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T h u r s d ay, M a r c h 6, 2025
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Southern student died from hazing, sources say Wilson suffered ‘medical episode’ after being punched in the chest
Trump pauses some tariffs
One-month exemption granted for U.S. automakers BY JOSH BOAK and ROB GILLIES
Associated Press
STAFF PHOTOS By JAVIER GALLEGOS
Corey Wilson, right, mourns alongside other grieving family members during a memorial for his son, Caleb Wilson, outside Southern University’s Smith-Brown Student Union on Wednesday.
Hundreds turn out for memorial on campus BY PATRICK SLOAN-TURNER and ANDREA GALLO Staff writers
Caleb Wilson, a 20-year-old Southern University student, died last week after being punched in the chest during a fraternity hazing ritual in which about 10 fraternity members hit pledges with their fists and objects, sources close to the criminal investigation into Wilson’s death said Wednesday. The Feb. 27 hazing incident took place at a warehouse off Greenwell Springs Road, according to multiple sources — not at a local park, as police said some of the fraternity members told them. One source said Wilson was not singled out, but he apparently “experienced a medical episode as a result of being pledged.” The source said 911 was never
Jordan Williams and Grace Bettis, from left, hold hands and bow their heads alongside other members of the Human Jukebox during a memorial for Caleb Wilson outside of ä See HAZING, page 6A Southern University’s Smith-Brown Student Union on Wednesday.
BR bus worker strike continues Parties confused which contract is in effect
Staff writer
PAGE 6B
Ban on fluoride in water proposed BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer
STAFF PHOTO By HILARy SCHEINUK
Union members strike on Monday in front of the Capital Area Transit System ä See STRIKE, page 5A offices and main terminal on Florida Boulevard.
WEATHER HIGH 67 LOW 47
ä See TARIFFS, page 5A
La. health experts risks. The state Health Departestablished Louisiand dentists have ment ana’s water fluoridation propushed back gram in 1997 with the goal of
BY HALEY MILLER As Baton Rouge reaches day four of a bus worker strike disrupting public transit throughout the region, the Capital Area Transit System and its union both seem to think the ball is in the other’s court. At the heart of the confusion is which contract — the previous labor agreement or a new one implemented unilaterally by CATS — is in effect. According to Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1546, the reason for striking comes down to a letter sent by CATS on Jan. 31 stating that the former labor contract would expire at midnight and the
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is granting a one-month exemption on his stiff new tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada for U.S. automakers, as worries persist that the newly launched trade war could crush domestic manufacturing. The pause comes after Trump spoke with leaders of the “Big 3” automakers, Ford, General Motors ä Farmers, and Stellantis, on consumers Wednesday, accord- brace for ing to White House tariffs. press secretary PAGE 4A Karoline Leavitt. Asked if 30 days was enough for the auto sector to prepare for the new taxes, Leavitt said Trump was blunt with the automakers seeking an exemption: “He told them that they should get on it, start investing, start moving, shift production here to the United States of America where they will pay no tariff.” Trump had long promised to impose tariffs, but his opening weeks in the White House involved aggressive threats and surprise suspensions, leaving allies unclear at what the U.S. president is actually trying to achieve. Based off various Trump administration statements, the tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China imposed on Tuesday are about stopping illegal immigration, blocking fentanyl smuggling, closing the trade gap, balancing the federal budget and other nations showing more respect for Trump. All of that has left Canada, a longstanding ally, determined to stand up against Trump with its own retaliatory tariffs, rejecting a White House overture to possibly reduce some of tariffs imposed on Tuesday. “We are not going to back down,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford said after speaking with the Canadian prime minister. “We will not budge.
Two Louisiana lawmakers want to ban fluoridation of all public water systems across the state, arguing that individuals should be able to choose whether or not to ingest more fluoride than what already occurs naturally in the environment. But some public health experts and dentists have pushed back on that approach, arguing that fluoridated water keeps teeth healthy and poses no health
Business ......................4A Commentary ................5B Nation-World ................2A Classified .....................6D Deaths .........................2B Opinion ........................4B Comics-Puzzles .....3D-5D Living............................1D Sports ..........................1C
preventing tooth decay and promoting dental health. In 2008, the Legislature required water systems with at least 5,000 service connections to begin fluoridation programs, as long as funding was available to implement the change. The law also set up a mechanism for some water systems to opt out of the requirement with voter approval. Current federal guidelines recommend a fluoride concentration of 0.7 milligrams per liter in drinking water. In 2024, of 1,033
ä See FLUORIDE, page 5A
100TH yEAR, NO. 249