ADVOCATE THE
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
|
S at u r d ay, J u n e 14, 2025
$2.00X
COLLEGE WORLD SERIES
L S U V S . A R K A N S A S • G A M E 1 • 6 P. M . • E S P N
TIGER TIME
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA
An explosion caused by a projectile strike illuminates the skyline in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Saturday. Iran retaliated against Israel’s blistering attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear and military structure on Friday.
Israel intensifies strikes amid Iranian retaliation Top generals, scientists killed in Iran and nuclear sites hit, officials confirm
BY JON GAMBRELL, JOSEF FEDERMAN and JULIA FRANKEL | Associated Press STAFF PHOTOS By HILARy SCHEINUK
Tigers fan Val Brown of New Orleans takes a selfie with ‘Mardi Gras Mike’ during Men’s College World Series practice at the University of Nebraska Omaha in Omaha, Neb., on Friday.
LSU loves Omaha, and Omaha loves LSU right back OMAHA, Neb. — For a long time it was an unrealized romance, this thing that’s been going on for four decades now between LSU baseball, this city and its crown jewel event: the College World Series. Legendary LSU coach Skip Bertman often has spun the tale of how he had to educate his first players about Omaha and why going there was important. For a program that had made all of one NCAA Tournament trip before his arrival in 1984, it Scott was a much-needed Rabalais teaching moment. Now? Now the team and this place seem ä LSU’s Jay wedded together, a Johnson is perfect match like in his happy hot crawfish and cold beer, Bogart and Baplace in call, infield dirt and Omaha at outfield grass. CWS. PAGE 1C Though the Tigers don’t play until Saturday night — a titanic tussle against Southeastern Conference rival Arkansas (6 p.m., ESPN) — LSU fans were out in force at the ballpark Friday checking things out. They
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Israel launched blistering attacks on the heart of Iran’s nuclear and military structure Friday, deploying warplanes and drones previously smuggled into the country to assault key facilities and kill top generals and scientists — a barrage it said was necessary before its adversary got any closer to building an atomic weapon. Iran retaliated late Friday by unleashing scores of ballistic missiles on Israel, where explosions flared in the skies over Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and shook the buildings below. In a second round of attacks, sirens and explosions, possibly from Israeli interceptors, could be heard booming in the sky over Jerusalem early Saturday. The Israeli military urged civilians, already rattled by the earlier wave of missiles, to head to shelter. The Iranian outlet Nour News, which has close links with the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, said a wave was being launched. Associated Press journalists in Tel Aviv
ä See ISRAEL, page 8A
LSU players arrive at the ballpark for Men’s College World Series practice at the University of Nebraska Omaha in Omaha, Neb., on Friday. were sizing up potential opponents of course. The back of one supfor the Tigers in case they make it porter’s purple T-shirt spoke for the to the CWS championship series for LSU baseball faithful everywhere: a shot at the program’s eighth na“Expect to win!” tional championship. ä See OMAHA, page 7A There is no “in case” for LSU fans,
Audit: La. DCFS vacancies remain high
‘High turnover, high burnout,’ former employee says BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD | Staff writer
Legislature could get power over civil service Voters to decide on constitutional amendment BY ALYSE PFEIL | Staff writer The Louisiana Legislature could gain authority over which state employees get civil service protections after lawmakers approved a proposed constitutional amendment this week — but voters will have the final say during an April election. Louisiana’s civil service system is meant to limit political patronage and retaliation
WEATHER HIGH 92 LOW 75 PAGE 10D
and gives public-sector employees Morris said this week. protection against being fired. “Other states have figured out But some argue those safethat civil service reform helps the government function better,” he guards have created a sluggish, said. “We can’t do any civil service unresponsive bureaucracy that reform unless the constitution aldoesn’t do a good enough job serving the public. lows us to.” One of those is Sen. Jay MorMorris said there aren’t specific departments or positions he wants ris, R-West Monroe, who this Morris to change, but rather, it’s a matter year prevailed in passing Senate Bill 8. Last year, he sponsored a of having the power to “pick and choose” similar measure that fell short by just two moving forward. Senate President Cameron Henry, Rvotes. People deserve an efficient government, Metairie, said Louisiana’s civil system and the amendment would give lawmakä See CIVIL SERVICE, page 7A ers the flexibility they need to achieve that,
An audit shows that Louisiana’s child welfare staffing needs remain high despite years of criticism of the agency over employee shortages. The audit of the Louisiana Department of Children and Families Services’ Child Welfare Division said vacant staff positions have increased from 118 in fiscal year 2023 to 140 in February. The area seeing the most vacancies was frontline child welfare workers. The report said DCFS “has struggled to recruit and retain qualified Child Welfare staff due to the nature and difficulty of the job, along with a low salary.” The audit said unmet staffing needs of at least 129 workers existed across the nine child welfare regions for fiscal year 2024. The Alexandria and Covington regions had
Business ......................5B Deaths .........................4B Nation-World................2A Classified .....................7D Living............................1D Opinion ........................6B Comics-Puzzles .....4D-6D Metro ...........................1B Sports ..........................1C
ä See VACANCIES, page 7A
100TH yEAR, NO. 349