienactivism”don’trise to Orwell’sartfulness, but theyare Newspeaknonetheless. It’snonsense. But it excites cohorts of voters to your side,and depending on howyou playitand whichpodcasters youenlist in the effort, it can gel into a politicalorthodoxy And whenyour polls aresinking, as Trump’shave been, and midtermcalamity appearstobecoming for the ruling party,anotherinsult will do in apinch.

Museum Director Hartig cordially answered questions from twoseparate Housecommittees about what the report describes as the “ideological capture”ofthe Smithsonian. More Newspeak. To their credit, some Democrats pushed back on the GOPNewspeak with blazing rhetoric oftheir own.

“Welcome to the Republicans’ White pride rally disguised as aCongressional hearing,” Rep. Jasmine Crockettof Texasdeclared at the proceeding. Alas, suchfrankness is why alot of Republicans were happy to seeher gerrymandered out of her district.

History is to be argued, ascholarly history teacher taught us in grade school.

Alot of Americans,for example, still believe the Southwon the Civil War, she said. Or should have And that’s why,even if thestudy and practice of historical scholarship is inherently political, it should not follow rulesset by hardball partisan politics.

Diversityisour strength, as Ihave long maintained, although MAGA militants deem that little chestnut to be heresy. (Are you listening, Stephen Miller?) Alot of my diversefellow Americans believe awide varietyofversions of history

The challenge of maintaining the peace between all thoseviews is enormous and never-ending, especially in these times when the internet offers cheap and accessible platforms to all manner of supposedauthorities, whether in realitythey are charlatans or actual scholars.

“For morethan 180 years, theSmithsonianhas servedthe American public withnonpartisan and independent scholarship, and we remain committed to doing so,” amuseum spokesperson said. Good. Historyisabout thefuture, wiseteachershave told me,not just the next election.

Email ClarencePage at clarence47page@gmail.com

The deficit in the first nine months of fiscal 2026 was$1.4 trillion, worse than at the same point in fiscal 2025. The governmentisontrack to have borrowed at least $2 trillion by the Sept. 30 end of the fiscal year Social Security’sretirement program costs have exceeded its incomesince 2021. Since then, the program has supplied the difference by drawing downits “trust fund.” It consists of surpluses (of revenues over spending on benefits) from before 2010. Those surpluses have been interest-accumulating deposits with the federal government. This funding stream is projected to be exhausted before the 2032 elections. Benefit cuts of at least 22% (depending on the size of shortfalls in payroll tax revenues) would automatically occur,absent other measures. This impending convulsion in the government’smost popular program is not arousing public anxiety.The fewpeople whothink about such things assume, and the political class knows, it will not happen. The mostlikely,because least politically risky,way to prevent it will be an infusion of general revenues to supply the difference between what payroll tax revenues bring in and benefits send out. In 1977, and again just six years later,Congress madetax and benefit changes to keep the trust fund solvent. But only,itturns out, until 2032. Today,after nearly 50 years of America’s population aging, the money problem is bigger than in 1977. And after ahalf-century of turning the elderly into America’smost privileged and prickly faction, the political class’sappetite forrisk is smaller

“Saving” Social Security by huge additional borrowing would intensify upward pressure on interest rates, hence downward pressure on economic growth. This could further worsen Social Security’sfinancing problems. Recourse to general revenues also would transform the system that was sold to the country in 1935 as aself-financing contributory program.Few will notice, fewer will care. The change will mean another huge amount of borrowing, added to existing debt, which occasioned little and evanescent anxiety when, this year,its size passed that of U.S. gross domestic product.

Ninety-one years ago, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed Social Security as —how quaint this now seems—protection against “poverty-ridden old age.” The American Enterprise Institute’sAndrew Biggs says the average person retiring in the 2030s will receive 33% moreinbenefits than he or she paid in payroll taxes: “Ifretirees simply got back what they paid in, Social Security would be solvent.” Maya MacGuineas of the Committee fora Responsible Federal Budget notes that acouple in which both spouses earned, for35years, morethan Social Security’staxable maximum ($184,500 in 2026) can receive $100,000 annually.Progressives’ solution is to increase taxes on the affluent by eliminating today’sincomecap where the payroll tax ends. This would make Social Security’srevenues again exceed outlays but forjust three years.

Congress exacerbated Social Security’soverspending problem when purporting to fix it. In 1977, it indexed benefits payments to wage growth, which usually growsfaster than inflation. So, this year’sSenate candidates should say what they propose. Do they favor raising by three years (to 65 and 70) the ages when recipients can begin receiving early or full retirementbenefits, and indexing those ages so they rise as lifeexpectancy does? If not, then what? No fair engaging in wishful thinking, such as: Artificial intelligence will so dramatically and permanently accelerate economic growth, a gusher of revenues will banish the need fordifficult choices. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, says, “The budget may balance without us doing anything because there’ssomuch growth.” Talk about counting imaginary chickens from unhatched eggs.

America’skakistocracy has produced gerontocracy.Government’sbiggest, mostbeloved program is wealth redistribution masquerading as aretirement program.Social Security transfers wealth regressively,upward from today’slabor force to the elderly,who have had alifetime of accumulation and have paid off mortgages on homes that have risen in value. Is Congress going to take back asignificant portion of this entitlement? Think about prying abone from an entitled bulldog.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com

George Will

‘Wewillwin

BY MARK CARLSON, EMMA DA SILVA and JOHN LEICESTER Associated Press

LEGE-CAP FERRET,France French

President Emmanuel Macron urged fire crews to “stay strong” as they battled Monday to bring amonster wildfire under control, warning that the fight willtake time but vowing, “Wewill win this battle together.” On avisit to acoordination center for the massivefirefighting effort in southwest France, Macron heard how the blaze raging since last week has been wildlyunpredictable, transforming at times into aselffeeding fire storm as it burned through an area four times the sizeofParis and forced 220,000 people to flee their homes.

“We’re facingacompletely unprecedented fire,” Macron said, describing the situationas France’sworst fire-related crisis since World WarII.

He praised firefighting teams who stoppedthe inferno’sprogression Monday after days of spreading flames that edged toward the wine region cityof Bordeaux.But with woodlands still smoldering, he and other government officials cautioned that the battle isn’tyet won with forests turned tinder-dry by successive heat waves this year and another forecast for this week.

“The weeks ahead will be hard.Wemust holdfirm,” Macron said.

With thousands of firefighters on the ground and rotations of water- and retardant-dropping aircraft, it became arace against time Monday to contain the blaze before temperatures soar,with national weatherser-

viceforecastsof95and above in southwest Francefrom Tuesday.

Authoritiesalso areworking to feed,shelter andcarefor evacuees whofled in staggering numbers: 250,000 in the southwest, driven awaybytwo fires.

Macron spoke of displaced people“traumatized”bythe upheaval and “who sometimes have lost everything.”

No new evacuations were announced Monday.But with France about to enter its peak August tourist season, authoritiesfor the Gironde region around Bordeaux worked to keep vacationersaway, banning holidaycamps forchildren and for people with disabilities. Governmentministers also urgedpeople not to travel to the regionthatispopular for its Atlantic beaches, famous wines andsome of France’slargest expansesofforests Crewsusingearth movers tore up strips of forest and scrubland tocreate barren spaces, intended toblock the flames that officials said had come within 10 milesofBordeaux’soutskirts. Farmers kept firecrewssupplied with water, transporting it to them in tanks.

Briefing Macron, the Gironde region’sfirechief explained how crews had wrestled with the blazeunlike any they’d previously tackled, extraordinarily virulent andcapricious, “a fire that’sgoingeverywhere” and which generated electrical storms that sparked more flare-

ups.

this battle together’

“The last 24 hours wentwell, thanks to your work” Macron told firefighters. “Doubtless, tomorrowwill be more complicated thantoday.”

Around adozen countries have providedplanes, helicopters, firefighters andother assistance to both France and Spain, whichisalsofighting unprecedented blazes. All told, fires in thetwo countries have forced more than 330,000 people to flee.

In Spain, wildfires have burnedout of control around Madrid and in the Valencia region. Authorities evacuated 79,000 people andconfined 30,000 otherstotheir homes

In bothSpain and France, the exceptional scale of the fires fueled by heat waves that hit especially hard and early this year,making forestsand scrublandtinder-dry— aredriving calls for stronger action against climatechange.

“Whatweare experiencing is notaseries of isolated incidents. It is theconsequence of a climateemergency thatismaking wildfires even moreviolent heat waves more frequent,” SpanishPrime Minister Pedro Sánchez said. Afire raging in hilly,rural terraininÁvila,westofMadrid, hasbecome Spain’slargest on record, scorching 193 square miles, the government said. That’sfive times the size of Barcelona. “Look at how thevalley is

burned. Look at the houses, the people,” said David Gonzalez, a 48-year-old gardenerwho used hisvan to runsuppliestofirefighters in Ávila.

“Weare feeling lot of anger andhelplessness. It’ssomething inhuman,” he said.

Fires have burned 590 square milesthis year in Spain —six timesthe area scorched by blazesinthe first half of 2025, saidSara Aagesen, the ecology minister

Theministersaidthat another heat wave forecast from Tuesday —which would be Spain’s fourth so far this year could ratchet up the firedanger. Spain’sweather agency forecasttemperatures above 104.

Awildfiredriven by strong winds broke out on Sunday afternoon near Peschici, in Italy’s southern Puglia region, burning pine forest and scrub and forcing the evacuation of about 300touristsfrombeaches and campgrounds,authorities said.

The CoastGuardevacuated tourists by seatonearby Vieste, where authorities opened temporary shelters. Three Canadair water-bombing planes and fire crews on the ground continued Monday to battlethe blaze,whichrevived memories of devastating wild-

thathit the same coastal area in 2007. Associated Presswriters Jo-

BY CLAIRE RUSH Associated Press

PORTLAND,Ore. Part of amajor interstate highwayinOregonwas closed Mondaydue to awildfire that forced asmall town to evacuate, one of dozens of blazes burning across the state.

The Fox Fire forced the closure of Interstate 84 for some 70 milesbetween Baker City and Ontario near the Idaho state line, the Oregon Department of Transportation said. Interstate 84 is akey thoroughfare, running fromPortland in the west through the Columbia River Gorge and into eastern Oregon before crossing the Snake River eastward through Boise. Challenging wildfires have burnedacrossthe western U.S. this summer,following months of dry weather,arecord lack of snow in some areas, hot spells and erratic winds. Federal authoritiesannounced Saturday that afourth firefighter died of his injuries after he and several colleagueswere overcome last month by afast-moving wildfire near the Colorado-Utah border

The Fox Fire was burning near the OregonIdaho state line about 12 miles northeast of the small town of Huntington, which was under aLevel 3“Go Now” evacuation order,meaning its roughly 500 residents have been told to leave immediately

Fueled by hot, dry and breezy conditions, the fire hasscorched nearly 72 square milesand was0%contained as of Monday

With aircraftpotentially groundeddue to limited visibility from the smoke, firefighters were building bulldozer lines around Huntington near arailroad that also runs through the area to protect critical infrastructure, authorities said.

The state transportation department warned people on social media to avoid the area, adding that no local detours were available due to other roads also being closed due to fire. Elsewhere in eastern Oregon, the state transportation department’swebsite showed arural stretch of U.S. Route 20 wasalso closed Monday due to wildfire fornearly 70 miles, between the small cities of Burns and Vale. In central Oregon, the AkawaButte Fire was deemed atop priority forfirefighting due to its proximity— about5miles— to Sisters, asmall city of about 3,000 people. Whileauthorities said Sunday that fire activity haddecreased across much of the fire, part of the town is still under an evacuation notice with residents told to be

a

SETTING UP CAMP

Here’s what to watch for as Saints officially begin 2026 preparations

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

NFL training camps have begun to fire up across the country, and the New Orleans Saints join the mix when they take the field for their first camp practice of the 2026 season Wednesday in Metairie.

If things feel different than recent years, there is a reason for that. A rookie quarterback led the Saints to a strong finish to close the 2025 season, and the team built on that momentum this offseason by adding several players who should play key roles In the span of a couple of months, New Orleans went from rebuild to renewed.

It has been more than five years since the Saints last participated in a playoff game. It is far too soon to say the Saints are Super Bowl contenders, but there are legitimate reasons to believe their postseason skid may be snapped this year

Now comes the hard part: Can they turn optimism into success on the field?

Here are four things to keep in mind when the team opens camp this week

The quarterback

Out of all the things New Orleans did to improve its team this offseason, the main driver of its fortunes will be second-year quarterback Tyler Shough.

Shough was magnificent after taking over as the starter midway through last year He posted solid, but not great, numbers — 2,256 yards passing, 10 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 95.8 rating in his nine starts — but his performance was about more than statistics Shough

BY DENNIS WASZAK AP pro football writer

The heat is on several NFL coaches, and it has nothing to do with the soon-to-be steamy dog days of training camp.

The regular season is still more than six weeks away, but some coaches already face questions about their job security.

For a few such as the New York Jets’ Aaron Glenn, Tampa Bay’s Todd Bowles and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, slow starts could make their seats pretty toasty early in make-or-break seasons. For some others, such as Green Bay’s Matt LaFleur and Philadelphia’s Nick Sirianni, there’s not immediate pressure, but that could change if their squads don’t live up to lofty expectations.

energized a moribund franchise, and the results followed.

Everything that has transpired since the end of the season has fueled optimism about what Shough can be in New Orleans. He went on a media tour singing the praises of his adopted city and was the grand marshal for the Krewe of Pyg-

Here is a list of coaches who are looking over their shoulders heading into the 2026 season.

Todd Bowles, Buccaneers Through four seasons with Tampa Bay, Bowles is 35-33 in the regular season and has won three NFC South titles But last season’s collapse, during which the Buccaneers went 2-7 down the stretch to finish 8-9 and miss the playoffs, had some thinking Bowles’ days with the team were done. Instead, the Bucs opted to stick with him. He’ll likely need doubledigit wins, a rebound performance from quarterback Baker Mayfield under new coordinator Zac Robinson and some postseason success to stick around. The Bucs defense, which Bowles calls himself, also must be much improved.

malion. He clearly took charge of the offense during the summer workouts, then paid the expenses for a group of his pass catchers to work together earlier this month at a retreat in Southern California. Now he’s got to continue applying it

Dave Canales, Panthers

Carolina made the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 season, but it did so with an 8-9 record. The Panthers started 1-3 before three straight victories, and then alternated losses and wins over the next eight games before dropping its last two and backing into the playoffs, where the Panthers lost in the wild-card round. Canales is 13-21 in his first two seasons in Carolina, which hired him in large part to develop Bryce Young into a quarterback worthy of his No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 draft. But Young has been up and down. Canales handed off playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, and his job could

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

Of all the exceedingly honest statements Ole Miss coach Pete Golding made at SEC media days last week, his recounting of a sales pitch to quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy may have been the most blunt.

Chambliss and Lacy shouldn’t follow Lane Kiffin to LSU, Golding said, because they would be hated in Oxford, Mississippi, as much as their former coach.

“The dude they’d have built a statue of here three days ago, Google his name right now,” Golding recalled telling Chambliss and Lacy during an interview with ESPN. “They wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire. They’ll do the same thing to y’all, too.”

The 13-win season and College Football Playoff run they just made wouldn’t matter Their legacies would be tarnished forever Linebacker T.J. Dottery was one of four Ole Miss players who decided to transfer to LSU anyway. And yes, Golding put it to Dottery just like he did with Lacy and Chambliss.

“Kind of the same general statements in the conversation, for sure,” Dottery said. “I knew that would be some of the aftermath of me leaving. But the opportunity at LSU was big and huge for me, and I couldn’t turn it down.

“It wasn’t personal; it was all business.”

Dottery, in his gold suit, was front and center at SEC media days last week, not only explaining the appeal of LSU but also why he followed Kiffin when others didn’t. It wasn’t all about Kiffin. Dottery looked at LSU and saw a program with history on the defensive side of the ball, including greats such as Tyrann Mathieu, Patrick Peterson and Devin White. He had a chance to play alongside a current star in Whit Weeks, who was just named preseason first-team All-SEC. Dottery also rationalized Kiffin’s decision in a way many fans in Oxford couldn’t He saw a coach “grabbing” an opportunity at a “blue-blood” institution, taking a chance to grow despite any damage to his reputation.

“Once you sit back and kind of think about those things,” Dottery said, “I kind of saw a big opportunity for me as well.” Dottery said LSU is “another step” in his football career He points to the advanced recovery facilities LSU has at its disposal He thinks about the virtual reality system football players use to get simulated reps off the field.

He compared where he was and where he is now, and Dottery said there is a different “standard” LSU players hold themselves to.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough takes part in

minicamp

at the team’s indoor practice facility.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II New york Jets head coach Aaron Glenn speaks at a news conference during rookie minicamp at the team’s practice facility on May 8 in Florham Park N.J

Saints head coach Kellen Moore watches a minicamp practice at the indoor practice facility on June 16.

Dottery

Still swinging at age 103

Omaha golfer found passion later in life

BY ERIC OLSON AP sportswriter

OMAHA, Neb. — Bob Walls was getting set to tee off on the first hole at his home course last week when his partners interrupted his pre-shot routine.

“Get back here, man,” James King said.

“We’re playing blues today,” Dawn Dozier added. Walls wasn’t having it.

“When you’re over 100, you can hit from anywhere you want,” he told them.

Then, with a silky smooth swing from the forward white tees, he thwacked the ball down the right side of the fairway just short of the green on the 180yard hole.

Not bad for a 103-year-old Actually, pretty incredible.

A record 6.3 million Americans 65 and older played golf in 2025, the National Golf Foundation reported this month. The NGF does not track the number of centenarians, but there undoubtedly are few, if any, who play as well and as often as Walls.

Walls is fit and trim and looks 30 years younger He has survived a heart attack, has had multiple heart surgeries and overcame a transient ischemic attack (mini stroke). He credited good genes — both of his parents lived into their late 90s — for his longevity, along with staying active.

The notion that he’s a freak of nature doesn’t register with him.

“I don’t feel 103. I don’t act 103,” he said. “To me it’s no big deal.” Born in St. Marys, Kansas, in 1923, Walls moved to Omaha in 1947 after he served in World War II. He spent most of his working years owning and operating a janitorial service.

He retired at 74 and, with friends’ encouragement, took up golf. Steve Hogan, who was Nebraska’s first Black PGA professional, taught Walls how to play at what was then Miller Park. The two became close friends, and Walls honors Hogan’s memory by volunteering seven days a week at the course, which was renamed Steve Hogan Golf Course after his death in 2008.

Walls spends five or six hours riding around in his open-top cart with a bucket of seed-and-

sand mix on the passenger side. He fills divots and repairs ball marks, picks up trash and fishes other golfers’ errant shots out of the lagoon with his ball retriever

Always strapped on the back of the cart is his golf bag, because he never knows when the mood will strike to stop and play a hole or maybe work on his game. Outside the clubhouse are a couple of training devices Walls made to help young players get a feel for the golf swing arc. He

has worked with kids in the First Tee program and gives lessons to adults for $50 per hour The course holds an annual tournament, the Bob Walls Invitational, to raise money for equipment for neighborhood kids.

When he gets home from the course each day, he often gets on his iPad and watches hours of training videos.

“When I visited him for his 101st birthday, I wasn’t even in the door and the first thing he said to me was that he was breaking down his whole game, changing this, changing that,” Dozier said. “He’s always working on his game.”

Walls has still got plenty of game. He regularly shoots in the low 30s on the par-3 Hogan course. In fact, the other day he shot 31 to win a match against course manager Mike Rice.

“The first time I beat him and I haven’t beaten him very often — I had to have a hole-inone to do it,” Rice said. “Who’d ever thought a 103-year-old gentleman could knock a ball 180 yards consistently every day and have enough energy and strength to do it?”

Walls spends the fall and winter in Phoenix and is on a course or practice range every day there, too.

“Golf is the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning,” he said. He fusses over his stance, swing plane and the direction his shoulders are pointing at his finish. Recently, he’s been working on getting more consistent with his lob wedge so he doesn’t have to rely so much on his sand wedge.

“He’s going to hit right down the middle and the next shot is going to be on the green,” King said. “He’s not going to do anything to hurt himself. Sweet and easy That’s what I love about his game. And he practices, too. Every day he hits a few balls, and I know he does because I’m down here most every day I love playing with him. I think he’s one of kind.”

Weiss blames limit on pitchers for roster churn

BY NOAH TRISTER AP baseball writer

The Atlanta Braves called up right-hander Elieser Hernández from the minor leagues, and a few days later he finally appeared in his first big league game since 2024.

After throwing three scoreless innings in relief and earning the win at Baltimore, he was immediately designated for assignment.

“I hate it, to be honest with you,” Braves manager Walt Weiss said. “I wish the rules were different.”

What Atlanta did is fairly common now If a pitcher works several innings of relief even if he does so effectively — keeping him is essentially wasting a roster spot for the next couple days. So a fresher arm is brought in to replace him.

Baseball’s union is proposing rule changes related to this type of roster churn. The players want pitchers optioned shortly after an outing of at least nine outs or 50 pitches to get major league pay and service time for the four days following the appearance. The union is also proposing to reduce the number of optional assignments to the minors from a maximum of five per season to three. That wouldn’t necessarily have helped Hernández, since he was designated for assignment, not optioned Weiss didn’t mention the option rules but instead took aim at the limit of 13 pitchers on a roster “I wish the number of pitchers weren’t restricted,” Weiss said Saturday “I think if you were able to carry an extra pitcher here and there, you wouldn’t have to do those things — have to DFA a guy that was one of the heroes of the game last night. We want to be able to reward those guys, not DFA them.”

PRESS PHOTO By

WILLIAMS Atlanta Braves pitcher Elieser Hernández throws during a game against the Baltimore Orioles on Friday in Baltimore.

Performance of the week

Dylan Cease threw a onehitter in Toronto’s 6-0 win over Boston on Saturday He was the first Toronto pitcher to throw a one-hit shutout since Brandon Morrow in 2010. Cease threw a no-hitter two years ago, but he was with San Diego then. Earlier this month, he took a no-hitter into the ninth at San Francisco, but he was pulled after it was broken up. Comeback of the week Houston trailed the Chicago

White Sox 5-0 before scoring eight runs in the top of the sixth Friday night. The Astros went on to win 9-5. Christian Walker hit a threerun double to make it 5-4, and one out later Cam Smith hit a two-run homer that put Houston ahead to stay Team of the week This honor goes to the team with the best record over the past seven days, using run differential as a tiebreaker if need be. A tiny sample, yes, but this is basically the amount of time it takes to win a playoff series.

The Tampa Bay Rays went 6-1 this past week and are still holding off the New York Yankees atop the AL East The Rays lead by three games. Tampa Bay took three of four at Toronto before sweeping three against Cleveland, shutting out the Guardians in the final two games. The Rays are extremely likely to make the playoffs in some fashion for the first time since 2023. The question now is whether they can pull off a deadline deal that helps them outlast the Yankees and the surging Red Sox for a division title and first-round bye.

Acuña returns to Braves after missing 7 weeks

NEW YORK — The Atlanta Braves activated outfielder Ronald Acuña from the injured list on Monday after missing almost seven weeks with a left hamstring strain. Acuña was the leadoff hitter in Monday night’s opener of a threegame series at the New York Mets. The five-time All-Star is hitting .251 with seven home runs, 22 RBIs and 15 steals. His season has been shortened by two hamstring injuries. He missed 15 games in May with the same injury

When Acuña was placed on the injured list on June 9, the Braves topped the majors with a 45-23 record and led the NL East by eight games over Philadelphia. Atlanta struggled in June without Acuña but has rebounded following the All-Star break.

North Carolina places GM Lombardi on paid leave

North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi has been placed on paid administrative leave.

The school announced the move with a statement Monday morning, coming days before the Tar Heels open preseason camp. The school didn’t provide details as to the reason, noting that employees and athletes aren’t permitted to address the topic.

Lombardi joined Bill Belichick in making the NFL-to-college move when the school hired the former New England Patriots coach in December 2024. Lombardi’s career as an NFL executive had included being the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2013, and he was an immediate hire by the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in Chapel Hill.

Michigan AD Manuel to receive $7M in separation

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel will be paid a lump sum of $7.14 million as part of his separation agreement with the university

The school announced July 20 that it would buy out the remaining three years on Manuel’s contract and he will step down at the end of 2026. Manuel agreed to step down following investigations into former football coach Sherrone Moore’s relationship with his executive assistant and a probe into the athletic department.

The university also agreed to make a $108,000 contribution to his retirement account and pay his attorney fees of $82,000. Manuel agreed to remain employed by the university until he voluntary resigns Dec. 31.

Commanders part ways with TE coach Steele

The Washington Commanders have parted ways with tight ends coach Ben Steele on the eve of training camp, a move made in the aftermath of his arrest on suspicion of driving while intoxicated last month.

Steele was placed on administrative leave after informing the team following the arrest, according to a person with knowledge of the situation. The person said offensive assistant Wes Welker assumed Steele’s responsibilities during minicamp. Coach Dan Quinn is expected to address the situation at his camp-opening news conference on Tuesday Steele, 48, had just been hired by Washington after spending the previous three NFL seasons with Arizona.

Reds slugger Steer put on 10-day IL with wrist sprain CINCINNATI The Cincinnati Reds placed infielder/outfielder Spencer Steer on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right wrist sprain and recalled infielder/outfielder Ivan Johnson from TripleA Louisville. Steer left Sunday’s game at the St. Louis Cardinals after fouling a pitch off the end of his bat in the fifth inning. He repeatedly shook his wrist following the swing and decided not to continue the at-bat after meeting with manager Terry Francona and training staff. The versatile Steer is batting .238 with 16 home runs and 40 RBIs in 98 games. He has played all three outfield positions while also appearing at first base,

and

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ERIC OLSON

Bob Walls, a 103-year-old golfer tees off on the third hole at Steve Hogan Golf Course on Friday in Omaha, Neb.

ASSOCIATED

TERRANCE

LSU men’s hoops schedule is set

BY TOYLOY BROWN III Staff writer

LSU announced its full 202627 men’s basketball schedule on Monday for Will Wade’s return campaign.

The Tigers will face five powerconference teams in the nonconference and will play a total of 19 home games at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center The season opener is against LSU-New Orleans on Nov 3 at home.

The first time LSU will take the court will be for an exhibition game against McNeese State on Oct. 8 at Townsley Law Arena in Lake Charles. Wade coached the Cowboys from 2023-25 and led them to back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths.

LSU will play three exhibition games overall. LSU also faces Central Florida on Oct. 14 at the PMAC and Florida State on Oct. 24 on the road.

The

first major challenge on LSU’s schedule will be its firstever meeting against Gonzaga on Nov 14 in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga has been a preseason Top 25 team every year since the 2009-10 season and has finished a season outside the final poll only four times in that span.

The Tigers’ next power-conference opponents come in the Palm Springs Classic, a multiteam event at Acrisure Arena in Palm Springs, California. On Nov 25-26, LSU will face two of the three other teams in the field: SMU, Arizona State or Southern California. The opponent hasn’t been decided yet.

LSU will play five mid-major teams at home in November After the season opener against LSU-New Orleans, Wade’s group will face Texas Southern (Nov 6), Louisiana Tech (Nov 9), ULMonroe (Nov 17) and Queens University (Nov. 20).

The first higher-level opponent LSU will see in December is Wake Forest on Dec. 1 at home in the ACC/SEC Challenge The last difficult nonconference contest will come against powerhouse

Sixers

LSU’S FULL SEC SCHEDULE

Jan. 2 vs. South Carolina

Jan. 5 or 6 at Alabama

Jan 9 vs.Tennessee

Jan. 12 or 13 at Kentucky

Jan 16 at Texas A&M

Jan 19 or 20 vs Texas

Jan 23 vs Auburn

Jan. 26 or 27 at Arkansas

Jan. 30 at Georgia

Feb 2 or 3 vs.Vanderbilt

Feb 5 vs. Ole Miss

Feb 13 at Oklahoma

Feb. 16 or 17 vs. Florida

Feb 20 at Mississippi State

Feb 23 or 24 at Auburn

Feb 27 vs.Texas A&M

March 2 or 3 vs Arkansas

March 6 at Missouri

Houston on Dec. 13 at the Toyota Center, the home arena of the Houston Rockets.

Houston is expected to field a competitive team, as it has won at least 30 games each season since 2021-22 and reached at least the Sweet 16 in six straight seasons.

An additional layer of intrigue is that one of the Cougars’ premier transfer portal additions is former LSU point guard Dedan

Thomas The 6-foot-1 lefty averaged 15.3 points, 6.5 assists and 1.6 turnovers per game as a junior for LSU before having season-ending foot surgery in February

LSU has four other contests in December, all at home. It will face Hofstra (Dec. 5), High Point (Dec. 18), UL (Dec. 22) and Washington State (Dec. 28).

High Point was an elite midmajor team last season, beating No 5-seeded Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament and finishing the year with a 31-5 record.

SEC play starts Jan 2 and concludes March 6. The SEC Tournament is March 10-1 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.

celebrate

James’

FIFA’s Infantino targets critics spreading ‘hate and false rumors’

BY GRAHAM DUNBAR AP sportswriter

GENEVA One week after the World Cup final, FIFA president Gianni Infantino attacked perceived critics for “spreading hate and false rumors” about the tournament Infantino praised FIFA for “delivering the best show in the world” and spoke of the World Cup bringing “joy and togetherness,” in a 900-word statement published across a 15-page post on his Instagram account and on FIFA’s website late Sunday

“Sorry that you were so consumed by hate and criticism that you missed it all,” the FIFA leader wrote, addressing his comments to “those behind their pens and papers, behind their screens spreading hate and false rumors.”

FIFA and Infantino faced criticism during the World Cup for Iran team officials, a Somali referee and fans being denied entry to the United States; alleged political influence by U.S. President Donald Trump in letting Folarin Balogun avoid a ban for a red card; unprecedented high ticket prices and commercialized breaks in play midway through each half of all 104 games.

“Every city was packed with fans from all around the globe,” Infantino wrote. “While they celebrated you were busy planting seeds of hate.”

“While you hide, we are exploring the streets of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, talking with fans, engaging with people, and ensuring everyone’s safety.”

Testy media relations

Infantino has an increasingly testy relationship with media during the 11th year of his presidency His eve-of-tournament news conference in Mexico City was his first with a full gathering of international media since March 2023.

The previous such news conference in Rwanda, after his reelection by acclaim from FIFA member federations, saw Infantino ask his audience: “Why are you

arrival with coronation photo fit for NBA’s ‘king’

BY DAN GELSTON AP sportswriter

PHILADELPHIA The Philadelphia

76ers sent the message that LeBron James was indeed — officially and perhaps amazingly on the roster with a straightforward photo: James’ blue No. 23 jersey hangs in a locker with a crown as a nod to his King nickname on the shelf. The 76ers and James announced Monday their two-year deal on the veteran’s minimum for $8 million total was official and that the four-time NBA MVP was indeed a Sixer

“There is no doubt LeBron is one of the greatest players to ever play the game of basketball and there are no words to measure the impact he’ll have on this organization,” team president Mike Gansey said.

The NBA’s career scoring leader, James revealed his choice on social media Friday, saying it will be his “last decision” and that it came after he strongly considered retirement.

“I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team and I am so excited to energize a new fan base and start this incredible journey one last time,” James said.

James posted videos on his Instagram story Monday morning with the caption: “It’s that time again. 4:12 AM. Let’s get it.” He posted workout videos from the gym throughout the weekend.

A four-time NBA champion, James wrote he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended and that it was his last with the Los Angeles Lakers.

He instead reversed course and signed with a Sixers franchise that’s loaded with All-Star starters in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown yet has failed to win an NBA championship since 1983 or even advance out of the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001.

James, who turns 42 in December, appears up for the challenge of turning the Sixers into champions much as he did when he ended a 56-year championship drought

ASSOCITAED PRESS PHOTO By

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James looks on during a game on Dec 9, 2022, in Philadelphia.

for Cleveland by leading the Cavaliers to the title in 2016.

“I cannot wait to see LeBron alongside Jaylen Brown, VJ Edgecombe, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and our talented roster as we work to deliver a championship for Philly,” team owner Josh Harris said.

The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks.

James’ resume is beyond compare in NBA history He is a 22time All-Star a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

He also is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.

For his career, he has averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games.

James started his career in Cleveland in 2003 and spent seven seasons with the Cavaliers before heading to Miami for four seasons

— where he won his first two NBA titles. He then returned to Cleveland for four more seasons, including that title run in 2016, and left

so mean?”

In Mexico City last month, Infantino suggested critics should “chill, relax.” And he’s coming under scrutiny from some in the U.S. Congress.

Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, sent Infantino a letter on Sunday seeking documents detailing ties between FIFA and the Trump administration. A representative for FIFA didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter

FIFA uniting the U.S. and Iran

Iran’s ability to play at least three games in the U.S was a key pretournament issue, and the squad made a late switch to a training camp in Tijuana, Mexico instead of Tucson, Arizona.

“Iran entered the United States without incident or conflict,” Infantino noted in his statement. “While you spread hatred, we worked tirelessly to unite two countries at war.”

Fans denied visas to enter the U.S. included Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the celebrated statue supporter of Congo which was

LSU

Continued from page 1C

Dottery wouldn’t say Kiffin, who left ahead of the Rebels’ CFP run, “persuaded” him to transfer to LSU. But he was apt to listen to his pitch because there’s a relationship.

Kiffin gave Dottery a second chance after he was dismissed from Clemson in July 2023 for an unspecified violation of team rules.

Dottery, who was ineligible for the 2023 regular season because of the timing of his transfer, went on to post 76 and 98 tackles, respectively in his sophomore and junior campaigns with the Rebels.

“I just love his story,” Kiffin said this spring. “All the guy does is continue to work, continue to develop as a player.”

Kiffin said Dottery knew rumors about what led to his Clemson dismissal would be raised if he entered the transfer portal. Kiffin has described Dottery as a “victim” and said another person was jailed for their part in what transpired at Clemson.

dealing with an Ebola virus outbreak. He attended one game in Mexico.

“You mentioned the few people denied visas and overlooked the millions who were approved, from all parts of the world,” Infantino wrote. “Countries facing serious health issues or other challenges were granted visas.” Infantino defends Balogun decision On fallout from the red card for U.S. forward Balogun, Infantino claimed “subsequent decisions not to ban players in certain situations are routine.”

FIFA did not overturn Balogun’s red card, which does occur in domestic club competitions, but instead took the more unusual step of deferring the one-game ban for a probationary period. FIFA has yet to publish the written verdict of its disciplinary judge.

“To those spending their time and energy hating us, please take a moment to reflect, meditate, pray, or watch a football match and truly observe the faces, the eyes, the emotions,” Infantino wrote. He signed off his statement: “Much love to all.”

that he cried some nights while thinking about leaving. His departure set off dominos that led to consternation elsewhere

When Dottery left Ole Miss, Golding turned to Cal linebacker transfer Luke Ferrelli, who previously visited Oxford but had already enrolled at Clemson. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney alleges Golding tampered with his signee, texting Ferrelli during an 8 a.m. class to send him a copy of a $1 million contract.

Ferrelli jumped to Ole Miss right before the portal closed.

Dottery faces Clemson in Week 1.

“I had a great time at Clemson, built some great relationships with coaches and staff. I can even call cCoach Swinney and we can talk right now He’s awesome,” Dottery said. “I don’t think the emotions will be too high. Just another opportunity to play football.“

Dottery tried to say LSU’s Week 3 game at Ole Miss is the same, “just another opportunity to play football,” but it’s hard to classify Sept. 19 as just that.

in 2018 for the Lakers and won a championship in 2020.

James is the first player in NBA history to be named an NBA Finals MVP with three different franchises.

James is set for a reunion with Gansey, who was hired in late May after the Sixers fired Daryl Morey Gansey joined the Cavaliers in 2011 and had worked as their general manager since 2022. His and James’ ties were first forged as Ohio basketball stars more than two decades ago. Gansey at Olmsted Falls High School was runnerup in 2001 for Ohio’s Mr Basketball award to James — who won it three times for St. Vincent–St. Mary High School before bypassing college and going straight to the NBA.

“I have had the pleasure of knowing LeBron since high school and have seen the high-level impact he’s produced at every stop of his basketball journey,” Gansey said.

“He is a consummate professional, the ultimate competitor and a tireless worker But he is also an incredible person with natural leadership traits, a family man, and someone who possesses unwavering commitment to community and those around him.

“I can do the comfortable, easy thing and stay here and nobody is going to bring up that story of what happened to me at Clemson,” Kiffin said, “or I can do the challenging thing, that will make me uncomfortable, that he believed was the best for him. And he did it.”

It was certainly uncomfortable.

Dottery said he was so “invested” in his relationships at Ole Miss

Dottery still professes love and respect for the teammates he left behind, but he’s trying to focus more on the embrace of his new teammates at LSU.

“I feel like that’s made it the easiest, me just being able to be myself and be the guy I am,” Dottery said, “and they like me for that.”

Email Jon Blau at jon.blau@ theadvocate.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ROGELIO V. SOLIS Mississippi linebacker TJ Dottery pressures Tulane quarterback Jake Retzlaff during a game in Oxford, Miss., on Sept. 20.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By EDUARDO VERDUGO FIFA president Gianni Infantino speaks during a news conference at the stadium in Mexico City on June 10, one day before the opening FIFA World Cup match between Mexico and South Africa.

MATT SLOCUM

Bengals aim to produce big gains offensively

BY CHARLIE GOLDSMITH Associated Press

CINCINNATI The Cincinnati Bengals offense has a very rare level of continuity with all 11 starters as well as most of the team’s key backups returning from last season’s roster

Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher wants to see the unit aim even higher in 2026. He said the keys for the offense taking the next step are finding more explosive plays and limiting turnovers at a higher rate

“We can really look at it from a schematic standpoint and make sure we have the tools we need,” Pitcher said Monday as the Bengals had their pre-training camp luncheon. “(Turnovers) speak to decision-making, technique and how we take care of the football. That’s an area traditionally we have not struggled with We need to return to the standard we have for ourselves.”

Joe Burrow, who led the NFL in passing yards in 2024, was playing just as well in 2025 but missed half of the season because of a toe inju-

ry Pitcher said Burrow is involved in conversations and open to new ideas for the offense to generate more explosive plays than it did last season.

“Above anything, Joe wants to win and wants us to be able to do whatever it takes to win,” Pitcher said. “I believe he has trust that he knows whatever we’re going to ask is because we’ve put the work in and done the cost benefit and decided this is what we need to do, whether it’s build the offense in August or win a football game in November.”

During the second half of last season, the Bengals found a much higher level of success in their run game. As young offensive linemen Amarius Mims and Dylan Fairchild emerged as impact players, as the offensive line as a whole developed more continuity and as running back Chase Brown continued to develop, the running game took off.

Pitcher is looking to see the unit build off that success in 2026 as Cincinnati tries to make the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

“(Brown) has played himself into a role that deserves us featuring him in what we do,” Pitcher said. “Is he a guy we sit down every week and say, how do we get Chase Brown in position to win us this game? It is.”

With veteran offensive linemen Dalton Risner Ted Karras and Orlando Brown back in the mix for 2026, Burrow’s offensive line looks as dependable as any he has had in his NFL career

With a more powerful run game and more reliable protection, the idea is that Burrow will have more chances and more time to throw deep, as well as fewer hurried throws that could turn into interceptions

A lot of the Bengals’ success in 2026 will revolve around the offensive line.

“We’re in a really good place,” Pitcher said. “Last year, we had a player who we thought was going to be a rookie starter for us and Amarius Mims going into Year 2.

With Dylan and Amarius, there’s a very high ceiling Then we have veteran leadership with Ted, Orlando and Dalton.”

Chiefs OC Bieniemy’s wife shot by their son

BY DAVE SKRETTA AP sportswriter

ST JOSEPH, Mo. — The son of Chiefs assistant coach Eric Bieniemy has been arrested and charged with the shooting of his mother, Mia Bieniemy, the wife of the Kansas City offensive coordinator, authorities in Virginia said Monday

The Loudon County Sheriff’s Office said deputies responded late Sunday to a shooting in Ashburn, Virginia, where the couple still had a home from Bieniemy’s time coaching the Washington Commanders. They found the 57-year-old Mia Bieniemy with multiple gunshot wounds, and she was transported to a hospital where she was in stable condition Monday

Elijah Zion Bieniemy, the 27-year-old son of the couple, was arrested early Monday in connection with the shooting. He has been charged with malicious wounding, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and discharge of a firearm inside a dwelling. He is being held without bond at the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center

The sheriff’s office said the investigation was ongoing. Eric Bieniemy was with the Chiefs at training camp in St. Joseph earlier Sunday He was not present for Monday’s workout involving rookies, quarterbacks and a few veterans, which was closed to the public.

“Our hearts go out to Eric Bieniemy and his family Thoughts and prayers with them,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said afterward. “I can’t get into details on it, but things happen sometimes, and Eric will work through it. He has a great support group here, as does his family, as needed, and we’ll just let time take care of it from there. But Mia is stable, which is a plus.

“She’s a saint, we all know that, those of you that know her One of God’s great blessings. But things happen. And you have to work through it. That’s where we’re at right now Time will have to be involved in this to help heal.”

Reid did not know how long Bieniemy would be away from the team. Pass game coordinator Joe Bleymaier and offensive line coach Andy Heck will take over his duties as the Chiefs continue with offensive installations during training camp.

“On these things, real life. So you take care of that,” Reid said. “We’ll be able to keep it moving here, but the most important thing is EB has an op-

portunity to spend some time there and take care of that business.”

Eric Bieniemy was part of Reid’s initial staff in Kansas City in 2013, and he spent five seasons as the running backs coach before he was promoted to offensive coordinator Over the next five seasons, the demanding but popular Bieniemy helped the Chiefs reach three Super Bowls and win two of them while directing one of the NFL’s best offenses.

He interviewed for several head coaching jobs but was continually skipped over, so Bieniemy went to the Commanders in 2023 in hopes of burnishing his resume. But the team struggled and coach Ron Rivera’s staff was let go, and Bieniemy spent one season as the offensive coordinator at UCLA before spending last season as the running backs coach with the Bears.

Bieniemy returned to the Chiefs this season to replace Matt Nagy as the offensive coordinator He was present for offseason workouts in Kansas City over the summer, and he was with the team when it began to report to training camp last week.

The Chiefs are off Tuesday The first full-squad workout at Missouri Western State University is Wednesday “It’s great to have (Bieniemy) back in the building,” Reid said last week. “He always brings great energy I’ve told you, he’s one of the more phenomenal guys I have been around at being a leader of men. He is doing that. He’s in there cranking — works his tail off, and I appreciate that. Doesn’t let anything slide by Does a good job with that.”

BY JOSH DUBOW AP pro football writer

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Coach Kyle

Shanahan’s voice in Brock Purdy’s helmet has been nearly a constant at practice during Purdy’s first four seasons in the NFL. That has forced Purdy to adjust as he prepares for his fifth season with

the San Francisco 49ers with Shanahan starting training camp as a silent observer at practice rather than an active part of it following a serious car crash that left the coach with a concussion.

“He’s our guy,” Purdy said about Shanahan after practice on Monday “He’s the one leading all the team meetings and stuff and going over just situational football, what practice is going to look like. He’s our leader It has been weird in terms of not having that. But I will say I think the assistant coaches

as a bridge to the team’s future

have done a good job with stepping up.” As the starting quarterback, Purdy typically interacts with Shanahan as much or more than any other player on the team, whether it be at meetings or on the practice field where the coach typically calls in the play to the quarterback on a walkie-talkie. That role has been given to offensive coordinator Klay Kubiak to start camp this summer as Shanahan recovers from the concussion. Offensive line coach Chris

Foerster is running the team in Shanahan’s absence with help from coordinators Kubiak, Raheem Morris and Brant Boyer

Purdy said his contact with Shanahan since the car crash on July 14 has been mostly messages about Shanahan’s well-being and a brief hug on the field at practice Monday Shanahan once again came out about midway through practice and watched alongside general manager John Lynch for the final 45 minutes. Shanahan even had to

dodge an errant deep pass from Purdy to Mike Evans.

“I saw it after and I was like, ‘Damn, I almost hit Kyle,’ ” Purdy said “But I was mad we couldn’t complete the throw.”

Purdy was able to joke about it Monday but the emotions were much different when he first heard about it from Shanahan’s wife, Mandy, shortly after the crash. Shanahan suffered a concussion, broken ribs, a broken nose and broken hand in the crash that sent him to the hospital.

Continued from page 1C

depend on Young finally showing consistent progress this season.

Aaron Glenn, Jets

The former Pro Bowl cornerback returned to New York as a head coach to lead the Jets back to respectability Instead, Glenn became the first in team history to lose his first seven games in his debut season with the team, which went 3-14 and missed the playoffs for the 15th straight year

Glenn overhauled his coaching staff and hired Frank Reich to run the offense, and Brian Duker was brought in as the defensive coordinator, but Glenn will now make the play calls for a subpar defense that became the first to not get an interception for an entire season. New York traded for Geno Smith

QB. Another losing season will put the Jets in play to draft one early next year, but Glenn might not be around in that scenario.

Matt LaFleur, Packers

Wait, how’s he on this list? LaFleur has made the playoffs six times in seven seasons, is 76-40-1 in the regular season and got a multiyear contract extension in January

But he has only one playoff win since 2021 and his 3-6 record in the postseason has some Packers fans getting restless A four-game losing streak to end the regular season and a first-round playoff exit at Chicago during which Green Bay blew a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter didn’t help. With the Packers expected to again be playoff contenders with quarterback Jordan Love leading the way, LaFleur’s job status likely won’t be an issue until January Things could go from lukewarm

to sizzling, though, if Green Bay doesn’t win at least one postseason game.

Nick Sirianni, Eagles

Similar to LaFleur, Sirianni’s job would seem to be in no immediate danger He has a Super Bowl victory, two NFC championship wins, three NFC East titles and a 59-26 regular-season record in his five years. There was major disappointment last season, though, after the Eagles lost at home to San Francisco in the wild-card round. A bounce-back performance, including a solid postseason run, is expected, even without A.J. Brown as Jalen Hurts’ go-to receiver in new coordinator Sean Mannion’s offense.

Sirianni was on the hot seat entering the 2024 season after the Eagles started 10-2, faded down the stretch and got blown out by Tampa Bay in the wild-card

round. He followed that by leading Philadelphia to a Super Bowl victory Sirianni and the Eagles — and their fans — would certainly sign up for a repeat of that rebound.

Shane Steichen, Colts

Steichen was mentioned as a potential AP Coach of the Year as the Colts got off to an 8-2 start.

Then, quarterback Daniel Jones was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon and Indianapolis lost its last seven games — even after bringing in Philip Rivers out of retirement — to miss the playoffs. Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon was encouraged by the team’s strong first half, though and decided to keep the coach in place. Steichen is 25-26 in his three seasons with the Colts, who have missed the playoffs the past five years. With Jones healthy and signed to a twoyear extension, Steichen would

feel a lot more secure if the Colts resemble the promising team through 10 games last season. Zac Taylor, Bengals

The Bengals have been notoriously slow starters in September under Taylor but they opened last season 2-0 and appeared on their way to putting that narrative to rest. A turf toe injury sidelined quarterback Joe Burrow for nine games and Cincinnati crawled to a 6-11 finish and a third straight season without a playoff appearance.

A healthy Burrow is paramount to the success of the Bengals, whose Super Bowl trip in the 2021 season is becoming a distant memory A revamped defense, including acquiring defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, should help. So it’ll be on Taylor, in his eighth season with Cincinnati, to break the playoff slump or that might be someone else’s task next year

AP FILE PHOTO By MATT ROURKE Washington Commanders offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy watches from the sidelines during a game on Oct. 1, 2023, in Philadelphia.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By TERRANCE WILLIAMS

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow scrambles as he looks to throw a pass against Baltimore Ravens

linebacker Mike Green during the second half of a game on Nov. 27 in Baltimore.

Verrett adjusts to life without SportsCenter

BY PEYTON DOYLE Contributing writer

When Stan Verrett returned to New Orleans for this week’s Advocates Professional Golf Association Tournament at TPC Louisiana, he knew the first stop he had to make was Johnny’s Po-Boys on St. Louis Street.

“Any excuse I can get to be back home is great,”

Verrett said “It’s always great to be home seeing familiar faces and familiar places and just being in New Orleans.” Verrett, a St. Augustine grad and former SportsCenter host, is back in his home city to take part in the first-ever Michael Eaves Classic and Celebrity Pro-Am. Eaves is an anchor for ESPN’s SportsCenter The tournament takes place

SAINTS

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on the field. The competition will get stiffer (none of the five wins Shough authored last season came against a team with a winning record), teams will have more film of him to dissect, and Shough must also carry the burden of expectation.

He seems built to handle all of that, but he needs to prove it over the course of a full season

The new faces

The offense will feature at least three new starters — running back Travis Etienne, guard David Edwards and receiver Jordyn Tyson — and several new role players. It is without question a more talented unit than the Saints have fielded in a while, and coach Kellen Moore is going to have to figure out how to best distribute the ball to a suddenly deep group of skill players.

The defense also will look different, though some of this is a result of subtraction. Demario Davis the longtime heart and soul of the Saints defense, signed a free agent contract with the Jets Alontae

Tuesday and Wednesday Eaves, Verrett and other celebrities like Ryan Clark, Jemele Hill, Torii Hunter, Matt Kemp and J.R. Smith will compete.

As a part of the event, Verrett and others have made a point to support the golfers by showing them potential pathways outside of the course. To help facilitate this, Verrett took part in a panel discussion Sunday night.

“It was to help the players understand life beyond golf, with the lessons that golf can teach you,”

Verrett said. “We talked a lot about networking, hard work, about relationships that can help your career that golf can facilitate.”

Joining Verrett on Sunday’s panel was Marrero native and former LSU star Ryan Clark, who discussed his transition from being a professional athlete to a media figure.

“When it came to football, I kind of maneuvered through both

Taylor, a four-year starter in the secondary and most recently the Saints’ “Star” defender, agreed to a contract with the Titans.

New Orleans signed one of its former draft picks, Kaden Elliss, to fill Davis’ on-field role and shifted safety Jonas Sanker to Taylor’s old spot. Veteran Julian Blackmon, who missed most of last year with a shoulder injury, is in line to start at safety alongside Justin Reid. And don’t forget the specialists. Free agent Ryan Wright should solve the punting problem that has plagued the Saints for years, while incumbent kicker Charlie Smyth will have to beat out intriguing UFL signee Tanner Brown to keep his job.

The injured players Moore and general manager Mickey Loomis will address the media Tuesday, and at that point we should have a clearer understanding of who won’t be ready to take the field for the start of camp.

Running back Kendre Miller is one to watch. The fourth-year running back has been beset by injuries throughout his career, and he is trying to return from an ACL tear suffered midway through

throughout my career until I found my sweet spot, the sweet spot of having enough knowledge to know what makes me better,” Clark said Sunday during the panel “What makes Mike great on TV or Stan great on TV wasn’t going to make me great on TV, so I couldn’t approach it their way.”

Where Clark has found success particularly in recent years is with “The Pivot” podcast, co-hosted by Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor In Verrett’s eyes, enterprises like The Pivot are what will keep Clark a major player in the field despite being let go by ESPN last week in a round of layoffs.

“He’s fine, he’s got The Pivot, he’s built his own platform and he’s going to be fine,” Verrett said. “That’s the sort of resiliency that you can have when you build your own platform in addition to doing the network model.

“I think that’s instructive for a lot of people who are currently at

the network level who have the opportunity to build their own platforms. It can really come in handy at times.”

Verrett himself has had to find ways to adapt to the new media landscape the past year After 25 years at ESPN, he opted to leave the network when his contract expired last summer

“I’m not done, I still wanted to work, so I had to find the resiliency within myself to say ‘OK, how do I do this now? I haven’t had a resume or a tape in 25 years,’ ” Verrett said “And the whole thing’s changed in the last 25 years so you have to be adaptable to new technologies and how they’ve changed the business.”

A part of Verrett’s evolution was developing a podcast with his longtime SportsCenter co-anchor Neil Everett called “The Stan and Neil Show.” While the exact schedule and layout took time to come together the pair found success in their first year discussing the NBA

the 2025 season. Outside of walkthroughs, Miller did not participate in the on-field portion of the summer workouts. Miller may be a candidate to open camp on the physically unable

to perform list. It’s an important camp for him and the other young running backs on the roster, who may be fighting for one roster spot behind Etienne and Alvin Kamara. It will be interesting to see how

and NFL. In addition to the podcast, Verrett has worked on broadcasts for the Los Angeles Clippers and provided national coverage on FanDuel TV and NBA TV He’s also gotten to return home to host Saints Gameday Live, a show providing coverage of the team each week before kickoff. For Verrett, it’s a chance to

the Saints handle Tyson. New Orleans was extremely cautious with the first-round pick this summer, mostly limiting him to individual periods. Injuries were part of Tyson’s college story but at some point the Saints are going to need to get him up to full speed.

The vibes

This one is subjective, but it usually ends up mattering. In recent years, the vibe has been off at Saints camp either players were trying to speak good vibes into existence when there wasn’t much to be excited about (go look back at some of Davis’ comments before the 2024 season) or the positive comments from the players about the upcoming season did not feel grounded in belief. That felt different this summer

The roster seems to genuinely believe in the program that Moore has built, and the momentum from last season can be carried over into 2026 with Shough under center Vibes aren’t tangible it’s just a feeling in the air But when the dust settles on the 2026 season, the vibes at the start of the year may be the first thing someone points to when trying to explain what happened.

Ready. Set. Cook!

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

Learning on the job is one thing; learning while $50,000 is on the line is quite another

That’sthe position aNew Orleansrestaurantfamily found themselves in when they were recruited for the 19th season of FoodNetwork’s“The Great Food Truck Race.”

The seriespremiereaired Sunday andstreams thenext day on HBO Max. Four trucks that specialize in savory dishes and four sweet-themed trucks willface offthisseason.

“Host Tyler Florence will lead the route starting in Nashville and throughthe Great Smoky Mountains, stopping in cities with vibrant food scenes —all while adding unexpected twists andturns from the very first mile,” the show synopsis states.

“Everyweek, the teamsmust prove their cooking expertise, marketing savvy and selling skills in themed challenges to beattheir rivals.”

The last team standing takes home the dough.

The New Orleans hopefuls of Stuph’dBeignets andBurgers —Duana Lawrence and her daughter,Dionne Lewis,along withLewis’ father,Sherman Clarke —had no food truck experience previous to filming “Race” in April

“That was the really exciting partabout it all,” saidLawrence, 45,onagroup call on Monday “That was our first time doing afood truck or being on afood truck.”

Theseries’ casting team reached out to thetrioafter seeing areview on social media about theirSt. Claude Avenue eatery,which they’ve operated for 10 years.The menu features traditional beignets, sweetstuffed beignets (Oreo,sweet potato pie and praline cheesecakeamong thechoices), and savory beignets (veggie, barbecuebeef, and surf and turf).

Aregular burger is available on themenu, but there’salso cheddarand jalapeño-stuffed burgers, hot sausage-stuffed burgers, shrimp-stuffedburgers and more.

The “stuffed-ness” is what makes the burgers stand out, Clarke, 55, said.

Stuph’d Beignets and Burgers is asmall operation —five employees and limited hours right now.The colorful,eclectic dining area’swalls spotlight N.O. team off andrunning on ‘Great Food TruckRace’

ä See RACE, page 2D

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Mathews stands atop amountain in Austria as partofhis worldtour,an attempt to ski all sevencontinents in under 300 days.

ATALL ORDER

Louisiana’sThe Backpacker owner is chasing winter around theworld in hopesofworld record

BY JANRISHER Staff writer

Few people takeaski trip to Africa. But that’swhatBaton Rouge’sMichael Mathews did in February —one stop in aquest to ski seven continents in under 300 days while filming aseries of documentaries about the adventure.

He didnot expect the skiing in Morocco to fall into the“resort” category —and he was correct. To skidown, Mathews firsthad to climb 13,000 feet intothe Atlas Mountains with no lift or rope tow His local guide was observingRamadan, which meant no food or water from the break of dawn until thesun set. Together they climbed anyway,one step at atime. Africa was Mathews’ third continent of 2026. Four to go.

Asia

Michael Mathews pours mint tea as part of afood tour breaking of Ramadanfast. The pouring of mint tea is atradition to welcome others and break the fast. The tour took place in the Old Medinaof Marrakech, Morocco.

Mathews started the yearonskis in Asia, literally.OnNew Year’sDay,with hisfamily,heskiedthe Mount Yotei volcanoinJapan. Continent one, underway

He has scheduled much of his travel around family milestones.His 18-yearoldson graduated from high school in May and startscollege in August. By February,Mathews hadaddedcontinent two —a helicopter trip into the

ä See QUEST, page 2D

Mount Olympus vies for special status

BY

COSTAS KANTOURIS and ELENA BECATOROS Associated Press

LITOCHORO,Greece Snow-capped for much of the year,Mount Olympus, mythological home of ancientGreece’s12Olympian gods,has capturedthe imagination through the millennia. Rising to 9,573 feet from abase practically at sea level, the ancientGreeksbelievedthe throne of Zeus, king of the gods, stood on the highest of its craggy,often mist-shrouded peaks. Now,modern-day Greeks hope their tallest mountain will be inducted intoUNESCO’s World Heritage List as amixed cultural and natural site. The nomination is to be discussed when the World Heritage Committee meets in Busan, South Korea from Sunday through July 29. “Olympus is ourlife. It is the place we grew up in,” said Evagelos Geroliolios, mayor of Dion-Olympus, based in Litochoro, the mountain’smaintown.“It is the place we see every day but at the same time, it is also aplace which carrieswith it myth, history,biodiversity,extraordinary beautyand avery great cultural weight.” Few locations are as central to ancient Greek mythology as Mount Olympus. It washere that Zeus was saidtohave establishedhis courtafter overthrowing his father,Cronus, in a10-year war that ended the reign of the Titans.

AP PHOTO By PETROSGIANNAKOURIS Astatue of Alexander the Great holding Nike,the Greek goddess of victory,stands near Litochoro in northernGreece on July14backdropped by Mount Olympus’ highestpeaks, Mytikas and Stefani.

Interest in Olympusmay receive another boost withthe theatrical release of ChristopherNolan’s “The Odyssey,”a newadaptationofHomer’s epic in which the mountain serves as the homeofZeus and the Olympiangodswho influenceOdysseus’ journey On one of Olympus’slower peaks, excavations have uncovered an open-airsanctuary, with the oldest finds dating to the Hellenistic period, which ran from 323 B.C. to 30 B.C. According to Greece’soriginal UNESCOnomination, the sanctuary is believedtohave been onementioned by theancient philosopher and historian Plutarch, who in the 2ndcentury wrote of processions to oneof Olympus’speaks for animal sacrifices to Zeus. The mountainretainedreligious significance into the Christian era. Achapel on the peak of ProphetElias, at 2,803 meters,isbelievedtobethe highest altitude chapel in the Christian Orthodox world. The mountain’sEnipeas Gorge holds the remains of amonastery founded in 1542, while a roughly 20-minute walk from there leads to theHoly Cave of St. Dionysios, achapel built intoa cavefrom where asmall spring flows, believedtocarry holy water

ä See OLYMPUS, page 2D

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM THE FOOD NETWORK

Duana Lawrence, from left, Dionne Lewisand Sherman Clarkeare Team Stuph’d on this season of ‘The Great FoodTruck Race.’

Michael

By The Associated Press

Today is Tuesday, July 28, the 209th day of 2026. There are 156 days left in the year

Today in history:

On July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of New York’s Empire State Building, killing 14 people. Also on this date:

In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre and Louis Antoine de Saint-Just were executed by guillotine during the French Revolution.

In 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killing at least 242,000 people, according to an official estimate.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics officially opened; 14 Eastern Bloc countries, led by the

Soviet Union, boycotted the Games. In 1995, a jury in Union, South Carolina, rejected the death penalty for Susan Smith, sentencing her to life in prison for drowning her two young sons (Smith will next be eligible for parole in November 2026) In 1996, 8,000-year-old human skeletal remains (later referred to as Kennewick Man) were discovered in a bank of the Columbia River in Kennewick, Washington. In 2004, the Irish Republican Army formally announced an end to its armed campaign against British rule in Northern Ireland. In 2015, it was announced that Jonathan Pollard, the former U.S. Naval intelligence analyst who had spent nearly three decades in prison for spying for Israel, had been granted parole. In 2018, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of U.S. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the emeritus archbishop of Washington, D.C., following allegations of sexual abuse, including

one involving an 11-year-old boy Both died in April 2025. In 2019, a gunman opened fire at a popular garlic festival in Gilroy, California, killing three people, including a 6-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl, and wounding 17 others before taking his own life.

Today’s birthdays: Music conductor Riccardo Muti is 85. Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley is 83. “Garfield” creator Jim Davis is 81. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 79. Actor Sally Struthers is 79. Architect Santiago Calatrava is 75. CBS TV journalist Scott Pelley is 69. Actor Lori Loughlin is 62. Jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis is 61.

UFC president Dana White is 57. Actor Elizabeth Berkley is 54. Basketball Hall of Famer Manu Ginobili is 49. Actor John David Washington is 42. Actor Dustin Milligan is 41. Rapper Soulja Boy is 36. England soccer star Harry Kane is 33. Pop/rock singer Cher Lloyd is 33. Golfer Nelly Korda is 28.

RACE

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New Orleans artists, including Sheila Bankston’s (@EyezArtwork) paintings and a mural by Journey Allen. With only their hometaught culinary skills, the Stuph’d team headed for “Race’s” starting line along with fellow contestants: Bug & Bear’s Cannoli, Los Angeles (Joseph Serpico, Matthew Wilson, Dina Pecci); Cason Funnel Cakes Richmond, Virginia (Terrance Cason, Andre Cason,

OLYMPUS

Continued from page 1D

The mountain’s slopes, which reach practically to the sea, also host a wealth of flora and fauna, including endemic species. It is this blending of culture, myth, natural beauty and biodiversity that locals hope will see their mountain declared a World Heritage site.

“It is a place we love It is a place that many people from all over the world visit to see, to live, to experience We want to protect it,” Geroliolios said. Its inclusion on UNESCO’s list would be “something very big that goes beyond not just local boundaries, but national boundaries. It is something that concerns the entire world. It is very important.”

Greece began the process to have Mount Olympus recognized as a World Heritage site in 2014, inscribing it on its Tentative List the mandatory first step in any nomination. The Tentative List is where countries include sites they can then formally nominate over the next five to 10 years

The nomination process includes a preliminary assessment followed by submission of a full nomination file, which is then evaluated over 14 months by advisory bodies, including the International Council on Monuments and Sites, ICOMOS, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature Recommendations by the advisory bodies are then

Morris Green); Deadproof Pizza Co., Derry, New Hampshire (Thomas Lomanno, Dante Marino, Lisa Bosteels); Grounds Donut House, Bronx, New York (Carmela Varotta, Gabriella Amoroso, Stephanie Hill); Hele Rolls, Kapolei, Hawaii (Brittany Lopez, Jasmine Milam, Mari Wills); Jollof Bowl, Baltimore, Maryland (Ethel Kamara, Andrea Kamara, Lekan Oketunji); and Waffadilla, Hampshire, Illinois (Shawn Peterson, Madison Peterson, Gavin Mari). We had a blast. It was tiring. It was filled with lessons,” LSU graduate Lewis, 26, said “It showed us how

discussed during the World Heritage Committee’s annual meeting, where representatives of 21 countries vote on nominated sites.

Greece’s Mount Olympus nomination is far from certain. A draft of the Busan meeting’s agenda indicates the committee will refer the nomination back to Greece and request further details. Still, locals hope the mountain’s cultural and natural wonders will secure it a place and will play a role in securing more protection for the mountain The mayor, Geroliolios, said inclusion on the World Heritage list “places some greater obligations on our part to protect this environment.”

Environmental protection is also foremost in the mind of mountain guide Babis Marinidis, president of the Alpine Club of Litochoro.

Including Olympus on UNESCO’s World Heritage list would likely attract more people to the mountain and the surrounding area, Marinidis said. “How many people can this mountain, this ecosystem, bear?” he asked. Although much of Olympus was designated a national park decades ago and there are regulations in place, many are openly flouted, with Marinidis saying visitors regularly ignore “no swimming” or “no camping” signs. The ever-growing number of visitors had led local authorities to consider imposing entrance fees and registering visitor numbers. “I used to be against that,” Marinidis said “But

QUEST

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backcountry of British Columbia. Friends joined him for that leg.

Mathews’ global ambition started with money he’d set aside to grow The Backpacker, the Baton Rouge store his father, Dale Mathews, opened in 1974 on Chimes Street, inspired by ski trips Dale used to organize for friends. The store moved to its current Baton Rouge location on Jefferson Highway in 1982. The business has since grown.

A Lafayette location opened in 2007, the same year its founder retired. They opened a third store in Mandeville in 2023.

on YouTube now Easler says the pacing of the trip presents its own challenges.

“The 300 days really puts that added level of back-tobackness,” Easler said. “If somebody were to do this over a three-year span, it seems much more manageable.”

Now Mathews is preparing to leave again right after his son starts LSU this August, and his daughter, 14, starts her sophomore year at St. Joseph’s Academy The fall will have multiple back-and-forth trips to the Southern Hemisphere, including:

land and the rain in a way Mathews said he’s still processing.

much we can come together and make something happen when we really want to.”

Veteran TV food personality and restaurateur Florence also passed along some knowledge.

“I understand chef talk now T-Man (Florence) has taught me so much chef talk,” Lewis said. “I understand the importance of differences in textures and colors. All of that matters I never thought about any of that stuff prior to meeting Chef Tyler.”

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate. com.

now with so many people, I believe some limit must be imposed.”

The mythological home of the gods attracts hikers and mountaineers from across the world. While technical climbing experience isn’t mandatory to reach the summit, the mountain is also not to be trifled with.

With its combination of changeable weather and treacherous terrain, it has claimed many lives. The most recent fatality was on July 11, when a 64-year-old Greek hiker died after collapsing on a trail. In May, rescue crews found the body of a 25-year-old Spanish man days after he went missing while attempting to reach the summit in the snow

“You need to be careful,” and safety measures must always be kept in mind, said 32-year-old hiker Triantafyllos Giannospyros, who was visiting the mountain for the first time. “But with care and with good organization, it isn’t something you should be afraid of.”

Stavroula Vourou, who runs a hotel in Litochoro, the town from where many hikers set off, echoed his sentiment.

“Everyone sets off to go up and conquer a mountain that needs respect,” she said. “You respect this mountain, it respects you too.”

Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece. Associated Press journalist Srdjan Nedeljkovic contributed to this report

At 43, Mathews decided to go all in on the reason his father started the business in the first place — adventure. Along the way, he’d try to break a world record and build content that might bring new attention to the store and the travel business. The decision wasn’t made lightly

“This is a risk. It’s a financial risk and a risk of being away from the business,” he said. “You don’t know what’s going to come from it. You just don’t.”

Before this year Mathews’ passport wasn’t full of stamps. He’d been to roughly a dozen countries, but after months of research, he decided the world ski tour was what he wanted to do.

Africa

Mathews and videographer Cam Easler climbed and skied the Atlas Mountains in Africa. What stayed with Mathews wasn’t the climb or the skiing. It was meeting village guides who struggled to obtain even basic gear like jackets and skis. Most of what they have comes from tourists, donated or sold off as they pass through. The village where Mathews skied, Tacheddirt, didn’t get its first road until 2009.

Tacheddirt, the highest village in North Africa, is home to fewer than 500 people who farm terraced mountainsides, growing apples and walnuts and raising sheep and goats.

Their guide, Mohamed Ait Noumar, was born and raised in the village. He is Tacheddirt’s amghar — the community’s chief or elder He speaks English, French and Arabic but never learned to read or write. World records need official witnesses who sign documents. Since Ait Noumar can’t read or write, Mathews had to film the village chief speaking the proper “certification words” in English.

The village has its own school and teacher for up to fifth grade. After that, children bus down a singletrack dirt road to a town called Asni for school each week, boarding Monday and returning Saturday Their mothers ride along to do the week’s grocery shopping.

Ait Noumar said the village’s next goal is a doctor

Both of Ait Noumar’s grandparents are more than 100 years old — not unusual, he told Mathews. The people of Tacheddirt live from the

“It was a totally eye-opening experience to see another way of life,” he said. “It made me realize how lucky we are to have education, food and technology so readily available.”

Europe

In Austria, Mathews discovered another surprise: skiing cost far less than it does in the United States. Lift tickets ran about $60, compared to $250 to $300 for a walk-up ticket at many American resorts. Meals were roughly half the price, and nearly every business he encountered — from ski schools to guesthouses tucked into the mountains — was locally owned.

While skiing in St Anton, Mathews hired a guide who kept mentioning one name: Hannes Schneider

Born in a nearby Austrian village in 1890, Schneider is widely considered the father of modern ski instruction His Arlberg teaching method — progressing from snowplow to parallel turns — is still used to teach beginners around the world.

After opposing Hitler Schneider was arrested following Nazi Germany’s annexation of Austria. He was later released through American intervention and eventually settled in New Hampshire, where he helped shape skiing in the U.S. by opening a ski school and training soldiers in the Army’s 10th Mountain Division.

Mathews and Easler planned to eat one evening at Schneider’s cafe, run by Schneider’s grandson, Christoph. The line was too long, so they crossed the street instead.

An older American couple sat down beside them. They started chatting and introduced themselves it was Christoph Schneider, Hannes Schneider’s grandson. Two nights later, Mathews had dinner in the Schneider family’s apartment above their hotel — Hannes Schneider’s former home. That evening, Christoph Schneider sat down for an on-camera interview about his grandfather’s life and legacy

Preparing to leave again

Easler along with a documentary crew, has built an eight-part series around Mathews’ journey Episodes covering Japan, the British Columbia heli-skiing, Morocco and Austria are all live

n Bariloche, Argentina, the third week of August. n Thredbo, Australia, the second week of September n Mount Hutt, New Zealand, the third week of September n Then, toward the end of October, back to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board an expedition to Antarctica the leg Mathews has called the most logistically complex of the whole attempt.

The ship, run by IceAxe Expeditions, carries about 190 guests and is chartered for skiers and hikers. Its size lets it reach shallower water near the islands. Mathews’ wife, Margot, is going, though she won’t ski. She plans to snowshoe with penguins kayak paddleboard and take Zodiac tours to see whales. Mathews plans to take the polar plunge. When Mathews is gone, running the three Backpacker locations falls to the people he trusts.

“I’ve got an amazing team — a leadership team who’s been with me for a long time,” he said. This summer at The Backpacker has been a difficult one, full of technology issues.

“It really put me in a point where I felt like, golly, maybe I shouldn’t keep going,” he said, “but I have to finish this thing.”

When asked what the trip has taught him, he doesn’t talk about skiing.

“I thought forever that numbers were my thing,” said Mathews, who majored in finance at LSU. “The biggest takeaway that I’ve had from going around the world and doing this is that I’m a relationship person It has really given me a lot more confidence in myself to leverage my relationship skills for the rest of my life.” He said that, growing up, students are “trained to sit at a desk and get things done. Social hour is a treat. Recess is a treat. And now I’ve realized there’s a whole world out here of people that I can get to know and build relationships with.” Before the year ends, Mathews hopes to ski in Antarctica, completing seven continents in less than 300 days.

But he suspects that long after the record attempt is over one of the moments he’ll remember most won’t be standing on a summit. It will be climbing a mountain in Morocco, one step at a time beside a guide who spent the day without food or water and never complained.

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

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Michael Mathews climbs with guide Mohamed Ait Noumar in Tacheddirt, Morocco, at the base of the High Atlas Mountain Range.

Michael Mathews enjoys a ski-in lunch in Austria, as part of his world tour, an attempt to ski all seven continents in under 300 days.

PROVIDED PHOTO FROM FOOD NETWORK

Duana Lawrence races to finish a cooking challenge on ‘The Great Food Truck Race.’ Season 19 premieres on Sunday on Food Network.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Listen and learn. The information you pick up will help you recognize what you want to keep in your life and what to discard. The process of elimination comes with clarity.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Get moving, be present and promote what you can offer. Attending networking functions or visiting unique settings will offer insight into how to fine-tune your plans to reach your goals.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Use your imagination to discover new possibilities. Explore opportunities, and find people who can add to your plans. By putting your energy where it counts, you'll prosper.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Impressions can be deceiving. Do your research, consider background checks and make changes to your agenda that encourage you to align yourself with the best people for the job.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Finish what you start. Making less of a change will have a greater impact on the outcome of what you pursue and achieve. Charisma and knowledge alongside time, effort and cash — will help you get ahead.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention to medical, financial and legal matters, and you'll create greater opportunities to bring about affordable change. Don't feel obligated to make a spur-of-themoment decision.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You can take on more than you think if you channel your energy toward achieving your

objective. You've got nothing to lose and plenty to gain if you partner with someone who has attributes you lack.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Take on one problem at a time, and leave nothing to chance. A thorough investigation of what's entailed to reach your goal will pay off. Make a promise to yourself to not let your ego prompt poor decisions.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Initiate your plans. Engage in learning, sharing and experiencing life. Let your imagination lead the way, and push yourself to finish what you start.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) You'll gain the most by working alone. Find a quiet spot and concentrate on expanding your knowledge and skills through hard work and practice. Positive change is the result of doing what's best for you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) A playful attitude will get you much further than trying to enforce your will on others. Take it upon yourself to look inward and to pay attention to what will benefit you most.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) If you look for opportunities, you'll discover new possibilities. A partnership will help you recognize the value in sharing skills, time and money. Be open to suggestions.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2026 by nEa, inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY

Sudoku

InstructIons: sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers1 to 9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the sudoku increases from monday to sunday.

Yesterday’s PuzzleAnswer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Edgar Fiedler, an economist who worked under presidents Nixon and Ford, said, “Ask five economists and you’ll getfive different answers —six if one wenttoHarvard.”

In this deal,how wouldyou play the club suit if you need five tricks?

Southisinsixno-trumpandWestleads theheart jack. With the given hands, what shouldhedo? Andsupposethe diamond king were only the queen. How would that affect declarer’s approach?

South’s leap to sixno-trump withonly 17 high-card points seems optimistic, but since Northhas shown at least asixcard club suit and all of South’s points are in aces and kings, it is areasonable gamble.

Southneeds five club tricks to go with twospades, threeheartsand twodiamonds. As he can afford one club loser, declarer should take the first trick and cash dummy’s club ace. Here the king dropsandSouthcanclaim.Butiftheking does not appear, declarer crosses to his hand and leads aclub toward dummy’s queen. Thelikelihood of success is about 72 percent

Nowlet’sweaken theSouthhand by metamorphosing the diamond king into thequeen. South canget home with either fiveclubs and twodiamonds, or six clubs and one diamond. To find out

whichwaytoturn,heshouldtakethediamond finesse first. If it wins, he tackles clubs as justdescribed. But if the diamond finesse loses,declarer needs six club tricks. He mustplay low to dummy’s queen and hope West started with exactlyking-doubleton. South’schances have dropped to just under 50 percent. ©2026 by nEa,inc., dist. By andrews mcmeel syndication

Each Wuzzle is awordriddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: nOOn gOOD =gOOD aFTErnOOn

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words must be of fourormore letters. 2. Words that acquire fourletters by the addition of “s,”such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed.3 additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit wordsare not allowed toDAY’s WoRD WARDRooM: WORE-droom: Living quarters on awarshipfor commissioned officers.

Average mark 16 words

Timelimit 30 minutes Can you find 24 or morewords in WARDROOM?

YEstERDAY’s WoRD —FILIGREE

wuzzles

loCKhorNs

Let’sseek the Lord with all thatwehave. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

mallard fillmore

dIrectIons: make a 2- to 7-letter word from the letters in each row. add points of each word, using scoring directions at right. Finally, 7-letter words get 50-point bonus. “Blanks” used as any letter have no point value. all the words are in the Official sCraBBlE® players Dictionary, 5th Edition.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

ken ken

InstructIons: 1 Each row and each column must contain the numbers 1 thorugh 4 (easy) or 1 through 6 (challenging) without repeating. 2 The numbers within the heavily outlined boxes, called cages, must combine using the given operation (in any order) to produce the target numbers in the top-left corners. 3 Freebies: Fill in the single-box cages with the number in the top-left corner. HErE is a

WiShinG Well

Scrabble GramS

Get fuzzy

jump Start

roSe iS roSe animal crackerS

DuStin

Drabble

Wallace the brave

breWSter rockit

luann

laboratories;conduct nursing &inter‐disciplinary research;engageinfac‐ulty practice,including ournurse-run clinics; pursue entrepreneurialand consultative activities;and serveas a nursingleaderand developmentof leadership skillsthrough ourEmergent NurseLeaderProgram.Weinviteyou to submit your curriculum vitaefor the following teaching position:Nurse Anesthesia ProgramFaculty.

Candidates with expertisewithdiverse populationsare encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will demon‐strate astrongrecordofdevelopmen‐talresearchachievement,enthusiasm forteachingatboththe undergraduate andgraduatelevels, andexperience andcommitmenttoteachingand men‐toring individualsfromdiverse ethnic socioeconomic, andculturalback‐grounds.

MinimumQualifications

•Doctorate of NursingPractice

•Licensedoreligiblefor licensure in LouisianaasanAdvancedPractice Registered Nurse(LicensurebyStart Date), currentlycertified/re-certified by theCouncil on CertificationofNurse Anesthetists with acurrent/active Nurs.Anes. practice

PreferredQualifications

•Doctorate candidates pursuing aca‐reer in NursingResearch. To applytothisvacancy,pleaseclick on thefollowing link: http://careers.lsuhsc.edu/cw/en-us/ job/497127?lApplicationSubSourceID= LSUHealthNew Orleansseeks candi‐dateswho will contribute to aclimate where students,faculty,and staffofall identities andbackgroundshaveequi‐tableaccess andsuccess opportuni‐ties.Asanequal opportunityemployer, we welcomeall to applywithout regard to race,color,religion, age, sex, na‐tional origin,physicalormental disabil‐ity, genetics,protected veteranstatus, military status,sexualorientation gender identity or expression,orany othercharacteristicprotected by fed‐eral,state,orlocal laws.LSU Health NewOrleans is also designated as a StateAsa ModelEmployer(SAME) agency andprovidesassistancetoper‐sons needingaccommodationsorwith theaccessibilityofmaterials.For those seekingsuchaccommodationsoras‐sistance relatedtothissearch, we en‐courageyou to contactthe Office of HumanResource Management (HRMADA@lsuhsc.edu)

ITEMSONLY(3 minutesper citizen) VI.SPECIAL BUSINESS Jaclyn Hotard –Procla‐mation –HomeBuilders AssociationofGreater NewOrleans VII. CONSENTAGENDA

Approval of Minutes

pho‐tosofall buildingswithin theParishofOrleans Proposal specifications canbefound at no‐laassessor.com or physi‐calcopiesare available at theOrleansParishAs‐sessor’s Office,CityHall, 1300 PerdidoStreet Room 4E01, NewOrleans Louisiana70112. Completedproposals are duenolater than 4p.m August 14, 2026, and must either be sent elec‐tronically to mmkahn@ orleansassessors.com or mailed to: OrleansParishAsses‐sor’sOffice ATTN:MarinaM.Kahn City Hall 1300 PerdidoStreet Room 4E01 NewOrleans,LA70112 TheOrleans ParishAs‐sessor’s Office is an equalopportunity pur‐chaser.All interested andqualified vendors areencouragedtosub‐mita proposal 195406-JUL27-29-3T $47.67

PUBLIC NOTICE Pima County,AZisre‐questing Statements of Qualifications (SOQ)fromcontractors qualified to provide: •Roofing Services -RFQ No.2600010277 In ordertobeconsid‐ered,the

July 14th, 2026, Council Meeting VIII. EXECUTIVESESSION A) MoniqueSimmons v. Shantell Rachal andSt. John theBaptist Parish 40thJDC Docket No 85289 Div. A B) Quovance Weston ClaimNumber29784, Darryl Robertsonetal. v. St.Johnthe Baptist Parish Council IX.REPORTS A) President’sReport B) Jaclyn Hotard –MonthlyFinancial Report (June 2026) X. NEWBUSINESS A) Jaclyn Hotard/Jason Akers– Resolution –R2693 –A Resolution providingfor canvassing thereturns anddeclaring theresults of the special election held in the Parish of St.Johnthe Baptist, Stateof Louisiana, on Saturday June 27, 2026, to autho‐rize theissuanceofgen‐eral obligationbonds andthe levy of aspecial taxtherein B) Jaclyn Hotard/Peter Montz– Resolution –R2694 –A Resolution authorizingSt. John the BaptistParishtoadver‐tise andreceive Request forProposals (RFP)for theParish’s

JaclynHotard/Peter Montz– Resolution –R26103 -A Resolution authorizingSt. John the BaptistParishPresident to executea Contract with LouisianaDepart‐ment of Health andHos‐pitals Office of Public Health forthe Strategic National Stockpile Cities ReadinessInitiative(CRI) Grant L) Jaclyn Hotard –Reso‐lution –R26-104 –A Reso‐lution authorizing theadoptionofthe Com‐munity Center Rental Fee Schedule establishing fees andcharges forthe rental anduse of Parishownedcommunity cen‐ters XI.INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCES XII. ADJOURNMENT St.Johnthe Baptist Parish,willuponrequest andthree (3)daysad‐vancenotice, provide reasonable accommoda‐tion to anydisabledindi‐vidual wishingtoattend themeeting. Anyone re‐quiringreasonable ac‐commodation is re‐questedtocontact Mrs. Stacey Cadorat(985) 652-9569 (voice)orthe LouisianaRelay Service 1-800-846-5277 andask forSt. John theBaptist Parish at (985) 652-9569. 195533-JUL28-1T $66.36

PUBLIC NOTICE

ReNEW-ReinventingEdu‐cation will introducethe 2026-27 budget andhold its firstpublichearing on the2026-27 budget on May14, 2026 at 5:30 pm at EdgarP Harney Build‐inglocated at 2503 Wil‐lowSt.,New Orleans, LA 70113 (LAR.S.39:1307) ReNEW-ReinventingEdu‐cation is thecharter school management or‐ganization operating ReNEWLaurelElemen‐tary,ReNEW DoloresT AaronElementary, ReNEWSchaumburgEle‐mentary, andReNEW MotonLakefront Elemen‐tary.A physical copy of the2026-2027 budget is availableat10001 Lake Forest Blvd Suite710, NewOrleans,LA70127. 186911-may9-aug27 $956