The Advocate 07-18-2025

Closed charter school issues persist

Students face roadblocks transferring to newsites

BY CHARLES LUSSIER Staff writer

Since their charter schoolsceased operations last month, someparents with children at IDEA Bridge and IDEA Innovation have been unable to transfer their children to other schools. To clear outthe logjam, the East Baton Rouge Parishschool system has set up atemporary help center. Leaders of IDEA say the student transfer issue is not their fault.

“IDEAnolonger hasaccesstostudent records following the relinquishment of our charters,” according to astatement from theTexas-based charter group.“Moving forward, EBR is the best point of contact for familiesneeding transcripts, drop slips, or spring 2025 test scores.”

IDEA Bridge andIDEAInnovation, which opened in 2018, had more than 1,900 students enrolled in grades kindergarten to 12 at the time they called it quits On July 1, Colorado-based ThirdFutures Schools officially took over the operation of IDEA Bridge,renamed BridgeAcademy

ä See CHARTER, page 6A

Pronoun controversy drawsGOP attention

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

Gov.Jeff Landry andotherprominent Louisiana conservatives are criticizing Baton Rouge’slibrarysystemafter aformer employee said he was fired because he refused to usesomeone’spreferredgender pronouns.

Luke Ash said he was let go from ajob at East Baton Rouge ParishLibrary on July 10 afterherefused to usesomeone’s preferred pronouns. He recounted the story in an interview with Tony Perkins postedonlineTuesday Perkins, apastor and former state representative, is president of the

ä See PRONOUN, page 7A

BY MIKE SMITH Staff writer

The state on Thursday officially canceled the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, Louisiana’s biggest-evercoastal restoration project, andmoved to replaceitwitha smaller-scaleversion accompanied with other elements, citing ballooning costs and other factors.

The announcement had been widely anticipated, but remained amajor developmentconsidering theyears of study and evaluation thathad gone into theunprecedented$3billion project.It has long been seen as the linchpin of the state’s50-year coastal master plan.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had already suspended the project’s permitinApril andGov.JeffLandry had signaled hisoppositiontoitinits current form.

“The stateofLouisiana,through its Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), hasreached an agreement with the Louisiana Trustee Implementation Grouptoterminate the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Proj t,”astatement fromtrustees

overseeingfundsfrom the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill read.

Tony Alford,who chairs Landry’sadvisory commission on coastal issues, said thecost of the project was just too great

“Atthe end of the day,it’sjust something thatwejust could not afford, no way, shapeorform,”Alfordsaid. “All of the rest of the projects that we have

going on in thestate would have suffered at somepoint.”

Coastal advocates have arguedthat the scale of the project was necessary to meet Louisiana’ssevere land loss crisis andexpressedconcernthatthe plan wasbeing abandoned. They have previously noted that the

Poirierreflectsonlifebeforefinal fightinthe

Poirier

BY POET WOLFE Staff writer

Hardheaded. Stubborn. Ahard worker Thosewerethe words mixed martial artistand LouisiananativeDustin Poirier usedtodescribe himself as a child, during amomentofquietselfreflection at his homeinLafayette five days before he steps intothe Ultimate Fighting Championshipcageone final time in New OrleansonSaturday

They’re also words that describe

himthroughout his16-year career of triumphs,defeats, doubt, courage and bloodshed as aprofessional fighter and UFC headliner In 2012, a23-year-old Poirierspoke to areporter after his loss to Chan Sung Jung. Bloodied and exhausted, he held back tears.

“It’sabig hit to me,man. This is my life ”Poirier said, choking up. “I’m going to winorI’m gonna die in the cage.One of thetwo is goingtohappen.”

Then there was Poirier in 2021, vengeful and hellbentwhenheknocked outConor McGregor withanagonizing salvoofpunches,rewriting his name in UFC history.Later,in2024, after his losstoIslam Makhachev at UFC 302, thecrowd saw adifferent, war-wearied

“If Idofight again, whatamIfighting for?” he said to Joe Rogan in the Octagonafter thefight, catchinghis breath “I don’tknow, Igot alittle girl Ilove and Igotta see. Ithink this could be it.” It didn’ttake long forPoirier to shed those layers of doubt. His final fight before retiring will come in theSmoothie KingCenter this weekendagainst Max Holloway.Inaninterview,Poirier said he knows exactly whathe’sfighting for “Totry to get one morewin, to go out on top ...” he said. “Tolay the gloves down and retire in Louisiana, where I first startedtraining and first started fighting.”

Thespirit of afighter has always

Ukraine to up domestic arms production

KYIV Ukraine A new Ukrainian government approved Thursday will race to expand domestic arms production to meet half the country’s weapons needs within six months as it tries to push back Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Meanwhile, Switzerland said Thursday that the U.S. Defense Department had informed it that Washington is diverting a Swiss order for Patriot air defense systems to help Ukraine, which badly needs to improve its response to increasingly heavy Russian aerial attacks.

The Swiss Defense Ministry, which in 2022 ordered five Patriot systems, said Thursday it has been informed by the U.S. Defense Department that it will “reprioritize the delivery of Patriot systems to support Ukraine.”

It was not immediately clear whether the Swiss-ordered Patriots would go directly to Ukraine or would replace units in other European countries that may be donated to Kyiv

Delivery to Switzerland of the systems, worth billions of dollars, was scheduled to begin in 2027 and be completed in 2028.

But the Swiss government said Washington informed it of the delay on Wednesday, adding that it was unclear how many systems would be affected.

The need to adequately arm Ukraine’s military is pressing as Russia looks to drive forward its summer offensive after three years of war and pounds Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones and ballistic and cruise missiles.

It remains unclear when the promised U.S.-made weapons, especially the Patriot systems, might reach Ukraine.

Rescuers find mom and son lost in Calif. forest

A mother and her 9-year-oldson who got lost in a remote California forest while on their way to a Boy Scouts camp were rescued after a search crew found notes the pair had left behind.

The notes weighed down by rocks with “HELP” written at the top said they were stranded up the road with no phone service A volunteer search-and-rescue team that was training in the Sierra Nevada foothills found the pair Saturday, a day after they had set out for the camp, according to the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office.

The woman and her son got lost on Friday after they left the Sacramento area and their GPS had directed them onto old logging roads deep into the forest, said Lt Greg Stark, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office. They eventually lost their GPS signal and then got stuck about 10 miles from the nearest paved road, Stark said.

They were reported missing the next day after not showing up at the camp.

Officials: Britain will lower voting age to 16

LONDON Britain will lower the voting age from 18 to 16 by the next national election as part of measures to increase democratic participation, the government announced Thursday

The center-left Labour Party pledged before it was elected in July 2024 to lower the voting age for elections to Britain’s Parliament. Scotland and Wales already let 16- and 17-year-olds vote in local and regional elections.

Britain will join the shortlist of countries where the voting age is 16, alongside the likes of Austria, Brazil and Ecuador A handful of European Union countries, including Belgium, Germany and Malta, allow 16-year-olds to vote in elections to the European Parliament.

CORRECTION

The Advocate Wednesday incorrectly said the ACLU claimed Louisiana State Police was involved in the ICE arrest of two Iranian LSU Ph.D. students In a news release the ACLU said “state police” but did not specify the agency A Louisiana State Police spokesperson on Thursday said that agency wasn’t involved. The Advocate regrets the error

PHOTO By DAMIAN DOVARGANES

ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE

Special needs teacher Deja Nebula sets up an art installation on July 3 displaying names and faces of people who have been detained, deported or sent to offshore camps during

Feds give Medicaid recipients’ data to ICE

Personal info includes addresses, ethnicities

BY KIMBERLY KINDY and AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press

WASHINGTON Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials will be given access to the personal data of the nation’s 79 million Medicaid enrollees, including home addresses and ethnicities, to track down immigrants who may not be living legally in the United States, according to an agreement obtained by The Associated Press.

The information will give ICE officials the ability to find “the location of aliens” across the country, says the agreement signed Monday between the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Department of Homeland Security The agreement has not been announced publicly

The extraordinary disclosure of millions of such personal health data to deportation officials is the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown, which has repeatedly tested legal boundaries in its effort to arrest 3,000 people daily

Lawmakers and some CMS officials have challenged the legality of deportation officials’ access to some states’ Medicaid enrollee data. It’s a move, first reported by the AP last month, that Health and Human Services officials said was aimed at rooting out people enrolled in the program improperly

But the latest data-sharing agreement makes clear what ICE officials intend to do with the health data.

“ICE will use the CMS data to allow ICE to receive identity and location information on aliens identified by ICE,” the agreement says Such disclosures, even if not acted upon, could cause widespread alarm among people seeking emergency medical help for themselves or their children. Other efforts to crack down on illegal immigration

have made schools, churches, courthous-

es and other everyday places feel perilous to immigrants and even U.S. citizens who fear getting caught up in a raid.

HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon would not respond to the latest agreement. It is unclear, though, whether Homeland Security has yet accessed the information

The department’s assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin, said in an emailed statement that the two agencies “are exploring an initiative to ensure that illegal aliens are not receiving Medicaid benefits that are meant for law-abiding Americans.”

The database will reveal to ICE officials the names, addresses, birth dates, ethnic and racial information, as well as Social Security numbers for all people enrolled in Medicaid. The state and federally funded program provides health care coverage program for the poorest of people, including millions of children.

The agreement does not allow ICE officials to download the data. Instead, they will be allowed to access it for a limited period from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday until Sept 9.

“They are trying to turn us into immigration agents,” said a CMS official did not have permission to speak to the media and insisted on anonymity.

Immigrants who are not living in the U.S. legally, as well as some lawfully present immigrants, are not allowed to enroll in the Medicaid program that provides nearly-free coverage for health services. Medicaid is a jointly funded program between states and the federal government.

But federal law requires all states to offer emergency Medicaid, a temporary coverage that pays only for lifesaving services in emergency rooms to anyone, including non-U.S. citizens. Emergency Medicaid is often used by immigrants, including those who are lawfully present and those who are not

Many people sign up for emergency Medicaid in their most desperate moments, said Hannah Katch, a previous adviser at CMS during the Biden administration.

Syrian forces who fought Druze militias leave Sweida province

BY KAREEM CHEHAYEB and GHAITH ALSAYED Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria — Syrian government forces had largely pulled out of the southern province of Sweida on Thursday after days of clashes with militias linked to the Druze minority that threatened to unravel the country’s postwar transition.

The conflict had drawn airstrikes against Syrian forces by neighboring Israel in defense of the Druze before a truce — mediated by the U.S., Turkey and Arab countries and announced Wednesday — halted most of the fighting.

However, Syrian state media said Thursday that Druze militiamen had launched revenge attacks on Sunni Bedouin communities, leading to a wave of their displacement. There were some reports of renewed clashes.

Bedouin clans had fought on the government side, while the Israeli military came to the assistance of the Druze, who form a substantial community in Israel, where they are seen as a loyal minority and where they often serve in the military

Under the latest truce, reached Wednesday after a previous agreement unraveled, Druze factions and clerics have been appointed to maintain internal security in Sweida, Syria’s interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa said in an address broadcast early Thursday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed Thursday to keep southern Syria demilitarized and to protect the Druze community “This will also be the continuation of our policy,” he said.

In a major escalation of its involvement in the conflict, Israel on Wednesday had struck the Syrian Defense Ministry head-

ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By LEO CORREA Syrian Druze people cross back into Syria Thursday as they walk at the IsraeliSyrian border, in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights town of Majdal Shams.

quarters in central Damascus. Convoys of government forces started withdrawing from Sweida overnight, Syrian state media reported, saying it was in line with the ceasefire deal and that the military operation against the Druze factions had ended.

The truce was announced by Syria’s Interior Ministry and in a video message by a Druze religious leader The previous agreement on Tuesday quickly broke down after being dismissed by prominent Druze cleric Sheikh Hikmat Al-Hijri.

The Syrian government has not released any casualty counts from the fighting.

The Britain-based war monitor Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said nearly 600 fighters and civilians were killed on both sides over four days of deadly clashes. The monitor also said at least 86 civilians killed in “field executions” — mostly Druze Syrians killed by government forces and their allies — and that at least three Bedouin civilians were killed in revenge attacks Thursday by Druze militiamen.

Trump checked for lower leg swelling

President diagnosed with common condition in older adults

BY DARLENE SUPERVILLE and LAURAN NEERGAARD Associated Press

WASHINGTON President

Donald Trump recently had a medical checkup after noticing “mild swelling” in his lower legs and was found to have a condition common in older adults that causes blood to pool in his veins, the White House said Thursday Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said tests by the White House medical unit showed that Trump has chronic venous insufficiency, which occurs when little valves inside the veins that normally help move blood against gravity gradually lose the ability to work properly

Leavitt also addressed bruising on the back of Trump’s hand, seen in recent photos covered by makeup that was not an exact match to his skin tone She said the bruising was “consistent” with irritation from his “frequent handshaking and the use of aspirin.” Trump takes aspirin to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.

She said during her press briefing that her disclosure of Trump’s medical checkup was meant to dispel recent speculation about the 79-year-old president’s health. Nonetheless, the announcement was notable given that the Republican president has routinely kept secret basic facts about his health.

Trump in April had a comprehensive physical exam with more than a dozen medical specialists. The three-page report released then by the White House did not include a finding of chronic venous insufficiency At the time, Trump’s doctor, Sean Barbabella, determined that the president’s joints and muscles had a full range of motion, with normal blood flow and no swelling. Leavitt did not say when

Trump first noticed the swelling in his lower legs. As part of the president’s routine medical care and out of an “abundance of caution,” she said he had a “comprehensive exam” that included vascular, lower extremity and ultrasound testing. She noted that chronic venous insufficiency is a benign condition that is common in people over age 70. She said the tests revealed no evidence of deep vein thrombosis, a more serious medical condition in which a blood clot forms in one or more of the deep veins in the body, usually in the legs. Nor was there any evidence of arterial disease, she said, reading a letter from Barbabella. People often are advised to lose weight, walk for exercise and elevate their legs periodically, and some may be advised to wear compression stockings. Severe cases over time can lead to complications including lower leg sores called ulcers. Blood clots are one cause, but was ruled out, Leavitt said. Leavitt said the condition wasn’t causing the president any discomfort She wouldn’t discuss how he was treating the condition and suggested those details would be in the doctor’s letter, which was later released to the public. But the letter was the same as what she read, and it did not include any additional details Dr Anahita Dua, a vascular surgeon at Mass General Brigham who has never treated Trump, said there is no cure for chronic venous insufficiency

“The vast majority of people, probably including our president, have a mild to moderate form of it,” Dua said.

People with the condition can reduce the swelling by wearing medical-grade compression socks or stockings, to help the blood circulate back to the heart, or by walking, she said.

The exam the White House disclosed Thursday included other testing that found no signs of heart failure, renal impairment or systemic illness in Trump, Leavitt said.

Israelistrikehitschurch, killing3and wounding priest

BY WAFAA SHURAFA and MELANIE LIDMAN Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip

An Israeli shell slammed into the compound of the only Catholic churchinthe Gaza Strip on Thursday,killing three people and wounding 10 others, including the parish priest, according to church officials. The late Pope Francis, who died in April, hadregularly spoken to the priest about the war’s toll on civilians.

The shelling of the Holy Family Catholic Church in Gaza also damaged the church compound, where hundreds of Palestinians havebeen sheltering from the 21-month Israel-Hamas war.Israel expressed regret over what it describedasan accident and said it was in-

vestigating. Pope Leo XIV on Thursday renewed hiscall for an immediate ceasefire in responsetothe attack. In atelegram of condolences for the victims,Leo expressed “his profound hope for dialogue, reconciliation and enduring peacein the region.” The pope said he was “deeply saddened to learn of the lossoflifeand injury caused by themilitary attack,” and expressed his closeness to the wounded priest,the Rev. Gabriel Romanelli, and the entire parish.

PresidentDonaldTrump called Israeli PrimeMinisterBenjamin Netanyahu to express hisfrustration over thestrike on thechurch, the White Housesaid. Netanyahu later released astatement saying Israel “deeplyregrets

that astray ammunition hit Gaza’sHolyFamily Church.”

The church compound was sheltering both Christians and Muslims,including a number of children withdisabilities, according to Fadel Naem, acting director of

Al-Ahli Hospital,which received the casualties

The Catholic charityCaritas Jerusalem said theparish’s60-year-old janitor andan84-year-old woman receivingpsychosocial support inside aCaritas tent in

thechurchcompound were killed in the attack. Parish priest Romanelli was lightly wounded.

“Wewerestruckinthe churchwhile allthe people therewereelders, innocent people and children,” said Shady Abu Dawood, whose mother was wounded by shrapnel to her head. “We love peace andcallfor it, and thisisa brutal,unjustifiedactionbythe Israelioccupation.”

The Israeli military said an initial assessment indicated that “fragments from a shell firedduring operational activity in the area hit the church mistakenly.” It said it was still investigating.

The military said it only strikesmilitant targets, ”makes every feasible effort to mitigate harm to civilians and religious structures, and

regrets any unintentional damage caused to them.”

Israel has repeatedly struck schools, shelters, hospitals and other civilian buildings, accusing Hamas militants of sheltering inside and blaming them forcivilian deaths. Palestinians say nowherehas felt safe since Israel launched its offensive in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack.

ItalianPremier Giorgia Meloni blamed Israel for the strike on the church. “The attacksonthe civilian population that Israel has been demonstrating formonths are unacceptable,” she said. The church is just astone’s throw from Al-Ahli Hospital, Naem said, noting that the area around both the church and the hospital has been repeatedly struck for over a week.

BY ERIC TUCKER and ALANNA DURKINRICHER Associated Press

WASHINGTON Maurene

Comey,the daughter of former FBI director James Comey who as afederal prosecutor in Manhattan worked on cases against Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, said in anotetocolleagues that “fear is the tool of atyrant” andthat her firing without reason should fuel “a fire of righteous indignation at abuses of power.”

“If acareer prosecutor can be fired without reason, fear may seep into the decisions of those who remain,” Comey said in thenote,which was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.“Do not let that happen. Fearis the tool of atyrant, wielded to suppress independent thought.”

“Instead of fear,” she added, “let this moment fuel the fire that already burnsat the heart of this place. Afire of righteous indignation at abuses of power.Ofcommitment to seek justice for victims. Of dedication to truth

above all else ” Until her firing Wednesday, Comey had been aveteran lawyer in the Southern District of New York, long consideredthe most elite of the Justice Department’s prosecutionoffices. Hercases includedthe sextrafficking prosecution of Epstein, whokilledhimself behind bars in 2019 as he was awaiting trial, andthe recent case against Combs, which ended earlier this monthwitha mixed verdict. Hertermination representedthe latest Justice Departmenteffort to fire lawyers without explanation,atrend that has raised alarmovera disregard for civilservice protections designedtoremove attorneys for politicalreasons Thedepartment has also fired anumber of prosecutors whoworked on cases that have provoked Donald Trump’sire,including some who handled U.S. Capitol riot cases andlawyersand support staff who workedon special counsel Jack Smith’s prosecutions of theRepublican president. She waslongseen as apo-

tentialtargetgivenher father’sfraught relationship over thelast decadewith Trump. The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of an investigation into JamesComey,though the basis for that inquiry is unclear Asked aboutthe firing Thursday,White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “This was adecision made by theDepartment of Justice.”

Maurene Comey had most recentlybeen amongthe prosecutors in the sex trafficking and racketeering case against Combs. The hip-hop mogul was acquitted of the main charges but convicted of lesser prostitutionrelated offenses that may result in aprisonsentence of just afew years,anoutcome seen by some as arare defeat for prosecutions. But she was successful in numerous other prosecutions, most notably helping securethe convictionof Ghislaine Maxwellonsex trafficking charges for helpingfinancierEpstein sexually abuse underage girls. In that case, she delivered arebuttal argument during closings, as she did in the Combs case.

N.C. declares emergencyinstorm’s wake

BY MAKIYASEMINERA Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C.— North Carolina can seek federal funding to help its overloaded responseefforts to Tropical Storm Chantal, which killed at least six people and left damage from flooding in its wake, as Gov.Josh Stein announced astate of emergency Thursday Aone-two punch from Chantal followed by severe weather in the state’scenter has“overwhelmedthe re-

sponse and recovery efforts of local governments,” according to Stein’sexecutive order

Some rivers reached record-breaking levels from thestorm,including theEno River in Durham, one of severalcitieswhere some residents lost access to safe drinking water because of damage to the water system. In someplaces, thestorm dumped as much as 9to12 inches of rain, accordingto the governor’s office. Chantal hitatthe end of

the JulyFourth weekend, andseveral daysofsevere weather plowed through as people were still picking up the pieces from damage caused by thetropical storm’s remnants

The emergency declaration, whichtook effect Wednesday,jump-starts the process for North Carolina to seek federal recovery assistanceifneeded. It covers 13 counties in the state’scenter, someofwhich are hometo populous cities like Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill.

House sendsbillregulatingstablecoins to Trump

BY MARYCLARE JALONICK, JOEY CAPPELLETTI and ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House has passed three bills intended to boost the legitimacy of thecryptocurrency industry with new regulations as President Donald Trump has pushed to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”

One of the three bills, legislation to regulatea type of cryptocurrency called stablecoins, had already passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support and will now head to Trump’sdesk.The other two bills —abroader measure to create anew market structure for cryptocurrency and abill to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing anew digital currency—willgotothe Senate

The stablecoin bill, passed on a308-122 vote, sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for the cryptocurrency,which is tied to a stable asset, often the U.S. dollar,toreduce price volatility.Itpassed the Senate with bipartisan support in June

“Around the world, payment systems areundergo-

ing arevolution,” said House Financial Services Chair French Hill of Arkansas as lawmakers debated the stablecoin legislation Thursdaymorning. Hill said the bill will “ensure American competitiveness and strong guardrailsfor ourconsumers.”

After Trump declared it “cryptoweek,” thebills were stalled for more than aday amid disagreementsamong House Republicans about how to combine thelegislation. In the end, GOP leaders put the threebills foraseparatevotes, leaving thefateof the other two bills unclearin theSenate. Theinternaldissent could foreshadow challenges ahead for the more sweeping crypto legislation that Trump has demanded and the industry has poured millions into advancing.

Thestablecoinmeasure is seen by lawmakers and the industry asa step toward adding legitimacyand consumer trust to arapidly growing sector.Treasury SecretaryScottBessentsaid in Junethatthe legislation could help that currency “grow into a$3.7 trillion market by the end of the decade.”

The House has passed three bills intended to boostthe legitimacyofthe cryptocurrency industrywith newregulations as PresidentDonald Trumphas pushed to makethe U.S. the ‘crypto capital of the world.’

The bill outlinesrequirementsfor stablecoin issuers, including compliance with U.S.anti-money laundering andsanctionslaws, and mandates that issuers hold reserves backing thecryptocurrency.Withoutsucha framework, Republicans on the Senate Banking Committee in astatement warned,

“consumers face risks like unstable reserves or unclear operationsfrom stablecoin issuers.”

After thevotes,HouseRepublicans strongly urged the Senate to take up the second bill, whichwould create a new market structure for cryptocurrency Rep. Bryan Steil, R-Wis.,

said the294-134 vote on that legislation shows broad bipartisan support and a“massive energy” on the issue. But it is so far unclear whether the Senate would consider the House bill or try to write its own. That legislation aimstoprovide clarity forhow digital assets areregulated.The bill

defineswhatforms of cryptocurrency should be treated as commodities regulated by the CommodityFutures Trading Commission and which are securities policed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.Ingeneral,tokens associated with “mature” blockchains, like bitcoin,will be considered commodities.

The third bill, passedona narrower 219-210 margin, prohibitsthe U.S. from offering what’sknown as a“centralbankdigital currency,” which is like agovernmentissued form of digital cash. Thecrypto industry has long complained that unclear laws have made it difficult to operate in the U.S. and that the Biden administration tried to regulate it through enforcementactionsrather thantransparent rulemaking. Gettingthisbillpassed hasbeen atop priority for the industry,whichhas quickly become amajor powerplayerinWashington thanks to heavy campaign donations and lobbying. Advocates said the passage of the bills marks akey momentincryptocurrency’s winding path toward mainstream adoption.

HousepoisedtoOKcut to public broadcasting,foreign aid

BY KEVIN FREKING and MARYCLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON The House was expected lateThursday to approve President Donald Trump’srequest to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid as Republicans target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda.

The White House had described the package as atest case and said that if Congress went along, more would come. The House’s approvalwouldmark the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted arescissions request to Congress. Trump undertook asimilar effort in his first term, but the bill faltered in the Senate.

Opponents voiced concerns not only about the programs targeted, but about Congress ceding its spending powers to the executive branch as investments approved on a bipartisan basis are being

subsequentlycanceled on party-line votes. No Democrats supportedthe measure when it passed theSenate, 51-48, in the early morning hours Thursday. TwoRepublicansalsovoted no. TheHouse has already approved aprevious version of the bill. But it now needs to takeupthe version that passedthe Senatebefore it can be sent to Trump’sdesk for hissignature.

“Weneed to getback to fiscalsanityand thisisanimportant step,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, told reporters shortly afterthe chamberopened. The package cancels about $1.1 billion for the Corporationfor Public Broadcastingand nearly $8 billion foravariety offoreignaid programs, many designed to help countries where drought, disease and political unrest endure The effort to claw back asliver of federal spendingcomes just weeksafter Republicans also muscled through Trump’stax and

spending cut bill without any Democraticsupport. The Congressional Budget Office hasprojectedthat measure will increasethe U.S. debt by about$3.3trillionoverthe coming decade.

The cancellation of $1.1 billion for the CPB represents the full amountitisdue to receive during thenext two budget years.

The WhiteHouse says the publicmedia system is politically biased and an unnecessary expense.

Thecorporation distributes more thantwo-thirds of themoney to morethan 1,500 locally operated public television and radio stations, with much of theremainder assignedtoNational Public Radio and the Public BroadcastingService to support national programming.

Democrats were unsuccessful in restoring the cut in the Senate.

Lawmakers withlarge rural constituencies have voiced particular concern about what the cuts to public broadcasting could mean for

some local public stationsin their state.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, RAlaska, said thestations are “not just your news —itis your tsunami alert, it is your landslide alert, it is your volcano alert.”

Later in theday Tuesday, as theSenate debatedthe bill, a7.3 magnitude earthquake struck off the remote Alaska Peninsula, triggering tsunami warnings on local public broadcastingstations that advised people to getto higher ground.

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., saidhesecured adeal from the White House thatmoney administeredbythe Interior Department would be repurposedtosubsidize Native American public radio stations in about adozen states

But Kate Riley, president and CEO of America’sPublic Television Stations,anetworkoflocally owned and operatedstations, said that deal was “atbestashortterm, half-measure that will stillresultincutsand reduced service at the stations

it purports to save.”

Among the foreign aid cuts are $800 million foraprogram that provides emergency shelter,water and family reunification for refugees and $496 milliontoprovide food, waterand health care forcountries hit by natural disasters and conflicts. There also is a$4.15 billioncut for programsthat aimtoboost economies and democratic institutions in developing nations.

Democrats argued that the Republican administration’s animus toward foreign aid programs would hurt America’s standing in theworldand

create avacuum for China to fill.

“When we retreat from the world diplomatically and through ourassistance to vulnerable people, America will be alone, without allies, in alessstableworld,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro,D-Conn. “And you know who will comeout ahead? China. Russia. Iran.”

The WhiteHouse argued that many of the cuts would incentivize other nationsto step up and do more to respond to humanitarian crises and that the rescissions best served the American taxpayer

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Federal Re-

serve Chair Jerome Powell on Thursday said the agency’srenovation of two of its buildings is in compliance with plans approved by alocal commission, disputing a White House suggestion that they may have violated the law by deviatingfrom those plans. The letter is the latest salvo in an escalating battle between the Federal Reserve,

an independent agency charged with fighting inflationand seeking maximum employment,and the Trump administration.President DonaldTrump has for months criticized Powelland the Fed for not lowering its keyinterest rate, which the president says wouldboostborrowing and accelerate the economy Powell has said he wants to see how theeconomy responds to Trump’ssweeping tariffs,which could raise inflation and slow growth, before making anymoves

Trumphas even threatened to fire Powell, though he has since backed away and said Wednesdayitwas “highly unlikely” thathewould take the unprecedented step of doing so. Firing the Fed chaircould cause chaos in the financial markets. Several executives of Wall Street banks have said this week that theFed’s independencefromday-today politics is crucial.

Still, theTrump administrationhas seizedonballooning costsfor theFed’s renovation of two century-old buildings

to argue that Powellhas mismanaged theproject. The president can’tfire the Fed chairbecause of apolicy disagreement, but he could do so “for cause,”which is widely seen as some kind of malfeasance or neglect

Last week, the president’s top budgetadviser, Russell Vought, wrote Powell aletter thatsaid Trump is “extremely troubled” by Powell’smanagement of the project, which has risen in cost to about$2.5 billion,upfrom theFed’s initialestimate of $1.9 billion.

StephenColbert’s ‘LateShow’ canceled by CBS

BY ALICIA RANCILIO and ANDREWDALTON

AP entertainment writers

CBS is axing “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert” in May 2026, the host told an audience at ataping Thursday

The announcement came three days after Colbert spoke out against Paramount Global, parent company of CBS, settling with President Donald Trump over a“60 Minutes” story Colbert told the audience that he had learned the night beforethat “Next year will be our last season. The network will be ending the Late Show in May.”

The audience responded with boos and groans and Colbert said, “Yeah, Ishare your feelings.”

In his monologue on Monday night, he said he was “offended” by the $16 million settlement reached by Paramount, whose pend-

ingsale to Skydance Media needs theTrumpadministration’sapproval. “I don’tknow if anything —anything —will repair my trust in this company,” Colbert said. “But,just taking a stab at it, I’d say $16 million would help.”

He saidthe technical name in legalcircles for the deal was “big fat bribe.” Paramount and CBS executives saidinastatement the cancellation “ispurely afinancial decision against achallenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in

Protests startagainst health care cuts,immigration crackdown

BY COREY WILLIAMS and CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

CHICAGO Protests and events against President Donald Trump’scontroversial policies that include mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other safety nets for poor people have started Thursdayatmore than 1,600 locations around the country The “Good Trouble Lives On” national day of action honors the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Protests were being held along streets, at court housesand other public spaces. Organizers have called for them to be peaceful.

“Weare navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation’shistory,” Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert said during an online news conference Tuesday “Weare allgrappling witha rise of authoritarianism and

lawlessness within ouradministration as the rights, freedoms and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged.”

Public Citizen is anonprofit with astatedmission of taking on corporatepower It is amember of acoalition of groups behind Thursday’s protests.

Majorprotests were planned in Atlanta and St. Louis,aswellasOakland, California,and Annapolis, Maryland Lewisfirstwas elected to Congress in 1986. He died in 2020 at the age of 80 following an advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis. He was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Sixcivil rightsactivists, a group led by the Rev.Martin Luther King Jr.In1965, a25-year-old Lewis led some 600 protesters in theBloody Sunday march across the Edmund PettusBridge in Selma, Alabama. Lewiswas beaten by police, suffering a

skull fracture. Within days, King led more marchesinthe state, andPresident Lyndon JohnsonpressedCongress to pass theVoting RightsAct that later became law

“Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America,” Lewis said in 2020 while commemoratingthe 1965 voting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery,Alabama. Chicago will be the flagship cityfor Thursday’sprotests as demonstrators are expected to rally downtown in the afternoon.

Betty Magness, executive vice president of the League of Women Voters Chicago andone of theorganizers of Chicago’sevent,said the rally will also include acandlelight vigil to honor Lewis Much of therestofthe rally will have alivelier tone, Magness said, adding “wehavea DJ who’sgonna rockuswith boots on the ground.”

any way to theshow’sperformance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”

Themost recent ratings from Nielsen show Colbert as winning his timeslot, with about 2.417 million viewers across 41 new episodes. It also saidhis latenight show was the only one to gain viewers so far this year

And thisweek,“TheLate Show” was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Awardfor outstanding talk showfor the sixth time.Italso won a PeabodyAward in 2021.

Critics of the settlement that endedTrump’slawsuit over the“60 Minutes” editingofits interview last fall with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris suggested it was primarily to clear ahurdle to the Skydance sale.

Colbertfollowed “The Daily Show” host Jon Stewart’s attack of theTrump settle-

mentaweek earlier. Stewart works for Comedy Central, also owned by Paramount.

Colbert took over “The Late Show” in 2015, after becoming abig name in comedy and news satire working with Stewart on “The Daily Show” and hosting his own Comedy Central show,“The Colbert Report.”

He succeeded David Letterman, who beganthe show in 1993. Colbert’s10th anniversary as host is in September The show has gone in amore political direction sincehetook it over Alongside musicians and movie stars, Colbert often welcomes politicians to his couch.

As Colbertannounced his show wasending, he had just said thatDemocratic Sen. Adam Schiff of California was one of the night’sguests.

“If Paramount andCBS ended the Late Show for

political reasons, thepublic deserves to know.And deserves better,” Schiffsaid on the social platform X. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, aDemocrat from Massachusetts, released asimilar statement, saying “America deserves to knowifhis show wascanceledfor political reasons.”

Colbert’slate-night host counterpart on ABC, Jimmy Kimmel,shared Colbert’s announcement on Instagram alongwith the message: “Love youStephen. F***you and all your Sheldons CBS.” Kimmel used the actual expletive.

Colbert hastargeted Trumpfor years. From 2005 to 2014, “The Colbert Report” aired asatirical riffon right-wing newstalk shows. In his first “Late Show” monologueinSeptember 2015, he said he was beginning “the search forthe real Stephen Colbert.”

BY DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky

The U.S. Justice Department is recommendinganex-Kentucky police officer convicted of using excessive forceduring the deadly Breonna Taylor raid should serve no prison time, an abrupt aboutface after spending years prosecuting the formerdetective. Brett Hankison is the only officer who fired his weapon the night of theMarch 2020 botched drug raid who has faced criminal charges.His shots didn’thit or injure

anyone, though they flew through Taylor’swalls into a neighboring apartment. Afederal judge willdecide Hankison’ssentence, which could amount to several years, on Monday at ahearing.But if thejudge heeds the Justice Department’s request, it would mean that none of theLouisvillepolice officers involved in the botched raid would face any prison time

The Justice Department, which has changed leadership underPresidentDonald Trump since Hankison’sconviction,said in asentencing memo this week that“there

is no need for aprison sentence to protect the public” from Hankison. Federal prosecutors asked thejudge to sentencehim to timealready served, which amounts to oneday,and threeyearsof supervisedprobation

Prosecutors at his previous federal trials aggressively pursued aconviction against Hankison, 49, arguing that he blindly fired10shots into Taylor’swindows without identifying atarget. Taylor was shot in her hallway by two other officers after her boyfriend fired from inside theapartment, striking an officer in the leg.

but it is holding classes onlyin grades K-8.That same day New Orleans-based AudubonSchools took overIDEA Innovation, renamed Audubon Baton Rouge, and it is now just aK-5 school.

Taylor Gast, aspokespersonfor theparish school system, said the district decided to launch the help centerafter learningrecently about the student transfer problems when families started calling Audubon and ThirdFutures forhelp.

“Without IDEA staff available, the newoperators were unable to access drop slips or other key student documentation,” Gast said.

Thenew help center supports families “needing drop slips, transcripts,and other enrollment records” until thedistrictcan finish training Audubon andThird Futures staff “on how to securely access and retrieve student records,” Gast said.

The help center is located at the Wilma C. MontgomeryCenter, 4070Tunica St. It was openfor

half days this week from Monday to Wednesday.It’scontinuing MondaytoWednesdaynextweekfor full days from 8a.m.to4:30 p.m

The center may stay open for additional days if needed.

Gast said thecenter is staffed by anemployeefrom thedistrict’s charter school office who was recently trained in how to use the district’sstudent information sys-

tem, JCampus, to accessthe relevant records.

“Weremain committed to ensuringevery familyhas theinformation andsupport they need for a smoothand successful start to the upcoming school year,” she said.

Unaffected are IDEA students in thegradelevels that Third Futures and Audubon arenolonger offering; they were all dropped

from therollsbefore IDEA left town. The 700-plus students in thegrades the charter schools are still providing, however, have been caught in the lurch.

Joshua Tilley, aformer IDEA coach whoseson attended fourth grade last year at IDEA Bridge, estimated he’sheard from 20 people who’vebeen unable to transfer their children to new schools and

he saidthere are likely more. Tilleysaidhetriedtoenroll his son at Broadmoor Elementary,which is near wherehelives,but was told that the boy first needs to be droppedfrom the rolls of IDEA Bridge. But when he tried to get in touchwithIDEA personnel, there was no one to be found.

“There is no way to get into contact with the people youneed to get into contact with,” Tilley said. In its statement, IDEA Public Schools noted that before July 1it held multiple townhalls, provided regularoffice hours and forgeda partnershipwiththe NewOrleansbased Civic Solutions Group to help families understand their options and moveforward.

Forhis part,EastBaton Rouge Parish SuperintendentLaMont Cole sent IDEA families aMarch 22 letter offering to help.

“Weare committed to ensuring that your child’seducation continues smoothlyand without interruption,”Colewrote.“We realize that there are manychoices for your child’sschool. It is imperative that you know that you may enroll your child in their homeschool for next school year at any time.”

Landry administration’sdecision to pause theproject, which broke ground in August 2023 under his predecessor JohnBel Edwards has been an important contributor to increased costs.

Some $2.92 billion was to be paid for with BP oil spill funds, and the overall contract included amaximum guaranteed price. But cost increases caused by the state would not have been covered under the price guarantee.

Regardless, it had appeared increasingly unrealistic that the project could be revived in the same form as more time passedand inflation added to the already high price. The state was also confrontedwithlegal challenges over it.

“After years of planning and navigating significant legal and permitting challenges,we’ve made the difficult decision to terminate the Mid-Barataria project,” CPRA Chairman Gordon “Gordy” Dove said in a

PRONOUN

Continued from page1A

Family Research Council, a religious conservativepolitical advocacy group.

When Perkins asked if the library gave him the option of “using the incorrectbiological pronoun and playing the game,” Ash responded affirmatively,adding thathe was “not going to lie.”

Reached by phone, Ash declined to comment for this story,saying that he had been talking to alot of people and was trying to discernhis next steps

Ash was hired as alibrary technician in late March, andhis termination waseffective July 11, according to personnel records obtained by The Advocate He told WBRZ he knew his choiceviolated thelibrary’s inclusivity policy,which says that employees have the right to be addressed by their chosen name and pronouns, but that he disagreed with that policy,citing “religious convictions.”

The East Baton Rouge Parish Library declined to comment on Thursday Ash is the lead pastor at Stevendale Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, according to the church’swebsite.

Ash told Perkins that he saw “several” things at the libraryindicating that it was not “a place that was hospitable for aChristian or even aconservatively minded person.”

“The library made their decision that they would rather have adifficult conversation with me than for a transgender persontohear something that they didn’t want to hear,” Ash said.

Ash’sstory gained steam on social mediathisweek, grabbing the attention of Louisiana’stop GOP leaders.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill,referringto the WBRZ report, said ina social media post Thursday,

statement. “However,our commitment tocoastal restoration hasnot wavered We are now focused on advancing theMyrtleGrove project, whichwebelieve will deliver similarbenefits to rebuildand sustain our coast, in addition tonumerous other master plan and annual plan projects.”

The statenow hopes to build an earlier version of the plan, known as the Myrtle Grove project, with adiversion around aquarterofthe size, while also constructing alarge-scale land bridge in Barataria Basin using dredged sediment

TheLandry administration still hopestouse BP funds and to negotiate atraditional cost split with the Army CorpsofEngineers, Alford said. That split would see the federal government picking up 65% of the tab, with the state paying the rest Questionsremainover whether any of the money alreadyspentonthe project will have tobereimbursed, and whether contractors will have to be compensated for the lost work.Around $619 million has been disbursed through the main pot

“Thiswas apublic employee in ataxpayer-funded public library.”

“Government can’tforce you toviolate your conscience or deeplyheld religious beliefs,” she added.

“Thisisn’tCalifornia or New York. In Louisiana, aChristian hasrightsjust like anyone else.”

Gov.Jeff Landryalso weighedin, saying on X that“preferred pronouns don’texist— only biological ones!”

“Louisianans should never lose their job because they refuse to lie!” Landrysaid.

In commenting,the governor shared aWednesday social mediapostabout Ash’s story from LibsofTikTok, a popular controversial rightwing account, which has 4.3 millionfollowers.

The Libs of TikTok post about Ashwas shared 12,000 times.

Late Thursday afternoon, WoodlawnBaptistChurch Lead Pastor LewisRichersonsentaletter tothe EastBaton Rouge Parish Library Board demanding

of

BP funds.

Additionally,any project to replace Mid-Barataria will likely have to undergo alengthy scientific evaluation for it to be approved by bothBPspill trustees and theCorps.

The decision by trustees to approve the funds for Mid-Barataria followed a six-year evaluation process, though talks extendback even further,withthe project having taken on various formsover the years. The earlier version the state now wantstopursuewas authorized in 2007.

Some coastal advocates have questioned whether asmaller diversion will be worth the cost, considering howmuch land Louisiana is losing.

“Mid-Barataria is more than aproject —itrepresentsa generational investment, paid for with the penalties of an environmentaldisaster,”Restore the Mississippi River Delta, a coalitionofcoastal andenvironmental groups, said in astatement. “These dollars were meant to restore the coast,not settle acancellation of contractsbehind

that it reinstate Ashand “change all DEI-directed policiesthat ledtohis termination, ensuring that no employee is forced to violate their religious beliefs or conscience.”

The letter also listed the namesofmore than 30 other supporters, primarily leadersofBaptistchurches in theBaton Rouge area. Libraries have in recent yearsbecome hotspots for debates over gender and sexualityinLouisiana.

Livingston ParishLibraryDirector Michelle Parrish was ousted from that role in alate-night libraryboard vote Tuesday. The library system has been in turmoil for the last few years over bookswith sexual andLGBT themes.

The dramathat has included library board resignationsand firings, calls for an investigation by the state attorney general’s office, and adocumentary produced by Sarah Jessica Parker Lafayette’slibrary system hasseen similar controversies.

Notice is hereby givenpursuanttoArticle 7, Section23(c) of theLouisiana Constitution andR.S.47:1705(B)thatapublichearingof theCityCouncil forthe City of Zacharyin East BatonParishwill be held at itsregular meetingplace in theCouncil Chambers at City Hall locatedat4700MainSt. Zachary, LA 70791onAugust26, 2025 at 6:30 P.M. to consider levyingadditionalorincreased millagerates withoutfurther voterapproval or adopting theadjustedmillagerates afterreassessmentand rollingforward to ratesnot to exceed theprior year’s maximum. Theestimated amount of taxrevenues to be collectedinthe next year from theincreased millageis$1,320,118.06 and theamountof theincreaseintaxes attributable to themillageincreaseis$98,767.96.

closed doors.”

The CoalitiontoRestore Coastal Louisiana,which hasworked for decades on land loss issues, said “the sciencehas notchanged, nor has theneed for urgent action.”

“What haschanged is the politicallandscape,”executive director Kim Reyher said in astatement. “Westill need to reconnect the river to wetlands. The Mississippi is the most powerful coastalrestorationtool that we have.”

Mid-Barataria, scheduled to be constructed near Ironton in Plaquemines Parishon the West Bank, was intended to funnel up to 75,000 cubic feet per second of Mississippi River water andsedimentintoBarataria Basin to rebuild lost wetlands there. It was projectedtobuild around 21 netsquare miles of land over 50 years, and would likely have remained effective beyond that time frame.

The diversion would have essentially mimicked the

way south Louisiana was built in the first place, when the river meandered and deposited sedimentalong the way, working withnature to restore aheavily eroded part of the coast. But the plan wascontroversial from the start, particularly among commercial shrimpers and oyster growers in the project area. They would have been forced to eithermovefartherout or find another line or work since the influx of fresh waterwould have badly damaged their industry

Supporters of the project noted that those fisheries will be decimated even if the project is not built, since land loss andsaltwaterintrusion will accelerate there, though that would occur over amuch longer period of time.

Other concerns involving the Mid-Barataria plan included threats to the dolphin population in thearea as well as increased flood risks forsome locations due to the project. The plan in-

cluded$378 millioninmitigation funds to compensate those affected, including commercial fishermen, who arguedthat amount was not nearly enough. Prominent opponents of the project included Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser,the former PlaqueminesParishpresident. Nungesserdiscussed his criticism of the project with Landry before his election as governor Louisiana’sland loss crisis is only expected to worsen in theyears ahead as sea level rise gains pace. The state has already lost around 2,000 square milesover the past century,around thesize of Delaware.

Confining the Mississippi Riverinplace withlevees and flood walls set the problem in motion, but other factors have been large contributors, including the thousands of milesofcanals dugthrough wetlands by the oiland gas industry and shipping channels that funneled in saltwater intrusion.

BUSINESS

BRIEFS

All solar, wind projects must get Burgum’s OK

WASHINGTON All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum under a new order that authorizes him to conduct “elevated review” of activities ranging from leases to rights of way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.

The enhanced oversight on clean-energy projects is aimed at “ending preferential treatment for unreliable, subsidydependent wind and solar energy,” the Interior Department said in a statement Thursday. The order “will ensure all evaluations are thorough and deliberative” on potential projects on millions of acres of federal lands and offshore areas, the department said.

Clean-energy advocates said the action could hamstring projects that need to be underway quickly to qualify for federal tax credits that are set to expire under the tax-cut and spending bill that President Donald Trump signed into law July 4. The law phases out credits for wind, solar and other renewable energy while enhancing federal support for fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas In the legislation, Trump and GOP lawmakers moved to dismantle the 2022 climate law passed by Democrats under President Joe Biden. And on July 7, Trump signed an executive order that further restricts subsidies for what he called “expensive and unreliable energy policies from the Green New Scam.” Applications for jobless benefits fall again

WASHINGTON The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in three months, a sign that the U.S labor market remains sturdy despite fears over the impact of widespread U.S. tariffs. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 12 fell by 7,000 to 221,000, the fifth straight weekly decline and the fewest since mid-April. Last week’s number was also lower than the 232,000 that analysts forecast. Applications for unemployment aid are viewed as representative of layoffs. Earlier this month, the Labor Department reported that U.S. employers added a surprising 147,000 jobs in June, adding to evidence that the American labor market continues to show resilience. The job gains were much bigger than expected and the unemployment rate ticked down 4.1% from 4.2% in May Analysts were expecting the unemployment to rise to 4.3%.

Juul allowed to keep selling e-cigarettes

WASHINGTON The Food and Drug Administration is allowing vaping brand Juul to keep its e-cigarettes on the market providing relief to a company that has struggled for years after being widely blamed for sparking the teen vaping trend.

FDA regulators said Thursday that Juul’s studies show its e-cigarettes are less harmful for adult smokers, who can benefit from switching completely to vaping.

The FDA decision applies to both tobacco- and mentholflavored versions of the reusable product, which works with nicotine-filled cartridges sold in two different strengths.

Juul previously discontinued several fruit and candy flavors that helped drive its popularity but were favored by teens. Juul will be one of only two U.S. companies authorized to sell menthol-flavored vapes, which many adults prefer to tobacco flavor.

Parents politicians and antitobacco groups have argued for years that Juul products should be permanently banned due to their role in triggering a yearslong spike in underage vaping.

U.S. retail sales bounce around

Whipsaw trade environment prompts erratic spending

BY ANNE D’INNOCENZIO AP business writer

WASHINGTON Consumers picked up their spending in June after an earlier pullback, despite anxiety over tariffs and the state of the U.S. economy

Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in June, the Commerce Department said Thursday, after two consecutive months of spending declines, a 0.1% pullback in April and a 0.9% slowdown in May

Retail was buoyed earlier in the year by car sales as Americans attempted to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s 25% duty on imported cars and car parts.

The erratic consumer spending

is taking place during a period of mixed signals about the economy as well. The U.S. economy shrank at a 0.5% annual pace from January through March, but the U.S. job market is proving to be very resilient, and major tariffs keep getting postponed.

Healthy spending continues, with a heavy focus on necessities, rather than electronics or new appliances

Yet consumers haven’t completely cut out spending on nonessential goods. Sales at restaurants, the lone services component within the Census Bureau report and a barometer of discretionary spending, rose moderately

“Consumers are only feeling a modest amount of pressure from tariffs, and any weakness here is not having much of an effect in forcing them to pull back on more discretionary areas of spending such as restaurants and bars,”

wrote William Blair’s macro analyst Richard de Chazal.

Yet Chazal fears that the administration may be picking up false assurances from strong consumer spending. Consumer sentiment and markets have tumbled after aggressive tariff announcements, and many economists expect rising prices will have a greater impact on consumers before the year is over Retail sales in June included a 1.2% gain in sales of autos and auto parts. Spending expanded across most major categories including clothing and personal care. Excluding autos and automotive parts, sales rose 0.5%, according to the Commerce Department Clothing and accessories sales rose 0.9%, while health and personal care sales saw a 0.5% bump. Online retailers recorded a 0.4% gain.

Electronics and appliance retailers, furniture stores and depart-

ment stores all saw sales declines.

The products sold in these sectors are heavily imported.

A category of sales that excludes volatile sectors such as gas, cars, and restaurants rose last month by 0.5% from the previous month.

The figure feeds into the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ consumption estimate and is a sign that consumers are still spending on some discretionary items.

The retail sales report arrives amid a whipsaw frenzy of on and off again tariffs have that jolted businesses and households. Business owners say it’s become very difficult to manage supplies and inventories. Americans, when they do shop, are generally steering clear of the things they don’t absolutely need.

The latest government report showed that inflation rose last month to its highest level since February

Scrutiny over soda sweeteners

Trump says Coke to shift to cane sugar as consumers look at no-sugar drinks

BY DEE-ANN DURBIN AP business writer

The debate over whether CocaCola should use high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar in its signature soda obscures an important fact: Consumers are increasingly looking for Coke with no sugar at all.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, introduced in 2017, uses both the artificial sweetener aspartame and the natural sweetener stevia in its recipe. It’s one of Coke’s fastest-growing products, with global case volumes up 14% in the first quarter of the year By comparison, the company’s total case volumes were up 2%.

PepsiCo also noted Thursday that 60% of its sales volumes in major markets in the second quarter came from low- or nosugar drinks.

“When you look at colas, the percentage of growth coming from zero sugar is significant,” said Duane Stanford, the editor and publisher of Beverage Digest.

The scrutiny over Coke’s sweeteners began Wednesday when President Donald Trump announced that Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. had agreed to switch to using cane sugar in the regular version of its beverage manufactured in the U.S.

“I have been speaking to CocaCola about using REAL Cane Sugar in Coke in the United States, and they have agreed to do so,” Trump wrote on his social media site. “I’d like to thank all of those in authority at CocaCola. This will be a very good move by them — You’ll see. It’s just better!”

Coca-Cola didn’t confirm the change. In a statement, the company said it appreciated Trump’s enthusiasm and would share details on new offerings soon.

Stanford said he doubts CocaCola will fully shift away from

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Wall Street rose to records on Thursday following better-than-expected updates on the economy and a mixed set of profit reports from big U.S. companies

A maintenance crew member descends on the

Third Street and Florida

high fructose corn syrup, which has sweetened Coke in the U.S. since the 1980s. There would be tremendous supply chain and logistics headaches, he said, and the U.S. doesn’t make enough sugar for Coke’s needs.

He expects the Atlanta-based company will offer a cane sugarsweetened version in the U.S. just like its rival Pepsi has been doing since 2009. He noted that Coke has indulged U.S. fans by importing Mexican Coke, which is made with cane sugar, since 2005. Coke positions Mexican Coke as an upscale alternative and sells it in glass bottles.

The corn industry wasn’t happy with the speculation. In a statement Wednesday, Corn Refiners Association President and CEO John Bode said replacing high fructose corn syrup with cane sugar makes no sense and would cost thousands of American manufacturing jobs.

Shares in ADM, a maker of high fructose corn syrup, dipped nearly 2% Thursday after Trump’s announcement.

In a message on X, Coca-Cola

defended high fructose corn syrup, saying it’s no more likely to contribute to obesity than table sugar or other full-calorie sweeteners. “It’s safe; it has about the same number of calories per serving as table sugar and is metabolized in a similar way by your body,” the company said. “Please be assured that Coca-Cola brand soft drinks do not contain any harmful substances.”

The Food and Drug Administration also says there is no evidence of any difference in safety among foods sweetened with high fructose corn syrup and those that use sugar, honey or other traditional sweeteners.

Soft drink preferences are highly subjective, as anyone who has been in a Pepsi vs. Coke or 7-Up vs. Sprite debate knows.

But recent trends indicate that Coke and other drink makers need to focus on the kinds of lowand no-sugar drinks that a growing number of consumers are seeking, according to Stanford.

He said his data shows original Coke was the top seller by volume in the U.S. last year, with

19% market share, while Coke Zero Sugar was seventh and had a 4% market share. But Coke Zero Sugar’s share grew 10%, while original Coke’s share was flat. Nutritionists suggest avoiding added sugars, no matter the form, since they provide empty calories with no nutrients. The 2020 U.S. dietary guidelines advise people to limit foods and beverages higher in added sugars, and say children under 2 should not be fed them at all.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy has spoken out against sugar His agency is expected to release updated nutrition guidelines later this year

“There’s things we’ll never be able to eliminate, like sugar,” Kennedy said at an April news conference. “And sugar is poison, and Americans need to know that.”

Aspartame and other artificial sweeteners are also named as a concern in a government report Kennedy issued in May AP health and science editor Jonathan Poet contributed from Philadelphia.

pushing upward on the S&P 500. PepsiCo jumped 7.5% after delivering revenue and profit that topped Wall Street’s expectations. The drink and snack giant also stood by its financial forecasts given in April, which projected lower full-year profit than previous forecasts due to increased costs from tariffs and a pullback in consumer spending. United Airlines flew 3.1% higher after reporting a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected It also said it’s seen an acceleration in demand from customers that began in early July, and it’s expecting less uncertainty about the economy to hurt its business in the second half of this year On the losing side of Wall Street was Abbott Laboratories, which fell 8.5% despite delivering results for the latest quarter that edged past analysts’ expectations. The health care company cut the top end of its forecast range for revenue growth over 2025. Elevance Health dropped 12.2% after reporting a weaker profit than analysts expected It cut its forecast for profit in 2025 because of rising medical cost trends in its Affordable Care Act business, along with other factors. In the bond market, Treasury yields were mixed following several better-than-expected reports on the economy Wall Street cruises to

The S&P 500 climbed 0.5% to top its all-time high set a week ago. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 229 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite added 0.7% to its own record set the day before. Trading was calmer than Wednesday’s, when President Donald Trump jolted financial markets by saying he had discussed the “concept” of firing the chair of the Federal Reserve but was unlikely

to do so. Such a move could help Wall Street get the lower interest rates it loves but would also risk a weakened Fed unable to make the unpopular moves needed to keep inflation under control. A strong profit report from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co helped drive tech stocks and its net income soared nearly 61% in the last quarter from a year earlier The chip maker said it’s seeing strong demand from artificial intelligence and other customers, and TSMC’s stock that trades in the United States rose 3.4%. Other stocks involved in AI also climbed, and a 1% gain for Nvidia was one of the strongest forces

LESLIE WESTBROOK

POIRIER

Continued from page1A

lived within Poirier,even as achild growing up in Lafayette. Part of it is in his blood. Both his father and grandfather were boxers. It also comesfromthe tight-knit, blue-collar community he grew up in, where his mother ran afoster homeout of their house while raising him and his two siblings Ultimately,hesaid, his communitywas aplace where “people had to get their hands dirty and put in work to get anything they wanted.”

Poirier can’tpinpoint the exact moment he knew he wantedtobecome aprofessional fighter.Asa kid, fighting earned him no rewards. It instead landed him in boot camp and detention centers, neither of which could break his natural pull toward combat.

But eventually,itstarted paying off in the right ways. He turned pro in 2009, and quickly rose into the highest echelons of the sport. Poirier may have said it best in “Fightville,” apopular 2011 documentary that followed him and other rising Lafayette-area martial artists: “Fighting has opened a path to redemption for me.”

Resilience in mind,body

More than anything, fighting showed Poirier thathe was in control of his future.

“I didn’thave anybody to point the finger at but my-

self, whether Idid goodor bad,” he said duringthe recent interview.“It wasjust me, pushing myself to be better.”

For afighter,the mind must be as resilient as the body and soul.And the times that doubt weighed on him, Poirier credits his wife, Jolie, forpulling him backinto the right headspaceeverytime.

When Poirier was 18 and didn’thave acar,Jolie drove him to Texarkana, Texas, for his first amateur fight. The couple, together sincemiddleschool, married in 2009 and boughttheir first house.

Though hisyoung age at that time might suggest otherwise, Poirier’sfirst tasteof success didn’tcome quickly

While “Fightville” was beingfilmed, he wasn’tjust training —hewas driving a delivery truck,hauling windows, doors, trim and molding to customers to make ends meet

In one scene, Poirier pointsatphotosofhimself when he was 200 pounds, saying somedidn’teven recognize himafter he started training. But what many didrecognize, includinghis mother,was his transformation from atroubled boytoa determined fighter

“He’sfinally found what he’s been looking for all of this time,”his mother said in the documentary. “I know that he has been waiting his whole life to climb up something and put his hands in the air because he did it thebest.”

When Poirier looks back at that ambitiouskid now, ahead of his last fight and with aprofessional record of

30 wins and 9losses, he only has two thingstosay to him “Keep grinding. It’s gonna pay off.”

Life afterretirement

Though he has said Saturday’sbout will be his last it’s still hardfor Poirier to imagine alifewithout the cage. He’scompeting forthe BMF belt, asymbolic title that’sawarded to UFC fighters for their toughness. After that, he will return to his home in Lafayette, wherehe and his wife have lived since 2016, to raise their daughter andprepare for the birth of their son.

The retiring fighter said he plans to stay involved in The Good Fight Foundation, acharityheand Jolie founded in 2017 to support causes in Lafayette. Thenonprofit raisesmoney by auctioning off memorabiliafrom Poirier’sUFC career

He plans to keep growing his businesses, like his hot sauce brand Poirier’sLouisiana Style, and is considering investing in additional residential properties.

Andsoon, areboot of “Fightville” will be released, following the end of Poirier’s fighting career Still, life won’tfeel quite thesame once he lays the gloves down.

“Nothing’sever going to fill that void,” Poirier said “Nomatter howmany businesses Ihave, no matter how many things keep me busy outsidethat. Idon’t think anything’sever going to fillthatvoidofpreparing to fight aman in front of the world.”

Oakdalechief’s wife arrested

BY AIDANMcCAHILL Staff writer

Twodaysafter theOakdalepolice chiefwas arrested for allegedly talking part in ascheme to provide hundreds of fraudulent visas to non-U.S.residents, his wife also has been jailed after being accused of conspiring to commit fraud withthe sameconvenience store owner tied toher husband’scase.

Louisiana State Police announced the arrest of 50-year-old Alison Doyle on Thursday foralleged unethical conduct in the municipal propertybidding process. Doyle is aformer Oakdale city employee andwife of Police Chief Chad Doyle.

The Louisiana StatePolice Criminal Intelligence Unit’sAlexandria Field Office beganinvestigating Alison Doyle after receiv-

ing “credible information”she hadworked with Chandrakant “Lala” Patel to manipulatethe bidding processfor two city-owned properties, according to a newsrelease.

Afterconducting a thorough review,investigators found sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations, the release says. Alison Doyle was arrested andcharged with two felony counts of malfeasance in office. She was booked in the Allen Parish Jail.

Theannouncementcame twodays after agents with the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and IRSdescended on alaw enforcement conference in BatonRouge,arresting Chad Doyle and Forest Hill

Police Chief Glynn Dixon. Patel,who owns convenience stores and afast-

food restaurant in Oakdale and Glenmora; Michael “Freck”Slaney, Oakdale’s city marshal; and Tebo Onishea, aformer Glenmora policechief, were also arrested Tuesday Allfourare accused of taking part in scheme in which foreign nationals—mostofwhomwere fromIndia —paidPatel thousands of dollars to help them obtain a“U visa,” designed to grant victims or witnessesof certain crimes immigration statusiftheyaid law enforcement.Patel would then pay$5,000 to alaw enforcementagent to forge apolice report listing the applicant as avictim that couldbeincludedwitha visa application. During the raids, federal agents executed 11 search warrants, including at the Doyles’ residence.

Public weighs in on downtown BR

Riverfront dining,walkablegreen spaceamong requests

has been treated as in the past.

BY QUINNCOFFMAN Staff writer

Residentswant downtown Baton Rouge’sMississippi riverfront to be more fun, accessible and walkable, according to survey responses from two recent town halls.

The town hallsare meant to gauge the public’swants and needs for PlanBatonRouge III, thedowntown masterplan being developed by Sasaki, an international planning and design firm contracted for theproject “When we talk to the community theriverfront is topofmind for so many people,” saidChrisFreda, a senior associate planner with Sasaki.“Theywant the riverfront to be aplace where theycan go enjoy themselves, engage in adiverse array of activities, and really see it as theprimary and grand open space that it is.”

Their vision has downtown being reoriented moretoface the riverfront,making it an appealing “front porch” for both tourists and locals instead of the “backyard” it

The northern side would feature asports andentertainment district, with tennis courts, soccer pitchesand abaseball diamond mixed with space forhotels. Designers said it would mirror the BREC Memorial Sports Complex on theother side of downtown, and possibly be connected by more

RAIN CHECK

green space running alongside the Capitol and past Capitol Lakes. Farther south on the levee would be anature park, with walkways over ponds and paths through semiforested areas.

As the nature park ends around thecurrent Baton Rouge City Dock, it would change into amore accessible version of the existing riverfront, with potential amenities

By

Awater droplet falls on theunderside of aledge at the levee in downtownBaton Rouge on Thursday.A flood watch remains in effect for the area throughFriday as aweak tropical disturbance moves over the northern Gulf of Mexico, theNational Weather Service said

Restaurants coming to former CVS property

Construction could startintwo months

BY TIMOTHY BOONE Staff writer

Anumber of restaurant tenants have signed leases to move into aredevelopment of the former CVS Pharmacy at the corner of Government Street and Acadian Thruway

While the specific users can’t be disclosed yet, the space will be used by acoffeeshop, ahamburger restaurant, adonut shop and awing restaurant, said Ben Stalter,ofMaestriMurrell Real Estate, who is handling leasing. About half of the space is pre-leased.

“There’sbeen alot of interest in theproperty,” he said. Several other businesses are in discussion to take over space

BR club shooting suspects take plea deals

Twomen involved to getprobation

BYMATTBRUCE Staff writer

Thelasttwo meninvolvedina brazen shooting at aBaton Rouge nightclubthatwounded 12 people pleaded guilty to reduced charges Wednesday Jy’Shaun Mylik Jackson, 21,and 24-year-old Shawnchez Amier Lemar bothconfessed that they helped sneak apairofGlock 9mmpistols

intothe Dior Bar&Lounge early the morning of Jan.22, 2023, and passed off the guns to twooftheir friends. Minutes later,those friends sprayed roundsofbullets toward the club’sdance floor,prosecutors said. Three of the 12 victimswere critically wounded. None of the injuriesproved fatal. Jackson andLemar both pleaded guiltytosingle countsofaggravated battery,and prosecutorsdismissed 12 counts of attempted first-degree murderinexchange. District Judge Brad Myerssentenced both to 10 years, but deferred the prison stints

andplacedbothmen on probation for three yearsaspartofthe plea deal. All four defendants involved in theshooting lived in St. James Parish. Jackson andLemar were indicted on the sameattempted murdercounts filed against their accomplices, Nikeal MarquisFranklin and Jron Hines. Franklin, 21, pleaded guilty to four counts of attempted first-degree murder on June10, andMyers sentenced him to 20 years without the possibility of parole. Hines, the other accused gunman, took the

same deal andreceived the same sentence July 1. Hines, now 19, was 16 the night of the shooting, but prosecutors tried him as an adult Thenightclub, which has since been demolished, sat in the 4600 blockofBennington Avenue,just off Interstate 10’sCollege Drive exit.The shootinghappenedduring aweekend event advertised as akickoff bash forthe spring semesters at LSUand Southern University The four defendants arrived to the

BY

MATT BRUCE Staff writer

ASt. Amantman convicted of kidnapping and killing his aunt in 1990 claims his trial attorneys told him he would be sentenced to 21 yearsinprison when he accepted apleadeal,advising

Womanarrestedafter childtests positive fordrugs

ABaton Rouge woman was arrested at ahospital after her 3-year-oldchild tested positive for crackcocaine in theirsystem, according to police. The mother admitted to smoking acrack cocaine cigar near her child at afriend’s residencebefore getting into asingle-vehicle accident, according to aprobable-cause statement from Baton Rouge police.

Cobbs said that while smoking the cigar,she playedwith herchild, possiblyblowing smoke in the child’sface, which is howthey would haveingested it.

flight from an officer,false imprisonment,resisting an officerand simple kidnapping.

While still underthe influence, Cobbs gotintoher vehicle to leave the friend’sresidence. She did not buckle herchild intoacar seat in theprocess.

Shortly after leaving, she crashed into aparked vehicle in frontofanearbyresidence, leadingtothe hospital trip.

A911 call went out justbefore 4a.m. Tuesdayfrom the mother of the 17-year-oldgirl, according to apolice probable-cause statement. The mother told dispatchers her daughter was apassenger in a gray 2015 Honda Accord and that the driver,Johnson, was refusing to let her out.

detained. After aphone interview with thevictim and her mother,police learned that Johnson and the girl had aprior relationship. The victim was also friends with Johnson’ssister

Rashida Cobbs, 49, and her young child were taken to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center around 10 p.m. July9

Medicalstaff noticedthe child was highly irritable, with dilated pupils, an elevatedbreathingrate and aggressivebehavior. Staff tested the child’surine, found it was positive for the presence of cocaine and contacted the police, according to the statement.

Officers responded to the hospital and questioned Cobbs. Shetold them she had visited afriend’s house and smoked a“Primo,” a cigar with crack cocaine inside.

Cobbsfaces acharge of cruelty to juvenilesand was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish prison.

The mothertracked the Honda using her daughter’s phone location in an attempttointerceptthe vehicle.She located it, andJohnson accelerated the vehicle over 100 mph in an attempt to lose her

After an alleged disagreement among the group in the car,the victim called her mother to meet themand pick her up. The girl told police she made verbal requests to exit the vehicle but wasdenied by Johnson.

Manarrested after DNA links him to cartheft

BR man arrested for allegedkidnapping

In anearly40-minute pursuit with police, a24-year-old Baton Rouge man allegedly kidnapped hisunderage former girlfriend, refusing to lether leave his vehicle as he sped away from both police units and thegirl’smother Cade Johnson wasarrested Tuesday morning by Baton Rouge police officers andbooked on ahost of counts, including aggravated

Thevehiclesexitedthe highway near downtown Baton Rouge, where apolice cruiser attempted to initiate atraffic stop before Johnson fled once again.

During the 39-minute chase, Johnsonran three stop signs and five red lights, according to the statement Eventually,with assistance from other agencies,Johnson’svehicle was disabled in amedian of U.S. 61 in Saint Francisville,and he was taken into custody.Two remaining occupantswerealso temporarily

RIVERFRONT

Continued from page1B

CRIME BLOTTER staff reports like ariverfront restauranthanging over the water

This wouldbejoined by another large park space farther south along the bank, a“Great Park” with large greenspace thatcould be used for concerts or other community events.

Les Nicholson, chairman of the USS Kidd Veterans Museum, said his organization controls just under adozen acres of undeveloped land near this area and sees the plan as agood opportunity to find better use for that spaceasparkland, while the museum itself looks for aplacesomewhere else on the riverfront.

“There are some potentials that at least Isee for the possibility of doing away with the museum where it is, moving further south,” Nicholson said. This could include moving closer to the area where the Belle of Baton Rougeisabandoning its riverfront face. The casino is relocating into the Belle of Baton RougeAtrium; the move will happen later this year

All of this green space sandwiched between the riverand the city is meant to give businesses the opportunity to build facing out to the parks.

Theriverfront beinga “new front porch” is one of five principles that Sasakideveloped inresponse to residents’ concerns with the downtown experience. The four other principles arerelated

PLEA DEALS

Continued from page1B

nightclub together in the same vehicle and went inside. Surveillance footage viewed by Baton Rouge detectivesshowed Franklin and Hines wentoutside and walked to their Nissan Titanparked in anearbylot,while Jackson and Lemar waited inside the bar.Prosecutors said Hines andFranklin retrieved thepair of Glock pistols from the truck, and one of them called Lemarand told him to wait for them near the back fence of the club’spatio. Franklin

to business opportunities, housing, artsand historic places, and transportation.

Designers foundthat downtown Baton Rouge struggles to compete with other commercial andentertainment districts that exist farther east and south into the parish suburbs, such as Perkins Rowe.

To combat this and invite business back into downtown,Sasaki suggestedcreatingpartnerships with LSU and Southern University to encouragestudents to travel to or liveinthe area.

Sasaki designers also talked about buildingdiverse housing optionstoattractother newresidents like senior housing or more multifamily housing. Thesenew housing options are supposed to complement theexistingdowntown legacy communities, like Spanish Town and BeauregardTown

Creating more businesses that offerdaily lifeamenities for existingand future downtown residents was another part of this suggestion.

“It’s clear that there are establishedneighborhoods that have their identities, but there’salso room togrow,”saidMargitLiander, associateprincipal planner with Sasaki. “(We’re) not wanting to lose what’sthere today and the connections that people feel to those places in history,while recognizing that thereisalot of underutilized land, and there are alot of parts of downtown that lack that vibrancy.”

Town hall results

Acoalition of groups, including

andHines slidthe firearmsunder the fence to awaitingJackson and Lemar on the other side. Once they received the weapons, thetwo men went back inside theclub andgave the guns to Franklin and Hines. AssistantDistrict Attorney Dana Cummings told Myersauthorities werenot completelypositiveLemar evertouchedone of the weapons because he never gave police astatement. But during Wednesday’shearing,Lemar agreed that he was an active participant in the plan Jackson admitted to investigatorsthathesneaked the guns into the nightclub and passed themto theeventualshooters, but he never

the BatonRouge AreaFoundation, the DowntownDevelopment District andSasaki, have held multiple community gatherings this spring andsummertohear howresidentswant downtown Baton Rouge to develop.

These town halls and surveys have now produced alist of potential solutions to some of downtown’sbiggest problems: an underutilized waterfront,ajumble of parking optionsand alackof connection between downtown’s most attractive features.

In ameeting of downtown businessowners and representatives Thursday,Sasaki designers presented avisionfor howtosolve these problems

As they described it, this is the first jump from “big ideas” to “a strategytomake it happen.”

Any kind of commitment from government and private investors for what will be built where, and who will pay for it, is still months away

Work on Plan Baton Rouge III is expected to continue until the end of the year

Thepreviousdowntownmaster plans led to morethan $3 billion in investments across thecentral business district over the past twodecades and constructionof landmarks such as the ShawCenter for theArts, theHilton Baton Rouge CapitolCenter,Rhorer Plazaand the Downtown Greenway

EmailQuinn Coffmanat quinn.coffman@theadvocate. com.

gave the names of any of his codefendants or implicated anyone other thanhimself. Jackson told authorities he didn’t expect any shots to be fired. According to investigators, the two teens walked toward thestage andbegan shooting shortly after 1:30 a.m., with Franklin opening fire first. The gunfire inside the packed lounge sent revelers scrambling for the exits. Hines, Franklin, Jackson and Lemarran out and fled in the NissanTitan, according to detectives.

Email Matt Bruce at matt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

Baton Rouge police have arrested aman accused of attempting to asteal awoman’scar on Halloween with her childrenstill inside, after investigators discovered the man’sDNA on acigarette butt left in the vehicle.

James Merritt, 21, of Baton Rouge, was booked into the East Baton Rouge Parish jail on counts of simple kidnapping and theftof amotor vehicle.

On Oct. 31, policewerecalled to 5557 Plank Road, the location of UncleMoe’sFoodMart and Deli, in

HEARING

Continuedfrom page1B

Butina ruling handed down Thursday,5th Circuit appellate judgesordered the federal district courttohold an evidentiary hearing to find outwhat discussions led to Lavigne’sguilty pleas.

“Weare not convinced there is areasonable probability that Lavignewould nothaveentered theplea deal because oneofthe charges was time-barred given howadvantageous the pleacould have been —and Lavigne alleges he was assured it would be,” the appellate court wrote in its order remanding the habeas writ back to U.S. Middle District Court. Lavigne, then 25, was accused of abducting his uncle’sex-wife, Jeanie Lavigne, from her St. Amant home early on the morning of Dec. 16, 1990. The 38-year-old woman livednext door to Kenneth, who grewupwith her Templet familyand several of his own Lavigne blood relatives. Authorities said he took Jeanie Lavigne to theSummerfieldarea of Ascension, thenraped her at knifepoint and stabbed her to death.Threehuntersfound the woman’spartially nude body the next day in awooded area about four miles from her residence, near La.431 andthe AmiteRiver Authorities said Jeanie Lavigne hadbeen brutally beaten, stabbed multiple timesand her throat was slashed.

Thekilling remained unsolved for more than two decades until Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators uncovered DNA evidence that linked Kenneth Lavigne to the cold case. The Louisiana State Police Crime Lab confirmed a100%match betweenKenneth Lavigne’sDNA and evidence recoveredfrom the victim’s clothes andher rape kit, according to court records. Ascension deputies arrested KennethLavigne in March 2013, andhewas laterindictedon achargeofsecond-degreemurder Lavigne faced amandatory life sentence if convicted of that charge. In January 2016, he agreed to plead guilty to lesser charges of manslaughter and second-degree kidnapping District Judge Jessie LeBlanc, whopresided over the case in state court, immediately sentenced Lavigne to 21 years —the maximum prison stint formanslaughter at the time of the killing —the day he pleaded guilty.She ordered apresentencing investigation before she doled out the sentence on thekidnapping charge.

In April 2016, after the report recommended asentence that ran consecutively to the manslaughter sentence shealreadyhad imposed, meaning the termswould be served back to back, LeBlanc tacked on an additional 40 years to Lavigne’sprison time for the second-degree kidnapping charge.

In his federal appeal, Lavigne saidhe“would not have pleaded to the second-degree kidnapping charge had he been properly advisedthat it wasprescribed.” He arguedSusan Jones and Blaine Hebert, the public defenders who representedhim in statecourt, never advised him prosecutors brought forth the charge well after thesix-year prescriptive period. Lavigne said in his appeal that he hadconcernsabout language on his plea form before he took the deal. The form indicated he would get at least 21 yearsand up to 40 years without the possibility of parolefor the kidnapping charge,

responsetoavehicle theft, according to anews release. The woman told investigators she lefther childreninher car while she went to shop at the store. While she wasinside, Merritt allegedly got into the car and drove away.Shortly after Merritt left, two other unknown subjects entered the vehicle, according to the release.

Merritt apparently drove the vehicle ashort distance before everyone abandoned the car.An unknown “good Samaritan” then stopped and helped the children, according to the release.

Later,the woman found acigarette butt inside her vehicle. Investigatorswereable to use DNAon the cigarettetoestablish Merritt as asuspect. Police used cellphone records and photo lineups to establish probable cause foranarrest. Merritt had previously been arrestedfor attempted first-degree murder, armed robbery,handling of amachine gun andpossessionof marijuana. He was alreadyinjail when the new charges were filed, after being arrested for allegedly robbing and nonlethally shooting a victimduringa January drug deal according to court records.

and the judge would first review thepresentencing report before determining if shewould run that stint behind bars consecutively or concurrently to his manslaughter sentence. He said his attorneys assured him LeBlanc would give hima21-year concurrentterm meaningitwould run at the same time as the manslaughter sentence —and told him he likely would be out of prison after serving 10 years.

It wasn’tuntil meeting with LeBlanc the day of his kidnapping sentence in April 2016 that Lavigne’s lawyerstoldhim thejudge was going to run the two sentences consecutively and hand him the maximum 40-year prison term for kidnapping, the habeas appeal argues.

“Lavigne expressedoutrage to his attorneys because he never agreed to, nor would he have ever agreed to, asentence of longer than twenty-one years,” hiswrit stated.

WhenLavigne’s attorneys told thejudge they expected aconcurrent term for the kidnapping charge, LeBlanc said she explained the possible sentences he faced “ad nauseam” and refused to let him withdraw his plea.

“ThisCourt made no promises that the sentence would be any certain sentence, and just because you’re nothappy with what the sentence may be today is nota good enough grounds,” LeBlanc saidduring the2016 hearing,according to court transcripts.

“That’snot what Iwas told,” Lavigne interjected.

The panel of federal appeals court judges agreed Lavigne’s trialattorneys were “deficient,” but rejected notions that their actions rose to the constitutional level of ineffective counsel. The 5th Circuit did, however,find enough cause forthe evidentiary hearing in federal district court to determine how he was advised before taking his plea.

If the court finds cause that Lavigne wasill-advised into taking his plea, the case could be sent back to theoriginating 23rdJudicial Districtstate court forhim to be resentenced.

Email Matt Bruceatmatt. bruce@theadvocate.com.

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Floodboard in NewOrleans questionshiringofdirector

BY ALEX LUBBEN Staff writer

The president of the board of the embattled New Orleans-area flood control authority will hire a new leader at theagency in amove that other board members suggested could skirt agency rules.

Board President Roy Carubba said Thursday that he intends to hire Louis “Jeff” Williams as regional director of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East. He comes from the U.S.ArmyCorps of Engineers, where he was asenior project manager.The director position has been vacant for over amonth, even as New Orleans enters the most active part of hurricane season.

project, aseries of levees and flood

walls designed to protect 60,000 people in St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, and St. James parishes.

“This role is deeply personal for me.Iwas born and raised in New Orleans,and I’ve spent my career building the infrastructure that helps keep our communities safe,” Williams saidinthe statement. “I’m honoredtolead this team and fully committed to ensuring ourregion is prepared, protected, and resilient.”

Williams said he will start work at the Flood ProtectionAuthority on Aug. 4.

Butboard member Debbie Settoon questioned whether board president Roy Carubba overstepped in Williams’hiring. Randall Noel,another board member, appeared to have been caught off guard.

“I understand that we have taken some action, andthere may have been an issue with our bylaws,” Settoon said. “SoI’m goingtoask Royto explain what’sgoing on.”

whichWilliams hasnot received. But the boardpresident is allowed to appoint an interimdirector from among the agency’sstaff.

So Carubba hired him as chief engineer —aposition Carubba is authorized to hire for without board approval—and will promote him internally to interim regional director after he startsinAugust.

Carubba stressed that Williams was “instrumental” in repairing the pumps. “My real hope is the board will get to know Mr.Williamsand potentially put him in thatposition permanently,” Carubba saidatthe meeting. “He isanincredible leader.”

Williamsspent over adecade at the Corps before abriefstint in the private sector.Hereturned to the Corps in late2023.

As interim regional director,Williamswill serve as the topemployee at thefloodprotection agency, which is chargedwith overseeingthe levees and pumps designed to keep New Orleansdry during hurricanes

ing somebody newin, directlyappointing them as interimregional director,” Settoon said.

The agency hasbeen without a permanent regional director since Decemberoflastyear, whenCarubba dismissed formerregional director KelliChandler.Carubba first handedmanyofthe dutiesof the regional director to the agency’s police chief, Josh Rondeno, who did not meet the requirements for the position, which are set by state law

In February,the boardforced Carubba to appoint Chris Humphries, theformer director of engineering, as interim regional director Calmer meeting

Besides the back-and-forth over the regional director,the meeting was notablycalmer than last month’s, which devolvedinto shouting and anear-physical confrontation. Carubba directed a profanityatfellow board member Clay Cossé; Cossé responded, “Hit me.”

board meetings have been chaotic or have not taken place because the board lacked aquorum.

Carubbaevenapologized Thursday forhis actions at last month’s meeting.

“I allowedmyemotions andmy enthusiasm to getthisboard and agency transformed to overcome my emotions,” Carubbasaid. “I was out of line to do that, so Iwant to extend an apology,first and foremost to Commissioner Settoon, Commissioner Noel, allthe people in the audience, and anybody who is watching.”

Carubba didnot mention Cossé in his apology

“Nothing he could say would change my opinion of him,” said Cossé, who is no longer on the board and did not attend the meeting. “He is who he is.”

Though Carubba was more conciliatory during the meeting, he confronted aformer board memberimmediately afterthe meeting.

In astatement, the agencysaid Williams oversaw repairs to the crucial pumps at the endsofthe city’s three outfall canals and managed the$3.6 billion West Shore Lake Pontchartrain hurricaneprotection

BY WILLIE SWETT Staff writer

When he was alittle kid, Paul Hollis said his grandmother gave him aPeace Dollar from the Great Depression, sparking alifelong love of coins.

On Thursday, President Donald Trump nominated Hollis, an elected member of the Louisiana Board of Secondary and Elementary Education and aformer state representative from St. Tammany Parish,torun the U.S. Mint, the governmentagency in charge of making the nation’scoins.

Memberswere notinformedof president’splan Hollis

‘It’dbenicetomeethim’

Theagency’sbylaws require the hiring of aregional director to be approved by avote of the board,

Severalboard members hadnot been informed about the hirewhen areporter asked them aboutitearlier this week.

“Well, it’d be nice to meet him,” Noel said at the meeting.

“I would be cautious about bring-

Theagency has been in turmoil over the last several months, with four board membersresigning over changesbeing pursued by Gov.Jeff Landry andhis unofficial deputyinNew Orleans, businessmanShane Guidry.Recent

Outside of the meeting room, Carubba told Roy Arrigo, aformer board member whoresigned in protest over Carubba’sleadership in March, to “goawayand notcome back.” Arrigo reminded Carubba that the meetings were public.

coin first made in 1921 to commemorate the end of World WarI

The nomination now heads to the U.S. Senate, which will havea confirmation hearing. Hollis, of Mandeville, said he plans to carry the same Peace Dollar in his pocket to that hearing. The Peace Dollar is adollar

“I’mthrilled about it,” Hollis, acoin collector,said of his nomination. As part of theprocess, he spoke with treasury officials —the U.S Mintisabureau in the department of the U.S. Treasury and after the nominationreceived a call of congratulations from Trump and House Speaker MikeJohnson, who he saidhad recommended him to Trump. Hollis and Johnsonhad servedinthe state Legislature together. Hollis, aRepublican, served three terms in the state House of Representatives between 2012 and 2024. In 2023 he won BESE’s 1st District seat, whichcoversSt. TammanyParish and parts of Jefferson and Orleans parishes. Hollissaidhehad spoken

with Gov. Jeff Landry about his recent nominationand that Landry plans to appoint areplacement to the board. Aspokesperson for Landry did notimmediately respond to arequest for comment.

“I love Louisiana, but the calling is to serve in Washington,” Hollis said.

Thenumismatist

Hollis saidhewould be the first director of the U.S. Mint,which was established in 1792, from Louisiana and the onlynumismatist —a term for coin collector that he admits can be difficult to pronounce.

“It’sbeen apassion that I’ve had for my entire life,” he said. “My brothers wondered, why would yousit there andstare at thecoin? ButIloved it.”

Aftergraduating from LouisianaState University in 1994 withadegree in political science, he joined Blanchard and Company,a

for $1.95million

Continued from page1B

inthe development.

Plans are to fully redevelop the 11,224-square-foot building and chop it up into six units, ranging in sizefrom 2,300 square feet to 1,260 square feet. Several units will have drive-through windows, according to amarketing flyer beingcirculated by Maestri-Murrell.

Constructioncould start on the property in two months, Stalter said. Thework will involve fully gutting and reskinning the building. It will basically be anew building by the end of the day,” he said CVS closedthe pharmacy in fall 2023 as part of ongoing effort to adjust to changing customer needsand reduce the number of unprofitable locations. The chain has shut down hundreds of stores over the past few years. Mandeville developer

rare coin firmbased in New Orleans. Then in 2003, he started his own firm, Paul Hollis Rare Coins, selling collectiblesonhome shopping channels. He wrotea book called the “American Numismatist” about the nation’s history and coins.

Afteryears in politics,he said, thisnomination is “the cherry on top of the sundae.”

As director,Hollis would oversee planstophaseout thepenny,hesaid. He would alsobeinvolved in the U.S. Mint’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the nation “They’retangible links to our nation’shistory,” he said of coins. He pointed to how JohnF.Kennedy wasadded to the half-dollarafter he

was assassinated, and how AbrahamLincolnwas put on the penny in 1909 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of his birthday.“Every coin —there’sareason forit.”

The mint’sprevious director,Ventris Gibson, whowas the first African-American director,oversaw the rollout of acommemorative coin program celebrating the life of abolitionist HarrietTubman. Gibson,who was appointed in June 2022, stepped down in March. Kristie McNally is the acting director of the mint.

Hollis will also overseethe mint’spoliceforce, which he said has about 500 deputieswho protect mint assets andpersonnel. He will also oversee Fort Knox, the

Kentucky location where the U.S. keeps alarge portion of its gold reserves, as well as other mint facilities in Philadelphia, Denver and NewYork. He intendstokeephis residenceinMandeville,in addition to aresidence in Washington, D.C., he said. He is married with twochildren, a12-year-old son and a 21-year-old daughter Hollis’ nomination will nowbeheard by theU.S Senate Committee on Banking, Housing andUrban Affairsand, if approved, it would then go to avote by the full Senate.

Email Willie Swett at willie.swett@theadvocate. com.

Catholic Church at 10am.

Lorrain,Janell

St.Clement of Rome Catholic Church in Metairie,LAat11am.

Thomas,Larry Williams &Southall FuneralHome, Thibodaux, LAat 11am

Tillman, Edward Hall Davis& Sons FuneralHome, 58790 IronFarmRoadinPlaquemine, at 11 a.m.

Underhill, Dianna Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street in BatonRougeat 1pm Obituaries BrownJr.,Lawrence 'Big B'

Lawrence “Big B” Brown, Jr. departed this life on Saturday, July 5, 2025, at his residenceinAlgiers,LA. Hewas 79, anativeofNew Orleans,LA. Visitation on Saturday, July 19,2025, at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 1802 Tulane Ave, NewOr‐leans,LAfrom9:00amto MassofChristian Burial at 10:00am IntermentinMt. OlivetCemetery. Arrange‐ments by Williams & SouthallFuneral Home, 5414 Hwy1,Napoleonville LA70390. (985)369-7231. To signthe guestbookor offercondolences,visit our website at www.william sandsouthallfuneralhome. com.

Dorsey,PatriciaAnn 'Pat'

Patricia Ann“Pat” Dorseydepartedthislife onTuesday,July8,2025,at her residenceinBelle Rose LA. Shewas 76, anativeof Belle Rose,LA. Visitation onFriday, July 18,2025, at Williams andSouthall Fu‐neral Home from 2:00pm to 4:00pm. Visitation on Sat‐urday,July19, 2025, at First Israel BaptistChurch from 9:00amtoreligious ser‐vices at 11:00am.Inter‐mentinthe church ceme‐tery. Arrangements by Williams &SouthallFuneral Home, 5414 Hwy1, Napoleonville,LA70390 (985) 369-7231. To sign the guest book or offercondo‐lences, visitour websiteat www.williamsandsouthall funeralhome.com.

Grimmer Sr.,Ray

Funeral serviceswillbegin withthe recitation of the Rosaryat9:00 am, followed by Mass at 10:00am, Saturday, July 19, 2025,at St Francis Xavier Catholic Churchfor Wanda Gale Harris,78, of Baton Rouge, LA. She peacefully departed this life on Monday, June 30, 2025ather home with herfamily. Sheleaves to cherish hermemoriesone son, ChandlerNairn(Charisma), fourgrandsons,Spencer Amerin,Caden, Conner and ChanningNairn,two greatgrandchildrenAliviaand Azekiel Amerin, one sister Cheryl GaleDowdyand one brother Clarence Gale III. Arrangements are entrusted to DesselleFuneral Home.

Glenda Gayle Chustz Jagneaux

Anative and lifelong resident of Livonia, passed awayonWednesday,July 16, 2025 at Ochsner Medical CenterinBaton Rouge. Shewas retiredfromthe FoodService industry whereshe workedasa cook. She is survived by her daughters,April Jagneaux and Michelle Garcia (Kevin); her beloveddogs, Sadie and Bella; sisters, Betty Faye Martin, Carol G. LeJeune and Gloria LaCombe. She is preceded in death by her husband, Ivy Jagneaux; parents, Lawrenceand Addie Labauve Chustz; sister, Beverly Landry; brothers, Glyn and Jimmy Chustz.A Mass of ChristianBurial willbe held at St. Frances CabriniCatholicChurchin LivoniaonTuesday, July 22, 2025 at 11 am. The inurnment willfollow in the church mausoleum. Specialthanks to Allyson Johnsonfor thecare and transporttodoctor's visits during Glenda'sillness and to the staffatLaPlantation Retirement Community. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to St. Jude Children's Hospital.

JosephSr.,Ernest

AresidentofGrosse Tete,LApassed away at his home on Saturday, July 12, 2025.Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2025,9:00 A.M. untilReligious Service at 11:00 A.M., 76765CedarStreet, Grosse Tete,LA70740, Pastor ClydeE.McNell, officiating Interment in church cemetery. Survivedbyhis three children; Randy (Linda) Joseph, Ernest (Tarra) Joseph, Jr and Ashleigh Anderson, four grandchildren; Dynasty,Durrell, Tyran, and Alaishia, one great grandchild; Jamarion, sistersand brothers, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends. Precededin death by his wife;Barbara Joseph, parents; Josephine and WillardJoseph, several brothers and sisters.

London,Jalanski Funeralservicesfor JalanskiLondonwillbe heldSaturday, July 19, 2025 atBeechGrove Baptist Church,996 Hwy. 68 Jack‐son,LA70748. Apublicvisi‐tationwillbeheldfrom 9:00a.m.until 10:00 a.m. withreligious services be‐ginning at 10:00 a.m. Inter‐ment: Southern Memorial Gardens Mausoleum. Pro‐fessional services en‐trusted to CharlesMackey FuneralHome.

Noble, Bertell BertellNoble entered intoeternal rest at hisresi‐dence in Baker, Louisiana onJuly12, 2025. He wasa 41-year oldnativeofBaton Rouge,Louisiana.Memor‐ial Servicewillbeheldat Miracle PlaceChurch, Baker,BishopRicky Sin‐clair,pastor, on Sunday July20, 2025 at 3:00 pm conducted by Pastor Je‐remyDucote. Survivorsin‐clude hismother, Patricia ThomasNoble;daughter, Mackenzie Noble, Little Rock, Arkansas;brother, Christopher Noble, Arling‐ton,Virginia; otherrela‐tives andfriends.Arrange‐ments entrustedtoMiller & Daughter Mortuary

Pursley, Anthony Services forAnthony Pursley will be held Satur‐day,July19, 2025 at St MaryBaptist Church,1252 N.Acadian Thrwy. Apublic visitationwillbeheldfrom 1:00p.m.until 2:00 p.m. withreligious services be‐ginning at 2:00 p.m. Inter‐ment: Private. Professional servicesentrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

Anative& resident of Morganza, La passed away July14, 2025 at theage of 53. Funeralarrangements are pendingtillnext weekend

AUnitedStates Marine CorpsVeteran and lifelong resident of Maringouin, LA transitionedpeacefully from his earthly home at theage of 92. Visitation willbeheldonSaturday, July19, 2025, 9:00 A.M. until Religious Service at 11:00 A.M. One AccordMinistry of Unification, 77400 AngellozAvenue,Maringouin, LA 70757, conductedbyPastor DonaldRay Patterson. Interment in Rising Star Baptist Church cemetery, Ramah, LA.Survived by a devoted daughter-in-law; FeliciaJohnson Thomas, five grandsons; Javion, Ja'Kobe,Jalen, Ja'Vonta, & Ja'Kyrie, sister-in-law;

Howtoplace an Obituary Notice Howtoplace a

EMAIL:

Mary JaneThomas, two godchildren; Lois Thomas Hawkinsand Kiran Thomas, aloyal neighbor; Yolanda Crump Pooler nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Preceded in death by his wife; Marilyn "Jack"Thomas, son; Guy Thomas, Jr. parents; Lizzie &Walter Thomas, Sr., threesisters and sixbrothers.

Thompson,GeorgeAllen Services forGeorge Allen Thompson will be heldSaturday, July 19, 2025 atHeavenlyHope-North, 3940 Prescott Rd.A public visitationwillbeheldfrom 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. withreligious services be‐ginning at 11:00 a.m. Inter‐ment: Private. Professional servicesentrusted to Charles Mackey Funeral Home.

CarrieTobias, abeloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend, passed away peacefully on July13, 2025, at theage of 85. She leavestocherish her memories five children: Robert Selders, Glenda Selders Brown (Charles), Yolanda Selders Gilmore (Larry), Stephanie Selders Williams (Gene), Lesley P. Harleaux Jr. (Karelys), seven grandchildren,and eleven greatgrandchildren. Three sisters, Willene Evans,Althel Martin,and Gloria Tobias allofBaton Rouge, LA,two brothers, Tommy Tobias and Kenis Tobias, of New Orleans, LA Visitation willbeheld Friday, July18, 2025, at Desselle Funeral Home, 5:00-7:00 pm, and Saturday, July 19, 2025, at Greater NewGalilee B.C.,pastor Mark ALittSr.,from8:00 am until services at 10:00 am

passedawaypeacefullyat Lakeside Hospital on July 9, 2025, withher loving husband of over 32 years, Mervin "Bud" Arthur StringerII, by herside. Lyn wasbornonNovember17, 1946, in Clarksdale, Mississippi. She received herbachelor'sdegree from theUniversity of Mississippi (Ole Miss) for four years and earned amaster's degree in speech pathology from Florida State University. Throughout herlife, Lyn expressed hercreativity in countless ways, especially throughinteriordesign. If she couldn'tfindthe perfect piecetotie aroom together,she wouldcreate it herself, though herguests were neverthe wiser. Her eye for detailand gift for makinga housefeellikea home were admiredbyall whosteppedthrough her door. In addition to hercreative talents,Lyn hada heartfor service.She was alifelongeducator and generouslyvolunteered hertimeatthe NewOrleansMuseum of Art, whereshe served as adocent for numerous exhibits.

Shewill be deeply missed by all whoknew herand remembered for herwarmth,her jingles, and herdevotion to her "darlins." Lyn waspreceded in death by herparents, Thomas andLouise Ware; hersisters, JefferyPierce andBethChiles; and her grandchildren, Toby Stroll Jr.and NicholasHood.

Sheissurvivedbyher husband, BudStringer; her childrenand theirspouses: Jeff andMargaret Hood, andNaomi and Chris Mulkey; hergrandchildren andtheir spouses: Keith andCallie Mulkey, and Tyler Mulkeyand Lizzy Vise; and hergreat-grandchildren, Toby andAlex Mulkey.

Visitation will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 19, at NewCovenant Presbyterian Church, whereshe andBud were members. Aservice celebratingher life willfollow directlyafter visitation

Weatherspoon,Geneva

GenevaWeatherspoon, aloving motherand devoted grandmother, passed away peacefullyonJuly8, 2025, at 3:43 p.m.,surroundedbyher family. She was74yearsold, anative of Liberty,MS, anda resident of Baton Rouge,LA. Sheissurvivedbyher daughter, Mary Weatherspoon-Stewart (Charles II), andtwo cherished grandsons, Charles III and Caleb Stewart. Shealso leaves behind threesistersand twobrothers, along witha host of other relativesand friends whowill miss her dearly. Visitation will be held on

Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., withreligious servicesbeginning at 10:00 a.m. at NewHope Baptist Church,3254 Kahnville Road,Gloster, MS 39638. Servicesentrusted to CharlesMackey Funeral Home.

Alecia Monea Wesley wasbornOctober 20, 2000. Departedthis life July 4, 2025 Leavingtocherish the memories of Monea's life is herfather,Jasmin Briley; hersiblings, Ja'miyhaWesley, Makayah Batiste, Kaden Wesley,Jazmin Brileyand Jay'Vion Briley; aunts TerrySetaWesley Luke (JerryEdwards, Jr) Kawanda Briley, and Tegra Walker; unclesDarryl Wesley, Deldric(Chasity) Wesley, Corey Wesley,Lorenzo Osborne, Sr Steve (Felicia) Osborne,Harold Link, andLydell Link; Averyspecial familythat was instrumental in Monea's life; "daddy" Curtis (Constance)Jenkins,Jr., "PawPaw"Curtis N. Jenkins,Sr. and"MoMo"AudreyWalker Jenkins; paternalgrandfather,James Pat Gales; godparents, Michelle "Missy" Penn-Wesley, Corey Wesley andRashardWesley; preceded in death by hermotherAlexis "Lula" Wesley.VisitationisFriday July 18,2025 from 5-7 PM at Roscoe Mortuary 58635 Meriam Street Plaquemine Visitation will resume Saturday July 19, 2025 at the MountZionInner City 24400 Eleanor Drive Plaqueminefrom9AM until ReligiousService at 11AM RevR.Handy, Pastor.IntermentinLittle Zion Cemetery. Roscoe Mortuary in charge of Service

Williams,Nathaniel NathanielWilliams passedawayFriday, July 11, 2025 at Legacy Nursing Homeatthe ageof79. Visi‐tationonSaturday, July 19, 2025, from 9a.m.until reli‐gious serviceat11a.m.at Faith andAbundance StrongTower Christian Center, 58126 Plaquemine Street,Plaquemine, LA, Apostle Sterling andMary Batton. Interment, Mt Olive BaptistChurch Ceme‐tery. Arrangements en‐trusted to Pugh's Mortu‐ary,Plaquemine, LA (225) 687-2860.

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OPINION

People with STIs need treatment

Lawmakers in Louisiananearly passed alaw that could have criminalized nearly every adult in the state simply for knowing their sexually transmitted infection status. House Bill 76 would have turned everyday health realities into felony offenses that disproportionately target our communities, especially Black women and survivors of sexual violence. As Black women committed to genuine safety and security for our communities, we raised the alarm, and people listened. HB76 did not advance andthe immediate threat has been stopped In its place, the Legislature has approved atask force to study public healthoutcomesrelated to sexuallytransmittedinfections.

This could be an opportunityto move toward evidence-based and community informed solutions, but only if those most impacted aretruly heard HB76 would have let the state treatpeople as criminals just for living with an STI. Under theproposedlaw,someone who knows their status could have faced prison timeand sexoffenderregistrationsimply for having consensual sex.Eveniftheytoldtheir partner. Eveniftheyused protection. Eveniftheyhad an undetectable viral load. It wouldhave invited the state to second-guess private moments and turn misunderstandings or disagreementsinto felony charges.

Sexually transmitted infections are common and treatable. Nearly 23,000 Louisianans are living with HIV.Roughly one in six adults nationwide has herpes. HPV is so common that most sexually active people will contract it at somepoint in their lives.

Butstructural barriers, includinginequitable healthcare access, housing shortages, transportation issues and discrimination, make underserved Louisiana communi-

tiesparticularly vulnerable to sexually transmitted infections, especially Black and brown people, LGBTQ+ people, women and working class people. Stigma, discrimination and criminalization already create powerful barriers to testing, care and treatment. Laws thatcriminalize STIs do more thandiscourage people from learning their status. They can push people out of jobs, housing and relationships, and increase their risk of experiencing violence.

By punishing those who know their STI status, it creates apowerful reason not to get testedatall. It also fuels stigma that already pushes people away from the care and support they need. Doctors and even Louisiana’sown previous task force have warned thatlaws like this do not help.

The proposed law would also harm survivors of sexual assault who acquire an STI. Instead of support and healing, they’d be retraumatizedbythe very system thatis supposed to protect them

Supporters of the bill claimed it was meant to stoppeople who “intentionally spread” STIs. But this is amyth and it obscures the

Recent federalactions have putoffshore leasingbackontrack

For generations, offshore energyinthe Gulf of America has powered America’s economy and fueled thousandsofcareers here in Louisiana. But in recent years, prior administrations caused acloud of uncertainty which has hung over the industry Federal delays, unpredictable lease schedules and regulatory whiplash have taken atoll— not just on companies like mine, but on the workers, families andcommunities who depend on asteady offshore energy economy As aworld leader, our nation cannot be run like this. Our economy deserves and requires certainty with its industries. The effort and capitalthat is invested in this industry is massive so seesaw policy decisions make us all losers.

We put more bootsondeck. AnySouth Louisiananknows maintaining aboat costs money.Big steel ones cost even moreand that means we are doing businesswith lots of vendors not only in Louisiana but all over the nation.

truth: Disclosure is not always safe or easy,but instead is often arisk factor for increased violenceand discrimination.Disclosure can carry real risksfor women, queer and trans peopleand those living in poverty.People have faced charges even after disclosing, based on a partner’sword alone.

If we criminalize STIs, nearly every adult in Louisiana could face thethreat of heightened policing, steepfines, lengthy imprisonment and even sex offender registration —simply forbeing aware of their health status. Louisiana already has aharmful HIV criminalization law that is used unequally and unfairly Black Louisianans are about onethirdofthe population but nearly two-thirds of those targeted by theoutdated law

We need real solutions that genuinely protect our health and safety. That meansinvesting in comprehensive health education,making STI testing more available and ensuring access to proven prevention andtreatment options.

Survivors of sexual violence deserve trauma-informed services,

such as sustained counseling and support and medications that prevent HIVtransmission. We must also address the social and economic inequities that increase violence and create asafer environment fordisclosing one’sSTI status.

These proven strategies would meaningfully address the issues of STIsand sexual violence, while avoiding criminalizing our communities, especially Black women and survivors of violence. We can reduce stigmainstead of writing it into law

As the new task force begins its work, lawmakers have another chance to get it right. This starts with listening to survivors, doctors, and community members. Having ahealth condition should never be acrime. It’s timefor Louisiana to lead with care.

S. Mandisa Moore-O’Neal is a NewOrleans-basedattorney and executive director of the Center forHIV Lawand Policy MillicentFoster is alongtime HIV advocate and public speaker who has lived withHIV for23years

La.’sfundamental approach to educationgetting noticed

Resilience runs deep in Louisiana’s classrooms. The state is making waves nationally —and from my office in Geneva, Switzerland, internationally —for the impressive strides in education it has made thelast five years.

The scale of impact is enormous.National studies showthe offshore oil and gas industry supports nearly 400,000 U.S. jobs and contributes over $30 billion to the economy annually In Louisiana, those jobsaren’t just statistics —they’re neighbors, friends and family members.

That’swhy two recent decisionsby Secretary of the Interior DougBurgum deserve real credit: advancingGulfof America Lease Sale 262 and launching the process to develop anew five-year Offshore Leasing Program. Together,they send along-overdue message —one that offshore workers across the Gulf Coast havebeen waiting to hear: The Gulf of America is back on track! We have work-hardened,skilled mariners that get the “work”doneand they are ready for more. Our company,headquartered in Lafayette, has served the offshore industry for morethan40years.Our U.S.built vessels transport workers, equipment and supplies to and from offshore platforms, facilitating successful shallow water and deepwateroperations across theGulf. We don’tdrill wells —but we do help make offshoredevelopmentpossible.

When lease sales stallorpermitting slows down, the impact hitsour crews, our shipyards and the small businesses that keep us all moving.

That’swhy stability matters. Whenthe federal government offers predictable, regular lease sales —and lays out aclear long-termplanthrougha five-year leasing program —companies can invest with confidence. That investment ripples throughout the Gulf Coast economy. We hire more mariners. We buy more steel

Asingle oil and gas project in theGulf supports more than 200 different job types, many of which pay nearly 30% abovethe national average. One Deepwater development alone can generate$295 million in annual spending, $100 million in direct wages and morethan 1,400 direct jobs each year over a30-year projectlife. That kind of economic engine doesn’trun without areliable federal leasing process.

We’ve also seen how theindustry continuestoraise the bar.Offshore operations in the Gulf of America are among themost tightly regulated in theworld. Safety and environmental performance are central to every operation and still continue to improve. AtAries Marine, we takepride in doing things theright way— because the Gulf is home. It’swhere we live, workand play and where we produce the most deliciousseafood available.

Sec.Burgum’sdecisions to advance Lease Sale 262and initiatea new leasing programare steps in the rightdirection. Theyshowanunderstanding thatoffshore energy plays avital role in America’s energy security,economic strengthand lower-emissions future.

We urge continued bipartisan support for these efforts. WhenWashington delivers thestability our industry needs, Louisianadelivers results. Our state has the people, the infrastructure and the knowhowtolead the way —and withastable offshorepolicy, we’reready to do just that. Court Ramsay is thepresident and CEO ofAries Marine Corporation in Lafayette.

Louisiananow ranks first in the nation for strong early literacy policy,and its studentsachieved their highestever placement on the National Assessment of Educational Progress Nation’s Report Card, moving from 49th in 2019 to 32nd overall last year

As director general of the International Baccalaureate, which teaches 2million students in 160 countries —including at 10 schools in Louisiana —Ibelieve that educational progress begins witharenewed commitment to doing thebasics exceptionally well.

That approach is bearing fruit in Louisiana. It is the only state to exceed pre-COVID scores in 4th grade reading, and it ranks second in 4thgrade math growth

Louisianaimproved its scores by doubling down on proven, foundational reforms: training all K-3 teachers in the “science of reading,” deploying intensive tutoring and requiring literacy screeners with parental notifications. These are long-termcommitments to doing the basics well.

“Slownessisaqualityofthe brave,” I write in my forthcoming book, “Learning as if Life Depended on It.” Louisiana’s long-terminvestmentinfoundational literacy shows the courage to stay the course. Butlastingprogress depends on turning strongbeginnings into shared success for all students, everywhere in the state.

That’swhy Louisiana was the perfect state to carry out our first-in-the-world pilot program for early access to the IB curriculum. For the first time ever,select public high schools in Louisiana canbegin teaching IB Diploma Programand Careerrelated Program courses before completing theIB’stypical two-yearauthorization process. This expands immediate access to high-quality, future-ready education.

At itscore, IB equips students not just with academic knowledge, but with the curiosity,resilience and globalperspective needed to navigatetoday’scomplex world. It emphasizes inquiry,critical thinking and personal growth.

StudentsatSt. Frederick High School

in Monroewill be the first to pilot IB’s early accessprogram next month. The initiative aligns directly with Louisiana’s revised2024 Public School Accountability Plan, whichemphasizes college andcareer readiness. It bridgesglobal andstate standards while honoring local priorities, helping educatorsdeepen instruction and keep students engaged. The timing couldn’tbemore fitting for IB’scommitment to Louisiana.Earlierthis week,more than 1,500 teachersand educators from the U.S., Canada andLatin America gathered in NewOrleans for the IB Global Conference. The July 15 opening coincidedwith World Youth Skills Day—a reminder of howeducationprepares youth for tomorrow’seconomy. In Louisiana, thatfuture liesinhealth, energy andtech —sectorsdemanding innovative, skills-based learning.

Louisiana’s classroom comeback embodiesissuesclose to my heart: First, learning is civic andpersonal. The state’searly reading gains weren’tjust policy— they depended on training, community voice andtrust in teachers. Second, we must unlearn systems steeped in rigidity.For decades, highstakestesting andnarrow “teach to the test” mindsets undermined deep learning. Louisiana’s pivotbacktofundamentals andnow stepforward with early access to advanced,college-focused IB programs —echoes aviewIhold: Education must move beyond static curriculum to dynamic learning thatkeeps pace with today’s fast-moving world.

As aFinnish educator and lifelong learner, Ibelieve every region has unique strengths. Louisiana’scultural tapestry Creoleand Cajun voices, French language tradition, its jazz musicians’ collaborative creations —isfertile ground for IB’s globally-minded approach. The Louisiana pilot means many morestudents may soon join the IB family here, preparing them to thrive on aglobally competitive stage.

As 1,500 educators met in NewOrleans, we all celebrated the state’sremarkable and meaningful reading and mathgains —and learned from one another to help students everywhere soar

In Louisiana’sclassrooms, that journey is wellunderway

Olli-PekkaHeinonen is the director generalofInternationalBaccalaureate.

ISSUE OF THE WEEK BIG BEAUTIFUL BILL

After thepassageofthe OneBig Beautiful Bill Act, Republicans and Democrats honedtheir messages to voters aboutwhat it means for them.While someelementsofthe bill maybewelcome, such as taxcuts, polls areshowing that manyAmericans are worried about cuts to popular programs likeMedicaid. How thepublic viewsthe legislation could determinewhich party makes gains in themidtermelections that will determine control of Congress.What shouldthe parties be telling thepublic about the law? Hereare twoperspectives:

Sellinghow thelaw benefits Americans

It’sone thing to pass amajor piece of legislation and haveitsigned by the president; it’squite another toget the public to swallow it as something that benefits most of the country House and Senate Democrats, who stood in unison against President Donald Trump’s“big beautiful bill” —even trying to changethe name of it to spite Republicans —now thinkthey have astrategy to misrepresent it to the public. Polls show amajority don’tlike the bill.

lions of dollars “toshape” voter impressions. It’snot likely that those who votedfor or against themeasure have read it. Recall then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi who said about the Obamacare bill, “Wehave to pass thebill so you can findout what’sinit.”

Now, thebattlelines have been drawn

would-be monarchs andoligarchs.”

The Wall Street Journal cites apoll byQuinnipiacUniversity and Fox News that shows opposition to the new law outweighs support by 20%.

Probably amajor reason forits unpopularity is the way themedia frames anything that includes cuts, even when those cutsmake sense and separately might poll well. These include forcing able-bodied people who receive Medicaid to look forwork, cutting taxesonSocial Securityfor everyone but the hated “rich,”and maintaining the Trumptax cuts, even though they won’tbefelt if theycontinue as they are.

The law addstothe already unsustainable $37 trillion national debt. According to an analysis bythe Committee for aResponsible Federal Budget the law “adds $4.1 trillion to the debt through 2034” and adds“5.5 trillion if made permanent.”

Republicans are countingoneconomic growthand tariffs to produce enough revenue to reduce thedebt. It is like giving Dracula more blood, hoping he will go on the wagon.

The Wall Street Journal story notes that both parties plan to spendmil-

At 940 pages, thebig, beautiful bill will be ahard sell. Democrats may have aslight advantage because it’s currently causing people to fear their benefits might end. Fear works for them with low-information voters, so whyshouldn’tthey tryitagain?

Where it didn’twork was with the 1996 Bill Clinton-Newt Gingrich success at welfare reform initiative, deliciously known as “The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act.” TheLeft claimed people would starve, lose their homes and other “the skyisfalling” prophecies. It didn’t happen. Able-bodied people mostly foundjobs when they realized the gravy train wasn’tstopping at their mailbox anymore. The same will likely happenwhen it comes to the necessary and long overdue reform of Medicaid andother outmoded andbloated socialspending. If Republicans can sell thelaw to thepublic better than Democrats can lie about it, they could maintain and possiblyexpand their majorities in Congress.Ifthat happens they must use that mandate to seriously reduce thedebt. No nation in history has been able to sustain a$37 trillion debt. Are we so arrogant that we believe we can avoid history and solid economic policy?Ifweare, no manner of clever accounting tricks, polling, or sleight of hand will be able todeliver us from history’sjudgment

EmailCal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.

President Donald Trump’s Big BeautifulBill is already the subject of campaign attack ads launched by both parties. OneRepublican group is targeting vulnerable House Democrats like Rep. Jared Golden of Maine with thecharge of “voting againsttax cuts. ADemocratic operation is goingafter swing-district Republicans like Rep.Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania withamillion-dollarad buy featuring aconstituent who complains that Bresnahanbrokehis promise to hertoprotect Medicaid.

“Afterwards, whenthe votes were done, when Ifound outhow he voted, Iwas very upset to hear that Congressman Bresnahanvoted forthe largest cut to Medicaid in history,” the constituent says. The 2026 midterm election is well underway,and the stakes are considerable. Republicans cling to athree-seat margin in the House, and aDemocraticvictory would upset Trump’slegislative ambitions during his final twoyears in office. Both parties think theycan usethe Big Beautiful Billtosway voters. Both can’t be right.

“Every Democrat (in the) House and Senate voted no,” argued Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the House majority leader.“The American people are going to seegreat benefits from thisbill, and they’re going to know which party was fighting for them.”

Rep. Jamie RaskinofMaryland retorted thatthe Republican bill has“written the script” for Democraticcampaign messages. “I’m certainly goingtobe talking about it all of the time,” he told USA Today.“Imean, nothing could bettercapture the way thatthe Republican party just servesDonald Trump andour

Polls show that Democrats start with an advantage. Amid-June Fox News poll foundthat59% of registered voters opposed thebill, while 38% favored it Butthose are tentative numbers; much depends on howthe bill is described anddefined over thenext16months, andRepublicanshavestrongthemes to promote.

Taxcutsare always winners, and the bill extendsmassive reductions initially adopted during Trump’s first term.Plus, it adds somenew benefits —reduced taxes on tips and overtime as well as extendedcreditsfor someseniors and parents.

Shrewdly,the bill postpones manyof itsunpopularbudget cuts untilafter the midterm elections, andits mostdamaging long-term effect —a $4 trillion increase in thenational debt —remains an intangibleabstraction that seldom impacts voters directly.

Still, Democrats benefit from some structural advantages, starting withthe fact that theopposition almostalways gains House seats in midterm balloting.

In addition, no president is able to keep allofhis promises, so acertain amount of disenchantment is inevitable As the Democraticads in Pennsylvania emphasize, Trump andhis alliesvowed —explicitly andoften —toprotect Medicaidfunding, andtheyfailedtodoso.

The battlelineshavebeen drawn.The attack adshave already been written Who benefitsfrom theBig Beautiful Bill? Andwho suffers? Does it advance growth or aggravate debt? Reward work or punish misfortune?How parties frame these questions —and how voters answer them —will influence American politics foryears to come. Email Steven Roberts at stevecokie@ gmail.com.

SAINTS PREVIEW SA FE TIES

Reid, Mathieu couldlift defense

BY MATTHEW PARAS

Staff writer

THEADVOCATE.COM | Friday, July18, 2025 1CN

Tyrann Mathieu and Justin Reid have intertwined alot throughouttheir careers. At first, it was in Houston, where Mathieu served as a mentor for Reid when the latterenteredthe NFL in 2018. Then,yearslater,itwas Reid whoreplaced Mathieu in Kansas City after the Chiefs decided to not re-sign the veteran. Now, this season, thepairreunitedagain: TheSaintssignedReidtoa splashy threeyear,$30.5 million contract

“Weboth get to come in and add our own flavors to the defense,” Reid said. Reid’s addition wasthe Saints’most significant free-agent move thisoffseason.By luring the two-time Super Bowlchampion away from the Chiefs, theSaints hope Reid provides an instant sparkto their secondary New Orleans opted foramarquee signing rather than bring back starter Will Harris, who signed atwo-year,$8milliondeal with theWashington Commanders.

How much of an impact will Reid provide?

If his history is any past indication, the 28-year-old should be athudding presence in the box and help shoreupa porousrun defense. His versatility should alsopairwell with Mathieu, who can also mixand match his roles on the backend.

Let’stake acloser look at thesafetyposition. Best case

In the NFL, explosive plays are defined as passes that gain at least 16 yards andruns that go for at least 12 yards. Last season,

ä See SAINTS, page 5C

SAFETY DEPTH CHART

PLAYER HT. WT.EXP .

Justin Reid 6-1 207 8

Tyrann Mathieu 5-9190 13

Jordan Howden 6-0 209 3

Jonas Sanker 6-1 210 R

J.T. Gray 6-0202 8

Terrell Burgess 5-11 202 5

Reunionmight be boost theSaintsneed Davis

Elliot Davison 6-0190 R

TyrannMathieu STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER

Wide receiver Brown’sspeed couldmakeadifferencefor LSU

BY WILSON ALEXANDER Staff writer

ATLANTA— The first time Barion Brown returned akickoff fora touchdown, Kentucky defensive back Jordan Lovett gave him ablock. Three years later,the thought of Brown sprinting past him andeveryone else on thefieldhasn’t left his mind.

“He’sa blur,dude,” Lovett said. “He’sone place, then he’s notthere. He sees the hole, it’s over.That’sone person I can say,ifhegets any open space, you ain’tcatching him.” Brown transferred to LSU after three seasonsatKentucky,and he could become oneofthe Tigers’ top wide receiversalong with redshirt senior Chris Hilton, redshirt juniorAaron Anderson, Oklahoma transfer Nic Anderson and senior Zavion Thomas. Lovett practiced against Brown for the past three years.

He often had to cover him,and he offered adescription of Brown’s skill set.

“Speed. Speed. Speed. Speed. And he canstopona dime,” Lovett said, snapping, “like that.”

Theword speed cameupregularly at SEC media days this weekinreference to LSU’swide receivers. LSU linebacker Whit Weeks said four have run faster than 23 mph, and quarterback Garrett Nussmeier thinks allofthem run the40-yard dash in at least 4.4 seconds.

“In that unit,” Nussmeier said, “it’sall speed.”

LSU was intentional about adding speed to the position. When Chris Hilton got hurt last season, it didn’thave someoneelsewho was ready to contributeand could stretch thefield vertically.Offensive coordinator Joe Sloan joked at LSU’scoaches clinicthathedid what anygoodcoach

ä See LSU, page 4C

SECschedulingsagamay

soon come to an end

ATLANTA— Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitzmarched to the podium at SEC media days on Thursday morning and quickly announced (facetiously) that he had nothing to say about the Epstein files, radiation beltsorwhether Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone. He did have something pithy to say about SEC football scheduling,orrather the lack thereof.

Women’sbasketballstars’NIL

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reeseand Paige

Bueckers are part of the new generation of women’sbasketball stars whohave been able to profit off their name in college and build brandsthat have helped them excel off the court in the WNBA.

All three players had national starpower before stepping foot in the pros. Clark and Reese have made the All-Star Gameineach of their first two seasons andare two of the most popular players in the league. Bueckers wasvoted astarter in her first

“Eight-ornine-game schedule,” Drinkwitzsaid. “We’ve been debating

that for five years.” SEC scheduling has become what we call in the newsbiz an “evergreen” story,one that has along shelf life or can be revisited over and over again. It was thetopic du jour in most of the media sessions here.The same at the SEC spring meeting in May.The same at those two events last year andthe year beforethat and the year SEC commissioner Greg Sankey

wasasked about apermanent scheduling format when he spoke here Monday.Hesaid there will be aformat soon. It’s starting to sound like acampaign promise.

On the otherhand, perhaps there is starting to be alittle clarity and movement on the subject. Abreak in the logjam. Sankeydid asubsequent interview with ESPN’sHeather Dinich here Wednesday,inwhich he

ä See RABALAIS, page 4C

brands carrying over into WNBA

All-Star Game this weekend. The next group up in college that is led by Hannah Hidalgo, Flau’jaeJohnson, Olivia Miles andJuJu Watkins has already benefitted from the name, likeness and image. AccordingtoOn3,Johnson’sNIL valuation is $1.5 million. “NIL, man,itisbeautiful,” Johnson said. “This year in MarchMadness,I hadabout five commercialsrunning and you know it was so cool watching the game, then seeing myself comeon. It’s just agreat opportunity.” Johnson is aguard at LSU, one of the top schools forNIL in avariety of sports from

football to women’s gymnastics to women’s basketball.Johnson, whoalsohas amusic career,has gained from the exposure the school has given her,doing national media campaigns with Experian and Powerade. Hildago, who will be entering herjunior year at Notre Dame, is happy that players can finally profit off their own images as opposed to theschool getting it all. “It’sablessing. Schools for decades have been able to makemoney offofcollege players’ names. So for now,for student athletes to be able to make moneyoff of howthey

ä See WNBA, page 3C

NIL, man, it is beautiful.This year in March Madness, Ihad about five commercials running and you knowitwas so cool watching the game, thenseeingmyself come on It’sjust agreat opportunity.” FLAU’JAE JOHNSON, LSU guard

On TV

AUTO RACING

2p.m. NTT IndyCar:Practice FS2

4p.m. ARCA Menards: Gen.Tire 150 FS1 MEN’S BASKETBALL

6p.m.War Readyvs. X-Rayted FS1

8p.m. La Familia vs. Stroh’s Squad FS1 CYCLING

5:30 a.m. Tour de France: Stage13PEACOCK

BOYS FLAGFOOTBALL

9a.m. Round of 16 NFLN/ESPN2 GIRLS FLAGFOOTBALL

11 a.m. Round of 16 NFLN/ESPN2

GOLF

5p.m. DP World/PGA: BarracudaGolf

4a.m. DP/PGA Tour:British Open* USA

BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

10 a.m.EyBL PeachJam NBATV MEN’S LACROSSE

8p.m. PLL: Utah vs.Carolina ESPN2

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

1p.m. Boston at ChicagoCubs MLBN

6p.m. N.y.yankeesatAtlanta MLBN

10 p.m.Milwaukee at L.A. Dodgers MLBN

NBA SUMMER LEAGUE

3p.m. Dallas vs.OrlandoNBATV

5p.m. Philadelphiavs. Brooklyn NBATV

7p.m. Utahvs. ChicagoNBATV

8p.m.Indiana vs. NewOrleans ESPN

9p.m.Denvervs. L.A. LakersNBATV

MEN’S SOCCER

6p.m.USL: Pittsburgh at Detroit ESPN2

WOMEN’S SOCCER

2p.m.Spain vs.Switzerland Fox

3:55 p.m.Uruguayvs. Peru FS2

6:55 p.m.Argentina vs. Chile FS2 SOFTBALL

7p.m.Bandits vs.Volts ESPNU TENNIS

8:30 p.m.Los Cabos-ATP Semifinals Tennis WNBA

7p.m.Kia Skills ChallengeESPN

*Saturday

BritishOpenhas 5-waytie forlead

BY DOUG FERGUSON

AP golf writer

PORTRUSH, NorthernIreland The British Open had alittle bit of everything Thursday,from sunshine to rain, abreeze to stronggusts And no surprise, it had Scottie Scheffler right in the mix.

Former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick handled the notorious “Calamity Corner” par-3 16th by chipping in for birdie. Harris English,whose longtime caddie couldn’t get atravel visa for the UK becauseofprison time served 20 years ago, put his shortgamecoach on the bagand made seven birdies.

They were among fiveplayers tied for the lead at 4-under 67, the largestlogjam after18holes of the BritishOpen since there was asix-way tie in 1938.

One shot behindwas Scheffler the world’sNo. 1player who has not finished out of the top 10 in the last four months, astretch that includes anothermajoramong three wins. He was satisfied with the day’s work of 68,evenwhilehitting only three of 14 fairways.

Rory McIlroy made bogey on the opening hole before amassive gallery —that was still three shots better than his start in 2019 —and overcame three bogeys in afourhole stretch with akey birdie on No. 17 that allowed him to break par at 70.

McIlroy only hit two fairways. He was satisfied with the day’s work of 68,evenwhilehitting only three of 14 fairways.

“It was atough enough day, especially either chopping out of the rough or outofthe fairwaybunkers most of the time,” McIlroy said. “So to shoot under par was a good effort.”

It’snot that golf’s best were necessary wild off the tee.

There was that small matter of weather,often the greatest defense of links golf, which brought the occasional rain, the constant wind and rounds that nearly last six hours.

That’swhy Scheffler seemed perplexed about so much attention on his accuracy off thetee.

“You’re the second guy that’s mentioned that to me,” Scheffler said. “I actually thought Idroveit pretty good. Idon’tknow what you guys are seeing. When it’sraining sideways, believe it or not (it’s) not that easy to get the ball in the fairway

“Really only had oneswing Iwasn’ttoo happy with on the second hole,” he said. “But outside that, Ifelt like Ihit alot of good tee shots, hit the ball really solid, so definitely agoodbit of confidence for the next couple of rounds.”

Therealsowas his4-ironto3 feet on the 16th for birdie,the

start of birdie-birdie-par finish. But no one could go extremely low

Jacob Skov Olesen, the British Amateur champion lastyear from Denmark,was thefirst playerto getto5underuntila bogeyat the last. He was joined at 67 by Li HaotongofChina, and then Fitzpatrick joined thegroup with hismarvelous chip-in. Christiaan Bezuidenhoutwas the only player from theafternoonwave to join them at 67.

Fitzpatrickreached alow point in hisgame at ThePlayersChampionshipand appears to be back on track, particularly with what he called awell-rounded gamein tough conditions on these links. He is coming off atie for fourth last week in the Scottish Open.

Thechip-in was his highlight, from well below the green to the right, into the cup on the fly “A bitofluck, obviously,” Fitzpatricksaid. “Sometimes you needthat. It just came outalittle bitharderthanI anticipated and on theperfect line.”

Li might have hadthe most impressive round, keeping bogeys off his card, by holing a10-foot parputtonthe final hole.

Anotherbogey-free round belonged to 44-year-old Justin Rose, in thegroup at 69 that included 52-year-oldLee Westwood, former Openchampion Brian Harman and Lucas Glover,who was tied for thelead until apair of bogeys early on the back nine.

English and Olesenwere the only players to reach 5under at any point.

Harris walked along with Ramon Bescansa,a former player, occasionalcaddie and mostly known for teachingputt and chipping.

Eric Larson,who hascaddied for English the lasteight years, was denieda newtravel visa required for theUK.

Among the redflags is anyone serving morethan 12 months in prison. Larson served 10 years for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, acase of knowing friends in the Midwestwho wanted it and people in south Florida who had it.

Bescansacaddies for Abraham Ancer on LIVGolf, whodidn’t qualify for theOpen. Englishis in acrucialstretch of theseason as he tries to makethe Ryder Cup team. The lanky Georgian isn’t bothered by much, and he’s han-

dled thedisruption with ease.

The golf has been pretty steady, too.

For everyone, thehardest part was staying dressed for the occasion.There were sweatersand thenrainsuits,and some finished theirround in short-sleevedshirts. This is what is meant by “mixed” conditions in the forecast.

Defending champion Xander Schauffele hada mixtureofbirdies andbogeys that added to an even-par 71. Shane Lowry,the last Open champion at Royal Portrush in 2019, had the nerves of someone hitting the opening tee shot.

He handled that beautifully along with mostother shots in the worst of the weather in his round of 70.

Andthis might just be the start.

“We’re going to get challenging conditions over the next few days,” Lowry said.

“Today,for example, the 11th hole was likethe worst hole to get the weather we got in. Ithink there’sgoing to be certaintimes in the tournament where that’sgoingtohappen, andyou just need to kind of put your head downand battle through it and see where it leaves you.”

Spidercamtechmodernizesoldest major

BY STEVE DOUGLAS AP sportswriter

PORTRUSH, NorthernIreland The oldest majorchampionship has taken astep into the modern world by using atechnological feature that British Open organizers hope will bring to life one of the most storied walks in golf. Spidercam —that’sa camera, not asuperhero —was usedin golf for the first time at Royal Portrush on Thursday.It’sa camerasuspended above the18th green using four pylons about 25 meters high, giving TV viewers unique viewsofthe closinghole and its undulations.

Heldina resting position high to the back of the green for approach shots, Spidercam swoops down as theplayers make their walk to the green and hovers just above them as they make their putts.

“It’spretty cool the way it can

move and do all thoseswings,”

said Northern Irish golfer Tom McKibbin, who went out at 6:35 a.m. local time in the first group ofthe daywith Nicolai Hojgaard and Padraig Harrington. They were the first players to experience in competition the technology which reportedly cost the R&A300,000 pounds ($400,000)toinstall.

“It was alittle bitdifferent,” McKibbin said. “I’d never seen it before.”

That’sbecause the R&A is using the technology beforeany of theprofessionaltours in golf Spidercam has, though, operated widelyinTVcoverage of other majorsportsincluding soccer,rugby and cricket —and has occasionally gotten in the way In 2017,India star MS Dhonihit ashot in acricket match against England that smashed into the hovering camera andbroke it In 2022, South Africa cricketer

Anrich Nortje was knocked to the ground when he collidedwith alow-swinging Spidercam as he walkedtohis place in the field in atest against Australia. The camera operator responsible wasstood downfor theremainderofthe match. “I didn’tknow what hit me,” Nortje said at thetime.“Idon’t thinkitshould be travelingat head height.” At Royal Portrush, Spidercam will complement existing technology suchasaplane camera, aerial drones andbunkercameras to enhance TV coverage. According to theGuardian newspaper,players were briefed lastweek aboutplans to use Spidercam at Royal Portrush and there were no complaints despite the potential for getting distracted whilepreparing to make ashot.

As Hojgaardand Harrington walked alongside each other

Former Eagles special teams Braman diesat38

Bryan Braman, akey special teamsplayerfor thePhiladelphia Eagles’ first SuperBowl championship team, hasdied from arare and aggressive form of cancer.He was38. Braman wasdiagnosed earlier this year andhad multiple surgeries in recentmonths in an attempt to treat the illness. He died Thursday morning, according to the team

Signedasanundraftedfree agent by theTexans in 2011, Braman playedseven seasons in the NFL. He spent his first threein Houston and last four in Philadelphia. The Eagles beat the Patriots 41-33towin thefranchise’s first SuperBowl in Braman’sfinal gameonFeb. 4, 2018. Braman had 56 tackles, 11/2 sacksand two fumble recoveries in 97 career games.

Arsenal pays feetosign Smith from Liverpool

Olivia Smithbecame the most expensive player in women’ssoccerhistory Thursday when she joined Arsenal from Liverpool for aworld recordtransferfee of 1 million pounds ($1.34 million). The new benchmark in women’ssoccer surpasses the 900,000 pounds ($1.1 million) Chelsea paid forNaomi Girma from SanDiego Wave in January

The 20-year-old Canada forward signeda four-year deal,aperson with knowledge of the contract told The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because thefull details of thetransferhave not been madepublic.

Smith’sdeal highlights the rapid increase in spending in women’s soccer with transfer records regularly broken in recent years.

Diamondbacks star’shome robbed during All-Star Game Ahome belonging to Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was burglarized during the Major League BaseballAll-Star break, according to police. Scottsdale, Arizona, police confirmed that the department is investigating a“high-dollar residential burglary” thatisbelieved to have happened on Tuesday night, which is when Marte was playing forthe National League in itsAllStar gamewin in Atlanta. Numerous personal itemsand jewelry were stolen. No one was at homeatthe timeofthe crime. Police say the investigation is ongoing. The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. The NFLand NBAhave issued security alerts to athletes.

Marathon record-holder suspended for doping

Women’smarathon worldrecordholderRuth Chepngetichwas provisionally suspended for apositive doping test on Thursday Track and field’sAthletics Integrity Unit said Chepngetich tested positive for abanned diureticand masking agent in March and “opted for avoluntary provisional suspension,” during the investigation. The Kenyan runner set the world recordbyalmost two minutesat the Chicago Marathon last October in 2hours, 9minutes, 56 seconds. She also wonthe marathon at the 2019 world championships in Qatar.The AIU gave no timetable for adisciplinary case. The substance Chepngetich tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)which can be usedtodisguise the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

to the 18th green,Spidercam swung down and over them. As Harrington made his twoputts the camera almost circled him. Hojgaard said he didn’t notice Spidercam. With Royal Portrush not having aclubhouse on the 18th green,therehas been space to install the technology.Other venuesonthe Open rotation won’t have that luxury,notably Royal Lytham St. Anne’s,Royal Troon and Hoylake. Next year’sOpen is at Royal Birkdale, which hasits clubhousenear the 18th green but shouldstill have room forthe Spidercam technology

“We. believe thatSpidercam will bring millions of fans anew perspective of theaction from Royal Portrush,” said Neil Armit, chief commercialofficer at the R&A, “with incredible detail andaccessibility wherever they are in theworld.”

ATPFinals in Turin remains through ’26; future uncertain TheATP Finalswill remaininTurin at least through 2026, the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation announced Thursday —although political issues could affect whether the tournament stays in Italy beyond then.

ATPchairman Andrea Gaudenzi announced in November that the contract for theyear-ending tournament withthe Italianfederationwas extendedfor anotherfive yearsthrough 2030 —but withoutspecifying whether theevent would remain in Turin or moveto Milanand anew arenabeing built for ice hockey at the 2026 MilanCortina Olympics.

Binaghi also said that anew government decree which could diminish the federation’scontrol over organizing the tournament threatens to force the ATPtogoelsewhere.

PRESS PHOTO By LINDSEy WASSON

Turnouthigh, butWNBA CBAtalks stallinIndy

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

INDIANAPOLIS Backedbywhat they said was their largestattendance ever for collective bargaining negotiations, WNBAplayers met with the league Thursday with the sides far apart in discussions for anew deal.

All-Stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and former LSU standout Angel Reese were among about 40 players, most wearing business suits, who took part in the first face-to-face meeting featuring players since December.The two sides met for acouple of hours.

“I’m encouraged, you know,I’m justsoinspired by the amount of players that showed up, the engagement thatwas there,” WNBPApresidentNneka Ogwumike said. “That’s reallywhatit’sall about. Because the more that happens, the more that we’regoingto be able to get things done. Ithink today we’re going to be able to use this conversation to start rolling the ball on things.”

Players opted out of the current CBA last October and are seeking abetterrevenue sharingmodel, increased salaries, improved benefits, and asofter salary cap. Allofthose will help many of the younger players down the road like Reese.

“It was something that was very informative for me. First time being able to see and hear,the word-

from page1C

carry themselves, you know,we’re abrand ourselves,” shesaid. “I’m abrand myself and so be able to make money off of my name is honestly trulya blessing and just taking advantage of it is thebiggest thing.” Johnson, Hidalgo and Miles, who helped the U.S. qualify for the World Cup next yearbywinning gold at the AmeriCup earlier this month, all said that they don’t let the NIL deals they have getin the way of their sport. They credit having astrong support system around them as well as people who handle the deals for them

“I really dedicate one or two times aweek to kindofget all my stuff done,” Miles said.“My agent is very good at scheduling that, but most of my money comesfrom the collective deal, so forthat Ireally don’thave to do much, which is nice. But any other of the other side deals, my agent willsendavideographer out to help me or haveher edit stuff or whatever it maybe.”

Getting deals and earning mon-

ing,from both sides,” Reese said.

“I was really eagertoknowand understand what was going on. So I’m very aware of what’sgoing on right now.Wewon’tstop until we gotwhatwewant.”

Thesidesare farapart in preliminary discussions and agreed to another meeting.

“I don’tknow that I’m going to say progress, but we hadspirited conversation,”Jackson said.

If adealisn’tdonebythe end of October,some players, including Napheesa Collierand Reese, have mentioned the potential of awalkout, which could present some immediateproblems. The league has two new teams in Portlandand Toronto starting nextseason and the expansion draft has typically been in December.Free agency usually starts in January

WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert told The Associated Press after themeeting that both sides are in listening mode.

“It was very constructive dialogue. Ithink, youknow,obviously part of the process is to go back and forthand, listentothe players, they listen to us and the owners whorepresentthe board of governors,” Engelbert said. “I still feel really optimistic that we can get something transformational done by the end.But it’saprocess.”

The league has never lost agame to awork stoppagesince it started in 1997. Jackson said the sides would eventually get to anew deal,

even if they may nothavegotten any closer to it Thursday

“I think we’re on track to get back to meeting, and to engaging in conversations that will lead us to aCBA,” she said.

Terri Carmichael Jackson, the executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players Association, was particularly impressed by thenumber of young stars such as Clark whohave helped spark unprecedented growth across nearly every business metric fromattendanceand viewership.

There’s also the new $2.2 billion mediarights deal that will start next season andthe league plans to expand to 18 teams by 2030, with each of the three new teams paying $250 million expansion fee.

“This business is booming –media rights, ratings, revenue, team valuations, expansionfees, attendance, and ticket sales –are allup in historic fashion,”the unionstatement said. “But short-changing the working women who make this business possible stalls growth. The only thing moreunsustainable thanthe current systemispretending it can go on forever.”

Players sent the league an initial proposal in February that the league finally responded to last month. But both sides said they are stillconfident adeal can be reached “I thinkwehave plenty of time,” Jackson said.

ASSOCIATED

LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson warmsupduring practice at USABasketball Americuptrials onJune 18 at the USAOlympics training center in ColoradoSprings,Colo.

ey hasn’tjust helped the players financially.Somehave given back to their communities,including Johnson

“I just want to be one of those people that uses NILthe right way,” shesaid.“This year Idid acampaign with Experian and we relieved $5 millionindebt right forfamiliesin Louisiana and then every game we

won we added $100,000 to the pot.”

Johnson said it was really touching and emotional when she would receive videos on Instagram from people she helped.

“I’m really using my platform for impact for real. So Ithink that’s thebest part of NIL and just making it better for the young girls that’scoming behind us,”she said.

Clarkpulls outof All-Star weekend

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP basketball writer

INDIANAPOLIS Caitlin Clark is out of All-Star weekend.

The Indiana Fever guard injured herright groin on Tuesday night in the final minute of the team’swin over the Connecticut Sun. ShesaidThursdayina message posted on Xthat she had to rest her body

“I am incredibly sad and disappointedtosay Ican’t participate in the3-Point Contestorthe AllStar Game,” Clark said in the message posted by the Fever.“I have to rest my body.Iwill still be at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for all the action and I’mlooking forward to helping (Liberty coach Sandy Brondello) coach our team to awin.” Clark was supposed to compete in aloaded3-point contest Friday night and is captainofone of the All-Star teams.The second-year guardwas theleading vote getter fromthe fans andhas been a huge reason theleaguehas had aboon in attendanceand ratings over the lasttwo seasons. The WNBA announced that Brittney Sykes of Washington will replace Clark in theAll-Star Game. They haven’tannounced areplacementfor herinthe 3-point contest. This will be Sykes’ first All-Star

appearance. Clark satout the Fever’s98-77 loss againstNew York Fever coach Stephanie White said Clark had imaging done Wednesday and deferred to the team’s training stafffor more details except to say that she considered it good news.

Clark got hurt with under a minute left. She walked downcourt holding her right groin after assisting on the Fever’sfinalbasket. As teammateAliyah Bostontried to console her, Clark walked to thebasket stanchion andbangedher head against it before heading to the bench. During thetimeout, she covered her head with atowel and appeared to be holding back tears.

Clark had been durable throughout college and her first season in the WNBA, never missing agame. Now she’shad four different muscle injuries so far this year

She missedthe preseason opener withtightness in herquadbut playedthe next dayinanexhibition game at her almamater, Iowa.She suffered aquadstrain againstNew York on May24that kept her outfor fivegames. Clark returned June14and played in five games before suffering another injurytoher left grointhat kept her out for four contests and theCommissioner’sCup final.

MilestoskipWNBA draft, stay in college forone more season

BY DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer

Olivia Milesmight have been playing thisweekendalong with WNBArookie Paige Bueckers at theleague’sAll-Star Game

ButMiles decided to return to college this year instead of going to theWNBAdraftasaprojected lottery pick. The formerNotre Dame star transferred to TCU to trytoimprove her game, earn some extra NILmoney and continue to grow her brand.

“I think it was amixture of me listening to my body andwhat Ineededand also just another year to develop, youknowbein asystem where it’ll favor me and I’llhave great teammates anda great coach around me,” Miles told The Associated Press. ”I’ll have alot of fun so I’m just very excited forthat.”

Miles missed the 2023-24 season while recovering from an ACL tear she suffered in the regular-season finale theyear beforetoend her sophmore campaign. She becamethe first men’sorwomen’s freshman to post atriple-double in the NCAA Tournament in 2022, and was puttingthe final touches on aseason that hadmadeher an Associated Presssecond-team All-American when she crashed to the baseline after her right knee buckled on a drive at Louisville in 2023.

“I just felt like Ihad alot more left in me in the tank,” she said. “Being far, farremoved from my injury,mentally, physically, emotionally,was what Iwas telling myself,so, it wasalot of back and forth.” Miles said she literally waited until the last minute to decide what she wanted to do, somethingshe’d love to see the WNBA change in the future.

“I didn’tdecide until the very

AP FILE PHOTOByJOHNMERSITS

Notre Dame guard Olivia Miles advances the ballduring the second halfofagame against Stephen F. AustinonMarch21in South Bend, Ind.

end, as you know,wehave 48 hours to makeahuge life decision, which is really hard,” Miles said. One thing she’shappy about when she does enterthe WNBA next season is that there will be a new collective bargaining agreementthat should include an increase in player salaries. Right now therookie salary is about $75,000 fortop picks. She’ll make alot more than that in college this year.The low salaries were one factor in Miles’ decision, but she said it wasn’tamajor one. Then when she decided to stay in school,Miles made anotherbig choicetoenter the transfer portal and leave Notre Dame

“I knew it was gonna be abig story.Iknew it was gonna(upset) alot of people,” she said. “I knewitwas gonna cause alot of commotion, butI ultimately was selfish one time with my career.Iwas talking to abunch of power schools and then ultimately Ireally just wanted to go somewhere where I’d be able to showcase my abilities the best that Ican.”

SEC MEDIA DAYS

THREE AND OUT: WILSON ALEXANDER BREAKS DOWN DAy 4 IN ATLANTA

PLAYOFF?

A 30-TEAM

1

Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz fired off some zingers, saying he wouldn’t take questions about the Epstein files and telling Greg McElroy that Nick Saban won’t, in fact, return to coaching And then he talked about the College Football Playoff.As leaders debate the format, Drinkwitz backed the Big Ten’s proposal of a 16-team field with four automatic qualifiers for the Big Ten and the SEC determined by play-in games He calculated that it would give 30 teams a chance

2

HOG ON THE

HOT SEAT

Now entering his sixth season at Arkansas, coach Sam Pittman may need a good year to keep his job Arkansas has gone 18-20 over the past three seasons, constantly putting him on offseason hot seat lists. Pittman, who had hip replacement surgery in December, took ownership of the situation.“I’ve earned it,” Pittman said.“I have To get off that, we’ve got to win more games.” LSU plays Arkansas on Nov. 15 in Tiger Stadium

CONFIDENCE IN REED

3

LSU’s loss to Texas A&M flipped when the Aggies inserted backup quarterback Marcel Reed, who rushed for 62 yards and three touchdowns. Reed started the remainder of the season, and now Texas A&M has built the offense around him.Texas A&M coach Mike Elko said,“I think you’re going to see a massive jump from him.”Texas A&M, which plays LSU on Oct. 25, signed three transfer wide receivers for Reed.

Media days in New Orleans?

Sugar Bowl CEO Hundley says city would love to host the event as early as 2027

BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer

ATLANTA As coaches, play-

ers and reporters headed home Thursday from the final session of SEC media days, officials in New Orleans were hopeful they will all be headed to the Crescent City in the near future.

Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said New Orleans made an offer to the SEC to host media days, the annual four-day kickoff to the college football season.

“We’ve long been interested in hosting this event,” Hundley said. “We’ve got a lot on our plate (in New Orleans), but hopefully we will get it in the not-too-distant future.”

A site for SEC media days in July 2026 has yet to be determined, but Hundley said New

RABALAIS

Continued from page 1C

expressed his support for a nine-game conference schedule that could take shape in time for the 2026 season. At the moment, there is no SEC schedule beyond this season.

Support by Sankey does not equal a demand or a mandate on the commissioner’s part, and as he was quick to point out he can make peace with the SEC continuing to operate under an eight-game schedule format as well. Ever more the pragmatist than the dictator, Sankey can see both sides of what has clearly been a thorny issue.

“I think we should be working towards that,” Sankey said to ESPN. “My life doesn’t end if we don’t. There’s this absolutist notion that he (Sankey) is going to dictate what’s going to happen. I think we should have an adult conversation. We should be able to make a decision.

“I think nine games would promote great interest through the year but it would be hard to coach. I’ve had candid conversations with coaches I’ve told

LSU

Continued from page 1C

would do next: recruit another one. Brown, a former top 100 recruit, recorded 50 catches for 628 yards and four touchdowns as a freshman while playing with quarterback Will Levis. His production declined, but the dip coincided with a drop in the quality of Kentucky’s quarterback play Brown recorded a combined 72 catches for 900 yards and seven touchdowns over the past two years. Kentucky also tried to get him the ball out of the backfield.

Kentucky senior tight end

Josh Kattus has seen Brown’s career up close. They signed with Kentucky in the 2022 class, and they both had key roles the past three seasons. He watched Brown’s five kickoff returns for touchdowns, an SEC record.

With Brown’s speed, Kattus was asked, what’s it like when he finds open space?

“You kind of already know what’s going to happen,” Kattus said.

“You just start pointing at the end zone and being like, ‘That’s where he’s going.’ No one can catch that guy.” Brown might not even be the fastest player at the position

Orleans would not be able to host media days until at least 2027 because of prior commitments.

From its inception in 1985 through 2017, media days was held at various sites in and around Birmingham, Alabama, home of the SEC’s headquarters.

Since 2018, when media days came to Atlanta and the College Football Hall of Fame for the first time, the event has been back to Birmingham twice but also has been in Atlanta in 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2023 and Dallas in 2024.

Sites being considered for hosting media days in New Orleans include the Caesars Superdome and the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, which was the site of the media center for this year’s Super Bowl.

them that.”

LSU athletic director Scott Woodward and coach Brian Kelly have been publicly in the nine-game camp for a long time. They welcome the competition and, frankly, welcome the need for one less nonconference game that is likely to be an unappealing rent-a-win against a mid-major to FCS level school.

But not everyone is in that camp, especially the schools that play annual rivalry games against Power Four conference opponents from outside the SEC. Those schools include Florida (Florida State), Georgia (Georgia Tech), Kentucky (Louisville) and South Carolina (Clemson).

This year the Gamecocks, who visit Tiger Stadium on Oct. 11, bookend their season with two Power Four foes: Virginia Tech in Atlanta on Aug. 31 and Clemson at home on Nov 29.

“I’m never going to shy away from competition,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said.

“But in my mind, we’re always playing (the equivalent of) nine conference games. If we go to nine, then we’re (in effect) playing 10 conference games.”

SEC coaches and players defend league’s dominance

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

ATLANTA There was not a Big Ten player, coach or fan was in sight this week as the College Football Hall of Fame hosted SEC media days. Still, the SEC’s No. 1 rival found its way into conversations all week long. It’s no secret the rivalry has intensified in recent years. Over the past decade, the SEC has won six of the 10 national championships. Two were won by Clemson in that stretch but the last two were won by Big Ten rivals, Michigan last year and Ohio State in January

The recent success has put a dent in the SEC’s reputation as the nation’s dominant conference. SEC coaches, players and commissioner Greg Sankey have no question they’re still No. 1.

“For all those of you who like to speculate about super-conferences, welcome to one,” Sankey said to open this week’s event. “We have common-sense geography, restored rivalries, record-breaking viewership. If you take the consumed viewership hours on linear TV, almost 40% of that viewership was focused on games involving Southeastern Conference universities and teams. Big Ten was next, right around 30%.”

Ultimately, deals within and without the SEC will have to be struck in terms of conference scheduling and the College Football Playoff. While the SEC expanded to 16 teams last year by adding Texas and Oklahoma, there is support within college sports to grow the CFP from 12 teams where it was last year to 14 or more likely, 16.

The SEC wants a 5-11 format for a 16-team playoff with automatic bids for the five highestranked conference champions and 11 at-large slots. Reportedly the Big Ten, the other superpower conference who with the SEC is coming to rule college athletics, won’t agree to 5-11 unless the SEC and ACC play nine conference games (the Big Ten and Big 12 already do so) What will ultimately drive home an SEC scheduling agreement and a new CFP format? It’s a five-letter word starting with “M”: M-O-N-E-Y Sankey said the next CFP TV agreement with ESPN says a format has to be determined by Nov 30.

Finally perhaps, by the end of this season we will know what the schedule format will

Hilton claimed he owns the title with a top speed recorded at 23.7 mph, and redshirt freshman Jelani Watkins’ personal best in the 100-meter is 10.01 seconds the sixth-best time in LSU track

history

Hilton thought he would finally break out last season after a career filled with injuries only to miss the first seven games with an ankle injury Unable to run routes for a long time, he struggled when he returned. At one point, Hilton got chewed out by coach Brian Kelly for continually jumping instead of running through the catch. Nussmeier thought Hilton showed “who he really is as a player” once he regained his confidence. Hilton finished the

be something quite different. “It’s a unique experience,” Hundley said, “unlike anything we’ve had to this point.”

look like going into the future. It’s important to add that the SEC’s future doesn’t have to include one be-all, end-all scheduling format. Sankey said Monday that “look ins” could be included in the scheduling plan at prescribed points in the future where the scheduling format could be tweaked.

Personally, I’ve always believed nine games is the best for the SEC. It brings the league into line with the other Power Fours (I’m certain the ACC will go along, too), eliminates one unappealing non-conference game, almost certainly brings the SEC more TV revenue and paves the way for a format that allows everyone in the conference to play every other school within a four-year span. Hard as it may be to believe, but Georgia and Texas A&M have only played one regular-season game (2019) since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012. It’s beyond time for the SEC and its fans to see white smoke on the conference scheduling issue. Finally, there may be a time when that will happen within a reasonable time frame. Or, at least, reasonable compared to not having one at all.

season with six catches for 198 yards and three touchdowns in the last two games.

“I think if you watch the last three games of the season, you can see how much of a different team we were and would have been if we would’ve had a healthy Chris Hilton,” Nussmeier said “His ability to take the top off, his ability to run a backside dig and go 60 yards to the house because of his speed, is unbelievable.”

Nussmeier talked up the versatility around him. Brown and Hilton have top-end speed. Aaron Anderson came back after a breakout year, and Nic Anderson offers a big body on the outside. Thomas, tight end Bauer Sharp and tight end Trey’Dez Green will all get touches. LSU also has running backs who could be part of the passing game.

“We have so many different guys who can line up in so many different places and do so many special things with the ball in their hand,” Nussmeier said.

“It’s a good feeling as a quarterback, and I guess you could say it makes my job a little easier My responsibility is just to give them opportunities to make plays.”

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

The SEC also boasted 79 NFL draft picks in 2025, more than any other conference and beating the Big Ten by eight. No one put it more plainly this week than Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz when asked if he thought the SEC was the top conference in college football.

“The top? The top, as in number of draft picks in the NFL? Top as in most viewership? Overall top, deepest conference in college football? Look, the more teams you add to the tournament, there’s greater variance to it,” Drinkwitz said. “You’ve got 16 of the toughest competitors in the world who are head coaches in this league. We’re all driven to achieve the best, whether that’s internally or externally.”

The Big Ten and SEC draw outsized attention in college football for other reasons. The two will soon have a bigger say over the format of the College Football Playoff — they currently differ on that and their teams are in the mix for the top recruits every year

Early bragging rights this season between the two behemoths include Texas at Ohio State in a CFP rematch from last season, Michigan at Oklahoma and Wisconsin at Alabama, all before mid-September The real measuring stick in this league rivalry is always going to be the postseason.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer knows excellence is the expectation when it comes to SEC football.

“That’s our responsibility, to be at the top, right? That’s the expectation. I know at Alabama, but also the expectation for the SEC as a whole. I still feel that the SEC top to bottom is as strong as you’ll find,” DeBoer said. DeBoer isn’t wrong when he says it’s the expectation. In fact, it’s the standard and fan bases from Austin to Gainesville go beyond team cheers on game day. “SE-C, S-E-C” chants on a fall Saturday are not a rare occurrence. The excitement is part of what drew Cam Ball to Arkansas.

“Growing up, my father would wake me up on Saturdays. If we didn’t go to the barber shop, we was at home, just sitting on the couch watching the game, mainly watching SEC games,” he said.

Playing in the conference he grew up watching still feels surreal.

“Sometimes in a game, it’s the first play, and I’ll just look up and see an SEC opponent’s helmet, and I’ll be like, ‘Wow I’m really here. God is good.’ This conference in general, it’s just a blessing to be here,” Ball said.

Alex Afari Jr.’s recruiting journey ended promptly after receiving the call from Kentucky It was his first and only SEC offer The decision was easy: Who wouldn’t want to play SEC ball?

“Playing in the SEC means a lot,” Afari said. “I always want to play against the best players When I got the SEC offer and that’s my only one — I had like Big Ten offers or whatever but this is my only SEC offer, and I took that chance.”

To Afari, no other conference compares.

Lee Corso on stageatthe ESPy Awards at the

Corsohonored at ESPYS as ESPN farewell begins

BY JOE REEDY AP sportswriter

The countdown to Lee Corso’s final appearance on ESPN’s“College GameDay” kicked off when the longtime analyst and former coach was honored at the ESPYS on Wednesday night.

“My goal on TV was to bring a smile to everybody’s face.I hope Ihavedonethat,”Corso said on stage at the Dolby TheatreinLos Angeles after avideo aired and comments by “GameDay” analysts Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard and Pat McAfee

Corso —the lone remaining member of the show’soriginal cast who turns 90 in August announced earlier this year that his final show would be on the opening week of the season. ESPN last month revealed the 39th season of “GameDay” would begin in Columbus, Ohio, before reigning national champion Ohio State hosts theTexas Longhorns on Aug. 30.

“This is aunique opportunity we have to weave him into the evening and really begin the

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the Saints’ defense ranked very poorly in that category,allowing 131 such plays. That was the sixth-most across the league.

Reid’saddition may go along way toward fixing that problem.

The Saints’ breakdowns weren’tall on the backend,but they were anotable part of the issue. Think back to when Jordan Howden ran into Harris and Marshon Lattimore near the end of the Saints’ Week 3loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on a60-yard play that swung the game.

Thesteadiness from Reid and Mathieu should, in theory,cut down on some of the mentalerrors that plagued the Saints last season. Mathieu isn’tcoming off his best season, but he canproduce. He had three interceptions to go along with his two forced fumbles in 2024. The wild card for this position is Sanker.The Saints drafted the Virginia product in the third round for areason, and he gives the Saints another big, rangy safety.IfMathieu’s play timeis limited at all next season —his snap percentage of 86.2 last year was his lowest since2016 —then perhaps Sankerwillget achance to show what he can do. Either way,ifReid hits in the way that the Saints intend, then that should lift the overall makeup of the defense. It may also be beneficial for Reid, who hasnever made aPro Bowl or All-Pro team. Reid has praised the way defensive coordinator Brandon Staley used All-Pro safety Derwin James when Staleycoached the Los Angeles Chargers. Reid won’thave thesame exact role, which Staley calls the star position, but he should still be putinspots to succeed. Worstcase Oneofthe more interesting questions of training camp will be how the Saints intend to use Mathieuand Reid together.At their best, they both excel at making plays close to the line of scrimmage —and that’ssome-

process of sending him off with full honors,” ESPN’spresident of contentBurke Magnussaid.

“Toget himthere in person to acknowledge all of hiscontributions and what he’smeant to both the company and sports, but more importantly the fans, we just think it’sa fitting way to kick off his departure.”

Corso’s popular headgear segment startedatOhio State on Oct.5,1996, before the Buckeyes faced Penn State.

Sincethen, he has gone 286-144 in 430 selections wearing everythingfrom helmets andmascot headstodressing up as the Fighting Irish leprechaun from Notre Dame, theStanford tree and historic figures James Madison and Benjamin Franklin. He has worn 69 different school’s mascot headgear

Corso got to don Southern California’sTrojan helmetone final timeonWednesday night as USC’sband, songgirls and spirit squadcame on stage at the end of the segment.

“I feel like I’ve hadthe best seat in all ofcollege footballfor

theselast30yearsright next to coach,right beforehepulled the headgear outand said something that nobody else would say,”Herbstreitsaid. “There’s so many lessons andsucha special bond I’msolucky to share with one of the great spirits and great minds college footballhas ever seen.”

Corso’stelevisioncareer withstood astrokein2009 that left himunable to speak for awhile

Even though his appearances on the road have decreased in recent seasons, he was in Atlanta in January forthe College Football Playoffnational titlegame between Ohio Stateand Notre Dame.

“Withthe popularityand culturalphenomenonthat ‘GameDay’became, there’snoone more responsible for that than Lee Corso.

“The way he changed the way the game was coveredwith the irreverence,the humor,the lack of afilter, allofthose things that sort of set the tone and the standard,” said“GameDay”host Rece Davis.

STAFF FILEPHOTO By SOPHIAGERMER

Saints safetyJustin Reid,left,standswatches drills during organized teamactivities on May22atthe team’spractice facility.Reid’saddition maygoalong waytowardfixing the Saints’defensive problems.

thing that Mathieuhasn’t been asked to do nearly as much since signing withNew Orleans in 2022.

The media also didn’tsee much of the pairingduring OTAs and mandatoryminicamp. Mathieu skipped the team’svoluntary workouts and when he returned forcamp, hissnaps appeared limited. Mathieuwas often with the second unit, though the coaches didsprinkle in reps with Reidduring those plays, likely to get alookatthe pairing.

If that trend continues in camp, that could be abad sign for Mathieu’s status. It’d still be surprising to see the veteran cut before theseason begins, but if his workload doesn’tincrease, it’d be fair to wonder if this staffdoesn’tsee asignificant rolefor him.

The Saints, though, wanted Ma-

Linebacker Miller signsone-yeardeal with Commanders

BY STEPHEN WHYNO AP sportswriter

VonMillerissigning withthe Washington Commanders, with the NFL’s active sacks leader joining theteam roughly aweek before training camp opens.

Miller and the team have agreed on aone-year contract, according to aperson familiar with the deal.

The person spoke to The Associated Pressoncondition of anonymity Wednesday night because the contract had not been announced.

“DC. .What’sgood?” Miller posted on social mediawithanautomated image of himself in aNo. 24 Commanders unform

The 36-year-old edge rusher felt like he still had moretogive after getting released by Buffalo in a salary cap-saving move in March Injuries derailed his timewith the

Bills, limiting him to 11,12and 13 games each of the past three seasons. Miller had six sacks last year to reach 1291/2 in his professional career,which began with nearly a decadewith Denverwhenhewas a three-timePro Bowlselection. He helpedthe Broncos win the Super Bowland wasMVP of that game, then won it again in the 2021 season with the Los Angeles Rams. Pass rush wasthe one apparent need Washington had, coming off a12-win season with Offensive Rookie of the Year quarterback Jayden Daniels, who led the team on an improbable trip to the NFC championship game. Generalmanager AdamPeters acquired receiver Deebo Samuel and standout left tackleLaremy Tunsilintrades and used free agency to fill other voids on either side of the ball.

Chiefs reciever Rice jailed for30daysover high-speed carcrash

BY JAMIE STENGLE

Associated Press

DALLAS Kansas City Chiefswide

receiver Rashee Ricewas sentenced to 30 days in jail on Thursday after authorities said he and anotherspeedingdrivercauseda chain-reaction crash that leftmultiple people injuredona Dallas highway last year

The Dallas County District Attorney’sOffice said Rice pleaded guilty to twothird-degree felony charges of collision involving serious bodily injuryand racing on a highway causing bodily injury in theMarch 30, 2024, crash. As part of aplea agreement, Rice wassentenced to five years of deferred probationand 30 days in jail as a conditionofhis probation, prosecutors said.

The judge will allowRice, 25, to find atime or times to serve the jail sentence, aspokesperson for thedistrict attorney’soffice said.

Prosecutorssaidhewas also required to pay the victimsfor their out-of-pocket medical expenses, which totaled about $115,000.

Rice was driving aLamborghini UrusSUV at 119 mph (191 kph) when he made “multiple aggressive maneuvers around traffic” and struck other vehicles, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said that after the crash on North Central Expressway,Ricefailedtocheck on the welfareofthose in the other vehicles and fled on foot.

The news release from prosecu-

tors included astatement from Rice that was released by his attorney.Rice said in the statement that he’s had“alot of sleepless nights thinking about the damages that my actionscaused, andI will continue working within my meansto make sure that everyone impacted will be madewhole.”

“I am profoundlysorry forthe physical damages to person and property,” Rice saidinthe statement. “I fully apologize for the harm Icaused to innocent drivers and their families.”

Brian McCarthy,the NFL’s vice president of communication, said in astatement, “Wehavebeen closely monitoring all developments in thematterwhich remains under review.”

The Chiefs said Thursdaythat they did not have acomment. Rice was leasing the Lamborghinithatpolicesaidwas speeding along with aCorvette whenthe crash occurred. Rice’sattorney hassaid that the Corvette belonged to Rice. The driverofthe Corvette, whopolice said also leftthe scene, was also charged in the crash. The status of that case was not immediately clear on Thursday Rice, amemberofthe Super Bowl-winning Chiefs team, is from the Dallas area.

He played for SMU in Dallas and grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills.Ricewas selected by the Chiefs in the secondround of the2023 NFLDraft and has caught nine touchdowns in his twoseasons with Kansas City

thieu back for 2025. The two sides reworked the safety’scontract again this offseason. Perhaps Mathieu’slimited workload in minicamp can simply be chalked up to not beingasfamiliar with the playbook due to hisearlier missed time. Buthis usage is worth keeping an eye on, anyway Elsewhere, theSaints need Reid to panout.Though his salary in manageable —he’sthe league’s 16th highest-paid safety,according to Over the Cap —the safety’s addition was the team’sone major movethat didn’tinvolve re-signing their own. Prediction in 10 wordsorless Reid makes first Pro Bowl of career

Email Matthew Paras at matt.paras@theadvocate.com

THINGS

CHECKMATE!

SouthBranch Library, 2210 Glasgow Ave., and the BBRKnights Chess Club will celebrate International ChessDay at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. All ages and skilllevels welcomefor achess puzzle competition, “exhibition simul match,”scavenger hunt, arts and crafts, and ashowing of the movie “QueenofKatwe.”ebrpl.com.

ADAY TO DISCOVER

Capitol Park Museum,660 N. Fourth St., will host Discovery Day: PovertyPoint from10a.m. to 2p.m. Saturday, with programming centered on PovertyPoint’s unusual carvings.Learnmore about the prehistoricsiteand then carveyour own design. $5; children 6and younger,free. louisianastatemuseum.org

LEARN FROM APRO Cincinnati Bengals’ running backJeremy

Deep cuts

With scheduleout, BR Underground Film Fest readiesto highlightLouisiana’s independentartists

BY JUDYBERGERON Staff writer

With five weeks to go before the inaugural BatonRougeUnderground Film Festival, the scope and buzz for the event continues to grow

Even before the first film screens, organizers have expanded the August event from itsinitial three days to four days, made possible by support fromfest sponsors. Presented by VisitBaton Rouge, the fest will run Aug.21-24 at the ManshipTheatre

In addition, apre-festival event, BRUFF’sfirst “Indie Spotlight Night” in June at Celtic Media Center,saw invited guests filling the studios’ screening room. Supported by Irrevocable Designee LLC, theevening offereda meet and greet reception followedby ashowing of “Ada and the Doc,” ashort film that also will be featured at the festival.

“Ada and the Doc,” Morgan City native Matison LeBlanc’s school projecttowardher advanced degree, was chosen to screen at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in May “Ada”tellsthe storyofthe first woman to be executed in Louisiana. LeBlanc hopes to develop afeature-length version of the film.

Meanwhile,the festival announcedits selected 10 featurelength films, 39 short film projects and schedulelast week, which also features seven panels and four hands-on workshops.

The films were chosen from more than150 submissions worldwide

“The Baton Rouge Underground Film Festival showcases the best of Louisiana’sindependent film scene. We’re here to celebrate what makes local storytelling specialand to get these artists in the right room with the right people,” BRUFF

CreativeDirector Brendan Pyron said in anews release. “If you care about the future of film in our state, come to BRUFF Badges and tickets are on sale nowatour website.” The full festival scheduleis nowlive at batonrougeunderground.com. Check out the variety of ticket options at manshiptheatre.org.

Want to help?

Volunteer oppportunities are available prior to and during the festival. All volunteers will receive abadge for the festival.Inordertoreceive abadge, at least two time slots will needtobe registered for via the BRUFF volunteer application on the fest’sInstagram page and atthe following link: forms.gle/v67RJbuLrw5tFtZj8.

HEAT WAVE

LOUISIANAMUSIC STARS SHINEBRIGHTWITH SUMMEROFNEW MUSIC

BY JOHN WIRT | Contributing writer

Famous and on-the-rise Louisiana recording artists,including country star Lainey Wilson, 2025 “American Idol”finalist John Foster and line-dance king Cupid, recently released new music.

Here’sarundown:

LAINEYWILSON

“Overthe Rainbow,”the heart-tugging ballad popularized by Judy Garland in the classic 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz,” inspired LaineyWilson’s latestsingle. In “Somewhere OverLoredo,” Wilson sings and dreams of rodeo nights in the little border town whereshe once knew her true love. The “Wizard of Oz” references include thelittle dog who co-stars in thesong.

“Somewhere Over Loredo” is one of five new songs on the deluxe edition of Wilson’s2024 album, “Whirlwind,” to be released Aug. 22. The Grammy-, CMA- andACM-winning singer from Baskin —the biggest music star from Louisiana in years —will perform Sept. 11

and 12 at Raising Cane’sRiver Center Arena in Baton Rouge and Sept. 13 at Brookshire Grocery Arena in Bossier City Wilson will also join Mumford &Sonsfor their“Railroad RevivalTour” showAug. 3at Champions Square in New Orleans.

JUSTIN GARNER ANDCUPID

Rhythm-and-blues singer JustinGarner joins Cupid, the line-dance king from Lafayette, for “Midnight Is for Lovers.” The destined-for-thedance-floortrackisGarner’s firstfusionofSouthernsoul and line dancewith his signa-

ture romantic R&B-pop. Popular fordecades though line dancinghas been, it exploded this year on the heels of South Carolina singer 803Fresh’s “Boots on the Ground.” That ä See MUSIC, page 2D

ManshipTheatre announcesfamilyshowseries

Staff report From fairy talestofun musicals, Sherlock Holmesto“Swan Lake,” the Manship Theatrehas announced afull slate of family shows for the 2025-26 season. Here’smore

audience interactive and multimedia production thatfeatures Broadway showstoppers from smash hit musicals, megahits from the Disney songbook,blockbustersoundtracks from popular films and awidevariety of Top40/Contemporary pop hits,”anewsreleasestates Nov. 2

BILLYGOATS GRUFFAND OTHERTALES: Recommended for grades PreKthrough first, this is Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia’snewest production. It presentsafresh andengaging reimaginingof threecherished children’sstories: “Goldilocksand the Three Bears,” “The Little Three Pigs” and “The

Three Billy Goats Gruff.”

“Thisretelling weaves three classic tales into aheartwarming adventure that celebrates friendship and courage,” the release also states. Nov. 30

MARIACHI HERENCIA DE MEXICO: CHRISTMASSHOW: The historic

By The Associated Press

TODAY IN HISTORY

Today is Friday, July 18, the 199th day of 2025. There are 166 days left in the year

Today in history

On July 18, 1976, at the Summer Olympics in Montreal, Nadia Comaneci of Romania became the first gymnast to receive a perfect score of 10 from Olympic judges for her performance on the uneven bars. Also on this date: In 1536, the English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England In 1863, during the Civil War, Union troops spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, made up of Black soldiers, charged Confederate-held Fort Wagner on Morris Island, S.C. The Confederates were able to repel the Northerners, who suffered heavy losses; the 54th’s commander Col. Robert Gould Shaw was among those who were killed. In 1964, nearly a week of rioting erupted in New York’s Harlem neighborhood following the

MANSHIP

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fatal police shooting of a Black teenager James Powell, two days earlier In 2005, an unrepentant Eric Rudolph was sentenced in Birmingham, Alabama, to life in prison for an abortion clinic bombing that killed an off-duty police officer and maimed a nurse

Today’s birthdays: Olympic gold medal figure skater Tenley Albright is 90. Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 87. Singer Dion DiMucci is 86. Actor James Brolin is 85. Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre is 85. Singer Martha Reeves is 84. Business mogul Richard Branson is 75. Actor Margo Martindale is 74. Musician Ricky Skaggs is 71. World Golf Hall of Famer Nick Faldo is 68. Actor Elizabeth McGovern is 64. Actor Vin Diesel is 58. Author Elizabeth Gilbert is 56. Retired

NBA All-Star Penny Hardaway is 54. Singer-songwriter M.I.A. is 50. Actor Elsa Pataky (“The Fast and the Furious” films) is 49. Movie director Jared Hess is 46. Actor Kristen Bell is 45. Actor Priyanka Chopra is 43. Actor Chace Crawford is 40.

FRIDAY

DONNY BROUSSARD BAND: Fred’s, Mamou, 8 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Cane River Pecan Company Pie Bar, New Iberia, 5 p.m.

CASEY COURVILLE: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MARLON G.: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

PAUL TASSIN: Charley G’s

Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

STRAIGHT WHISKEY: The Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s

Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

FRIDAY NIGHT JAM: La Maison de Begnaud, Scott,

6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

THE CAST: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

JAMBALAYA TRIO: Randol’s Cajun Restaurant, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

FIRST STREET HOOLIGANS: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

PHANTUM SUN, GOODBYE

ACADEMY, AND KISMET: Artmosphere, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

MONDAY PATRICIO LATINO SOLO: Cafe Habana City, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

SAM SPHAR: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

TUESDAY

TERRY HUVAL & FRIENDS: Prejean’s Restaurant, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

GROOVE ROOM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

KILLER KARAOKE: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY

DULCIMER JAM: St. Landry Visitor Center, Opelousas, 10 a.m.

Opelousas, 1 p.m.

CAJUN JAM SESSION: Touchet’s Bar, Maurice, 2 p.m.

MAJOR HANDY! SWAMP

SATURDAYS: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

GRITS & GRAVY: Bayou Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, 4 p.m.

HIGH PERFORMANCE: La Poussiere Cajun Dancehall, Breaux Bridge, 8 p.m.

ANDREW WAIN JAZZ: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

SOUTHERN ELECTRONIC MUSIC CONFERENCE EDM NIGHT: Artmosphere, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

FOREST HUVAL BAND: Park Bistro, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ABI CLAIR: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

DAVE TRAINER: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

SAM AND AMANDA SPHAR: The Tap Room, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

Dec. 7

“SANTA’S LITTLE HELPERS”: LIGHTWIRE

THEATER: Follow four little elves as they discover who they are, what true friendship is, and what purpose they have as one of Santa’s little helpers All ages will be entertained by the colorful sets, beautiful costumes and doo-wop’n live band.

JAN. 25

“THE UGLY DUCKLING”: The New Orleans-based Lightwire Theater returns to the Manship with a classic tale turned modern utilizing light, music and technology. Recommended for all ages, but also note that theatre will turn completely dark once the performance begins so that you can see the lit characters and props.

Feb. 1

“PETETHE CAT”: Recommended for grades Pre-K through third “For Pete the Cat, life is an adventure no matter where you wind up. So the minute the groovy blue cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole family rocking, except for young Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second grader on planet Earth.

“When Jimmy draws a blank in art class, it turns out Pete is the perfect pal to help him work it out Jimmy and Pete go on an adventure of friendship all the way to Paris in a VW bus!,” the synopsis states.

Feb. 7

AQUILA THEATRE: “THE HOUND OF

BASKERVILLES”: The fog-shrouded moors of England are the backdrop for this spine-tingling mystery that can only be solved by

UNDERGROUND

Continued from page 1D tradition of mariachi music has its roots of origin in cities such as Guadalajara and Mexico City. As the ever-evolving genre’s influence spread, it reached Chicago and birthed the Mariachi Herencia de México. The young virtuosic Latin Grammy-nominated group has issued chart-topping albums and performed across the North American continent

Grants and more

With sponsor support, the festival award three grants to rising filmmakers: the Shoestring grant, $5,000, to a filmmaker to go toward a new project; the Panavision Camera grant, a $15,000 Panavision camera rental package to a director or cinematographer;

the legendary Sherlock Holmes and trusted companion, Dr. Watson. They must investigate the mysterious death of Sir Charles Baskerville, rumored to be the victim of a supernatural and savage hound. As they uncover chilling secrets and dark family histories, Holmes must use razor-sharp intellect to solve a case where logic and superstition collide.

March 8

BILL BLAGG’S FAMILY MAGIC: With more than 60 minutes of nonstop magical fun, the show is specifically designed to entertain and engage audiences of all ages. Bill Blagg blends comedy, audience participation and mind-bending magic.

“Prepare to be amazed as ordinary objects come to life while others vanish in the blink of an eye and you might even be chosen to float in midair!,” according to the news release.

March 22

FLAMENCO VIVO CARLOTA SANTANA:

The troupe, which promotes flamenco in the U.S., was founded by acclaimed artist Carlota Santana in 1983. Santana has created more than 25 original works and is known for her passion and dedication to the art form. Santana’s work, including the “100 Years of Flamenco in New York” exhibit, has earned her numerous awards, solidifying her legacy in flamenco. Recommended for grades four to 12th.

March 28

HOUSTON BALLET II: Presented in partnership with the Baton Rouge Ballet Theatre. Houston Ballet II is the second company of Houston Ballet, America’s fourth largest ballet company. Comprised of an array of ballet students from around the world, Houston Ballet II members perform a diverse range of works, including excerpts from great classics like “The Sleeping Beauty,” “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker” to contemporary works by Houston Ballet artistic director Stanton Welch.

For information on single tickets or season passes, visit manshiptheatre.org

and the Celtic Studios grant, five days of stage space to a filmmaker SPONSOR LIST: batonrougeunderground.com/#sponsors DONATION WEBSITE: paypal. com/donate/?hosted_button id=DEP48THG3JFM8

MORE INFORMATION: batonrougeunderground.com or follow on social media at @BatonRougeUnderground

Email Judy Bergeron at jbergeron@theadvocate.com.

WAYNE BLUE BURNS: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

REAGAN ERA REJECTS, HELLFURY, BONDBREAKER, DOGMA: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

MATTHEW EWING AND THE ALL STAR BAND: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

ORDINARY WORLD: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

THE RETRO REWIND: The Ruins Lounge, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

RUSTY METOYER: Cowboys Nightclub, Scott, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY

WAYNE SINGLETON & SAME OL 2 STEP: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 8 a.m.

SATURDAY MORNING JAM

SESSIONS: The Savoy Music Center, Eunice, 9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 9 a.m.

CAJUN JAM: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CAJUN FRENCH MUSIC

JAM: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

JAMMIN’ ON THE BAYOU: St. Landry Visitor Center,

MUSIC

Continued from page 1D

CHALAN THIBODEAUX: Prejean’s, Broussard, 6 p.m.

JACK WOODSON: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

GRACE NOVOSAD: Adopted Dog Brewing, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

MIKE BROUSSARD: The Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 6 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Jim Deggy’s

Brick Oven Pizza & Brewery, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

ABIGAIL: SHUCKS!, Abbeville, 6:30 p.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Buck & Johnny’s, Breaux Bridge, 6:30 p.m.

ZACH EDWARDS: Tap Room, Lafayette, 6:30 p.m.

CATAHOULA BAND: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 7 p.m.

MARCIA BALL: Grand Opera House of the South, Crowley, 7 p.m.

BREWSTER DURBIN ALL STARS + GENUINE MUSTARD: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

ESE, TARGET AUDIENCE: Freetown Boom Boom Room, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

JULIAN PRIMEAUX: Hideaway on Lee, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

song’s official music video has 11 million YouTube views.

Garner wants to capitalize on this latest line-dance craze.

“I’ve been performing pretty much all over the U.S.,” the Plaquemine native said. “The one thing people have been asking for from me is something up-tempo. A dance record. So, I wanted to do something up-tempo that has a twostep feel to it. Cupid is the perfect artist to drive that sound home.”

Cupid — known for his multimillion-selling 2007 hit, “Cupid Shuffle,” and 2021 single, “Flex” — met Garner in 2019 at the Essence Festival in New Orleans.

At the festival, Garner recalled, “Cupid stopped me and said, ‘Hey, I love your work.’ I said the same to him. We wanted to work together So, now is the time to showcase two Louisiana artists together on a song.”

Cupid is his friend, mentor and peer, Garner said.

“Over the years, we’ve always supported each other from sidelines. Our journeys are similar We’re both from small towns and have big dreams. I’m honored to have Cupid on the track.”

Originally conceived by Garner as a solo recording, “Midnight Is for Lovers” evolved into a duet.

“I kept feeling as though someone was missing,” he said. “The person who came to mind was Cu-

TRAVIS MATTE AND THE KINGPINS: Toby’s Lounge, Opelousas, 8:30 p.m.

YACHT-SEA: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY

GLENN ZERINGUE: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 11 a.m.

LIVE MUSIC: Tante Marie, Breaux Bridge, 11 a.m.

CICO’S SONGWRITING

CIRCLE: NUNU Arts and Culture Collective, Arnaudville, noon

BAL DU DIMANCHE — CURTIS POULLARD & THE CREOLE ZYDECO BAND: Vermilionville, Lafayette, 1 p.m.

SUNDAY FUNDAY — GENO DELAFOSE: Buck & Johnny’s the Glassroom, Breaux Bridge, 1 p.m.

CAJUN JAM: Bayou Teche Brewing, Arnaudville, 2 p.m.

RUSTY METOYER: Cypress Cove Landing, Breaux Bridge, 3 p.m.

JUSTIN CORNETT: Pat’s Atchafalaya Club, Henderson, 4:30 p.m.

CHUBBY CARRIER: Rock ‘n’ Bowl, Lafayette, 5 p.m. STEVE FREY: The Silver Slipper, Arnaudville, 6 p.m. JAKE SINELLA: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

pid. The vocals and the harmony and the melody are reminiscent of Earth, Wind, & Fire and the Jackson 5, but the two-step and Southern soul are in there as well. With Cupid on the record, it’s the perfect marriage of genres.” Garner’s next show is Aug. 9 at Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club in New Orleans.

JOHN FOSTER

Addis native John Foster and the other finalists in season 23 of “American Idol” have released their postseason singles. Foster previewed his song, “Tell That Angel I Love Her,” on the April 20 episode of “American Idol.” Foster wrote the song in memory of Maggie Dunn a friend and fellow Brusly High School student. Dunn, 17, and Caroline Gill, 16, were killed on New Year’s Eve 2022 when an Addis police officer ran a red light during a high-speed chase. Since Foster’s rise to runner-up on “American Idol,” he’s performed twice at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Following his Opry debut on June 7, he returned for a second appearance on July 9, his 19th birthday. Foster’s next Baton Rouge performances are Aug. 1 and 2 at The Texas Club. He returns to the Grand Ole Opry on Aug. 21.

LVVRS

A pop-rock band from Lafayette, LVVRS has issued its latest single, “The Bed.” It precedes the October release of LVVRS’ second EP,

CAJUN JAM: Blue Moon Saloon, Lafayette, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY

DUSTIN SONNIER: Lakeview Park, Eunice, 5:30 p.m. AUDREY BROUSSARD: Charley G’s Seafood Grill, Lafayette, 6 p.m. MATT GARY TRIO: Whiskey & Vine, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

DRUM CIRCLE: Moncus Park, Lafayette, 6 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s music listed? Email info/photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper.

“Heaven and the Heartland.” Led by singer-songwriter River Gibson, LVVRS made its second consecutive appearance at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in April. This October, the band will play its debut performance at the Austin City Limits Music Festival. LVVRS’ song “Backseat Bliss” appeared in Season 6 of the Netflix series “Love Is Blind.” Another of the band’s songs, “Hypnotic Love,” appeared in Season 1 of Netflix’s “The Ultimatum: Marry or Move On.” The band made a cameo appearance in the Baton Rouge-filmed “The Iron Claw,” the 2023 film starring Zac Efron and Lily James.

KAREN WALDRUP

Mandeville native Karen Waldrup, a Top 5 finalist in season 25 of “The Voice,” recently released “Blue Cowboy Boots.” It’s a breakup song with an upbeat message. “It feels good putting a dead-end relationship behind you,” Waldrup said. “The word ‘blue’ isn’t about regret, but rather about freedom. Rodeo, cowboy lingo is fun. It feels good putting on your favorite boots and getting happy.”

A Nashville resident since her graduation from the University of Southern Mississippi, Waldrup cowrote “Blue Cowboy Boots” with Ed Hill, the Grammy-nominated songwriter whose recording artists cuts include Trisha Yearwood and Tracy Lawrence. “Blue Cowboy Boots” follows the singer’s previously released seven studio albums and more than 50 singles.

FRIDAY

ASHTON GILL: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 6p.m.

ERIC BASKIN DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 6p.m

KASEY BALL: TallulahatThe Renaissance, 6p.m.

LONGNECK SOCIETY TRIO: City Café, 6p.m.

OLD DAWGS: T’Quilas, Zachary,6 p.m.

SCHOOL OF ROCK: RedStick Social, 6p.m.

SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Blue Iguana, 6p.m.

BO BURKES: Le Chien Brewing Co., DenhamSprings, 6:30 p.m.

DON POURCIAU&KONSPIRACY: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m.

RHETT ANTHONY: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7p.m.

JENNA &DON: Bin 77, 7p.m.

SHAYCHIK: Crowne Plaza, 7p.m.

THE COVERLYBROTHERS: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7p.m.

THE LEE SERIO BAND: Phil Brady’s, 7:30 p.m.

HENRYTURNER JR. &ALLSTARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room,8p.m

RHETT GUILLOT: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge,8 p.m.

DOWNBEATLOUISIANA: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge,9p.m.

BACKLIT STEREO: Icehouse TapRoom, 9p.m.

BLUE CRAB REDEMPTION: Southern Rhythm, Denham Springs, 9p.m.

BRIAN &THE BANDITS: Fat Cat Saloon,Prairieville, 9p.m.

BUCKET LIST: TheShowroom, 9p.m.

JOEL COOPER &HEATH RANSONNET: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St.Amant, 9p.m.

MIKE HOGAN: The Vineyard, 9p.m.

SETH LECOQ: Jack’s Place, Port Allen, 9p.m.

SOUTHLAND: Fred’s on the River, Prairieville, 9p.m.

SATURDAY

JOEY HOLAWAY: Leola’s Café, 11 a.m.

IAN WEBSTER DUO: Sullivan’s Steakhouse, 5:30 p.m.

BRENT ARMSTRONG: T’Quilas, Zachary,6 p.m.

PAPO YSON MANDAO: Pedros, Denham Springs, 6p.m.

SCHOOL OF ROCK: RedStick Social, 6p.m. SOUTH OF CENTRAL: Papi’s Fajita Factory,Watson, 6p.m.

JERRID KELLY: Le Chien Brewing Co., DenhamSprings, 6:30 p.m.

ROCKIN’ROUGE: El Paso, Denham Springs, 6:30 p.m

GRAND COUNTRYJUNCTION: Suma Crossing Theatre, Satsuma, 7p.m

CHRIS ALLEN: 18 Steak at L’Auberge, 7p.m

2DOMESTIC 1IMPORT: Curbside Burgers, 7p.m DAMON KING &BOJAMISON: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 7p.m.

PERIQUE: Bin 77, 7p.m.

ACOUSTIC SATURDAYSW/ HENRYTURNER: Henry TurnerJr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m.

BUBBAPLAUCHÉ: Riverbend Terrace II at L’Auberge,8 p.m.

JOEL COOPER &SCOTT JORDAN: The Vineyard, 9p.m.

TODD O’NEILL: Fred’sonthe River, Prairieville, 9p.m

VOODOO JUNCTION: Phil Brady’s, 9p.m.

SUNDAY

JUSTIN BURDETTE TRIO: Superior Grill MidCity, 11 a.m.

ROBERTCALMES: Cocha, 11 a.m.

THE MONIC TRIO: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 11 a.m.

ZACHARYMCLAIN: Leola’s

STAFF FILEPHOTO By MICHAEL JOHNSON

Jonathon Boogie Long and Trickbag will performfor the Baton RougeBlues Society Summertime Blues Benefitat

3p.m. SundayatThe TexasClub.Also sharing the bill are Chris LeBlanc Band, and Hanna PK &the Dynamic ’88s. Ticketsare $30, advance; $35, at the door

Café,11a.m.

FLORIDASTREETBLOWHARDS: Jubans, 11 a.m.

JOVIN WEBB: RedStick Social, noon

CAJUN JAM: West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, 3p.m.

3RD STREET BAND: Fred’s on theRiver,Prairieville,3 p.m

BATONROUGE BLUESSOCIETY SUMMERTIME BLUES BENEFIT: The TexasClub 3p.m.

CHRISALLEN &DAKOTACIVELLO: IcehouseTap Room, 4p.m.

SONGWRITER SUNDAYS: La Divina Italian Café, 5p.m.

GEORGE BELL AND FRIENDS: The Edge Bar at L’Auberge, 6p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: FatCat Saloon, Prairieville, 7p.m.

MONDAY

ACOUSTICRATS: Phil Brady’s, 6p.m.

ERICSTELLY: Superior Grill MidCity,6 p.m

MIKE ESNEAULT: Stab’s Restaurant,6 p.m NICK PERKINS: El Paso,Denham Springs, 6p.m.

TUESDAY CAMPYLE: Superior Grill MidCity,6p.m.

RALPH DAIGLE: Rio Verde Mexican, 6p.m.

EDDIE SMITH: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30p.m.

OPEN MIC: Crazy Dave’s, Livingston, 7p.m.

WEDNESDAY CHRISOCMAND: BLDG 5, 5:30 p.m

KENDALL SHAFFER: Galvez Seafood, Prairieville, 5:30 p.m

BRIAN &THE BANDITS: Just Wingin It, 6p.m.

CHRISLEBLANC DUO: Superior Grill MidCity,6 p.m

JOVIN WEBB: Tallulah at The Renaissance, 6p.m.

KIRK HOLDER: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m

GENEVIEVE BAILEY: On The Half Shell, Prairieville 6:30 p.m

SONGWRITERS OPENMIC W/ HEATHRANSONNET: Coop’s on 621, Gonzales, 7p.m

ANDYPIZZOTRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7:30p.m. OPEN MIC JAM: O’Hara’s Irish Pub, 8p.m.

THURSDAY KYBALION: El Paso-Sherwood, 6p.m

AMBER RAE DUO: Superior

Grill MidCity,6 p.m.

AUBREY &TRACY: Zilantro’s Mexican Grill, 6p.m

CHRIS LEBLANC: Tallulah at The Renaissance,6p.m

CORDON BLUEZ BAND: Thai Kitchen,6 p.m.

DON POURCIAU &KONSPIRACY: Pedros, Denham Springs, 6p.m

FATHER RON AND FRIENDS: La Divina Italian Café, 6p.m

STASH HOUSE: T’Quilas, Denham Springs, 6p.m

THE ROUX TONES: T’Quilas, Zachary,6 p.m.

BEN RAGSDALE: On The Half Shell, Prairieville, 6:30 p.m.

ERIC GAUTREAUX: Bin 77, 6:30 p.m.

THE BISHOP ELLIS TRIO: Hayride Scandal, 7p.m

THE STARDUST BOYS: The Brakes Bar,7 p.m.

ENUF: Swamp Chicken Daiquiris, St.Amant, 7p.m

SHANE MADERE &LAURIE GRIMES: Fred’sonthe River, Prairieville, 7p.m

THAT’70S BAND OF LOUI-

SIANA: Manship Theatre, 7:30 p.m.

HENRY TURNER JR. &ALL-

STARS: Henry Turner Jr.’s Listening Room, 8p.m

JOEL COOPER &SCOTT

JORDAN: Icehouse TapRoom, 8p.m

BLUES JAM: Phil Brady’s, 9p.m

HEATH RANSONNET: The Vineyard,9p.m OUTLYING

FRIDAY

DALE SELLARS &BACKROADS: El Mejor, St.Francisville, 6:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

JOHN RUIZ JR.: Big J’s Side Porch, Clinton,4 p.m.

KENNY ACOSTA: El Mejor, St Francisville, 6:30 p.m.

KYLEWILSON: Big J’s Side Porch, Clinton,7 p.m.

COMMODORES: MáriShowroom at Paragon Casino, Marksville, 8p.m

THURSDAY

SHELBE &BLASIEN: El Mejor, St.Francisville, 6:30 p.m.

Compiled by Marchaund Jones. Want your venue’s musiclisted? Email info/ photos to showstowatch@ theadvocate.com. The deadline is noon FRIDAY for the following Friday’s paper

FRIDAY

MEET AND GREET WITH LSU

BASEBALL PLAYER STEVEN MILAM: 6p.m.-8 p.m.,Hooters, 6454 Siegen Lane.Take pet supplies or makeamonetary donation to the CompanionAnimal Alliance of Baton Rougefor an autograph and photo with Steven Milam First-come, first-served basis. Also, $100 VIP ticket guarantees spot for autograph. caabr.org/stevenmilam

FRIDAYNIGHT LECTURE: 7:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.,BREC’s Highland Road Park Observatory,13800 Highland Road. Skygazing tips, physics phenomena, space programs and famous events arecovered. Forages 14 and older. Free. hrpo.lsu.edu. Also, evening sky viewing from 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 8a.m.tonoon,Fifth and Main streets, downtown. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org.

STUDIO SATURDAY:PLAYING WITH ANCIENTPAPYRUS AND INKS WITH NATHALIE

ROY: 10 a.m.,Louisiana Art& Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Forthose 14 and older Regular admissionapplies. lasm.org

MEET THEARTIST:HEATHER KINSEL: 10 a.m.,Zachary Branch Library,1900 Church St.Kinsel’s Resin Geode Artwork display is on display through July.ebrpl.com.

ENGINEERIT: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Louisiana Art&Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Hands-on STEM event hosted by ASCE Baton Rouge. Regular admissionapplies. lasm. org.

FAMILY-HOURSTARGAZING: 10 a.m.,Irene W. Pennington Planetarium at the Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. Learn about the stars and constellations in the local nighttimesky, followedbyanall-ages show. lasm.org

SUNDAY

AMOST DELIGHTFULTEATIME: 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. A“Bridgerton”- and Jane Austeninspired tea party celebrating Austen’s 250th birthday. $50. lasm.org

“THAT’SMYWORD”: 2p.m., 225 TheatreCollective, 7338 Highland Road. An afternoon of poetry and monologues from theAfrican American community.Original and credited worksare welcomed. $10. 225theatrecollective.gmail.com.

TUESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET: 3p.m.-6 p.m.,Main Library at Goodwood, 7711 Goodwood Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods, cooking demonstrations. breada.org.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m. Burgersmith,18303 Perkins Road. Collect your team and jockey for first place. loom. ly/y-CKtQ4.

WEDNESDAY

RED STICK FARMERS MARKET:

9a.m.tonoon,ExxonMobil YMCA, 7711 Howell Blvd. Farm-fresh produce, goods and more. www.facebook com/redstickfarmersmarket.

“DANIEL TIGER’SNEIGHBORHOOD:WON’T YOUBEMY NEIGHBOR”: 10:30 a.m.,Manship Theatre, 100 Lafayette St.Presented by Films at Manship and Louisiana Public Broadcasting.Free. lasm.org.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 6:30 p.m., Burgersmith,27350 Crossing Circle, Suite 150, Denham Springs. Collect your team and jockey for first place.

loom.ly/y-CKtQ4.

THURSDAY RED STICKFARMERS MARKET: 8a.m. to noon, Pennington Biomedical Research Center 6400 Perkins Road. Farm-fresh produce,goodsand more. facebook.com/redstickfarmersmarket.

BEHINDTHE SEAMS WITH THE QUEEN OF SPARKLES OPENINGRECEPTION: 6p.m.-8 p.m Louisiana Art &Science Museum, 100 S. River Road. An evening of fashion, creativity and community withdesigner Jaime Glas Odom, founder of thefashion brand Queen of Sparkles. lasm.org. $10, LASM members; $20, non-members. lasm.org.

WEEKLYSOCIAL BIKE RIDE: 7p.m., Geaux Ride, 521 N. ThirdSt., SuiteA.Free. https://fareharbor.com.

TRIVIA NIGHT: 7p.m., Bayes Oyster Bar, 315 NorthBlvd. Test your trivia skills with your friends and family.Free.

ONGOING

BATONROUGE GALLERY CENTER FORCONTEMPORARY

ART: 1515 Dalrymple Drive Group exhibit by April Hammock, MarcusMcAllister,Hye Yeon Nam and NonneyOddlokken,through July 27. Free. batonrougegallery.org.

CAPITOL PARK MUSEUM: 660 N. FourthSt. “Billy Cannon: They CalledHim Legend,” through Jan. 10. (225) 342-5428 or louisianastatemuseum.org.

CARY SAURAGE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER SHELL GALLERY: 233 St. Ferdinand St. Big Buddy’s SummerArt Collective:“Expressions of Me,” a studentexhibition showcasing artwork from 40 local middleschool students, through Aug. 3. Hours arefrom9 a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. Saturday artsbr.org.

ELIZABETHAN GALLERY: 680 Jefferson Highway.Group show.Call (225) 924-6437 or followthe gallery’s Facebook page

LOUISIANAART &SCIENCE MUSEUM: 100 S. River Road. “Threads of Evolution: Engineering aCommunityThat Sparkles,” engineering meets imagination through thework of Jaime Glas Odom, founder and creative director of fashion brand Queen of Sparkles, Saturday-Nov. 9. “Discoveries

on theNile:Exploring King Tut’s Tomb and theAmin Egyptian Collection,” through Oct. 31. (225) 344-5272 or lasm.org.

LSU MUSEUM OF ART: Shaw Center for theArts, 100 Lafayette St. “Carved and Crafted: The Art of Letterpress,” through Sept. 21. “InFocus: Artwork by LSU Faculty,” through Aug. 3. (225) 389-7200 or lsumoa.org.

LSU TEXTILE &COSTUME MUSEUM: Human Ecology Building, TowerDrive, LSU campus. “Color Me Fashion, morethan 45 looks with related accessories spanning approximately100 years of fashion history from c. 1890 to 1990. Exhibit runs through Aug. 15. (225) 578-5992 or email textile@lsu.edu

MAGNOLIA MOUNDMUSEUM +HISTORIC SITE: 2161 Nicholson Drive.Guided and selfguided tours.Hours arefrom 10 a.m. to 4p.m. MondaySaturday and from 1p.m. to 4p.m. Sunday.brec.org/facility/MagnoliaMound

OLD GOVERNOR’SMANSION: 502 NorthBlvd. Open for tours.Hours arefrom9 a.m. to 4p.m. Monday-Friday.Free admission. oldgovernorsmansion.com.

OLD STATECAPITOL: 100 NorthBlvd. “Water/Ways,” traveling Smithsonian exhibit exploring thecritical role water playsinall our lives and howtopreserve it,through Aug. 9. “America’s Sacred Freedoms in theFirstAmendment,” yearlong exhibit.Free. louisianaoldstatecapitol.org. USS KIDD VETERANS MUSEUM: 305 S. River Road. Displaysofavariety of artifacts that celebrate veteran and navalmilitary history.Note: Vessel is in Houma for dry dock repairs.usskidd.com. WEST BATONROUGE MUSEUM: 845 N. Jefferson Ave., Port Allen. “Radbwaêtiretik-layé: The Art of Jonathan Mayers,” through Oct. 12. (225) 3362422 or westbatonrougemuseum.org.

CompiledbyJudy Bergeron. Have an open-to-the-public eventyou’dlike to promote? Email details to red@theadvocate.com. Deadline is 5p.m.Friday forthe following Friday’s

cAncER(June 21-July 22) Size up asituation andworkyour magictoensure everything goes according to plan Home, family, comfort and convenience will lead to gratitude andpeace of mind. Take pride in what youhave.

LEo (July 23-Aug.22) Be cautious dealing with people whocan influence your reputation, career or financial wellbeing. Take the highroad, share positive input and enjoy whatever event you attend.

VIRGo(Aug. 23-sept. 22) Don't let anger set in; find better ways to expel your energy. Volunteer to helpa cause that concerns you. Declutter, dismiss and discard what no longer works foryou.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Keep absorbing information and using your discoveries to improve your life. Research,travel and make amove; it will help youfind the happiness or satisfaction you're searching for.

scoRPIo (oct. 24-nov. 22) Transform whatever you discoverinto something that improves your life or your relationships. Channel your energyinto what youcan do to help acause or improve yourself.

sAGIttARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Take pride in your surroundings. Pay it forward and give away items you no longer need or use.A kind gesture, romantic suggestion or an event thatcan lead to love will pay off.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Pay attention to loved ones. Make plansthat unite people. Be the glue,the go-to per-

son, andenjoythe attention andlove. A change doesn'thavetobecostly, but it must be satisfying andgratifying.

AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Embrace change andconsider whatyou want to manifest for yourself. Discuss your feelings andintentionswith loved ones andmakeplans that promote alifestyle that promotes equal opportunities.

PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Concentrateon where your moneygoes. Planning and sacrifice will be necessary to achieve your goal. Refuse to let outsiders talk you into something you don't need or want.

ARIEs(March 21-April19) Refuse to let emotional spending or indulgencetake the lead. Sticking to the truth may be difficult, but it will help you phase out the people and projects that no longer reflect your values or beliefs

tAuRus (April 20-May20) Be careful whatyou sign up for or promise.Wantingtobea people pleaser will hold you back whenyou need to gain respect by doingwhat'sright andbest foryou. Trust in your abilities.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Achange will be uplifting. Adopting anew image, making an upgrade or attending asocial eventwillchange your perspective andoffer insight into your challenges. Optimize your chances to get ahead. The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact ©2025 by NEA, Inc.,dist. By AndrewsMcMeel Syndication

FAMILYCIrCUS

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. Theobject is to place the numbers 1to9inthe empty squaressothat each row, each column and each 3x3 boxcontains the same number only once. Thedifficulty level of theSudoku increases from Monday to Sunday

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER

Robertson Davies, apopular Canadian author, said, “The eye sees only whatthe mind is prepared to comprehend.”

Isuppose that applies to bridge players, except that they must also tryto “see” the opposing hands, imagining where the keymissing cards lie. And if you can, always assume the worst possible breaks. Agreed, they will not happen often, but when they do, if you can overcome them, you andyourpartner will be very happy.

In this deal, howshould South play in six spades? West leads aheart.East wins with his ace and shifts to adiamond North’s four-spade rebid showed a maximum opening bid with no singleton or void (otherwise, he would have made asplinter bid).

South used Blackwood, East doubling North’sfive-heartreplytoaskforaheart lead.South,not worried about hearts, jumped to six spades.

Theonlypotential problem is in the trump suit. Declarer’s inner eye should seethatifthe four missing cards are divided2-2 or 3-1, there will be no worries.SoSouth should assume a4-0 split How can he overcome that?

If East has allfour trumps,declarer is doomed; he must lose atrump trick

But if West has all four, South is safe as long as he starts with his king, keeping dummy’sace and queen hovering over West’s 10 andjack.Whenthe 4-0 division is disclosed,declarer twice leadsspades through West to nullify his trump holding. The eyes have it! ©2025 by NEA, Inc., dist. By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc.

thought “Wait on the Lord:beofgood courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, Isay, on the Lord.” Psalms 27:14

PUBLIC NOTICE

TheCityofSt. George Planning& Zoning Com‐missionswillholdpublic hearingsonMonday, Au‐gust4,2025, at 6:00 pm at St. George City Hall 14100 AirlineHwy,St. George, LA 70817, to con‐sider thefollowing: Planning Commission

S25-12-FSubdivision of Tract F-1, Jamestownat Old PerkinsProperty: This3.98-acre property is located at thecornerof Jamestown Blvd and Pecue Blvd,inSec.49, T8S-R2E,GLD,EBR,LA. The applicantrequests tosubdivide onelot into two,including onedevel‐opablelot andone not buildable lotinthe PUD11-06 JamestownatOld Perkins Zoning District (Applicant: BrettD.Blan‐chard,P.E L.S.I.,EvansGravesEngineers, Inc. onbehalfofTract F-1In‐vestments,LLC) Zoning Commission SP25-03 Site Plan for MMR Office Building at 15961 AirlineHwy:This 2.53-acre property is on the corner of AirlineHwy and PaladinDr, on Tr.3A-1 of theEdnaD.Martin Tract,inSec.37, T8S-R2E, GLD,EBR,LAinthe R Rural Zoning District.The applicant requests asite plantoconstruct a2story office building of 12,800 sq.ft. totalgross floor area andassoci‐

ated newparking area,in a single phaseonthe rearportion of adevel‐opedindustrial-used lot, inthe proposed CW1 CommercialWarehous‐ing OneZoningDistrict (Z25-09).(Applicant: Brian Aguillard,B.M Aguillard &Associates onbehalfofMMR Con‐structors,Inc) Z25-09 RuraltoCW1 at 15961 AirlineHwy:This 2.53-acre property is lo‐cated on Tr.3-A-1 of the EdnaD.MartinTract (SP25-03),inSec.37, T8SR2E,GLD,EBR,LA. The applicant requests azon‐ing change from theR Rural Zoning District to the CW1Commercial Warehousing OneZoning District. (Applicant:Brian Aguillard,B.M.Aguillard & Associates,onbehalfof MMR Constructors,Inc) T25-07 Drusilla Jefferson DesignOverlay:Amend Title 7Unified Develop‐mentCodetoreadopt standards forthe DrusillaJefferson Design Overlay,and providefor related matters. 150251-JUL18-25 aug1-3t $119

I, ChristopherScott Graham akaBoo Graham akaScott Graham,have been convictedof14:81Indecent Behavior with Juveniles. Date Convicted: 10/9/2008 14:81 -Indecent Behavior with Juveniles(attempted) Date Convicted: 12/15/2008. My Addressis: 2424 EASTGATE DR BATON ROUGE, LA 70816

Race:WHITE