The Acadiana Advocate 05-28-2025

Landry-backed insurance bill passes

Opponents say measure will drive insurers out of the state

BY TYLER BRIDGES Staff writer

Over the strong objections of Insur-

ance Commissioner Tim Temple and the insurance industry the House deferred to Gov Jeff Landry and gave final passage to a bill Tuesday that he says will make it harder for insurance companies to raise rates

Allstate and State Farm officials met privately with the governor to express their opposition to a provision added in the Senate late May 21 that will require insurance companies to reveal rate-setting information that has been secret.

The provision is so bad that it will

Temple objects because he says the measure, House Bill 148, will allow the insurance commissioner to reject rate increases without justification. That, he adds, will discourage companies from investing in Louisiana, and the reduction in competition will make it harder to keep rates down — the opposite of what Landry says.

outweigh any of the measures passed this year and last year by Landry and legislators that they said would hold down property and car insurance rates, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, which represents 38% of the insurance market share in Louisiana, wrote in a letter to the governor Tuesday

The bill is “likely to decrease competition by discouraging insurers from devoting capital to the state,” said the letter Another group, the Insurance

ä See INSURANCE, page 4A

School food legislation advances

Among the bills being considered by the Legislature are proposals meant to eventually prohibit public schools and private schools that receive public funding from serving or selling highly processed food and drinks.

State’s effort aligns with U.S. health secretary’s agenda

BY ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writer

Louisiana lawmakers want schools to serve more locally made, nutritious meals and get rid of highly processed products, as they join the Trump administration in pushing for healthier food options.

An assortment of bills and resolutions making their way through the state Legislature aim to reshape Louisiana food policies to align with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which seeks to reduce chronic illness and obesity

Among the legislation are propos-

als meant to eventually prohibit public schools and private schools that receive public funding from serving or selling highly processed food and drinks.

The state House of Representatives on Thursday passed two resolutions by Rep. Michael Echols, R-Monroe, focused on school meals. One calls on the state education department to study the potential costs of banning certain artificial ingredients and additives from school foods and drinks, including some food dyes, and report back with their findings ahead of next year’s legislative session. The other resolution calls on Congress to support giving schools funding to prioritize pur-

chasing American agricultural products for school meals, which it says would bolster the economy and give students access to fresher food.

The effort to get more local produce into schools could be complicated by recent cuts by the Trump administration to U.S Department of Agriculture programs that help food banks and schools purchase food from local farmers.

Related bills include Senate Bill 117 by Sen. Blake Miguez, R-New Iberia, which seeks to ban “ultra-processed” foods from school breakfasts and lunches, and

ä See FOOD, page 5A

says legislation passed Tuesday by the House will make it harder for companies to raise car insurance rates.

More than 100K in La. could lose Medicaid

BY EMILY WOODRUFF Staff writer

Tucked inside the “big, beautiful bill” recently advanced by the U.S. House is a first-ever federal work requirement for Medicaid recipients. Starting at the end of 2026, the legislation would require that most childless adults document 80 hours a month of work, school or volunteering before they can enroll in the government health insurance program for people with limited incomes.

The Congressional Budget Office projects the change would save about $280 billion over six years. In Louisiana, however, it could also knock 139,000 to 158,000 adults off Medicaid in the first year — one of the largest per capita losses of any state, according to a study from the Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research. Roughly 1.6 million Louisianans, or one-third of the population, currently relies on the program.

Proponents such as House Speaker Mike Johnson say the mandate will curb fraud, restore the “dignity of work,” and ensure taxpayers aren’t funding coverage for able-bodied adults who can support themselves. Critics argue that most adults on Medicaid already work or qualify for exemptions. They fear the new

House bill requires 80 hours a month of work to qualify ä See MEDICAID, page 4A

Judge calls for dismissing parts of suit against Acadian Ambulance

BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer

A federal magistrate judge is recommending the dismissal of some parts of a federal classaction lawsuit against Acadian Ambulance for a cybersecurity

breach. Magistrate Judge Carol Whitehurst, U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana in Lafayette, made the recommendations May 19 on Acadian Ambulance’s motion to dismiss a consolidated amended class action lawsuit over a 2024

data breach of customers’ and employees’ personal information. A cybercriminal organization, Daixin Team, allegedly stole as many as 2.9 million Acadian customers’ and employees’ personal information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and

medical records, and sought a ransom. When Acadian refused to pay, Daixin Team claimed it published the information on the dark web where it could be used by identity thieves.

The plaintiffs allege Acadian was negligent, breached an implied

contract, breached its fiduciary duty and violated the Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices and consumer protection laws. They also sued for declaratory judgment and equitable relief and asserted

ä See ACADIAN, page 5A

STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK

Gov. Jeff Landry

STAFF FILE

PHOTO By

HILARy SCHEINUK

Second crypto investor charged in kidnapping

NEW YORK A second cryptocurrency investor surrendered to police Tuesday in the alleged kidnapping of a man who said he was tortured for weeks inside an upscale Manhattan townhouse by captors seeking the password to his Bitcoin account.

William Duplessie, 32 faces charges of kidnapping, assault, unlawful imprisonment and criminal possession of a weapon, according to police

His arrest comes four days after the victim — a 28-yearold Italian national — escaped, bloodied and barefoot from a lavish townhouse where he said he had been severely beaten, drugged, shocked with electrical wires and threatened with death for nearly three weeks.

On Friday morning, crypto investor John Woeltz, 37, was taken into custody

Japan to use Fukushima soil on flowerbeds

TOKYO Japan said Tuesday it plans to use some slightly radioactive soil stored near the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant on flower beds outside Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s office to show it is safe to reuse. The soil was removed from across the Fukushima prefecture as part of decontamination work following the 2011 nuclear disaster and has since been in interim storage. Some of it has since reached levels safe enough for reuse, officials say Using the soil at Ishiba’s office in Tokyo is aimed at reassuring the public it is safe. The government said that it plans to reuse the soil for flower beds and other purposes within the grounds of government agencies

Japan is stuck with large volumes of the dirt, chopped trees and other debris collected during intensive decontamination work It has 14 million cubic meters of dirt and other materials enough to fill 11 baseball stadiums — stored at a sprawling outdoor facility straddling the towns of Futaba and Okuma, near the Fukushima plant.

Vessel’s implosion can be heard on new video

CONCORD, N.H. — U.S Coast Guard officials investigating the disappearance of an experimental submersible on its way to the Titanic wreckage in 2023 have released video recorded aboard its support ship from the moment the sound of its implosion reached the ocean’s surface.

The Titan vanished June 18, 2023, on its way to the wreck of the Titanic in the North Atlantic Ocean setting off a five-day search that ended with authorities saying all five passengers had died when the vessel imploded.

The Coast Guard last week released a 21/2-minute video showing Wendy Rush and an OceanGate employee monitoring the submersible’s descent.

The video shows Rush and Gary Foss in front of a computer. After a faint sound like a closing door, Rush asks, “What was that bang?” The Coast Guard says it believes it was the sound of the Titan’s implosion reaching the surface of the ocean.

Cholera outbreak kills over 170 in a week

CAIRO A new cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed 172 people and sickened more than 2,500 over the past week, authorities said Tuesday as a leading medical group warned that the country’s existing health facilities were unable to cope with the surge of patients.

The bulk of the cases were reported in the capital, Khartoum, and its twin city of Omdurman, but cholera was also detected in the provinces of North Kordofan, Sennar, Gazira, White Nile and Nile River, health officials said.

According to Joyce Bakker, the Sudan coordinator for Doctors Without Borders, the alarming spike began in mid-May, with teams treating almost 2,000 suspected cholera cases in the past week alone.

On Saturday Sudan’s Health Minister Haitham Ibrahim said the increase in cholera cases just in the Khartoum region has been estimated

Troops fire warning shots at food center

Palestinians overwhelm new Gaza aid site

BY MOHAMMED JAHJOUH and SAMY MAGDY Associated Press

MUWASI, Gaza Strip — Chaos erupted on the second day of aid operations by a new U.S.-backed group in Gaza as desperate Palestinians overwhelmed a center distributing food on Tuesday, breaking through fences. Nearby Israeli troops fired warning shots, sending people fleeing in panic.

An AP journalist heard Israeli tank and gunfire and saw a military helicopter firing flares. The Israeli military said its troops fired the warning shots in the area outside the center and that “control over the situation was established.”

At least three injured Palestinians were seen by The Associated Press being brought from the scene, one of them bleeding from his leg.

The distribution hub outside Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah had been opened the day before by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which has been slated by Israel to take over aid operations. The U.N. and other humanitarian organizations have rejected the new system,

saying it won’t be able to meet the needs of Gaza’s 2.3 million people and allows Israel to use food as a weapon to control the population. They have also warned of the risk of friction between Israeli troops and people seeking supplies. Palestinians have become desperate for food after nearly three months of Israeli blockade pushed Gaza to the brink of famine.

Palestinians at the scene told AP that small numbers of people made their way to the GHF center Tuesday morning and received food boxes. As word spread, large numbers of men, women and children walked for several miles from the sprawling tent camps along Gaza’s Mediterranean coast. To reach the hub, they had to pass through nearby Israeli military positions.

By the afternoon, hundreds of thousands were massed at the hub. Videos show the crowds funneled in long lines through chain-link fence passages. Two people said each person was searched and had their faces scanned for identification before being allowed to receive the boxes. Crowds swelled and turmoil erupted, with people tearing down fences

and grabbing boxes. The staff at the site were forced to flee, they said The AP journalist positioned some distance away heard gunfire and rounds of tank fire. Smoke could be seen rising from where one round impacted. He saw a military helicopter overhead firing flares.

“There was no order, the people rushed to take, there was shooting, and we fled,” said Hosni Abu Amra, who had been waiting to receive aid. “We fled without taking anything that would help us get through this hunger.”

“It was chaos,” said Ahmed Abu Taha, who said he heard gunfire and saw Israeli military aircraft overhead. “People were panicked.” Crowds were seen running from the site. A few managed to secure aid boxes — containing basic items like sugar, flour, pasta and tahini — but the vast majority left emptyhanded.

In a statement, GHF said that because of the large number of Palestinians seeking aid, staff at the hub followed the group’s safety protocols and “fell back” to allow them to dissipate, then later resumed operations.

5 killed, 19 injured in plant explosion in China

By The Associated Press

BEIJING A huge explosion rocked a chemical plant in China’s eastern Shandong province around noon Tuesday, killing at least five people and injuring 19, according to local emergency management authorities. Another six people were missing. It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.

The blast was powerful enough to knock out windows at a warehouse more than 2 miles away, according to a video shared by a resident, who declined to give his name out of concern about retaliation.

The resident said his home shook. As he went to the window, he saw a column of smoke from the site 4.3 miles away

Gaomi Youdao Chemical Co is located in an industrial park in the city of Weifang. It manufactures pesticides as well as chemicals for medical use, and has more than 500 employees, according to corporate registration records.

Local fire officials sent more than 230 personnel to the scene, according to state broadcaster China Central Television.

A student at a school about 1,000 yards away from the plant told state-run news site The Paper that he heard one explosion and saw dirt-yellow smoke, tainted with redness, rising from the plant. He said there was a funny smell, and all students were given a mask and told not to remove it.

A staffer at the local environment bureau told The Paper that a team was dispatched to the scene to monitor potential pollution but had yet to report back.

The blast came less than two weeks after the National Ministry of Emergency Management held a workshop on preventing and controlling risks in

the chemical industry as Beijing urged officials at chemical industrial parks to boost their capabilities in “managing hazardous chemicals.”

Last year, the chemical plant was cited for “safety risks” at least twice, but in September it was praised by the Weifang Emergency Management Bureau for relying on party members to effectively manage workplace risks. Specifically, party members at Gaomi Youdao identified more than 800 safety hazards in the first eight months of 2024 and rectified all of them, the bureau said. Workplace safety has improved over the years in China but remains a stubborn problem. The National Ministry of Emergency Management recorded 21,800 incidents and 19,600 deaths in 2024.

Russia seizes 4 border villages

BY KATIE MARIE DAVIES Associated Press

Russian forces have taken four border villages in Ukraine’s northeastern Sumy region, a local official said Tuesday, days after Russian President Vladimir Putin said he had ordered troops to establish a buffer zone along the border Sumy borders Russia’s Kursk region, where a surprise Ukrainian incursion last year captured a pocket of land in the first occupation of Russian territory since World War II. The long border is vulnerable to Ukrainian incursions, Putin said, and creating a buffer zone could help Russia prevent further cross-border attacks there. Meanwhile, a Russian bombing campaign that had escalated in recent days slowed overnight, with far fewer Russian drones targeting Ukrainian towns and cities.

Moscow’s invasion has shown no signs of stopping despite months of intense U.S.-led efforts to secure a ceasefire and get traction for peace talks. Since Russian and Ukrainian delegations met in Turkey on May 16 for their first direct talks in three years, a large prisoner exchange has been the only tangible outcome, but negotiations have brought no significant breakthrough.

The U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said Putin has not yet delivered a promised memorandum that the Russian leader told U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone call on May 19 would outline the framework for a possible peace agreement.

The Kremlin has also ruled out the Vatican as a venue for negotiations, he said. “We would have liked to have it at the Vatican and we were pretty set to do something like that, but the Russians didn’t want to go there so I think Geneva may be the next stop,” Kellogg told the Fox News Channel.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said his country also was ready to host another round of peace talks.

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY ABDEL KAREEM HANA Palestinians carry boxes Tuesday containing food and humanitarian aid packages delivered by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a U.S.-backed organization approved by Israel, in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Smoke rises Tuesday from an explosion at a chemical plant in China’s eastern Shandong province.

White House targets Harvard contracts

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON The Trump administration asked federal agencies Tuesday to cancel contracts with Harvard University worth about $100 million, intensifying the president’s clash with the nation’s oldest and wealthiest university

The government already has canceled more than $2.6 billion in federal research grants for the Ivy League school, which has pushed back on the administration’s demands for changes to several of its policies

A letter sent Tuesday from the General Services Administration, which oversees contracting and real estate for the federal government, directed agencies to review contracts with the university and seek alternates.

The New York

Times

first

reported on the letter

President Donald Trump has railed against Harvard, calling it a hotbed of liberalism and antisemitism. The school filed a lawsuit April 21 over the administration’s calls for changes to the university’s leadership, governance and admissions policies Since then, the administration has slashed the school’s federal funding, moved to cut off enrollment of international students and threatened its tax-exempt status.

The administration has identified about 30 contracts across nine agencies to be reviewed for cancellation, according to an administration official who was not authorized to speak publicly and provided details on the condition of anonymity The contracts total roughly $100 million, according to a senior administration official, who spoke on the condi-

tion of anonymity to describe internal deliberations The contracts include executive training for Department of Homeland Security officials, research on health outcomes related to energy drinks and a contract for graduate student research services.

Agencies with contracts that are deemed critical are being directed not to halt them immediately, but to devise a plan to transition to a different vendor other than Harvard.

The letter applies only to federal contracts with Harvard and not its remaining research grants.

Trump laid into Harvard on social media over the weekend, threatening to cut an additional $3 billion in federal grants and give it to trade schools across the United States. He did not explain which grants he was referring to or how they could be reallocated.

King Charles: Canada faces unprecedented dangers

BY ROB GILLIES Associated Press

OTTAWA, Ontario King

Charles III said Canada is facing unprecedented challenges in a world that’s never been more dangerous as he opened the Canadian Parliament on Tuesday with a speech widely viewed as a show of support in the face of annexation threats by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The king is the head of state in Canada, which is a member of the Commonwealth of former colonies.

Trump’s repeated suggestion that Canada become the 51st state prompted Prime Minister Mark Carney to invite Charles to give a speech from the throne outlining the Liberal government’s priorities for the new session of Parliament.

“We must face reality:

Since the Second World War, our world has never been more dangerous and unstable Canada is facing challenges that, in our lifetimes, are unprecedented,” Charles said in French, one of Canada’s official languages. He added that “many Canadians are feeling anxious and worried about the drastically changing world around them.”

The king reaffirmed Canada’s sovereignty saying the “True North is indeed strong and free.”

It’s rare for the monarch to deliver the speech from the throne in Canada Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, did it twice. The king noted that it had been nearly 70 years since his mother first opened Parliament. The visit to Canada was Charles’ first as king and his 20th overall.

“Canada has dramatically changed: repatriating its constitution, achieving full independence and witnessing immense growth. Canada has embraced its British, French and Indigenous roots and become a bold, ambitious, innovative country that is bilingual, truly multicultural,” the monarch said.

The king said that among the priorities for the government is protection of the French language and Quebec culture, which are at the heart of Canadian identity.

He said when his mother opened a new session of Canadian Parliament in 1957, World War II remained a fresh, painful memory and the Cold War was intensifying.

“Freedom and democracy were under threat,” he said. “Today, Canada faces another critical moment.”

Former aide says Combs kidnapped her during plot

BY MICHAEL R. SISAK and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press

NEW YORK A former top aide to Sean “Diddy” Combs testified Tuesday that the hip-hop mogul threatened to kill her during her first day on the job and waved a gun as he kidnapped her years later in an angry rush to find and kill rapper Kid Cudi.

Capricorn Clark’s account of Combs’ volatility and violence launched the third week of testimony at his Manhattan federal sex trafficking trial.

Prosecutors called Clark, the former global brand director for Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment, to support a charge that he led a twodecade racketeering conspiracy that relied on beefy bodyguards, death threats and the silence of frightened staff to ensure he got what he wanted.

Combs, 55, has pleaded not guilty to an indictment alleging he abused his

longtime girlfriend, R&B singer Cassie, and others. If convicted, he could face 15 years to life in prison.

Clark’s tearful testimony came days after Cudi, whose legal name is Scott Mescudi, testified that Clark called him from a car outside his home in December 2011 and told him Combs had forced her to accompany him to Cudi’s house.

Combs was angry Cudi was dating Cassie, whose legal name is Casandra Ventura, Clark said.

Clark, referring to Combs as “Puff,” said he came to her home holding a gun and demanded she get dressed because “we’re going to kill Cudi.”

Her voice shaky, Clark recounted how they rode in a black Cadillac Escalade to Cudi’s Los Angeles home, where Combs and his bodyguard entered the residence while Clark sat in the SUV and called Cassie. Clark testified she told

Cassie that Combs “got me with a gun and brought me to Cudi’s house to kill him.” Clark said she heard Cudi in the background asking, “He’s in my house?” She said she told Cassie, “Stop him, he’s going to get himself killed.” Cassie told her she couldn’t stop Cudi, she recalled. Combs returned to the Escalade and asked Clark who she was talking to, she said, then grabbed the phone and called Cassie back. They next heard Cudi driving up the road, Clark said. Combs and his bodyguard got back in the SUV and chased after Cudi, finally giving up when they passed police cars that were heading to Cudi’s house. After the break-in, Clark said, Combs told her she had to convince Cudi “it wasn’t me.”

“If you don’t convince him of that I’ll kill all you,” he said, punctuating his threat with an expletive, Clark said.

Escape of ex-chief known as ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ has residents on edge

BY JEFF MARTIN Associated Press

As law officers search Arkansas’ rugged Ozark Mountains for a former police chief and convicted killer who escaped prison this weekend, the sister of one of his victims is on edge Grant Hardin, the former police chief in the small town of Gateway near the Arkansas-Missouri border, was serving lengthy sentences for murder and rape and became known as the “Devil in the Ozarks.” Hardin escaped Sunday from the North Central Unit

— a medium-security prison also known as the Calico Rock prison — by disguising himself and wearing a “makeshift outfit designed to mimic law enforcement,” state prison officials said in a statement. “That was not a standard inmate uniform, not a standard correctional uniform,” said Rand Champion, a spokesperson for the Arkansas Department of Corrections. “There’s nothing inside the prison that looks like that, so that’s one of the challenges we’re going through to find out what that was and how he was able to

get that or manufacture it.” Hardin’s escape comes just weeks after 10 men fled a New Orleans jail by going through a hole behind a toilet. Eight of those fugitives have since been captured. Cheryl Tillman, whose brother James Appleton was killed by Hardin in 2017, said she and other relatives are alarmed by Hardin’s escape since they were witnesses in his court proceedings.

“We were there at his trial when all that went down, and he seen us there, he knows,” she told The Associated Press on Tuesday

THE CANADIAN PRESS PHOTO BY CHRIS YOUNG Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, left, speaks with King Charles on Tuesday in Ottawa.

INSURANCE

Continued from page 1A

Council of Louisiana, also expressed its opposition, echoing the mutual insurance companies in a letter to Landry

“House Bill 148 will significantly discourage needed insurance capital that would have otherwise come into the Louisiana marketplace,” wrote Rodney Braxton, executive director of the Insurance Council of Louisiana. “While this bill may come out of good intentions, the likelihood is that it will cause bad outcomes.”

Landry has turned aside those objections, saying that giving the commissioner broader authority will provide a needed check on the insurance companies. He plans to sign it and several pro-industry bills Wednesday at the Governor’s Mansion.

Landry has said that if rates continue to rise after the bill becomes law, he plans to blame Temple.

The other measures the governor plans to sign will reduce lawsuits and payouts and, ultimately, rates, say supporters of those bills.

Tuesday’s votes in the House were a foregone conclusion following extensive maneuvering by Landry behind the scenes.

The saga of what became HB148 began with House Bill 576 by Rep. Robby Carter, D-Greensburg. Carter’s bill would have allowed the insurance commissioner to block “excessive” rate increases without relying on hard data from his department’s actuaries. Landry testified in the committee room for the measure, the only time he did so for a bill during the legislative session.

But after the Insurance Committee approved HB576, the Republican-led House initially refused to advance it because so many Republicans opposed it. Carter is a Democrat, and he has fought the insurance industry Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, came to the governor’s rescue by offering to amend HB148, which at that point was a relatively in-

Still, Louisiana politicians have voiced support for the new restrictions.

nocuous measure sponsored by Rep. Jeff Wiley, R-Gonzales, with language from Carter’s bill. The House approved HB148, 68-34, but nearly half the Republicans voted against it, an atypical development in a chamber where Landry has normally held near absolute sway HB148 then passed over to the Senate for consideration. It seemed likely to stall until Landry swung into action, repeatedly pressing Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, and Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge, the insurance committee chair and a close friend of Henry’s who has traditionally aligned with the insurance industry

Late Wednesday night, Talbot asked the Senate to pass HB148 but only after amending it by copying the confidentiality language from a House bill sponsored by Rep Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs In an unusual move, Henry and Talbot did not inform Wilder or Wiley of their plans, the two legislators said. The Senate approved the amend-

tied Medicaid to work in 2018.

ed version of Wiley’s HB148 and sent it to the House to concur with the Senate’s changes. In another unusual move, Glorioso handled HB148 rather than Wiley

He gave a short explanation, two House members asked brief questions, and the House approved it 76-16, with only Republicans opposed. Landry gained a much bigger margin than when it was passed in the House previously Republican sources said fewer members wanted to oppose Landry on a bill that they knew would pass.

The House also gave final passage Tuesday to House Bill 431 by Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Baton Rouge, a measure that the insurance industry and its legislative advocates said was badly needed. HB431 would bar drivers responsible for at least 51% of an accident from receiving a damage award to cover their injuries. Under current law, a driver responsible for, say, 51% of the accident can collect a payment equal to 49% of the overall damage award.

The House also gave final passage to House Bill 436 by Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollock. It would prohibit undocumented immigrants injured in car accidents from collecting general damages.

Landry is also expected to sign House Bill 434, which would reduce payouts to uninsured motors injured while driving, and House Bill 450, which would require someone who sued over injuries in a car accident to show that the injuries actually occurred during the accident.

The insurance industry is still pushing to win approval of Senate Bill 231, which has passed the Senate and is awaiting action before the House Civil Law Committee It would allow lawyers for insurance companies to tell jurors how much people injured in wrecks actually pay in medical bills. Under current law, jurors hear the total amount billed, regardless of what the plaintiff paid.

Email Tyler Bridges at tbridges@theadvocate.com.

rule would sweep eligible people off the rolls for missing monthly paperwork, resulting in higher uncompensated-care costs for hospitals.

The bill passed the House on a narrow vote and now heads to the Senate, where health policy analysts expect the work requirement to survive.

“If I had to bet on it, I would say that this is probably something that that we will see implemented,” said Kevin Callison, a health policy economist at Tulane University Louisiana expanded Medicaid in 2016, one of the few Southern states to do so, which added roughly 640,000 low-income adults to the rolls. Before the expansion, nondisabled adults were largely barred unless their income fell below 24% of the federal poverty line, or about $6,400 a year for a family of three. The expansion raised the eligibility to 138% of poverty, or $20,800 for a single adult today As a result, Louisiana relies on Medicaid more than almost any other state for basic health care.

“A lot of what they’re proposing is reasonable,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy, a Baton Rouge Republican and physician

People who are in school working or volunteering at least 80 hours per month are exempt, as are those who are pregnant or disabled,” Cassidy said. “That leaves the affected group “a pretty small population.”

Cassidy also said hospitals could retroactively enroll patients in emergencies for up to 90 days before admission, so acute care would not go uncovered.

But the politically popular idea hasn’t translated to savings or higher employment in other states, which show that large numbers of eligible people lose coverage for missed paperwork, employment rates barely budge and hospitals absorb higher uncompensatedcare costs.

”It sounds good to say if people are able to work, they should work,” Callison said. “But from a practical standpoint, it just doesn’t seem to do what you want it to do.”

To examine how a work requirement might play out, Louisiana can look next door at Arkansas, which

Beneficiaries could skip reporting for up to three months before their coverage was revoked, and the state actively exempted people whenever payroll or medical records showed they already met the criteria.

Still, by early 2019, 18,000 people had lost coverage and state labor data showed no employment bump Surveys found that most people who were dropped never understood the online reporting system, according to a Harvard study

The Arkansas requirement was short-lived; a federal judge ruled it was unlawful in April 2019.

But if the requirement had remained in place statewide, the average Arkansas hospital’s uncompensated-care costs would likely have risen by about $1 million a year, roughly a 10% jump, according to study from The Commonwealth Fund.

In 2023, Georgia started a “Pathways to Coverage” program, which allowed lower-income residents who would not normally qualify for Medicaid to get coverage if they complete 80 hours a month of professional, academic or community activities. The state spent more than $86 million on consultants and software but enrolled

only about 6,500 adults in the first 18 months, well below the 100,000 the state projected.

If Louisiana had to implement such a system, that could mean less money for paying for medical care, said Caroline Meehan, executive director of the Community Provider Association of Louisiana.

“We could expect to see similar things here, of coverage losses and not necessarily an uptick in work,” Meehan said. “When you add layers of bureaucracy and reporting, people sort of inevitably fall through the cracks.”

About 69% of adults on Medicaid in Louisiana do work, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. A lot of people at risk of losing coverage would likely be pushed off for paperwork issues or missing a notice in the mail, not because they don’t meet work requirements, said Dr Isolde Butler, chief medical officer at CrescentCare in New Orleans.

Butler routinely sees what happens when coverage lapses. Patients who lose their insurance skip prescriptions for blood-pressure pills and wind up with expensive heart problems in emergency rooms.

Hospitals will foot the bill for uncompensated care, which will get

passed on to privately insured people to offset that cost, said Butler

“We’re still going to pay for this,” Butler said. “We’re just going to pay in a different way.”

For people who work in Louisiana’s hospitality or tourism industry the work requirement could hit especially hard. In busy seasons around Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, servers or musicians might easily top 80 hours. Come late summer, their income can flatline. Peggy Honoré, who heads the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic, said the nature of work for many patients would mean complicated reporting from several sources of income.

“A lot of them have multiple jobs,” Honoré said. “They are selfemployed kind of things — they could be doing contracting work, they could be doing painting.”

The state deals with employment dips resulting from hurricanes, and also ranks near the bottom for households with broadband access, which could interfere with documenting hours.

Senate committees begin looking at the bill in June. A handful of GOP members have voiced unease with deep Medicaid cuts, but Johnson is urging colleagues to keep the bill intact.

ACADIAN

jurisdiction under the Class Action Fairness Act.

Acadian filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit for lack of CAFA subject matter jurisdiction, lack of standing and for otherwise failing to state claims.

Acadian won on some of its arguments Whitehurst wrote that the theoretical value of one’s personal information, as determined in other cases, doesn’t have an inherent monetary value or create an economic loss. The individual, she wrote, is instead compensated in ways like damages for invasion of privacy.

“Thus, absent any factual allegations showing how plaintiffs might quantify the diminution in value of personal information,” the court finds in favor of Acadian.

The 5th Circuit Court of Appeal rejected the loss of time as a concrete injury, she wrote, and would probably consider plaintiffs’ allegations that they spent additional time after the breach dealing with increased spam email and text messages, another victory for Acadian Ambulance.

Whitehurst also ruled against the plaintiffs, writing that they lack standing to seek injunctive relief based on just the prospect of future cyberattacks rather than a concrete injury that is imminent and substantial. She also recommended the plaintiffs’ claims for unjust enrichment be dismissed.

federal magistrate judge in Lafayette recommended a federal

than 7,000 people were affected by the data breach, which meets a jurisdictional threshold.

The Acadian employees and clients, she wrote, have shown their damages are traceable to Acadian’s alleged inadequate cybersecurity

“The cyberattack would not have happened but for Acadian’s alleged security failures,” Whitehurst wrote. “Whether any plaintiffs suffered identity theft or fraud from some other data breach is an issue for trial on the merits after discovery.”

The plaintiffs, she wrote, adequately alleged a concrete injury The allegations and specific allegations of injuries, along with the timing of the filing of the complaint one month after the cyber breach, are sufficient at this early stage to show causation, she wrote.

Federal Judge David Joseph is assigned to the case.

FOOD

Continued from page 1A

Senate Bill 14 by Sen Patrick McMath, R-Covington which aims to regulate soda and candy purchases under social welfare programs, remove fluoride from public water systems, roll back pharmaceutical interventions and remove highly processed food from schools.

Some lawmakers have voiced concerns over the measures, however, objecting to what they described as government overreach, saying parents should be able to decide what to feed their children.

Since his appointment in February, Kennedy has championed his “Make America Healthy Again” platform, which has included heavy criticism of vaccines and removing certain chemicals from foods In May he announced that the federal government will require companies to phase out artificial dyes in foods and beverages over the next two years, saying they can lead to increased risk of cancer and hyperactivity in children

Many Louisiana lawmakers, including Gov Jeff Landry, seem to be on board Miguez, whose bill is awaiting final passage by

“The allegations do not show that Acadian intentionally willfully or recklessly” allowed the cyberattackers into its computer system, she wrote.

Whitehurst also recommended the plaintiffs’ claims for breach of confidence and Louisiana Unfair Trade Practices Act be dismissed.

Whitehurst reviewed various prior court decisions and types of injuries plaintiffs have alleged when considering Acadian Ambulance’s motion to dismiss the case

The plaintiffs allege Acadian breached its fiduciary duty The court, Whitehurst wrote, doesn’t need to decide this issue because the plaintiffs’ allegations don’t support whether Acadian’s alleged conduct was “intentional or grossly negligent.”

for lack of standing. Some of the plaintiffs, she wrote, allege they suffered present injuries.

For example, one plaintiff alleged unauthorized individuals used her stolen information to obtain health insurance and file tax documents, Whitehurst wrote.

Another alleged his bank account was shut down for more than two months while he was traveling because of the data breach and another alleged someone charged $500 on his debit card.

Whitehurst agreed that publication of an individual’s personal information on the dark web constitutes a present injury even if the only injuries are fear and emotional distress

the House, told the House Education Committee this month that his proposal will hold institutions accountable, including schools, for their role in the country’s obesity epidemic He also said the proposal would reduce long-term health costs due to diet-related diseases.

“This common-sense measure ensures that taxpayer funded meals provide wholesome, minimally processed ingredients,” Miguez

said, “prioritizing students’ health and well-being.”

Rep. Barbara Freiberg, RBaton Rouge, was the only one out of nine lawmakers to vote against Miguez’s bill, saying she wants to wait for the results of the study called for by Echols’ resolution.

Sen. McMath told lawmakers in April that MAHA is a “movement taking place across the country,” saying other states have fasttracked similar legislation for federal approval.

Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@theadvocate.com.

The federal magistrate judge also found that CAFA jurisdiction is appropriate in the case because more

EPA awards grant to Acadiana commission

$1.2M to redevelop abandoned sites

BY ADAM DAIGLE Acadiana business editor

mission landed a $1.2 million federal grant to assess and plan the redevelopment of five contaminated and underused properties in the region

The Acadiana Planning Com-

The Environmental Protection Agency awarded a Brownfields Coalition Assessment Grant to the Planning Commission to help it with environmental assessments and planning activities at the sites, all of which are outside Lafayette, both agencies announced M onday

The sites include:

Man shared

La. music with the country

Michigan native remembered for spreading culture

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Mark Palms’ love for the people and sounds of Louisiana ran deep

A native of Michigan, Palms was a musician who loved learning about his Cajun roots. He traveled to south Louisiana frequently, where he played and worked with Louisiana Cajun and Creole artists like the master accordionist Joe Hall. Palms even named his own midwestern band, Creole du Nord, after the Louisiana folk music that he spent his career working to preserve and promote. Palms died May 22 in New Orleans after a multiyear battle with skin cancer, according to updates from his GoFundMe page. He was 70 years old. Before his death, Palms was a longtime friend and band manager for Creole accordionist Joe Hall, who died Nov 21 Palms was a member of Hall’s band, the Louisiana Cane Cutters, and played a key role in preserving footage of Hall that would eventually become the basis of a Joe Hall documentary, “Who’s That Playin’ My Box?” Joe Hall and the Louisiana Cane Cutters were signed to Fruge Records, a label started by Palms to record Louisiana artists. Palms was present at a documentary preview for “Who’s That Playin’ My Box?” on Feb. 8 in Arnaudville, where he celebrated with Hall’s family and friends and played with the band. Remembering his friend’s legacy, Palms said, “people around the world should know about this Louisiana phenomenon, and everything he knows about his ancestry and the origins of this great musical culture.”

When asked why it was so important to him to help preserve Louisiana’s music culture through artists like Joe Hall, Palms responded, “People need to realize that Louisiana is one of those great places where music draws everyone together.”

Music writer Dan Willging fol-

ä See PALMS, page 2B

n The old Abdalla’s Department Store in Opelousas

n The old Riviana Rice Mill in Abbeville

n Mayer Hotel in Eunice

n Two underutilized commercial sites in Ville Platte.

Each property has significant redevelopment potential but faces environmental challenges, Planning Commission officials said. The agency wants to unlock

HUNGRY FOR VIEWS

Cajun TikTok star draws crowd outside Rouses in jambalaya demonstration

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

It was a hot day in Acadiana, and Justin Chiasson was at work — greeting a line of people with a wide smile and beads of sweat lining his forehead.

He’s used to performing in the Louisiana elements, among plenty of heat, humidity and the steam rising from an enormous black pot as Chiasson cooks up something delicious for his social media following of over 10 million fans.

Chiasson is known as Stalekracker on TikTok and other platforms, where he produces cooking videos for the type of food you’d find down at the camp deer sauce piquante, pastalaya, three meat chili, seafood gumbo and other Cajun outdoor kitchen specialties.

He was at Rouses Market in Youngsville recently for a meet and eat, taking pictures and signing jars of his Cajun Two Step seasoning before serving up a pot of chicken and pork jambalaya.

“It’s looking moist, y’all. Who all likes that word?” he asked, grabbing a paddle to make sure the rice wasn’t sticking to the bottom. Chiasson’s jambalaya tasted like his brand authentic, well cooked and seasoned, with just enough spice to

opportunities to redevelop those sites for usage such as housing, economic development, public amenities or other communitydriven needs.

The Planning Commission will be the lead applicant and project administrator

Email Adam Daigle at adaigle@ theadvocate.com.

“This award is a major win for our region,” CEO Sara FawcettGary said. “We’re excited to continue building on the excellent groundwork established with the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality through the Technical Assistance to Brownfield Inventory grants, especially in communities like Eunice and Ville Platte. This EPA grant will allow us to expand on those efforts.”

Justin Chiasson, a TikTok chef who goes by the name Stalekracker, stirs a pot of jambalaya on Friday at Rouses Supermarket in Youngsville.

linger on the taste buds.

And it was moist, but not sticky, with rice cooked all the way through — just like jambalaya for a crowd should be.

Chiasson’s content is full of jokes,

asides on Cajun cooking and culture, brand sponsorships and plenty of drinking while chopping vegetables and

Rose namesake to speak at garden event

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Lafayette garden enthusiasts will have the opportunity to hear the survival story of the “Katrina Rose,” also known as the Peggy Martin rose, from Peggy Martin herself, the namesake of the flower

Martin is visiting Lafayette to share her story at 10 a.m. June

7 at All Seasons Home, Garden and Landscaping Showplace. The event will include a presentation by Martin, as well as Nancy Rust

and Carol Stubbs, authors of the book “The Rose Without a Name.”

Mar ti n, a res id ent o f Plaquemines Parish, tells the story of how she evacuated during Hurricane Katrina but came back to a home and garden that was completely under salt water

But amid the mud, destroyed plants and leafless trees, she found a pink rose and green foliage that had survived.

Martin began searching for the plant’s identity, but even rose ex-

ä See ROSE, page 2B

Severe weather, rain to impact Acadiana region

Showers expected through Friday

BY JA’KORI MADISON Staff writer

Lafayette is expected to see severe weather moving through the area starting Wednesday, according to National Weather Service forecasters.

Meteorologist Nick Slaughter, of the National Weather Service in Lake Charles, said things are expected to stay active until the weekend with the

possibility of damaging winds and hail.

“There’s also a risk for flash flooding due to the heavy rain, and a level one out of four marginal risk, which covers the Lafayette area for Wednesday into Friday,” Slaughter said. There is a marginal risk for severe weather on Wednesday after 7 a.m. Severe weather occurs when winds are over 60 mph, causing damage and hail is 1 inch in diameter or larger, according to Slaughter

Palms

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK

ROSE

Continued from page1B

pert Bill Welch couldn’tfind thename of themysterious plant. He decided to name it the Peggy Martin rose, and in the years since its discovery,it’salso earned the nickname “Katrina rose.” Atestament to its origins, the rose is known to be hard to kill, as the pink plant was able to survive the extreme conditions of brackishwater,poor soil conditionsand lack of oxygen.After HurricaneKatrina, the Peggy Martin rose became asymbolofresilience and hope, said Edward Bush, an LSU professor in the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences. Now,Martin is coming to Lafayette to share thatstory in detail. This is afree event courtesyofAll Seasons Home andnoRSVPisnecessary The duo Rust and Stubbs will also be telling their stories, answering questions and signing books.

TIKTOK

Continued from page1B

preparing game —and it’s refreshingly long-form in an era whenmost food videos are two minutes or under.Herecently took viewers through his process for frying awild turkey,and at 18 minutes long it’sfull of Stalekracker’sbrand of Boudreaux-and-Thibodeaux style humor,with enough instruction to replicate the

WEATHER

Continued from page1B

The chance of precipitation Wednesday is 80% with rainfall amounts up to an inch. Showers and thunderstorms likely will continue into Wednesday night with lows around 71.

On Thursday,showers and thunderstorms are forecast with ahigh

mealathome. It’s an introduction to Cajuncooking and lifestyle in thestyle ofTVchef and humorist Justin Wilson, who introduced anational audience to south Louisiana cooking on his public broadcast shows over 40 years ago. “I want to be entertaining,” he said at Friday’s meet and eat.“Butmost of all, Iwanttohelpget your kids back into the kitchen They think that food comes from McDonald’s.”

near86and partlysunny skies. The chanceofprecipitation is 70%. Thursdaynight,there’s a40% chance of showers and th un der st orm sa ft er 1a.m

“Friday is stillnot clear with achanceofprecipitationbeing60%,but Friday night going intoSaturday,things should be cleared out,” Slaughter said.

Saturdayand Sunday highs will be in the mid-80s

In Stalekracker’sworld, food should be fresh, lovingly (but nottoo seriously) prepared, andserved on acracker.That’s where his social media moniker comes from —Chiasson’s habit of putting everything, from chili to cracklings, on acracker Thenyou throw it back, yell “that’smoney,dude,” and dig in.

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

with lows around 68.

PALMS

Continuedfrom page 1B

lowedHall’scareer and reviewed his albums for OffBeat Magazine. He said that were it not for Palms, “the

name Joe Hallwould not have been know by as many people.”

“He was the executive producer of several of Hall’srecordings, served as his manager and wasthe impetustogettingHall’s story documented on film,”

according to Willging. “He was selfless and tireless, and he just really appreciated the Cajun and Creole culture.”

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Plaquemines Parish.

STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIEWESTBROOK

Justin Chiasson, aTikTok

Timeline of nuclearplant shutdown raises questions

BY SAM KARLIN Staff writer

Elected officials homed in Tuesday on the timeline of events that led to an abrupt order of forced blackouts on Sunday in Louisiana, prompting Entergy andCleco to cut the lights to 100,000 residents in the New Orleans area amid hot, late-spring temperatures

Regulators had previously pinned the outages, in part, on the unexpected shutdown of River Bend, anuclear plant north of BatonRouge.But Entergy and federal officials said Tuesday that River Bend was shut down because of a leak on May21. That left the grid operator,the Midcontinent IndependentSystem Operator, with several days to plan for the lower supply of electricity Officialsare askingEntergy and MISO officials to answer questions publicly about what happened next Tuesday at a City Council meeting and at aPublicService Commission hearing next month, in abid to figure out how the looming power deficit was not caught earlier.Entergy is alsoexpected to facequestions aboutits long-standing lack of transmission in south Louisiana that has created “load pockets” where it’sdifficult to importpower

The River Bend nuclear plant shut down May 21 after operators noticed aleak, which they identified two days later as the result of a faulty valve in the reactor’s cooling system, accordingto the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Entergy fixed the valve over the weekend before bringing theplantback online Monday

The plant did not unexpectedly trip offline over the weekend, as has been previously reported, said Victor Dricks,spokesperson for the NRC.

Butthe Midcontinent Independent System Operator, anonprofit that operates the electric grid across awide swath of the U.S., did not give Entergy or Cleco advance

warning thatpower demand wasset tooutstrip supply. A New Orleans City Council membersaid Tuesday that Entergy reportedgetting only threeminutes notice Sunday beforebeingforced to “shedload,” or proactively turn offthe lights for tens of thousandsofpeople to avoid catastrophic damage tothe electric grid.

If regulators and Entergy had known about the looming power deficit,regulatorsand advocatessaytheycouldhave takensteps to prevent forced blackouts. Some industrial plants have contracts that require them to ramp down power during such emergencies,allowingthe utilityto freeup280 megawattsofcapacity in the Entergysystem as of 2023. Othercustomers also could have been required to conserve energy Twodays after the outages, it remainsunclear howother factors might have been at play.Higher than forecast temperatures could have contributed,but LoganBurke, head of the Alliance for AffordableEnergy,noted that Entergyand Cleco were required toshed 600 megawatts of power,ahuge amount that makes it unlikely bad weather forecasts can totally explain it

“The question is, what else do we not know about?” Burke said, noting it’sunknownwhether non-nuclear power plants or transmission lines were out of service during the event.

“I can imagine MISO missing100 megawatts,” Burke added. “600 is just hard to fathom where that’scoming from.”

MISO said that “unplanned” outages of generators and transmission structures contributed to the power losses. Butneither MISO, nor Entergyand Cleco, have provided more information about which generatorsand transmission lines weredown.

AMISO communication shared with The Times-Picayune shows the grid operator wasaware of a“planned out-

age,” then another unit went down,though thecommunication does not specify which units. Entergy had aseparate nuclear plant, Waterford, that was down forscheduled maintenance, which is normal in the spring.

“Operatingconditions over theweekend requiredusto take our absolute last resort action to maintain reliability in our South Region —a temporary,controlled load shed,” MISO spokesperson Brandon Morris said Tuesday.“We will conduct athorough assessment of the eventand provide additional informationonce complete.”

Entergy had taken itsWaterford plant down for scheduled maintenance wellahead of the event so it could fix it up ahead of peak summer demand, spokesperson Brandon Scardigli. He said Entergy had been monitoring warmer than usual temperatures, but its own modelsdid not show the need for load shedding. He said MISOusesa different model with abroader view of system conditions.

And while River Bend was offline, he said Entergy made that outage known to MISO for its modeling several days before.

“While the River Bend generatingunitwasofflineduring the event, it had beenout for severaldaysbeforethe event, and its outage was accounted forinthe generationthat Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans made available to MISOand in MISO’sown modeling,” Scardigli said.

Entergyhas long had issues with some of its nuclear plants, including Grand Gulf, thesource of years of litigation over alleged mismanagement. Areportbythe Union of Concerned Scientists published Tuesday found River Bend was the most problematic nuclear plant in the U.S., when measuring regulatory violations.

Entergy told theNRC, which oversees nuclear plants, that it noticed an unidentified leak in River Bend’scooling system last

week. Nuclear plants have aseries of pipes circulating watertocooldownthe reactor.Entergy identifiedafaulty valve in one of those systems, and the leak reached athreshold —two gallons per minute over a24-hour period—that required operators to shut the plant down and fix it.

Entergy welded thevalve overthe weekendand brought the plant back online Monday.AsofTuesday morning, it wasoperating at 80% capacity,Dricks said.

Energy advocates in recent days pointed to along-standing lack of transmission as a potential part of the problem, too. Transmission lines can carry power long distances, but alack of Entergy lines in south Louisiana creates what experts call“load pockets,” where it’s difficult to import electricity

Over the weekend, prices for electricity soared in south

Louisiana, according to MISO data, while prices in nearby states were low,underscoring Entergy’slackofabilityto importelectricity from elsewhere.

Regulators have scrutinized Entergy’slack of transmission linesinthe past.Staff of thePublicServiceCommission notedthatEntergy failed to explorenew transmission options in its most recent long-range planning process. Staff said in a2023 report that utilities in other states evaluate transmission lines as away to bring more capacity into an area, but Entergy doesn’tunless it’stied to aspecific power plant.

Lewissaid Tuesday that Entergy’slack of transmission remains aproblem.

“This is partly whyI voted against Entergy’s(plans),” he said.“They completely ignored transmission build up.”

OPINION

OUR VIEWS

It’s time to unite behind Louisiana International Terminal plan, andget it built

Most everyone agreesthatbuildinga largescale shipping terminal downriver fromthe Crescent City Connection is vital to ourarea’s ability to service the huge shipsthatcan’t fit under the bridge, and thus compete forcontainer traffic with Mobile and other major ports.

There’s been ongoing and oftenemotional disagreement, however,over where theterminal should locateand which port should run it.

Last month, Gov.Jeff Landry threw the weight of his office behindthe Port of New Orleans’ proposedLouisiana International Terminal in St. Bernard Parish on theMississippi River’seast bank, and not an alternative on awest bank site ownedbythe Plaquemines Parishport authority.Landry appointed GNO Inc. CEO Michael Hecht, whosuccessfully coordinated infrastructure projectsahead of the February Super Bowl, to play asimilarrolein construction of the terminal anda newtollroad linking it to Interstate10.

We agree that the Port of New Orleans’proposal is the better of the solutions fora number of reasons, includingthe location’saccessto existing roads and raillines as wellasprivate funding that the Port of New Orleanshas secured. We urge allparties tofind away towork together to make it areality

We say this with full understandingthatsome St.Bernard residents fear thatthe multi-billion dollar project will be disruptive, and who have foundthemselves downstream fromhuge decisions made in New Orleans in the past.

But we also seemuch to likeinthe Louisiana International Terminal, for the parish as well as the regional and state economies.

The terminal will bring 4,300 jobsonce it’s fully up and running, accordingtoone study, and millions in new tax revenue thatcan help meet localneeds.

And there will be infrastructure improvements, most notablyathird majorrouteout of the parish to be financed by tolls through a public-private partnership. This would notonly keep trucks servicing the port outoflocal traffic and help alleviate clogs thatalready annoy residents going about their everydaybusiness; it also would help ease evacuations whenhurricanes threaten.

In appointing Hecht, Landry wrotethat“successful executionofLIT is essentialto thefuture of trade in Louisiana, thevery reason we were founded…Just as with the SuperBowl,LIT has many stakeholders and aneutralthird party,working for the best interestsofLouisiana, may be helpful in order to expediteprogress.”

As Hecht described it, his assignment includes helping to work through issuesinvolving road and rail routes, working with federaland legislative players on issues such as permit approvals,funding and tariffs, and“tellingthe economic development story” in termsofjobs and services for St. Bernard It will take those things to smoothoverthe hard feelings and buildtrust,and to expedite what promises to be agame-changerofa project for Louisiana.

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

TO SEND US A LETTER, SCANHERE

Turningbackthe clock on vaccines couldmean moreneedlessdeaths

My grandfather,Charles Beck,used to makehis nurses administer shots to children so they wouldn’tassociate him with the stickofthe needle. He was born in 1910 and worked as adoctor in rural NorthDakota and later in St.Paul, Minnesota. He died when Iwas young, so Inever got achance to ask him about his life, but Iimagine his recollections would have mirroredthose of Dr.Gerald L. Miller in “Making theRounds:MemoirsofaSmall-Town Doctor.”

Though vaccines became common during Miller’scareer,which began in the1950s,the days of childhood diseases werenot far in the past He recalled walking through a cemeteryinthe small town where he practiced. “I read thefootnotes of historybywalking between the rows Infectious outbreaks have carved their dates on some of theolder stones. Before thedevelopment of vaccines, virulent infections like poliomyelitis, measles,Asianflu, Asiatic cholera,

small pox, typhoid anddiphtheria struckMarkle and the surrounding communities with brutal force, often taking thevery young and the very old. Iremember Verna Seibold Stockman tellingmeabout adiphtheria epidemic that spread through Markle in 1910 people were afraid to leave their homes.Withalmost every family losing at least one member,about ten percent of the townspeople died.” Iamnot sure why somepeople in the country today seem to want to return to that dark time in our history,when families had as many children as possible,knowing that all would likely not survive People my grandfather’sage took it for granted that everyone they knew had lost aloved one, mostlikely a child, to one of the diseases mentioned by Miller Iknow my grandfather would not have wanted that.

EMILYBECK COGBURN Baton Rouge

Taxhikeonsportsbetting abad betfor Louisiana

As arecentLSU graduate and lifelong Louisiana resident, Iwanttobeableto continue one of my favorite pastimes sportsbetting. But nowthe Legislature is targeting sports betting as asource of additional revenue and bettorslikemewill be paying theprice. Youmight not ever place abet and disagree with thoseofuswho do.But just five yearsago,the majority of Louisianavoters in 55 parishes votedfor the freedom to place bets legally, with the understanding thatthis vote would result in asafer,well-regulated environmenttoenjoy this activity

Sports betting might seem like an easy target, with slick commercials andbig-time sports partnerships. But you don’tneed an economics degree to understand how this would impact consumers like me.Sportsbooks don’tsimply absorb these costs, they areforced

to passthem on to bettors through worse odds, fewer promotions and less competitive offerings. This meansthat people who bet legally will get less value for their dollar,and consumers will do whatthey’ve always done —seekout cheaper alternatives. In this case,that meansturning to illegal,unregulated offshorebetting sites only aGoogle search away.Not only do these offshore operators lack consumer and underage protections, but thestate collects zero revenue from them.

Overtaxing sportsbetting is abad bet for Louisiana. It targets those of us who just want to enjoy this legal activity that already brings in alot of revenue for thestate. We don’tneed moretaxes —these kinds of policy moves make young professionals like me wonder if thesmartmoney is on Louisiana.

HANK HENRY

Baton Rouge

Republicanslose credibility as they bowtoTrump

Before Donald Trump was running forpresident, aman asked my opinion of him. Ilooked to be sure there were no ladiespresent, andthenI toldhim whatI thought of aself-proclaimed billionairewhose employees hadto suehim to gettheir wages.

The man asked if Iwas aBlue Dog Democrat, andIsaidI hadbeen calleda lotofthings in my time. He explainedthat it wasaman who would vote foraBlue Dogbefore he would vote foraRepublican.I repliedI probably wasone,but Ihad once known a good Republican who was kin to me.

Thinkingofour presentelected leader,I can nowsay without contradiction why Ifeltthatway.That wasseveral years ago, andtime has proven me right.

The ones in office nowhave their main purpose of pleasing Trumpand going along. My congressional representative,Julia Letlow,talks about what shehas brought to the district. Of course, she voted againstall of it LyingClayHiggins swore in Congress that he hadproof that theJan.6rioters werefederal agents dressed up as Trump supporters, andhewouldbring outproof soon, very soon. That was quiteawhile ago, and Higgins hasnot come up withany proof

The only onewehad in elected officewho could have finishedasa statesman was Bill Cassidy.For some reason, he decided it wasmore importanttoplease Trump than to take care of his constituents, so he gave us aformer dopehead andantivaxxer forHealth andHumanServices secretary anda former drunk to head the military. As forSen. “Cornpone” John Kennedy,wewere lost from the start. CARL CRAIN Baton Rouge

Some taxexemptions should be reconsidered

My primary sources of incomeare Social Security and apension from the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana. Both are taxed by the federal government, but neither by the state. Iappreciate the state’s generosity,but I’mnot sure it’sgood policy.Ifthe Legislature is serious about tax reform, it needs to look closely at all the exemptions.

SANFORD W. WOOD Eunice

Iamnot that Willie Sutton. Even though I(sortof) share aname with the infamous bank robber,I’ve neverbeen arrested. Ivisited jails and prisons. By choice. I’ve never spenta night in one. So Ihad no opportunity to escape. AndI’m notsure I would’ve been any good at devising and carrying out an escape plan.

I’ve gotten my share of parking and speeding tickets. I’ve been stopped for traffic violations. Ican’ttell you how many times a police officer has asked me what Iwas doing somewhere,what’smybusiness there or toldmeI should be moving along. I’ve been stopped and questioned because Ilook like somebody the police were looking for Tall Black man. Somewhat athletic in my younger years. Often bearded Often with acap. Often in jeans and sneaks.Sometimes with sunglasses. Sometimes with ahoodie. Maybe Icould’ve been that “somebody.” But why stop me whenI wasgoing into my own place with groceries and akey? Why stop me when Iwas wellgroomed, suited and booted?Wearing a two- or three-piecesuit. Starched shirt. Sharptie. Florsheim wingtips. We know why Willie Suttondidn’thave toworry about any of that.

of many disguises —hence “The Actor” —he was slickenough to escape notonce or twice, but thrice. Not manyhave escaped that many times,I’m sure

madecanoe.

“The Shawshank Redemption” (1994) wasn’tbased on atrue story; it was based on multiple escapes.

There’ssome indication that at least one of the10men who escaped from the Orleans Parishjail had escaped ajail before. AntoineMasseyisstill being sought.Iguess expertise comeswithstudy and practice. While it’s rare in New Orleans and Louisiana for groups of inmates to escape from jails and prisons, it happens In 2008, eight violent criminals escaped from the Curry County Adult Detention Center in New Mexico. They climbed pipes and cut ahole in the roof. The escape made the TV show “America’sMostWanted.” The last escapee wasn’tcaught until 2012 —in Mexico.

In 2010, three inmates escaped from theAvoyelles Parish Sheriff’s Office in Mansura. They went on acrimespree with robberies, akidnapping and a murder.They werecaught two weeks later

Now that eight of the 10 escapees have been captured, all law enforcementare on the lookout for Masseyand DerrickGroves, who remained at large as of early Tuesday afternoon. They areconsidered armed and extremely dangerous. This is aserious public safety issue, but in New Orleans, we often have fun with our frequent woes. There are escape T-shirts, escapee parties and lots of escape memes. Now we have escapee pools. People are betting on which of the two will be thelast captured.

This unfortunate jailescape is a made-for-television movie already The last two evading arrest may be hoping for weeks,months or years without capture. Butthis storyisn’t likely to have aHollywood ending. There are some political prison break movies that have afight-the-power theme. Butmostdon’tend well for the protagonists.

That Sutton —AKA “Slick Willie” and“Willie the Actor” —made no bones about his profession. He was a career criminal. He loved his work.He stole about $2 million duringhis bank robber days. But he paid aprice forit. He spent more than half of his adult life behind bars. Not only was he aman

Earlier this year,more than 4,000 prisoners escaped from aprisoninthe Democratic Republic of Congo. Yes, 4,000. Not all escapes make books or movies. Not all prison escapemovies are based on real-life events.Those of us of acertain age certainly remember Sidney Poitierand Tony Curtis in 1958’s “The Defiant Ones.” Black and White prisoners had to worktogether to get away despite their issues.

Clint Eastwood starred in “Escape from Alcatraz,” amovie based on the real-life 1962 escape by threeinmates whoescaped in part by using ahome-

Andfor those caught up in thehunt —the friends, neighbors and loved ones who may have been asked to aid these men —the consequences will be life-changing. Far too manyBlack men arestill being stopped for not much morethan being Black.

These escapees have been pursued based on things they’re accused of doing, but how manyothers are getting caught up in thedragnet?

They may not get top billing, but manylives and communities have been affected by this drama.

Email Will Sutton at wsutton@ theadvocate.com.

It feelsstrange talking about the world’s richest man, only 53 yearsold, in the past tense.But thatsomehow seems appropriate forElonMusk, who weeks agowas considered Donald Trump’sco-president. Nowhe’sclearly falling offthathigh perch, just as Tesla, his starasset, reports net income cratering by 71%

Musk wasundoubtedly agenius building business empires, notonly Tesla but also SpaceX. He also ownsthe formerTwitter, nowknown as X. But though he hadcertain highly developed faculties, he wasnot afull personatall.

One strugglestoportray Musk as avictim, but it’sbecome undeniable thatTrump played him. Trump exploitedhis wealth, neediness and limited social smarts.

Start with the 2024 campaign. We don’tknow the monetary rewards Trump might have dangled, but this one-timeTrump critic sank over aquarterofabillion dollars into helping the president’sreelection. Moments after votersgaveTrump asecond term,Musk’swealth mushroomed in expectation of alucrative payback

But thenTrump made Musk the fall guy for his obviously unpopular plantocannibalize the government workforce. Not only did his DOGE strip the public of prized services, but Musk seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on thousands of workers. “The real reason (fortheir complaints),” he said callously,“is that those who arereceiving the waste and fraud wish it to continue.”

Trump is famous for skipping out on paybacks.

Acelebrity,said historian Daniel Boorstin, is someone known for his or her well-knownness.David H. Souter, who died on May 8at85, was theanticelebrity.Hecameto Washingtontoservealmost 20 years on theSupreme Court (1990-2009), then returned,at69, to New Hampshire, trailing clouds of anonymity. He is remembered in Washingtonasodd: enjoying solitude, indifferent to publicity —what was wrongwith him? Conservatives remember him as adisappointment.Nominated by President George H.W.Bush to replace liberal Justice William J.Brennan Jr., Souter was supposed to cement aconservative court majority. He did not. His legacy should, however,include athoughtful hesitancy when flinging about the adjectives “liberal” and “conservative”regarding justices He wastoo deferential (andilliberal) in approving federal campaign regulations by which governmentrations political speech about the government’s composition. He wastoo permissive (and illiberal) in approving localgovernments’ coercive use of eminent domaintotransfer individuals’ private property to facilitate private commercial interests. If, however,conservative critics fault him for joiningthe court’s majority in invalidating anti-sodomy laws,does conservatism stand for conserving the majority’s right to criminalize deviations from itscultural preferences, and perhaps diminishing equal protection of the laws?

Justices shouldbejudged not byresults —the social policyconsequences of particulardecisions —but by how the justices exemplify the subtle nuances of judicial reasoning. Consider Souter’s2010 Harvardcommencement addressabout judging, illustrated by the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decisionoverturning the “separatebut equal” justification for school segregation, and the 1971 Pentagon Papers case. In 1896, when the court affirmed separate but equal segregated railroad cars, the majority regarded thelaw as

race-neutral. Fifty-eight years later, theConstitution’slanguage had not changed. What had?

The1896 justices, Souter said, rememberedlaw-sanctioned slavery.To them, “theformal equality” of identical railroad cars “meant progress.” The 1954 justices, “without therevolting background of slavery” to makeitlook acceptable, saw ameaning in school segregation that the 1896 justices did not

Thejudicial perception of meaning, Souter said, “comes from the capacity to see what is not in some simple, objective sense there on the printed page” of theConstitution. (As is, for example, the constitutional fact that apresidentmust be at least35years old.) Souter said the 1954 justices were guilty of impermissible “activism” only if you believe the constitutionally determinativefacts always “lie there waiting for an objective judge to view them.”

In 1971, the government tried to prevent publication (byThe New York Timesand The Washington Post) of classified documents the publication of which would, the government argued, threaten national security, jeopardize attempts to negotiate peace and prevent allforeign governments from

trusting ours.The newspapers argued that the FirstAmendment’sfinality settled the issue: No law shall abridge press freedom

The government lost thecase, but thecourtaccepted its basic argument, which was:When construing aportion of the Constitution, the totality of the document can be germane. It guarantees press freedom —but also grantsthe government the authority, responsibilityand appropriate power to provide for thenation’ssecurity and enable the president to conduct foreign and militarypolicy

The Constitution, Souter said, serves Americans’ desire for two excellent things, securityand liberty, that are not always clearly and cleanly compatible. In this case, Souter said, these “paired desires” clashed, and the courthad to decide which had “the better claim, right here,right now.”

The court did not saythe First Amendment’sfacially absolute “no law” permitted no exceptions. It did saythat therecan be circumstances in which exigencies justify government restraint of publications. The court said only that in this casethe governmentfailed to demonstrate asufficient exigency

Souter asked his 2010 listeners: Did the1971 courtabuse itspower?No, he said, achoice had to be made, theConstitutiondid not makeit, so thecourt had to do it.“So much,” he said, “for thenotion that all of constitutional law lies thereinthe Constitution waiting for ajudge to read it fairly.” Constitutional law is substantially judge-made rules(what is “equalprotection” of the laws? a“reasonable” search? a“cruel and unusual” punishment?). Rules that, Souter argued, judges cannot avoid making. These “turn into” rulesas, over time, the court copes with cases No single theoryofproperconstitutional interpretation (originalism, textualism, etc.) can satisfy thehunger for simplicity, clarity and finality. Each requiresSouter’s well-known trait:judiciousness.

Email George Will at georgewill@washpost.com.

As the chainsaw-waving leader of DOGE, Musk became politically radioactive. And no longeruseful, Musk is clearly being shown the door —just as potential Tesla buyers have gone elsewhere fortheir electric vehicles. Both setbacksbecause MAGA gothim to play patsy,uptoand including support for far-right candidates in Germany Musk hasjoinedmovements advocating for higherbirth rates to countera dropinpopulation. But Musk hastaken the notiontoweird levels, trying to createamasterrace modeled on himself. He hasspread his sperm to fatherat least14children, via anumber of women. Sure,hecan write big checks, but children, boys especially,need involvedfathers. Some of the most screwedupkids comefrommoney but sufferfromlack of fathering. Musk’s plans to gatherthe mothers and children in a Texascompound and visit them from time to time is as bloodless as it gets.

Why an entrepreneur who helpedlaunchthe EV revolutioninthe United Stateswould work fora man dedicated to frustrating it remains a mystery.Did Musk think he would be spared? Musk, like Trump, needs to be in the headlinesall the time He’d bragabout busting unions if that got attention.

Musk wasn’tcontent to quietly enjoy his vast fortune —orenjoygiving some of it away.A dedicated fatherheading big companies would have usedmoreofhis scant free time tending to his offspring.

In the endMusk was conned by acon man. Musk may have been the richest man around, but he was usedand is now being stripped of an exaltedplace in world politics —after doing dirty work that has taken abig toll on his companies. He was hustled by aman who has overseen five business bankruptcies —six if youcount Trump Entertainment Resorts, which went bankrupt twice.

Thanks in good part to Musk’smoney,Trump wasput in aposition to amass millions in crypto,and engage in more grift and perhaps oldfashioned corruption. And Musk got “poorer.” Musk hasanestimated $330 billion left, so no tearsfor him. But his legend hasbeen sharply marked down. He’s nowa figure of both hate and ridicule.Whata sadcombination.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com

Will Sutton

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO U.S. Supreme CourtJustice David Souter

George Will

Froma Harrop

ADVERTISEMENT

Many Americansare fortunate to havedental coverage fortheir entire workinglife, through employer-providedbenefits. When those benefits end with retirement, paying dental bills out-of-pocketcan come as a shock, leading peopletoput offorevengowithout care. Simply put —without dental insurance, there may be an important gap in yourhealthcare coverage.

Whenyou’re comparingplans ...

 Look forcoveragethat helps payfor major services. Some plansmay limitthe number of procedures —orpay forpreventivecareonly.

 Look forcoverage with no deductibles. Someplans mayrequire you to payhundredsout of pocket before benefits are paid.

 Shop forcoverage with no annual maximum on cash benefits. Someplans haveannual maximums of $1,000

to purchase individual insurance. Earlydetection canprevent small problems from becoming expensiveones.

The best way to preventlargedental bills is preventive care. The American DentalAssociation recommends checkups twice ayear.

Ask about thePremier

of having adentalproblem only go up as youage.2

Treatment is expensive— especiallythe services people over 50 often need.

Consider these national average costs of treatment. $222 fora checkup. $190 for afilling $1,213for acrown.3 Unexpected bills like thiscan be arealburden especially if you’re on afixed income.

Perfectending?

Rodgers ‘noise’not deterring Steelers QB

BY WILL GRAVES AP sports writer

PITTSBURGH Mason Rudolph has been in the NFL formore than half adecade now.And like anyquarterback thathas figured out away to stick around, he’s gotten pretty good at guessing where the pressure might be coming during agiven play

During thePittsburghSteelers’ first workout of voluntary organized team activities, that pressure didn’tcome fromany of the yellow-clad defenders on the practice field, but from someone whowasn’tthere.

Yes, Rudolph is well aware of Pittsburgh’svery public courtship of Aaron Rodgers. It took all of 90 seconds for Rudolph to be asked about Rodgers on Tuesday.Rudolph just shrugged his shoulders.

He’sbeen here before. Many, many times during the roller coaster that washis first stint with theSteelersfrom2018-23, when he evolved from perennial backup to afterthought to unlikely season saver

MIRAMAR BEACH, Fla. Steve Sarkisianremembers how things usedtobe. In 2003, he was quarterbacks coachatSouthern California when the Trojans were locked in a three-team battle with LSU and Oklahoma for the two spots in the BCS national championship game at the Sugar Bowl

The Soonersgot in on the strength of the BCS computer rankings despite getting routed 35-7 by KansasState in the Big 12 championshipgame.

TheTigers got in over the Trojans. Why? Because in literally what was the lastgameofthe 2003 regular season, Hawaii— which lost61-32toUSC earlier in the season —lost 45-28 to Boise State. That tamped down USC’sstrength of schedule just enough to let the Tigers slide pastthe Trojans and into the Sugar Bowl.

The story didn’tend there. LSU beat Oklahoma21-14 in New Orleans while USC beat Michigan28-14inthe Rose Bowl. TheTigers claimed the BCS nationalchampionship, but the Trojans finished No. 1 in TheAssociatedPress poll. It will likely go down as the lastsplitcollege footballnationaltitle ever.Three seasons

LSU coachEdOrgeron looks on as quarterback JoeBurrowholds up thechampionship trophyafter the national championship game against Clemson on Jan. 13, 2020, in the Superdome. LSUwon 42-25 and finished 15-0

later,there was astand-alone BCS national championship game, followed by the creation of the four-team College

Football Playoff after the 2014 season. Last year brought aCFP expansion to 12 teams, the same

number as in 2025. The only major difference is the CFP will go with straight seeding instead of giving byes to the top four conference champions

Talk of expanding the CFP to 14 or even 16 teams is top of mind along thesugar white sands frontingthe Sandestin Hilton, the site this week of the annual Southeastern Conference spring meeting. The SEC and the Big Ten, partners in trying to bend all of college athletics to their collective will, arepushing for a16-team model with fourguaranteed qualifiersper league.

What would such amodel mean forconference championship games is one the biggestquestions among a hostofunknowns currently facing college athletics,whose sands areshifting more than the dunes outside the Hilton’s pricey hotel rooms. One thing Sarkisian feels confident about: the expanded playoff will mean the end of the undefeated season in college football. Yetanother way the game, which now pays its starplayersmillions and crowns its champion with a playoff, is mimicking the NFL.

“That’snothing new to me,” Rudolphsaid Tuesday.“There’s been constant noise. That is the nature of the NFL. So Ihave been used to that fora long time now.(Ican) do nothing but be the best Ican be and help our team get better this spring.”

The well-liked Rudolph returnedtoPittsburgh on atwoyear deal in March after an uneven season in Tennessee. At the time, Rudolphwas one of two quarterbacks on the roster as Justin Fields leftfor the New York Jets and the Steelers opted nottobring back Russell Wilson. Pittsburgh hassincetaken a flier on former Ohio State star Will Howard in the draft, all the while ostensibly keeping one seat open in the quarterback room forRodgers, whovisited the team facility in early spring but left without signing adeal that still is on the table. The 41-year-old hasremainedpublicly noncommittal, though he said on Joe Rogan’spodcast last week that there are people close

Cajuns excitedabout trackand field regional

PHOTO UL sprinter Lawson Jacobs, center,has been strongin both the400-meter dash and the 4x400-relayteam this season. Jacobsand the Cajuns will competeinthis week’sNCAA East Regional starting WednesdayinJacksonville, Fla

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

Pardon UL track and field coach

Tommy Badon if he’sa bit giddy these days.

Having his Ragin’ Cajuns participating in this week’sNCAAEastRegional in Jacksonville, Florida, is what he’s been waiting for

“It’s exciting. We’reexcited,” Badon said. “I’mnot gong to lie, this is what Icoach for.Idon’t necessarily coach for WednesdayinSeptember.This is what Icoach for …how do youcompare againstthe best?

“That’skindofwhat youwant to be judged by.We’ve done pretty well in thepastand hopefully that’ll continue.”

Atotal of 17 Cajuns will participate in theregional. Themeetbegins

Wednesdaywiththe top24athletesin each eventadvancing to thenextround Friday and Saturday

The top12ineach event qualify for thenational meet in Eugene, Oregon.

“Wehavethe ability in more than one event to get to nationals, but it’snot easy to do when you’re talking about everyDivision Ischool east of the Mississippi,”Badon said. “That’sthe SEC, mostofthe BigTen, the ACC, the AAC, us …you’re talking about some very, very competitive conferences.”

The menare paced by the unbeaten 4x400-relay team, as wellasLawson Jacobsinthe 400,JeremyNelson in thetriple jump,Mark Daley in the 200 and Joe Pattersoninthe 800.

The five women competing are Amairi Ashford in the 100, AlayshaVeal in the high jump, Kimola Hinesinthe dis-

cus, Lily Murrayinthe hammer,and Marin Barras in the javelin.

“Every year,you kind of know the times it took the previous fewyears to get out, so you kindofhaveagauge,” Badon said. “Wekind of know what we have to run in the relays to get out and individually.That’sall based on previous years. The timesand distances don’tchange that much.”

The women are coming offofa second-place finish at the Sun Belt meet earlierthis month. The men took thirdplace honors in the outdoor after winning the Sun Belt indoor competition.

“Wehad agood meet,honesty,” Badon said. “Texas State has areally good track team.Sometimes youjusthave to tip your hat to the other team. They had areally good meet and we had a really good meet —the women fought the whole time until the second-to-last

ä See STEELERS, page 3C

STAFF FILE PHOTO BY MAXBECHERER

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILE PHOTO BY JACOB KUPFERMAN

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smithcatchesa passagainst Notre Dame during the national championship game on Jan. 20 in Atlanta.The Buckeyes won34-23 to finish 14-2.

Scott Rabalais

Djokovic rolls despite weather

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

PARIS Novak Djokovic experi-

enced the lowest of lows — pulling out of the French Open after tearing the meniscus in his right knee — and the highest of highs — winning a long-sought Olympic gold medal for Serbia at Roland-Garros last year This trip to the site went smoothly, once he got going.

Other than some first-set interruptions by and lengthy discussions about, the windy, wet weather, the 24-time major champion was unbothered during a 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 victory over 98th-ranked Mackie McDonald of the United States at Court Philippe-Chatrier in the first round.

“He makes it seem like a video game, almost, for him,” said McDonald, a 30-year-old Californian who played college tennis at UCLA and twice has been to the fourth round at Grand Slam tournaments. “He’s able to just do so much. I don’t even think he was playing his best tennis or his highest level. But if I pushed him to a different point, he would bring it up.”

One example: When McDonald earned his first break points, getting to love-40 at 3-2 in the second set, Djokovic came up with three big serves, a 120 mph (193 kph) ace, a 123 mph (199 kph) ace and a 122 mph (197 kph) service winner. Djokovic compiled 32 winners — 18 more than McDonald — and just 20 unforced errors in a match that eventually was played with the lights on and the retractable roof closed.

“I’m a competitor, and losing stings,” McDonald said, “but playing Novak on that court is something I’ll remember.”

Before Djokovic, who just turned 38 and won his 100th career title last weekend, walked onto the playing surface, he was identified by the stadium announcer by his total number of Slam trophies, the three he’s won at the French Open, and the Summer Games gold he won “here in Paris.”

“I still remember last year’s Olympic Games. It was the last time I was here,” Djokovic said afterward. “The emotion is very

strong.” The medal that means so much to him?

“I don’t have the medal with me. But I have a picture of the medal in my bag,” he said “The medal is with my father My dad likes trophies more than I do, so I gave him mine.”

Other events

Once Coco Gauff found her rackets a relatively important piece of equipment for a tennis player all was well for her in the first round. Gauff showed up on court, opened her bag and peered inside to find it was missing her rackets. The start of the warmup was delayed, but then everything went Gauff’s way, and the 2023 U.S. Open champion got past Olivia Gadecki 6-2, 6-2. Unseeded

American Alycia Parks, ranked 52nd in the world, beat No. 14 seed Karolina Muchova 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 in the women’s last match of the day Muchova was the runner-up to Iga

Swiatek at Roland-Garros in 2023.

Other winners included the No. 3 seeds, Jessica Pegula and Alexander Zverev, and 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva, but 2021 U.S Open champion Daniil Medvedev, who was seeded 11th, lost to Cam Norrie 7-5, 6-3, 4-6, 1-6, 7-5 across nearly four hours.

Other seeded men were sent home when 18-year-old João Fonseca dispatched No 30 Hubert Hurkacz 6-2, 6-4, 6-2, and when No. 16 Grigor Dimitrov quit while leading American qualifier Ethan Quinn two sets to one. This is the fourth consecutive major tournament at which Dimitrov retired.

Frenchman Gael Monfils rallied from two sets down and beat Hugo Dellien of Bolivia 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (4) 6-1, in a match that lasted more than three hours.

Monfils was injured on the fifth point of the match when he fell and crashed into a side billboard. The 38-year-old Monfils was mov-

ing to his right as he returned a shot into the net. He scraped his hands trying to break his fall and required a few minutes of medical treatment before play resumed.

Monfils, ranked 42nd in the world and with a history of right knee and leg injuries, was a point away from breaking the 90thranked Dellien’s serve and ended up losing the game and going behind 3-0 in the first set.

After dropping the second set, Monfils battled back and, helped by a 19-2 advantage in aces, advanced to the second round.

Who is playing at Roland-Garros on Wednesday?

The second round begins on Day 4, with a schedule that includes defending champions Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz, 2024 runnerup Jasmine Paolini and two-time finalist Casper Ruud.

Swiatek meets 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in the day session’s last match in the main stadium.

French Open picks humans over technology

Djokovic thinks call on line judges poor

BY HOWARD FENDRICH AP tennis writer

PARIS For Novak Djokovic, this is a relatively easy call: He, like many players, thinks the French Open is making a mistake by eschewing the electronic line-calling used at most big tennis tournaments and instead remaining old school by letting line judges decide whether serves or other shots land in or out.

Plenty of sports, from soccer and baseball to the NFL, are replacing, or at least helping, officials with some form of high-tech replays or other technology Tennis, too, is following that trend, except at Roland-Garros, where competition continues through June 8. Even the longest-running and most tradition-bound of the majors, Wimbledon, is gasp! abandoning line judges and moving to an automatic system this year. The WTA and ATP added machine-generated rulings this season for tour events on red clay, the surface at the French Open But Grand Slam hosts can do what they want, and the French tennis federation is keeping the human element.

The French Open is pushing back against modern technology Djokovic, the 24-time major champion scheduled to play his first-round match in Paris on Tuesday, understands why folks might prefer the way to keep things the way they were for more than a century in his sport. He gets why there could be an inclination to shy away from too much change

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY LINDSEY WASSON

A line judge makes a call as Russia’s Anastasia Pavliuchenkova plays China’s Zheng Qinwen during the French Open at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Sunday.

in a world now drowning in cell phones and streaming and social media.

“You don’t want to give everything away to the technology, right? But if I have to choose between the two, I’m more of a proponent of technology It’s just more accurate, saves time, and (means) less people on the court” said Djokovic, 38, who was disqualified from the 2020 U.S. Open for inadvertently hitting an official with a ball hit out of frustration between games. That edition of the tournament in New York only placed line judges on its two largest courts, while others used an electronic setup, a nod to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Australian Open got rid of all line judges in 2021, a first at a tennis major; the U.S. Open did the same later that year The French Open remains a

holdout and that’s not likely to change anytime soon.

Futhermore, don’t expect electronic line-calling at Roland Garros in the near future.

“Unless the players are unanimous and come to us and say, ‘We won’t play if there isn’t a machine’ then I think we’ve got a great future ahead of us to maintain this style of refereeing,” French federation president Gilles Moretton said, while boasting of the quality of his country’s officials.

Players don’t sound that adamant, although they tend to echo the opinion of 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who is 21:

“I mean, I don’t know if it’s like the ‘Gen Z’ in me, but I think if we have the technology, we should use it.” Still, there is some charm to be found in the choreography of players insisting a call was wrong

Florida forward Condon forgoes NBA to return

Florida forward Alex Condon has withdrawn from the NBA draft and will return to school for his junior season, significantly boosting the Gators’ chances of repeating as national champions. Coach Todd Golden said last week he was “cautiously optimistic” the 6-foot-11, 230-pound Australian would be back for another season. He got the news Tuesday, a day before the deadline for players to withdraw from draft consideration.

Condon averaged 10.6 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds last season. He also blocked 49 shots. He notched seven double-doubles, scored in double figures 18 times and grabbed at least 10 boards 10 times.

Nuggets guard Westbrook has surgery on right hand

Denver Nuggets point guard

Russell Westbrook said he was having surgery Tuesday to fix two breaks in his right hand that he suffered during the season.

The 36-year-old Westbrook is coming off a season in which he helped the Nuggets extend the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games in the second round of the playoffs before being knocked out. Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in the regular season. Westbrook signed a two-year deal last summer, with a player option next season that would be worth $3,468,960.

He has played for the Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Washington and Houston since spending 11 seasons with the Thunder

EA Sports names WRs Williams, Smith for cover

Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith are the cover athletes for EA Sports College Football 26, the videogame developer announced Tuesday The electric sophomore wide receivers were picked for the second edition of the franchise’s reboot Last year’s game was the first in 11 years and was among the best-selling video games in 2024. Williams and Smith are posed together on the standard cover, while the deluxe edition also includes other players, coaches, mascots and former cover stars Reggie Bush, Tim Tebow and Denard Robinson. The ’26 edition will test if the franchise still has the same staying power it had when it was released annually in the early 2000s.

Indy 500 draws biggest TV number in 17 years

and chair umpires climbing down for a closer look at a ball mark on the clay Watch a day of TV coverage from Paris and odds are good that dance will take place — probably more than once.

“That’s what makes clay special, in a way — that you can always review the shots. Obviously, you can’t deny that electronic line-calling is the future, and everything is moving towards AI and artificial intelligence,” said Stefanos Tsitsipas, the runner-up to Djokovic at Roland-Garros four years ago. “But me, personally, I wouldn’t mind playing on clay with maybe the judgment of a human instead of a robot.”

Some tennis players resort to taking photos of ball marks. No matter the form of officiating, there invariably are times when athletes perhaps eyesight or faith strained by heat-of-themoment tension and an eagerness to be correct just won’t agree with a call.

That, in turn, can lead to extended arguments and sometimes a scene seen recently: A player grabs a cell phone from the sideline to snap a photo of a mark in a bid to prove, and win, a point. Aryna Sabalenka, a three-time Slam champ and No. 1 women’s player, and Alexander Zverev, a three-time major finalist, did just that, although they weren’t the first. Back at the 2013 French Open, Sergiy Stakhovsky put down his racket and took a picture of where a ball had landed during a loss to Richard Gasquet; Stakhovsky said then he’d done it before.

“Linespeople mess up sometimes,” said 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Tommy Paul. “Automatic line-calling is going to mess up probably less.”

Sunday’s Indianapolis 500 had its biggest television audience in 17 years.

Alex Palou’s victory averaged 7.05 million viewers on Fox, according to Nielsen. That is the largest audience since 2008, when Scott Dixon’s win averaged 7.25 million on ABC. That was also the first year of a combined open-wheel series

The viewer numbers peaked at 8.44 million for the race’s conclusion from 4:15-4:30 p.m. EDT This is the first year that Fox has the IndyCar package. IndyCar and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway had a long relationship with ABC from 1965 until 2018 while NBC aired the prestigious race from 2019 through 2024. It was a 40% increase from last year when the race averaged 5.02 million on NBC.

McIlroy’s Memorial absence a surprise for Nicklaus

Jack Nicklaus said Tuesday he was surprised Rory McIlroy decided to skip the Memorial for the first time since 2017 and that he hasn’t spoken to him since McIlroy won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam.

Nicklaus was short with his answers on McIlroy, not wanting to make his absence a bigger deal at the tournament that is celebrating its 50th year McIlroy is playing the RBC Canadian Open next week ahead of the U.S. Open. He had played the Memorial and Canadian Open back to back every year since 2021. Nicklaus has not spoken to him since then, but he did write up a letter of

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHE ENA

Serbia’s Novak Djokovic reacts as he plays Mackenzie McDonald of the U.S. during the French Open at the Roland-Garros stadium in Paris on Tuesday

BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer

KennedyMarceaux,the

2024 Gatorade Louisiana Softball Player of the Year, has entered the transfer portal.

But she’snot leavingAlabama angry or bitter

TheformerAll-Metro MVP from Kaplan also hasn’tdecided what her next move is going to be yet.

“Obviously,this wasn’tan easy decision,” Marceaux said. “It was ahard decision. Ilove all the peoplein Alabama.

“I still love the program. It wasn’teasy.(Coach Patrick Murphy) does alot of things right. It just wasn’tthe fit for me, and that’sOK.

“I have alot of things that I’m considering right now Nothingisconfirmed yet. I’m just trusting God’s plan, and I’m open towards anything.”

Marceaux signed with Alabamaafter hitting .629 with 20 doubles, 20 homers and 65 RBIs while leading thePirates to astate championship during her senior season.

In her first season withthe Crimson Tide, Marceaux batted.310 in27games (10starts) with twohomers and nineRBIs.

“AtAlabama,wewere family-oriented,” she said.

“Everybodyreally did welcome me. Ihave nothing bad to say aboutthem. They were great peopleand ex-

tremely nice. It waspretty close to what we have back here.

“It just wasn’tfor me, and that’sOK. There’splaces you have to go, youhave to seeand you get to decide.”

The recruiting process began adead period Monday Marceaux said she’s spoken to college coaches before Monday but doesn’thave any visitsscheduled yet As forthe possibility of transferring to UL, she didn’trule it out.For one, shealreadyhas arelationship with coach Alyson Habetz, who used to be an assistant at Alabama.

“She recruited me very hardmyjunior year,” Marceauxsaid. “She was abig part of my journey to

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Georgia coach KirbySmartand quarterbackStetson Bennett celebrate their 65-7victory overTCU in thenational championship game on Jan. 9, 2023, in Inglewood, Calif. Georgia finished 14-0.

RABALAIS

Continued from page1C

“Last yearweplayed 16 games,” the Texas coach said Tuesday, “andthat was just to get to the (CFP) semifinals. Idon’tthink we’ll ever see an undefeated national champion again.Ifsomeonedoes go 16-0, put up astatue to that team.”

Ohio State wonlast year’s title with a14-2 record that didnot include atrip to the Big Tenchampionship game.Four of the previous fivenational champions— including 15-0 LSU in 2019 —were unbeaten, but that was with the old four-team CFPformat.

“It’sdifficult because of the quality of the opponentsyou play,” Sarkisian said. “It’ssodifficult to stay healthy that long.”

Sark said he thinksthe CFP will start to resemble the NCAA Tournament in baseball, citing that No. 1overall seed Vanderbilt struggled through itsfirst 20 SEC games at 11-9 before takingoff late in the season “I think you’re going to see teams moreand more with two, three, maybe even four losses thatget in (the CFP),” he said.

LSU coach Brian Kelly agreed, saying the stringent test of playing in the SEC shouldbetaken into account whendetermining the CFP field, whether it’s 12, 14 or16teams.

“I think we’re all of the opinion that your strength of schedule should be part of how you’re evaluated when it comestoselection,” Kelly said.“We all believethatinour conference, that if ateamloses one ortwo games,oreven three, that theyshouldstill be part of this process.

CAJUNS

Continued from page1C

Texascoach Steve Sarkisian signals during agameagainst KentuckyonNov.23inAustin, Texas.

“I thinkyou’regoing to seeteams more and more with two, three, maybe even four losses that getin(the CFP).”

STEVE SARKISIAN,Texas coach

“The reality of itis, over along period of time in the SEC, you’re goingto get banged up. You’re going to get nicked up. You’re goingtohave aloss. That’s alot more difficult with theschedule weplay togo unscathed. Doesn’tmean you’re not as good of a team.”

Georgiacoach Kirby Smart wasn’teager to followSarkisian downhis path of logic, andfor an all together unsavory reason.

“I’d like to say yes” there will be fewer undefeated teams, Smart said. “But not because of the schedule andlength of schedule. It wouldbebecause of the portal and alack of depth and more parity.The way things go, in the next 6-10 months you couldend up with haves and have-nots outthere. Ultimately a team could drive prices

and go buy achampionship. You’re talking about a super team. Youcould see that.”

Thatcould be affected by the issuelooming over everything: the so-called House settlement, acourtordered ruling that will determine, among other things, revenue sharing between schools and their student-athletes.Aruling was expected lastweek but was still pending as of Tuesday No one knows still at this late hour,with revenue sharing expected to begin July 1, how it will all shake out. But forcertain, college football isn’tgoing back to anything resembling 2003.

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

Alabama. She hada big play in that.”

Secondly, it’s theclosest schoolto herVermilion Parish home.

“I would say that most of the Louisiana coaches have reached outtome,” Marceaux said. “I’m not counting anybody outright now.All of themare in consideration. The cultureis deep in Louisiana and all the programsare good.

“I love every single coach. Theyall have great morals, great culturesand good teams.I’m just trying to make sure Imake the right decision.”

Marceaux played short-

STEELERS

Continuedfrom page 1C event and were stillinit.”

The other men competing this week include Kobe Mendez (110 hurdles), Teodor Borgiusinthe pole vault, Will Howard in the javelin, Chris Gravois (4x100), CaemonScott(4x100, 4x400) Camren Hardy (4x100, 4x400) and Jonathan Gamarra (4x400). Badon said helooks at this year’ssquad as “special,” so he won’tbe surprised by any top-10 finishes at regionals. “We’re on an uptick right now. We’re running well,” Badon said of UL’s running events. “Wehave alegitimate chance to get to nationals.” The regular-seasonmeets helped prepare theUL squad.

“I feel like our coaching staff has prepared the kids well,” Badon said. “We’ve been to some big meets, so nothing is going to intimidate them at all. Iknow we’re not going to back down.

“We’regoing to take it to them. If we run well and get beat,sobeit. The goal is to not run bad or jump bad.” Email KevinFooteat kfoote@theadvocate.com.

stop at Kaplan, but she played primarily second or third base in Tuscaloosa.

“There’snoposition or spot I’mlooking for,”she said. “I just love thegame. I’m just looking to findthe best place for me andlove it.”

Marceauxlearned alot about hitting in her first collegiate season.

“From high school to college, it’scompletely different,” shesaid. “You’re playing with girls who have playedfor four yearsand in the SEC. They’re really good. “It’shard. It’snot easy. Youhavetomake adjustments quickly and you have to learn to compete harder and figure things out. Your swing has to be at its best all the time. There’snocutting corners.”

Marceaux was encouraged by her freshman season.

“It’sreally,really fun,” she said. “I enjoyed my high school years, no doubt, but college is special.

“It’sfun, it’s hard, and it’s truly so amazing to see all of theseathletes …it’sso cool.”

Marceaux urges fans to avoid jumping to conclusions when transfer portal decisions are made.

“Withthe portal,alot of people are quick to judge, andreally in anylife situation,”Marceauxsaid. “Instead of people saying, ‘Oh, why is she like thatorwhy is she doing that?’, instead of saying, ‘I hope she’sOKand how can Ihelp you?’ It’s just about perspective.”

Email KevinFoote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.

to himwho arecurrently battling cancer

Until Rodgers makes a decision,his status figures to dominatethe conversationsurrounding ateam that has undergone significantroster changeselsewhere since getting drilled at Baltimoreinthe opening round of the playoffs. Allofit— including acquiringtwo-timePro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was not on the field Tuesday but has been a regularatthe team facility in recent weeks —will remaininthe background until there’ssome finality about Rodgers. It makes for achallenging work environment, though one that Rudolph might be uniquely qualified to navigate. The Steelers drafted him in 2018, only to have veteranBen Roethlisberger keep himatarm’s length. Rudolph got an extended look in 2019 when Roethlisberger was injured, only to be benchedfor undrafted rookie free agentDevlin “Duck” Hodges. The former Oklahoma State star was promised achance to compete for thestarting job in 2022 after Roethlisberger retired, only to serve as thethird wheel behind Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.

Rudolph remained undaunted. He authored an improbable success story in 2023 whenhecame off thebench lateinthe seasontobring Pittsburgh’s moribund offense to life and lead the Steelers to the playoffs. His reward at thetime? Nothing. Pittsburgh didn’t makeaneffort to keep him, opting to sign Wilson and

ASSOCIATEDPRESS PHOTOBYGENEJ.PUSKAR

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph, right, gets ahand from tight end PatFreiermuth during Tuesday’s practice in Pittsburgh.

trade forFieldsinstead Rudolph spent2024 in Tennessee, where he went 1-4 as astarter

Yetwhen the Steelers approached him abouta twoyear deal just after free agency began, Rudolph didn’thesitate to return.

“It’sobviously good to be wanted,” saidRudolph, who called Pittsburgh “a special place.”

Though OTAs are voluntary,Rudolphhad no plans to miss asnap while trying to familiarize himself with offensivecoordinator Arthur Smith’ssystem and reconnectingwith oldfriends such as tight endPat Freiermuth

“He’sasmart football player, smart quarterback,” Freiermuth said.“So he’s pickingupthe systemand running with it. So it’sbeen great to work with him andhavehim ask me some questions about the offense and what Art’sthinking.”

TheSteelers have notgiven Rodgers afirm deadline, though coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this spring that he’d like to have his roster set by the timetraining camp opens in late July

Whilethere is an informal nature to OTAs, Freiermuth called the timespent

together “very important” fromateam development standpoint. Longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward isn’tsosure,pointing out that he skipped allof OTAs last year andended up making the All-Pro team forthe fourth time.

“I thinkany player,you knowwhatyou need,” Heyward said. “You know what’srequired of you as you progress toward training camp.”

ForRodgers, thatmight be focusing on thepeople closesttohim. For Rudolph, it means soaking in every opportunity he’sgiven. Maybe he’saplaceholder forRodgers. Maybe he’s the starter in Week 1. A year ago, theideahe’done dayreturn to Pittsburgh seemed remote. And yet here he is, wearing hisfamiliarNo. 2while being in avery familiar position:anoption. Maybe notthe top option,but one nonetheless.

“I’ve gota lotofgreat friendsand teammates here, alot acomfortabilitywithMikeT and the staff,” Rudolph said. “Who wouldn’twanttobeapart of this team and this offense?”

Marceaux

BY DAVE CAMPBELL AP sportswriter

MINNEAPOLIS With Oklahoma City clutching a fourpoint lead, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove into the lane and smacked into triple coverage — doing the splits as he stopped and desperately tried to find a safe place for the ball.

Somehow, as he lost his balance and fell toward the court, he found space to fling it between the legs of Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels — and straight to a wide-open Jalen Williams behind the arc with 1:21 to go. Swish. Game. Maybe even the series.

The Thunder saw that seven-point lead shrink back to one in the closing seconds, but they staved off the late push with a parade to the free-throw line and pulled out a 128-126 victory in Game 4 that gave them a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Even the NBA MVP needs a wing man, and GilgeousAlexander has two. Williams and Chet Holmgren were so good in their own ways that a 40-point, 10-assist, nine-rebound performance by Gilgeous-Alexander on Monday night was somehow overshadowed.

Williams had 13 of his 34 points in the first quarter to give the Thunder the scoring to match their tenacious start after a 42-point loss in Game 3. He shot 13 for 24, including 6 for 9 from 3-point range, and pitched in three of the team’s 14 steals.

“From start to finish, he picked his spots great, he was aggressive, stepped into everything,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He was who he is. He’s gotten all these awards this year for a good reason, and he proved it tonight. He’s a really good basketball player It’s crazy to

SCOREBOARD

at Baltimore (Povich 1-3), 5:35 p.m. Atlanta (Smith-Shawver 3-2) at Philadelphia (Wheeler 6-1), 5:45 p.m. Chicago White Sox (Smith 1-3) at N.Y. Mets (Canning

ing as the clock dropped under the 40-second mark.

“On both ends of the floor he affects the game at such a high level,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “And it’s crazy because he’s out there just running around right now We rarely call plays for him. He rarely gets anything set for him. He’s just out there playing off of feel and affecting the game at a high level, whether it’s making open shots, blocking shots, offensive rebounding, defensive rebounding. He’s just a winning player.”

Though the Timberwolves regained possession after a charging foul on GilgeousAlexander, precious more time went by before they scored again on a 3-pointer by McDaniels with 23 seconds left.

think he’s so young and what he has already achieved.” Holmgren had nine of his 21 points in the fourth quarter He went 9 for 14 from the floor, grabbed four of his seven rebounds on the offensive end and blocked three shots — including a highlight-reel rejection of McDaniels in the final minute in a five-point game After McDaniels followed his hard drive right with a slick spin move to beat him to the basket for a left-side layup attempt, Holmgren never lost his footing despite the change in direction and swiftly slid to his right before a perfectly timed jump to swat the ball without foul-

Gilgeous-Alexander helped ice the game at the freethrow line, and Williams eventually grabbed a desperation inbounds pass by the Timberwolves from halfcourt with 0.3 seconds left Holmgren, the second overall pick in the 2022 draft who missed his rookie season with a foot injury and 50 games this season following a pelvic fracture from a hard fall, happily left his hometown with a statement performance that put the Timberwolves within one win of reaching the NBA Finals.

“When you have really good players that the other team needs to stop, they’re going to have to help recover from somewhere,” Holmgren said “So just understanding that we have to make them pay for that and just try to be aggressive, try to make the right play, too. It’s not always score. Sometimes it’s make the

Deborah Norville reminisces on ‘Inside Edition’

BY RODNEY HO

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (TNS)

ATLANTA Georgia native Deborah Norville said she is leaving the longtime syndicated newsmagazine “Inside Edition” after 30 years of her own volition and with her head held high.

“It’s been quite a run,” she said in an interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday before her final show “It’s nice to leave on top. I’m swimming in gratitude.”

At age 66, Norville felt it was time to do other things

She is planning a long vacation in Europe with her husband of 38 years, then hosting the new syndicated game show “The Perfect Line,” which is shooting at Trilith Studios this summer in Fayetteville and debuts in the fall.

“Inside Edition” will use guest hosts until a replacement anchor is named.

“Yesterday during a satellite tour with local TV stations, a young woman said I was the reason she became a journalist,” Norville said. “That just stops you cold. There’s no higher compliment that what you do every day can inspire someone to take up your life’s work.” She was especially proud of her work during the COVID-19 pandemic. “When the world turned upside down, we kept going,” she said. “We created a studio in my house with a green screen. We didn’t have the graphics but had the content people needed during all that confusion. We tried to be like what Mister Rogers’ mother told him, the idea of being the helpers to give us hope during difficult times.”

Norville graduated from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. She interned at Georgia Public Broadcasting before working as a reporter at WAGA-TV, then a CBS affiliate, from 1979 to 1982. After five years at a Chicago TV station, she joined NBC News and moved up quickly to become coanchor of “Today.” But that job only lasted a year and she was replaced by Katie Couric.

Norville moved to CBS News, working on newsmagazines like “Street Stories” and “48 Hours,” then as a correspondent and fill-in anchor of “CBS Evening News.” But when she became pregnant with her second child, she wanted a job that didn’t involve living out of a suitcase.

“Inside Edition,” seeking an anchor replacement for a preFox News Bill O’Reilly, was the answer

“If I had stuck around with CBS News, I don’t know if my marriage would have lasted and I wouldn’t have been the mom I aspired to be,” Norville said. Although “Inside Edition” was considered less prestigious than CBS News, she helped shepherd the news coverage away from “Hard Copy”-style tabloid fodder and more news you can use, investigative pieces and People magazine-style feature segments

“We’ve never had the resources of the big network news shows so we hunt for the human interest angles,” she said. “We go off main street and hit the access road for stories.” During the recent tornadoes in the Midwest, for instance, “Inside Edition” covered a wedding in St. Louis that went on despite damage from a nearby

ä

BUILDING BRIDGES

Founder of Lafayette wine shop shares sober journey with others in the restaurant industry

BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer

Ben Leger started working in restaurant industry when he was 15 years old.

From there, he went on to make waves in Lafayette’s bar and restaurant scene. Leger helped open POUR Restaurant & Bar in River Ranch, became a certified sommelier in 2011, and took the leap to open his own wine business in 2015, called MySomm.

MySomm, which is located in River Ranch, was founded by Leger as a personalized sommelier service. It later developed into a retail shop offering boutique tastings, private events and personalized selections for wine connoisseurs. It was a role that Leger excelled at — until he couldn’t do it anymore.

“I was there until 2024, until my liver failed,” said Leger over a year after leaving MySomm for the last time to undergo an emergency liver transplant. He had been sick for awhile, he said, expe-

“Sobriety brings the whole experience to another level. You’re able to hold onto the memories, and be present in the moment, instead of just focusing on how quickly the next drink is gonna come.”

BEN LEGER

riencing symptoms of liver failure like jaundice, fatigue and anemia.

“I had some bloodwork done, and my doctor called and said, ‘Your liver is dying.’ I had to literally drop everything and go straight to the ER.”

Leger wrote in a May 5 Substack post marking his first year of sobriety that this moment changed everything. He was placed on the liver transplant list, and went into surgery just 36 hours later which he said is “wildly unheard of.” His doctors also asked him to start attending meetings for alcohol abuse — and that’s what led Leger

to Ben’s Friends, an aptly-named national support group for people pursuing sobriety in the bar and restaurant industry

‘A gambling addict … in a casino’

According to Leger and Mandi Veltin, his Lafayette Ben’s Friends co-chair, most recovery groups such as Alcoholic Anonymous ask, or at least strongly recommend, that people leave their bar or restaurant jobs if it’s placing them in regular contact with alcohol.

Veltin works as a bartender and server at Pamplona. She says, “there’s nothing else that compares, really, to working in a restaurant — the camaraderie, the challenge. But, I mean, you’re handling alcohol.

“I had been trying to get sober, and I could get a few days sober at home, but the second I would come into work I would start to drink. I really thought I was gonna have to quit my job, and I didn’t know what

ä See FRIENDS, page 6C

Bold flavors in simple ways stand out in top dishes

Pincho de Carne (steak skewers) at Veracruz

Norville

STAFF PHOTO BY BRAD BOWIE

Ben Leger is pictured before a meeting of Ben’s Friends on May 12 at Pamplona restaurant in Lafayette.

Preparingdonations properly

Dear Heloise: As so many are doingtheir spring cleaning, I’m sure they’re also preparing once-loved goods for donations. I’ve been volunteering for asmall nonprofit that distributes clothing to families in need. We spend much time sorting through, throwing out and redonating the mountains of donated clothing. Please pass on these hints to help give donations a happy home and keep more stuff out of landfills:

doesn’tgodirectly to the needy but does help the charity with its mission.

n Some upscale neighborhoods have charity thrift shopswhere people go “antiquing” for china, crystal,and fancy vintage clothes

TODAYINHISTORY

By The Associated Press

thefall and winter when they’re needed themost.

n First off, thank you! It’s wonderful to donate rather than toss out these items. There are definitelypeople who can use your gently used clothing.

n Do alittle research before donating. Amen’s homeless shelter doesn’t need your sequined cocktail frock, but there are some local high schools that have a repository for prom dresses Some nonprofits take anything and sell by the pound to thrift stores; the clothing

Some job-training programs seek suits, scarves, purses and ties. Some animal charities, vets and doggie day cares take stained or frayed towelsorbedding. Meanwhile, other organizations don’t takeany bedding (because of possibleinfestations).

n Pleasemake sure that theitems are usable. We liketorespect ourclients’ dignity.Wecan’tdistribute severely dirty,stained,yellowed,frayed, ripped and moth-eaten clothing. (Some organizations take these items for rags.)

n Consider donatingin season. Nonprofits don’t have much storage space. Your wintersweaters and coats are great during

n It helps to sort and label items. Abag labeled “women’sshirts” or “men’s shoes” will be unpacked and distributed sooner.If sizeshave been cut off or wornoff, please label the size with amarker or tape. Allofthis takes alittleextratime for you, of course, but helps theitems find a homefaster.Itsaves the nonprofit lotsoftime guessing and sorting, allowing moreclientstobeserved.

n Now that your closet looks cleaner,consider buying less. We’ve received so manyclothes withthe price tagsstill on. Online shopping makes it too easy to buy things we don’tneed that don’tfitand sit in the closet for years.

Thanks for helping us spread our appreciation for donations and hintsonmaking them moreeffective! M.K., in Houston Send ahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.

Today is Wednesday, May 28, the148th day of 2025. There are217 days left in theyear

Todayinhistory:

On May 28, 1830, President Andrew Jackson signedthe Indian Removal Act, which forced nearly 50,000 Native Americans to relocate to designated territories west of the Mississippi River

On this date:

In 1863, the54th Massachusetts Volunteer InfantryRegiment, made up of free Black men, left Boston to fight for theUnion in theCivil War.

In 1918, American troops fought their first major battle during World WarIas they launched an offensive againstthe German-held French village of Cantigny; the Americans succeeded in capturing thevillage.

In 1959, theU.S. Army launched Able, arhesus monkey,and Baker,a

squirrel monkey,aboard a Jupiter missile forasuborbital flight which both primates survived.

In 1972, burglars working on behalf of the Nixon White House broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in Washington, D.C., installing surveillance devices on telephones and taking photos of DNC documents.

In 1987, to the embarrassment of Soviet officials, Mathias Rust, ateenage West German amateur pilot, landed aprivate plane near Moscow’s Red Square without authorization. (Rust washeld by the Soviets until he was pardoned and freed the following year.)

In 2013, calling it perhaps the biggest moneylaundering schemeinU.S. history,federal prosecutors charged seven people with running what amounted to an online, underworld bank, saying that Liberty

Reserve handled $6 billion fordrug dealers, child pornographers, identity thieves and other criminals around the globe. In 2021, officials announced that the remains of more than 200 children, some as young as 3years old, had been found buried on the site of whatwas once Canada’slargest indigenous residential school, in Kamloops, British Columbia. Today’sbirthdays: Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani is 81. Singer Gladys Knight is 81. Musician Billy Vera is 81. Musician John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) is 80. Country singer-songwriter Phil Vassar is 63. Singer-actor Kylie Minogue is 57. Actor Justin Kirk is 56. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is 54. TV personality Elisabeth Hasselbeck is 48.

songwriter Colbie

is 40. Actor Carey Mulligan is 40.

Edamame, gyoza and sushi

n TokyoCafe, 7584 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge

Tokyo Cafe is one of those hidden gems that’snot so hidden but still feels like it when you walk in. The staff is friendly,the service is fast, the options areendless, and the food is great.

For appetizers, one can’t go wrong with edamame and gyoza. The presentation of the gyoza alone is enough to order, showcased in a“boat” and served with fruit. The dish is also perfect for sharing if you visit with an even number of guests, as it comes with six dumplings.

For sushi, Idecided on the “Crazy Dog” roll and the fiesta roll.Beware: The fiesta roll is huge. Itypically order two rolls at sushi restaurants by default, but my eyes widened when my server placed this roll on the table. Idefinitely couldn’tfinish both.

The giant roll is made with tuna, salmon and crab stick wrappedinsoy paper and topped with masago mango, avocado, spicy mayonnaise and eel sauce. Despite the difficulty in properly eatingjust one, the roll itself meshed the sweet and salty flavors of the mango and the fish. The

Crazy Dog roll also included abit of sweet and salty, as it features shrimptempura, snow crab and cream cheese inside, topped with crab stick, eel sauce and spicy mayonnaise. —Lauren Cheramie, features coordinator Dumplings and noodles

n Noodles&Dumplings,5621 Johnston St., Lafayette Noodles &Dumplings celebrated its grand opening next to Best Buy on Johnston Street on Friday,May 16, but they quietly opened acouple weeks earlier,and word was spreading. Therestaurant features Asian cuisine —mostly, ahem, noodles and dumplings —with amodern twist, featuringhigh-tech hostsand arobot server Iwent on Mother’sDay,

which was quitebusy,but not slow.The robot didn’t deliver our food, but it was making itsway around the restaurant, helping thehuman servers We ordered pork Xiao LongBao, or soup dumplings, chili oil beef noodles and sesame chicken with stir fried peanut noodles. Everything was so tasty and fresh. So fresh, in fact, therestaurant invites you to watch thefood being prepared. It was impressive to seethe hand-pulled noodles being madeinreal time. The servings werealso deceptively generous because the serving dishes arelarge and intended for sharing. We ended up taking acouple boxes home, and it was almostasgood reheated for lunch the next day

—Kristin Askelson, Acadiana managing editor

tornado. “That’s‘Inside Edition,’ ”she said. “Finding joyinthe midst of tragedy.” In her early years, “Inside Edition”didn’talways prioritize work/life balance. In 1988, when shehad herthird child, Mikaela, earlier than expected,afrantic executive producer convinced her to anchor from the hospital. She thenwent on abook tour, her infant by her side. In recentyears, as viewership on broadcast TV has fallen off, “Inside Edition” has pushed its YouTube channel, which nowhas 13.6 million subscribers.

FRIENDS

Continuedfrom page 5C

to do. So Istartedgoogling ‘working in restaurantsand staying sober,’and Ben’s Friends popped up.” Veltin hasbeensober for four years now,and she says that she recognized signs of Leger’sstruggle when she would run into him before the transplant.

Thepairhad worked together several years prior at arestaurant in Grand Coteau, and she reached outwhenLeger notifiedhis MySomm communitythat he would not be returning to work.

Leger wrote in his 1-year anniversary Substack post that he logged onto his first Ben’sFriends Zoom meetingfrom his hospital bed. He knewthathehad found his people as participants beganintroducing themselvesasbar managers, servers and sommeliers.

“Whatmakes Ben’s Friends special is that restaurant industry people oftenfeel that there’s no outlet for them,” said Leger “AsMandi said, there’sre-

Norville hasalso been happy to hit the road when necessary.She hasattended every political convention since 1984. She covered the Oklahoma City bombings. She was in Washington, D.C.,whenthe 9/11 attacks occurred. She has attended multiple presidential inaugurations, twopapal funerals, King Charles’ coronation, Queen Elizabeth‘s internment and tworoyal weddings. She continuously anchored anational news program longer than Dan Rather (24 years), Peter Jennings (22 years),Tom Brokaw (22 years) or Walter Cronkite(19 years). She was amazed whenshe heard her tenure at “Inside

ally no other career where you’re constantly surrounded by this thing that’s your vice. It’s kind of like a gambling addict working in acasino.”

Leger and Veltin recognize that muchofLafayette’sfood andrestaurant culture is closely linked to alcohol —whichcan present challengestopeople who want to stay sober within the industry

“Wine is just so intertwinedwithfood in that world. It’sapart of the culture,but forpeople who love this industry and the lifestyle it brings, you can still participate in that without imbibing yourself. It’s still possible to have that passion for food and beverageand servicewithout having to partake,” says Leger,who is going back to school right nowtopursue a degree in English.

“There’sbeen dining experiences that I’ve had that Ireally don’tremember,” he said. “Some of the finest things that the food and wine world can offer.

“Sobriety brings the whole experience to another level. You’re able to hold onto the memories, and be

Edition” exceeded even Johnny Carson’son“The Tonight Show.”

“This is akid from Dalton, Georgia,” she said. “How did this happen? I’ll tell you how it happened. Iwas a reporter at WAGA 47 years ago. Oneofmycolleagues looked at me andsaid, ‘You don’tbelong here. You don’tdeserve ajob here.’ That hasbeena motivating phrase in the backofmy mind since that day in front of the coffeemachine.”

For her,the lesson is simple: “When someone underestimates you and doesn’t believe in your potential, you have achoice: Youcan accept their assessment of who you are or prove them wrong.”

present in the moment, instead of just focusing on howquickly thenextdrink is gonna come.” Veltin agrees,saying that she wasable to keep working during the years that shedrank, butitwas becoming increasingly difficult. Now,she’sable to thrive in her role, instead of just function.

“When you’re drinking, you’re always thinking about it,” she said. “Now Ican be fully present and watch people experience these things, andhelp them experience these things. I’mactually more mindfulofthe drinks I’m serving, and it’sabeautiful thing. It’shardinthe beginning, but it’sreally amazing too.”

Ben’sFriends, asupport group forpeople in the food and beverage industry who strugglewithsubstance abuse, meetsatPamplona Tapas Bar in Lafayette each Monday at 10 a.m.Questionsaboutthe group can be directed to Mandi Veltin or Ben Leger

Email Joanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.

Continued from page5C

PROVIDED PHOTO

Pork XiaoLong Bao at Noodles &Dumplings in Lafayette

STAFF PHOTO BY LAUREN CHERAMIE

Edamame at TokyoCafe

Actor Jake Johnson is 47. Singer-

Caillat

Hints from Heloise

GEMINI (May 21-June 20 — A vibrant approach will help you seal any deal you want to make. Speak up, bring about change and start implementing plans thatcontributetoyourmental,emotional and physical well-being.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) When your mind wanders and temptation mounts, return to reality Too much of anything will cost you emotionally financially or physically. For now, research the possibilities, but wait to take action.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) Verify facts, get what you want in writing and refrain fromtakingonmorethanyoucanhandle. Self-improvement, physical fitness and distancing yourself from bad influences will be in your best interest.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Keep your thoughts to yourself, your money in your wallet and your reputation safe from anyone trying to undermine or take advantage of you. Focus on what benefits you.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Keep your emotions under wraps and proceed with intelligence, a solid plan and the courage to say no. Proper preparation and clear goals will help you navigate past anyone trying to outmaneuver you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) Stay on top of matters involving work, money and reputation. Anger won't go over well with superiors. Use your knowledge, experience and connections to ensure you have the support you need.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) Contracts, property investments and financial

issues will involve challenges. Leave nothing to chance, get a second opinion andpreparetowalkawayifyoudon'tlike what you see or hear.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Be a good listener and give yourself time to ponder what's being said or done before joining forces with anyone. When uncertainty surfaces,considermovingforwardalone or looking elsewhere for a better deal.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Direct your energy at your target and fire away. Self-preservation and determination go together and will ensure that you come out a winner.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) Give yourself a chancetobreatheandrejuvenate.Assess your situation, consider your options and expand your plans to include what will benefit you most emotionally and financially. Temptation is apparent.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) Pay attention to money matters. Make room for something you want to pursue or purchase, but consider the implications and costs involved. Be realistic and honest with yourself and the people you encounter.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) Think before you act. If you respond to something too quickly, you'll make a mistake. Assess your feelings, stress and overall health, and consider the changes you can make that will benefit your life.

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. © 2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

FAMILY CIrCUS

CeLebrItY CIpher

beetLe bAILeY

Mother GooSe And GrIMM

LAGoon

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

THewiZard oF id

BLondie

BaBY BLueS

Hi and LoiS

CurTiS

BY PHILLIP ALDER

Warren Buffett said, “I don’t look to jump over seven-foot bars; I look around for one-foot bars that I can step over.”

At the bridge table, if you have the necessary values, sometimes you have to jump. But at least you can do it while staying firmly anchored in your chair. With that huge hint, it should not be hardtoworkoutwhatSouthshouldrebid in today’s deal, after opening one heart and hearing partner respond one spade. South should rebid three hearts, which shows at least a six-card suit and typically seven winners. This usually equates to 15 or 16 high-card points (perhaps an excellent 14 or an uninteresting 17). This hand is a maximum, but that does not hurt occasionally. The play in four hearts should not be so tough. After West takes three club tricks and shifts to a spade, South wins the fourth trick with his king, draws trumps unblocks the diamond ace, crosses to the spade ace, and discards his last spade on the diamond king. As a defensive point, how should East card so that West knows he can cash three club tricks?

There are actually two solutions. A few pairs lead the queen from ace-kingqueen, partner being asked to give a countsignal.Here,therefore,Eastwould play first the six, then the three, to show an even number. Alternatively, if West starts with the club ace, East would play his three to deny the queen, the honor touching the two promised by West’s lead. Then, West should continue with the club queen and East should signal remaining count, playing the four to say that he has an odd number left.

NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is a word riddle which creates a disguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD = GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

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

toDAY’s WoRD — sAccHARIn: SAK-uh-rin: A crystalline compound used as a calorie-free sweetener.

Average mark 24 words

Time limit

minutes Can you find 32 or more words in SACCHARIN?

Matthew

Which way are going? G.E. Dean

loCKhorNs

marmaduKe

Bizarro

hagar the horriBle

Pearls Before swiNe

garfield

B.C.

PiCKles

hidato

BRIEFS

FROM STAFFAND WIRE REPORTS

Salesforce to buy

Informatica in $8Bdeal

Salesforce is buying AI-powered cloud data management company Informatica in an approximately $8 billion deal.

Informatica’sshareholderswill receive$25 per share, apremium of about 11% from Friday’sclosing price of $22.55.

The transaction willgiveSalesforce access to Informatica’s datamanagementcapabilities.

Informatica was taken private in 2015byprivate equity firm Permira and the CanadaPension Plan Investment Board for about $5.3 billion. It went public again in 2021.

“Joining forces with Salesforce represents asignificantleap forward in our journey to bring data and AI to life by empowering businesses with the transformative poweroftheirmost critical asset —theirdata,” Informatica CEO Amit Walia said in astatement Tuesday.“We have ashared vision for how we canhelp organizations harnessthe full value of their data in the AI era.”

Robin Washington, president and chief operating andfinancial officer at Salesforce, saidthe acquisition will look to take advantage of Informatica’s capabilities quickly,particularly in areas suchasthe public sector,lifesciences, health care and financial services. Both companies’boards have approved the deal, whichis expected to close early in Salesforce’sfiscal 2027.

Consumer confidence rebounds after tarifffears

WASHINGTON Americans’views of the economy improved in May after five straight monthsofdeclines sent consumer confidence to its lowest level since the onsetofthe COVID-19 pandemic, largelydriven by anxiety over theimpact of PresidentDonald Trump’stariffs.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose 12.3 points in May to 98, up from April’s85.7, its lowest reading since May 2020. Ameasure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market jumped 17.4 points to 72.8, but remainedbelow 80, which can signal arecessionahead.

The proportion of consumers surveyed saying they think aU.S recession is coming in the next 12 months also declined from April. Trump’saggressive and unpredictable policies —including massive importtaxes —have clouded the outlook for theeconomy andthe jobmarket, raising fears that the American economy is headed toward arecession. However, Trump’stariffpullbacks, pauses andnegotiations with sometradingpartners may have calmed nerves for the time being.

U.S.

eyes control in

Nippon-U.S.Steeldeal

U.S. Sen. David McCormick said Tuesday that an arrangement that will allow Japan-based Nippon Steel to invest in U.S. Steel will guarantee an American CEO, amajority of board members from the United States and U.S. government approval over certain corporate functions.

The Pennsylvania senator spoke on CNBC,four days after President Donald Trumpsuggested that an agreement on a “partnership” was at hand to resolve Nippon Steel’snearly$15 billion bid to buy iconic American steel-maker U.S.Steel that has been blocked on national security grounds. Followinghis statementFriday, TrumponSunday told reporters that U.S. Steel will be “controlled by the United States, otherwise Iwouldn’tmake the deal” and that “it’saninvestment and it’s apartial ownership, but it’ll be controlled by the U.S.A.” McCormick described the U.S. government’sveto as a“golden share” and suggested that the idea was Nippon Steel’sproposal.

Nippon Steel has yet to say anythingabout whether it is willing to accept the concept described by Trump and McCormickin place of its bid to buy the company

THEADVOCATE.COM/news/business

Lawmaker lookstopreserveCleco jobs

BY BLAKE PATERSON Staff writer

As talk swirlsamong utility regulators and state lawmakers aboutapotential saleofCleco the 90-year-old company that provideselectricity to nearly 300,000 customers across 24 Louisiana parishes —one legislator is pushing to safeguard theutility’s jobsincentral Louisiana.

State Rep. Mike Johnson,a Pineville Republican, hasfiled ameasure in the legislature askingthe Louisiana Public Service Commission, which regulates utilities,torejectany deal that doesn’tpreserve Cleco’scurrent staffing levelsatits headquarters in Pineville.

Johnson’sHouse Concurrent Resolution11mightseem premature. There’s no deal on the table to sell theutility,atleast notone that has been publicly announced.

But there are severalsigns adeal could be in thenot-too-distant future

When Cleco’scurrent owner, MacquarieInfrastructure and Real Assets, purchasedthe utilityin 2016, theysaid they planned to sell their majoritystakeinadecade or so. That deadline is now approaching, prompting speculation about what’snext for the utility.

More telling, Public Service

Commissioner Davante Lewis said last week thatCleco representatives have toldhim that they informed their employees earlier this spring that asale is possible. He said he didn’thave details on any potential deal. Cleco declinedtocomment through itsspokesperson, Jennifer Cahill.

Johnson said he is unawareof any specific deals to sell thecompany,though he isn’twaiting to makehis case.

“Cleco has been and remains one of the biggest employers in our area,” Johnson said at aHouse committee hearing earlierthis month. “I don’twantthemtosell thecompany unless they preserve thosejobs.”

Johnson’sHCR11 asks thePSC to approve asale“if andonly if themorethan 450 nonservice jobs and 100% of all service jobs are retained” at Cleco’sheadquarters in Pineville.

The measure, anonbinding resolution, passed in theHouse andis awaiting action in the Senate.

As part of its approval of Cleco’s sale in 2016,the PSCrequiredthe new owners to agree to 77 commitments. That included keeping the utilityheadquartered in Pineville and maintaining its existing salariesand benefits forits 1,200 employees.

“Wedid all this last time. Ican’t 100% commit saying we’re going to do it again, but Idon’tsee us not putting these same conditions,” Brandon Frye, executive secretary of the PSC, said during the

committee meeting.

The PSC considers 18 factors when deciding whethertoapprove asale. One of those factors is whether the transaction will be “fair and reasonable” to the utility’semployees.

Lewis said, “My priority is ensuring that the customers of Cleco have reliable, affordable power sources and that will include ensuring they have thepersonnel necessary to do that.”

While Macquarie provideda timeline on itsdecisiontosellits majority stake, Cleco’sminorityowners, British Columbia InvestmentManagement Corp. and John Hancock Financial, didn’tmake similar commitments.

“It’sreally hard to knowwhatthe possible risks are, just yet, without having any idea who might buy it,” said Logan Burke,executive director of the Alliance forAffordable Energy,aconsumer advocacy group.

Email Blake Paterson at bpaterson@theadvocate.com.

BAGGED &TAGGED

Finalboarding call at Southwestas airlineabandons acherished luggage perk

BY MICHELLECHAPMAN AP business writer

Tuesday was thelastday to book aflight on Southwest Airlines without being hit with afee to check bags after theairline abandoned adecades-longluggagepolicythatexecutivesonce described as key to differentiating the budget carrier from its rivals

Theairline announced thechange in March, sayingatthe timethatthe newpolicywould start with flights booked on Wednesday

Southwest saiditwill be charging $35 for a first checked bag and $45 for asecond checked bag. Weightand sizelimitswill apply for bags.

Southwest hadbuilt yearsofadvertising campaigns around itspolicy of lettingpassengers check up to two bags for free. Under its new policy,people who haven’teither reached the uppertiersofits Rapid Rewards loyalty program, bought abusinessclassticket or hold the airline’scredit cardwill have to pay for checked bags.

Southwestwill continue to offer twofree checked bags to Rapid Rewards A-List preferred members andcustomers traveling on Business Selectfares, and one free checked bag to A-List members and other selectcustomers.PassengerswithRapid Rewardscredit cards willreceive acredit forone checked bag. Peoplewho don’tqualify for those categories will be charged to check bags. The airline said in March that it also would roll out anew,basicfareonits lowest-priced tickets when the change takes effect.

The airline estimated in September that chargingbag fees would bring in about $1.5 billion ayear but cost the airline $1.8 billion in lostbusiness from customerswho choseto

ASSOCIATEDPRESS FILEPHOTO BY ERIN HOOLEY

Southwest Airlines had built years of advertisingcampaigns around itspolicy of letting passengers check up to twobagsfor free. Under itsnew policy, peoplewho haven’teitherreached the upper tiers of its RapidRewardsloyalty program, bought abusiness class ticket or holdthe airline’s credit card will have to payfor checked bags.

fly Southwest because of its generousbaggage allowance.

Another policy that will take effect on Wednesday is Southwest requiring passengers to keep theirportable chargersinplain sight while using thembecauseofconcerns about thegrowing number of lithium-ion battery fires.

These aren’t the only changes at Southwest. The Dallas airline previously announced that it was leaving behind another Southwest tradition, the open-boarding systemithas usedfor more than 50 years. Southwest expects to begin operating flightswithpassengers in assigned

seats next year

The airline also said last year that it would charge customers extra formore legroom and offerred-eye flights.

Southwest has struggled recently and is under pressure from activist investors to boost profits and revenue. The airline reached atruce in October with hedge fund Elliott Investment Management to avoid aproxy fight, but Elliott won several seats on the company’sboard.

The airline announced in February that it was eliminating 1,750 jobs, or 15% of its corporate workforce, in the first major layoffs in thecompany’s53-year history

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street’srollercoaster ridecreatedbyPresident DonaldTrump’strade policies whippedback upward on Tuesday, this time because of adelay for his tariffs on the European Union.

The S&P500 leaped2%inits first trading since Trump saidSunday thatthe United States will delaya 50%tariff on goodscomingfrom theEuropean Unionuntil July 9 from June 1. The European Union’s chief trade negotiator later said on Monday that he had“goodcalls” withTrumpofficials and theEU was “fullycommitted” to reaching atrade deal by July9

The Dow Jones Industrial Averagejumped 740points, or 1.8%, andthe Nasdaq composite rallied 2.5%.They more thanrecovered

their losses from Friday,when Wall Street’srollercoaster droppedafterTrump announced the tariffs on France, Germany and the other 25 countries represented by theEuropean Union. Such talks give hope thatthe United States can reach adeal with one of its largest trading partners that wouldkeepglobalcommercemovingand avoida possible recession Trumpdeclaredasimilar pauseon his stiff tariffs for products coming from China earlier thismonth, which launched an even bigger rally on Wall Street at the time.

“Wefocus on actions over words,” Jean Boivin and other strategists at BlackRock Investment Institute said, “as economic constraints spur policy rollbacks.”

Caution still remains on Wall Street, of course, even if the S&P 500 hasclimbedback within 3.6% of

its record after fallingroughly20% below the marklast month. Aworry is that allthe uncertainty caused by on-again-off-again tariffs coulddamagethe economy by pushing U.S. households and businesses to freeze theirspending andinvestments. Surveys have already shown U.S. consumers are feeling worse aboutthe economy’sprospects and where inflation may be heading becauseoftariffs

On Tuesday,though, optimism ruled. Thestock market’sgains accelerated after areport released by the Conference Board said confidence amongU.S.consumersimproved by moreinMay than economists expected It was the first increase in six months, and consumers’ expectationsfor income, business and the jobmarket in the short term jumped sharply,though it still remains be-

low the level that typically signals arecession ahead. About half the surveyresults came after Trump paused someofhis tariffs on China. The rise in confidence waswidespread, covering differentage and income groups, according to the Conference Board.

On Wall Street, Nvidia rallied 3.2% andwas the strongest single force driving the S&P 500 higher ahead of itsprofit report coming on Wednesday.It’sthe last to report this quarter among the“MagnificentSeven” BigTech companies that have grown so large that their stock movements dominate therest of themarket. Nvidia has been riding atidal wave of growth created by the frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology,but it is also facing criticism that itsstock price hasshot too high.

Johnson