The Acadiana Advocate 07-30-2026

SAINTS CAMP Alvin Kamaraopens up on contract saga 1C

Some La.lawmakers backingout of NDAs

Kevin Janda, center,Metadirector of data center strategy, speaks withGov.Jeff Landryand othersafter an event in 2024 to announceplans foradatacenterinRichland Parish.Lawmakers have been asked to signnondisclosureagreements by Louisiana Economic Development as it conducts negotiationstoattract companies to the state.

Administrationsaysagreementsvital to secure bigeconomicdeals; legislatorsreportcommunity pushback on secrecy,other concerns

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Facing pressurefromvoters, some statelawmakersare backing out of nondisclosure agreements that Gov.Jeff Landry’sadministration has usedtoconduct secret negotiations with companies that often receive large tax breaks from the state.

Records showthat 77% of statesenators have signed nondisclosure agreements at the behest of Louisiana Economic Development, the state agency in charge of attracting companies here. At least 14 of 105House members, including several committee chairsand Speaker Phillip Devillier,havesignedNDAs, according to copies of the agreements and alist of lawmakers who declined

ThreeRepublicanstate senators from various parts of thestate —Bill Wheat, Valarie Hodges and Bob Hensgens haverequested LED terminate their NDAs, according to emails and records obtained by The Times-Picayune|The Advocate.Democratic stateRep. JoyWalters also asked LED to cancel her nondisclosure agreement over pushback from her constituents, whoare upset aboutan Amazon data center in herCaddo Parish region, she said.

Their requests come as theLandry administration’suse of NDAs to negotiate economic development deals draws pushback fromsome residents andadvocacy groups, some of whom have suedover their use. Landry’soffice has used NDAs for several high-profile business deals, includingtokeepnegotiations secretwith

Body of Lake Charles sailor returninghome

BY COURTNEY PEDERSEN Staff writer

Joseph Conner died during attack on PearlHarbor Conner

After more than 80 years, aLake Charlessailor killed in the attackonPearl Harbor is returning home to southwest Louisiana. Lake Charles native and U.S. Navy Fireman 1st Class Joseph Conner was 26 when he died aboard theUSS Utah during the Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor

thetech giant Meta, as the state worked to lure the company to northLouisiana. The companycould getbillions in taxbreaks for its $50 billion datacenter,which is prompting questions about effects on utility rates andwater use, through an incentive created by Landry and the Legislature. Some FirstAmendment advocates andscholars criticize the broad use of nondisclosure agreements, saying they raise questionsabout whether the public is being kept in the dark as state officials promise companies billions in public money

“If you send metoBaton Rouge to gain information, Ishould be able to tellthe public what informationI’vegained,”

ä See LAWMAKERS, page 4A

State pitches nuclear waste initiative

Louisiana offers salt domesaswaste storagelocation

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

Louisiana has pitched the federal government on aplan to store nuclear waste beneath the Gulf, part of abroader effort to attract nuclear development andpower massive new data-center projects in the state. The federal initiative, called the Nuclear Lifecycle Innovation Campuses program,pairs states willing to store nuclear waste with potential federal support for new nuclear projects, including for power generation and manufacturing.

Louisiana wasone of five states selected as programfinalists on Tuesday,out of 26 states that applied. All of the states selected as finalists —the others are Utah, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Idaho are led by Republican governors. The state told the federal Department of Energy that Louisiana is aprime location for the development of next-generation nuclear energy and the storage of nuclear waste, noting that huge amounts of additional nuclear power will be necessary due to the surge in energy demand from data centers. Gov.Jeff Landry celebrated the state’s advancementasa finalist forthe program, andChris Wright, the secretaryofthe Department of Energy,said the state or states selected would benefit fromofmassive economicgrowth, thousands of jobs, and would be “crucial to unleashing America’snuclear renaissance.”

“Louisiana shares the President’svision for nuclear power and America’senergy future,” Landry said in astatement. “Weappreciate Secretary Wright’sleadership and the opportunity provided by the

ä See NUCLEAR, page 4A

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Dr.AnthonyFauci is sworninbefore the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday. Fauci repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment and declined to answerdozens of questionsfrom senators.

ä See SAILOR, page 4A

The USS Utah, abattleship used for training, capsized during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor,killing 58 crew members. For decades,Conner’s remains were buriedwith13 other “unknowns ” fromthe USS Utah at theNational Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. Now,his remains arereturning to Lake Charles, wherehewill be buriedSaturday at Prien Memorial Park with full military honors.

He will face contempt vote afterinvoking FifthAmendment

BY LAURAN NEERGAARD and ALISWENSON

Associated Press

WASHINGTON Dr.Anthony Fauci on Wednesday repeatedly invoked the Fifth Amendment anddeclined to answer dozens of questions from senators in aRepublican-led committee hearing about his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The decision,atleast fornow, shieldedFauci from answering questionsthatcould expose him to accusations of lying under oath.

Though he received apardon in early 2025 from Democratic President Joe Biden, someRepublicans pursuing ayearslong campaign for his arrest had suggested he could still face chargesfor anyperjury committedduring Wednesday’s hearing.

The scientist, who helpedlead the nation’sCOVID-19response, was subpoenaed to testify under oath by Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky,who has long had an antagonistic relationship with Fauci.

In response to angry,sometimes mocking questions from Republican senators, Fauci declined to answer more than100 times,

ä See FAUCI, page 4A

STAFF FILE PHOTO By JILL PICKETT

Search on for earthquake survivors

15 elephants in Kenya die of cyanide poisoning

NAIROBI, Kenya Fifteen elephants that died over the past month in southern Kenya are suspected to have been poisoned by tomatoes contaminated by cyanide, wildlife authorities told local media Wednesday Authorities did not say who they suspected in the contamination of tomatoes from farms neighboring the Amboseli National Park. In the past farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops

The park in southern Kenya borders an area where farming and the raising of livestock are prevalent.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga said preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide “Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical, particularly for elephants,” Kanga told local media.

The Kenya Wildlife Service warned that the contamination could have wider consequences because livestock also graze in the area.

‘Once’ Oscar winner dies in motorcycle crash

LONDON Irish singer-songwriter Glen Hansard, who won an Academy Award for the 2007 film “Once,” died in a motorcycle crash on the outskirts of Dublin early Wednesday, his management said. He was 56.

Irish police said a man in his 50s died in single-vehicle motorcycle crash in Lucan, on the western outskirts of the Irish capital, before 4:30 a.m. Wednesday The man, who they did not name, was treated at the scene but pronounced dead a short time later.

Hansard combined acting and a musical career. He played a member of a Dublin soul band in the hit 1991 movie “The Commitments” and won an Oscar in 2008 for the song “Falling Slowly,” which he co-wrote for the indie musical “Once” with co-star Markéta Irglová.

“Once,” a love story about two struggling musicians, was later adapted for Broadway, again with songs by Hansard and Irglová. It won eight Tony Awards in 2012, including best musical. Kavinsky, composer of ‘Nightcall’ and DJ, dies PARIS Kavinsky the French electro-pop composer whose haunting track “Nightcall” set the musical tone for the movie “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling, has died. He was 50.

Culture Minister Catherine Pégard described the performer who appeared at the closing ceremony of the Paris Olympics in 2024, as one of France’s “most singular voices.”

“Both danceable and nostalgic, his music will continue to resonate across generations and borders,” the minister said in a post on X. French President Emmanuel Macron wrote in a post on Facebook: “Kavinsky, forever a source of French pride.”

The performer, whose real name was Vincent Belorgey, was found dead at his home on Tuesday evening, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.

Marjorie Taylor Greene marries in Las Vegas

Former Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and journalist Brian Glenn tied the knot during a ritzy ceremony in Las Vegas this week, according to reports.

The conservative couple exchanged vows Tuesday at the Terrazza di Sogno in The Bellagio, TMZ reported. In images published by the outlet, 52-year-old Greene can be seen sporting an elegant long white dress with sparkly floral details around her shoulders and waist while Glenn sported a classic black suit for the occasion.

It marks the second wedding for both Greene and Glenn, each of whom were still married when they met for the first time back in 2022. They coupled up shortly after Marjorie’s ex-husband, Perry Greene, filed for divorce and Brian ended his marriage to Kerry Michelle Glenn They became engaged in December 2025, after three years of dating.

BY MARI YAMAGUCHI Associated Press

KUMAMOTO, Japan Soldiers and emergency workers combed through a badly damaged shopping mall and collapsed houses looking for trapped survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake that killed at least 18 people, including a foreigner, in southwestern Japan.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit a day earlier in the Kumamoto area on the southern main island of Kyushu also left at least 62 people injured, six of them seriously, the prefectural government said. The tally has been steadily growing, fanning fears it may continue to rise.

Some of the most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake

happened. The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before a gas explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working.

Fumika Ono was shopping at a mall with her older sister when the ground shook so fiercely she lost her balance and ducked. Children began screaming and goods scattered on the floor The 19-year-old was among the crowd of shoppers who managed to escape safely

The sweltering weather heightened worries about the survivors as rescuers braved the heat. It remained unclear how many people might still be missing.

The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Witnesses said the explosion shook the area as much as the quake.

Three people remained missing, while four deaths were confirmed at the mall site, according to Aeon President Akio Yoshida.

“We take it seriously that an explosion happened and precious lives were lost,” Yoshida told a

news conference in Kumamoto, where he bowed deeply along with two other executives.

Japanese media footage of the mall showed that part of the ceiling had caved in, and metal pieces and other debris were scattered about as helmeted and masked rescue workers searched the area.

In the Nuyamazu district, a pair of temple gates at a 16th-century Buddhist temple collapsed. They had just been repaired five years ago.

Yuki Kiyozumi, deputy chief priest at the temple, recalled how she had to crawl on the floor because the shaking was so violent. She had just returned home from a meeting and was about to feed her cat.

“I don’t even know if or how we can rebuild them again,” she said, while cleaning up damaged ornaments and furniture.

In nearby Yatsushiro, a chimney collapse at a Nippon Paper Industries factory killed five people while seven others were rescued from the debris, according to the

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and MICHELLE L PRICE Associated Press

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a $22.5 billion renovation of Washington Dulles International Airport that will end the use of the widely disliked “people movers,” the mobile lounges that have been used for decades to shuttle travelers to and from the main terminal.

In place of the people movers, the airport will add a new U-shaped passenger train, a central walking tunnel, more moving walkways and new concourses. An above-ground parking garage closer to the main terminal with space for 32,000 vehicles is also in the offing, according to Trump and Transportation

Secretary Sean Duffy

The airport makeover would add to a long list of renovation projects the Republican president is pursuing to leave a lasting mark on the Washington region after his term ends in January 2029.

Among other undertakings, he is building a new White House ballroom and wants to build a towering triumphal arch near the Lincoln Memorial.

But of all the construction projects

Trump is pursuing, the renovations at Dulles could prove to be his most popular and benefit the greatest number of people. The airport, which is the primary international airport in the area, served roughly 29 million passengers over the past year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority

Trump: Modernization ‘sorely needed’

Trump, who used a laser pointer to explain the renovations displayed on renderings, said the “crazy distances” travelers must walk to get from place to place make Dulles “the worst airport.”

Congress would need to approve some aspects of the renovation plan, Trump said. Construction could start next spring, Duffy said.

Officials said the airlines and the airport authority that operates Dulles would pay for the project with municipal bonds, but they did not spell out how much of the cost might be passed on to travelers through higher fees or ticket prices when flying out of the airport

John Potter, president and CEO of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles, said his agency, United Airlines and other airlines operating there have agreed “to fund this thing.” Dulles is one of United’s

hubs.

“So this is not requiring federal dollars,” Potter said at the Oval Office event. “This is going to be airport-generated dollars airline contributions, which is phenomenal.”

Dulles, located in northern Virginia, is about 25 miles from downtown Washington. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is located in Arlington, Virginia, which is closer to downtown, making it popular with members of Congress and local residents.

The president, a former real estate developer, said in December that Dulles was “incorrectly designed.” He nonetheless praised Eero Saarinen, the FinnishAmerican architect and designer of the airport’s main terminal. Trump and Duffy said the president reviewed presentations from about 30 architects before Trump settled on the redesign he announced Wednesday

People movers from 1962 unpopular

Designed by Chrysler Corp., the people movers shuttle passengers between the terminal and aircraft. The airport operates a fleet of 19 mobile lounges, each capable of carrying up to 102 passengers, according to its website.

When Dulles debuted, the airport touted the system as a major convenience.

Passengers, it said, “had to walk only 200 feet once they entered the terminal until they were seated in a mobile lounge for the short trip directly to their aircraft,” a service it described as unique to Dulles.

But they have become one of passengers’ least favorite aspects of transiting through Dulles, with travelers and Trump — complaining that the system is outdated, balky and slow

One of the lounges crashed in November, sending 18 people to the hospital.

Dulles began a multibillion-dollar construction program in 2000 to begin to address future passenger demand. Major projects included two new parking garages, a fourth runway, a new concourse, a new air traffic control tower, pedestrian walks and an airport train system, according to the airports authority website.

The airports authority says significant modernization work is already underway at Dulles. Later this year, the first segment of the new Concourse E will open with 14 additional United gates that will help the airline expand its international network, provide direct access to the airport’s AeroTrain system and debut new and enhanced concessions options and passenger lounges.

Kumamoto prefectural government disaster team.

Four people were still believed to be trapped there, it said. In the first reported death of a foreign national, a Vietnamese technical intern was killed after a crane fell on him at a factory where he worked, according to the Vietnamese government. He had arrived in Japan in January Seven other Vietnamese technical interns at the factory evacuated safely Separately, a Vietnamese woman married to one of the workers was injured when a wall collapsed and was being treated at a hospital.

Nearly 34,900 homes were still without electricity and some 15,000 homes without running water, Kumamoto officials said. More than 8,800 people left their homes to stay in over 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Aerial police footage showed some homes in residential areas were completely flattened, including a few that crumbled into a nearby river

Death toll in Japan has reached 18 Forensic teams search suspected mass grave

BY ZANA CIMILI Associated Press

KALLUDER,Kosovo Authorities in Kosovo have begun excavations in a northern village after the discovery of human remains there that are believed to be of people missing since the 1998-99 Kosovo war in what at the time was a Serbian province.

Authorities say the site in Kalluder, in the municipality of Zubin Potok, has been cordoned off and had not been previously excavated in the search for evidence of war crimes.

The separatist war with Serbia began in 1998 when the ethnic Albanian rebel Kosovo Liberation Army launched a struggle for independence and Serbia responded with a brutal crackdown. The war ended after NATO bombed Serbia for 78 days in 1999, eventually forcing a withdrawal of its troops from the territory

On Monday, Kosovo police arrested two Kosovo

Serbs in connection with the case linked to the Kalluder site on suspicion of war crimes against the civilian population. In Belgrade, the capital of neighboring Serbia, the government’s Office for Kosovo denounced the arrests, describing them as “terrorism, revenge and intimidation” of members of the Serbian community in Kosovo.

Ditor Haliti, a forensic team member, said preliminary assessments confirmed the remains were “of human origin and are of forensic significance.” Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti said Wednesday that authorities need to determine exactly what has been found. “Our immediate suspicion, after learning that human remains had been found, was naturally that they could belong to the group of 23 intellectuals who were abducted and forcibly disappeared on April 19, 1999, in Mitrovica,” Kurti said.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JULIA DEMAREE NIKHINSON President Donald Trump and Scott Kirby, CEO of United Airlines, listen as Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks in the Oval Office of the White House about Dulles International Airport modernization Wednesday in Washington. BRIEFS

Funeral for Graham held in South Carolina

BY MEG KINNARD and JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press

— Sen. Lindsey Gra-

COLUMBIA, S.C.

ham returned for the last time Wednesday to South Carolina, where powerful friends remembered him as someone who never stopped working for the state he loved.

After Graham was eulogized Tuesday in the nation’s capital as an indefatigable dealmaker by the president, vice president and others, mourners in Columbia recalled him as the son of pool hall owners who “was born with a plastic fork in his mouth,” as former Rep. Trey Gowdy put it.

The Republican seemed to know every mayor and small-town police chief and the location of every Chick-fil-A in South Carolina, and made sure GOP candidates had money to run in legislative and local elections across the state.

“Lindsey Graham understood the hopes and dreams and needs of his state and delivered every time,” said Republican Gov Henry McMaster who ended his remarks by telling Graham he loved him.

Friends recall humor, work ethic

Graham died suddenly on July 11 at his home in Washington, likely of an aortic tear, according to preliminary findings.

He had just returned from a whirlwind trip to a NATO summit in Turkey, where he celebrated his 71st birthday, and a visit to Ukraine as he negotiated punishing sanctions against Russia. Senators voted late Tuesday to advance the package as a final gesture for their colleague.

Wednesday’s funeral was at First Baptist, the giant downtown church where his predecessor Re-

publican Sen. Strom Thurmond was eulogized 23 years ago.

One of Graham’s many friends in Congress, Gowdy said the senator rose to power through humor, genuine caring for all people and a relentless work ethic.

“It wasn’t the trapping of office he cared about. It was the work,” Gowdy said.

Peacemaking, unpopular votes

Gowdy spoke for nearly 30 minutes He remembered a man who knew who he was, cast unpopular votes because they were the right thing to do, loved kids even though he was never married or a father — one joking bit of advice Graham gave youngsters was to “never do for yourself what someone else will do for you” and was the least pretentious person in politics.

Iran launches

“He was the worst at carrying a grudge,” Gowdy related, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I had to keep a list of who we were mad at because he could not remember who had done what.”

People who thought Graham was a warmonger were wrong, Gowdy said. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that “Lindsey liked war.”

“Blessed be the peacemakers. He was on a trip that turned out to be his last trip trying to broker peace in a war where hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives,” Gowdy said.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, the only remaining member of the South Carolina delegation in power when Graham arrived in Washington in 1995, read Psalm 23.

In a memory that reflected Graham’s ability to see across party

missile attacks as U.S., Saudis strike militias

BY QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA Associated Press

BAGHDAD Iran launched a barrage of missiles at American forces in the Middle East on Wednesday as the U.S. partnered with Saudi Arabia to strike Tehran-backed militias in neighboring Iraq, killing at least 20 fighters and six Iranian advisers.

Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to Ambrey, a British maritime security firm. It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a U.S.-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker No injuries were reported.

The flare-up on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the U.S. is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies. Egypt, a close U.S. ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.

Asked during an Oval Office event if Iran was responsible for the strikes on the natural gas vessels, Trump responded: “It’s a little more of the same.”

“It’s going to be straightening out,” he added. “In the meantime, we’re going to be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming They’re asking us not to do it.”

Saudi Arabia had accused the Iraqi militias of firing drones against its oil facilities over the past two days An umbrella group of Iraqi militias initially denied the allegations, while another Iran-backed group — the Houthi rebels in Yemen — said they had attacked Saudi energy facilities as part of a separate but related conflict Before the latest eruption, mediators had expressed optimism about bringing the U.S and Iran back to the negotiating table. An in-

terim agreement collapsed in recent weeks over renewed fighting in the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy supplies that Iranian attacks have again effectively closed.

A regional official said mediators are “still trying with both sides” to restore calm and get the ceasefire back on track. He gave no details on whether progress was being made and spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the closed-door diplomacy

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said it fired ballistic missiles at Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a key U.S. military hub for the region, in a statement carried by the state-run IRNA news agency Jordan’s military said five Iranian missiles had been intercepted and destroyed.

The U.S. military later announced that American and Saudi fighter aircraft had struck multiple logistics and weapons sites in eastern Iraq in response to the alleged drone attacks on Saudi Arabia The Saudi Defense Ministry warned that it “does not seek escalation but will respond to any aggression.”

The Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of primarily Shiite Iranian-backed armed groups that is officially under the command of the Iraqi military, said at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 wounded in the overnight strikes. Six Iranian advisers were also killed, according to two Iraqi militia officials, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly Iran’s deputy governor for political, security and social affairs in Markazi province told Iranian state media that four advisers were killed.

The coalition joined the fight against the Islamic State group after it seized large sections of Iraq in 2014. The Iraqi government later designated the coalition as an “independent military formation” within the armed forces, but the militias have significant autonomy and some have attacked U.S. facilities. Iraq’s government decried the U.S.-Saudi attacks, though a Fox News reporter said in an on-air segment that Trump told him they were done in coordination with the Iraqi government.

Trump, DOJ ask Supreme Court to toss $83M defamation verdict in Carroll case

BY LINDSAY WHITEHURST and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and the Justice Department are asking the Supreme Court to toss an $83 million defamation verdict won by writer

former TV talk show host The Supreme Court refused in June to hear his appeal of another verdict, for $5 million, that found him liable for sexual abuse and defamation The latest case centers on comments Trump made during his first term as president The Justice Department wants to invoke the Westfall Act, which shields government employees from being sued for doing

their jobs. “Absent this Court’s intervention, the sitting President is facing nearly a hundred million dollars of personal liability for conduct that was well within the scope of his federal office,” federal attorneys wrote. The lawyers argued that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan ruled in a manner that “cries out for this Court’s review in this unprecedented case” and called the damages “grossly excessive.”

lines, McMaster recalled how Graham, newly elected to the Senate, grasped the hand of longtime Democratic Sen Fritz Hollings and raised it up to a largely Republican crowd. Applause for Hollings had been “polite,” he said, but “began to swell” as Graham was announced.

“So there we were, if you get this picture, our two U.S. senators, hands held high, waving to the crowd, when the thunderous applause washed off both of them,” McMaster said. “I believe that not many men would have done what Lindsey did.”

Horse-drawn caisson

On Tuesday, Graham’s flagdraped casket was at the U.S. Capitol, where the Republican spent more than 30 years talking and laughing and badgering his

colleagues into action. Trump then joined foreign leaders at a memorial service at the Washington National Cathedral, a testament to Graham’s stature on the global stage, calling him “a giant of the United States Senate, a true American original who left us much too soon.”

Wednesday’s ceremonies began at the Statehouse, where Graham started his political career in 1993. A horse-drawn caisson carrying his casket paused in front of a dozen law enforcement officers for a flyover by four military jets, and then proceeded to the church, where his family followed military pallbearers inside. A 130-member choir sang hymns.

Hundreds of movers in South Carolina politics gathered, including both nominees for governor, Republican Attorney General Alan Wilson and Democratic state Rep. Jermaine Johnson.

Graham’s burial Wednesday near his home in Pickens County was planned as a private ceremony

Sister faces a special primary

Several speakers praised the senator’s younger sister Darline Graham, who dabbed her eyes as she sat with her family in a front pew

“What a powerful, graceful person to show up here under such immense pressure,” Sen. Tim Scott said in his eulogy

Graham’s death, after winning the Republican nomination for a fifth term, has created opportunities for political change. McMaster named Darline Graham to hold his seat until January She then surprised many by deciding to run for the full six-year term herself. Darline Graham now has eight competitors in a special primary on Aug. 11 to decide the Republican nominee.

Smallbusinessestake initiativetomeettheneeds oftheMetaprojectin NortheastLouisiana

By Stevie CavalierLicciardi stevie.licciardi@theadvocate.com

Thisstory is brought to youbyMeta.

Thenew Meta AI data centerbeing built in Richland Parish has broughtaflow of new faces to the Monroe area,driving up businessfor long-term residents.The changehas broughtwith it opportunitiesfor newbusinessventures as well.

To seewhatall the buzz is about,Kelsey Higdon, Digital Sales Manager forNola.com and The Advocate,met up with Jonathan Joseph, co-owner of DeltaBiscuit,a breakfast and brunch restaurantthathas been openfor about fiveyears, and Chris Holyfield, co-owner of Delta Biscuit and owner of Holy Dippers, over some beignets and biscuits

Howhasbusinesschanged sinceMetaannounceditsnew datacenter?

Since Meta arrived, we’veexperienced having peoplefromall overthe countryhere whichhasbeengreat.We’vebeenwelcoming them, and it’spushed us in some interesting ways with the menu as we catertodifferent tastes.It’salsobeen acommunity-building effort to be of service to the folkswho are working out at the data center.

Iheardyouaddedsomenewmenu itemsbasedoncustomerrequests. Isthattrue?

That’sright! We have the newsteak &eggs menu item. Theyloveitout thereatthe data centersite.

Tellmeaboutyourrecent businessventures?

With Meta coming to town, we started our first septic companycalled Holy Dippers. Our one-year anniversary is at the end of this month. It wasexciting to be able to

starta newbusinessfromscratch. We alsoopened anew restaurant calledAperothis past year,and it’s been quitea success.

Howmanypeoplewereyou abletohirewiththosetwo businesses?

With Holy Dipperswehave about 26 employees at this time, and we arelooking to expand nationally, so hopefullythatwill grow tremendouslyinthe next year or two. With the Aperorestaurantwehave between 30 and 40 employees

HowdidyoutakeHolyDippersfrom beingjustanideatobecominga full-servicebusiness?

WhenMetafirstcametous, theyasked if we could do it,but we didn’tknowanything about the stepswehad to take. Istarted getting on the phone, trying to find out howmuchatruck would cost,how much insurance would be,how much to pay drivers, and all thedifferentexpenses that go along with it

Once Icould seewhatthe numberslooked like, Isubmittedabid. Over the next four or fiveweekswecreateda contract between the twocompanies,and it came together quickly.Ihad avision of howIwantedtorun everything, andweput our heads together working on it daily.Atthe time we started, July 21 of last summer,wehad four trucks, and nowweare up to 17

Ifyouweretalkingtootherbusiness ownerswhojusthadamassivetech projectannouncedintheirtown, whatadvicewouldyougivethem?

Get to knowthe contractorsand the ownership group.Network and let them gettoknowwho youare and whatpotential youhavetohelp them on-site. Theseare big companies, and they need help.Theycan’t do it by themselves.Just let them know whatyou canoffer as youget to know who theyare

Lastly,embrace this newjourneyand all the newpeople who arecoming. It’s probably bigger than youthink, and it forces youtobeinnovative.

Check out themenufor DeltaBiscuit at www.deltabiscuit.com.

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

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By ALLEN G. BREED

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham’s casket on a horse-drawn caisson arrives Wednesday at First Baptist Church in Columbia, S.C.

FAUCI

Continued from page 1A

injecting new drama into partisan divides that have festered for years about the origins and handling of the pandemic Fauci himself has become a polarizing figure, even receiving death threats that prompted him to seek security

In his opening statement, Fauci said Paul has an “obvious obsession with calling for my prosecution.”

“The only conclusion I can reach

LAWMAKERS

Continued from page 1A

said Hensgens, R-Abbeville. “To give me detailed information that I can’t tell my public, it just doesn’t seem right to me.”

Hensgens said he declined LED’s offer earlier this year to sign an NDA about a potential deal for an aerospace company in Vermilion Parish. Blue Origin and SpaceX are reportedly exploring a deal in the Acadiana area.

After Hensgens told LED he would not sign the aerospace NDA, state officials told him he was already under a “blanket” NDA that LED offered to all state senators last year, he said He said he doesn’t remember signing the document electronically, and that he asked LED to terminate it upon finding out.

State officials have defended the use of nondisclosures, saying they’re necessary for closing economic development deals, but Landry has also embraced nondisclosure agreements for other uses, records show Around 100 staffers in Landry’s administration — from assistants to the head of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality — have signed the agreements as a condition of working for Landry, barring them from disclosing information about the Governor’s Office under the threat of lawsuit.

WWNO originally reported the staff NDAs, called “employee confidentiality agreements,” and identified 121 such records. The outlet also reported that Landry personally signed an NDA with a subsidiary of Meta.

Landry’s spokesperson, Kate Kelly, didn’t respond to multiple messages seeking comment Kelly is among the Landry staffers who signed an NDA, along with former chief of staff Kyle Ruckert and executive counsel Angelique Freel, according to records obtained by The Times-Picayune | The Advocate.

LED has negotiated dozens of economic development deals under NDAs, resulting in the agency committing billions in public dollars to private companies before disclosing details to the public. For instance, Hyundai won $2.6 billion in incentives after secret negotiations. Officials also used NDAs to negotiate a $7 million incentive package for LIV Golf for a New Orleans golf tournament that fell through.

“We can’t look at these proposed investments as always being posi-

SAILOR

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“I feel really happy because I get to bring him home and actually lay him to rest by his brother and his niece,” said Joseph Conner’s greatgreat-nephew Desire Neal Conner, 58, of Grand Lake.

Laurel Freas, project lead for the Pearl Harbor Ships Project, said efforts to identify the unidentified USS Utah service members began in early 2022.

“At the start of the project, there were 54 unresolved casualties from the ship and 14 associated unknowns buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific (NMCP) in Hawaii,” Freas said in a news release. Since the disinterments were completed in March 2022, Freas said, two sailors have been identified. Once the remains are disinterred, scientists with the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency use forensic anthropology, dental records and DNA testing to identify service members. DNA is compared with samples provided by surviving relatives, and the Navy contacts families when an identification is confirmed.

“After the remains are segregated into discrete individuals, the anthropologists analyze them to estimate the sex, age, ancestry and stature of the individual and identify signs of trauma and earlier injuries and illness,” Freas said. “Forensic odontologists examine the dentition and compare

is that the sole reason he is calling me before this committee is to get me to say something, anything, that could vindicate his repeated public pledges that I end up, in his words, quote, behind bars, unquote,” Fauci said, adding that while it pained him to do so, he was following his attorney’s advice by taking the Fifth.

Paul, who has long argued that Fauci should be criminally investigated, based on his belief that the scientist was dishonest in previous testimony to Congress, announced that the committee will vote next week on whether to hold Fauci in contempt for declining to answer

questions. He did not say whether he would push for a criminal contempt referral to federal prosecutors or another charge. He also raised questions about whether Fauci’s pardon affects his eligibility for Fifth Amendment protections. In the combative hearing, Paul and other Republicans accused Fauci of lying in earlier testimony about the coronavirus’ origins, something the longtime National Institutes of Health scientist has forcefully denied. Democrats called the hearing a politically motivated attempt at

tive,” said Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, who is among the few senators who declined to sign an NDA. “How do we ask the tough questions if we’re under these restrictions?”

LED and other public agencies have faced scrutiny over the practice. A group of nonprofits and residents sued officials in Ascension Parish last year, alleging the parish must hand over NDAs. A judge agreed in May Nonprofits have sued LED in state court over the Hyundai deal, alleging the agency should have gotten approval from the state Bond Commission, a case that remains ongoing LED spokesperson Emma Wagner declined to comment on lawmakers terminating their NDAs. She said LED offered “general NDAs” to the entire state Senate and certain House leaders. A list provided by LED shows that the vast majority of state senators signed the document.

Wagner added that NDAs “are for confidentiality, which is not the same as secrecy.” She declined to elaborate.

Meta has also defended the use of NDAs, saying the company has gone through the standard regulatory channels for the deal.

LED has defended the use of NDAs in the past, saying they’re needed to compete with other states for billion-dollar economic development projects.

“From a business side, it makes total sense,” LED Secretary Susan Bourgeois said last month in an interview “Why would you telegraph to your competitors? Or why would we telegraph to other states what we’re offering?”

the teeth present in the remains to the antemortem dental records available for the unresolved service members.”

Navy Casualty Office Director Capt. Jeff Draude said even though it’s been more than 80 years since the Pearl Harbor attack, he believes it is still important to identify the remains.

“When briefing families, we often hear things like ‘My family did not believe he was dead’ or ‘He probably was not onboard the ship’ or ‘Maybe one day he would walk through the door,’ ” Draude said.

“Being able to recover and identify the remains of these sailors aids in the closure to these families. Like all forces in the Department of Defense, it is especially important to the Navy to honor our sailors and Marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice in giving their lives for our country.”

Desire Neal Conner said when he first received a call saying his great-great-uncle had been identified, he thought someone was playing a scam on him.

“I’ve never met him; the only thing I have had was pictures of my grandpa and them together,”

Desire Neal Conner said. “But I’ve heard all the stories whenever I was growing up because I have a pretty active family with the military.”

While he is grateful his greatgreat-uncle has finally been identified, Desire Neal Conner said he hopes Joseph Conner’s brother, who also served in the Navy and was lost in the Pacific, will one day return home as well.

entrapping Fauci and praised the scientist for his work during the pandemic. With Fauci declining to answer questions throughout, Paul dominated the approximately threehour hearing, listing a litany of accusations and detailed questions.

“Today will be the capstone to Anthony Fauci’s 40 years of abuse of power at NIH,” Paul said. “History will judge, but the facts as we now know them paint a sordid tale of dishonesty, misjudgment and ultimately the hubris, the likes of which the world has never seen.”

parency — so of course, I withdrew my consent to the NDA,” she said. “I will always try and do my best to represent my constituents and what is best for them.”

Wheat, R-Ponchatoula, also asked to cancel his NDA. He said he was OK with NDAs that sought to protect proprietary information shared by companies, but he felt the agreement was too broad.

“Obviously we want companies to come and we want their private information to be protected,” he said. “I understand the basis of that business arrangement. But at the same time, I don’t think it should be used as a method of not informing people who are going to be affected by projects.”

LED has signed nearly 300 NDAs since Landry took office in January 2024. That’s one NDA every three days, on average.

In a heated moment during the hearing, Paul ejected Fauci’s attorney, David Schertler, from the room after he tried to speak without being recognized. In a statement, Schertler said the removal was “outrageous and demonstrates the completely biased and baseless nature of this proceeding.” In another statement, he called Paul’s accusations about Fauci “false and disgraceful.”

Democratic senators praised Fauci and said he didn’t deserve the treatment he was getting.

“This hearing is designed to entrap you,” said Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire.

‘Additional secrecy obligations’

Landry’s use of NDAs is unusual, particularly for staff members, according to legal scholars.

Dane Ciolino, a Loyola University law professor, said the NDAs cannot legally override information that is subject to the state public records law which allows the public to view government documents. Exemptions to that law must come from statutes, not private contracts, he said.

‘Betrayed’

At least 44 members of the Louisiana Legislature have signed nondisclosure agreements with LED, according to copies of the contracts. That includes 30 members of the Senate and 14 House members.

But the pressure has been building over whether to stay locked into the agreements.

Rep. Joy Walters, D-Shreveport, said LED offered her an NDA last year to learn more about economic development deals in her district, including projects by the rapper 50 Cent, who has invested in Shreveport in recent years.

Then her constituents started raising questions about a planned Amazon data center in her district. They also pushed back against her decision to sign an NDA, she said. She said her constituents felt “betrayed” by it.

In May, she asked for the NDA to be canceled, and LED’s director of legislative affairs Chris Stelly wrote back saying the contract was terminated. He added that any confidential or proprietary information LED may have shared remains subject to the NDA for another year

“My district feels strongly they do not want me to be under an NDA,” Walters said. “They don’t want any elected officials to be under an NDA.”

Sen. Hodges, R-Denham Springs, said in a statement that she “was told that in order to have a seat at the table to represent my constituents” about economic development deals, she would need to sign an NDA.

“But what I heard back from the voters was that they prefer trans-

NUCLEAR

Continued from page 1A

Department of Energy to further America’s energy dominance!”

The U.S. has been looking for new sites to dispose of its nuclear waste for decades. Edwin Lyman, the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists a science advocacy group, was more skeptical of the program. In his view, the federal government is promising new investment to states willing to accept the burden of storing nuclear waste.

“It really is all about finding another place to be the nation’s radioactive dumping ground,” Lyman said of the federal program.

‘Outside the box’

As part of its pitch to the Department of Energy, Louisiana said that it could build new nuclear reactors in the northwest part of the state to power a military site and data centers. It proposed a new nuclear research center in Baton Rouge. And it suggested that it could store nuclear waste in salt domes on the outer continental shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, which the Trump administration has renamed the Gulf of America.

The idea of doing so, the proposal acknowledges, is an “outsidethe-box option.” It also says that Louisiana is proposing to store nuclear waste in federal waters in order to bypass a state law that prohibits using salt domes in the

The confidentiality agreements span dozens of potential business deals. Officials signed them with Hyundai leading up to a deal that gave a $2.6 billion incentive package to the company. Louisiana officials alsosignedthemwithMetaforadeal that gave the tech giant potentially billions in tax breaks for a massive north Louisiana data center

NDAs that LED officials have signed with other companies include: a defense contractor called American Rheinmetall; the artificial intelligence company Anthropic; Entergy New Orleans for a project called “Project Firestarter”; and Ochsner, the state’s largest health system. The deals have code names like “Project Steel” and “Project Tiger” to keep their details secret.

Entergy New Orleans spokesperson Beau Tidwell declined to answer questions about “Project Firestarter.” He said in a statement that Entergy routinely participates in economic development deals and that “it is not uncommon that in some instances an NDA is requested by an interested party during the early stages of scouting locations for development.”

“We work with our regulators in an open and transparent process that requires their ultimate approval if a development moves forward,” he said.

Bourgeois, of LED, said in a June interview that her agency signs NDAs to avoid “telegraphing” to competing states what Louisiana is offering in the way of tax breaks and other incentives She said the NDAs cover all details of the project.

“It’s what the companies expect and it’s how you remain competitive to land these projects,” she said.

state to store nuclear waste.

This isn’t the first time that the idea has been floated of using salt domes — the huge underground layers of salt that were deposited as ancient oceans evaporated and were covered over with sediment as the Gulf rose and fell to store nuclear waste, which can stay radioactive for thousands of years.

The idea is to hollow out the dome and to fill the resulting underground cavern with nuclear waste. Already, the federal government stores crude oil in underground salt caverns along the Louisiana and Texas coasts as part of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the U.S.’s backup fuel supply Federal researchers first looked into the idea of using Louisiana’s salt domes in the 1970s. That idea met widespread public backlash, and it was ultimately killed in favor of storing nuclear waste in Yucca Mountain in Nevada. But the Yucca Mountain proposal met local backlash, too, and the U.S. now has no place to permanently store more than 95,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel.

“What’s happening now is this stuff is being stored on concrete pads at every nuclear power plant across the nation, instead of some safer centralized area,” said Clayton Smith, the radiation safety officer at Tulane University He thinks the idea of using salt domes merits further investigation.

“I’m not a geologist, but I think salt-dome disposition is a wonderful idea,” he said. “Over time, that salt will naturally encapsulate and compact all of that waste.”

He said a staffer could theoretically face legal action from the governor if they broke their contract, but it’s unlikely if they leak information that’s a public record the law says must be produced. In effect, Ciolino said, the move toward NDAs shifts “control over public information away from rules set by the Legislature and toward ad hoc agreements” drafted by the executive branch.

“What’s unusual here is not the idea that some government information can be temporarily confidential — the law already accounts for that,” he said “What’s unusual is using private contracts to layer additional secrecy obligations on top of, and potentially beyond, what the public records and economic development statutes permit.”

“The trends in state government the last few years are alarming from a public access standpoint,” added Haley Gentry, assistant director of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy Gentry said she has struggled to get access to certain information as she tried to evaluate the impact of data centers and industrial plants on water resources because of NDAs.

Duplessis was offered an NDA by LED along with the rest of the state Senate. Duplessis said he understands how a “narrowly tailored” NDA to protect proprietary business information could be useful. And he added that he supports LED’s efforts to attract businesses to the state.

But he said public trust in government is at an “all-time low,” and that “sweeping NDAs” that prevented him from talking publicly raised concerns. Duplessis was ultimately one of just nine state senators who refused to sign an NDA, records show

“I want to be keyed in on what’s happening in my district too,” Duplessis said. “I certainly understand why some of them may have signed it.”

“The flip side is, what if I find out something about this deal that I don’t like? Am I limited from speaking out against it?”

Buildout for data centers

The proposal argues that growing demand from data centers strengthens the case for expanding Louisiana’s nuclear power infrastructure. Meta is building a $50 billion facility in Richland Parish that will cover 6 square miles. Louisiana will need a huge amount of additional nuclear power to facilitate the construction of similar data centers, according to the report.

Jackson Voss, government affairs and policy coordinator with the Alliance for Affordable Energy, which advocates for electricity customers, questioned whether the state should be prioritizing new nuclear energy over other forms of power

“There are not going to be very many cases where wind and solar deployment — especially as those technologies continue to improve — are not going to be the best deal,” he said. “They tend to be the most affordable, reliable and sustainable option.”

Patrick Courreges, a spokesperson for the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, stressed that the state’s proposal is still a pitch to the federal government and does not constitute any set plan for the management of spent nuclear fuel.

“We want to be part of that national discussion for nuclear energy,” he said. “We’re on the shortlist.”

Email Alex Lubben at alex. lubben@theadvocate.com.

STAFF FILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Dina Powell McCormick, president and vice chair at Meta, talks about Meta’s commitment to Richland Parish and Louisiana on July 6.

SHERIFF'SSALE WELLS FARGOBANK, N.A. VersusNo. 20255474 THE UNOPENED SUCCESSION OFAND UNKNOWNHEIRS OFRALPH CHARLES HOGAN A/K/ARALPH CHARLES HOGANA/K/A RALPH C. HOGANA/K/A RALPH HOGAN ANDAN‐GELIQUE HOGAN LANTIER A/K/A ANGELIQUEH LANTIER A/K/AAN‐GELIQUE LANTIER 15TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT PARISH OF LAFAYETTE STATEOF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given thatbyvirtueofa writ of SEIZURE ANDSALEis‐suedinthe hereinabove entitledand numbered cause Ihaveseizedand taken into my possession and will offerfor sale and sell forcash, ***WITH***appraise‐ment, to thelastand highest bidder,atpublic auction,atthe LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ERNMENT BUILDING,1010 LAFAYETTE STREET,2ND FLOOR in Lafayette Louisiana,between the legal sale hourscom‐mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, ***SEPTEM‐BER 2, 2026* ,the fol‐lowingdescribed prop‐erty, to wit: THAT CERTAINLOT OR PARCELOFGROUND, TO‐GETHERWITHALL BUILD‐INGS ANDIMPROVE‐MENTS THEREONAND THEREUNTO,AND WITH ALL RIGHTS,WAYS, SERVITUDES, PRIVILEGES AND APPURTENANCES THEREUNTO APPERTAIN‐ING, SITUATED IN THE TOWNOFDUSON,THE PARISHOFLAFAYETTE LOUISIANA,HAVINGA FRONT OF 40 FEET ON NORTH ASTREET BY A DEPTH IN PARALLEL LINES OF 120 FEET,BEING THE SOUTHERLYONETHIRD (1/3RD)OFLOTS4 5 AND6,BLOCK 39, TOWN OFDUSON,SAIDPARCEL BEING BOUNDEDNORTH BYTHE NORTHERLYTWOTHIRDS(2/3RDS)OFLOTS 4,5 AND6,SOUTH BY 4TH STREET,EASTBYLOT 3, AND WEST BY NORTHA STREET,ASPER

V. AZEMAR II, LOUISVICTORAZE‐MAR) 15THJUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT -PARISHOF LAFAYETTE STATEOF LOUISIANA Notice is hereby given thatbyvirtueofawritof SEIZURE ANDSALEis‐suedinthe hereinabove entitledand numbered cause Ihaveseizedand taken into my possession and will offerfor sale and sell forcash, ***WITHOUT*** ap‐praisement, to thelast and highestbidder, at publicauction,atthe LAFAYETTE PARISH GOV‐ERNMENT BUILDING,1010 LAFAYETTE STREET,2ND FLOOR in Lafayette Louisiana,between the legal sale hourscom‐mencing at 10:00 A.M. on WEDNESDAY, *AUGUST 5,2026*** ,the following described property,to wit: THAT CERTAINPARCELOF GROUND, TOGETHER WITHALL IMPROVE‐MENTS THEREON, AND ALL RIGHTS,WAYS, PRIVI‐LEGES,SERVITUDES, AP‐PURTENANCES ANDAD‐VANTAGESTHEREUNTO BELONGING ANDALL AP‐PURTENANCES THEREOF, BEING KNOWNAND DES‐IGNATEDASLOT SIXTEEN (16) OF MALAPART PLACE SUBDIVISION,A SUBDIVI‐SIONOFTHE PARISH OF LAFAYETTE,LOUISIANA ONTHATCERTAIN PLAT OFSURVEYPREPAREDBY COMEAUX ENGINEERING & CONSULTING,AT‐TACHEDTOTHATACT RECORDEDUNDER ENTRY NO. 2007-36522 AND MADEPARTHEREOFBY REFERENCE,AND BEING DESCRIBED WITH REFER‐ENCETHERETO AS HAV‐INGSUCHDIMENSIONS, BOUNDARIESAND MEA‐SUREMENTS AS ARE MOREFULLY SHOWNON SAIDPLATOFSURVEY. MUNICIPALADDRESS: 107 MULLIGANWAY LAFAYETTE,LA70507. ANYONE PURCHASING PROPERTYATSHERIFF'S SALEISGIVEN UNTIL2:00 P.M.ONSALEDAY TO PAY THE FULL PURCHASE AMOUNTBYCERTIFIED FUNDS PUBLISHON: JULY 2, 2026 & JULY 30, 2026 LAFAYETTE PARISH SHER‐IFF'SOFFICE MARK T. GARBER,SHER‐IFF $34.54

Fire in France 4times thesizeofParis

BY THOMASADAMSON, MARKCARLSON and EMMA DA SILVA Associated Press

LEGE-CAP FERRET,France

An uncontained wildfire four times thesize of Paris threatened to surgeagain in southwest France on Wednesday —asthree firefighters died in Greece and crews across southern Europe confronted apunishing mix of heat,drought and strong winds

ThedeathsonCrete brought afatal new dimension to awildfireemergency stretching from theAtlantic coast to theeastern Mediterranean. At the peak of theevacuations, athird of a million people weredriven fromhomes andvacation sitesinFranceand Spain.

In France’sGironde region, the country’sbiggest blaze hadnot spread during acalm night, authorities said. But as temperatures approached 104Wednesdayafternoon andwinds strengthened, the reprieve threatened to be short-lived.

The landscapewas so combustible thatinvestigators believe routine brush-clearing work near a high-voltagelinemay have sparked theinferno, even though the work appeared to comply with regulations.

At thecommand center in Lège, firefighters bent over maps spread across acar hood, tracking three danger zones:northernCapFerret; the wooded corridor around Marcheprime, Cestas andSaint-Jean-d’Illac; and amilitarysitenear Martignas, where amajor outbreak forced alarge deployment

Mobilizing againstthe fire

More than 2,200 firefighters and over 20 aircraft remained mobilized,backed by crews from across France and European partners. “Westrikequickly and strike hard at anynew smoke emissions,” Gironde fire commanderMatthieu Jomain said.

Beyond the command center,civilians were trying to hold theline themselves. At Souge, volunteers flooded the edgesofdirt tracks while alocal digger driver plowed through still-burning soil, trying to keep flames from crossing back when theexpectedwestwind arrived.In Lacanau, residents pumped water from alake into tanks headedfor hot spotsand firefighters’ cisterns.

“If one daythe firestarts in ourneck of thewoods, I know very well that all the people herewould do the same for us,” said Flavien Dubuch, 33, who drove from Saint-Émilion with his father to help.

Hottestday this week

The advance of major fires in theLandes and Varregions has been halted. That left Gironde as France’sbiggestremaining wildfire battle, Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said.

TheGironde fire forced 220,000 people to flee at the peak of the crisis. Tens of thousands have since been allowed home, but authorities warned that the danger had not passed. Extreme heat strips moisture from vegetation and

drives down humidity,turning grasses, brush and forest litter into faster-burning fuel.

Investigators believe contractors working near a high-voltage line forpowergrid operatorEnedisignited the blaze while using abrush-cutting machine, Bordeaux prosecutor Renaud Gaudeul said.

Météo-France said Wednesdaywould be the hottest and driest dayofthe week, with elevated wildfire danger across every region of France. Drought now coversmainland France andCorsica, withsoils nearing the record dryness reached in August 2022.

Smoke from the Gironde and Landes fires also pushedparticulatepollutionhigheracrossboth departments, regional airquality monitors said.

Fire in Greece turnsdeadly

Twofirefighters died Wednesday while battling awildfire in the Rethymno region of Crete, Greece’s fire department said. They were amongabout 125 firefighters confronting flames fanned by strong winds, with four helicopters and four water-dropping planes deployed.

The circumstances of their deaths were notimmediatelyclear.The department said they died “in the line of duty to protect thelivesand propertyof citizens andthe naturalenvironment.”

Athird firefighter also died Wednesday outside the fireperimeter,after tackling aseparate blaze in Greece’ssouthern Peloponnese region.

ReturninghomeinSpain At the height of the crisis, roughly 330,000 people weredriven from homes andvacation sites across France and Spain. Tens of thousands of peoplebegan returning home in central Spain after firefighters made progress around Madrid and Ávila. Evacuation orders were liftedfor about 20,000 people in the Madrid region, while stayat-homerestrictionsended foranother 14,000. But 10,000 people remain under evacuation orders in Castellón, where afire was

Two indicted in $1.5M fraud scheme

Lafayette women accused of targeting multiple victims

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Two Lafayette women have been indicted in a million-dollar fraud scheme targeting multiple victims, authorities said.

Felicia Young, 58, of Lafayette, and Leisa Fuselier, 59, a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago, and a lawful permanent resident of the United States, were indicted on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud.

According to court documents

and evidence presented in court, Young is accused of orchestrating a fraud scheme beginning in March 2020 that lasted several years. Authorities said she gained the trust of her victims through legitimate business dealings using several companies she owned, including ALA Floral 2, Kreole Ala 2, Johnston Street Drive-Thru and F&B Rentals.

After building a relationship with her victims, Young started the scam by asking them to lend her money, authorities said Once

victims provided funds, Young claimed her bank accounts were “frozen,” authorities said. Investigators say she requested additional deposits to unlock the accounts in order to “repay them.”

To keep the scheme going, they say Young initiated three-way calls between herself, the victims and Fuselier During these calls, authorities say Fuselier falsely posed as a representative of Young’s financial institution and confirmed Young’s lies to her victims that her accounts were frozen due to an outstanding

debt. The co-conspirators told the victims that the accounts could only be accessed if they deposited specific amounts of money by a certain day and time, authorities said.

Victims paid at least $1.5 million to Young through CashApp, Venmo, checks and cash withdrawals, transactions that triggered interstate wire transmissions, according to records.

Young is accused of using the funds for her own enrichment, to pay Fuselier for her role in the scheme and to continue the ongoing fraud. The indictment further alleges that on Dec. 30, 2023, Young obstructed justice by destroying or

TAKE IN THE VIEW

Annette O’Connor, left, and Rosemary Winski sit beside the Vermilion River at Rotary Point on Tuesday O’Connor, a longtime family friend of the 1001/2 year-old Winski, said they decided to enjoy the outdoors together after eating lunch

Bourque’s Supermarket owner dies at 82

Lester Bourque opened the family business in 1962

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Lester Lehn Bourque, the longtime owner of Bourque’s Supermarket in Port Barre, has died at the age of 82. Bourque died Sunday at his home in Port Barre, surrounded by family, according to his obituary

Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John Weimer responded Wednesday to his recusal in a major civil case, saying his colleagues have punished him for speaking out against votes to pad their pay.

In a Facebook post from Bourque’s Supermarket announcing his death, the family described him as not only a businessman but also a husband, father, grandfather and greatgrandfather.

“Many of you knew Mr Lester as a business owner or an employer,” the family wrote. “Our family knew him as Gampy.”

His obituary states Bourque partnered with his father, Adolph “T-Dolph” Bourque, in the fam-

ily grocery business beginning in 1962 and spent 64 years serving the Port Barre community through Bourque’s Supermarket and its meat market. The family said he devoted countless hours to the store and a philosophy that “Courtesy costs nothing; we give it freely.”

“Lester greatly appreciated his customers and employees deeply,” the family said in its Facebook post He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Willie “Nuggie” Bourque;

a son, two daughters, two brothers, a sister, 10 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren

A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Monday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Port Barre. Visitation will be held from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday at Sibille Funeral Home in Port Barre. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery

Email Ja’kori Madison at jakori.madison@theadvocate. com.

Weimer responds to recusal after clash with colleagues

La. Supreme Court

chief justice says he is being punished

BY JOHN SIMERMAN Staff writer

Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John Weimer responded Wednesday to his recusal in a major civil case, saying his colleagues have punished him for speaking out against votes to pad their pay

“The refusal to go along to get along and to publicly express

concerns about the taxpaying public has resulted in me being punished and castigated,” Weimer wrote in a statement to The Times-Picayune | The Advocate. His comments came after a unanimous vote late Tuesday by his six fellow justices to recuse Weimer from a high-profile case involving a $421 million jury verdict against Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.

The court’s opinion cited a “bitter internecine feud” between Weimer and retired Justice Scott

concealing records with the intent to prevent their use in an official proceeding.

Young was additionally charged with obstruction of justice. Young and Fuselier both face up to 20 years imprisonment.

“Protecting the public from financial predators is a top priority for this Office,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller “These defendants allegedly exploited trust, manipulated victims, and abused financial systems for personal gain We will continue to relentlessly pursue those who defraud and harm hard-working members of our community

Another heat advisory issued

BY KRISTIN ASKELSON Staff writer

Another heat advisory was in effect Wednesday for much of Acadiana as dangerous heat and humidity continued to grip the region.

The National Weather Service issued the advisory for Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary and Vermilion parishes through 8 p.m. Heat index values were expected to reach 109 degrees, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Afternoon highs reached the mid-90s under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. A ridge of high pressure kept hot, humid conditions in place through before shifting west Thursday, allowing isolated afternoon showers and thunderstorms to return.

Rain chances are expected to increase through the weekend, with highs easing into the low 90s.

The prolonged heat also is driving up electricity demand across the region.

The U.S. Department of Energy has issued an emergency order for the Southwest Power Pool, which manages the electric grid for Texas and portions of Louisiana, to help maintain reliability through Saturday as demand surges.

The Louisiana Public Service Commission said electricity use has increased significantly during the heat wave, raising concerns that any generation or transmission problems could increase the risk of outages.

SLEMCO which serves much of Acadiana, said customers in the region are not expected to be significantly affected because most of Louisiana is served by a different power grid than the one covered by the federal emergency order

“As of yet, we have not been given any kind of warning or any kind of indication for conservation measures or rolling blackouts,” SLEMCO Communications Coordinator Mary Laurent told KADN. Even so, utility companies are encouraging residents to conserve electricity by raising thermostats a few degrees during peak afternoon hours, delaying the use of major appliances until the evening and unplugging unnecessary electronics.

Officials also recommend drinking plenty of water, staying in airconditioned buildings, avoiding prolonged time outdoors during the hottest part of the day and checking on older adults, children and neighbors who may be vulnerable to the heat. Those who must work outside should wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing, take frequent breaks and know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Email Kristin Askelson at kaskelson@theadvocate.com.

STAFF PHOTO By BRAD BOWIE

Bourque

OUR VIEWS

Officialsshould approach changesto preservation law with caution

One reason Louisiana could never be mistaken for Anyplace USA is our physical surroundings, not just the natural beautybut an arrayof architecture so diverse and distinctthat —as Hollywood location scouts knowwell —itcould conjure pretty much any Americanera.

Some of that is duetothe National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, whichrequiresfederal agencies to consider how federally funded or housed projects affect historic places, and gives locals the chance to weigh in.

Perhaps the most famous example of itsimpact was the defeat of ariverfront expresswayproposed in the late 1960s for New Orleans’French Quarter,over what are nowpopular gathering spaces along the Mississippi River. But there are countless projects that were changedfor the betterbythe sort of on-the-ground input the law mandates

That maynot be the casegoing forward, though, under aproposal to severely loosen regulations advanced by the Advisory Council for Historic Preservation, whichadvises thepresidentand Congress on preservationissues. The proposal now movestothe Trump administration for review

Among members of the council appointedby President Donald Trump is Gov.JeffLandry, who supports theproposed deregulation.

“When we modernizethe process, we reaffirm amore predictable and efficient reviewand ultimately ensure preservationisconsidered without creating unnecessary delays for industry projects,” he said

Theurgencybehind theproposal comes from Trump’saggressive movestoremake theface of thenation’scapital, but the effectswouldfilter outacrossthe country

We believe that the type of balanceLandry describedalready largely exists,and that underthe proposed changes preservationwouldwind up with the short end of the stick.

“This is our cultural economy.Itputs everything at risk and at the whim ofthe aesthetic taste of the person with the pen,” Sandra Stokes, chairofadvocacy for the Louisiana Landmarks Society, argued. Stokes cited projects thesoonto-be-redeveloped art deco Charity Hospital building in New Orleans as aprimeexampleofa project made possible by the current law.

But it’snot just big developments thatwouldbe affected. The sweepingproposal would eliminate arequirement that federalagenciesminimize damage to historic architecture,neighborhoods and landscapes —the very things that recently inspired the World Monuments Fund to designate allofNew Orleans as “irreplaceable.” And it would endthe obligation ofagenciestoconsider potential adverse effects to significant places. It would also revoke the right of state and local governments to comment on projects in their jurisdictions

We recognize that there is always room for improvement and streamlining ofregulations.

But we urge officials—including House Speaker Mike Johnson and HouseMajority Leader Steve Scalise, who have thepresident’sear —to approach these changes judiciously and consider what could be lost as wellaswhat wouldreplace it.

Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND USA LETTER, SCANHERE

Mammamia!Restaurants do notrequire an ID to eatpasta.

During aJuly 21 press conference, Louisiana’sRep. Steve Scalise, the Republican House MajorityLeader, claimed, “You can’tgoget pasta at an OliveGarden without apicture ID.” He continued, “Why not be able to show apicture ID to vote”?

Mr.Scalise is either disingenuous or ill-informed, since Ijust checked with OliveGarden and, as suspected, found Ican order and eat all the pasta Iwant without apicture ID. The only reason for one at OliveGarden is if you purchase the13-week, dine-in-only “neverending pasta pass,” and you do that so someoneelse can’tuse your pass.

Butsince the congressman brought up showing picture IDs to voteasa way to “protect thedemocracy,” it’s interesting to discover which picture IDs are actually specified in the Republicans’ “Save America Act” that he

is obviously campaigning for. You’ll need avalid passport, acertified birthcertificate paired with a photoIDora naturalization certificate. And, if your namedoes not match those documents, you will need additional papers like amarriage certificate.

There are millionsofwomen in the United States whose names, due to marriage, do not match theirbirth certificate. About half of American citizens do not have apassport. Amended birthcertificates cost $27.50 in Louisiana, and up to $50 elsewhere. Passportscost $165.

Today that’sa lot of money to alot of people. It’s almost like the poll tax forbidden in the24th Amendment to the Constitution, if you think about it.

JIM WRIGHT Baton Rouge

Patients stuckwhenproviders,insurerscan’t agree

On aSaturday came the letter: EffectiveSept.1,Baton Rouge Orthopaedic Clinic will no longer accept Humana insurance. My wife and Ienroll every year in aHumana Medicare plan. We can change companies only once ayear, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, but theeffectivedatewill be Jan. 1.

Humana knows that, as does BROC. So we becomethe pawns in an obvious brawl among big-league players. Lastyear,the Boneand Joint Clinic imploded, and manyofits doctors moved over to BROC. Voila! An oligopoly is created. An oligopoly mimics amonopoly but has afew players

instead of just one. There is limited high-qualityorthopedic care in Baton Rouge outside of BROC.

Iwould call on Humana and BROC to set aside their differences and continue marching at least until those of us 65 and older have an opportunity to switch carriers. Finally,Icall for an inquiry into the mechanisms of this obvious power play.Power is fine if it is legal. This kind of power play has to be madeillegal. Perhaps binding arbitration in such payor-provider disputes is the only practical solution.

GARYLEE Baton Rouge

No politicalparty hasa monopoly on virtue

Re: “Demsmade flawed candidate quit;what does GOPdo?” Letters, July 23. The recent letter criticizing Republicans raises important questions about ethics in politics, but it falls short by replacing factswith broad accusations. The author claims Republicans continue to support “rapists and fraudsters” without acknowledging the legal distinctions involved. President Donald Trumpwas never convicted of rape in acriminal court, and Ken Paxton has not been convicted of rape. If we are going to criticize public officials, we should do so accurately and fairly

The letter also claims Republicans have done nothing when faced with misconduct by their own candidates. History shows that members of both political parties have, at times, defended controversial candidates and, at other times, called forthem to step aside. Neither party has amonopoly on virtue or hypocrisy Political debateishealthiest when it is based on facts rather than inflammatorylabels. Readers deserve opinions that persuade throughevidence and reason, not selective outrage.

MARTY NAGLE Metairie

Flocksystem hascitizensin itssights

Flock surveillance cameras have spread across Lafayette with no discussion. These cameras record the movements of drivers whopass them,regardless of whether they are suspected of any crime. Every trip becomes data in asearchable database.

Supporters promise accountability, but experience says differently: In someplaces where the cameras are in use, officers have been caught abusing Flock’ssystem to track former romantic partners, co-workers and others forpersonal reasons. Those abuses are documented, not hypothetical.

Nationally,misconfigured security settings exposed live, unencrypted camera feeds from Flock online, allowing public internet access to view playground areas and unattended children.

Flock is not agovernment agency It is aprivate, for-profit corporation. Citizens cannot independently verify how their information is secured, what business arrangements might permit access to that data or whether ownership is sold.

Once adatabase containing the movements of millions of people exists, it becomes an asset of enormous value, atarget forhackers and other ne’er-do-wells.

Lafayette should understand that Flock provides law enforcement the ability to search the movements of ordinary citizens without obtaining awarrant or establishing probable cause. This access extends farbeyond the agency that owns aparticular camera through Flock’sinterconnected network.

The people of Lafayette were not asked whether they wanted their movements entered into aprivately operated, nationwide police surveillance system.They were simply placed under observation.

We should not wait forresidents to be stalked, wrongly detained or otherwise harmed before demanding strict access limits, independent audits, warrant requirements and a public vote on whether these cameras should remain.

Atechnology capable of being abused will eventually be abused. With Flock, that has already happened repeatedly BRUCEHENRY Lafayette

DidN.O.err in battle with thestate?

We’ve been through alot in recent weeks. There’sbeen some head-spinning, toe-tapping, neck-throwing, lip-smacking momentsas theguv,the AG, the DA,the mayor and City Council members pointed,posted, pulled, pushed and shouted about and at each other with allegations, name-calling and, I’m certain, some swearing.

Will Sutton

All of this because of some bone-headed moves by Gov.Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Legislature, including dicing and slicing the Orleans Parish judiciary,swiping district attorney warrant positions and elimination of aposition to which New Orleanians had already elected someone. That’sall true. This isn’tfake news. These are facts.

Like so many in New Orleans, I didn’tlike what Iwas seeing; Ididn’t like what was being done tous, and I definitely didn’twant to bow down.

But perhaps New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams and New Orleans City Council members made astrategic error New Orleans has been the subject of beatdowns for decades, even centuries. During Reconstruction, in 1874, whenBlack people were getting closer to being equal in some quarters, the White League attacked us during the Battle of Liberty Place because they couldn’tstand to see an integrated government. Remember,New Orleans was the Louisiana state capital when it was the economic center for the entire state in the 1800s —until statelegislators elsewhere decided thatcouldn’t continue, so they made Baton Rouge the center of state government.

Don’tforget that the infamous Huey P. Long orchestrated aLouisiana Legislature takeover of New Orleans, having laws passed to make the city may-

oral job toothless while taking over the fireand police departments along with itstaxing authority Certainly,the mostoutrageous recentmove was eliminating theOrleans Parish Criminal Courtclerkposition after Calvin Duncan had been duly elected to it. In arapid sequence, Williams advised the City Council that, by merging the criminal clerk jobinto the civil clerk’sresponsibilities, the Legislature had essentially created anew position to be filled through aspecial election. Moreno said the same, and ameeting was quickly scheduled to name retired judge Calvin Johnson as interim criminalcourt clerk and to call anew election. Thevotewas 5-2. Council members Eugene Green and Lesli Harris voted nay.Atthe time, Ithought “Look at us!”

Subsequently,Attorney General Liz Murrill sent what Iand othersconsider threatening letters suggesting that the New Orleans officials must retract their mistake or risk being replaced. Harris said in May that shecould not support the council’sactions because theydid not“uphold thedecisions of the voters,” including disenfranchising voters who choseOrleans Parish Civil Cleark Chelsey Napoleon. “By calling aspecial election we are both getting rid of adulyelected Black woman’sposition prematurely and forcing twoBlack elected officials to run against each other,” shewrote. If things hadmoved forward per the City Council’svote, incumbent Napoleon likely would have been challengedbyDuncan. Green explained his vote in astatement; he, too, pointed to Napoleon. “Chelsey Napoleon was duly elected by the voters of this cityonthree separate occasions, including twice

without opposition. …,” he wrote. “Likewise, Calvin Duncan was overwhelmingly elected by thepeople of this cityand should continue pursuing all lawful avenues to assume the office to which he was elected.”

It’sasthough Green and Harrishad crystal balls.

Green asked that everyone involved “prioritize good governance, public confidence and institutional stability over political conflict and retribution.”

Harrissaid calling aspecial election while the matter was being litigated “will contributetothe chaos,confusion and ultimately voter disenfranchisement.”

“Let me be clear,” shecontinued. “I believe this action is playing intothe hands of Baton Rouge.”

Yep. After offering ahand of peace and arequest to sitand talk, Moreno said she’sdone with thematter and moving on, focusing on the city’swork.

Unfortunately,the New Orleans move backfired. Though the subsequent criminal indictment of Murrill for sending thewarning letter has been dropped, that’snot enough for her and Landry. Louisiana relies on New Orleans for abig chunk of change. New Orleans relies on thefederal government fora big chunk of change.

Wordsworry.Money matters.

Green and Harrishad the right idea. As wrongasitwas for Landry and the Legislature to go after Duncan and ripanalready-filled elective position away,the better thing would’ve been to let thematter play out in court.

Landry and Murrill would’ve still come after us, but at least the city could’ve moved forward knowing we took ourbest shot.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

Graham unmatchedasa forceinwar with Iran

49ers’ coach offerscrash course in integrity

As the NewOrleans Saints began training camp this week, enticing me to (try to) wax poetic about our Who Dats, adifferent football story reminded me that Saints obsession need not require hating opponents.

At its best, participation in sports helps build character.Some of us are suckers forstories of honorable behavior in athletics, such as when golfers call penalties on themselves forinfractions nobody else can see or when baseball players stand up forthe game’sintegrity against steroidfueled cheating.

Well, this week saw not an onfield expression of integrity,but an important lesson in honesty nonetheless, from one of the National Football League’sbest coaches.

Kyle Shanahan, whohas led his San Francisco 49ers to two (close, but losing) Super Bowl appearances, had been missing from team headquarters since suffering serious injuries in aJuly 14 automobile accident. Shanahan suffered aconcussion, broken hand, broken nose, three broken ribs and 40 stitches forafacial laceration that almost cost him his eye.

The official California Crash Reporting System,adatabase of car wrecks, said a21-yearold woman (not as badly injured) wasatfault in the head-on crash because, while driving in the opposite direction from the coach, she allegedly madeanunsafeturn.

When that official report came to light, Shanahan could have let it ride (no pun intended). All sorts of advantages —legal, financial, and otherwise —can come from playing the victim Instead, Shanahan did something unexpected. In one of the only examples I’ve ever heard of adriver proactively grabbing blamethat had been placed on others, Shanahan came clean. The coach called several reporters into his office and said he wanted to correct the story.The accident, he explained, was his fault.

Byron York

There were funerals this week in Washington, D.C., and in SouthCarolina for Sen. Lindsey Graham, who died suddenly from aheart condition on July 11. The fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to Washington for Graham’snational funeral is striking evidence of the late senator’senormous influence in matters of U.S. foreign policy and national defense. The funerals take place amid growing intensity in the campaign to replace Graham. There will be aspecialRepublican primary to find anew Republican nominee in South Carolina. It will be a rushed affair; once Graham’sfuneral was overWednesday,there will be all of 12 days to campaign before the voting. If no candidate wins more than 50% of thevote, there will be arunoff on Aug. 25. The most prominent candidate, of course, is Graham’ssister,Darline Graham,who was chosen as his temporary successor by Republican Gov Henry McMaster and has been enthusiastically endorsed by President Donald Trump. It’seasy tosimply assume that Darline Graham can prevail because of her name, but in various conversations around the state, there are reasonstobelieve the result is in no way adone deal. Republican Reps. Ralph Norman and Russell Fry,the two leading figures besides Graham, are alreadycampaigninghard.

Norman hasannounced endorsements from GOP Sens. Rick Scottof Florida and Mike Lee of Utah, as well as former South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Nancy Mace. Fry is traveling the state and has announced the endorsements of 43 Republican members of the state legislature. Both men are eager to participate in debates,with at least two scheduled so far.Sothe race will be areal, if severely truncated, contest Amid the tributes to Graham, there have been startling new revelations about perhaps the most consequential achievementofhis 31 years in Congress: the U.S. war with Iran.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Graham granted British documentary filmmaker Alex Holder extraordinary access to film him in virtually all aspects of his life. The result is “an unvarnished look at Graham’s yearslong quest to topplethe Iranian

regime,” the Journal reported Thefilm —which is not finished and will be made from hundreds of hours of video made of Graham over the last three years —suggests Graham was even more hawkish on the war in Iran thanweknew

Among other things,hestrategized with Netanyahu in early March on how to get the U.S. more involved in the war than it already was. Graham “plannedtotravel to Florida to persuade President Trump to joinIsrael in the bombing of Hezbollah in Lebanon,” the Journal reported. He was dissuaded from the plan by Netanyahu himself, who thought it was too aggressive amove for Israel’sinterests.

The videoalsoshows Graham discussing the day U.S. and Israeli forces began the attack on Iran. “Look what we’ve done here. Ialmostcried,” he said, according to theJournal report. “How long have we been pushing this?”

The paperreported that Graham said the presidentwas happy,too.

“I talkedtoTrumpthis morning,” Graham said. “He’sjacked. He said, ‘best thing Ihave ever done.’ He loves blowing stuff up.”

Thevideomakes clear that Graham had adecidedly optimistic view about how the war would work out. He thought that within amonth the

Iranian regime would “start losing control of some cities,” and that with Arab involvement, theU.S. and Israel would “have almost irreversible momentum.” It hasn’t turned outthat way,atleast so far Graham was certainly not theonly voice urging Trump to go to war,but starting thewar was Graham’sgreatest goal.

In March, an article in Politico described Graham’slobbying campaign, conducted in offices and golf courses, to convince Trump to act. Graham told Politico that he toldTrump that bringing down theIranian regime would be aworld historical achievement

“I toldhim beforehetook office if you can collapsethis terrorist regime, that’sBerlin Wall stuff,” Graham told Politico.

Now,Graham’sdeath has robbed pro-war advocates in Washington of one of their most effective and wellconnected voices. Wasthere anyone as strongly pro-war and as tight with the president of the United States as Lindsey Graham?

Probably not. Sure, there are other determined pro-war voices.But they have lostareal, and possibly irreplaceable, source of strength.

Email Byron York at byork@washingtonexaminer.com.

Shanahan said the problem began when his cellphone slid off his lap. Looking down momentarily to retrieve it from between the seats, he said, he briefly drifted into the oncoming lane.

“I hit her,” the coach explained. “I don’tknow whyitwas reported (the other) way.

This is, of course, quite admirable. Amid all of today’stestosterone-fueled “looksmaxxing” and military testing of hormone levels, this is what it really meansto“man up.”

People of high character stand up and face the consequences fortheir own actions. That’s what Shanahan did.

This owning up to mistakes, whether on the field or off, is an important sports tradition.

One remembers Dallas Cowboys tight end Jackie Smith, anative of Kentwood, dropping what looked like asure touchdownpass in his team’s narrow loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the classic 1979 Super Bowl.

As Sports Illustrated later described it, Smith stood in the locker room afterward for 45 minutes patiently answering every single reporter’squestions, saying repeatedly that he “let alot of people down.” He didn’tmake the excuse, true as it was,that quarterback Roger Staubach’spass wasabit low and behind him, or that his foot caught in the turf as he tried to slow down—oranything else.

As his 14-year-old son looked on, Smith took the blame.

Goodexamples like this line the annals of modern sports. One need only watch again and again how wellgolfer Jack Nicklaus, whowon moremajor titles than anyone else, always handled his close losses with surpassing grace. One thinks of the Saints’ own Archie Manning, never complaining about the poor play of his woebegone teammates as he took beatdowns weekafter week. And one thinks of baseball’s best-ever,Willie Mays, rushing to the aid of opposing catcher Johnny Roseboro, whohad been badly injured in abrawl.

Of course the goal of sports competition is to win. But the point of sports is the honorable combat itself,respecting the rules and the opponent while striving forachievement.

Back to Shanahan, here’swhat the 49ers players should learn from their coach’sunforced confession: If the team culture is such that each of them takes responsibility forhis own actions, each one will be confident his teammates will do likewise. And as anyone ever involved with team sports —orany group endeavor knows, such trust is akey ingredient to, yes, winning. Winning doesn’tnecessarily produce good character.But good character can help produce champions, on the field and in lifeingeneral. Of course I’ll be rooting madly forthe Saints this year.But now I’ll be keeping my eye on Shanahan’sNiners, too, and wishing them success —unless and until, in the playoffs,they crash into our guys in black and gold.

Email Quin Hillyer at quin.hillyer@ theadvocate.com

Quin Hillyer

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JACQUELyN MARTIN

President Donald Trump, Vice PresidentJDVance and other guests attend the funeral of Sen. LindseyGraham, R-S.C., Tuesday at Washington National Cathedral in Washington.

Marketing stuntinN.O.strikes anerve

Company apologizes for lighting displayon Lalaurie Mansion

BY KASEY BUBNASH Staff writer

Aseries of cartoonish imagesprojected onto the French Quarter’sLalaurie Mansion last week as partof an unpermitted marketing stunt struck anerve among many New Orleans locals, who have long debated how the site’sdark history of enslavement and torture shouldbepresented.

Texas-based light projection company Illumibot Inc. stopped at the three-story mansion on the corner of Royal and Governor Nicholls streets on Thursday as part of anationwide promotional tour.Following similar stops in Missouri, Utah and several other states, Illumibot founder Ross Arroyo parked his “Illumibeast,” aTesla Cybertruck tricked out with aretractable projector,outside Lalaurie Mansion and blasted thebuildingwithhigh-tech lighting displays. In avideo posted to the company’sYouTubepage, the mansion’s walls swim with everything from enormous neon dragons to a flowing American flag and Spider-Man as crowds of tourists stoptotake photos and chat with Arroyo.

But it was the images of drippingblood, flames erupting from the build-

ing’swindows, skulls and floating“Scream” masks that caught the attention and ire of many locals, who have long argued the sensationalized,haunted-house treatment ofthe Lalaurie Mansion is insensitive to thememory of theenslaved people who weretortured and killed there in the 1800s. “This is so disrespectful,” historian andlocal tourguide Elroy Johnson IV saidina video posted to Instagram, where his deep divesinto Black history have earned himmore than 50,000 followers.

“The experiences of our enslaved ancestors, whether it be in New Orleans or across Louisiana,isnot just for entertainment purposes,” Johnson said. “This should be taken very,very seriously.”

Though some locals came to Illumibot’sdefense on social media, founder Arroyo apologized for thedisplay in astatementTuesday

“Our intent with this piece was to accuratelyportray the horrific history of the Lalaurie Mansion —never to glorify it or causeharm. We should have been far

moresensitive in how we visually represented it,” Arroyo wrote. “Weare so sorry that ourpoor judgment caused pain to membersof this community.Wetake this as amomenttolearn, and to do better.”

Often advertised as one of the most haunted properties in the city,the Lalaurie Mansionisa massive tourist attraction andregular stop on ghost tours, during which guides describe in gory detail the torture of enslavedpeople at the hands of wealthy socialites Dr Louisand Marie Delphine MacartyLalaurie. Rampant rumors of mutilation, as the story goes, wereconfirmed by neighbors who were able to enter the house during a fire thatdestroyed the original propertyin1834.

The increasingly popular ghost tours alone have caused strife in the French Quarter,where residents say quiet,residential streets areoftenoverrun with groups of tourists peering into their houses“like they’refish in an aquarium,” said Erin Holmes, executivedirector of Vieux Carré Property Owners, Residents and Associates.

“Also to hear peopletalking about the torturing and killing of enslaved people whileeveryone is laughing —it’spretty grotesque,” Holmes said.

As head of anonprofit dedicated to preservation in the French Quarter,Holmes said she woke up on Friday morning to countless messages and photos of the projections at Lalaurie Man-

sion,whichshe promptly reportedtothe city andthe NewOrleans Police Department.

Officials with Mayor Helena Moreno’sadministration said thelight show was notpermitted by thecityor the homeowner,Lance Zaal. Zaal,who also ownsentertainment company US Ghost Adventures, said in astatementTuesday that he had nothing to do with the displayprojected onto his home and does not condone it.

“My hope is that this moment will encourage us to focus notonspectacle, but on rediscovering what has been lost and forgotten,” he wrote. “Toremember those who came before us,honor their lives, and ensure their names andthe lessons of history are never forgotten.”

Holmessaidshe found the display itself offensive enough, but the broader implications are also disturbing.

Similar light displays projected onto St. Louis Cathedral during Super Bowl LIX andGallierHallduring Luna Fete were permitted shows that tookmonths to mapout and plan. She’sconcerned thatanyone could nowuse this technology to project imagesontoany building including private property —with seemingly very little planning or permissions.

“There arecertainthings thatjust have to be respected,” she said.

Email KaseyBubnash at kasey.bubnash@ theadvocate.com.

BY ANNAKATE FREELAND Staff writer

Ascension Parish government has completed its role in an interim effort to reduce red dust blowing from aformer aluminaplant, and the facility is now transitioning to apermanent closure overseen by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Parish officials announced Tuesday that acooperative agreement between Ascension Parish government, LDEQ and the site owner, LAlumina, officially concluded July 1. Underthe agreement, theparishcarried out temporary mea-

WEIMER

Continued from page1B

Crichton, alawyer in the case, related to along-running dispute overjudicial compensation.

The court dated their rift to 2023, and aseemingly unprecedented vote by his colleagues to strip Weimer of administrative powers assigned to the chief justice, apost held by the most senior justice.

According to thecourt, an executive committee chaired by Crichton “assumed most of the administrativeresponsibilitiesand internal governance of the Court, while the Chief Justice retained his ceremonial duties.”

In recusing Weimer,the court cited aseries of letters that began with atart missive from Weimer on July 4, accusing Crichton of knowingly breaking the law by voting in policies as ajustice to benefit himself financially

“Chief JusticeWeimerrecently escalated his personal dispute with Mr.Crichton to dizzyingheights,” the court found Tuesday

Former Justice James Genovese said he received asimilar letter

Weimer haslong called out colleagues for distributing asupplemental fund to pad judicial salaries without first payingits expenses. He also claims colleagues took ajudicial stipend illegally in upfront lump sums,including Crichton and Genovese,

sures to reduce thedust in the air while along-term closure plan forthe site was finalized.

The agreement was established in 2024 after residents living nearthe former alumina refinery complained foryears that “red dust was blowingfrom thesite’s uncovered waste ponds onto their properties.

While LAlumina worked withLDEQtodevelop a permanent closure plan, the agreementallowed theparish to perform interim mitigation measures to reduce dust emissions.

“Our priority has always beentodoeverythingwe can toprotect the families

helpingincrease their retirement pay

AndWeimer accuses Crichton and Genovese, in particular,ofexploiting a$118 meal per diemlike no other judges,claiming they double-dipped in the processbytoppingoff a monthly stipendfor housing and other expenses. That monthlystipend has since grown to $4,000 amonth, thanks to avote from the Supreme Court. The stipend requires no receipts and comes on top of raisesthe justicesalso received.

Mike Waguespack, the Louisiana legislative auditor,has sided with Weimer in finding the courthas failed to require akitty called the Judges’ Supplemental CompensationFund to reimburseits expenses before the justices tapped the fund fora pay boost. The fund’sboard, however, sided with the six otherjustices.

Weimersaidhewas stirredto writethe letters by “the systemic abuse of thepublicfisc,” citing the legislative auditor andattorney general opinions.

“The question becomes whowas victimized,the taxpayers or the recipients of the letters?” Weimer wrote.

In hisletters, Weimer urged Crichton, who maintaineda residence inNew Orleans, to reimbursethe stateand apologizetoits people “for theextravagant andunjustified income you took from them.” Crichton respondedby calling for Weimer’srecu-

who live near this site,” Parish President Clint Cointment saidinarelease. “We weren’twilling to sit around while our residentscontinueddealing with red dust blowing onto theirhomes, vehicles, and property.”

According to theparish, crews covered more than40 acres acrossPonds 4and 5, theportionsofthe siteclosest to nearby neighborhoods The parish said it supplied personnel, heavy equipment, project coordination and soil from parish drainage projectstocompletethe work.

Under Louisiana environmental regulations, LAlumina,asthe property owner is responsible for carrying

sal,citing “untethered vitriol” from the chief justice. Weimer opposed it.

The court declined Crichton’srequest to issue ablanket recusal order for any case involving Crichton.

Weimer argues that instead of addressing legal questions surrounding the extra compensation, Crichton simply cites thecourt votesapproving them.

“The law in Louisianais statutory law and constitutionallaw,not what judges decideincontradiction of the law,outside the view of the public,” Weimer wrote. “Citing judicial votes is nothing more than an attempt to justifythatwhich cannot be justified.”

Hiscolleagueswere hardly persuaded as they benchedWeimer fromthe case involving Crichton’s client.

“Chief Justice Weimer’s repeated actions toadvance his personalagenda against the enrolled leadcounsel of record in adocketed case crossed thethreshold of what can reasonably be tolerated in fair proceedings,” its opinion said.

LOTTERY TUESDAY,JULY28, 2026

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outthe permanent closure plan,while LDEQ oversees the work.

“We’re excited thatLAluminaisexpected tobegin implementing thefull clo-

sure plan underLDEQ’s oversight in the coming weeks, bringing this community onestep closer to a permanentsolution,” Cointment said.

PROVIDED PHOTO By ERINHOLMES Blood is projected ontothe French Quarter’sLalaurie Mansion last week.

SPORTS

Brees selects Payton as his HOF presenter

Star QB to be enshrined on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio

BY JEFF DUNCAN Staff writer

Former New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton will serve as the presenter for Drew Brees at his Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement on Aug. 8 in Canton, Ohio Payton, who teamed with Brees for 15 seasons in New Orleans, was hand-picked by the former star quarterback to serve in the distinguished role. Payton said he was overcome by emotion when his former quarterback asked him to “put me in the Hall of Fame” during a FaceTime call in late April.

“I hadn’t thought about it, and he caught me right in the temple,” said Payton, while choking back tears during a phone call from his office in Denver “I got just as emotional then as I am with you now I’m honored.”

As the presenter, Payton will attend the formal enshrinees’ gold jacket dinner on the eve of the ceremony where he will

ä See BREES, page 4C

STAFF FILE PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints quarterback Drew Brees chats with coach Sean Payton during a game on Dec 30, 2018. Brees picked his former coach to present him at the Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony.

LSU coach Kiffin brings jokes to Rotary Club luncheon

BY JON BLAU Staff writer

LSU football coach Lane Kiffin received a warm welcome to a Baton Rouge Rotary Club luncheon Wednesday but it was conditional.

“I grew up in a very, very conservative Catholic family, and we weren’t allowed to curse except for one week each year,” the club’s newly elected president, Susan East Nelson, said from the podium, referring to LSU’s rivalry game with Ole Miss

“I’m happy you left Ole Miss,” she continued, “because I think I’d be legally obligated to tell you to go to hell.”

Eight months into his LSU tenure began, Kiffin returned to the site of his introductory news conference in Tiger Stadium’s South Stadium Club. He’s not a Baton Rouge newbie anymore, but he was still humorously immersed in the same storylines.

There were jokes about Ole Miss, especially after the Rotary Club presented Kiffin with a “peace pole,” which it noted had wheels so it could travel with him.

“We’ll have to take that to Oxford and Knoxville,” joked Kiffin, who had an

ä See LSU, page 4C

Saints RB explains why he wanted to stay in N.O., thoughts on contract limbo

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

If it was hard for Alvin Kamara to take a pay cut, if there was any part of him that had to swallow his pride, the New Orleans Saints running back simply said he’d “be at home.”

But here Kamara was Wednesday, standing with a bath towel draped over his head and shoulders, fresh off the Saints’ first training camp practice of the year. And as he stood there, the 31-year-old fielded multiple questions about the monthslong saga that resulted in Kamara agreeing to a reported $5.5 million pay cut so he could stay with the Saints. Did the situation leave a chip on his shoulder? Is he extra motivated after a down year? Is he, as former teammate Terron Armstead suggested, “pissed off” at how the narrative has changed?

TOUGH START: Saints defensive lineman Bresee feared to have torn ACL, PAGE 4C

Kamara’s “maybe” was the closest the Saints’ all-time leading rusher got to admitting he has been bothered by how the last few years of his career have unfolded But soon after Kamara insisted he begins every year “pissed” — stemming from waking up at 4 a.m. to train during the offseason. Maybe that, he said, has created some type of chip. Whether he is actually bothered, there’s no denying the narrative has changed. After a resurgent 2024 season, Kamara’s numbers not only came crashing down but they also were the worst of his career

Some of those stats, such as total rushing yards, could be explained by the knee injury that caused him to miss the last six weeks. But other metrics, like rushing yards per attempt and success rate were career lows before he got hurt.

The decline led the Saints to sign Travis Etienne in the offseason and Kamara to reduce his salary

“I’m motivated every year,” Kamara said. “A chip? No. Pissed? Maybe.”

CAMP OBSERVATIONS

ä See KAMARA, page 4C

Olave sits out as Tyson ramps up

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

The first day of New Orleans Saints training camp featured Jordyn Tyson participating in competitive drills — but this time, his running mate was sitting out.

As the Saints conducted a roughly 75-minute session to open their 2026 training camp, star receiver Chris Olave was present and in uniform but watching from the sideline when the team went through 7-on-7 and fullteam drills.

Afterward, coach Kellen Moore indicated that Olave was sitting out those periods as a means to avoid injury while the front office and Olave’s representation work on a contract extension.

“It’s just respecting the business side of this thing,” Moore said. “They’re just working through that as we go Everyone’s been great about this whole process, so no issues there.” Moore was unable to say whether Olave was planning on sitting out the competitive drills until he signs a new contract, but it is something to keep an eye on.

Silver, Zxavian Harris and Cody Hardy — everybody was in uniform and participating in some fashion.

Early impressions

Tyson, the No. 8 pick in this year’s draft, was limited almost exclusively to individual position work during the team’s summer program, and Wednesday was the first time he’d worked alongside Tyler Shough and the starting offense in a public setting. Shough clearly was looking to get him involved early in practice, but Tyson didn’t see a ball come his way until the third competitive period. He only saw one target between the 7-on7 and full-team periods, catching a pass on a short out-breaking choice route from Shough during an 11-on11 period.

Still, Shough said he likes what he’s seen so far out of his rookie wideout.

As for the players who were fully participating during the first day of camp, here is what we saw Attendance: With the exception of players who began camp on the physically unable to perform or non-football injury lists — MasonTipton, Keeshawn

“The ability is there; he’s got all the talent in the world,” Shough said. “But he really wants to be great, and that’s one of my favorite things about him. He’s a good dude, but we share this common ilk where we’re never really satisfied.

ä See SAINTS, page 4C

AP PHOTO By MATTHEW HINTON

Saints wide receiver Jordyn Tyson makes a catch during training camp drills at the team’s practice facility on Wednesday in Metairie.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara holds on to a ball during training camp at the team’s practice facility Wednesday in Metairie. STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

TV GOLF

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7 a.m. Qatar Sussex Stakes FS2 Noon Saratoga Live FS2

Ohtani dealing with pair of ailments

BY BETH HARRIS AP sportswriter

LOS ANGELES Shohei Ohtani

said his right biceps is not 100% in addition to his sore left knee, and both factored into the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar not throwing a bullpen session last week.

The four-time MVP hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 but has continued to play regularly as the designated hitter for Los Angeles.

“My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through a translator Tuesday night while speaking with the media for the first time since before the All-Star break. “Just similar issue with the knee. Do we consider pushing this? It is still July So I think the conversation would be a little different if we’re in August or September.”

Ohtani hit his 10th leadoff home run of the season in a 7-6 loss to the Seattle Mariners. It was his 28th leadoff shot as a Dodger tying him with the late Davey Lopes for second all-time. Ohtani finished 3 for 4 with a walk, a double, three RBIs and a run.

“I do think that the road trip was exhausting for everyone I do think that with the day off, he came in fresh and looked more like himself,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Certainly the way he swung the bat, the way he’s running, he’s not compromised. Until I hear otherwise, he’s going to be in the lineup.”

Ohtani had a lubricant injection in his knee just before the All-Star break and he skipped the game in Philadelphia to rest “I really took the All-Star break as that opportunity to really stay off my knees,” he said “It’s really something that I have to just deal with over the course of the season.”

Ohtani said in Japanese that the injection wasn’t a cure-all and he mentioned “a decision that I’m going to ultimately make after the season’s over” without clarifying what he was referring to He explained the lingering knee soreness was caused by pitching.

“In terms of running, I’m not exactly at 100% capacity,” he said. “When I know it’s not, then it’s always a little harder to be aggressive on the base paths.”

Ohtani said his knee is getting better, which is a priority

“I don’t think the team has really come to a place exactly where, do I pitch through it or not?” he said. “That’s still really up in the air.”

If Ohtani’s health issues don’t improve, Roberts was asked whether it’s possible the righthander wouldn’t pitch in the postseason for the two-time reigning World Series champions.

“I guess anything’s possible, but for me, it’s highly unlikely,” Roberts said. “Given where we’re at in the calendar if the knee continues to get better, the arm continues to feel better, I would expect him to pitch. All I know is that we’re trying to, I’m trying to, give him the best opportunity to be as healthy as possible, so he can help us on both ends of the baseball.”

BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

1 p.m. N.y yankees at Chicago White Sox MLB

6 p.m. Washington at Atlanta ESPN

9 p.m. Seattle at L.A.

March 18 in Fort Myers, Fla

Another swing

BY JAY COHEN AP baseball writer

CHICAGO The nation’s first women’s professional baseball league in nearly 30 years is about to embark on its inaugural season in what marks a major milestone in the scattered history of the sport in the United States.

The Women’s Pro Baseball League is also part of a timeline that goes back to the beginning of the sport.

“Women have always been part of this game,” said Kat Williams, the chief executive officer of the International Women’s Baseball Center

“We’ve always played, we’ve always umpired, we’ve always coached. And in some of the earliest references in the 17th century, the earliest references to something like a game of baseball, it was women that were playing it.”

Next up is the WPBL, which plays its first game Saturday The league has four teams New York, Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco — for its first year, but the 15 regular-season games for each club and the playoffs will be held at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. The ballpark has a seating capacity of 5,200, and Springfield hosted one of the earliest paid women’s games when the Blondes faced the Brunettes on Sept. 11, 1875.

Kelsie Whitmore, Mo’ne Davis and Ayami Sato are among the marquee names expected to play in the league’s first season. Each team will have 15 active players for the seven-inning games.

“It’s amazing. It’s one of those kind of things that we always hoped would happen, but wasn’t sure that we would see it happen anytime soon,” said Leslie Heaphy, the president of the IWBC and the chair of the women in baseball committee for the Society for American Baseball Research. “And it’s fitting, it’s needed, and yeah, it’s exciting.”

Breakthrough moment

While women have been connected to baseball since the beginning of the game, the first professional women’s league was the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. Immortalized in the film “A League of Their Own,” it ran from 1943-54.

The AAGPBL began during World War II as a softball league before converting to baseball.

Jean Faut, Doris Sams and Dottie Kamenshek were among the league’s best players. Maybelle Blair, who pitched in the AAGPBL in 1948, is on the WPBL’s advisory board.

“It was never intended to last past 1945 when it first started, but the fact that it lasts through 1954 tells you something about the importance, I think,” said Heaphy an associate professor at Kent

FAST FACTS

WHAT: Women’s Pro Baseball League

FIRST GAME: Saturday TEAMS (4): New york, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles PLAYERS: 15 active on each team

GAMES: 15 seven-innng games in regular season for each team

State-Stark.

“It tells you about the determination of those involved, and I think it tells you a lot about the interest of the fans.”

Hollywood effect

After the AAGPBL ceased operations, it would be another 40 years — in the wake of the box office success for “A League of Their Own” — before interest in professional women’s baseball resurfaced.

From 1994-97, Hall of Fame

pitcher Phil Niekro managed an all-female pro team, the Colorado Silver Bullets, that barnstormed the country facing men’s amateur and semi-pro teams. The Ladies Professional Baseball League played in 1997 and part of 1998 before folding It was based in the southwestern United States before expanding to New York and New Jersey Former big league sluggers Bobby Bonds and George Foster were involved in another short-lived league in the mid-1990s in Florida.

The Women’s Baseball World Cup launched in 2004 and will be played for the 11th time in 2027. Japan has won the past eight World Cups after finishing runner-up to the U.S. in the first two. Shared focus Skirts were part of the uniform for AAGPBL players, and they were required to attend charm

Former LSU WR Byrd charged with assault

Demetrius Byrd, a standout wide receiver on LSU’s 2007 national championship team, was reportedly arrested Monday in Miami Beach, Florida, after being accused of making threats on a public bus while armed with a tool. Byrd, 40, is a native of Miami. He played for LSU in 2007-08 after two seasons at Pearl River (Mississippi) Community College. According to WTVJ, an NBC affiliate in Miami, Byrd was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Police said officers arrived at a Miami Beach bus stop after receiving reports of a man on board a bus armed with a knife yelling “Who wants to die?” at other passengers. According to Byrd’s arrest report, the bus driver said two passengers were involved in an altercation that escalated with Byrd pulling out what appeared to be a knife.

Browns, S Delpit agree to 3-year, $48M extension BEREA,

with the Cleveland Browns, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Wednesday The safety’s extension is worth $48 million, including $35 million guaranteed.

It is also the second straight day Cleveland reached an extension with one of the members of its secondary Cornerback Denzel Ward agreed to a two-year extension worth $62.2 million — including $52.3 million guaranteed on Tuesday Delpit, 27, is going into his seventh season in Cleveland after being a second-round pick in 2020.

Miami dominates all-ACC team; QB Mensah POY Preseason league favorite Miami claimed a third of the spots on the Atlantic Coast Conference’s preseason all-conference team, including transfer quarterback Darian Mensah as the preseason pick for player of the year The league released its preseason team Wednesday after voting by media members credentialed for the ACC’s football media days earlier this month. That came a day after the Hurricanes were picked to win the ACC title Mensah, a former Tulane star, is a high-profile addition who led Duke past Virginia in last year’s league championship game for the Blue Devils’ first outright ACC crown since 1962. Now he’s set to play for the Hurricanes as the favorite to become player of the year

school. There was an emphasis on femininity and “ladylike” behavior, according to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The WPBL is all over social media, detailing the background of its players while looking to sell tickets and merchandise.

“We know this was true in the ’40s and ’50s, that people tended then to follow the team because of the place, and then the players. Now they follow players, right? That’s what people do,” Heaphy said.

“So I think that issue of raising awareness, both leagues recognize that.”

Arthur Meyerhoff, a Chicago advertising executive, played a prominent role in the creation and operation of the AAGPBL.

“He was a marketing guy, and he knew that had to happen,” said Williams, a professor emeritus at Marshall University who is part of a WPBL advisory board with Heaphy “He knew that there has to be an image, right?

“I mean, that’s typical of any kind of new endeavor You have to put forth an image. And the image I hope people are seeing with the WPBL is that these are athletes.

“These are good athletes. They’re strong women. They’re talented and smart. And I think that’s the message.”

One of the biggest legacies of the AAGPBL is connected to what the women accomplished after their playing careers. Several of the women went to graduate school and earned advanced degrees.

They took on prominent jobs while crediting the league for opening their eyes as to what was possible.

“The impact, the economic impact on those players and their families, they became doctors and lawyers and airplane pilots and teachers and you know things that they would (have) never had an opportunity to do,” Williams said.

NCAA suspends Vols LB two games tied to flight KNOXVILLE,Tenn.— Tennessee senior linebacker Arion Carter will miss the first two games of the season because of an NCAA suspension tied to an agent paying for a $427 flight to an NFL training facility during the pre-draft process. The Knoxville News Sentinel first reported Wednesday of the suspension, with the two-game length later confirmed by the school to The Associated Press. In a statement, coach Josh Heupel said the Volunteers “disagree” with the suspension, noting Carter repaid the agent for the flight cost as he returned to Tennessee. The suspension will sideline the third-year linebacker and twoyear starter for the Sept. 5 opener against Furman at home and the Sept. 12 trip to Georgia Tech.

Golf pro Mullinax suspended for violating doping policy

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — Trey Mullinax received a six-month suspension for violating the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy after testing positive for a substance banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency Mullinax said in a statement provided Wednesday by the PGA Tour he used a medication to treat a condition he was diagnosed with while in college without seeking approval under the policy

“My lack of knowledge is not an excuse,” Mullinax said. “It was my responsibility to know the rules before taking any medication and I failed to do so.” He is believed to be the ninth player suspended since the PGA Tour began drug testing in 2008, and the first since Byeong Hun An used a cough syrup sold over the counter in South Korea that contained a banned substance.

New league marks major moment in history of women’s pro baseball

Los Angeles Queens outfielder Mo’ne Davis watches her hit during an exhibition game on March 19 in Fort Myers, Fla.

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTOS By REBECCA BLACKWELL San Francisco Firebells pitcher Kelsie Whitmore delivers during a Women’s Pro Baseball League practice on

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO

Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani celebrates a solo home run against the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Sept.4 WESTMINSTER-LAFAyETTE

Sept.10 Ascension Episcopal Sept.18 Abbeville

Sept.25 ERATH

Oct.2 Breaux Bridge

Oct.9 TEURLINGS

Oct.15 ELEANOR MCMAIN

Oct.23 Lafayette Renaissance

Oct 30 NORTHSIDE

Nov.5

PROJECTED STARTERS

Offense

WR Jackson Kretzer (6-2, 185, Sr.)*

WR Sawyer Greneaux (5-10,165,Sr.)*

TE Noah Nowicki (6-3, 225, Jr.)*

LT Maddox Guidry (6-2, 265, Sr.)*

LG Jai Broussard (5-9, 280, Sr.)*

C John Gee (5-9, 255, Sr.)*

RG Hayden Gardiner (5-7, 265, Sr.)*

RT Aivyn Tyra (6-2, 235, Jr.)*

QB Vance Laborde (5-9, 170, Sr.)*

RB Kristian Aubrey (5-9, 215, Jr.)*

RB Ayden Louis (5-7, 175, Sr.)*

Defense

DL Kayden Williams (6-1, 230, Sr.)*

DT Terrell Cormier (5-7, 305, Jr.)*

DT Clayton Randolph (6-3, 265, Sr.)*

LB Alex Frederick (5-9, 205, Jr.)*

LB Kai Bernard (5-9, 185, Jr.)*

LB David Dressel (5-8, 205, Jr.)*

LB Rome Simpson (6-3, 170, Sr.)*

CB Connor Booker (5-9, 175, Sr.)*

CB Austin Gardiner (5-8, 170, Jr.)*

SS Cruz Burley (5-10, 165, Sr.)*

SS Braxton Savoie (5-11, 165, Jr.)*

* RETURNING STARTERS

COACHES

Head coach: Travis Blaize (8-12)

Assistant coaches: Collin Mier (OC), Zach Lochard (RB), Bryant Girouard (WR), Bryson Travasos (DC), Lane Broussard (DL) and Darnell Norman (DB)

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Acadiana Renaissance

What we know

The Eagles are a difficult team for outsiders to project.

There’s almost no way to know how this first season of LHSAA relevance will go

In some ways, the ARCA coaches know more about their players than any team in the area. The staff has been molding the same kids over the last three years for the 2026 season.

“When I got here, most of our kids’ experience with football was flag football,” ARCA coach Travis Blaize said. “The staff had to have a lot of patience. It’s been an awesome journey up to this point, and we’re excited to see the next steps.

Quarterback Vance Laborde has plenty of weapons around him, starting with junior running back Kristian Aubrey.

“He’s got good size at his age,” Blaize said of Aubrey.

“He’s very fluid, and he can catch the ball, so he kind of does everything for us.”

The spread offense has three dependable receivers in seniors Jackson Kretzer and Sayer Greneaux, and junior Kendon Hays. Junior tight end Noah Nowicki is another dangerous target.

“He’s a weapon in the passing game,” Blaize said.

“He’ll say his best feature is blocking and he’s probably not lying, but when people are scheming for us, they’re not going to say,‘Don’t let him block.’“

When Nowicki is on the left side with left tackle

Maddox Guidry and Jai Broussard, the Eagles hope they combine to make a formidable wall.

What we don’t know

It’s going to be a challenging schedule for the entire team in its first year playing for district honors, but especially for the defense.

The unit will face a couple of well-run veer offenses and “then we play Brent Indest, who is an offensive

wizard with the Wing Gun offense,” before going back to the spread.

That doesn’t even include district powerhouses

Teurlings Catholic, Lafayette Renaissance and Westgate.

The good news is the defensive tackle duo of junior Terrell Cormier and senior Clayton Randolph should be stout upfront.

“If you can stop the run, that gives you an opportunity in high school football,” Blaize said.“When you team that line with two phenomenal players in the secondary in Cruz (Burley) and Connor (Booker), that should give us a chance on defense.

“Cruz understands the scheme really well and that gives him a chance to be pretty good.

How we see it

The Eagles might be the toughest team to project in the area.

In many ways, this fall is baby steps for the program, and the schedule doesn’t include any cupcakes

Last year,ARCA played a full schedule, including seven varsity teams, but it’ll be a different kind of challenge this fall.

For the first time, the Eagles will put it all on the line to earn a berth in the postseason, as well as all-district recognition.

“The level of competition increases,” Blaize said. “We played some really good teams last year, but the challenge goes up.”

It’s almost like the coaching staff has been practicing for four years for this season.

“When we first started, we had a long way to go,” Blaize said.“We just weren’t physically mature enough to play with these teams. It’s a commendable effort by these kids because of the effort they have put in to the weight room.”

The players have been working on the same plan for years now. Now it’s time to see how the Eagles match up.

Kevin Foote

SCOREBOARD

(tie), William Mouw and Cameron Young, 79. 7, Sudarshan Yellamaraju, 80. 8 (tie), Michael Brennan and Gary Woodland, 81. 10, Kurt Kitayama, 82. SG-Putting 1 (tie), Akshay Bhatia and Vince Whaley, .681. 3, Jacob Bridgeman, .675. 4, Sam Burns, .662. 5, Scottie Scheffler, .589. 6, Jake Knapp, .561. 7, Erik van Rooyen, .559. 8, Alex Noren, .556. 9, Robert MacIntyre, .544. 10, Eric Cole .540. Birdie Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4.76. 2, Si Woo Kim, 4.58. 3, Collin Morikawa, 4.52. 4, Wyndham Clark, 4.47. 5, Ludvig Aberg, 4.32. 6, Kevin Yu, 4.3. 7, Rory McIlroy, 4.29. 8, Jacob Bridgeman, 4.28. 9, Robert MacIntyre, 4.26. 10, Akshay Bhatia, 4.25. Eagles (Holes per) 1, Jake Knapp, 57.6. 2, Kristoffer Ventura, 63.8. 3, Nicolai Hojgaard, 79.7. 4, Aldrich Potgieter, 82.5. 5, Shane Lowry, 91.6. 6, Matt Wallace, 91.8. 7, Sahith Theegala, 92.3. 8 (tie), Tommy Fleetwood and Max Greyserman, 93. 10, Keegan Bradley, 96. Sand Save Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00%. All-Around Ranking 1, Scottie Scheffler, 167. 2, Ludvig Åberg, 236. 3, Collin Morikawa, 259. 4, Sam Burns, 268. 5, Jake Knapp, 285. 6, Chris Gotterup, 289. 7, Wyndham Clark, 294. 8, Tommy Fleetwood, 322. 9, Rory McIlroy, 323. 10, Si Woo Kim, 341.

Pro tennis WTA Mubadala Citi DC Open results

Kristian Aubrey RB, 5-9, 215, Jr. Aubrey is a true three-down back that defenses will have to account for as a running and receiving threat.He also possesses more breakaway speed than expected.

Noah Nowicki TE, 6-3, 225, Jr.

He is a rare high school tight end who can affect the game as both a receiver and blocker He’s got the size and athletic ability to be a nightmare for opposing defenses.

Maddox Guidry LT, 6-2, 265, Sr. Guidry is a team leader who is the first player in program history to receive a college scholarship offer

His father, Jacob, played at LSU He brings nastiness to the offensive line.

Clayton Randolph DT, 6-3, 265, Sr. Randolph joins colleague Terrell Cormier as a pair of 600-pound squatters in the middle of the defensive line. He will be a big obstacle against opposing running games.

Cruz Burley S, 5-10, 165, Sr. Burley joins cornerback Connor Booker to form a dynamic 1-2 punch in the secondary. His instincts always seem to put him where the ball is, and he is able to create turnovers.

Pro golf

PGA Tour statistics Through July 27

FedExCup Season Points 1, Scottie Scheffler, 4,123. 2, Matt Fitzpatrick, 3,329. 3, Cameron Young, 3,086. 4, Wyndham Clark, 2,255. 5, Chris Gotterup, 2,254. 6, Collin Morikawa, 2,229. 7, Si Woo Kim, 2,188. 8, Sam Burns, 2,078. 9, Tommy Fleetwood, 2,046. 10, Ludvig Åberg, 1,929. Scoring Average 1, Scottie Scheffler, 68.775. 2, Rory McIlroy 69.222. 3, Collin Morikawa, 69.458. 4, Matt Fitzpatrick, 69.509. 5, Tommy Fleetwood, 69.668. 6, Sam Burns, 69.742. 7, Chris Gotterup, 69.755. 8, Cameron Young, 69.779. 9, Jake Knapp, 69.800. 10, Si Woo Kim, 69.832. Driving Distance 1, Aldrich Potgieter, 330. 2, Rory McIlroy 328.5. 3, Michael Brennan, 326.5. 4, Marco Penge, 324.4. 5, Nicolai Hojgaard, 323.6. 6, Chris Gotterup, 322.6. 7, Gary Woodland, 322.3. 8, Rasmus Hojgaard, 321.8. 9, Min Woo Lee, 320.9. 10, Jesper Svensson, 319.6. Driving Accuracy Percentage 1, Russell Henley, 72.78%. 2, Aaron Rai 71.70%. 3, Davis Chatfield, 71.17%. 4, Joel Dahmen, 70.61%. 5, Lucas Glover, 69.77% 6, Collin Morikawa, 69.71%. 7, Si Woo Kim, 69.21%. 8, Tommy Fleetwood, 68.87%. 9 Emiliano Grillo, 68.83%. 10, Andrew Putnam, 68.67%. Greens in Regulation Percentage 1, 10 tied with .00% Total Driving 1, Scottie Scheffler, 60. 2, Scottie Scheffler, 63. 3, Ludvig Aberg, 65. 4, Neal Shipley, 68. 5

Wednesday At William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center Washington DC, United States Purse: $2,488,125 Surface: Hardcourt outdoor Men’s Singles Round of 32 Alex de Minaur (1), Australia, def. Stefanos Tsitsipas, Greece, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Men’s Singles Round of 16 Lorenzo Musetti (4), Italy, def. Aleksandar Vukic, Australia, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Women’s Singles Round of 16 Liudmila Samsonova, Russia, def. Wang Xinyu, China, 6-2, 6-2. Alexandra Eala, Philippines, def. Leylah Fernandez (7), Canada, 6-2, 7-6 (1).

Men’s Doubles Round of 16 Ariel Behar, Uruguay, and Anirudh Chandrasekar, India, def. Francisco Cabral, Portugal, and James Tracy, United States, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 10-8. Fabien Reboul and Sadio Doumbia, France def. Fernando Romboli, Brazil, and JohnPatrick Smith, Australia, 6-3, 6-4.

Women’s Doubles Quarterfinals Aldila Sutjiadi, Indonesia, and Erin Routliffe (2), New Zealand, def. Alana Smith and Clervie Ngounoue, United States, 6-3, 6-2. Pro basketball WNBA

PHOTO By KEVIN FOOTE

Acadiana Renaissance offensive leaders include, from left, Maddox Guidry, Hayden Gardiner, Vance Laborde, Kristian Aubrey and Noah Nowicki.

Blaize

Former QB Hill says time with Saints is over

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

Taysom Hill is saying goodbye to New Orleans but not to football.

The former New Orleans Saints quarterback posted on social media Wednesday that he will not be returningto the Saints this season, though he stopped short of announcing his retirement. The 35-yearold became afree agent in March after spending nine years with the Saints. Hill has yet to sign with another team.

“I’ve taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes nextfor my family and me,” Hill

BREES

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physically place the iconic Hall of Fame gold jacket onto Brees for the first time. At the enshrinement ceremony,Payton’spre-recorded video tribute will be played on the stadium big screens and national broadcastbeforethe inductee comesto the stage. He will then join Brees at center stage for the unveiling of the bronze bust, which will be displayed for posterity in the Hallof Fame. Brees then will take

SAINTS

Continued from page1C

“He’s21years old and has every right to think he’s made it, being drafted in the first round. But he understands there is so much more to go for all of us.”

Tysonwas held back this summer by what general manager Mickey Loomis called a“recurrence”ofthe hamstring injury that limited him to nine games in his last season at Arizona State. But holding him back was ateam choice, notaTyson choice.

“Patience is achallenge for anyone wanting to compete, andJordyn is at thetop of that,” Moore said. “He’d love to get out there and run amillion routes and catch amillion balls; that’sjust the way he is. But he understands the process we’re going through.”

Play of theday

During a7-on-7 period, Shough saw DevaughnVele flash free on ashallow out-breaking route from the right hash and he zipped an on-target pass toward his receiver’s hands. The only problem is that corner Kool-Aid McKinstry quicklymadeupthe space between himself and Vele to reach ahand in to break up the intended pass. McKinstry has earned a lot of praise throughout the summer,and that continued Wednesday when veteran safety Justin Reid poundedthe

KAMARA

Continued from page1C

Between those events, Kamara essentially had been put in limbo. The Saints were noncommittal publicly about the running back’sstatus, leading people —including Kamara’smom, he said—to wonder what was going on Through it all, Kamara said he never took the business side personally.Now the situation is settled.

“I’m really better than I ever been, from amental standpoint,” Kamara said. “Coming in here (with the Saints), I’ve got alot of clarity.Ifeel good. Ifeel energized. I’m here to work.”

The clarity Kamara received was that the Saints indeed wanted him back. And now that he is, he’sexpectedtoreceive further information on how exactly he’ll fit alongside Etienne. Kamara long has insisted he has no problem sharing carries, and again Wednesday he pointed to his dynamic

said. “I still don’thavea clear answer aboutwhat the future holds, butIknow that returningtoNew Orleansis notinthe cards. “As training camp be-

center stagetodeliver his acceptance speech Payton filmedthe videopresentationwith anNFL Films crew last month. He said he was so honored by Brees’ gesture that he filmedthe video presentation in two separate multihoursittingstoensure they were what he wanted.

“They had tomatch his standard of greatness as a player,” Paytonsaid.

Alarge contingent of Brees’ former Saints teammates, coaches and support staff —including ownerGayle Benson andgeneral manager Mickey Loomis —are expectedtoattend the week-

Saints player Taysom Hill smiles beforea game against the Tampa Bay BucsonOct. 26. Hill announced Wednesdayhe will not returnto the Saints.

gins, Ididn’twant my silencetobemisinterpreted, andashard as it is to put into words, Iwanted to express my gratitude. To the city of New Orleans: thank you.”

end festivities in Canton.

Payton said he and agroup of Broncos coaches will take abreak from training camp to fly to Canton for the weekend of events. His dutiesas presenterwill force him to miss Broncos practices on Aug. 7-8 to attend theevent to support Brees.

Askedifthat would be afirstinhis 19-year NFL head coachingcareer,Paytonquipped: “The last time Imissed twopractices was when theleague told me Ihad to miss practice (in 2012, when he was suspended by theNFL for hisrole in theBounty-gate scandal.)”

REPORT: DT BRESEE LIKELY TORE HISACL

The NewOrleans Saintsmay have received some terrible news after the first dayoftraining camp, as NFLMedia is reporting defensivelinemanBryan Breseeisbelievedtohavetornhis ACL, whichlikelywill take himout for the2026 season

The 2023first-round pick has startedatleast 10 games each of thelasttwo seasons for the Saints and has 141/2 sacks in 49 careergames. He earned praise from the staff last year for improving as arun defender.

It is notclearwhenBresee’sinjuryoccurred, though he wasnot on thefield for the team’s last 11-on-11 period.TheSaintshave apair of untested young players behind himinVernonBroughton and ChristenMiller whomay step into alarger role.

Bresee has twoyearsremaining on hisdeal, including the fifthyear optionfor 2027that theteam picked up thisoffseason.

podium as he said: “Kool-Aid McKinstryisa baller.From what hedid in OTAs to what he’sdoing today …that cat is going to be something special, man. I’m excited about what he’sgoing to do this year.”

Odds andends

Day One of Saints camp followed the same structure as last year’sfirst day,with a7-on-7 periodsandwiched between two full-team drills.

Theoffense felt alittle out of sync on its first day,with Shough firing incompletions on four of his first five passes. Oneofthose was an Alvin Kamara drop, onewas the aforementioned pass breakup and anotherappearedto be the result of the timing being off between Shough and Ja’Lynn Polk.Shough rallied to completesix of his last seven attempts, includ-

with Mark Ingram and Latavius Murrayasexamplesof howhecan be successful.

Thedifference nowisthat Kamara is no longer expected to be the lead back, and it remains to be seen how the split will unfold.

Wednesday’spractice perhaps providedaglimpseof what coach Kellen Moore has in store.

During sets of four reps, Etienne took thefirst two snaps while Kamara took the last two. Later in thesession, the order was reversed Even if the regular season does not turn outtobea5050 split as it appearedtobe to begin camp, Kamarawas involved more than how the Saintsusedhim duringlast month’smandatory minicamp. Back then, Kamara largely observed team drills off to the side and was one of thelast backs to rotate in during individual drills

“Credit to Alvin, he always does agreat job during the offseason of really training himselfand puttinghimself to be in apositionready to go,”Moore said.“Youcer-

acrimonious exit from the latter city after one year coaching at Tennesseein 2009; he hada golf ball thrown at him upon his return to NeylandStadium in 2021 as the Ole Miss coach.

Afulloffseason removed from Ole Miss, and many yearsintoplaying therole of acollege football villain, Kiffin easily embraceda 30-minuteforay in front of his new fans —including some whowould have told him to “go to hell” just a season ago.

Kiffin’sabilitytowork a room helped him rally LSU boosters andcorporate sponsors to bankroll the No. 1transfer classinthe country.Hemay have been trying to scale back sky-high expectationsWednesday, but Kiffinasked LSU fans to think beyond justthis season.

“It’sactually apretty young team,” he said. “As excited as we arefor this year,Ijustwanted to talk about that. About the building of the future.”

Kiffindisplayedhis comedic timing, capitalizing off of East’spresentation of an LSUfootball calendar from herbirth year,1977. That season ended withLSU’s trip to the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas.

“Something’s changed about what’sagreat season around here,” Kiffin said, drawing more laughs from afan base that was so sickened by Brian Kelly’slack of playoff appearances that he wascanned aftera 5-3 start tolast season.

Kiffin was minimally cautious at the microphone, frequently noting there were TV cameras in the back of theroom, but he keptthings entertaining during aquestion-and-answer session.

He was asked about quarterback SamLeavitt, whomissed most of spring practice as he continued to rehab from aprevious foot surgery.Kiffinsaid the Ari-

LukeJohnson

ing acouple of dartsover the middle of the field to tight end Juwan Johnson Kicker Charlie Smyth took the first reps with the field goal unit,and he connected on each of his fiveattempts withalong coming from about 48 yards. It’s an importantcamp for Smyth, who has to beat out intriguing UFL product Tanner Brown to keep hisjob.Wednesday was an encouraging start.

Rookie Barion Brown was the first one back to receive puntsina groupthat also includedTyson, receiver Trey Palmer andcornerback Quincy Riley.Brown was an electric kickoff returner in college, but he comes to the NFL with little punt return experience. Both Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson had fumbled exchanges with arunning back in Wednesday’spractice.

tainly see that when he’sout there on thefield. We feel great about the situation.”

As for whyKamara’sstatus took so long to resolve, general manager Mickey Loomis said Tuesday that he didn’thaveanexplanation other thanthat talks were “fluid” along the way.But he said Kamara was “great” aboutexpressing hisdesire to stay in New Orleans. Funny enough, Kamara indicated he never had a direct conversationwith Loomis in which he told him howbadly he wanted to keep playingfor theSaints.He did say thefranchise knows him by now

This, after all, will be his 10th season in New Orleans. He has becomepart of the city,tothe point that strangers will invite himtotheir houseorask himwhether he needs anything. They act as if they’ve known him for 20 years.

That created abondthat Kamara wasn’tabout to break.

“This is where Iwanted to be,”hesaid.

PHOTO By MICHAEL BACIGALUPI LSUfootballcoachLane KiffinspeaksataRotaryClub

zona Statetransferhas been “grinding”and moving at a faster pace each day

Kiffin wasasked about the “Wild West” of college football and the Protect College Sports Act, whichthe Big Tenand SEC, including LSU, have opposed in its current form. The questioner wanted to know why.

Kiffin found an outin the term “Wild West” because it can refer to any numberofthorny issues, whether that’s cobblingtogether rosters with an unlimited transfer portal or skyrocketingNIL pay. The questioner failed to specify what he wanted Kiffin to talk about.

“I don’tknow,you don’t know,” Kiffinsaid, to more laughs. “Badquestion, bad answer.”

WhatKiffin very much wanted to talk about was the SEC’smove to aninegameconference slate and how tough it will be to make theCollege FootballPlayoff because the selection committeeisn’trewarding strength of schedule as much as he’d like.

He wanted to talk about the issue so much, he took aquestion about LSU’sspecial teams and veered off in his preferred direction. “There are teams going 10-6 and winningthe Super Bowl,” Kiffinsaid, compar-

ingthe parity of portal-era college football to the NFL. “When you make that parity,(there has to be an) understanding that sometimes the records are going to change, and you have to understand who did you really play,where didyou play them, as youlook at that.Because there’sa big difference.”

Kiffinwas mostprepared fora questionthatseeminglycameout of left field Arethe Tigers usingartificial intelligence to evaluate football players?

Kiffin said he just had ameeting withhis staff aboutitTuesday.He’salso been working out with LSU receivers coach, George McDonald, in the mornings andKiffinlearned McDonald, who is growing increasingly fashionable as he losesweight, is taking picturesofhimself and asking AI how he looks in certain outfits.

“He’slike, hey,” Kiffin said, smiling, “does this go together?” Every joke landed. Every enemy was now an ally,as“go to hell” was replaced by apeace pole.

“I didn’tknow allwe’vegot to do is go to the Sun Bowl to have agreat year,” Kiffin said just aweek before preseason campopens. “It’s going to be apeaceful year.”

Corn soup, sandwich make forsimple supper

BY LINDAGASSENHEIMER

Tribune News Service (TNS)

Iwanted to take advantageofthe sea-

son’sfirst sweet corn on thecob at the market, so Iturned it into alight and flavorful summer corn soup. Fresh corn gives the soup anaturally sweet taste, and it comes together quickly,making it aperfect additionto an easy warm-weather dinner. For even more cornflavor add the de-kernelled cobs to the soup as it simmers. Simply remove the cobsbefore serving. Asimple cheese sandwich completes this vegetarian dinner

To

Summer CornSoup Yields 2servings. Recipe is by Linda Gassenheimer

1. Husk corn and slice the kernels off the cob to make about 2½ cups kernels. Reserve thecobs.

2. Heat oil in alarge sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic Saute 3minutes without browning the onion. Lower heat if onions start to brown

3. Addthe corn kernelsand continue to saute 4minutes. Pour in the broth and reserved corn cobs. Bring toaboil, reduce and simmer 10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, place one slice of cheese onto each bread. Placethe twobread slices under thebroiler or in atoaster oven until the cheese starts to melt, about 2 minutes. Remove and put the two slices together with the cheese on theinside to form acheese sandwich.

5. Cut the sandwich in half andserve onehalf with each bowlofsoup. When thesoup has cooked 10 minutes,transfer it to ablender orpassitthrough afine sieve. The soup will be smooth with some pieces of finely chopped corn.

6. Add the cream and salt and pepper to taste.

7. Divide thesoupbetween twolarge soup bowls. Sprinkle the chopped basil on top. Serve with the cheese sandwich

NUTRITION INFOPER SERVING: 455calories (36 percent fromfat),18.1 gfat (7.5 g saturated, 4.8 gmonounsaturated), 36.8 mg cholesterol, 18.3 gprotein,62.0 gcarbohydrates, 8.2gfiber,391 mg sodium.

Maybe as youwalked outofthe first Ice Water round, it hityou.Maybe it wasadoor that opened —orone that didn’t. Maybe it wasn’t until the next year when youwereonthe other side of the process.Itcould have been amomentstandinginahallway waiting, that youcan still describe in detail years later. We’reinviting readers whowent through sorority recruitment—recentlyordecades ago —totellus about it: What’s the specific moment from Rush week youstill thinkabout? And what did Rush teach youthat you didn’t expect? Send your responseto jan.risher@theadvocate.comby2 p.m Aug. 10.

Farroand Pasta Salad gets dashes of brightnessfrom mint anddepth frombasil. | PHOTO BY

REVIVED HERBS

In thesummer, herbspunch up farrosalad anddrinking vinegars called shrubs

BY KERRI WESTENBERG| Contributingwriter

my little herb garden, oregano stretches out and mint covers onceempty dirt patches like sunbathersseeking available ground at the beach. Rosemary swells into awoody,pinescented mound. Basil towersabove them, big, boldand breezy. This display of summer’s goodness arrives just in time. The sun and heat have melted my brain, making me lethargic and threatening to zap my cooking creativity.Meanwhile, those same forces work wonders on my herbs.They are flourishing.

See

SummerFarro and Pasta Salad

Serves

1. Bring alarge pot of

2.

then the honey

3. Drain the farro-pasta mixture, discard bay leaves, and add to bowlwith dressing, tossing to combine. The farro andpasta will soak up somedressing.

4. When the mixture is cool, fold in the remaining ingredients.

KERRI WESTENBERG

TNS PHOTO By LINDAGASSENHEIMER

On managing everyone else’s feelings

Dear Miss Manners: As women, it is notour job to salvage aman’s ego when he cannot take “no” for an answer.Honestly,weneed to make this point, and loudly: NO MEANS NO.

If someone asks you on a date, it is perfectly OK to say,“That’svery nice of you, but no, thank you.” It is then up to the other person to accept that answer —not to keep pushing and keep asking. It is up to that person to manage THEIR OWN feelings. Women are taught to avoid bruising men’segos;we are expected to manage their feelings, as well as our own. And then we are called “emotional” or “crazy”

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday,July 30

the 211th day of 2026.There are 154 days left in the year

Todayinhistory:

when we react thesame way men often react in certain situations.

Gentle reader: Abit of advice on style —not thesubstance of your point:Any person, male or female, is liable to be called “emotional” when they give their responses out of order or without regard to the other person in adialogue.

anew home, and our terrace affords an excellent view of our local July Fourthfireworks. We invited some friends over for barbecue and fireworks-viewing.

agrown woman,it’snot that hot out here, and she knew it wasan outdoor event when she accepted theinvitation.”

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

It is understandably frustrating—if, unfortunately, all too common —tobeforcedtorepeat essentially identical interactionswith different people. But as Miss Manners trusts you know, yellingatsomeone at thestartis not asolution. Dear Miss Manners: We moved to

Oneofour guestsstayed inside for most of theday due to the heat,while theother guests were in and out all day.Istayed inside with her,and my husband stayed outside. So in attending to her,I neglected the other guests. How better to handle this?

Gentlereader: Did the private conversation withyour husband go somethinglike this?

“Could you look in on her,too, so Ican spend time with theother guests?”

“You don’thave to be in there with her 100% of the time. She’s

Miss Manners does not ask this to malignyour husband, whomay be aperfect host. She is merely borrowing him to makesome valid points —none of which excuse him from splitting the looking-in dutywith you.

Dear Miss Manners: In hot, humid weather,myhands can be quite sticky,and I’mreluctant to offer awet palm when asked to shake hands. What’s the best waytohandle this?Isitrude to try to wipe my hand off first? Should Isay “I’m sorry,but I’msohot” if someone extends their hand?

Gentle reader: Not shaking aproffered hand is rude, and explaining that you have one of several perfectly proper exceptions to this rule is generally not an interesting topic of conversation. As your situation is repairable, it does not fall into the category of reasons not to shake. Say nothing, but first wipe your hand as surreptitiously as you can.

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

On July 30, 1976, Bruce Jenner,now known as CaitlynJenner,set aworld recordof8,618 points and won the gold medal in the Olympic decathlon at the Montreal Summer Games.

Also on this date: In 1619, the first representative assembly in colonialAmerica convened in Jamestown in the Virginia Colony In 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces tried to take Petersburg, Virginia, by exploding agunpowder-laden mine shaftbeneath Confederate defense lines; the attack failed In 1930, Uruguay won the first FIFAWorldCup, defeating Argentina 4-2.

In 1945, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis,having just delivered components of the atomic bomb to Tinian in the Mariana Islands during World WarII, was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine; only316 out of nearly 1,200 service members survived.

In 1956, President DwightD Eisenhower signed ameasure making “In God We Trust”the nationalmotto, replacing “E Pluribus Unum.”

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which led to the creation of Medicare and Medicaid.

In 2008, ex-Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzicwas extraditedtoThe Hague toface genocide charges after nearly 13 years on therun. (Hewas sentenced by aU.N. court in 2019 to life imprisonmentafter being convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.)

In 2013, U.S. Army Pfc. Chelsea Manning was acquitted of aiding the enemy —the most serious charge she faced —but was convicted of espionage, theft and other charges at Fort Meade, Maryland, more than three years after she’d spilled secrets to WikiLeaks.(The former intelligence analyst was later sentenced to upto 35 years in prison, but the sentence was commutedbyPresident Barack Obama.)

In 2016, 16 people died when ahot-air balloon caught fire and exploded after hitting high-tension power lines before crashing into apasture near Lockhart, Texas, northeast of San Antonio.

In 2020, NASA launchedits Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter to Marsaboard an Atlas Vrocket; the helicopter’sinitial flight on Mars was in April 2021.

Today’sbirthdays: FormerMajor League Baseball Commissioner BudSelig is 92.Blues musician Buddy Guy is 90. Singer Paul Anka is 85. Actorand former California Gov.Arnold Schwarzenegger is 79. Actor Jean Reno is 78. Actor Ken Olin is 72. Actor Delta Burke is 70. Law professor Anita Hill is 70. Singer-songwriter Kate Bush is 68. Film director Richard Linklater is 66. Actor Laurence Fishburne is 65. TV personalityAlton Brown is 64. Actor Lisa Kudrow is 63. Basketball Hall of Famer Chris Mullin is 63. Actor Vivica A. Fox is 62. Actor Terry Crews is 58. Actor Simon Bakeris57. Film directorChristopherNolan is 56. Actor TomGreen is 55 Actor Christine Taylor is 55.Actor Hilary Swank is 52. Olympic gold medal beach volleyball player Misty May-Treanor is 49. Actor Jaime Pressly is 49. Alt-country singer-musician Seth Avett is 46.

Basil-RosemaryShrub

Serves about6.RecipebyKerri Westenberg. 1packed cupbasil ½packed cup rosemary 1cup sugar 1cup champagne vinegar

1. In ajar,muddle thebasil and rosemary Add thesugar and muddle together until the mixtureturns fragrant with herbs. Addthe vinegar

2. Place apiece of parchment paper over thejar and screw on thelid, then shake well. (Parchment paper will prevent theacid of the vinegar from corrodingthe lid.)Store in the refrigerator for 3days, shaking fromtimeto time

3. Strain the ingredientsthrough acolanderlined with cheesecloth, return to the jar, andrefrigerate,where it will staygood for months.

4. To serve, pourabout 3tablespoonsofthe shrub into aglass filledwith iceand topwith sparkling water or wine.

HERBS

Continued from page5C

Right now,the fragrant plantsare growing so fast they practically beg to be plucked. At the height of their powers, they taste like theessence of summer.They’reafresh reminderthat the bestflavors of summer require little effort. Forany cook, summer herbs offer thejolt that warmweather meals need. If you don’thave aplot for your own herb garden, try to sniff out aneighbor’sharvest (and promisetorepay the favor with asample of good things to come). Otherwise, farmers’ markets and grocery stores make easy backupsources. The point is, herbs are abundant right now. Don’tmiss the chance to enjoy them at their peak. My mini-garden helped me turn afarro salad into a vibrant taste of theseason.

Strawberry-Basil Shrub

Serves about 12. Recipeinspired by Food52.

1pound strawberries, cleaned and quartered 1packed cup basil 2cups sugar 2cups champagne vinegar

1. In alarge bowl, tossthe strawberries and basil with the sugar,mashing slightly against the side of the bowl.

2. Cover the mixture and set the bowlaside on your counter for two days, stirring occasionally It will yield alovely syrup.

3. After two days, strain the mixture. Discard thesolids, pour thesyrup into ajar and add the vinegar (use moreorless, depending on the level of tartness you prefer).

4. Place apiece of parchmentpaper over the jar,screw on the lid over the parchment, and store in the refrigerator,where it will stay good for months.

5. To serve, pour about3tablespoonsofthe shrubintoa glass and top with sparkling water or wine.

sweet-tart, colorful and refreshing drinking vinegars that arefar betterthan they sound. To make acooling summer drink, pour the shrub one-quarterofthe wayinto an ice-filled glass and top with sparkling water or sparkling wine.They alsomix well with liquor

Dear Heloise: Iuse baking soda to absorb odors in my refrigerator.I replace the box about every

months, but instead of tossing out aperfectly

box, Iuse the

The hearty salad gets dashes of brightness from mintand depthfrom basil. It’s like eating the color green, grounded in nutty farro and tender orzo pasta. To splash thatsamecelebrationofsummer into aglass, I made twoshrubs. These are

One shrub,made with basil and rosemary,provides awonderful backdrop for gin and is sturdy enough to stand up to bourbon. The other,avibrant pink blend of strawberries and basil, balances perky fruit withanherbalkick. Herb-only shrubs require aslightly different approach than those made withnaturally juicy fruit, but both are simple to make. Get the basics down, and you can easily mix and match fruit and herbs foravariety of flavor profiles. These recipes are my reminder that while summer can drain us, it also gives us some of the year’sinvigorating flavors. All we have to do is pick them.

maining contents to

that

on. He’scutting teeth right now It doesn’tkill bacteria, but it does agreat job of removing dirt, dust and saliva from his toys. Ihave to scrub his toys nearly every day The leftover baking soda also does agreat job on my pots and pans, in the laundry on my husband’swork clothes, and on washable rugs. What agreat product! It has so manyuses and costs so little. And thank you forall the helpful hints in your column. —Juliana T.,inAlbuquerque, New Mexico Aknocked-out tooth

DearHeloise: For years, my mother read the “Hints From Heloise” columnand enjoyed the many hints she found that made her life alittle easier.Now I’m writing to ask aquestion. My son plays on ajunior football team. One of the boys accidentally got atooth knocked out while they were playing agame. If my son, who is only 12, gets a tooth knocked out, is there any way to save the tooth and have the dentist reinstall it? —Kimberly H.,inSt. Paul,Minnesota Kimberly,ifit’sapermanent tooth, drop the tooth in aglass of milk and rush your son and his tooth to adentist. There are manyvariables to reinstalling atooth, but only your dentist would know after examining the tooth and the spot where it came from. Remember,you need to get to adentist immediately —Heloise Herb garden in kitchen

Dear Heloise: Ihonestly believe that fresh herbs makeabig difference in how food tastes. In the summer months, Igrow herbs in my garden, but all year-round, Ialso grow herbs in my kitchen. I’mlucky enough to have ahusband whomade aframethat holds 18 special pots, where Ican grow my herbs in asunny spot right in my kitchen. There’snothing like astew or ahomemade soup that is madewith fresh herbs. Imay have aspecial herb rack, but anyone can grow herbs in their kitchen on awindowsill, or in apretty pot of any kind in any room of their house. Tryit, and you’ll never buy another dried-up herb again! Emma V.,inSpringfield,Missouri Emma, Ilove to grow my own herbs. Ithink it’sahealthy,natural waytocook. My kitchen always smells of rosemary and lavender —Heloise

Email heloise@heloise.com.

Hints from Heloise

PHOTOSByKERRI WESTENBERG

Shrubs aresweet-tart, colorful and refreshing drinking vinegars.

Basil plants thriveinfull sun, perfect to grow during ahot Louisiana summer

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) The experiences you encounter willhelp you decide what youwant to pursuenext. An interestingpartnership will develop if you participate in amovementthathas an impact on something that's meaningful to you.

VIRGo(Aug.23-sept. 22) Chill. If you focus on the people, conversationsand the chaos going on around you, you'llbe disappointed in what you accomplish Do something that makes you feel good about yourself

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Lettingothers observe whoyou are andwhatyou can accomplish will lead to positive options and lifestyle changes thatallowyou to do moreofwhat you enjoy while making aprofit.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov.22) Slow down andobserve what others are doing. Distance yourself from people and situations that stifle your ability to advance. Letyourthoughtsand actions guide you.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Don't get angry; moving is what will getyou back on track.Takepride in how you look andpresent yourself to others. Pay attention to details, costs andwhatwill boostyour confidence.

cAPRIcoRn(Dec.22-Jan. 19) Do what's bestfor you. Stop letting others pressure you into doing things thatinfringe on your time and goals. It'sOKtosay no and to take the journey that is conducive to people and pastimesthat bring you joy.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) You have no timefor negativity.Move forward with apositive frame of mind and the intent to look,feel and do your best.Take advantage of opportunities.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March20) The time you spend with someone you find uplifting will provide motivationtodowhat pleases you. Refuse to get caught up in someoneelse's drama or to try to fix everyone else'sproblems

ARIEs (March 21-April 19) More action and less talk will make thebest statement and receive the most accolades. Pay attention to detail, and broaden your interests andyouraudience.

tAuRus (April 20-May 20) Keep your eye on your target, notonwhatothers say or do.Trying to appease everyonewill be your downfall. Put lack of restraint aside and focusonefficiency

GEMInI(May21-June 20) Avoid arguments and situationsthatare counterproductive. You have so much to gain if youfocus on what'simportanttoyou and distance yourself from thosetrying to botheryou

cAncER (June 21-July 22) Sticktoyour principles and thelifestyle that puts your mind at ease. Refuse to be afollower or to think someoneknows what youneed better than youknowyourself. Trust your instincts.

Thehoroscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientificfact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc dist. By

Andrews McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Ciphercryptograms are created from quotations by famous people, past and present. Each letterinthe cipher stands foranother. toDAy's cLuE: oEQuALsI

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona 9x9 gridwith severalgiven numbers The object is to place thenumbers 1to9inthe emptysquares so that each row,eachcolumn and each 3x3 box contains thesame number onlyonce.The difficultylevelofthe Sudoku increasesfromMonday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THe wiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

Bridge

By PHILLIPALDER

Albert Einstein said, “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” You are in ano-trump contract and the opponents lead asuitinwhich you have only one top-trick stopper.(This is usually the ace, but might be the king if third hand takes thefirst trick with theace.) How long do youhold up thatstopper?

In this example deal,Southisinthree no-trump. Whatshould he do after West leadshis fourth-highest spade and East puts up the queen?

Declarer has seven toptricks: one spade, oneheart, four diamonds and one club. The other two winners will come from clubs, but if that finesse loses, the defenders might take five black-suit tricks first.

How long should declarer hold up his spadeace?Toanswerthatquestion,typically he appliesthe Rule of Seven. He adds togetherthe number of cards in the suit led that are in the dummy andhis hand. He subtracts the totalfrom seven and holdsupfor that number of rounds.

Here, six from seven is one. So South ducks the first trick, takes the second trick with his spade ace, and runs the club 10. It loses, but the contract is safe.

wuzzles

Notetwo things.First, if East has a third spade, the suit would be breaking 4-3and declarer would lose onlythree spades and one club. Second, if South ducks tworounds of spades, West ought toshifttotheheartking.Thenthedefenders will take twospades, twoheartsand one club. ©2026 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. Forexample:NOONGOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InstRuctIons: 1. Words mustbeoffour or moreletters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional wordsmade by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

toDAy’s WoRD onEIRIc: oh-NYE-rik:Dreamy

Average mark12words

Time limit 25 minutes

Can you find 23 or more words in ONEIRIC?

yEstERDAy’s WoRD —KILLDEER

keel kill

like deer dele deli

dill

drill eider eked elder elide reed reek reel relied ride rile

Lord, Lord, and do not the

loCKhorNs

As one man said, youcan’t saynoLordand mean both words. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

BUSINESS

xAI

sues Minn. over ‘nudification’ ban

Elon Musk’scompany xAI has sued Minnesota over the state’s first-in-the-nation law that bans “nudification” technologyon websites and apps, potentially providing atestfor howfar states can go in constitutionally regulating theuse of artificial intelligence.

Musk’scompany sued Monday in federal court, days beforethe lawisset to take effect Saturday and makeMinnesota the first state to try to outlaw theincreasingly proliferating technology that letspeople use AI to create fake nude images of real people. The law was signed in May

In the 38-page lawsuit, xAI —whose AI modelchatbot and image generator Grokis available on thesocial media platform known as X, formerly Twitter,and elsewhere —said it doesnot contest the state’s interest in banning the distributionofAI-generated nude imagesofreal people without theirconsent. ButitsaidMinnesota’s law “extends farbeyond that goal,” banning many constitutionally protectedimages and video and subjecting the company to apenalty of $500,000 per violation.

The lawsuit argues thereis no “safe harbor” provision for companies that make good faith efforts to prevent such images from being created by users, and thatitcovers images that were consented to by the depicted person, or even created by that person.

It also says the law’sdefinitionof“intimate part” is overly broad, coveringbodyparts that are routinelydisplayed in public The law is distinct from state and federal laws that outlaw deepfakes, AI-generatedsexually explicit images of people without their consent. Those laws typically penalizethe people who use the tools to make these images, not the makers of the tools themselves The federalTake it Down Act, passedlast year,also requires websitesand apps to implementaprocess to removethose images.

Musk launches X Money via invite only NEW YORK Elon Musk’ssocial mediacompany X, formerly known as Twitter,launched its ownbank account-like product where users cansend moneytoone another

The service, known as X Money,isnot anew bank. X Money is using technologyand banking services providedby CrossRiverBank, and branding that backbone as XMoney It is common for new financial companies to use atraditional bank’s backbone to launch its services, as chartering anew bank is atimely and costly process. Currently XMoney is invite only,and users will receive a “X”-branded Visa debitcard that is useable at any ATM. Users of Xwill be able to send money to other Xusersinrealtime, the company said. Invitationsare only availabletoX’s paying members presently In order to attract customers, XMoney is offering a6%yield on depositsand 3% cashback on eligible purchases. In order to earn the 6% yield, acustomer wouldneedtodepositatleast $1,000 into an account.Customers wouldalsohave to be signed up forX’s premium services, which is at least $8 amonth. It would require at least adeposit of $1,600 in order to cover X’s premium services cost. Musk has long talked about turning Xinto an “everything app” that would include financial services Musk has his origins in financialservices, creating one of the first online banks under the brand X.com. That company was later bought and merged intowhatisnow known as PayPal.

Fedleavesinterest rate unchanged; 3dissent

Warshpraises ‘goodfamily fight’

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The Federal Reserveleftits keyinterest rate unchanged Wednesday,although three officials dissented in favor of higherrates as thecentral bank wrestles with how to deal with persistently high inflation

The Fed’srate-setting committee reachedits decision after two days of deliberations, marking the fifthstraight meeting at which thebenchmark rate waskeptat around 3.6%.

Some economists andWall Street analysts had predicted the Fedwould hike itsrate by aquarterpoint. But while the decision to stand pat could be seen as good news for consumers, they might notfeelmuchreliefwiththe average credit card rate still near 20% and mortgagerates the highest since last August.

Inflation has been stuck above the centralbank’s2%target for more than fiveyears.The Iran war has generated uncertainty over the economic outlook and has driven energy prices higher, intensifyinginflationary pressure andcreating aquandaryfor Fedpolicymakers. In addition, thevast amounts of money being spent by technology companies on artificial intelligence areboth driving manufacturing andhave resultedinincreased prices for items such as computer chips and electricity.President Donald

Trump’stariffs on foreign goods arealso adding to inflation pressures.

The threeofficials whodissented —Beth Hammack, president of theFederal Reserve Bank of Cleveland; Neel Kashkari,president of the Minneapolis Fed; and Lorie Logan, president of the DallasFed —had previously called fororsignaledthattheywould be open to raising rates to combat high prices

“The dissents send aclear message: The Fedisnot yet convinced theinflation battlehas been won,” said Seema Shah, chief global strategistatPrincipal Asset Management.

At anews conference following the rate decision, FedChair Kevin Warsh reiteratedthe Fed’scommitment to combatinginflation.

At the same time, Warsh said, “We have no magic wand. This isn’t something we’re going to be able to carry out in days or weeks.”

Warsh said he welcomed vigorous debate at the committee meeting. “I askedfor agood family fight and Igot one,”hetoldreporters at anewsconference.

Warsh, who wasappointed by President Donald Trump, has sought to bring anumber of changestothe Fed including giving financial markets fewer signals about the Fed’sthinking on interest rates. He said he believed that reticence wasafactor in the bond marketpushing up yields in thepastfew weeksasitweighed neweconomic data

The market is “learning to play theball and not the referee,” Warsh said.

BY STAN CHOE

Press

Associated

NEWYORK— Oilprices gotback to jumping on Wednesday, while sinking technology stocks dragged Wall Street lower amid uncertainty about what the Federal Reserve will do to gethigh inflation under control.

The action was more decisive in the oil market, where the priceofBrent crude leaped 7.3% to settle at $88.09 per barrel after fighting resumed in the war with Iran andraisedworries about the global flow of oil. Brent oil’sprice had swung as low as $72 early this month and as high as $102 last weekon uncertaintyabout whether the United States andIran could reach adeal to allowoil tankers to movefreely again from the Middle East to customers worldwide.

The swings have raised worries that inflation will reaccelerate, and traders came into the day betting on aroughly 34% probabilitythatthe Fed would raise itsmaininterest rate in the afternoon, according to data from CME Group.

Higher rates can keep alid on inflation, but they can also slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments.

Fedofficials instead voted to keep the federal funds rate steady,though three members of thepolicymaking committee did wanttoraise rates.

BYCHANHO-HIM Associated Press

HONG KONG The U.S. Federal Communications Commission is banning imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots and power inverters, citing national security risks, in amove that targets China. Beijing quickly accused theU.S.ofprotectionism

The measures arelikely to test relations with Beijing ahead of aplanned U.S. visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping to meet withU.S. President Donald TrumpinSeptember.China dominatesthe global market for humanoid robots withanestimated market share of roughly 85%.

TheFCC’sban also includes newimports of quadruped robots, often referred to as four-legged robot dogs. The agency said importsofadvancedrobots pose cybersecurity and other national security risks. Offshore production of such equipment also leaves U.S. supply chains vulnerable to disruptions. The ban on power inverters, which are used to convert direct current (DC) electricity intoalternating current(AC)electricity and are used in renewable energysystems,

datacentersand household appliances, could have sweeping ramifications.

Latest in U.S. restrictions

FCC chair Brendan Carr said Tuesday that themovewas to “secure America’scritical supply chains.” He saidthe bans applyto “new versions” of such imports.

The FCC’sbans follow aslew of U.S. restrictionsonimports of Chineseproducts, including drones, and on exports of U.S. advanced technology to China.

The U.S. is also weighing controls on use of Chinese open-sourceartificial intelligence models at atime when Chinese AI is rapidly gaining ground.

“It’sasteady drumbeat of potential flashpoints heading into(the) Trump-Xi summit planned for September,” said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at the New America think tank focused on Chinese technology policies. China has been rapidly expanding the use of robots, withpolicies supporting itstechnology sector.Morgan Stanleyanalystsforecast its market for humanoids could reach $15 billion by 2030.

“Chinesemanufacturers have been scaling

production andreducingcosts faster than mostoverseas competitors,” saidanalyst Kangyuxiao Li at Morningstar

“Restricting their access to the U.S. removes an important future market and protects U.S. developers from potential price competition,” he said. “However,itwill not materially slowChina’s overallhumanoid development,giventhe size of itsdomestic manufacturing base and opportunitiesin other export markets.”

Of the around 15,000 humanoid robots shipped globally in 2025, Unitree and AGIBOT,two of China’s largest advanced roboticscompanies,each shippedmorethan 5,000. Their U.S.counterparts, like Tesla and FigureAI, each shippeda fewhundred or less, according to the technology research and advisory group Omdia.

On therestrictions on power inverters, Cheng Wang, another Morningstar analyst, said thepressureonU.S.markets should be limited. The ban appears to not impact the continued use of existing devices nor the selling by Chinese companies of models thatwerepreviously approvedbythe United States.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMARK SCHIEFELBEIN

Federal Reserve Board Chair Kevin Warsh speaks at aWednesdaynews conference at theFederal Reserve in Washington.

Musk