The Acadiana Advocate 08-03-2026

SPAWNING SUCCESS

ScientistSolomon David holds agarfish after taking a finclipping in Wilkinson County,Miss., on Thursday.The restoration efforts at Loch Leven, Miss., led by the Nature Conservancy,supports the growth of alligator gar populationsand demonstrates the importance of floodplain habitats in the ecosystem’shealth.

Alligatorgar,oncecalled‘trash fish,’ nowsignal ahealthy ecosystemonthe MississippiRiver

BYALEXLUBBEN Staff writer

LOCH LEVEN, Miss.— Acast net spread out like aspiderweb over murky waters, hung for amoment and dropped. Charles Vaughan hauled it in and found what he’d traveled 1,000 miles for: ababy fish.

Thealligator garwas already more than afoot long at about 2months old, armored in hard scales with apointed snout full of sharp teeth. The species can live for acentury and grow to more than7 feet long.

“They’ve got super fast growth rates,” said Solomon David, aprofessor of aquatic ecology at the University of Minnesota who calls himself “the gar guy.” Under the right conditions, these fish can grow to over 2feet long within ayear.“The right conditions arebasically like here,” Davidsaid.

The alligator gar is what ateam of researchers Vaughan and David, along with Gabby Gonzales and Luxi Feyereisen, all with the University of Minnesota system —spent ahot morninginJulywading through theshallow waters at Loch Leven to find.

LAFAYETTE

Downtown redevelopment plan moving forward

Veto showsneedfor new approach,DDA head says

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

Adowntown redevelopment planwillstill happen despite the issue getting vetoed by Lafayette Mayor-President Monique Boulet, said Downtown Development AuthorityCEO Kevin Blanchard.

Speaking at aWednesday event of downtown stakeholders and others, Blanchard said he initially sought to request City Council members vote to override the veto but then backed off.Now, almost four months later,hesaid the matter could use adifferent approach.

In the meantime, private investors have come on board to support what was the $1 million Downtown-Urban Core Redevelopment Plan that focusedonputting underutilized spaces back into commerce, parking, parks in the downtownarea, transportation and mobility “The fact that there wasaveto meansthat Idid not do my job,” he said. “I didn’thave the right conversations (and) as many conversationsas Ineeded to.The bottom line is youhave to convince people, and there’snoshortcut forthat.” That council initially voted 4-1 to fund half the initiative, but Boulet vetoed it because it lacked legal review and granted broad authority to the DDAwithout LafayetteConsolidatedGovernmentoversight.

ä See DOWNTOWN, page 4A

BY SAM MEDNICK Associated Press

TEL AVIV,Israel— Israel has shared “serious security concerns” with theWhiteHouse regarding the proposed disarmament deal with Hamas, an Israeli official said as Israeli strikes overnight and into Sunday evening killed at least 17 people, including children, in Gaza.

And they found one, a sign that arestorationeffort here is working. At Loch Leven, a6,000acre former farm surrounded by alevee built before theCivil War, the Nature Conservancy led aproject to reconnect the waters of theMississippi River with part of its natural floodplain,orthe land that the river onceflooded.

behind an oxbowlake— LakeMary, which curves in ahorseshoearound the property.The riverkept flooding this land until the 19th century,whena levee was built in aringaround it so it could be farmed for cotton.

Centuries ago, the river ran through here. In 1776, it cut off the bend, leaving

ä See SUCCESS, page 4A

The remarks by Doron Spielman, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu’soffice, weresome of thefirstpublic comments since President Donald Trump announced the agreement.

Spielman toldThe Associated Pressthat Israel’s intelligenceassessment is thatHamas remains committed to rebuilding itsmilitary rather than genuinely demilitarizing. He said the Israeli military would not withdraw from Gaza —where it controls morethan 60% of the territory —before Hamas disarms. “Our assessment is thatifweredeploybefore

The Narrowsand the Mississippi River are seen in Wilkinson County,Miss., as scientist Solomon David and his teamofstudents collect garonThursday.

Blanchard

BRIEFS

Brazil’s Lula launches reelection bid

SAO PAULO What is very likely to be the last reelection bid of Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was confirmed on Sunday by his Workers’ Party as the 80-year-old leader faces increasing pressure from foreign leaders ahead of October’s elections. It will be his seventh race for the top job.

Lula’s rival, Sen. Flávio Bolsonaro, has enjoyed open support from members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, Argentina’s President Javier Milei and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Brazil’s president said in his party convention speech he wants to boost his country’s defense industry, protect its rare minerals, and claimed “no Chinese, no American, no French will touch” these resources without respecting the South American nation’s sovereignty

Suicide bomber strikes Pakistan rally

PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A suicide bomber targeted protesters at an antimilitant rally in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, killing at least 14 people, mostly civilians and police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others, officials said.

The attack happened in Kabal, a town in Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where demonstrators had gathered near a police station, chanting antimilitant slogans and demanding peace, district police chief Omar Khan said.

According to witnesses shortly before the attack, speakers at the rally said that ensuring security and eliminating militancy were the state’s responsibility They also accused authorities of failing to act decisively against militants, saying residents wanted to live without fear after years of violence that devastated the region.

Police official Omar Khan said at least nine civilians and five officers were among the dead.

AI draws boos at German festival

BERLIN An experiment with artificial intelligence at the annual Richard Wagner festival in the southeastern German town of Bayreuth drew boos from the audience after producing a staging that appeared to leave some spectators confused.

Curator Marcus Lobbes and his team were greeted with boos and whistles as they took to the stage at the end of Saturday evening’s performance of “Götterdämmerung,” German news agency dpa reported. However, there was warm applause for the singers and musicians, and particularly for conductor Christian Thielemann.

Festival organizers said ahead of the performance that it would be the first time AI took part on stage at the event, “not as a character, but as an image-generating force.” They said that singers would be “the fixed point within a visually seething cosmos of light, texture, history and association, amidst projections that erupt, constantly shift, and merge into one another.”

The AI-assisted projections included scenes from previous performances of Wagner’s “Ring” cycle and historical themes, and drew from images pre-selected by Lobbes, the director of the Academy for Theater and Digitality in Dortmund, and his team.

The collage that the technology projected on stage puzzled the audience, dpa reported, with images including former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, the towers of the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and a special postage stamp marking German reunification in 1990.

Police: Suspected shooter killed self

Man found shortly after 3 die in Idaho fast-food restaurant gunfire

By The Associated Press

TWIN FALLS, Idaho

The suspect in a fatal shooting at a fast-food restaurant in Idaho died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said Sunday, crediting an off-duty officer and a citizen with firing shots that diverted him.

Investigators are confident that the gunman, identified as 24-year-old Chad Williams, acted alone during the shooting Saturday in Twin Falls, Police Chief Matthew Hicks said at a news conference In all, three people died and seven others were injured at the recently opened restaurant in the southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people.

Authorities said Sunday that two of the injured were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two were in critical condition.

Hicks said an off-duty state trooper and an armed citizen whose

identities weren’t immediately disclosed — both fired back and diverted the gunman from the restaurant

“We believe their actions helped drive the suspect away from the scene, preventing further casualties,” the chief said. “We want to take a moment and commend the actions of the off-duty officer and the citizen, and their heroic action to stop this incident.”

Hicks said detectives are working to determine Williams’ motives, and said the suspect’s family was cooperating fully with law enforcement.

He also warned of misinformation spreading online identifying a different man as the shooter saying the man had “no involvement in this incident whatsoever.”

One of those killed was an employee, the fast-food chain’s owner said.

“My heart is broken my chest is heavy, my eyes burn from the tears I’ve shed. We lost one of our beautiful Associates tonight,” In-N-Out

owner Lynsi Snyder said in a statement released early Sunday on social media. “In-N-Out will be mourning with the families and praying for them as they tread through a very painful season.”

The FBI on Sunday encouraged the public to submit images and videos related to the shooting Saturday in Twin Falls that left seven other people wounded, some critically

The In-N-Out had opened just about a week earlier, on July 24, as part of the California-based company’s recent expansion to Idaho.

Snyder did not identify the worker

Officials were still trying to notify relatives of victims and so were not yet releasing the names ages or other details about the people hurt in the shooting, Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Saturday

Police who responded to the shooting found the body of the suspected gunman in an area near the restaurant, Palmer said.

Palmer said investigators were interviewing witnesses to the shooting. The restaurant is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when it happened around 2 p.m.

Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a stoplight near the In-N-Out when he saw a person with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter

He then saw someone in an InN-Out uniform drag a person, also wearing a uniform, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her

“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know I hope she made it,” Koehn said.

He said the shooter fired at least three or four rounds and it was not clear whether or not anyone in particular was targeted.

Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.

Hundreds of thousands line Amsterdam canals

Boat parade held week after deadly Berlin Pride fest attack

BY MIKE CORDER Associated Press

AMSTERDAM Hundreds of thousands of people lined Amsterdam’s canals on Saturday to watch the city’s canal boat parade, the highlight of an annual Pride festival that this year comes just a week after a deadly attack on a Pride event in Berlin.

Openly gay Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten, dressed in a white shirt, black life vest and gold necklace, waved to crowds as he sailed in a small boat through the colorfully decorated parade of 80 vessels, waving to participants and spectators as techno music pumped from speakers along the route.

The colorful floating parade came a week after the Berlin attack left one person dead and 29 injured A suspect, Abdul Ballout, was suspected of driving a van into a crowd near the festival Saturday night before apparently stabbing others with a machete in what authorities believe was an Islamic extremist attack.

Ballout was shot and killed by police during a confrontation on July 26 in a suburb of the city, authorities said. Jetten, the first Dutch prime minister to take part in the boat parade, said in a video posted on X that the event was more important than ever because worldwide the freedom and se-

curity of the LGBTQ+ community “is under pressure with new discriminatory legislation, lack of safety on the street or last week’s terrible attack in Berlin.”

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in the aftermath of the German attack that authorities in the city would “where necessary take extra measures that visitors will hopefully notice as little as possible.”

Motorboats carrying police officers cruised the canals and a helicopter hovered overhead as Saturday’s pa-

rade got underway

The Berlin attack also cast a shadow Saturday over Hamburg’s Pride parade, one of Germany’s biggest, where increased security was noticeable as dozens of trucks made their way through Germany’s second-biggest city Police and organizers said about 300,000 attended, compared with about 260,000 people last year, German news agency dpa reported. Hamburg’s police chief said earlier this week that roughly twice as many officers as last year would protect the event.

Ukrainian drones kill 5 in Russia, set fire to Wildberries warehouse

By The Associated Press

Ukrainian drone strikes killed at least five people across Russia, also hitting industrial sites and a further warehouse belonging to Russia’s e-commerce giant Wildberries, local officials said. Wildberries, Russia’s largest online marketplace, is sometimes described as the country’s answer to Amazon In under two weeks, Ukraine has struck over a dozen of the retailer’s depots, part of Kyiv’s aerial campaign aimed at undermining Moscow’s war effort, hurting its economy and making people feel the consequences of the Kremlin’s all-out invasion of Ukraine.

Russian air defenses overnight shot down 635 Ukrainian drones, including over occupied Crimea and the

Black and Azov Seas, ac-

cording to the Defense Ministry in Moscow The ministry did not say how many were launched or struck targets. Meanwhile, Russia attacked Ukraine with 133 drones during the night, 24 of which hit targets, according to the Ukrainian air force. Later on Sunday, separate Russian attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv killed at least two people, according to local officials.

Ukrainian drones targeted a Wildberries warehouse in the Samara region, some 500 miles from the RussianUkrainian border, according to local Gov Vyacheslav Fedorishchev He said a fire had broken out but there were no casualties.

Kyiv’s campaign against

Wildberries first hit the company’s sites in Elektrostal, just east of Moscow and in the Tambov region July 18. Strikes followed on facilities across western and southern Russia, as well as Russian-held Crimea. At least nine people have been killed and scores wounded.

Two people were killed as a Ukrainian drone struck a residential building in the Saratov region east of Samara, local. Gov Roman Busargin said. He added that the strikes damaged civil infrastructure in Engels, where the deaths took place, and the regional capital, Saratov

Both cities have been frequent targets for Ukrainian attacks in recent years. Engels hosts a military airbase, while Saratov is home to a large oil refinery

Classified Advertising: 225-383-0111 •Mon-Fri 8-5

Subscribe: theadvocate.com/subscribe E-Edition: theadvocate.com/eedition

Archives: theadvocate.newsbank.com

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By PATRICK POST

People celebrate atop a boat on one of the Dutch capital’s historic canals Saturday during the Canal Parade, the most popular event of the Pride Amsterdam festival.

Wash. firesforce evacuation of 5,000homes

BY JOHN HANNA Associated Press

About 5,000 homes havebeen evacuated and about 600homes, businessesand other buildings have been destroyed by wildfires that remained uncontainedSunday in eastern Washingtonstate, authorities said.

The fires burned morethan 8.2 square miles around Spokane,the second largest city in Washington, and were among dozens across the western U.S. —stretchingthe ability of federal, state and local agencies to fight them. No deaths have yet been reported from thefires in the Spokane area.

Meanwhile, crews using bulldozers and helicopters continued for the 10th day to fight afire that has burned nearly 525 squaremiles of grassland in western Idaho and eastern Oregon.The area is home to cattle ranches, and authorities said the fire is threatening more than 600 homes and 800other structures.

The National Weather Service issued warnings about the air quality in eastern Washington, eastern Oregon, western and central Idaho and western Montana. It issued red flag fire warnings for parts

of Utah and Montana and western Nebraska, and extreme heat warnings for the southern parts of Arizona, California and Nevada andnorthern Montana. There were three fires in the Spokane area:the Old Trails Fire,

theFairview Fireand theMeadowview Fire, and the state issued air quality warnings. Washington Gov.Bob Ferguson declared a state of emergency Saturday,and theNational Weather Service issued a“particularly dangerous

situation” red flag alert for eastern Washington Benjamin Cossel, public information officer forthe federalresponse team from California, said that as it gets warmer during the day,cool airthat’snow closer to

theground andkeepingwinds at baywill rise,allowing thosewinds to move through the area. The Spokane Rivercuts through the city of about229,000 people,and thereare steepcanyons on both sidesthatchannelthe wind.

“They push the fire through thecanyons,up, up theslopes, andthenoutside theslopesand around,” he said. “It’svery,very hilly,very, very steep slopes, alot of canyons that create really turbulent, really challenging sort of wind scenarios.”

Authorities in Spokane set up a shelteratthe city’smainconventioncenter.

Several larger fires continued to burn in less populated areas northwestofSpokane, including one about 80 milesfrom Spokane that hasburnedabout 210 square miles. Another fire in eastern Oregon, about 70 miles to the northwest in the Stinkingwater Mountains, has burned about 336 square miles.

“The whole northwest is heavily impacted right now,” said Keila Vizcarra,the spokesperson for the federal team from California handling what’sbeen named the BigGrass Fire in western Idaho andeastern Oregon.

Trumpholds off Iran strikesonpledge Hormuz deal is close

BY ELTAFNAJAFIZADA, SARA GHARAIBEH and DANWILLIAMS

Bloomberg News (TNS)

President Donald Trump said he’sholding offdelivering new strikes on Iran,after Tehran and other Middle Eastern powers told him they’re working on an agreementthat mightquickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz Trump said he’dagreed to cancelthe attack,“subject to being able to rapidly make aDEAL,” according to apost on Truth Social. “Get to work, everybody,and get it DONE.”

The announcement marks amoment of potential respite after days of escalating tensions that saw Trump preparing to hit the Islamic Republic “very hard” in abid to bring an end to aconflict that’snow in its sixth month. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchisaid Sunday on Telegram that negotiations between Iran and Oman are in thefinal stages. The two countries that flank the strait are discussing a new route through it, butthe talks don’tcover whether the strait will be closed or open, Araghchi spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in an interview on Iranian state-run TV Baghaei blamed the U.S. for the waterway being closedto shipping traffic.

Waves of tit-for-tat Iranian attacks on American allies have targeted countries across the Middle East, while Tehran’seffective closure of the Strait of Hormuz —a global shipping chokepoint —has driven sharp swings in energy prices.

The U.S. was asked “to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of adeal has been agreed to,” Trump said in his post on Saturday “This would include the Immediate, Complete, and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT,and an end to Iran’snuclear threat.”

Iran’ssemi-official Fars news agency,which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Trump’sclaim of halting attacks was a“repeated retreat from threats.” Axios reported earlier that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had urged Trump to refrain from new strikes. The official Saudi news agency saidSunday the kingdom’sdefacto ruler had stressed to Trump the need for dialog to deescalate tensions.

Israel, which launched thewar alongside the U.S. but wasn’tparty to an initial Washington-Iran peace deal in June, is waiting out the latest diplomatic push, according to amember of Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu’ssecurity cabinet, Zev Elkin. There’s“some kind of vec-

tor towardanagreement between Iran and Oman,” he told local Army Radio on Sunday.The two nations held discussions lastmonththat sought to reopen the Hormuz strait.

Elkin expressed skepticism: “We’llall wait to see if this vector really does become afull agreement, andwhetheritwill be implemented and whereit’sall leading.”

Trump met with Netanyahu at the White House last week, theirfirstmeeting since the Iran war began in late February.The Israelipremiersaid they’d discussedoptions for pursuing the campaign.

The prospectofyet more attackshad ratcheted up worries in the region, where Iranianstrikeshavethreatened energy facilities in countries including Saudi Arabia, Qatar andKuwait.

Brentcrude ended last week above $90 abarrel, compared with below $72 a barrelatthe start ofJuly.

MajorOPEC+ nations on Sunday agreed in principle to another token increasein their production quotasfor September. The move would complete thetheoretical revivalofsupplies haltedin 2023 and give scope toadd more barrelsonce theMiddle East war ends.

U.S. embassies acrossthe region on Saturday warned Americans to be prepared for flight cancellations, periodic airspace closures and other travel disruptions as tensions remained elevated.

AU.S.-Iran truce brokeredinJunecollapsed last month, though the two sides pausedstrikes again in late Julytogive diplomacy another chance. Thatlull ended Tuesday night when Tehran carried out what Trump described as asurpriseattack, firing multiple ballistic missiles at aU.S.military base in Jordan.

Araghchi heldseparate calls with his Saudi and Turkish counterpartsand Pakistan’sarmychiefbefore Trump’sannouncement on Saturday. He warnedagainst any “adventurous actions by the U.S. military,” saying Iran was “fully prepared” to respond “decisively.”

Araghchi also told Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud any regional cooperationwith theU.S would draw adecisive and appropriate response from Iran’sarmedforces,accordingto aTelegrampostfrom the IslamicRepublic’s ForeignMinistry. Iranian-backed Houthis rebels in Yemenhave recently opened anew frontin thewar,threatening shipping in the Red Sea near the Bab el-Mandeb,another shipping bottleneck.

Writers Salma El Wardany and Chelsea Mescontributedtothis story

Helicopter collisionnearAthenskills 2

Wildfirescontinue to rage in Europe

BY ELENA BECATOROS and THOMAS ADAMSON Associated Press

ATHENS,Greece TwoGreek firefighting helicopters collided in midair on Sunday as they were battlingawinddrivenwildfire west of Athens, sending oneaircraft crashing to theground. Two crew members, aGreek and aDanish national, diedinthe crash.

Thecollision laid bare the dangeratthe most volatile front of Europe’swildfire emergency.Strongwinds droveflames deeperintothe region of the Greek capital andforced fresh evacuations, France guarded astillburning scar four times the size of Paris, while Spain’s major fires stopped advancing.

The aircraft were Bell helicoptersoperating over the Psatha area westofAthens, each with atwo-person crew.Foreign firefighting andhelicopter crews are

often deployedinGreece to help tackle wildfiresduring the country’shot, dry summers. The two crew members whowere recovered alive

Ceutagrappleswithaftermath

Most migrants leaveSpanish territory

BY SUMAN NAISHADHAM Associated Press

CEUTA, Spain Ceuta over theweekend no longer looked like acity on edge, but residentswerestill rattled by the eventsof theweek.

Most of the60,000 migrants who swam, scrambled and later charged intothe tiny Spanish exclave in North Africa this week hadwalkedback to Morocco by Sunday, but some stayed on in thehills surrounding the city.Spanish authorities continuedsearching for bodies in the watersnear the stretchofurban beach that tensofthousand of migrants hadbreached days earlier Shops in Ceutareopened, and the usual blend of residents and tourists in the city of 84,000 were fillingthe open-air terraces,restaurantsand cafes.

At least72migrants died, including some who drowned and others who were killed in astampede to crossa breakwater barrier,Spanish authorities said Sunday.Morocco reported 11 deathsonits side of the border,but it wasn’timmediately clear if these were in addition to those reported by Spain. The kingdom’sauthorities blamed misinformation andhumantraffickers for the breach, adding that they were opening an investigation into the events.

Butthe citythat prides itself on being home to four cultures was still grappling with the aftermath of theborder surge, with locals disagreeing on

what caused it andwho exactly is to blame.

“It’snot the young men’s fault,” said Mohamad Abdelkader Driss, 44, awaiter at afish restaurant in town.

“If youopen theborder,of courseeveryone comes in, but the young menaren’tto blame. Theauthoritiesare responsible.”

Some migrantswho returnedtoMorocco described aborder that was effectively open and said authorities did little as they watched thousands of people cross.

Theunauthorized arrivals on Thursdayand Friday of 50,000 to 60,000, mostly

were aGreek andaBritish national. Farther west,containment brought no endtothe emergency. France’slargest wildfire remained held within itsperimeter after forcing 224,000 people to flee in what may have been thecountry’s largestcivilian evacuation outside wartime. Hot spots still burned within a162-square-mile scar,thousands remained unable to return home, and nearly 3,000 firefighters were deployedagainst the Gironde megafire and asecond, still-uncontained blaze in Provence. Together,fires in France and Spain have driven roughly athird of amillion people from homesand vacation sites, emptied communitiesatthe height of the European summer and stretched emergency servicesacross simultaneous disasters.

of border surge

young men, swelled Ceuta’s population by more than half. Abdelkaderlamented what happened, but said that those whobreached the border behaved relatively well.

“It could have been much worse,” he said.

The humanitarian crisis caused by thesuddenrush of people has reignited a debate around immigration in Europe and beyond. Over the weekend, far-right, antiimmigrant Spanish politicians andwell-known rightwing influencers descended on the city,sparking counterprotests that included members of the Spanish city’slarge Muslim population,manyofwhomare of Moroccan descent.

Alvise Pérez, afar-right Spanish politician and member of the European Parliament, called on Saturday evening for migrants to be expelledashefaced an angry crowdofrival protesters. Pérez eventually had to shelterina barasresidents banged on thewindows,until police escorted him away Among the counter-protesters on Saturday was 20-year-old Ceuta resident andstudent NoorAhmed. She denounced the protest and presence of figures like Pérez in her city as opportunistic.

“They just want to take advantage of the humanitarian crisis Ceuta is currently experiencing,” Ahmed said.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByyOUNG KWAK

KimberleySather stands at the duplex sherents on West Indian Trail Road on Sunday after it burned in a wildfire in Spokane,Wash.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTOByMICHAEL VARAKLAS

A firefighting helicopter drops water over asmoke-filled forest Sunday during awildfire near PortoGermeno, northwest of Athens, Greece.

But the ring levee would be overtopped when the river rose too high, inundating the entire property all at once, filling it like a bathtub. Those floods happened sporadically throughout the 20th century, once every few decades. Then, they started happening back-to-back in 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2019.

“Several 100-year floods in a row,” said Will Prevost, a director of freshwater programs with the Nature Conservancy “They’d have to cut the levees — or they blew out every time.”

And every time the levees were overtopped, the farmland would be ruined. Animals on the property — deer, raccoons would drown. So the landowners reached out to the Nature Conservancy. They designed a simple structure, a box culvert with a valve that can be opened and closed.

“It allows the water on the interior of the property to rise and fall with the flood pulse of the Mississippi River,” Prevost said, keeping the river from busting through the levees. “It also acts more like a natural floodplain, like it’s supposed to.”

“Projects like this are becoming increasingly necessary, I think, on a global scale,” said Joshuah Perkin, a professor of ecology and conservation biology at Texas A&M who was not involved with the project. “When levees are put in place, the connection from the river to the floodplain is severed. This is a pattern that’s happening everywhere.”

‘Trash fish’ no longer

Now, David is here looking for gars, to find out whether the floodplain is providing habitat for spawning fish. Alligator gars need flooded vegetation to spawn — exactly the type of landscape that Loch Leven provides.

Gabby Gonzales, a master’s student at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities; Charles Vaughan, a master’s student at the University of Minnesota-Duluth; science professor Solomon David; and Luxi Feyereisen, a master’s student of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, collect and measure garfish in Wilkinson County, Miss., on Thursday

“If we find baby gars on the floodplain, it’s a good indication that the floodplain is serving its use as far as supporting aquatic wildlife,” David said. And though they’re looking specifically for alligator gar, David said that’s because they function as an “indicator species.” If the gars are doing well, that’s a sign that the ecosystem is

healthy And because they migrate between the river and the floodplain, they can give scientists a fuller picture of the health of the broader riverine ecosystem.

“Although people at one point considered gars to be ‘trash fish,’ including alligator gars, they can serve as good indicators of aquatic

DOWNTOWN

Continued from page 1A

Now, Blanchard and his staff will work to raise awareness of downtown’s growth over the past 40 years and offer more walking tours and monthly discussions and establish a data dashboard of downtown activity Sales at downtown businesses along with overall foot traffic continues to increase. Data provided by the DDA shows the area is becoming less of a destination for late-night activity and more of an evening hot spot for older residents.

“The reason I’m excited now is this is still going to happen,” Blanchard said.

“When it’s going to happen, it’s going to be at the right time when LCG is ready, sees the path forward and understands kind of what that mutually beneficial results are. Ultimately, we all share the same values.”

What the data shows

If you want to know just how well businesses are doing in downtown Lafayette, perhaps the easiest way is to

CONCERNS

Continued from page 1A

Hamas is truly disarmed, it will quickly expand its presence throughout Gaza, rebuild its terrorist infrastructure, once again threaten Israeli communities, and seek to carry out another Oct. 7-style attack,” he said, referring to the Hamas militant attack on Israel in 2023 that triggered the war in the Gaza Strip.

“Disarming means physically giving up the weapons. Nothing less,” Spielman said His comments come days after Hamas said that it would begin disarming as part of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire signed nine months ago to end the nearly threeyear conflict. It marks a potential breakthrough in end-

review the 1-cent sales tax collections via the Downtown Economic Development District.

Business, according to the data, is good.

Sales tax collections in June topped $80,000, which was the highest on record and eclipsed the $75,000 collected in May, which was also a record.

Collections each year have grown, and the $721,226 collected in 2025 was 25% higher than those in 2021, the first full year of the district. Part of that revenue funds the downtown ambassador program Block by Block.

“Why does it continue to rise when people are saying the economy is so bad?” said Jessica Hauerwas, director of Downtown Lafayette Unlimited. “People are coming and spending money here because they want to have experiences here It’s not just coming and grabbing groceries and heading out. It’s become a lifestyle choice.”

The people who do that, according to data collected by Placer.ai, are younger and are doing it earlier in the evening. The share of overall foot traffic from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. now makes

ing the conflict, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remain.

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

Hamas disarming has been a sticking point and has deadlocked negotiations for months. In announcing the deal on social media on Thursday Trump said it would be carried out in “carefully structured phases.”

A copy of the agreement obtained and verified by the AP said that all weapons held

Scientist Solomon David holds an alligator garfish in Wilkinson County, Miss., on Thursday.

type of ear bone made of calcium carbonate crystal. Humans have them too; when ours slip out of alignment, we get vertigo A specialized saw cuts that crystalline bone into thin slices, and the cross sections show rings, like a tree’s, that can be counted under a microscope to estimate the fish’s age.

‘Show folks up north’ To David, all of this work is connected.

“If you think of it from an angling perspective, we all tend to want bigger fish,” he said. “Those floodplain systems can help you get those bigger fish.” New Orleanians, who live downstream from projects like Loch Leven, are connected to it, too, according to Prevost.

Scientist Solomon David, with the help of master’s students from the University of Minnesota at Twin Cities and Duluth, collects and measures garfish.

ecosystem health,” David said. “And it’s not just gars that we see here. We see crappie, we see bass, we see sunfish — all kinds of other fish. We’re just using gars as a representative group.”

They’re far from trash to David, who kept several as pets while he was in graduate school They lived in a 300-gallon tank in the house he shared with other fish scientists in Ann Arbor

How much is downtown’s EDD collecting?

by month from the Lafayette downtown economic development district:

July 2025

August

September

October

November

December

Jan. 2026

February

March

April

May

June

$58,788

$55,420

$56,168

$57,523

$63,311

$60,469

$57,987

$63,802

$61,347

$66,496

$75,713

$81,921

up for 9.9% of all activity during a typical day an increase from just over 8.5% in 2021 Traffic from midnight until 2 a.m. is now at 8.7% of all traffic, down from about 9.25% in 2023.

“We have a very stable midday crowd which is super important for a downtown,” Hauerwas said.

“What we have seen for dinner is a giant spike A thriving nightlife is important

by the Hamas-run police will be transferred to the U.S.backed Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, upon its arrival in the enclave. It’s not clear when that would happen since it is contingent on other steps.

A process to decommission and store heavy weapons and to dismantle military production sites and tunnels will begin after the arrival of the Palestinian committee and the deployment of international forces. The process will be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal, according to the agreement. The areas Israel controls in Gaza have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory’s 2 million Palestinians are in the other part, where hundreds of thousands live in squalid

to a downtown, but I think what we’re seeing here is the big spikes people are nervous about — safety, and specifically in those hours — downtown starts to go to bed.”

Other trends show an emerging demographic downtown, such as the rate of remote work among downtown workers is lower than the national average, the visits on Wednesdays have increased significant-

tent camps and destroyed neighborhoods. Israel appears unlikely to pull back significant forces or make other concessions ahead of its October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough reelection battle, with his far-right coalition partners urging him to keep up the pressure on Hamas and leave forces in Gaza, and opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities then, killing around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and taking 251 others hostage Israel responded with a punishing military offensive that has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.

The ministry which was part of the recently dis-

Michigan. His team also stopped by the Livingston Parish Gar Fish Rodeo on Sunday at the Blind River Bar, accessible only by boat in the middle of the Maurepas Swamp. There, working alongside local fishermen, they collected additional fish samples to bring back to their Minnesota lab.

They’ll age their gar specimens using their otoliths, a

ly and the median age of people who live downtown is now 32. What to address

Outside Blanchard’s office on Jefferson Street is an open piece of land that for most of the year is used for parking.

But for Festival International, it becomes the Fais Do-Do Stage, the festival’s biggest draw About a third of what Festival makes each year comes from that stage, Blanchard said.

It’s an example of what he and others want to address in a downtown redevelopment plan: How does downtown take that next step?

“We need to build on what Festival has done,” Blanchard said. “Festival is cramped every year I want Festival to thrive downtown. That’s a major economic driver for us, but we can’t let it hold back our other opportunities.”

Another is the 83-room Hotel Lafayette, which could finally begin construction in the coming weeks after months of delays following a groundbreaking last year

The slab is being poured for the 32,000-square-foot full-service boutique hotel.

solved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

While Spielman said Israel greatly appreciates Trump’s commitment to its security and to finding a durable resolution, the government’s position on disarmament is based on detailed intelligence saying that Hamas continues to rearm, recruit fighters, and rebuild its military capabilities. The White House did not provide additional comments on Sunday, when asked specifically about Israel’s assessment that Hamas remains committed to rebuilding its military

When the flood gate is opened and the waters flood Loch Leven, it can hold 72,000 acre-feet of water roughly enough water to fill 25 Superdomes acting as a kind of mini spillway That water isn’t flowing downstream when the river is at flood stage, and could, to a small extent, lower the flood risk downstream in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. To the Nature Conservancy, that’s an argument for replicating these projects. The more of them there are, the more the river can breathe, the less likely it is to flood towns and cities. And the more baby gars David finds here, the stronger the argument becomes for reconnecting more floodplains to the Mississippi — not just on the lower river, but also in Minnesota, where his lab is.

“It would be great to see projects connecting the floodplain to the river throughout the Mississippi River, and even on other rivers,” he said. “We can show folks up north the value of floodplains.”

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

“This Hotel Lafayette is going to be fabulous,” said Blake David, an attorney who also owns properties along Jefferson Street. “It can be a catalyst. There’s a lot of fun things that can be happening downtown, and we need to make sure everyone is in alignment and working toward making this the kind of place that people from all walks of life want to attend.”

Another issue could be parking, which has long been a topic of debate, with some people arguing there is plenty of parking downtown and others claiming there needs to be more. Jaci Russo, co-founder and CEO of BrandRUSSO downtown, argues there is enough parking — mainly because the Vermilion Street parking garage is often underutilized. “There is no way-finding signage — nothing,” she said. “I believe we need better signage and direction because the garages are nice. There are elevators, and you’re out of the elements. But if you don’t tell people how to use the tool, how do we expect them to use the tool?”

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@theadvocate.com.

U.S. officials, who briefed reporters on the disarmament agreement last week, said that Israel had been consulted at every step of the negotiations and was not being asked to do anything more than what it had committed to as part of the ceasefire and hostage release agreement signed last October It’s unclear what exactly Israel conveyed to the White House. Two people with knowledge of the deal told the AP that Israel had communicated its issues with it to former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who’s part of the Trump-led Board of Peace. One of them said that among the points Israel wanted was freedom to conduct military operations in Gaza. They spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

STAFF PHOTOS By SOPHIA GERMER

Trump polls strong on immigration among Republicans

BY AMELIA THOMSON-DEVEAUX, LINLEY SANDERS and MIKE CATALINI Associated Press

WASHINGTON Immigration remains a stronger issue for President Donald Trump than the economy or Iran, according to a new AP-NORC poll, even after three people were killed in encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the span of under a week in July

Trump is not getting a glowing endorsement on his immigration approach from Americans overall, the new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found. Only 39% of U.S adults approve of his performance on immigration, a decline from 49% at the beginning of his second term.

Despite that, about 8 in 10 Republicans continue to approve of how Trump is handling immigration. That’s a slight decline from the beginning of Trump’s second term, when about 9 in 10 Republicans approved, but his support on the issue within his base has been mostly stable since last summer despite a chaotic year of immigration enforcement actions.

Republicans are also more likely to approve of how Trump is handling immigration than the economy or Iran. In just the past month, Republican approval of Trump’s handling of Iran dropped slightly in AP-NORC polling

The poll found that about half of U.S. adults say Trump has “gone too far” on deporting immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. That number has also remained steady for over a year, despite multiple immigration crackdowns that deployed federal law enforcement to large cities and at least 10 deaths involving encounters with immigration officers since the mass deportation campaign

According

began. Republicans, however, are much less likely to say Trump has overstepped in his immigration enforcement actions

Overall, Trump’s popularity has fallen since he took office last year but the findings highlight the relatively muted impact of the past year’s aggressive immigration enforcement on his public standing. That’s a contrast with views of his handling of Iran, where he’s seen more recent signs of slippage, even among his own supporters.

Immigration

Americans remain divided on whether Trump has overstepped on immigration.

About half of U.S. adults say Trump has “gone too far” when it comes to restricting legal immigration, in line with the last time the question was asked in February

Roughly half 47% say Trump has exceeded his authority when it comes to deporting immigrants

Kansas GOP focuses on moving court right

BY JOHN HANNA AP political writer

TOPEKA, Kan. — Kansas voters will decide Tuesday whether to elect state Supreme Court justices rather than have the governor appoint them, a push from conservatives who have chafed for years over court decisions they disagreed with on issues such as abortion, school funding and the death penalty If the constitutional amendment passes, supporters hope to elect at least four conservative, anti-abortion justices to the seven-member court by 2033. Kansas is considering the change amid concerns that increasingly contentious and expensive judicial elections in other states are making their courts more partisan and less independent. Spending in a single state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin last year topped $100 million.

Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, a term-limited Democrat who opposes the measure, said gerrymandering and dark money have put the Legislature out of step with the state and, “to think you can make the judicial branch a part of that dysfunctional system is frightening.” GOP lawmakers cite multiple rulings by Kansas courts over the past two decades as reasons for change.

Most recently, a district court judge earlier this month reinstated a threeday grace period for voters to return mail ballots after Election Day, which GOP lawmakers had eliminated. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson, seeking the Republican nomination for governor, called the decision “outrageous” and urged people to vote yes on the ballot question. The same judge — a finalist to fill the most recent Supreme Court vacancy — blocked enforcement of a 2025 law banning genderaffirming care for transgender minors. Masterson described him as “radical.”

The list of rulings Republicans criticize also includes rulings on education funding back to 2004. Supreme Court decisions

forced lawmakers to increase funding to comply with the state constitution. “If we elect our Supreme Court, they won’t force you to spend money on schools,” Masterson said in remarks in November to a conservative group, the Marion County Patriots for Liberty, the Marion County Record reported. Electing state Supreme Court justices gained currency among Republicans after a 2022 public vote affirming the high court’s landmark 2019 decision that Kansas’ bill of rights guarantees bodily autonomy and access to abortion. Total spending by both sides has exceeded $12 million.

Legislators who worked to overturn the Supreme Court’s protections including Masterson, helped write this year’s proposal.

Seven weeks after that 2022 vote, Attorney General Kris Kobach, then a GOP candidate for the office, told a Republican club in Wichita that electing justices would “slowly and quietly” put anti-abortion justices on the high court

The vote-yes campaign’s biggest donor providing $1.7 million toward the campaign’s $3.7 million in spending — is a Nashville-based nonprofit that supports Republican candidates, groups and causes. Kansans for Life, the state’s most influential anti-abortion group, has spent at least $87,000 over the past 11 days on mailers and texts.

“Kansans can bring an end to this reign of abortion by voting ‘yes,’” Troy Newman, president of Operation Rescue, said in an editorial written by a staffer on the anti-abortion group’s website.

Meanwhile, the national and state affiliates for abortion provider Planned Parenthood contributed another $1.6 million toward the vote-no campaign’s $8 million-plus in spending.

Jamie Swan, an engineer and college teaching assistant who knocked on doors for abortion rights in 2022, is doing the same to try to halt the proposal.

“I really believe that this is just a power grab,” she said.

living in the U.S. illegally In each case, about 3 in 10 say Trump’s actions have been “about right,” and closer to 2 in 10 say he hasn’t gone far enough.

Few Republicans — about 2 in 10 or fewer say he’s “gone too far” on deporting immigrants in the country illegally or restricting legal immigration

Most Americans, however, say he’s gone too far when it comes to using traffic stops to find and arrest immigrants living in the U.S. illegally a practice that was at the center of two recent ICE shootings in Maine and when it comes to sending federal immigration agents into U.S. cities. Republicans were also less likely to see these as oversteps.

James Leatherman, a 68-year-old Republican from San Antonio, is overall supportive of Trump’s handling of the presidency and backs him on immigration in particular

“You cannot come in here illegally

you’re breaking the law,” he said.

More Americans disapprove than approve of the way ICE is enforcing immigration laws. About half of Americans “strongly” or “somewhat” disapprove of the agency’s approach, while roughly 3 in 10 “strongly” or “somewhat” approve. There’s a wide partisan split, though: About 6 in 10 Republicans approve of ICE’s approach, compared with about 2 in 10 independents and just 4% of Democrats.

Eric Coursen, 76, an independent from Chincoteague, Virginia, agrees with the president that there were issues with the immigration system He said doesn’t believe in open borders but he’s deeply opposed to how the administration has been enforcing immigration law

“It’s like taking some bread when you’re hungry and you take it, you’re going to shoot that person rather than just, you know, get them for theft?” he said. “It’s just overkill.”

Economy

About 3 in 10 U.S. adults, 32%, approve of how Trump is handling the economy That’s down from 40% at the start of his second term, and marks a shift from his first presidential term when the economy was a stronger issue for Trump.

During Trump’s first term, his lowest approval on the economy was 40% in December 2017. Now, his rating is well below that.

Roughly 7 in 10 Republicans — 69% approve of how Trump is handling the economy That’s roughly in line with the share who approve of how he’s handing the presidency, but it’s slightly below the 78% who approved early in Trump’s second term.

Leatherman, despite his support for Trump, said he’s feeling the pinch of higher prices in his budget “I almost have to go to the bank to

get a loan before I go grocery shopping,” he said.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults describe the nation’s economy as “very” or “somewhat” poor, in line with April Republicans are more optimistic, with about 6 in 10 saying that the U.S. economy is doing well, compared with about 2 in 10 independents and roughly 1 in 10 Democrats.

Healthcare

Healthcare has never been a strong issue for Trump. Unlike with immigration and the economy, a clear majority of U.S. adults has disapproved of Trump’s performance on healthcare across both presidential terms. That hasn’t changed in the new poll, which found that only about 3 in 10 Americans approve of how Trump is handling healthcare, in line with when the question was last asked in December He’s seen a rebound on the issue among his own supporters since late last year, though. Roughly 71% of Republicans now approve, compared with 59% in the December poll.

That shift comes as Democrats kicked off 100 days until the midterm elections last week, with leaders saying they’ll focus on healthcare cuts, in addition to the cost of living and the war in Iran. Democrats and independents continue to overwhelmingly disapprove of Trump’s handling of healthcare.

The AP-NORC poll of 1,165 adults was conducted July 23-27 using a sample drawn from NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.7 percentage points. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 6.0 for Republicans overall and plus or minus 5.4 for Democrats overall

Ex father-in-law skewers Max Miller

Congressman is fighting domestic violence accusations

BY MARY CLARE JALONICK and JULIE CARR SMYTH Associated Press

WASHINGTON U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno said his former son-in-law, U.S. Rep. Max Miller, should not be serving in the House and should “seek professional help” as Miller defended himself against allegations of domestic abuse in a live video on X on Sunday Moreno, who has been publicly restrained in recent months as the bitter custody dispute has played out between Miller and his daughter Emily said

in a lengthy post: “If there are any basic standards of character required to hold elected office, Max Miller fails them. He should not serve in the House of Representatives.”

Moreno wrote that Miller “needs serious psychological help. He is a danger to my daughter, and I hold my breath every minute he has custody of my granddaughter.”

Miller said Sunday that he will remain in his race for reelection before a Wednesday deadline to replace him. Democrats have seen a new opportunity in the northeast Ohio congressional seat as the Republican incumbent has faced mounting pressure over the domestic abuse allegations in a bitter and drawn-out custody battle with his ex-wife.

“I’m not dropping out of this race and I’ll win in No-

vember,” said Miller, who denied abusing his former wife and his daughter Accusations against Miller, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and was a White House adviser during Trump’s first term, have been public for years but have recently drawn increased scrutiny as back and forth in the case has escalated.

Emily Moreno has said that Miller scalded, hit and threatened her while they were married. Miller denied those allegations in the video, as he has in the past.

“It’s incredibly upsetting,” Miller said, as he went through a list of the allegations.

Miller also said he had nothing to do with a broken collarbone on their 2-yearold daughter that led Emily Moreno to contact authorities. The pair, who were married in 2022 and finalized

their divorce last year, have presented different theories about how the injury occurred, according to court filings and police reports detailed in an article in July in the magazine Mother Jones that first revealed the child’s injury Miller accompanied his announcement with the release of a voluminous cache of investigative and court documents, as well as audio and video clips, related to the custody dispute. A spokesperson for Emily Moreno, Stefan Mychajliw, said Sunday that the video was “shameful.”

“No loving parent would have ever used their daughter as a PR pawn to save their own political career,” Mychajliw said. “Miller can lie and spin on X, but he cannot do so under oath in a court of law We are confident that justice will prevail in court.”

BY STEVE PEOPLES AP national politics writer

NEW YORK Ken Martin is in survival mode.

Desperate to save his job as chair of the Democratic National Committee, he is avoiding media appearances, monitoring his critics’ social media posts and refusing — at least so far — to make any substantive changes at his troubled organization.

A half dozen state leaders and other committee members, most of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal conversations, described Martin as defensive and extremely distrustful of others, even some people on his own team, as calls for his resignation grow louder among Democratic operatives who lament his leadership decisions, lackluster fundraising and even his tendency to lash out in anger But there is no sign that the organization’s membership plans to replace Martin before the midterm elections in November, even as some wonder how much longer he can hold on. The drama threatens to undermine the

party’s momentum in the battle to retake control of Congress from President Donald Trump’s Republican Party “I sense no movement from the DNC to make a

change, and so that decision’s up to Ken. And he’s told me he’s in it, so I trust him on making that decision,” said Colorado Democratic Party Chair Shad Murib, a DNC member and strong Mar-

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By ERIN HOOLEy

to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 8 in 10 Republicans continue to approve of how President Donald Trump is handling immigration.

Appointments arefirst come, firstserved, and everyservice is 100% free. Simply call one of our offices to reserveyour spot.

Audibelis NOW Offering...

•Hearing aids at NO COST to those who qualify!•

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

HH

Washington Parish ‘Castle’ listed

Property previously hosted weddings and events

BY IZZY WOLLFARTH Staff writer

For 27 years, Louisiana Castle, located in Washington Parish, has been a top spot for locals’ and visitors’ weddings, corporate and private events and romantic getaways.

The castle, spread across 10 acres of land and tucked between trees, could now become someone’s personal estate for $1.9 million. Built in 1991, the property welcomes guests with two cement lions, named Sid and Ernie, who guard the main door The dirt path leading to the estate is lined with medieval flags that slowly peel away to reveal the grand entrance After entering through the solid wood door, visitors encounter an

PROVIDED PHOTO

Baton Rouge-raised emcee Kevin Gates will perform at the Cajundome this fall for Birthday Bash 23.

Kevin Gates to headline Birthday Bash 23

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Kevin Gates is headed to the Cajundome this fall for Birthday Bash 23. Presented by Live Nation Worldwide and HOT 107.9 on Oct. 16, joining Gates as support will be Bun B, Rob49, Slim Thug, Mouse and Level and Wochee. The full lineup is subject to change.

Born in Baton Rouge, Gates began making music in the mid2000s, gaining a loyal following with his mixtapes. His breakout mixtape, “Stranger Than Fiction” (2013), debuted in the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, paving the way for his critically acclaimed debut album, “Islah” (2016), which earned platinum certification and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 without features. Gates has amassed multiple platinum singles, including hits like “2 Phones,” “Really Really” and “I Don’t Get Tired,” and has been recognized with several BET Hip Hop Award nominations

Beyond music, he is a successful businessman with his Bread Winners’ Association label and an inspirational figure known for his candid discussions about mental health spirituality and personal growth.

Tickets are available at the Cajundome box office and online at Cajundome.com.

Fans can also visit the website to information about premium experiences, including private suite rentals, the Service Chevrolet Cadillac VIP Club and the HOT 107.9 pre-show Birthday Bash event

array of experiences and sights.

The ones that stand out are the indoor Jacuzzi the expansive openair pavilion fit for large gatherings, king and queen thrones, and swords and armory decorating the interior walls.

A two-story home, the castle features a bride-and-groom suite, two bathrooms and a balcony that overlooks the estate grounds. The property extends beyond 6,000 square feet with most furniture and decor from New Orleans flea markets, including the thrones and prints found throughout the estate. The listing includes a full commercial kitchen, fixtures imported from England and Wales, walk-in closets and an additional off-property guest house, included with the sale.

Designed and built by Dr Mark

A. Belcher, the castle was originally a personal residence. As a student at Louisiana Tech University Belcher became enamored with castles after watching a movie titled “The War Lord.”

After traveling and visiting castles around Europe, Belcher began sketching his own castle plans. He was set on creating what would become Louisiana Castle and his dream home.

In 1999, real estate agents Dolly and Steve Illg bought and expanded the property to make it into the event venue it is today

“We view Louisiana Castle as a work in progress and are always looking for anything that can be done to improve it It is our intent to continue to make Louisiana Castle better and better,” they wrote on the castle’s website. So far, the castle has witnessed many people’s once-in-a-lifetime moments; now it could be a part of someone’s entire

SCHOOL READy

ABOVE: Lafayette City Marshal’s Office deputies and Explorers hand out book bags filled with school supplies during the office’s sixth annual drive-thru backpack giveaway on Saturday at Destiny of Faith Church.

LEFT: Marshal Reggie Thomas hands out a book bag, one of over 1,000 he said he and his deputies distributed.

Natchitoches man takes home cornhole crown

BY IZZY WOLLFARTH Staff writer

A Natchitoches man was

from Goldonna, is a first-year computer information

systems student at Northwestern State University He is also the pr esi dent o f NSU’s cornhole club team, where students have the opportunity to play and compete in collegiate nationals where they can earn scholarships.

tent playing and practice,” said Hatcher

His competitive cornhole journey began almost six years ago and previously secured him second place in the High School National Championships held in South Carolina in 2021.

“I’ve participated in major competitions since I started but didn’t find any success until after about one to two years of consis-

NOLA Bags LLC, a tournament cornhole bag supplier, celebrated his win that year with a nod to his future success in the sport. “Congrats kid big things coming in the future for you,” the NOLA Bags LLC team wrote on their Facebook.

STAFF PHOTOS By BRAD BOWIE

Clinical trials should be accessible to all

Clinical trials are essentialto developing new treatments and improving survival and quality of life forpeople with cancer.Yet, they are not accessible to everyone. At 27, Iwas diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia.I was lucky to receiveatailored treatment plan based on the groundbreaking blinatumomab clinical trial. The access Ihad to this treatment proved lifesaving and significantly improved my quality of life compared with the intense chemotherapy that had previously been the standard of care. For many patients, both medical costs, like copays and deductibles, and non-medical costs,including transportation, lodgingand meals, canalso be major barriers to trial participation.

The bipartisan Clinical Trial Modernization Act (SR4440 and HR3521) would help removethese financial hurdles by allowing trial sponsors to help cover both medicaland non-medical costsassociated with trial participation. It wouldalso ensure that aportion of certain types of financial support for trial participation would not be considered as income, protecting eligibility for safety-net programs such as Medicaid and ensuring patients are not taxed for their trial participation. As acancer survivor,Iurgeour elected officialstohelp more patients participate intrialsand access innovative treatments with this criticallegislation.

COURTNEY FOURNET Baton Rouge

Trump’scrusade

againstfraud

is ironic

It’srather ironic that President Donald Trump is tryingtostop nonexistent voting fraud. This is from the fellow who voted by mail recently,isonaudio trying to “find” 11,000 votes in 2020 and used gerrymandering and threats to keep the Republicans in power Several states had fake electors trying to verify votingballots.A year ago, the Department ofGovernment Efficiency (DOGE) was wrecking things, looking forfraud and waste.

The new ballroom ($600 million estimated so far), trashing the reflecting pool($14million and counting), an airplane as a“gift,” using defense money for questionable purposes and trying to get immunity from audits for his family and business —knock, knock, Congress! Anybody doing your job? Not to mention Epstein and theIran war.Wake up,America!

KIM ALLAIN River Ridge

LETTERSTOTHE EDITOR

AREWELCOME.HEREARE

YOUR VIEWS

Love ourcountry as it becomes better andmorefreeovertime

Shouldwelove our country because the Declaration of Independence says “Governmentsderivetheir just powers from the consentofthe governed” and “All men are created equal?” Or should we hateour country because it was legal to own slaves until 1865 and women weren’t allowed to voteuntil 1920?

Wouldn’titbemore helpful and hopeful to love our country for becoming better and morefree over time?

If we love theU.S. and all our fellow Americans (no matter who they vote for), we can continue to grow

STEVENW.LLOYD NewOrleans

We must move beyond researchto find

solutionsthatcut carbon dioxideemissions

Thankyou for your recent article on our warming Gulf. Unfortunately,the editorial response deemed the threat of climate changemerely “worrisome.”

Moreover,its priorities were limited to more research.

Some observersdiscount the impactsof climate change by failing to recognize that carbon dioxide emissions remain in the atmosphere for 100 years or so. Thus, even if the world sharply and quickly reduces its emissions, the ill effects of the changes in ouratmosphere are bound to get much more serious than they are today

The body of scientific research already justifies the need to promptly reduce the emissionsofgreenhouse gases. The National Academy of Sciences published amassive research agenda for climate change in 1975! By 1979, the basics of climate science had achieved ahigh level of consensus.Since then, the Academy,the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other authoritativebodies have produced dozens of very detailed reviews

The Gulf has not been ignored. Of note, the BP settlementafter the 2010 explosion of the Deepwater Horizon directed considerable funding towardunderstandingGulf science with more precision. Gaps remain. But we already know alot.

Since the1980s, foes of action to protect our atmosphere have argued we must wait for scientific certainty or exactitude to cut emissions. Thus, theeditorial’scall to know “exactly” what’shappening in the Gulf falls into thetrapofassuming thatscientists will ever achieve exactitude about medicine, weather or climate. That day will never come.

We need to electrify vehicles, transition electric power away from fossil fuels and sharply reduce methaneleaks. Each solution has becomemore affordable and practical in recent years.

If we don’tmove briskly beyond more research, we will have difficulty defending our diffidence to our drowning descendants.

JAYHAKES NewOrleans

SeniorsdependonMedicareAdvantage plans

Attorney general’sthreats crossaline

Lafayette lawyer Lance C. Beal’s columncritiquing the indictment of Attorney GeneralLiz Murrill for her threatening letter to several New Orleans public officials misstates Louisiana criminal law

He describes Murrill’sletter-writing action as “what every Louisiana attorney sends before filing suit,” a remark whichisprecisely wrong.

The Louisiana extortion statute is fairly broad:

A. Extortion is the communication of threats to another with the intention thereby to obtain anything of value or any acquittance, advantage or immunity of any description. Any one of the following kinds of threats shall be sufficient to constitute extortion:

(2) Athreat to accuse the individual threatened or any memberofhis family or any other person held dear to him of any crime.

(5) Athreat to cause harm as retribution for participation in any legislative hearing or proceeding, administrative proceeding or in any other legal action.

(6) Athreat to do any other harm.

B. Whoever commits the crime of extortion shall be imprisoned at hard labor for not less than one nor more than fifteen years. (La.R.S. 14:66, in pertinent part) Lawyers, and others, are prohibited from sending demand letters whichthreaten any of the foregoing.

Did Murrill do that? It certainly seems so.

STEVENLEMOINE attorneyatlaw

Metairie

Shoutout to members of National Guard

Re: “Historic drop in New Orleans crime is worth celebrating:” Your recent editorial forgot to mention the dedicated, hardworking, mostly young people in the National Guard and the Louisiana National Guard fortheir efforts to help secure and makethe city safer Ihave met many, and they’re pleasant and wonderful. I’mglad to have their help. Let’srecognize that, too.

MORRISKAHN NewOrleans

StoryonTrump’s election claims wasburied

Recently,the paper published an article detailing the claimsthat President Donald Trump’s2020 candidacy failed due to a“deep state” conspiracy.The article debunks his claimsofinterference in his loss of that election.

OUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name and the writer’scity of residence.The Advocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address and phone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@theadvocate.com. TO SEND US ALETTER SCAN HERE

Louisiana seniors rely on Medicare Advantage plans because they make real-world healthcare affordable.

As director of theNew OrleansSenior RX Program at the Council on Aging, Iappreciate that thefederal government’sCenters for Medicare and Medicaid Services adjusted the final Medicare Advantage ratenotice to better reflect thereal-world pressures facing the 35 million Americansand their families whorely on the program. Healthcare costs are top of mind for seniors and their families, especially to ensure access to high-quality care for manyolder Louisianans.

Healthcare affordability is an ongoing issue. Seniors will continue working on it with policymakers in Washington tostrengthen Medicare Advantage andtoensure that concerns about the stability of the Medicare Advantage program and the predictability of healthcarecostsare heard loud and clear

For seniors and patientswith disabilities who depend on Medicare Advantage, this option is alifesaver Louisiana’sseniors deserve aprogram that reflectstoday’shealthcare costs and meets their needs. More than half of Medicare beneficiaries nationwide have chosen Medicare Advantage as their coverage, and enrollment continues to grow.InLouisiana, this option serves morethan 60% of all Medicare enrollees.

Healthcare costscontinue to rise. When federal funding for aprogram doesn’tkeep pace withrising medical costs, the people relying on it will eventually feel the impact. That is our fear with Medicare Advantage. We rely on our congressional advocates. To our elected representatives: We are watching, and we vote!

SHARON SHELLING NewOrleans

Ifind it disturbing that an article about the leader of our country using his influence to mislead the populace at large with his untruths is not on the front page, but relegated to the sixth page.

Not to have this information on the front page of the paper,Ibelieve, is adisservice to the readers, no matter what their political beliefs may be. Our elected leaders, no matter whichparty or office they have been elected to, should not be allowed to push unfounded theories as truths or lies. This article could have served the readership and public at large had it been on the front page. Please keep up the good work of informing the populace of NewOrleans and surrounding parishes and cities.

WILLIAM EDWARDS NewOrleans

FILE PHOTO

NewAmerican citizenspledgetheir allegiance to the flag during anaturalization ceremony in NewOrleans.

Defensebillisnosellout to Israel

Congress has been knowntoslip indefensible special-interest provisions into large must-pass bills when no one is looking. What it has never donebeforeis use such sleight of handtohandover control of the U.S. militarytoaforeign country.But that’swhat we’retold is on the verge of happening on Capitol Hill.

The House just passed the National Defense Authorization Act, asprawling $1.15 trillion bill that supposedlyincludes a provision buriedinit “merging” the U.S. and Israeli militaries.

This provision, known asSection219, hasunited some of the most fervent anti-Israel conspiracy theorists on the right and the left in denouncing the alleged betrayal of America, from Marjorie Taylor GreenetoAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez, from TuckerCarlsonto CenkUygur

AOC has warned that the provision“is an existential threat to Americansovereignty and democracy.”

Greene has said anyone who voted for thebill “sold out the American people to aforeign country.” Carlson wants literal treason trials. So what is the substanceofSection 219? Legislationoften has obfuscatory titles,but this provision is deemed, with admirable clarity,the United StatesIsrael Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.

It calls for the secretary of defense to designate “an executive agent” to coordinate between the U.S.and Israel on “bilateral defense technology research, development, testing, evaluation, integration and industrial cooperation.”

The Pentagon will come up with aplan for such cooperation and report back to Congress.

That’sit. There is nothing about merging the general staffsofthe U.S. military and the IDF; nothing about creating ajoint office whereDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, work together; nothing about givingBibi Netanyahu partial control of CENTCOM.

That the United States would want aclose working relationship with Is-

rael on military technology is hardly surprising. Israel is one of the world’s most innovative societies and, givenits precarious security environment,has become aleader in advanced defense technologies

That anefarious interpretation of the bill hasgottensome traction underlines howany preposterous lie, so long as it’s about Israel,getsa hearing thesedays

Likemany conspiracy theories, this onedepends on adarkview of Americansociety.Weare allegedly so corrupt that we arehanding control of our militarytoa foreign country without any senior military leaders or officials in an “America First” administration lodging acomplaint. No wonderCarlson wants the kind of tribunals that attended theend of World WarII.

At the firstNuremberg Trials, Wilhelm Keitel was found guiltyofcrimes againsthumanity and hanged; at the secondNurembergTrials, Mike Johnsonwill be found guilty of supporting mutually beneficial technology sharing between allies—means of execution yetto be determined.

One perversityhereisthat Netanyahu conceives of the technological coopera-

tionasasubstitutefor the U.S. military aid thathesupportsphasing out.In other words,enemies of Israel oppose U.S. militaryaid, and when aconstructive plan is offered for how to go about ending it,they oppose that,too, as an Israeli plot.

Anotherperversityisthat theU.S. should want averyclose relationship withIsrael on missile defense, an area whereIsrael excels and that, as we’ve seen in the Ukraine and Iran wars, is crucial to modernwarfare.

And yet, thesame people who portray themselves as zealously protective of the U.S. national interestwant us to turn our back on asource of technological advance.

Israel naturally fits in theWestern alliance, but nations ultimately pursue their selfish interests. If we spurn the Jewishstate outofirrational animus, it will inevitably look elsewhere and perhaps build astronger relationship withChina. Then we will surely be told by the critics now obsessedwithending the U.S.-Israel relationship that Israel has shown itstrue colorsand deserves even moreofour scorn.

Rich LowryisonX@RichLowry

Future storms couldbring worseoutcomes

As Tropical Storm Berthaapproached Louisiana, most residents likely gave ashrug and gotonwith their daily routines. This wasn’t ahurricane, just a“little” disturbance. Its winds were not likely to move ashingle off their roofs and, most importantly, its storm surge would likely max out at 2to4 feet, conditionsweoften see during stiff southerly blows. No big deal. But what if those little disturbances start pushing surges 6feet —or higher?

And what if the scientificbreakthroughs that have led to better predictions for threats from weather and pollution arerestricted? Whatifwedon’t know how to best protectour families and our property?

That’sthe future revealed by two news stories that arrived just before Bertha.

The

first: New NASA research says in just 24 years the GulfofMexico will rise as much as 18 inches along the Louisiana coast.

That means that soon “little” disturbances like Bertha could push surges 4 to 6.5 feet —orhigher More worryingly,that also means larger storms will be pushing even higher,more damaging surges further inland, not just drowning the coastal zone but requiring more frequent evacuations in areas above I-10. This increases the urgency for findingmore billions in funding to lift storm surge levees. And there’snotelling how high thecost of flood insurancewill soar or if we can even get it. The report was produced by the NASA Sea Level Change Team which includes researchers from NOAA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California InstituteofTechnology, which led the effort. It was based on three decades of satellite altimeter measurements of seasurface height and correlated with NOAA tide gauge records dating as far back as 1920. In other words, this is based on factual measurements of what has happened

and what is continuing to happen.

Theprojections now place theaverage2050 rise along the contiguous U.S. at 12 inches. That includes 10 to 14 inches on average for the East Coast,4 to 8inches forthe West Coast and 14 to 18 inches for the Gulf Coast.

Thespeedofthat change places future sea level rise in thehigher range of thescenarios in the accepted models.

Those are based largely on the amountofgreenhouse gas emissions beingreleased into theatmosphere. This is moresolid evidence that reducing the use of fossil fuels is an existential issuefor Louisiana. That second piece of news paints a dark future for Louisiana’scoastal and environmental health: President Donald Trumphas decided to have political loyalists instead of qualified scientists decidehow the nation spends its billions in scientific research grants. These appointees —basically “yes” menand women —require no background in the subjects of the grants. They must only certify research that alignswith Trump’sopinions on science and other subjects. They will have thepower to deny grants on subjects

and from organizations Trumpdislikes. They can also cancel grants for research he disapproves of that are already underway

Andthis is apresident who still claims climate change is ahoax, whose love for oil, gas and coal has led him to cancel funding for green energy programs, kill federal electric vehicle incentives and open wilderness and national monumentstodrilling. He is even moving to cancel the long-standing energy efficiency ratings requirements for homeappliances, aprogram popular among consumers because it saves them money So, what do you thinkwill happen to an application for research on lighter, safer,more powerful and longer-lasting EV batteries? Or on the human health risks from pollution at petrochemical refineries and methane releases from oil drilling sites?

Or thehuman healthimpacts of greenhouse gas emissions?

Is this makingAmerica great again?

Bob Marshall, aPulitzer Prizewinning Louisiana environmental journalist,can be reached at bmarshallenviro@gmail.com.

If you squint, you can see them. Theyare signs that the Democratic Party understands historian Robert Conquest’srule: The behavior of anybureaucratic organization can best be understoodby assuming that it is controlled by asecret cabal of its enemies. In the Aug. 4primary,Michigan’sDemocratic Party will select its Senate candidate. Three stalwarts of the national party’skamikaze caucus, two of them fresh from telling Maine’s Democrats whomtonominate for Senate, are now instructing Michiganders. They are Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who called Maine’sGraham Platner “mykind of man,” and Sen. Bernie Sanders, another Platner enthusiast. These two, and Rep. Alexandria OcasioCortez, who flinched from Platner,have discovered anew paladin of progressivism.

Abdul El-Sayed is 41. In 2018, he lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary by 21 points to a centrist Democrat, Gretchen Whitmer,who is now completing her second term. Today,El-Sayed campaigns with Hasan Piker,a“Twitch streamer” (yes, that is ajob description in today’sAmerica) sympathetic to Hamas. Piker has apologized for having said, “America deserved 9/11.” Today, El-Sayed says Israel is a“rogue state”guilty of “genocide.” He says, opaquely,that there should be “certain kinds” of law enforcement at America’sborders, but Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be “abolished.”

He favors Medicare-for-all, asingle-payer healthcare system. One hundred eighty million Americans are covered by employer-provided health insurance that El-Sayed would terminate. He would erase muchthat organizedlabor has achieved by negotiating the untaxed benefits of generous employer-provided healthcareplans. Amoderate Democrat who hadbeen seeking the Senate nomination recently withdrew. This should help El-Sayed’sremaining opponent, Haley Stevens, who was trailing in polls taken before the withdrawal. She is afour-term congresswoman from Oakland County,much of it suburban Detroit. Forty-six years ago, this county was the canary in the national Democratic Party’scoal mine:Oakland was an early habitat of anew political species, “Reagan Democrats.” Theyare now called “Republicans.”

Timeschange. Stevens’sdistrict voted solidly for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024. Stevens is acentrist liberal, supportive of Michigan’sauto industry,not Hamas. She is something that purple Michigan might like. Donald Trump’s2024 victory in Michigan was wafer-thin (1.4%), but Michigan Democrats should remember: He carried it.

The American Enterprise Institute’sRuy Teixeira, acenter-left Democrat, describes a perverse dialectic of “Trumpian overreach:” The more Trump is flamboyantly provocative, the more Democrats lurch into “histrionic,radical, ineffective responses.” He controls the shrillest Democrats by triggering them, and theypropel their party toward self-indulgent, self-destructive choices, such as El-Sayed.

The United Auto Workers has endorsedElSayed. It might, however,someday be the United Graduate Students.

Michigan, historically hospitable to strong unions, experienced history-making labor conflicts in the 1930s. “The strike heard around the world” was the sit-down strike at aGeneral Motors plant in Flint. In the “Battle of the Overpass,” Ford employees bloodied UAWorganizers near the main gate of the River Rouge plant.

But U.S. automaking is no longer so concentrated in Michigan. It has dispersed, oftentoright-towork states, partly to avoid the increasingly radical UAW. More than 100,000 of its roughly 400,000 active members (down from alate-1970s peakof 1.5 million) are whatthe union calls “academic workers” —graduate student teaching assistants, postdoctoral researchers, etc.

No wonderthe UAWlikes El-Sayed, who vibrates like atuning fork to academic radicalism. And he is fluent in the online snark and condescension that clogs social media. For example,hehopes Stevens’ssupporters “find some way to teach her how to string together two coherent sentences.” She “is asuit with alarge AIPAC” —American Israel Public Affairs Committee —“bank account, that’sit.”

Of course: Beware of the Jews. El-Sayed has impeccable credentials for representing today’sleft. But he is not running to be the senator from Ann Arbor.And Rep. James E. Clyburn, D-South Carolina, who is Black and the closest thing to apower broker remaining in today’spolitics, supports Stevens. If El-Sayed is nominated to replace retiring Democrat Sen. Gary Peters, his Republican opponent will be formerseven-term congressman Mike Rogers, who in 2024 lost aMichigan Senate race by just 0.34%. In that case, Rogers almost certainly will win. Republicans almostcertainly will retain control of the Senate. And Robert Conquest’srule certainly will be validated.

EmailGeorge Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

Bob Marshall

Rich Lowry

George Will

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO

Speaker of the House MikeJohnson, R-Benton, center, flanked by House Majority Whip TomEmmer,R-Minnesota, left, and House Majority Leader SteveScalise, R-Jefferson, speak to reporters at the CapitolinWashington.

STAFF PHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER

Plaquemines Parish flood controlstaff move largesandbags alongLa. 39 in preparation for Tropical StormBertha on July 21.

Future of free LSUlaw clinic uncertain

2024 crimelaw narrows parole eligibility

BY IZZY WOLLFARTH Staff writer

Since 2014, second- and third-yearlaw students enrolled in the Parole and Reentry Clinic at LSU’sPaul M. Hebert Law Center have represented incarcerated men and women before the state parole board.

The clinicprovides free legal representation for men and women seeking freedom after serving at least 20 years in prison, andthe students gain much-needed legal experience.

But crime legislation passed in 2024 cut early release opportunities for many who would have qualified for representation, and the clinic’sfuture is now uncertain.

“I have to be thoughtful about what we’re going to do to continue to give students this experience, but Idothink it’sgoing to shift because the opportunities of the cases are just drying up,” said Robert Lancaster, assistant dean of experiential education at LSU Law School, who leads the clinic.

The clinic has operated for the past 12 years in collaboration with the Louisiana Parole Project, anonprofit dedicated to reentry services and mentorship, and the Louisiana Boardof Pardons &Committee on Parole. Butduring the 2024 specialcrime session,Louisiana eliminated parole for anyone convicted of acrime after Aug. 1, 2024. Many incarcerated persons are now also requiredto serve at least 85% of their sentences before becoming eligible for release.

The impact of the legislation hasbeendramatic.In 2023 alone, 387 individuals were granted parole out of the 790 hearings conducted, according to the Louisiana parole board. In 2024 and 2025, Gov.Jeff Landry’s first two years in office, 714 parole hearings were conducted with 185 individuals released. Francis Abbott, executive director of the parole board,

whom theyassisted in getting released from prison. Crime legislation passed in 2024 has drastically

of people releasedfrom prisononparole.

said via email that the board continues to see the clinic as an important investment in public service.

“While thecriminal justice reforms enacted in 2024 have narrowed parole eligibility,they(the Paroleand Re-entry Clinic) have made the need for knowledgeable legal representationand case preparation even more important,” he said. “Their work helps to balance the board’sdecisionsand has greatly affected thelivesof their clients.”

Theclinic is asemesterlong course that accepts a small cohortofeight students. Studentsare expected to devote aminimum of135 hours to the course, includingtime spent visiting local prisons to meet withclients andpreparing for parole hearings.

While students are under the supervision of Lancaster,itisup to themto build trust and ultimately represent their clients.

Matia Wright, who enrolled in thecourse in fall 2024, successfully assisted a client who spent 41 yearsin

Stephanie King,left, aformer Parole andRe-entryClinic client graduates from Tulane University after being released from prison. RobertLancaster,the supervisor of the clinic, attended her ceremony.

prison get released on medi-

cal parole.She recounts the experience as emotionally charged, yet life-changing.

“I think that if someone

Audubonannounces layoffs

Chiefofstaff,22 others released in cost-cuttingmove

BY STEPHANIE RIEGEL Staff writer

Audubon Nature Institute

Chief of Staff Gilbert Montaño is of one several Audubon employees out of ajob as the organization looks to cut costs, officials saidWednesday Montaño, who washired at Audubon last year after he resigned as former New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’schief administrative officer,isone of 23 employees the organization has terminated in abid to save $500,000 thisyear and more in future years, President and CEO Michael Sawaya said.

The institute, which oversees acollectionofparks, museums and environmental attractionsthroughout New Orleans, confirmed his and other employees’ terminations.

“Audubon Nature Institute has implemented organizational changestobetter alignstaffing and financial resources withoperational needs and strategic priorities,” organization officials said in astatement. “While we do not discuss individual personnel matters, we can confirm that the Chief of Staff position is among several positions that havebeen eliminated as part of abroader staffing reduction.”

The layoffs, which represent 4% of the institute’s more than 500 employees, are the first under Sawaya’s administration. They come as Audubonhas been grappling with revenue declines

andasSawayahas warned of belttightening measures.

Audubon finished 2025 with a$3millionoperating loss, thethird year in arow it finishedinthe red.

Officials told affected employees in two separatestaff meetings about thechanges, said thesource,who was not authorized to discuss the movespublicly Reached by phone Wednesday, Montaño praised his formeremployer.

“Audubon is awonderful organization, and restructures happen all the time, in all types of organizations,” he said. “And I’m looking forward to the nextchapter in my life.” He did not share specifics butsaidhewas eyeing the private sector.

Montaño spent seven years as Cantrell’sbudgetczarand left his post as her tenure was nearing its end. A$160 million city deficitballooned last year under his oversight, afact City Council members have criticized.

At Audubon, he stepped into the newly created role of executivevicepresidentof operations and chief ofstaff, where he was responsible for coordinating operations of all of Audubon’sfacilities, for its strategic planning,and for its collaborations

His salary was around $250,000, according to Sawaya,who saidatthe time of his hiring last year that Montaño’s experience anddedication “makehim an invaluable asset.”

“These changes reflect a comprehensive review of our organizational structure to ensurethat personneland financial resources are aligned with Audubon’s highest priorities,” Audubon officials said Wednesday. “As

we continue to evolve,we remainfocused on responsiblestewardship of ourresources, exceptional care for ouranimals, support for our employees, anddelivering outstanding experiences for the guests and communities we serve.”

Sawaya, who took the reins at AudubonfromRon FormaninJanuary 2025,said he spentmuchofhis first year in his new job studying thebooks at the massive institutionand decided earlythis year to hire aconsultant to identify potential savings.

“After the pandemic, Audubon went back to their pre-pandemic model, and we aren’t back to pre-pandemic visitor levels in this city,”he said. “So,wehad to do something.”

In 2025, for instance, the aquarium had 150,000 fewer visitors. On balance, about 70% of theaquarium’svisitors aretourists Sawaya said theconsulting firm Treppwiserecommended the layoffs, which will save$1.5 million next year and more in future years. Thelayoffs were mostly in administrative andsupervisory positionsatthe zooand aquarium as well as in the corporate office.

“Theysaid we werealittle heavy on the executive management side and thatthere were some efficiencies we could achieve with layoffs,” he said, adding thatnoadditional layoffs were planned.

“This is aone and done,” he said.

Staff writer JessicaWilliams contributed to this story

Email Stephanie Riegel at stephanie.riegel@ theadvocate.com.

wants asecond chance after they’re willing to take ownership for what they did, they’re willing to understand what they didwrong,

and they’re willing to make society abetter place, that we shouldlet them,” she said.

Another former student, staffattorneyatthe Louisiana Parole Project and a supervising attorney for the clinic,Adreaynne Hutchinson,saidthe experienceinfluenced the way she looked at the criminal justice system.

“Weliterally walk away with awhole new look on not just the criminal justice system,but people and the abilityfor peopletochange and your ability to connect with people,” she said.

The purpose of theclinic, according to Lancaster,isnot only to provideincarcerated persons with representation, but also to teach future lawyers narrative advocacy and effective storytelling.

Lancaster explains that on the first day of class, students are given adetailed folio about their client’scrime.

“What Ihand them is afile that typically will contain the appellate opinioninthe case, whichhas often avery lengthy section on the facts

of how horrible the crime was,”saidLancaster. “Everything that’swritten about your client is mostly about the very worst thing they ever did, andastheir lawyers you have to tell the different story.”

As the number of people released on parole declines, the number of people in prison is expected to increase The Crimeand Justice Institute estimates that Louisiana’sprison population will nearly double by 2034. Remembering her time in the parole clinic, Wright hopesfor an attitude shift in Louisiana government.

“My hope is that governors will be alittlebit more empathetic towards incarceration,” said Wright. “Maybe insteadoffocusingonhigh crimeortrying to get people to vote and making emotionally charged decisions based on maybe whatthe public thinks that they takeastep back and really try and connect with the people to get them to understand why this (parole) is agood thing.”

Izzy Wollfarth received her master’sdegree in mass communicationfrom LSU in May.She reported and wrote this story withthe support of thenonprofit Louisiana Collegiate News Collaborative, an LSU-ledcoalitionof eightuniversities, funded by theHenry Luce and JohnD.and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations.

NOTICE NOTICE TO BIDDERS Notice is hereby given thatsealedbidswillbe receivedeitherelectroni‐cally at https://lafayet

Saints WR Polk re sfretires from NFL SPORTS

ington endured arocky 2024rookie season with the New England Patriots, catchingjust 12 of his 33 targetsfor 87 yards.

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Going into training camp,several people in the New Orleans Saints organization said they were excited to see what receiver Ja’Lynn Polk would do withhis secondopportunity.

The team never got to find out: Sunday afternoon, theSaints placed Polk on thereserve/retired list, meaning Polk has retired from the game at the age of 24. The reasons behind Polk’sdecision are still not known. The former second-rounder out of Wash-

He suffered ashoulder injury that required seasonending surgery beforethe 2025 season began.

NewOrleans likedPolk when he was coming out of the draft and bought low on hispotential, acquiring him from the Patriots last fall for alate-round pick swap. He had earned someadmirers inside the organization for the work he put in this

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Jay Johnson had only seen it happen once before.

WhenJohnsonwas theassociatehead coach at San Diego in 2010, signee and right-handedpitcher Dylan Coveywound up at school despitebeing theMilwaukee Brewers’ first-round pick. His physical withthe club after he waspickedrevealed that he had Type 1diabetes, resulting in the twosides not being able to agree to signing terms.

The Covey saga was the onlytimeJohnsonhad ahigh school signeewho was picked in the topfew rounds of the MLB draft but still endedupatschool.But that changed on Saturday Logan Schmidt, one of the top high school left-handed pitchers in this year’sdraft who the Cleveland Guardians selected withthe No. 59 overallpickinthe second round, is joining the Tigers, he announced on Saturday.The top prospect turned downachance to sign with the Guardians and join the junior college ranks —which would have allowed him to be eligible for next year’sdraft —tocome to Baton Rouge.

“Inthis era, they only pick guys that they have agreements with,” Johnson said in an

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staffwriter

Justin Reid wantstotell you aboutKool-Aid McKinstry

The New OrleansSaints safetywants to tell youabout the work the third-year cornerback has done from the startofthe offseason program to training camp.He wants to tell you aboutthe growth that he’s seen,how McKinstry has disrupted play after play with anurgency and naturalness thatmakes itapparent that the corner has been working on his game. AndReid wants to tell you how excited he is for McKinstrythiscoming season, how confident he is thatall the work the 23-year-old has put in willpay off.

“That cat is going to be something special,”Reid said. Reid is far from alonein hisopinion. Alloffseason, numerous Saints —from players to coachestoevengeneral managerMickey Loomis— have made apoint to single out McKinstry,somuchsothatitalmostfeels deliberate. On some occasions, likewithReid,the praise comes when asked ageneral question about the secondary.On others, the mention comes completely outofnowhere like when Loomis targeted McKinstry as akey player the Saints are hoping will take anotherleap in2026.

“The leap he made from Year 1toYear2 waspretty good,”Loomis said. “Weneed another.”

Theplaybook, intentional or not,mirrorswhathappened withChase Young ayear ago. Last summer,players and coaches weren’tshy about boasting about the pass rusher —all while acknowledging theyneeded more out of him. That mixofconfidence and pressure worked. Young rewarded their faith with acareer-high 10 sacks in 12 games, puttingitall together despite missing thefirst five weeks because of acalf injury Now, the attention hasturnedtoMcKinstry.And it makes sense. The Saints lost Alontae Taylor in free agency to the Tennessee Titans, and rather thanspend bigon his replacement,New Orleans is trusting safety Jonas Sankercan hold it down in theslotand that McKinstry further ascendsasaNo. 1corner.(Taylor played both inside and out.) Fittingly, McKinstryisbackwearing No.1 —his college number that was previously taken by Taylor.When McKinstryworethatjerseyatthe University of Alabama, that was the last time he

shutdown cornerback.

LSU football players report Tuesday for preseason camp, with the first full-team practice set forWednesday

Typically,I loathe preseason camp, smothered as it is by August’sgiant outdoor sauna of oppressive heat and humidity

But considering how fast, furious and mind-spinning off-the-field newscontinues to be surrounding college athletics, never have Ibeen so looking forward to standing on asideline dripping sweat while watching the Tigers assemble the building blocks forthe coming season. No cell phone calls or texting allowed during practice, you say? Fine with me. It will be awelcome respite from the constant barrage of sweeping and stunning changes that have me longing to just watch someone play agame. Could be football. Could be cornhole at this point. Ialmost don’tcare.

Three headlines from the past week highlight the constantly shifting landscape of college sports where we are all trying to

cornerbackKool-Aid McKinstry takesabreak inbetween drills during organized team activitiesonJune 10 in Metairie. McKinstryishoping to step up in his third year withthe Saints. STAFF FILE PHOTO By BRETTDUKE

STAFFFILE PHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON LSUcoachJay Johnson reacts to acallina game against Sacramento State on March8 at Alex Box Stadium.

Kuwaki wins Women’s British Open

By The Associated Press

ST ANNES, England — Shiho

LYTHAM

Kuwaki of Japan saved par to stay alive in a sudden-death playoff Sunday and won with a par on the second extra hole to claim the Women’s British Open over Esther Henseleit of Germany for her first major title.

Kuwaki closed with a 1-under 70 and looked like a winner as she waited nearly 30 minutes in the scoring room. Henseleit, in the final group, holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Lytham & St Annes for a 70 to join Kuwaki at 5-under 279.

Henseleit then had the advantage in the playoff when the 23-year-old from Japan was in deep grass short of a bunker and had to lay up short of the green. Kuwaki hit wedge to 3 feet to save par and got another chance when Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.

The tables turned on the second extra hole. Henseleit’s tee shot on the 18th drifted far enough to the right that it was beneath a gorse bush. She did well to get that back to the fairway and hit wedge to about 12 feet. But her par putt stayed left of the cup, and that left Kuwaki to tap in for par

“Very happy with how I gave myself the opportunity to win today and how I handled myself Just got a bit unlucky on the second playoff hole there,” Henseleit said. “I tried really hard and I guess it just wasn’t meant to be today.”

This is the second straight Women’s British Open title for Japan, following Miyu Yamashita’s victory last year at Royal Porthcawl. Kuwaki, often known for her fashion, becomes the fifth player from Japan to have won an LPGA major over the past three years.

“I can’t believe it,” Kuwaki said through a translator and the trophy presentation. The disappointment on Sunday belonged to third-place Yealimi Noh (74), the 25-year-old Californian who began the final round with a three-shot lead until it slowly went away with bogeys. She fell out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the 14th hole. Noh was one shot behind and had two reasonable looks at birdie with Kuwaki already in the clubhouse at 279 — but failed to convert

“It stings being one short,” said Noh, who had missed three straight cuts before this week.

“I told myself this morning, no matter what happens I’m happy to be in this position again. A couple of weeks ago, I was losing a lot of motivation. This week has helped me feel so much bet-

L.A. sends All-Star Plum to Mercury for Makani, picks

The Los Angeles Sparks traded All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury for a first-round pick next year, Monique Akoa Makani and a second-round draft choice in 2028.

The deal was finalized late Saturday night ahead of Sunday’s trade deadline and was first reported by ESPN. It’s rare for an All-Star to be traded in the middle of the season, only happening a handful of times before Saturday night.

Plum will wear No. 0 for the Mercury She is a free agent at the end of this season and has been sidelined since June 21 because of a lower leg injury Plum was averaging a careerbest 23.9 points and 6.4 assists before getting hurt. Los Angeles has struggled without her, including losing its past six games.

A’s slugger Kurtz to see specialist for hurt thumb

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Nick Kurtz will see a hand specialist in Los Angeles on Monday about his injured right thumb and could be headed to the injured list.

Kurtz went on the IL with a sprained right thumb on July 11 and returned two weeks later But he has struggled at the plate since then, going 1 for 18 in seven games. Kurtz was also hit on the left forearm with a pitch on Wednesday but was able to return to the lineup for the next two games.

Manager Mark Kotsay said on Sunday that the team will determine the next steps for Kurtz after he visits the specialist.

BY MICHAEL MAROT Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS Alex Palou and Alexander Rossi were sold on the new IndyCar at first glance. Then they climbed inside the cockpit, took it around Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s 14-turn, 2.439-mile road course and were even more impressed.

Palou, the four-time series champ, and Rossi, the 2016 Indianapolis 500 winner, became the first test drivers of the new model and both left the track giving the car rave reviews.

“I am very happy to announce that we will race it next year,” Palou joked Sunday “I wish (it was next year) — like that’s the level of excitement I think among everybody I think everybody, when we saw it live for the first time, I was shocked at how good it looked and how excited I was to give it a try.”

The Spaniard who drives for Chip Ganassi Racing certainly would be leading the pack again if he actually competed in the IR-28 next year because it isn’t scheduled to debut until 2028. Naturally though, Palou, who has won 21 of the past 64 races including Indy in 2025 and is on the cusp of clinching a fourth straight series title, would prefer everything goes quicker His interest in this model was piqued after seeing the initial renderings of the lighter, sleeker, jet-like looking car The higher sidepod and more

ter about my game.”

Haeran Ryu fell short in her bid to become the first player since Inbee Park to win three straight majors in one year The Women’s PGA and Evian Championship winner was still in the mix on the back nine. She needed birdies and instead closed with two straight bogeys for a 74 to tie for sixth.

Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women’s golf and winner of the year’s first two majors, started eight shots behind and closed with a 68. She was the leader in the clubhouse for the longest time at 2 under until Kuwaki finished.

Korda tied for fourth along with Jeeno Thitikul (73)

Kuwaki, at No. 46 in the women’s world ranking played bogey-free over the last 13 holes as everyone around her made mistakes. She was in the scoring room after signing and stayed even as Henseleit and Noh had birdie chances on the final two holes to force a playoff.

Henseleit delivered with a most unlikely putt, 40 feet across the 18th green. The 27-year-old German raised her right arm as the golf ball still had a few feet to

on his last hole to shoot 7-under 63 and reach 18 under to win his first PGA Tour title by two shots at the final Rocket Classic.

The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup playoff after rolling into the Motor City No. 69 in the standings.

The top 70 advance to the postseason after next week’s Wyndham Championship.

Thorbjornsen started the fourth round three shots behind leader Davis Riley, whose rough start opened opportunities for the field. Thorbjornsen took advantage, surging into the lead at No. 14 with his third of four birdies in a six-hole stretch and closing with a clutch, curling putt that went in the right side of the cup.

“Perfect pace, perfect read,” he said.

go and punched the air when it dropped for birdie.

It was only the second playoff since the Women’s British Open became a major in 2001.

Thorbjornsen wins in Detroit

In Detroit, Michael Thorbjornsen made a 26-foot putt for birdie

He’s the eighth first-time winner this season on the PGA Tour and the second straight, following Jackson Koivun’s victory last week at the 3M Open.

“It was such a battle, playing with some great players,” Thorbjornsen said “Everyone was in the mix after nine holes.”

Xander Schauffele (65) briefly led during the final round and finished second, two shots back.

expansive, wavier front wings make the car look larger while the digital display featuring the car’s position during a race, qualifying or practice appears just behind the redesigned, less bulky aeroscreen give as a high-tech feature. Designers promised the car would have roomier cockpits, run faster and race better all while adding safety features. Rossi thought it was better than advertised He started seven Formula 1 races in four seasons before moving to IndyCars in 2016, and at 6-foot-1, Rossi is one of IndyCar’s tallest drivers. “Not to draw comparisons to F1, we don’t like doing that, but

I think anyone who drives an F1 car for the first time, they notice how smooth the car is — not from a powertrain standpoint but from the surface standpoint,” Rossi said Saturday “This car starts to get to that level.” He added: “It’s a little bigger, certainly more room for me. My knees aren’t headed into the top of the chassis, which is great. But it’s not like you’re out there driving a Suburban.”

And even though the goal was not necessarily to post fast laps, both drivers enjoyed the ride. Track officials said no official or unofficial speeds were kept. Instead, series officials asked

Rossi and Palou to produce some baseline measures about the car’s on-track performance, which can be used to help modify setups for future tests. That made it essentially a two-day shakedown with Rossi scheduled to run three hours on Saturday and Palou three hours Sunday There was just one problem — rain.

Each driver had their allotted time slot cut by at least half because of the cool, wet conditions that blanketed the Indianapolis area Saturday and Sunday Still, it didn’t dampen the spirits of either driver

“It’s pretty incredible to be able to be a part of the next evolution and to do it at a place that obviously means a lot to me and all of us here,” Rossi said “It’s a small part to play in the history and the future of this championship, and that’s super cool.”

What’s next remains the great unknown.

While series officials have not yet scheduled the IR-28’s next test, Palou wants other drivers to join the parade he and Rossi just led.

“It’s super fun,” Palou said. “It’s just like being on a higher end car It feels like one of those interiors that are like good leather and it’s quiet inside. It’s good, it’s comfy so, yeah, I can’t wait to hopefully try it in the dry (conditions) and see how it really feels when I push it.”

IndyCar returns to action next Sunday at Portland, Oregon.

The 23-year-old Kurtz is batting .256 with 21 homers and a teamhigh 69 RBIs.

Braves place López on IL with knee inflammation

ATLANTA The Atlanta Braves placed right-hander Reynaldo López on the 15-day injured list with left knee inflammation on Sunday

The Braves recalled right-hander JR Ritchie from Triple-A Gwinnett to start Sunday’s game against the Washington Nationals.

The move with López was expected after he was scratched before Saturday night’s scheduled start against the Nationals. López was warming up in the bullpen when he experienced discomfort in the knee.

Fill-in starter Martín Pérez held Washington hitless until the seventh inning of the Braves’ 8-3 win. Ritchie is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA in 13 games including seven starts with Atlanta.

British PM: Infantino not the right man to lead FIFA British Prime Minister Andy Burnham said Sunday that FIFA president Gianni Infantino was not the right man to lead world soccer’s governing body in the latest fallout from the now abandoned plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

“I do not believe that he is the right man to lead football forward on the world stage,” Burnham said. “The plan that was put forward was offensive to many people football people around the world, and it can’t be the case that we just move on and forget that, it wasn’t acceptable.”

On Saturday, European soccer’s governing body UEFA said it had lost confidence in FIFA’s leadership — possibly paving the way for a challenge to Infantino’s presidency

Wiebes wins again at Women’s Tour de France

GENEVA Lorena Wiebes again sprinted to victory in the second stage of the Women’s Tour de France on Sunday The Dutch rider won the flat 91.9mile stage from Aigle to Geneva, the second on Swiss territory, in 3 hours, 42 minutes, 8 seconds. Wiebes went ahead with some 250 yards to go and claimed her seventh overall victory at the tour

Wiebes also won the opening stage on Saturday in the same dominant fashion.

“It’s special to win in the yellow jersey but also because again, my team SD Worx-Protime, worked really hard for this,” Wiebes said. “The girls were chasing full gas in the final to bring back Riejanne Markus. That

GOLF ROUNDUP

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON SUPER

Shiho Kuwaki holds up the trophy after winning the Women’s British Open on Sunday in Lytham St. Annes, England.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By MIKE MAROT Reigning IndyCar champion Alex Palou drives into the pit lane to test a new IndyCar model on Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis.

AP PHOTO By JOSE JUAREZ

Michael Thorbjornsen hits from the fifth tee during the final round of the Rocket Classic on Sunday in Detroit.

SAINTS

But if the progress he has seemingly made this offseason is real, and the momentum carries into the regular season, it won’t be long before McKinstry’s reputation as an elite corner is established at the NFL level

“I’m the type of guy that keeps my head down and work,” McKinstry said. “I thank (my teammates) for that recognition. It just showed me that my work is paying off, but me, I’m the type of guy that I’ve got to keep my head down and work and be able to do this day in and day out.

“That’s the type of guy that I am.”

So, this offseason, McKinstry made it a priority to get in the best shape of his life. Back in his hometown of Birmingham, the Alabama native focused on running. Miles. Sprints. Forty-yard dashes. You name it. McKinstry said he did it all because if there’s one thing he’s realized the most about playing his position, it’s that cornerbacks have to be able to run. But McKinstry didn’t come to the realization on his own. For that, he credited his coaches — past and present. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban, he said, used to stress that a cornerback needed to play every down, even if they were only seeing the ball five times per game. And last year, Saints defensive coordinator Brandon Staley pointed to Jalen Ramsey’s conditioning when McKinstry inquired about some of the greats that Staley previously coached before arriving in New Orleans

“You got to be able to run all day,” McKinstry said. Before he suffered a minor ankle injury that kept him out of team drills Friday, McKinstry had been running and then some Ar-

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

get a grip and find our footing

Protect College Sports Act

There was widespread surprise Friday when the Southeastern Conference and Big Ten reversed course to express support for the bipartisan Protect College Sports Act. The bill, which was running on fumes at best, now has a renewed chance of becoming law, though a narrow window before the congressional summer recess and November’s midterm elections remain major hurdles.

What changed the SEC and Big Ten’s collective mindset? Political pressure from the Trump administration was a factor but apparently the big selling point was a provision that prevents schools from circumventing the revenue-sharing cap through third-party deals Under the PCSA, schools would be allowed to pay players as much as $48.8 million annually according to CBSSports.com.

Also very importantly, the PCSA would protect women’s and Olympic sports, almost all of which operate at a financial deficit. Schools would be prohibited from reducing the number of varsity teams, roster participants or competition (games and tournaments) below a threshold required for FBS membership. Again, the bill still has a long way to go to get across the goal line, but at least there is a chance. Congressional oversight, of course, has its potential pitfalls and unintended consequences, but schools have shown over and over again that they are unable to police themselves when it comes to spending The PCSA has the potential to take college athletics off the unsustainable path it is currently on.

Class of 2022 injunction

Also Friday, a U.S. district judge in Denver ruled that all college athletes who graduated high school in 2022 whose clock ran out this spring were eligible for a fifth season in 2026-27.

The judge, Charlotte Sweeney, clarified her ruling Sunday (that’s as of this writing; who knows what could change again?) to say her ruling doesn’t override current transfer rules, roster limits or revenue sharing caps. In other words, if a football team has a full roster for this fall, it can’t just add a fifth-year player or exceed its revenue sharing cap.

The NCAA, which adopted a “five-for-five” eligibility rule set to go into effect this fall, is expected to appeal what still is a potentially chaos-causing ruling. All that said, Sweeney’s deci-

guably the Saints’ top performer to begin camp, no play appeared to summarize his effectiveness more than his pass breakup on Devaughn Vele in which he came crashing in to knock the ball out of the receiver’s hand. Even without pads, McKinstry had established a level of physicality and command that kept him on the winning end of his matchups

That, too, started to happen more and more as last season progressed. The Saints believe McKinstry made significant strides over the second half of the season And though Pro Football Focus’ charting system is subjective, the data reflects what the team saw McKinstry, according to PFF, went from allowing 32 catches for 444 yards and five touchdowns over the first nine games to just 17 catches for 228 yards and three touchdowns over the final eight contests.

Now, there’s demand for another jump.

Young knows what it’s like. In training camp last year, teammate Cam Jordan notably said they wanted to see waves, not splashes, from the pass rusher And linebacker Pete Werner called for Young to be “on his game” in the fall. But that type of push, Young said last week, provided motivation. He understood it came from a healthy place — and that his team had faith in him.

This year Young said he can tell that McKinstry understands his “number is being called” — but also noted McKinstry hasn’t had a pass caught on him yet.

“He knows he has to step up,”

Young told the Times-Picayune.

“It’s good.”

In addition to his team standing to benefit if McKinstry hits a new gear, the cornerback could stand to gain a lot individually as well.

He’ll enter the final year of his contract in 2027 and if he dominates, McKinstry could be in line for a big-time extension, even before that season begins

sion could be a silver lining for LSU men’s basketball and coach Will Wade. He is still trying to build a roster for the 2026-27 season, a build-out being hampered by new NCAA restrictions on players who have competed in foreign professional leagues. Programs with open roster spots and revenue-sharing funds could be landing spots for Class of 2022 players seeking a fifth year Arizona has already signed former Clemson forward RJ Godfrey one of the plaintiffs in a suit against the NCAA’s “fivefor-five” rule.

Sweeney’s ruling highlights the need, hopefully addressed by the PCSA, to steer college athletics away from the epidemic of players and schools seeking out a friendly judge to grant their eligibility That can’t be what the legal system is about.

Ole Miss lawsuit

This past week, Ole Miss announced it was seeking nearly $1 million in combined damages for breach of contract from two Ole players now at LSU: defensive end Princewill Umanmielen and offensive lineman Devin Harper Both reportedly signed revenue-sharing agreements with Ole Miss before jumping in the portal in January to follow Lane Kiffin to LSU.

Ole Miss, which claims it was put in a roster bind because of when the players left, says it’s tried to collect from LSU on Umanmielen and Harper’s behalf. Ole Miss said it’s heard crickets from LSU other than to affirm it wasn’t party to either player’s contract with their former school.

I see both sides of this convoluted coin. On one hand, a contract should be a contract, and both players should be beholden to Ole Miss for the deals they signed.

On the other hand, this makes Ole Miss look rather petty, especially since it’s also asking for reimbursement of legal fees. Would Ole Miss be doing this if Umanmielen, a certain starter for the Tigers, and Harper, in the mix for a starting spot on the O-line, hadn’t followed the now vilified Kiffin to LSU? No way to tell, but I believe if they’d gone to NC State or Louisville (who the Rebels open with Sept. 6 in Nashville) this wouldn’t be an issue.

In the end, it’s another log for the LSU-Ole Miss-Kiffin fire leading up to their ever more emotional Sept. 19 showdown in Oxford.

Maybe Ole Miss and LSU should agree to play double or nothing with the lawsuit riding on the outcome.

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

Rattler holding steady in backup QB battle

Shough sporadic as first-team offense has sloppy outing

BY MATTHEW PARAS Staff writer

At some point, Kellen Moore says he plans to rotate the backup reps between Spencer Rattler and Zach Wilson.

The New Orleans Saints signed Wilson with the intention of creating a competition for the spot behind starter Tyler Shough The move was nothing against Rattler personally the Saints kept the quarterback, despite plenty of trade speculation — but rather, New Orleans’ staff wanted to see what they had in the former 2021 second overall pick.

But through the first four practices of training camp, as well as OTAs and mandatory minicamp, the competition hasn’t materialized.

And that’s a credit to Rattler

The third-year quarterback has seemingly given his coaches no reason to contemplate a switch over the past few months. The 25-year-old has been largely steady even as the offense has yet to fully find a rhythm. Wilson, by contrast, looks very much like a player still learning a new system, which is understandable since this is his first year with the Saints.

“Eventually, we’ll probably do something,” Moore said. “We just like to rotate these guys and give different exposures. All three of those guys are playing good football.”

But if Rattler keeps performing as he has been, he likely won’t be in jeopardy of losing his backup job.

Here’s what else stood out on Day 4.

Attendance: The Saints saw a few faces return to practice. While Cesar Ruiz and Ja’Lynn Polk were still excused for personal reasons, tight end Cody Hardy was removed from the non-football-injury list. Defensive linemen Zxavian Harris (foot) and Keeshawn Silver (undisclosed) were in uniform, but still working with trainers off to the side.

Cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry (ankle) returned to team drills after sitting out of them Friday as a precaution.

Sloppy starters

The Saints moved practice indoors Sunday due to inclement weather

Practicing inside did not help the first-team offense get into a groove. Shough was again sporadic as he and the Saints try to adjust to the new pieces on offense. In 11-on11 drills, Shough completed only three of his 13 passes — although there are some caveats.

POLK

Continued from page 1C

offseason, and Polk also seemed motivated to put his time in New England behind him.

“I feel like I’m supposed to be here,” Polk said earlier this summer “For them bringing me in here and having that trust of seeing the player I’m capable of being, it speaks a lot. I just want to go out there each and every day and show them they made the right de-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

interview on Saturday “In this case, they picked a player they didn’t have an agreement with.

“It also speaks to his talent and his capabilities that they were willing to roll the dice on it.” Schmidt, a top-60 player in the draft, according to The Athletic, ESPN and MLB.com, will get a chance to develop under Johnson and LSU for potentially the next three seasons before he is eligible to be drafted again in 2029.

“It’s a great deal for our program on a lot of levels,” Johnson said “Having been doing this for a long time now, you don’t win these with Major League Baseball, typically.”

LSU ramped up its communication with Schmidt’s camp once it became clear that he wouldn’t come to an agreement with Cleveland, speaking with them “several times” in the 2-3 weeks leading up to Saturday’s announcement. Johnson met with the lefty in per-

Two of those seeming incomple-

tions were up for debate as it was unclear whether Chris Olave was in bounds on a deep ball on Shough’s first throw, while another appeared to be incomplete on a bang-bang play that could have been interpreted as a catch-and-fumble by Travis Etienne. Another of Shough’s incompletions, too, would have been wiped away because of an offsides penalty from Chase Young Still, whether he was 3-of-13 or 5-for-12, Shough struggled in team drills against New Orleans’ starting defense. He threw his second interception of camp when he held the ball for too long and tried to force a throw near the end zone that safety Julian Blackmon intercepted. He also saw Jonas Sanker make an impressive pass breakup when the second-year safety broke up a pass to Jordyn Tyson on the way to the ground.

Shough hasn’t received a lot of help from his playmakers, either Drops were again an issue Sunday as Alvin Kamara couldn’t hold onto a good look that was generated off of play action. And there was one or two fumbles from the supporting cast, as well.

On the first, Juwan Johnson fumbled the ball out of bounds after a completion. The second turned out to be more controversial Late in practice, linebacker Pete Werner punched the ball out of Etienne’s hands as soon as Shough’s pass arrived — causing the official to rule it a catch-and-fumble This, however, was highly debatable as it appeared Etienne had not established full control and for these purposes, we’re counting it as an incompletion. If there was a bright spot for Shough, it came during 7-on-7 drills. He went 4-for-4 in his reps,

cision of bringing me in here.”

Polk had been absent from the past two days of training camp for what the Saints called an excused absence for personal reasons.

He was expected to play a large part of a revamped Saints receiver corps this season.

Polk was one of three receivers the Saints acquired shortly before the start of last season, joining Devaughn Vele and Trey Palmer

Then New Orleans selected three receiversinthe2026NFLdraft,including No. 8 overall pick Jordyn Tyson.

The Saints’ top three in their ro-

son twice last week, including with pitching coach Nate Yeskie on Saturday LSU’s meetings with Schmidt were less about selling him on his opportunity to play for the school and more about listening to him and his family about what they thought was best for him.

“This is a trickier dynamic with a player that was sought after by Major League Baseball for a long time,” Johnson said. “I mean, he reclassified up into the 2026 class with the thought of being a first-round pick, and, frankly, he pitched that way during the high school season this year.”

Schmidt’s fit at LSU in 2027

With 39 players on its roster before Schmidt’s surprise inclusion, it was hard to find many holes on LSU’s roster after the MLB draft.

But Schmidt still fills a potential need as a lefty who could contend for a place in the starting weekend rotation. Freshmen rarely come out of the gates as starters in Southeastern Conference play but Schmidt’s bigger frame (he’s

5-yard line.

“It’s training camp,” Moore said. “There are good days and days you want to improve. That’s part of this installation process.”

Play of the day

Bryce Lance continues to make plays. And during a 7-on-7 rep Sunday, the rookie wide receiver read the Saints’ zone defense perfectly as he found an opening in the back of the end zone so that Rattler could deliver the strike past a few nearby defenders.

Rattler’s pass itself was a dime

But the play also said something about the fourth-round wideout’s ability to read coverage.

“For him to be able to weave through all that coverage, it might not look like nothing is there at first, but for him to just feel that zone in the back of the end zone was big time,” Rattler said. Odds and ends

n Defensive tackle Bryan Bresee will indeed undergo knee surgery after tearing his ACL last week, Moore said.

n The Saints squeezed in some extra reps near the end of practice as they conducted 11-on-11 drills with the first-team on one side of the field, while the second and third units worked on the opposite end.

n Sunday’s practice again featured a lot of work in the red zone, an area New Orleans struggled in last season.

n Moore estimated the team has installed only half of its playbook so far.

n Monday marks the first day of pads for the Saints. Get ready

tation may not change after this news — Vele may have had the inside track at the primary No. 3 role, though the Saints certainly would have varied personnel based on their opponent.

But Polk’s sudden retirement may impact the schedule New Orleans had for its other young receivers, with fourth-rounder Bryce Lance potentially being pushed into a bigger role than initially envisioned for him. It could also create space for another player to make the roster, such as Ronnie Bell or Kevin Austin.

6-foot-4), mid-90s fastball, strikethrowing capabilities and two off-speed pitches provide him the tools to contend for a rotation spot. LSU has seven lefties besides Schmidt, but Cooper Williams was the only arm among them who had any chance of cracking the rotation.

“It’s a wide-open competition, and he has the ability to contend for it, as I think the number of guys do,” Johnson said. “We have to perform better there.”

At the very least, Schmidt has the talent and polish to make a big impact out of the bullpen immediately, similar to what Casan Evans provided for the Tigers in 2025. He and fellow freshman Lucas Nawrocki — the No. 91 player in the draft, according to ESPN were LSU’s biggest left-handed additions over the offseason after the Tigers didn’t add a lefty out of the portal.

“I’ve always believed in lefthanded pitching and left-handed hitting,” Johnson said. “And really excited about that group as we start out.”

notably hitting Etienne on a nice wheel route and finding Devaughn Vele in traffic for a touchdown from the

STAFF PHOTO By DAVID GRUNFELD

Saints backup quarterback Spencer Rattler runs a drill during training camp on Sunday at the team’s indoor practice facility in Metairie.

2026 SCHEDULE

Sept.4

Sept.11

PAST 5 YEARS

2025: 9-4

2024: 6-6

2023: 8-3

2022: 7-5

2021: 11-1

PROJECTED STARTERS

Offense

WR Kadyn James (5-10, 165, Sr.)*

WR Caillou Polk (5-10, 190, Sr.)

TE Cole Delahoussaye (6-1,195,Sr.)*

TE Eli Landry (5-10, 200, Sr.)*

OT Christopher Jones (6-2, 275, Jr.)*

OG Joshua Haydel (5-9, 240, Jr.)*

C Benjamin Picard (5-9, 235, So.)

OG Luke Haydel (5-8, 275, Jr.)

OT Zane Cooper (6-1, 245 Jr.)

QB Wyatt Hazelwood (5-8, 160, Sr.)

RB Thomas Carter (5-11, 205, Jr.)* Defense

DE Cole Delahoussaye (6-1,195,Sr.)*

DE Christopher Jones (6-2, 275, Jr.)*

NG Jansin Conner (5-9, 270, Jr.)*

LB Caillou Polk (5-10, 190, Sr.)*

LB Eli Landry (5-10, 200, Sr.)*

LB Christian Jones (5-11, 185, Jr.)*

LB Thomas Carter (5-11, 205, Jr.)

CB Kadyn James (5-10, 165, Sr.)*

CB Wyatt Hazelwood (5-8, 160, Sr.)*

SS Rajon Matthews (5-9, 160, Jr.)

FS Brenner Babineaux (6-0, 165, Fr.)

* RETURNING STARTERS

PREP FOOTBALL SEASON PREVIEW

Loreauville

What we know

The 2025 football season saw Loreauville High fight through some early struggles, put together an incredible second-half run to the playoffs and again reach the second round.

The 2026 season should see more the same for the Tigers because they’ve got a number of players coming back.

“The front seven on defenses, all back this year,” Loreauville coach Terry Martin said.“We really have work to do on that side of the ball to replace a couple of people in the secondary. On offense, we got our main running back back, and we’ve got some receivers back.

“We got the offensive line back. If we can get our quarterback situation settled, we have a chance to be really good.”

Senior quarterback Wyatt Hazelwood is the current starter, but that could change, because two others are in the mix and performing well.

Last year’s defensive leader, Eli Landry, returns to head up the linebacker corps.

“We’ve got a lot of returning players, and we’re going to have to play a couple of freshmen, but if we can get quarterback settled, and we stay healthy, we can be really good,” Martin said.

What we don’t know

The biggest question mark facing the Tigers is who is going to replace Blake Delcambre at quarterback.

Last season, he had 30 touchdowns on offense and added several more return touchdowns on special teams as either a kick returner or punt returner

“We really haven’t settled on a starting quarterback yet,” Martin said.“We have one right now who’s a little bit better at throwing the ball, and we have a couple who are a little bit better at running the ball.

“We could end up having two quarterbacks.We did that when I was head coach at Cecilia, and we ended up having a pretty good season. So that option is always there.”

Thomas Carter RB 5-11, 205, Jr. Carter brings a ton of playing experience to the field.With the team losing a major playmaker at quarterback,his experience and talent will be critical at running back.

Christopher Jones OL/DL, 6-2, 275, Jr.

If anyone is the anchor of the Tigers’ squad, it’s Jones. He is a talented, big and fast leader of the defensive line who is also expected to be a leader on the offensive line.

Cole Delahoussaye TE/DE, 6-1, 195, Sr. The senior is a returning starter on the defensive line and receiver on offense.

Delahoussaye is expected to have a big impact on both sides of the ball this year for the Tigers.

How we see it

Head coach: Terry Martin (134-115 overall; 58-35 at Loreauville).

Assistant coaches: Derwin Antoine, Darrell Caesar,Trent Delahoussaye, Jude Dugas, Jacody Ford, Charles Francois, Eric Howard, Nick Julien, James Knatt, Kyle Poirier and Chad Pourciau. COACHES

“No one has really stepped up and taken control of the job right now,” Martin said.“Hopefully by the time the season starts, we’ll have that settled. But I’ve played two quarterbacks before during a season, and that option’s still on the table.

Returning junior Thomas Carter heads up the running back room He was the leading rusher last year and battled some injuries late in the season, but he comes back this year healthy.

“Thomas has been starting since he was a freshman,” Martin said.“He’s up to about 205 pounds now, which makes him a bigger back, and he still has his speed.”

The offensive and defensive lines return intact — both anchored by Christopher Jones.

In any other year with the talent that Loreauville has coming back, the Tigers would automatically be a favorite to not only win the district but make a deep run in the playoffs. But not having an established starting quarterback potentially presents an obstacle that could linger as the season goes on.

But Martin is a long-time established coach who has dealt with this issue before and has had success.

The best bet is to pencil in at least another seven- or eight-win season and a deep playoff run for the Tigers.

Neal McClelland

SCOREBOARD

Celine Boutier

67-74-74-69—284 E Minami Katsu 72-68-71-73—284 E Sara Kouskova 77-69-71-67—284 E Yuka Saso 72-73-71-68—284 E Lauren Coughlin 69-71-74-71—285 +1 Jin Hee Im 70-71-72-72—285 +1

Hyo Joo Kim 75-71-72-67—285 +1 Lucy Li 72-68-69-76—285 +1

Soo Bin Joo 70-69-73-74—286 +2

Lydia Ko 71-70-71-74—286 +2

Chanettee Wannasaen 68-72-71-75—286 +2

Pia Babnik 72-74-71-70—287 +3

Ashleigh Buhai 69-76-68-74—287 +3

Amelia Garvey 76-70-73-68—287 +3

Mao Saigo 69-74-73-71—287 +3

Patty Tavatanakit 73-73-73-68—287 +3

Carla Tejedo Mulet 76-70-68-73—287 +3

Yuna Araki 73-71-74-70—288 +4

Hannah Green 71-73-72-72—288 +4

Brooke Henderson 72-72-72-72—288 +4

Chizzy Iwai 68-77-71-72—288 +4

Sei Young Kim 72-72-72-72—288 +4

Paula Martin Sampedro 69-71-76-72—288 +4

Anna Nordqvist 73-70-77-68—288 +4

Alexandra Forsterling 70-75-70-74—289 +5

Mimi Rhodes 71-70-74-74—289 +5

Maja Stark 74-72-73-70—289 +5

Jing Yan 72-68-74-75—289 +5

Arpichaya Yubol 70-74-77-68—289 +5

Cara Gainer 74-72-73-71—290 +6

Auston Kim 75-68-77-70—290 +6

Yana Wilson 70-72-76-72—290 +6

Nasa Hataoka 73-71-76-71—291 +7

Nastasia Nadaud 77-69-72-73—291 +7

Dewi Weber 75-69-72-75—291 +7

Robyn Choi 71-70-73-78—292 +8

Manon De Roey 75-71-72-74—292 +8

Jin Young Ko 75-70-75-72—292 +8

Jenny Shin 72-72-73-75—292 +8

Amy Yang 72-73-72-75—292 +8

Rose Zhang 74-70-74-74—292 +8

Ayaka Furue 76-70-65-82—293 +9

Alice Hewson 70-74-75-74—293 +9

Ariya Jutanugarn 73-71-74-75—293 +9

Julia Lopez Ramirez 74-69-78-72—293 +9

Yunseo Yang 70-76-72-75—293 +9

Kajsa Arwefjall 73-69-77-75—294 +10

Annabell Fuller 71-74-73-76—294 +10

P. Roussin-Bouchard 73-72-78-71—294 +10

Lindy Duncan 75-69-73-78—295 +11

Aki Iwai 72-72-78-73—295 +11

Aunchisa Utama 73-69-80-73—295 +11

Amanda Doherty 73-71-76-76—296 +12

MinJi Kang 71-72-76-78—297 +13

Mi Hyang Lee

Alison Lee

-10

10

-9

Ben Kohles 70-65-68-68—271 9

Mac Meissner 69-68-65-69—271 -9

Kevin Roy 69-66-67-69—271 9

Emiliano Grillo 66-67-69-70—272 8 Jackson Koivun 69-67-67-69—272 -8

David Lipsky 67-67-67-71—272 8

Jordan L. Smith 66-71-65-70—272 -8

Brandt Snedeker 66-68-68-70—272 8

Jordan Spieth 68-66-70-68—272 8

Kevin Yu 66-70-65-71—272 -8

Austin Eckroat 67-68-67-71—273 7

Benjamin James 67-68-65-73—273 -7

Justin Lower 68-65-67-73—273 7 Thorbjørn Olesen 67-68-67-71—273 -7

Joe Highsmith 68-67-67-72—274 -6

Si Woo Kim 69-66-65-74—274 6 Hank Lebioda 69-66-70-69—274 -6

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 68-69-68-70—275 5

Beau Hossler 69-67-70-69—275 -5

Marco Penge 70-64-68-73—275 5 Adrien Saddier 67-67-67-74—275 5 Gordon Sargent 67-69-67-72—275 -5 Zac Blair 69-66-70-71—276 4

Patrick Fishburn 64-66-74-72—276 -4

Max Greyserman 68-68-68-72—276 4 Ryo Hisatsune 66-70-72-68—276 4

Matt Kuchar 68-68-70-70—276 -4

Matthew McCarty 70-66-72-68—276 4

Adam Schenk 67-68-69-72—276 -4

Neal Shipley 67-70-67-72—276 4 J.J. Spaun 67-67-70-72—276 4 Jackson Suber 66-71-69-70—276 -4 Johnny Keefer 66-70-67-74—277 3 Brian Campbell 68-68-70-72—278 -2 Mark Hubbard 66-68-73-71—278

9

Eli Landry TE/LB, 5-10, 200, Sr. Landry was the team’s leading tackler last season and was honored as the district’s Most Valuable Player. Landry is also expected to play a larger role on defense as well.

Kadyn James WR/CB, 5-10, 165, Sr. James is expected to be the Tigers’ leading receiver this season while also playing a huge role on the defensive side at cornerback.

-11

10

PHOTO PROVIDED

Loreauville High offensive and defensive backfield leaders include, from left, Courtland Owens, Hayden Hebert, Asa Romero, Brenner Babineaux, Thomas Carter, Wyatt Hazelwood and Rajon Matthews

FORTHE PEOPLE

Banksy didn’t authorizethe Banksy exhibition in Tampa, butheknows aboutit

BY CHRISTOPHER SPATA

Tampa BayTimes (TNS)

TAMPA, Fla. For years,Michel Boersma,curator of aprivate collection of 160 worksbythe artist Banksy goingondisplay in Tampa this week, has traded emails with the artist’smysterious and notoriously strict authentication office known as Pest Control.

It’s the only conduitfor those withouta direct relationship with Banksy to reach out to the artist, whose identity hasnever been confirmed.

“I”m 99% sure there’sasection of that correspondence that was directly with (Banksy),” Boersma said. “At somepoint I’m like, ‘I’m in my 50s, you’re in your 50s, and we’re emailing each other at 2 o’clock at night. Iknowwho I’m talkingto. Whyare we playing this game?’ At first, the emails felt only contentious. Banksy,hesaid, had been actively trying to disruptthe traveling exhibition behindthe scenes, pressuring collectors who’d purchasedpiecestonot allowthem into the show.Boersma, to get cooperation, agreed to cover the

edition numbers on some artworks so that Pest Control wouldn’tknow whose they were. There were other attempts at disruption, Boersma said,without getting into details. “It involved (Banksy) involving his Hollywood friends and twoveryinfluential

artists to try to stop us.”

That complicated relationship follows “The Art of Banksy” to Tampa, where it runs through Sept. 27 on the stageofMorsani Hall at theStraz Center for the Performing Arts.

ä See BANKSY, page 6C

The new journalistsjoin current correspondents Lesley Stahl, Jon Wertheim andBill Whitaker. Their hirings cometwo months after ashakeup at the storiedprogram, led by the network’snew editor-in-chief, BariWeiss. Weissinstalled Bilton,who has little substantive broadcast news experience, as executive producer,replacing Tanya Simon, who was let go after a30-plus year

tenure with the show.Also let go were correspondents Sharyn Alfonsi andCecilia Vega —and soon after,ScottPelley, after atense confrontation with his bosses over the changes. In addition to the three dismissed, Anderson Cooper whose primary job is at CNN —said earlier this year he was

Austria’s 16th-century bell foundryadds modern tech to keep thecasting processalive

BY PHILIPP JENNE Associated Press

INNSBRUCK, Austria Wearing protective gear to shieldfrom the extremeheat of molten bronze,workers at oneofthe last bell foundriesinEurope are casting bells weighing several tons.

One after another,the artisans carefully pour themolten metal into specially shaped molds held together with steel bands to create12bells for churches in Italy,Germany and Romania. Foundedin1599, theGrassmayr Bell Foundry,inInnsbruck, western Austria, has survived wars, famines, epidemics and economic challenges. These days, the family business is run by brothers Johannes and Peter Grassmayr During theRenaissanceinthe late Middle Ages, there were hundreds of bell makers in Europe, while today only ahandful remain across the continent.

AP PHOTO By MATTHIAS SCHRADER

An employeeworksonthe inside of abell at the 400-yearoldfamily-owned bellfoundry Grassmayr in Innsbruck, Austria.

The Grassmayrs’ secret to success: tenacity combined withinnovation, such as 3D printing, scanning, lasers, and computer simulation apps. “Certain things are just like they were400 years ago. But we innovated alot. Especially within thelast20years, we’ve changed alot,” Johannes Grassmayr told The Associated Press. The productioncycle formaking abell takes three to four months. In the past, cleaning a freshly cast bell and polishing

ä See FOUNDRY, page 6C

Fraser Goulding,left, and Jake Grundy, artinstallers, takeout Banksy’s ‘Mona Lisa on Mesh’ while theyprepare to hang it on awall at the Straz Center on July 27 in Tampa

BANKSY

Continued from page 5C

Visitors will walk through a temporary museum displaying prints, paintings, sculptures, sketches, stencils and ephemera owned by about 40 private collectors. Tickets start at $29.99 before fees Banksy emerged from the graffiti scene in Bristol, England, in the 1990s and gained attention in the 2000s as his darkly funny stencils appeared on walls across the world. His instantly recognizable attacks on war, authority, consumerism and inequality — and his hidden identity created a phenomenon. Soaring auction prices, famous collectors and the Oscar-nominated documentary “Exit Through the Gift Shop” put him at the center of the art world.

The exhibition in Tampa includes familiar images such as “Girl with Balloon” and “Rude Copper,” along with what its organizers call the original “Flower Thrower,” apparently made as a gift to one of Banksy’s former girlfriends years before the image became internationally recognizable. Another featured work is a version of the “Mona Lisa” that was purchased by actor Brad Pitt, returned to Banksy in 2022 and transformed into a new work that is now being publicly displayed in the United States for the first time.

The show has traveled internationally for about a decade, but Tampa marks the first time it has been installed directly on a theater stage. Temporary walls were erected across the stage and orchestra pit area, creating a sort of maze where the art will be individually lit and rock music will play Videos feature people from Banksy’s past, including printmaker Ben Eine and former girlfriend Leonie Laws.

Banksy did not curate, approve or authorize any of it Pest Control declined to comment on specifics of “The Art of Banksy” or Boersma’s characterizations of their communication. In an email to the Tampa Bay Times signed “PCO,” the office only reiterated that the exhibition is “wholly unofficial and unauthorized.”

But over the years, Boersma said, Banksy has stopped trying to disrupt the exhibition. And he has never condemned “The Art of Banksy” publicly That’s not an endorsement, by any stretch, but to Boersma, it means something.

“If you look at Pest Control’s website right now, on the homepage above or under their logo, there’s a message attacking another exhibition in London,” Boersma said. “They could have done that when we were in London, but they never did.” He feels his exhibition, due to its effort to authenticate every artwork, has reached a sort of “gentleman’s agreement” with the artist.

Most of the works in the exhibition carry certificates of authenticity issued by Pest Control. Other pieces, such as personal sketches or gifts, fall into categories for

Continued from page 5C

it made up 30% of total production time. Nowadays, with the help of modern tools, that process takes only a tenth of the time.

Grassmayr keeps some of its most innovative production steps a secret, such as a special chamber where the bells are cleaned with a highpressure sandblaster, not to mention the specialized apps used to calculate the sound of each particular bell.

Even with modern technology, the process of designing and forming the molds for a large bell can take up to six months.

“The important thing is that you have calculate, form and then cast the bell as a musical instrument.” Johannes said, adding that the greatest difficulty in creating the bell is the risk that molten metal pressure will destroy the mold When the workers cast a large bell weighing several tons, the liquid bronze creates up to 137 tons of pres-

which Banksy does not issue certificates. Those have been supported by provenance connecting them directly to Banksy or his associates, including correspondence, photographs and statements from their original owners.

Boersma said the exhibition has turned down objects that looked convincing when he and other experts could not trace their histories.

“The risk of us putting it on display and then it not being correct was just not worth it,” Boersma said.

The relationship with Pest Control shifted, Boersma said, when the office began pressing him to provide a list of works traveling under Banksy’s name. Boersma initially refused, but it became clear to him they only wanted to make sure anything identified as a Banksy was actually made by Banksy and that any work made by somebody else properly credited the real artist.

That made Boersma realize they were, from different angles, trying to protect the same thing.

“I’m taking a leap of faith,” Boersma recalled writing.

“I’ll send you the artwork list.” It was, he said, “the beginning of us doing a dance of trusting each other.” Pest Control, he said, will flag anything that isn’t right.

Pest Control did not confirm that arrangement to the Times.

The producers are making some of that email correspondence part of the Tampa attraction. Visitors purchasing the VIP experience can enter a lounge displaying selections from the emails. The exhibition’s website characterizes them as an ongoing dialogue about authenticity and intellectual property

Corey Ross, owner of Starvox Entertainment and a producer of the exhibition, said the presence of actual artwork is the main difference between “The Art of Banksy” and competing attractions that rely heavily on enlarged scans, recreated images or immersive projections.

Boersma, Ross said, spent years developing relationships with collectors and convincing them to let valuable and sometimes intensely personal objects travel.

“This show, in a way, celebrates the collectors as much as it celebrates Banksy,” Ross said The works in this exhibition are not taken from streets or public walls, or works that were ever available to see for free, its producers say They are objects Banksy sold or gave to people who now control where they are displayed. They also believe that as more artwork is stashed in storage containers to avoid

sure inside the molds, he said. To ensure the integrity of the mold, only high-quality clay is used and then encased in steel sleeves designed to withstand extreme pressure.

But it’s not only the difficulty of the production that has Grassmayr worried. The modern bell-making industry is under pressure as fewer churches are being built, changing the demand for bells. Rising energy costs due to the war in Ukraine are not helping, and labor costs have risen 30% since the pandemic in 2020

But the main cost factor of a newly cast bell is still the price of materials. The best bells require high-quality bronze, which is 80 parts copper to 20 parts tin. A few years ago, the price of bronze was $9.23 per kilogram compared with $26.17 today, Johannes said

“That’s why I can’t even say how much a bell is going to cost in a year I just hope the metal price is going to come down again,” he added. To keep the business going, the family has increasingly turned to restoring old

Richard Wormley, an assistant curator, shows Banksy’s ‘The Flower Thrower’ at the Straz Center on July 27 in Tampa.

TNS

PHOTO By JEFFEREE WOO

taxes, awaiting the day it will be flipped for a big payoff, there’s value in keeping it on display somewhere.

Many of the lenders are not wealthy art investors, Boersma said. They are early admirers who bought prints when they cost 50 or 100 pounds or spent years of savings on a work before Banksy’s market exploded. Some knew the artist personally Others bought the art before his name alone could add hundreds of thousands of dollars to its value.

The exhibition’s early “Flower Thrower” offers the most personal example.

Boersma said Banksy made the small work in 1997 as a Valentine’s Day gift for Laws In a filmed interview included in the exhibition, Laws recounts receiving it and later sending it to Pest Control while seeking formal authentication.

The work was returned months later with its original personal message partly ground away and replaced The exhibition will show visitors a scan of the reverse side, where remnants of the first inscription can still be seen.

For Ross, an independently assembled retrospective can do something Banksy’s own projects can’t do. When Banksy creates an exhibition, it is typically a new artwork, not a history “The Art of Banksy” places pieces from different stages of his career together, alongside the stories of the people who acquired them.

Museums generally have policies against staging a retrospective for a living artist without that artist’s direct cooperation.

“When someone is as public and as political and as influential as Banksy has been,” Ross said, “there’s also a place and value for a third party to look at what his work is and to talk about it.” Banksy is arguably the most famous living artist in the world.

Tampa artist Leon Bedore, better known as Tes One, sees the absence of Banksy’s permission as a disqualifying problem.

Bedore, whose career has roots in graffiti, declined an invitation to walk through the exhibition before it opened.

“The reason is that ‘The Art of Banksy’ is not an authorized exhibition of his work,” Bedore wrote in an email.

“It’s just one of many exhibitions that tour and exploit his work for spectacle and profit.

“If you’re a fan of Banksy I highly encourage you to seek out and experience his work where he originally placed it,” he wrote. “Context is key, and an unauthorized exhibition has none of it.”

bells, often with the help of modern technologies. Hundreds of defective bells from 12 European countries have been restored at the Grassmayr bell foundry, according to the company Bells made by Grassmayr can be found in over 100 countries, ranging from Japan to the United States.

One of the largest the brothers have cast was for Romania’s National Cathedral in Bucharest. Cast in 2016, it is 10.8 feet tall and weighs more than 27.5 tons. Another creation, weighing 16.5 tons, hangs in a church on Mount Tabor in Israel.

Johannes showed the AP several recently cast bells that were being left to cool down for a week before being removed from their molds. He pointed to the precise negative imprint still visible in the clay form. “This bell is for the church in Zethau, in Germany,” he said. “I’m very happy with the casting. I’m especially happy that the innovations of the past decades helped a lot to make the bells ever

By The Associated Press

Today is Monday, Aug. 3, the 215th day of 2026. There are 150 days left in the year

Today in history:

On Aug. 3, 2019, a gunman opened fire at a Walmart store in El Paso, Texas, resulting in the deaths of 23 people; after surrendering, the gunman told detectives he targeted “Mexicans” and had outlined the plot in a screed published online shortly before the attack.

Also on this date:

In 1492, Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, Spain, on his first voyage that took him to the present-day Americas.

In 1936, Jesse Owens, of the United States, won the first of his four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics as he took the 100-meter sprint.

In 1972, the U.S. Senate

‘60 MINUTES’

Continued from page 5C

leaving of his own accord after two decades.

Enthusiasm over hires

Weiss and Tom Cibrowski, the CBS News president, praised the new hires in an internal memo. “We couldn’t be more excited about this news,” the two said, welcoming the new additions. “Onward!”

Bilton called Douthat “one of the preeminent public intellectuals in America today, a thinker of uncommon rigor and a journalist of deep empathy.” The columnist has spent nearly two decades at the Times and is an author of numerous books.

The producer called O’Donnell “a powerhouse.”

“You’ve seen her all over the network. She’s launched a new podcast. And you’ll see much more of her in our halls because Norah will be

TODAY IN HISTORY

ratified the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union.

In 1977, the Tandy Corporation introduced the TRS80, one of the first widelyavailable home computers.

In 1981, U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, seeking pay and workplace improvements (two days later, President Ronald Reagan fired the 11,345 striking union members and barred them from federal employment).

In 2018, Las Vegas police said they were closing their investigation into the Oct. 1, 2017, shooting that left 58 people dead at a country music festival without a definitive answer for why Stephen Paddock unleashed gunfire from a hotel suite onto the concert crowd.

In 2021, New York’s state attorney general said an investigation found Gov

a correspondent on 60 Minutes.”

Bilton praised Junger for his nonfiction work “The Perfect Storm,” about a catastrophic 1991 storm. The book “landed with an electric charge in the world of reported nonfiction, defining an intense and intimate form of storytelling and establishing Sebastian as a generational talent,” Bilton said Toboni joins“60 Minutes” as a contributor and CBS News as a national correspondent. Previously a senior correspondent with VICE News and VICE on HBO, she comes to the program from CNN. Calling her a journalist of “extraordinary range,” Bilton noted that Toboni has interviewed members of ISIS, investigated cartel violence in Mexico and has written a book on the death penalty

Also serving as contributor will be Trevor Phillips, announced last month as the news division’s senior global affairs correspon-

Andrew Cuomo had sexually harassed multiple current and former state government employees; the report stepped up pressure from fellow Democrats for Cuomo to resign, and he did so a week later

Today’s birthdays: Football Hall of Fame coach Marv Levy is 101. Actor Martin Sheen is 86. Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart is 85. Film director John Landis is 76. Actor JoMarie Payton

Hetfield (Metallica)

(TV: “Abbott Elementary”) is 63. Rock musician Stephen Carpenter (Deftones) is 56. Former NFL quarterback Tom Brady is 49. Actor Evangeline Lilly is 47. Olympic swimming gold medalist Ryan Lochte is 42.

dent. Based in London, he is “one of the most respected and trusted voices in the United Kingdom for his ability to ask the toughest questions and hold anyone in power to account,” Bilton wrote in his memo. Upheaval at ‘60 Minutes’ Turmoil had raged at “60 Minutes” for more than a year before the May shakeup. Much of it came after President Donald Trump sued the show over its editing of a 2024 interview with then-Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. That became part of a broader shakeup at CBS News after Weiss was named to the new role of editor-in-chief by parent company Paramount late last year following David Ellison’s arrival as the network’s corporate leader Jocelyn Noveck covers the intersection of media and entertainment for The Associated Press.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Gather information andconsider the possibilities. Don't stop short, have low confidence or let confusion take over. If you do thelegwork, you'll be surprised how much you can achieve.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Personal situations involving money, contracts and commitments will be strained if not handled openly and honestly. If you feel someone is giving you the runaround, they probably are.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) Complete your missions beforeyou getintodiscussionsortakeonnew projects. It's important to stay on top of matters if youwanttoeliminate undue stress. Don't overthink.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stay focused on your agenda and objective. Apleasant disposition will help you gain the respect and assistance you need. A changeormove you wanttopursue will have underlying stipulations.

SAGITTARIUS(Nov.23-Dec. 21) Make domestic changes to ease your overhead. Consider who and what is costing you, andgothrough aprocess of eliminationtoensure you aren'twasteful.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Educational pursuitsthat enrich your mind or physical changes that make you more appealingcan both helpyou build momentuminachieving personal and professional gains.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Imagination, intuition and an abundance of energy

that needs an outlet will help you find apathloadedwithall sorts of interestingopportunities. Reinvent yourself.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Pullinthe reins and rethink your plans. Acting prematurelywill leaveyou cleaning up amess. Be methodical, resourceful and humblewhen it comes to how you proceed.

ARIES(March21-April 19) Limit the information you share. Choose your words wisely, anddon'tmakepromises you can't honor. Adirect approach will help you get what you wantand when.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Choosing practicality over whimsy will save you from loss. Avoid hype about earningeasy money. Someone will have a hidden agenda that can leaveyou in a vulnerable position.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) Making alifestyle change or renovation or participating in apastime you feel passionate about will enhance your chances of fraternizing with someonewho offers insight into something unique.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) Themore information you have, the easier it will be to avoid traps and trouble. Listen carefully, and don't let anyone push you into an argument. Using charm will helpyou get the support you need.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2026 by NEA, Inc.,dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with severalgiven numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Saturday’s Puzzle Answer

TimeS CroSSword

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

JohnWesley,an18th-century English preacher, said, “Once in seven years I burn all my sermons; foritisashame if Icannotwrite better sermons now than Idid sevenyearsago.”

Last weekImentioned theRuleof Seven. In ano-trump contract, when a defender leads asuit in which declarer has onlyone top-trick stopper (usually theace), theRule of Seven tells declarer how long to hold up that stopper. He subtractsfromseventhetotalnumberof cards hissidehas in thesuit and holds up for that number of rounds.

When declarer is only worried about thesuitled,the Rule of Sevenworksfine But it needscarefulhandling.

In this deal, how should Southplan the play in three no-trumpafter West leads the spade two?

TheRuleofSeven is primarilyuseful when theopponents have eight cards in theirsuitdividing 5-3. Declarer holds up his ace for tworounds (seven minus five is two), so that thedefenderwith the long suitcan cashhis two remaining winners only if he hasanentry.

Whatiftheir eight-card fitisbreaking 4-4? Then thereisnopoint in holding up, because declarer cannot break theopponents’ communication in the suit. They will always get three tricks (unless declarer can immediately run for home).

wuzzles

In this deal, if South takes the first trick and drives out thediamond ace, he losesonlyonediamondandthreespades. Butifheducks hisspade aceattrickone, East might notice theinteresting heart situationandshifttotheheartking.Then South will loseone spade, three hearts and one diamond to end down one. ©2026 by

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InStRuctIonS: 1. Words must be of four or more

Average

loCKhorNs

Thankthe Lord forall of his blessings. G.E. Dean

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles