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Super Bowl helping draw attention to Leeville
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Trump pauses tariffs
Mexico, Canada agree to boost border security efforts BY JOSH BOAK, ROB GILLIES and FABIOLA SÁNCHEZ Associated Press
PHOTOS BY BRAD WEIMER
Workers and volunteers unload oyster shells to build a reef near the Theogene B. Melancon Boat Launch on Monday in Leeville. During phase one of the reef building, 59 tons of oyster shells from restaurants were used to begin the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and ‘NFL Green’ installation.
Disappearing town at forefront of coastal land loss crisis
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Monday agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico and Canada as America’s two largest trading partners took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking. The pauses provide a cool-down period after a tumultuous few days that put North America on the cusp of a trade war that risked crushing economic growth, causing prices to soar and ending two of the United States’ most critical partnerships. “I am very pleased with this initial outcome, and the Tariffs announced on Saturday will be paused for a 30 day period to see whether or not a final Economic deal with Canada can be structured,” Trump posted on social media. “FAIRNESS FOR ALL!” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted Monday afternoon on X that the pause would occur “while we work together,” saying that his government would name a fentanyl czar, list Mexican cartels as terrorist groups and launch a “Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force to combat organized crime, fentanyl and money laundering.” The pause followed a similar move with Mexico that allows for a period of negotiations over drug smuggling and illegal immigration. The 10%
ä See TARIFFS, page 4A
BY JOSIE ABUGOV
world. In 2021, Ida destroyed what was left of the small fishing village. Today, around As Phyllis Melancon drives three people live in Leeville. The problem has long been down La. 1 toward the Gulf of Mexico, her husband Timmy a priority for the state, and points to where lost landmarks now the NFL is lending a hand used to be: a bait shop, a cha- ahead of next weekend’s Super Bowl. On Monday, a group of pel, their family home. special operaFor the coutions veterans ple in their late LA. MISS. 55 left the bus60s, married Baton Rouge 59 when they were tling pre-Super 12 Covington 14 and 15, each Bowl streets of site evokes New Orleans 10 New Orleans stories of famfor the quieter landscape ily members 90 of Leeville, and old friends 1 where water in the town of Grand laps against the Leeville, which Isle Leeville highway. has lost nearly After the all its land and Gulf of Mexico Staff map two-hour drive people over redown La. 1, cent decades. ex-Navy Seals, “Since the last storm, there’s no more gas restaurant workers, Chalmette stations, no more restaurants,” High School students and other Phyllis Melancon said of 2021’s volunteers installed an oyster reef and planted marsh grassHurricane Ida. “It’s just a road,” Timmy es as part of an initiative inMelancon said. “That’s it.” volving the nonprofit Coalition Leeville is at the forefront to Restore Coastal Louisiana, of Louisiana’s coastal land loss government agencies, global crisis, which has robbed the corporations and the NFL’s susstate of land the size of Dela- tainability program. The effort ware over the past century — ä See LEEVILLE, page 5A among the highest rates in the Staff writer
LSU fires back in legal battle Law professor who criticized Landry removed from classroom
BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
Mel Sumer catches a plug of spartina grass at the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana and ‘NFL Green’ oyster shell installation in Leeville.
The legal battle has intensified over LSU’s decision to suspend a tenured law professor who used profanity while criticizing Gov. Jeff Landry, with the university urging a judge to “diffuse the public fiasco.” The professor, Ken Levy, sued to be put back in the classroom, and state district court Judge Donald Johnson on Thursday ordered LSU to do so. The university’s attorneys in a filing Friday argued the order was legally unsound, and on Monday asked the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal to undo it. The state appeals court had not acted on LSU’s request as of early evening Monday. Levy’s next scheduled class lecture is Tuesday afternoon. Through its attorneys, LSU also argued the case
ä See LSU, page 4A
New York strengthens shield law following La. indictment jury in West Baton Rouge ParIn New York, the new law took effect Measure keeps doctors’ aishgrand on Friday criminally indicted New immediately on Monday, allowing docYork doctor Margaret “Maggie” Car- tors there to request their names be names off abortion penter after she prescribed mifepris- left off prescription bottles for aborpill prescriptions tone, an abortion medication, online to tion pills, and instead list their health
From staff and wire reports New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill into law Monday strengthening the Empire State’s pro-abortion rights shield laws by protecting the identities of doctors who prescribe abortion pills to patients in states where abortions are illegal. The measure came three days after
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a pregnant Port Allen teenager. The girl’s 39-year-old mother, who prosecutors allege coerced the teen to take the medicine to terminate her pregnancy, turned herself in to police Friday after she, too, was indicted. Both Carpenter, 55, and the teen’s mother were charged with criminal abortion by means of abortion-inducing drugs, a felony that carries a possible one- to five-year prison sentence.
care practices. New York lawmakers had previously adopted a shield law that, among other things, empowers state officials to not cooperate with attempts by other states to sue or prosecute physicians who send abortion pills to people in cities and states with abortion bans. Hochul pledged to thwart any
ä See SHIELD, page 4A
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul pledged to thwart any extradition efforts by Louisiana authorities over prescription of abortion medication. ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO
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