tifying them of the cuts and asking them for help. Filling the gap will be difficult, if not impossible, station leaders said. The bill claws back $1.1 billion from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which in turn funds NPR, PBS and member stations across the country Republicans have argued that taxpayer money should not be spent on public media when, according to Sen. John Kennedy, RMadisonville, “Americans can find the same content — in many cases, better content online for free.” But station leaders say that especially in rural areas, public media is a rare source for high-quality news and information, essential during hurricanes and other emergencies.
Paul Maassen, general manager of WWNO in New Orleans and WRKF in Baton Rouge, the state’s two largest public radio stations, said that in targeting national news organizations like National Public Radio, lawmakers are hurting local stations that are generally popular WWNO in New Orleans will lose $220,000 a year in federal funds, and WRKF in Baton Rouge will lose about $150,000.
WELCOME HOME
Lafayette native Dustin Poirier waves to the crowd Friday in the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans at the weigh-in for Saturday’s UFC 318 mixed martial arts event. Poirier will face off against Max Holloway for the BMF belt, a symbolic title that is awarded to UFC fighters for their toughness Poirier plans to retire after the bout and return home to Lafayette, ending a 16-year career as a professional mixed martial artist. ä More UFC coverage in Sports, 1C.
Former board director will not have to pay anything
BY CLAIRE TAYLOR Staff writer
speech lawsuit against Lafayette Consolidated Government and two library board members includes a $13,200 payment and changes to meeting guidelines that the plaintiffs allege limited speech and intimidated speakers.
Former Lafayette Public Library board President Robert Judge, who is largely responsible for the policies and
and Melanie Brevis, founders of Lafayette Citizens Against Censorship, was settled this week with LCG, Judge and current board President Daniel Kelly The board voted Monday to settle nonmonetary portions of the lawsuit. Judge was absent.
BY PATRICK WALL, MARIE FAZIO and ELYSE CARMOSINO Staff writers
Louisiana is set to receive nearly $28 million for after-school programs that had been held up by President Donald Trump’s administration, easing fears that schools would have to cut services for students next month when they return from summer break. Schools and nonprofits like the Boys & Girls Club rely on the money to run summer and afterschool programs that serve an estimated 30,000 Louisiana students, advocates said. It is part of $1.3 billion for after-school programs that the U.S. Department of Educa-
tion is expected to release to states in the coming days, following a weekslong delay while the Trump administration reviewed whether the programs align with the president’s priorities. But nearly $5 billion in education grants that schools had expected to receive on July 1 remains frozen. The federal money, which
Congress approved earlier this year, pays for teacher training and programs for migrant students, English learners, adult literacy, arts and science education and violence prevention in schools across the country Advocates and educators have decried the funding delay saying it upended plans for the coming
school year and could disrupt critical services, including after-school programs that provide a safe space for students and child care for working parents. This week, 10 Republican senators though none from Louisiana — wrote a letter urging the administration to
$28 million in after-school grants restored for Louisiana ä See GRANTS, page 4A
STAFF PHOTO By JOHN MCCUSKER
Report: Naval Academy
will replace leader
BALTIMORE The U.S. Naval Academy will replace its first female superintendent, according to reporting from USNI News, the Naval Institute’s news site.
Vice Adm. Yvette Davids was confirmed to lead the academy in January 2024. She will be renominated for a third star and go on to serve the chief of naval operations staff. USNI reports that Lt. Gen Michael Borgschulte will be nominated to succeed Davids. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Borgschulte will be the first Marine general to serve as the academy’s superintendent.
Davids’ Navy career began aboard the combat stores ship USS San Jose during Operation Desert Storm.
She took the helm of the USS Curts, becoming the first woman of Hispanic descent to command a Navy warship and leading the guided missile frigate in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom
The Naval Academy was the last of the five service academies to have a woman nominated as leader In June, Joanna Nunan stepped down from her role at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, where she was the first female superintendent.
Police: 4 dead in crash involving bus, stolen car
SAN ANTONIO A speeding stolen car smashed into a bus on an interstate in San Antonio on Thursday, causing a multi-vehicle crash that left four people dead and more than a dozen injured, police said.
Two people traveling on the bus were pronounced dead at the scene on Interstate 35 and two died at a hospital, police said. Another 16 people received treatment for their injuries.
Several people fled the stolen Camaro without stopping to help, including at least one who was armed, police said.
The Camaro struck a trailer attached to the bus, causing the bus driver to lose control of the vehicle, which then bounced into a guardrail. A tractor-trailer then smashed into the bus, which rolled onto its side. Several people were ejected from the bus, police said.
Man with chain necklace pulled into MRI machine
WESTBURY, N.Y A man was pulled into an MRI machine in New York after he walked into the room wearing a large chain necklace, police said.
The man, 61, had entered an MRI room while a scan was underway Wednesday afternoon at Nassau Open MRI. The machine’s strong magnetic force drew him in by his metallic necklace, according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Police said the incident “resulted in a medical episode” that left the man hospitalized in critical condition MRI machines “employ a strong magnetic field” that “exerts very powerful forces on objects of iron, some steels, and other magnetizable objects,” according to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, which says the units are “strong enough to fling a wheelchair across the room.”
Trump sues paper over Epstein story
BY ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and LARRY NEUMEISTER Associated Press
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump filed a lawsuit Friday against The Wall Street Journal and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, a day after the newspaper published a story reporting on ties to wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Miami. It seeks at least $10 billion in damages
Trump promised a lawsuit after The Wall Street Journal described a sexually suggestive letter that the newspaper says bore Trump’s name and was included in a 2003 album for Epstein’s 50th birthday Trump denied writing the letter, calling the story “false, malicious, and defamatory.”
The letter revealed by The Wall Street Journal was reportedly collected by disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell as part of a birthday album for Epstein before
the wealthy financier was first arrested in 2006 and subsequently had a falling-out with Trump.
The letter bearing Trump’s name includes text framed by the outline of what appears to be a hand-drawn naked woman and ends with, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret,” according to the newspaper
The outlet described the contents of the letter but did not publish a photo showing it entirely or provide details on how it came to learn about it.
The Justice Department asked a federal court earlier Friday to unseal grand jury transcripts in Epstein’s case at Trump’s direction amid a firestorm over the administration’s handling of records related to the wealthy financier
The move seeks to contain a growing controversy that has engulfed the administration since it announced that it would not be releasing more government files from Epstein’s sex trafficking case.
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche filed motions urging the court to unseal the Epstein transcripts as well as those in the case against British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who was convicted of luring teenage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein. Epstein killed himself in 2019 shortly after his arrest while awaiting trial.
The Justice Department’s announcement that it would not be making public any more Epstein files enraged parts of Trump’s base in part because members of his own administration had hyped the expected release and stoked conspiracies around the well-connected financier
The Justice Department said in the court filings that it will work with with prosecutors in New York to make appropriate redactions of victim-related information and other personally identifying information before transcripts are released.
“Transparency in this process
Blast at training facility in L.A. kills 3 deputies
BY ETIENNE LAURENT, ERIC TUCKER and OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ Associated Press
LOSANGELES A Friday blast at a Los An-
geles County Sheriff’s Department training facility killed three members of its arson and explosives unit, marking one of the department’s worst losses of life from a single incident, the sheriff said.
All three were veteran deputies. The department hasn’t said what they were doing at the time of the blast or what caused it.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said the arson and explosives team undergoes in-depth training and responds to more than 1,000 calls a year
The deputies had served 19, 22 and 33 years in the department, Luna said.
“They have years of training,” the sheriff said at a news conference. “They are fantastic experts and, unfortunately, I lost three of them today.”
The explosion was reported about 7:30 a.m at the Biscailuz Training Facility Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Nicole Nishida said.
Aerial footage from KABC-TV shows the explosion happened in a parking lot filled with sheriff’s patrol cars and box trucks. Three covered bodies could be seen near a truck with a ramp attached
to a side door A patrol cruiser parked nearby had its rearview mirror shattered by the blast.
Luna said it took more than four hours to render the scene safe and the deaths are being investigated by the department’s homicide detectives, with the assistance of the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. No one else was injured in the explosion, he said.
An early line of investigation was looking at a possible training accident, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the matter who was not authorized to discuss it and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Luna said the deaths marked the department’s worst loss of life in a single incident since 1857, when four officers were killed by gunfire, and noted that he couldn’t release the deputies’ names because he had yet to speak to one of the families.
“I have met with two of three families thus far Those were extremely challenging conversations,” Luna said, his voice breaking.
Arson investigators from the Los Angeles Fire Department and members of the Los Angeles Police Department bomb squad were also assisting the investigation at the training facility, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said in a post on X.
Trump signs new stablecoin regulations
BY SEUNG MIN KIM and ALAN SUDERMAN Associated Press
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law new regulations for a type of cryptocurrency, a major milestone for an industry that has spent heavily to strengthen its legitimacy and political might
The GENIUS Act sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins, which are tied to assets like the U.S. dollar to reduce price volatility compared with other forms of cryptocurrency It passed both the House and Senate with wide bipartisan margins
The new law is meant to bolster consumer confidence in the crypto industry, which has quickly become a major power player in Washington thanks to massive campaign donations and spending on lobbying Its passage comes as Trump had repeatedly pledged to make the U.S. the crypto
capital of the world.”
“For years you were mocked and dismissed and counted out,” Trump told crypto industry executives at a White House bill signing attended by about 200 people “This signing is a massive validation of your hard work and your pioneering spirit.”
The crypto industry has long complained it was unfairly targeted by former President Joe Biden’s administration and spent heavily to help Trump win last year’s election.
The president lavished praise on crypto leaders during his speech Friday, saying “nobody has gained the respect in such a short period of time.”
Trump said helping the cryptocurrency industry was “good for the dollar and it’s good for the country.”
“That’s why I backed you at an early stage,” said Trump, who had previously been a skeptic of cryptocurrency before embracing it. His administration has taken several early steps to boost
the crypto industry
The president also joked that lawmakers had named the GENIUS Act after him. The acronym stands for “Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins.”
A provision in the GENIUS Act bans members of Congress and their families from profiting off stablecoins. But that prohibition does not extend to the president and his family, even as Trump builds a crypto empire from the White House. His family holds a significant stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project that launched its own stablecoin earlier this year and received an early boost from an investment fund in the United Arab Emirates.
The House also passed two other bills Thursday that are meant to help the crypto industry One creates a new market structure for cryptocurrency, and the other bans the Federal Reserve from issuing a new digital currency Both measures now go to the Senate.
will not be at the expense of our obligation under the law to protect victims,” Blanche wrote.
But despite the new push to release the grand jury transcripts, the administration has not announced plans to reverse course and release other evidence in its possession. Attorney General Pam Bondi had hyped the release of more materials after the first Epstein files disclosure in February sparked outrage because it contained no new revelations.
A judge would have to approve the release of the grand jury transcripts, and it’s likely to be a lengthy process to decide what can become public and to make redactions to protect sensitive witness and victim information.
The records would show testimony of witnesses and other evidence that was presented by prosecutions during the proceedings, when a panel decides whether there is enough evidence to bring an indictment, or a formal criminal charge.
BY PATRICK WHITTLE Associated Press
PORTLAND, Maine Au-
thorities in Maine said Friday they have charged a 17-year-old with murder in the death of a paddleboarder who went missing on a rural pond that is a popular summer destination.
The body of Sunshine Stewart 48 of St. George, was found this month on Crawford Pond in Union, about 80 miles north of Portland. The killing shocked and scared the community, where trips to the pond and nearby campground are a summer staple.
Court documents identified the teen as Deven Young, of Frankfort, Maine. He made a brief initial court appearance on Friday in which he entered a denial to the charge. His attorney, Jeremy Pratt, declined to comment to The Associated Press via email.
A medical examiner determined Stewart’s cause of death was strangulation and blunt force trauma, police said.
Authorities have not revealed a motive. Court
documents contain little detail other than stating that Young is a juvenile and “did intentionally or knowingly cause the death of another human being, namely Sunshine Stewart.” Stewart lived about 21 miles from the pond. A person reached by phone who identified herself as Stewart’s sister on Thursday declined to comment. Friends of Stewart have posted online testimonials remembering her as fiercely independent and always up for a challenge, including outdoor adventures and building projects. A lifelong friend, Bethany Leach Parmley of Washington, Maine, described Stewart as “dauntless,” and the glue of a group of friends who stayed close even as life took them in different directions. Parmley said Stewart was a longtime paddleboarder who previously taught lessons in the activity
“She was just a wonderful friend, a really loyal, wonderful friend,” Parmley said. “She was just so fun and funny and you couldn’t help but have a good time around here.”
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gets a hug from Supervisor Kathryn Barger as he arrives for a news conference after three members of the department were killed in an explosion at a training facility on Friday in Los Angeles.
VenezuelareleasesAmericans
10 exchanged formigrantsU.S sent to El Salvador
BY REGINA GARCIA CANO, ERIC TUCKER and MEGAN JANETSKY Associated Press
CARACAS,Venezuela Venezu-
ela released 10 jailed Americans on Friday in exchange for getting home scoresof migrants deported by the United States to El Salvador months ago under the Trumpadministration’simmigration crackdown, officials said.
The complex, three-country arrangement represents adiplomatic achievement for Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, helps President Donald Trumpin his goal of bringing home Americans jailedabroad and landsSalvadoran President Nayib Bukele aswap that he proposed months ago.
“Every wrongfully detained American in Venezuela is now freeand backin our homeland,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in astatementinwhichhe thanked Bukele, aTrumpally Bukele said El Salvador had handed over all the Venezuelan nationals in its custody. Madurodescribed Friday as “a dayofblessings and good newsfor Venezuela” duringhis address to agathering of agriculture producers.
Venezuelansleave prison
Central to the deal are more than 250 Venezuelan migrants freed by El Salvador,which in March agreed to a$6million payment from the Trump administration to house them in its notorious prison. That arrangementdrew immediate blowback when Trump invoked an 18th century wartimelaw,the Alien Enemies Act, to quickly remove the men that his administration had accused of belonging to the violent
Men whoElSalvador’sgovernment identify as Venezuelans whothe U.S. government detained and flew to ElSalvador months agoare shown boarding aVenezuelan plane bound forVenezuela as soldiers stand by Fridayatthe Oscar Arnulfo Romero International AirportinSan Luis Talpa, El Salvador
Tren deAragua street gang, teeing up alegalfight that reached theU.S.Supreme Court. The administration didnot provide evidence to back up those claims.
TheVenezuelans have been held in amega-prison known as theTerrorism Confinement Center,orCECOT,whichwas builttohold alleged gang members in Bukele’swar on the country’s gangs. Human rights groups have documented hundreds of deaths as well as cases of torture inside its walls.
Lawyers have little access to those in the prison,which is heavilyguarded, and information has been locked tight,other than heavily produced state propaganda videosshowing tattooed men packed behind bars.
In April, in aheated exchange of diplomatic letters with Venezuela, Bukele proposed exchanging the Venezuelans for the same number of what he called “political prisoners”heldbyMaduro. It provoked aharsh response from Venezuelan authorities, who called his comments “cynical” and referred to Bukele as a“neofascist.”
Americansare innocent TheStateDepartmentof-
ficeresponsible for negotiat-
ingthe release of American detaineesposteda photo Friday evening of thenewly released prisoners smiling for thecamera inside an airplane bringing themhome, some clutching an unfurled American flag.
Among thosereleased was 37-year-old Lucas Hunter whosefamily says he was kidnapped in January by Venezuelan border guards from inside Colombia, where he was vacationing.
“Wecannot wait to see him in person and help him recover from theordeal,” his sister Sophie Hunter said.
Venezuelan authorities detained nearly adozen U.S. citizens in the second half of 2024 andlinkedthemtoalleged plots to destabilize the country
“Wehaveprayedfor this dayfor almost ayear.My brother is an innocentman who was used as apolitical pawn by theMaduro regime,” said astatementfrom Christian Casteneda, whose brother Wilbert, aNavy SEAL, was arrested in his Caracas hotel room lastyear
Global Reach, anonprofit organizationthat hadadvocated for hisreleaseand that of several other Ameri-
Gabbardalleges Democratic ‘conspiracy’ in 2016 election
BY NICK WADHAMS and RYAN CHUA Bloomberg News (TNS)
WASHINGTON Thetop U.S. intelligence official declassified an email trovepurporting to expose aDemocratic conspiracy to cast doubt on Donald Trump’s2016 election win. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said the114 pages of heavily redacted emails reveal that former President Barack Obama’snational security Cabinet faked and manipulated intelligence behind the assessment that Russia wanted Trump to win the election. In apress release, Gabbard said the information “clearly shows there was atreasonous conspiracyin 2016 committed by officials
at thehighestlevel of our government.” She called for an investigation and prosecution of those involved,“no matterhow powerful,” and saidonX that thedocuments wouldbeturnedover tothe DepartmentofJustice.
Gabbard’sclaim standsin contrast to the findings of a bipartisan Senate investigation that ended in 2020 and theconclusion of aCentral Intelligence Agency review released earlier this month. That review faulted some aspects of a2017 assessment on Russian interference but stood by the conclusion that Moscow wantedTrump to win in 2016.
The documents include exchanges between officials of intelligence agencies discussing and debating the contentsofanassessment
on possible Russian election interference before the November 2016 election.
Therelease includes copiesoftwo versions of an intelligencecommunity assessment —a draft dated Sept.12, 2016, saying that “foreignadversaries do not have and will probably not obtain” the abilitytohack election systems, andanother dated Jan. 5, 2017, concluding that “Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influencecampaign in the summer of 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election.”
The January report never concludedthatRussiatried to hack election infrastructure —instead finding that Russia triedtoundermine faithindemocracy,attack Hillary Clinton and showa preference for Trump.
cans, saidVenezuelanofficials initially and falsely accused him of being involved in acoup but backed off that claim.
Swap givesMaduroboost
The release of the Venezuelans, meanwhile,isaninvaluable win forMaduro as he presses his effortstoassert himself as president despite credible evidence that he lost reelection lastyear
Long accused of human rights abuses,Madurofor monthshas used the migrants’ detention in El Salvador to flip the script on the U.S.government, forcing even some of his strongest political opponentstoagree with his condemnation of the migrants’ treatment.
Justa week ago, the U.S. State Department reiterated its policy of shunning Maduro government officials and recognizing only the National Assembly elected in 2015 as the legitimate government of the country.Signed by Rubio, thecable said U.S. officials are free to meet and have discussions with National Assembly members “but cannot engage with Maduro regimerepresentativesunlessclearedbythe Department of State.”
Hegsethtalks of detentioncenters in Indiana, N.J.
BY DAVID KLEPPER and KEVIN FREKING Associated Press
WASHINGTON Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says bases in Indiana and New Jerseycan house detained immigrants without affecting military readiness —a step toward potentiallydetaining thousands of people on bases on U.S. soil.
Hegseth notified members of Congressfrom both statesthis week of the proposal to temporarily house detainedimmigrants at CampAtterbury in Indiana,and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in NewJersey
PresidentDonaldTrump has moved to aggressively detain and deport people in the country illegally,a push that has swept up large numbers of immigrants, including many with no prior criminal records, and forced federal authorities to find places to house them.
Hegseth said the presence of the detainees would notnegatively affect the bases’ operations or training. Officials have not said when detainees could begin arriving at the facilities or if other military bases areunderconsideration.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House, Trump’sborder czar Tom Homan saidthereare about60,000 beds currently available for detained immigrants and the goal is to expand to 100,000.
“We’re looking for any available bed space we can getthatmeets thedetention standards we’re accustomed to,” Homan said Friday.“The faster we get thebeds, themorepeople we can take off the street.” Democraticlawmakers from both states and
civil rights advocatescondemned the idea of housing immigrants at the bases, questioningthe impact on military resources andthe justification forsomany detentions.
“Using our country’s military to detain and hold undocumented immigrants jeopardizes military preparedness andpaves the wayfor (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids in every NewJersey community,” New Jersey’s Democratic delegation said in astatement.
Rep. Andre Carson, DInd., saidhis questions aboutdetainee conditions have gone unanswered by the Trumpadministration. He cited concerns raised aboutconditions at other facilities and said, “The fact that ICE has detained so many individuals that they now need to expand detention space in Indiana is disturbing.”
Amol Sinha, executive director of the American CivilLiberties Union of NewJersey,said in astatement thathousing immigrants in military facilities sets adangerous precedent “and is contrary to the values embedded in our Constitution.”
During Trump’sfirst administration,heauthorized the use of military bases to detain immigrant children, including Army installations at Fort Bliss andGoodfellow Air Force Base in Texas. In 2014,President Barack Obama temporarily relied on military basestodetain immigrant childrenwhile ramping up privately operated family detention centers to hold many of the tens of thousands of Central American families who crossed the border
PHOTO PROVIDED By EL SALVADOR’S PRESIDENTIAL PRESS OFFICE
“Ifyou have abeef witha national programmer,that’sfine, but that should be handled differently,” Maassen said by phone.
In an email Friday to listeners, WWNO said that the loss of federal fundingwillmeanpausing or scaling back planstoupdate backup generators and to expand the signal of sister stationKTLNto reach more listeners in the bayou parishes, among other things.
The cuts will impactstations across the country,incommunities large and small, that do “tremendous good,” Maassen said. In smaller, rural places,the cuts could cause them to “severely curtail what they do —orevenclose.”
In Monroe, the loss is “devastating, but it is not the end,” said Curtis, the station’sgeneral manager since2012.Unlikestationsinbigger markets, who can turntodeeppocketed donors, KEDM has acoverage area of just 320,000, “and a whole lot of that is corn fieldand cotton fields and big, wide open spaces with just afew people living in them.” KEDM expects to lose more than afifth of the station’sannual revenue, or about $145,000.The station employsjusta handful of people yet puts out local news and musicprogramming, including, ”TheBoot,” which highlights Louisiana artist andsouthern musical traditions, including blues, soul and zydeco. The stationpays NPR to airnational programs. On acallFriday,local stationslearned thatNPR would offer adiscount on such programs, but the details are still to be settled. Since airing its calls for donations, the station has heard from new listeners and those who had long let their membership lapse. But fundraisingisexpensive, Curtis said.BecauseofGov.Jeff Landry’shiring freeze, the uni-
LIBRARY
Continued from page1A
Details of the settlement were made publicThursday.They include payments of $12,500 to Mejia and Brevis as well as another $600 to Brevis and $100 to Mejia.
“LCG is paying the totalityofit,”
City-ParishAttorneyPat Ottinger said.
Judge, in May, set up three online fundraisers soliciting about $10,000 in donations.
LCG was part of the lawsuit because the Parish Councilappoints library board members,including Judge, who has been controversial since his appointmentin2021 and
GRANTS
Continued from page1A
release the congressionally approved money On Friday,advocates cheered the news that the after-school grants were being restored while calling for the rest of themoney to also be released.
“The uncertainty of that remaining $4.9 billion and whether or not it’sgoing to come is already forcing districts to make really tough decisions,” said Tara Thomas,government affairsmanageratAASA,the national schoolsuperintendents association. “No matter what is cut, it’sstudents who are going to have to bearthe consequences.”
Sighsofrelief
The money expected to be released next week is for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, also known as Title IV-B. It’sthe main federal funding source for afterschool programs, which provide studentswith free meals, academic support and asafe space to socialize after class. At FirstLine Schools in New Orleans, about athird of students attend afterschool programs, said CEO Sabrina Pence. The students are fed“supper” before buckling down for45 minutes of tutoring and 45 minutes of enrichment activities,such as band,sports and coding.
FirstLine, which runs four charter schools in the city, relies on about $1.2 million in annual federal grants to fund the program. It was awelcome relief that the
Bob Pavlovich, whohosts the ‘All Things Considered’and ‘Louisiana Considered’shows at WWNO,prepares for ashowonthe campus of the
University ofNew Orleans on Friday. Major cuts in federal funding will likely affect future programming of the NPR station.
versity-affiliated station can’tfill a position responsible forbusiness sponsorships. Likeother public stations, it can’tand won’tturn to commercials.
Public radioand television
“This cut is ahistorical moment,” saidRobin Cooper,president andCEO of WYES, thepublic television station serving theNew Orleans area. That station will lose morethan $800,000 in federal funding,or13% of its budget.
election as boardpresident just months later
The settlement also:
n Prohibits the display of Louisiana Revised Statue 14:103, defining disturbing the peace, on library board meeting room doors.
n ProhibitsLouisiana Revised Statute 14:103 from being read aloud or distributedatlibrary board meetings
n Prohibits rules that limitprotected speech frombeing read or enforced at library boardmeetings
n Prohibits lawenforcement officers from standing in thefront of thelibrary board meeting room during meetings.
n Requires LCG to provide the library board and other commis-
“The uncertainty of that remaining $4.9billion and whetherornot it’s going to come is already forcing districts to make really tough decisions. No matter what is cut, it’sstudents whoare going to have to bearthe consequences.”
TARA THOMAS,government affairsmanager
at thenational school superintendents association
grants will come through and the schools won’thave to scale back the program, Pence said Friday
ButFirstLine is still waitingfor about $300,000 in grantsfor teacher training andEnglish learners that remainsfrozen.Because schoolshave alreadyfinalized their budgets and hiredstaffs, the organization plans to increase its deficit to cover the lossof any grantsthis school year “It’slike aroller coaster,” Pencesaid. “I understand they’retrying to make cuts, butfutureplanning is extremely importantfor schools.”
In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana’s largest school district, School Board member Derrick Shepherd said he was relieved Friday to learn that the after-school funding would come through. The grantspay for ACT prepand makeup courses forhigh school students, along withtraditional afterschool programs, he said. Still, he added that the district is waiting to learn whether the money will come“with anystrings attached.
The cuts will also affect national services tomember stations, such as thesatellite systemused to feed and receive programming, and sharedexpenses like music copyrights.
“The trueimpact of this will not be known for weeks or months,” Cooper said Friday WYES broadcasts bothnational PBSprogramsand produces its own, local programs, some of which are distributed beyond Louisiana.“We arereevaluating
sions withinstruction on LouisianaOpenMeetings Law and First Amendment rights.
n Requires abound copyofthe open meetings law to be displayed on astandnear the library board meetingroom.
An exhibit attached to the settlement, titled First Amendment and OpenMeetings LawGuidelines forthe LafayetteLibrary Board of Control, contains additional restrictionswhich,ifviolated,can lead to the board’sremoval by the ParishCouncil.
The guidelines allow speakers who properly sign up to speak at meetings to do so, even if they disagree with the board or their comments are“offensive” or “hateful.”
anything and everything,” Cooper said. The station counts 18 staffmembers, Cooper said. “We’ve run a very lean operation,”she said. “We’re understaffed as it is.” So staffing changes, whichare “a likelihood,”she said,will“be felt very deeply.”
After walking herdog Friday morning, Christy Wood heard WWNO’s plea.
Wood is the gallery director and co-owner of LemieuxGalleries in
Speakers andothersattending meetings may only be removed if they“willfully disrupt ameeting to the extent thatthe orderly conductofthe meeting is seriously compromised.”
Judge instituted policies while he was board president that Mejia andBrevis believe limitedfree speech and intimidated potential speakers.
He posted on the front door of themain libraryand on theboard’s meeting room door acopy of part of the lawabout disturbing the peace.
New Orleans, which supports the station as an underwriter.She was also aPBS kid who, growing up in Massachusetts, watched “Sesame Street” and “Mr.Rogers.” So she was disappointed to learn that the federal government, which is increasing its spending on agencies such as Immigrations and CustomsEnforcement, would no longer fund public broadcasting.
“It’spart of what makes our society great,” Wood said.
Twooff-duty law enforcement officerswere hired for meetings and positioned at times on either side of the board, facing the publicand speakers during meetings.
Judge had aresident arrested during ameeting in February 2022for speaking one word outof turn after Judge chastisedheand others at themeeting forverbally disagreeing with the board. Theman wascharged with disturbing the peace, but the charge was dismissed by adistrict judge who apologizedfor thearrest and attempted prosecution of the misdemeanor charge. In February of 2023, Judge ordered off-duty deputies to remove Brevis from the speaker’spodium because she wascriticizing he and another board members.
Email Claire Taylor at ctaylor@ theadvocate.com.
“Our after-school programsare so important,”he said, “not just to the school, buttothe whole community.
Without the federal money,someschool districts and nonprofit groups were expecting to scale back theirafter-school programs this fall, said Andrew Ganucheau, director of the LouisianaCenterfor Afterschool Learning.
“It really was looking like by Labor Day many of the programs were going to have to shut down or only have enough funding to run one site,” he said.
The restoration of the grants, he added, is “great news for Louisianaand the working families that rely on these programs.”
Ongoingreview
The Trump administration has provided schools with little explanation for the funding delay
Butinstatements to the media, the WhiteHouse’s Office of Management and Budgetsaidsomeof the grant money had been “grosslymisused tosubsidize aradical leftwing agenda.” The office cited instances when it said schools had used someofthe money to support immigrants in the
country illegally or promote LGBTQ+ inclusion.
In their letter thisweek to the office’sdirector,Russell Vought,the Republican senatorssaid they “share your concern about taxpayer money going to fund radical left-wing programs,”but that they do not believe the after-school grants are used for that purpose.
“These funds go to supportprograms that enjoy long-standing,bipartisan support,” they wrote.
The administration’sreviewofthe after-school grantshas been completed, aseniorofficialtoldThe
Associated Press on Friday.The person declined to be identified so theycould share progress fromthe review
That funding will be released to states, the official said. The rest of the withheld grants, close to $5 billion, continuestobereviewed forbias.
On Monday,more than 20 states filedalawsuit challenging thefunding freeze, including the money for English language instruction, teacher development and adult literacythat remains on hold. The lawsuit, led by California, argued
withholding the money was unconstitutional, and many low-income families would lose access to critical afterschool care if the grants were not released.
TedBeasley, aspokespersonfor the Louisiana Department of Education, said the agency supports the Trumpadministration’s ongoing review of federal education funds.
“We’re pleased by today’s allocation,” he said in astatementFriday,“and will continue to encourage school systems to takeameasured approach as they begin the school year.”
STAFFPHOTO By CHRIS GRANGER
Man pleads guilty to role in Burrow burglary
Pawn shop owner acted as fence for stolen goods
BY PHILIP MARCELO Associated Press
NEW YORK A Manhattan
pawn shop owner pleaded guilty Friday to serving as a fence for luxury items stolen from wealthy residences across the country, including a brazen burglary at the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow while he was playing an away game last year
Dimitriy Nezhinskiy admitted to knowingly purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other high-end goods in order to re-sell them in his pawn shop. But he maintained that he did not know they had been taken from people’s homes until after his arrest.
“I am very sorry for my actions,” the 44-year-old New Jersey resident said in Brooklyn federal court.
“Most of my business was completely legitimate, and it was a good business.”
Nezhinskiy pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy to receive stolen property He faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison as well as restitution of about $2.5 million and forfeiture of more than $2.5 million He’ll be sentenced at a later date.
“This defendant ran a black-market pipeline, buying stolen luxury goods from organized theft crews that targeted homes and businesses,” New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in a statement “It was a deliberate operation that helped professional burglars prey on innocent people.”
Nezhinskiy, who was born in the nation of Georgia but has legal status in the U.S., could also face deportation, U.S. District Court Judge William Kuntz noted Juan Villar, a New York resident who ran the pawn shop with Nezhinskiy, plead-
Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce of the Kansas City Chiefs, Luka Doncic of the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers and Mike Conley Jr of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The investigation spanned several states and led to at least six arrests.
Nezhinskiy and Villar weren’t charged in connection with specific robberies, but prosecutors said phone records link Nezhinskiy to one of the men charged with ransacking Burrow’s house.
bedroom window and the home ransacked The person called her mother, who notified authorities, and was later revealed to be Sports Illustrated swimsuit model Olivia Ponton, not Burrow’s previous girlfriend.
ed guilty to the same charge last month and will be sentenced in December
Prosecutors said the shop in Manhattan’s famed Diamond District fenced stolen goods for international burglary crews that targeted homes of prominent athletes around the country
They say Nezhinskiy and Villar had been purchasing items from various crews
and re-selling them from 2020 until the FBI raided the storefront and arrested them in February.
The crews, many consisting of foreign nationals from South America, mostly hit homes while athletes were out of town, including while playing in road games, prosecutors have said. Targets also included the homes of NFL quarterback Patrick
Prosecutors also say a large amount of suspected stolen property was found at the two men’s business and at storage units in New Jersey belonging to Nezhinskiy, including luxury handbags, wine, sports memorabilia, jewelry, artwork and power tools commonly used for burglaries and opening safes.
The break-in at Burrow’s home happened on Dec. 9, 2024 while the Bengals were playing in Dallas. Police said a person arrived at the Anderson Township home to find a shattered
“I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one,” Burrow said afterward. “Way more is out there than I would want out there and that I care to share.” Police said they apprehended those burglars the following month after finding them in an
Police also found photos the robbers took of themselves flashing some of the other spoils — jewelry, watches, designer luggage and glasses. One even wore necklaces with pendants showing “JB9” and the number 9 — Burrow’s jersey number
Minnesota lawmaker convicted of felony burglary
Senator broke into estranged stepmother’s home
BY STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
A Minnesota state senator was convicted of burglary Friday for breaking into her estranged stepmother’s home, allegedly in search of her father’s ashes and other mementos.
The jury found Nicole Mitchell, 51, guilty of firstdegree burglary and possession of burglary tools. Mitchell displayed little emotion as the verdicts were read. Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy was quick to issue a statement saying that Mitchell has told her colleagues that she planned to resign if convicted, “and I expect her to follow through on that pledge.”
The Democrat from the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury has maintained her innocence and refused to resign since her arrest in the
2023 at the age of 72. He had been married to Mitchell’s stepmother, Carol Mitchell, for nearly 40 years.
The jury saw bodycam video of Mitchell telling police repeatedly after her arrest that she broke into the home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her father, including some of his ashes, photos and a flannel shirt.
she wanted some of her father’s items than to have her competency questioned.
early hours of April 22, 2024, at her stepmother’s home in the northwestern Minnesota city of Detroit Lakes. Mitchell insisted in her testimony that she went there purely to check on her stepmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease. And she said she initially lied when she told police repeatedly the night of her arrest that she went there in search of her late father’s ashes and other items of sentimental value She testified that she didn’t want to further upset her stepmother by expressing concern about her wellbeing Mitchell’s father died in
The first-term senator was dressed in all-black, including a black hat, and had a flashlight covered with a black sock when she was arrested. The video showed her telling police, “Clearly, I’m not good at this,” and “I know I did something bad.”
But Mitchell testified Thursday that despite what she told police, she didn’t really intend to take anything. She said she had become increasingly concerned about her stepmother’s worsening memory problems and paranoia, and wanted to check on her well-being. She testified her stepmother was afraid of being put in a nursing home. Mitchell said she thought her stepmom would be less upset to hear
The former broadcast meteorologist and now-retired Air National Guard officer was charged with one count of first-degree burglary of an occupied dwelling, a felony that carries a mandatory minimum of six months in jail but requires proof of intent to commit a crime inside, and one count of possession of burglary tools, a lesser felony without a mandatory minimum.
Mitchell testified that she had long had a good relationship with Carol Mitchell, but that their final break came in a series of increasingly acrimonious text messages about a month before the break-in.
In the texts, which were
shown to the jury, her stepmother refused to reschedule the interment of her father’s ashes from a Tuesday, during a busy stretch of the legislative session, to another date. Her stepmother did, however, send her a fishing bobber at some point containing a small amount of his ashes as a memento, she acknowledged.
Defense attorney Bruce Ringstrom Jr told the jury in his closing argument that Mitchell did not steal anything and did not intend to He conceded that she used poor judgment. He said everybody has told “white lies,” and that Mitchell’s goal was to avoid aggravating her stepmother’s distrust even further Under such difficult circumstances, Ringstrom
argued, “Nicole’s white lies make perfect sense.” Carol Mitchell struggled with her memory when she took the stand for the prosecution, and was unable to recall names and key details about the night of the breakin. But she said she felt violated.
Mitchell’s rejection of calls for her resignation after her arrest frayed relations between Democrats and Republicans in the narrowly divided state Senate. Democrats hold only a one-seat majority in the Senate, so they needed her vote. They said she deserved to have the legal process play out and declined to expel her or ask her to step down. But they excluded her from caucus meetings and took her off her committees.
BY MELISSA GOLDIN
Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Former Missouri congressman Billy Long was ceremonially sworn in as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service on Friday in the Oval Office, taking over a beleaguered agency that he once sought to abolish and that has since been beset with steep staffing cuts and leadership turnover Long won confirmation in a 53-44 Senate vote last month despite concerns from Democrats about his
connection to a tax credit scheme and campaign contributions he received after then President-elect Donald Trump nominated him for the top IRS job in December Long’s commissionership comes after months of acting leaders and massive staffing cuts that have threatened to derail next year’s tax filing season Tens of thousands of workers have voluntarily retired or been laid off as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the size of the federal bureaucracy through the Department of
Government Efficiency
“In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here,” Long wrote in a message to IRS employees. “I’m big on culture, and I’m anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers’ lives better.” While in Congress, where he served from 2011 to 2023, the Republican sponsored legislation to get rid of the IRS. A former auctioneer and real estate broker, Long has no background in tax administration.
ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE PHOTO By CAROLyN KASTER
Cincinnati Bengals and former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow catches a ball during football practice May 13 in Cincinnati.
POOL PHOTO By ANNA PAIGE Minnesota state Sen. Nicole Mitchell is seen during her felony burglary trial Friday at Becker County District Court in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
Agency laying off thousandsof employees
BY MATTHEWDALY Associated Press
WASHINGTON— The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research anddevelopment arm and reducing agencystaffbythousands of employees.
The agency’sOffice of Research and Development has long providedthe scientific underpinnings for EPA’smission to protect the environment and human
health. TheEPA said in May it would shift its scientific expertise and research efforts to programoffices that focuson majorissues like air and water
Theagency said Friday it is creating anew Office of AppliedScience andEnvironmental Solutions that will allow it to focus on research and science “more than ever before.” Once fully implemented, the changes will save the EPAnearly $750 million, officials said
EPAAdministrator Lee Zeldin said in astatement that thechanges announced Friday would ensure the agency “isbetter equipped than ever to deliver on our core mission of protecting human health and the environment, while Powering the Great American Comeback.”
TheEPA also said it is beginning the process to eliminatethousands of jobs, following aSupreme Court ruling last week that cleared theway for President Donald Trump’splans to downsize thefederal workforce, despitewarnings that critical government services will be lost and hundreds of thousands of federal employees
EPAeliminatesresearchand developmentarm
will be out of their jobs
Total staffingatEPA will go down to 12,448, areduction of morethan 3,700 employees,ornearly 23%, from staffing levels in January when Trumptook office, the agency said.
“This reduction in force will ensure we can better fulfill that mission while being responsible stewardsofyour hard-earned tax dollars, Zeldin said, using agovernment term for mass firings. The research and developmentoffice “is theheart and brain of the EPA,”said Justin Chen, president of American Federation of GovernmentEmployees Council 238, which representsthou-
sands of EPAemployees.
“Without it, we don’thave the meanstoassess impacts upon humanhealth andthe environment,” Chensaid. “Its destruction will devastate public healthinour country.”
The research office EPA’smainscience arm —currently has 1,540 positions, excluding special government employees andpublic health officers, accordingtoagencydocumentsreviewedbyDemocratic staffonthe House Committee on Science, Space andTechnology earlier this year.Asmany as 1,155 chemists, biologists, toxicologistsand otherscientists could be laid off, the documents indicated. In addition to the reduction in force the agency also is offering the third round of deferred resignations for eligibleemployees,including research office staff, spokeswoman Molly Vaseliou said. The application period is open until July 25. The EPA’sannouncement comes twoweeks after the agency put on administrative leave139 employees who signed a“declaration of dissent” with agency policies under the Trump administration. The agency accusedthe employees of “unlawfully undermining” Trump’sagenda.
Trumpgloatsafter cancellation of Colbert’s‘Late Show’
BY LAURENHARVEY
LosAngeles Times (TNS)
LOSANGELES President Donald Trump is celebrating the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s“The LateShow” on CBS —and calling for even more late-nighthosts to be axed.
“I absolutely love that Colbert got fired. His talent was even less than his ratings,” Trump wrote Friday morning on Truth Social. “I hear Jimmy Kimmel is next.Has even less talent than Colbert!”
He addedthatGregGutfeld,who hasalate-nightshowand co-hosts “The Five” on Fox News,“is better than all of them combined,includ-
ingthe MorononNBC who ruined theoncegreat TonightShow,” referringtoJimmy Fallon.
Although “Late Night” is thetopratedlate-nightbroadcast show “Gutfeld!” draws abiggeraudience. Colbert, 61,has hostedthe show fora decade and shared the news of its cancellation Thursdaynight, noting thathewas made aware of thedecision only the nightbefore.
“The Late Show” will end in May
“It’snot just theend of our show, but it’sthe end of ‘TheLate Show’ on CBS,” Colbert said. “I’m not being replaced. Thisisall just going away.”
CBS said the decision was “purely financial.”The cancellation
comes after Colbert criticized the network’sparentcompany, Paramount Global, for settling alawsuit filedbyTrump last year over theediting of a“60 Minutes” interview withKamala Harris. Colbert called the $16 millionsettlement a“big fat bribe” Monday night, noting that Paramount is awaiting federal approval for its $8 billion merger withSkydance Media. Both branchesofthe Writers Guild called on New York Attorney General LetitiaJames to investigateParamount. Fellow late-night hosts have since criticized the show’s cancellation.
“Love you Stephen. F*** you and
all your Sheldons CBS,” Kimmel wrote in an Instagram story
“I’m just as shocked as everyone. Stephen is oneofthe sharpest, funniest hoststoeverdoit. Ireally thought I’d ride this out with him for years to come,” Jimmy Fallon posted in an Instagram story
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., suggestedthat the move was politically motivated.
“CBS canceled Colbert’sshow just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump —adeal that looks like bribery,” she wrote Thursday night on X. “America deserves to know if hisshow wascanceled for
political reasons.”
Trump had called for Colbert’s termination in September
“I briefly watchedaninterview of Stephen Colbert on highly government subsidized PBS,and found it fascinating foronly one reason Why would they be wasting time and the public’smoney on this complete and total loser?” he wrote on TruthSocial.“He is notfunny, which he gets paid fartoo much to be, he is not wise, he is VERYBORING, andhis show is dying from a complete lack of viewers.
“CBS should terminatehis contract and pick almost anyone, right offthe street, whowoulddobetter and forFAR LESS MONEY.”
Connie Francis, whosehit songsincluded‘Pretty Little Baby,’ dies
BY BOBTHOMAS Associated Press
LOS ANGELES Connie Francis, the wholesome pop star of the 1950s and ’60s whose hits included “Pretty Little Baby” and “Who’s SorryNow?” —the latter would serve as an ironic titlefor apersonallife filled with heartbreak and tragedy— hasdied at age 87. Radio DJ Bruce “Cousin Brucie” Morrow,alongtime friend, told The Associated Press thatshe died Wednesday at ahospitalinFlorida. Morrow did not cite aspecific cause of death, butFrancis had posted on social media earlier this month that
she had been hospitalized with “extreme pain.” Francis hadgained renewed attentioninrecentmonthsafter “Pretty Little Baby” becameasensation on TikTok “I’m flabbergasted andexcited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of ‘Pretty Little Baby’ is making all over theworld,” she said in avideo on TikTok, which she had joined in response to the song’sunexpected revival. “Tothink thata song Irecorded 63 years agoiscaptivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelmingfor me.” Francis was atop performer of thepre-Beatlesera, rarely outofthe
chartsfrom 1957-64. Abletoappeal to both young people andadults, she had morethanadozen Top20hits, startingwith “Who’s Sorry Now?”and including theNo. 1songs “Don’t Break the Heart That Loves You” and“The Heart HasaMindofIts Own.” The dark-haired singer was just 17 when she signed acontract with MGM Records following appearances on several TV variety shows. Her earliest recordings attracted little attention, butthenshe released her version of “Who’sSorry Now?” an old balladbyTed Snyder, Bert Kalmar and Harry Ruby It, too, had littlesuccessinitially until Dick Clark playeditonhis
“American Bandstand” showin 1958. Clark featured her repeatedly on “American Bandstand,”and she said in lateryearsthatwithout his support, she would have abandoned her music career Francis followed with suchteen hitsas“Stupid Cupid,” “Everybody’s Somebody’sFool”and “Lipstick on Your Collar.” Concetta Rosemarie Franconero was born on Dec.12, 1937, in Newark,New Jersey.Atage 9she began appearing on television programs, including “Arthur Godfrey’sTalent Scouts” and “The Perry Como Show.” It wasGodfrey whosuggested she shorten her last name.
AP FILE PHOTO Dick Clark, host of ‘American Bandstand,’left, appears with Connie Francis during taping of the showDec. 9, 1980, in Los Angeles
Zeldin
$2.5M donated to restore La. wetlands
Conservation
nonprofit works to conserve habitats
BY JOANNA BROWN Staff writer
One of the country’s largest conservation nonprofits announced Friday that its initiative to restore coastal marshes and prairie in Louisiana and Texas has received a boost from a major donor Ducks Unlimited announced at an event at City Club at River Ranch that the James M. Cox Foundation donated $2.5 million to fund projects that restore wetlands, enhance wildlife habitat and create natural
buffers that protect vulnerable communities from storms and flooding.
This announcement follows a $1.1 million grant from the foundation in 2022 to Ducks Unlimited to preserve nearly 20,000 acres of Louisiana wetlands
“Restoring wetlands in coastal Louisiana and Texas is critically important to the future of North America’s waterfowl,” said Cassidy Lejune, south Louisiana director of conservation programs for Ducks Unlimited. “Habitats for waterfowl, people and other wildlife are disappearing at an alarming rate.
“In the next year, Ducks Unlimited plans to invest more than $61 million to impact over 40,000 acres across the western Gulf Coast.” Ducks Unlimited was founded in 1937
Kara Bullock, assistant vice president for Cox Foundations, from left; Len Pitcock, vice president of government and public affairs for Cox Communications; Chuck Smith, chairman of the board for Ducks Unlimited; and Jeff Breaux, executive vice president and chief commercial officer for Cox Communications, pose with ceremonial paddles during the Ducks Unlimited Major Donor Luncheon at City Club at River Ranch in Lafayette on Friday.
A PARK REMINDER
La. woman who helped campers during Texas floods honored
Emma Foltz gets distinguished civilian service medal
BY MEGHAN FRIEDMANN Staff writer
Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday
honored a Louisiana college student who evacuated 14 campers to safety during the deadly July 4 floods along the Guadalupe River in Texas. Emma Foltz, 21, grew up near Alexandria and is a rising senior at Louisiana Tech. She worked
as a counselor at Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ summer camp, on the day of the flooding. At least 27 counselors and campers there died during the disaster “I had 14 sweet little campers and two amazing co-counselors,” said Foltz during Thursday’s ceremony. Once she read the news that a different part of the camp had been hit by the floods, “our main focus was just keeping our girls entertained and safe and happy, not letting them know what was happening,” Foltz said. “And then
ABOVE: The new Bayou Wheels Skatepark is being transformed from the old City Park swimming pool in New Iberia on Monday. Skateboarders will have a 6,500-squarefoot concrete course with rails, launches, boxes, stairs, pyramids and embankments. The deep end of the pool will become a large bowl ranging from 7 to 10 feet deep. The skatepark is designed by the city of New Iberia, Grindline Skateparks and architect Paul J. Allain. LEFT: Elmore James’ ‘Dust My Blues’ plays on a sound box while Chance Male, Will Male and Joe Ciccarelli dig away
PHOTOS By LEE BALL
Judge dismisses La. prison lawsuit
trict
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
Nearly three years after parents sued state officials over holding juveniles in the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola, a federal judge dismissed the class-action lawsuit. Brought by the parents of young offenders held in Angola, the case began as a challenge to the constitutionality of housing juveniles there. Later, the par-
ents sought to stop the state from transferring juveniles to any adult prison. State officials attempted to have the case dismissed in
moot and dismissed it.
“The Court held in the previous Ruling that, ‘(s)hould all OJJ youth be removed from Jackson Parish and housed in OJJ secure care facilities, this lawsuit will be moot.’ The uncontroverted record in this matter shows that this has been accomplished,” she wrote. An OJJ spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. Attorney Connell Archey who helped represent the state, declined to comment.
Attorney Nancy Rosenbloom, a senior litigation adviser at the
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
See DONATED, page 2B
HONORED
Continued from page1B
we evacuated and made sure all our girls were safe.”
For herwork, Foltz received the distinguished civilian service medal, which is the highest award acivilian can get from the Louisiana National Guard, Landry said. Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, who heads the LouisianaNational Guard, presented her withthe award Landry also gave Foltz an
official commendationfor heractions.
“EmmaFoltz of Alexandria,La., adedicated counselor at Camp Mystic,acted with courageand selflessness under life-threatening circumstances,” Landry said.“Emma heroically led 14 youngcampers to safety ensuring that each girl in her carewas evacuated.Emma’s action exemplified the highest standards of leadership, devotion and compassion.”
Morethan 100 people lost their lives during the Texas floods. Many remainmissing.
LAWSUIT
Continued from page1B
American Civil Liberties Union’sNational Prison Project who helpedrepresent the youth and parents, said in awrittenstatement that the group succeeded in theirgoalsfor three years.
the juvenilesweremoved to the Jackson Parish jail, with Dick writing that the lawsuit concernedthe holding of juvenilesin adult prisons and not confinement conditions.
by agroup of sportsmen interested in preserving the nation’spopulation of waterfowl, particularly in response to adevastating drought across the Prairie Pothole/Great Plains region of North America, which extends from western Canada into the northern Midwest states and is akey habitatfor migratingbirds
Today,the organization primarily works to conserve wetlands, grasslands and other waterfowl and wildlife habitats.
TheJames M. Cox Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Cox Communications andisnamed for its founder,James Cox, an Ohio politician and businessman who founded the Cox Enterprises media conglomerate in 1898. The foundation funds specialprojects and capital campaigns in the communities wherethe companyoperates and largely concentrates on projects concerning biodiversity, conservation andthe environment early childhoodeducation, health and family success.
Through Cox Enterprises, Cox Communications and the James M. Cox Foundation,the conglomerate has had asubstantial impacton Ducks Unlimited. Jim Ken-
nedy,James Cox’sgrandson, is chairman emeritus of Cox Enterprises and the current chairman of the foundation. Heisalso DucksUnlimited’slargest individual donor, and in 2022, the organization announceda $100million giftin honor of Kennedy’s philanthropic legacy to establish afund forconservation in the Prairie Pothole
region.
JeffBreaux, executive vicepresident andchief commercial officer for Cox Communications, said at the luncheon that these giftsrepresent an ongoing commitmenttowildlife and communities.
Breaux, who is from New Iberia, saidthat he spent many wintermornings as a childhunting ducksinthe
marshes of Pecan Island.
“These aren’tjust scenic landscapes and thriving ecosystems. They’re home,” he said. “And we’re notonly safeguarding habitat,we’re investing in the ongoing restoration and resiliency of communities.”
EmailJoanna Brown at joanna.brown@ theadvocate.com.
“Our brave young clients andtheir families asserted their constitutional rights (in aclass action) andsucceeded forthree years in forcing thestate of Louisianatostop lockingupchildrenwith juvenile delinquencycases in adult prisons andjails,” she wrote. “While the state has fought us every step of the way,wewill continue to make clear that young people have aright to rehabilitative services rather than punishment.”
Abuseallegations
Thelawsuitstemmed from former Gov.John Bel Edwards’ announcement in July 2022 to temporarily house young offenders deemed particularly problematic in the old DeathRow building within the gates of Angola
The proposal emerged following reports of violence and multiple escapes at two youth detention facilities in different parts of the state. Parents sued in August2022 to stop theplan, butDickallowed the state to proceed while litigation continued.
The following year,attorneys alleged theteens at Angola hadbeen confined in sleeping quarters without air conditioning, held in extended isolation and forced to shower while shackled andhandcuffed.
In response, Dick ordered thestate to remove alljuvenilesfromthe facilityand excoriated OJJ officials for failing to live up to apledge thatthe facility would be safe, temporary and rehabilitative.
“Virtually every promise that wasmade wasbroken,” shesaidatthe time.
Facility conditions
The case continued once
Attorneys said abuse continued. Inmates reported they hadbeen sprayed with tear gas, forced to wear shackles whileshowering and denied basicservices like counseling and consistent schooling.
Afterthe state terminatedits contract with the Jackson Parish Sheriff’s Office in October,state officials filed amotion in May to dismiss the case since the juveniles hadall beentransferredtoanew secure unit at theSwanson Center for Youth at Monroe. The filing added that OJJ “currently hasnoplans” to house youth in the Angola facility The parents objected, arguing the voluntary closing of theJackson Parish jail youthfacilitydid notmean the state wouldn’thouse juveniles at adult jails in the future.
Dick disputed that, writing that “there has never been evidenceinthiscase that OJJ’sultimate goal was to house youth in adult prisons.”
“Rather,the stated goal, nowborne outbythe completion of the Cypress Unit at SCY-Monroe facility, has always been to house OJJyouth in asecure care facilityoperated by the OJJ,”she wrote.“This has now been accomplished. There is no evidence to contradict this fact.”
Email Christopher Cartwrightatchristopher cartwright@theadvocate. com.
PROVIDED PHOTO Gov. Jeff Landryhonors Louisiana collegestudent Emma Foltz on Thursdayfor evacuating 14 summer campers during the deadlyJuly 4 flooding along the Guadalupe River in Texas.
STAFF PHOTO By LESLIE WESTBROOK
BRIEFS
FROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTS
Wall Street closes record-breaking week
NEW YORK Wall Street closed its third winning week in the last four with a quiet finish on Friday. The S&P 500 edged down by a whisper, less than 0.1%, after setting its all-time high the day before. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 142 points, or 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1% to add its own record.
The heaviest weight on the market was Netflix, which fell 5.1% despite reporting a stronger-than-expected profit. Analysts said it wasn’t a surprise given the stock had already soared 43% for the year so far coming into the day, six times more than the gain for the S&P 500.
Stronger-than-expected profit reports for the spring did help several stocks rally Charles Schwab climbed 2.9%, Regions Financial jumped 6.1% and Comerica added 4.6%.
In the bond market, Treasury yields eased after a report suggested U.S. consumers may be feeling less fearful about coming inflation. They’re bracing for inflation of 4.4% in the year ahead, down from last month’s projection of 5%, according to preliminary results from a University of Michigan survey
Astronomer board probes kiss-cam scandal
Astronomer, the company whose CEO, Andy Byron, is believed to be the embarrassed man spotted at a Coldplay concert in an intimate embrace with an employee, slammed a “fake” statement circulating on social media and issued their own saying it was investigating the matter On Thursday, Astronomer told TMZ that a supposed apology shared on X was “not a real statement” from the company CEO. The hoax message, which was attributed online to Byron acknowledged the incident and included apologies to his wife, children and employees.
Astronomer later on Friday put out a legitimate statement on LinkedIn and X announcing that the company’s board of directors “has initiated a formal investigation into this matter and we will have additional details to share very shortly.”
This comes after a viral video taken during a Coldplay concert in Boston captured a man who resembles Byron hugged up with a woman many online sleuths identified as Astronomer’s HR boss Kristin Cabot Union Pacific, Norfolk Southern discuss merger
OMAHA, Neb Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern are in merger talks to create the largest railroad in North America that would connect the East and West Coasts.
The merger discussions began during the first quarter of this year according to a person familiar with the talks who isn’t authorized to discuss them publicly It would combine the largest and smallest of the country’s six major freight railroads. Both railroads declined to comment. Within the industry there is widespread debate over whether such a merger would be approved by the Surface Transportation Board even though those regulators approved the deal that created CPKC railroad two years ago with the Canadian Pacific’s $31 billion acquisition of Kansas City Southern railroad. That merger combined the two smallest major railroads in North America and left only six major freight railroads But it was the first major rail merger approved in more than two decades. The bar for railroad mergers in the U.S was raised substantially at the start of the century after a disastrous combination of Union Pacific and Southern Pacific in 1996 that snarled rail traffic for an extended period, followed by the 1999 split of Conrail between Norfolk Southern and CSX, which created backups in the East.
Chevron gets go-ahead for $53B Hess deal
Acquisition includes access to major oil find
BY MICHELLE CHAPMAN Associated Press
HOUSTON Chevron has scored
a critical ruling in Paris that has given it the go-ahead for a $53 billion acquisition of Hess and access to one of the biggest oil finds of the decade.
Chevron said Friday that it completed its acquisition of Hess shortly after the ruling from the
International Chamber of Commerce in Paris. Exxon had challenged Chevron’s bid for Hess, one of three companies with access to the massive Stabroek Block oil field off the coast of Guyana.
“We disagree with the ICC panel’s interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process,” Exxon Mobil said in a statement on Friday Guyana is a country of 791,000 people that is poised to become the world’s fourth-largest offshore oil producer placing it ahead of Qatar, the United States, Mexico and Norway It has become a major producer in recent years.
Oil giants Exxon Mobil, China’s CNOOC, and Hess squared off in a heated competition for highly lucrative oil fields in northern South America.
With Chevron getting the green light on Friday it is now one of the major players in the Stabroek.
“We are proud of everyone at Hess for building one of the industry’s best growth portfolios including Guyana, the world’s largest oil discovery in the last 10 years, and the Bakken shale, where we are a leading oil and gas producer,” former Hess CEO John Hess said in a statement. “The strategic combination of Chevron and Hess cre-
ates a premier energy company positioned for the future.” Chevron also said that on Thursday the Federal Trade Commission lifted its earlier restriction, clearing the way for John Hess to join its board of directors, subject to board approval.
Chevron announced its deal for Hess in October 2023, less than two weeks after Exxon Mobil said that it would acquire Pioneer Natural Resources for about $60 billion. Chevron said at the time that the acquisition of Hess would add a major oil field in Guyana as well as shale properties in the Bakken Formation in North Dakota.
Beef prices soar in the U.S.
Ground beef up 12% from a year ago
BY JOSH FUNK Associated Press
OMAHA, Neb Anyone firing up the grill
this summer already knows hamburger patties and steaks are expensive, but the latest numbers show prices have climbed to record highs.
And experts say consumers shouldn’t expect much relief soon either
The average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $6.12 in June up nearly 12% from a year ago, according to U.S. government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose 8% to $11.49 per pound.
But this is not a recent phenomenon. Beef prices have been steadily rising over the past 20 years because the supply of cattle remains tight while beef remains popular
In fact, the U.S. cattle herd has been steadily shrinking for decades. As of Jan. 1, the U.S. had 86.7 million cattle and calves, down 8% from the most recent peak in 2019 That is the lowest number of cattle since 1951, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Many factors including drought and cattle prices have contributed to that decline. And now the emergence of a pesky parasite in Mexico and the prospect of widespread tariffs may further reduce supply and raise prices
Here’s a look at what’s causing the price of beef to rise.
Smaller herd
The American beef industry has gotten better at breeding larger animals, so ranchers can provide the same amount of beef with fewer cattle, said David Anderson, a livestock economist at Texas A&M. Then in 2020, a three-year drought began that dried out pastures and raised the cost of feed for cattle, according to the American Farm Bureau. Drought has continued to be a problem across the West since then, and the price of feed has put more pressure on ranchers who already operate on slim profit margins
In response, many farmers slaughtered more female cattle than usual, which helped beef supplies in the short term but lowered the size of future herds. Lower cattle supplies have raised prices.
In recent years cattle prices have soared, so that now animals are selling for thousands of dollars apiece. Recent prices show cattle selling for more than $230 per hundredweight, or hundred pounds.
Those higher prices give ranchers more incentive to sell cows now to capture profits instead of hanging onto them for breeding given that prices in the years ahead may decrease, Anderson said.
“For them, the balance is, ‘Do I sell that animal now and take this record high check?’ Or
‘do I keep her to realize her returns over her productive life when she’s having calves?’” Anderson said. “And so it’s this balancing act, and so far the side that’s been winning is to sell her and get the check.”
Disease dilemma
The emergence of a flesh-eating pest in cattle herds in Mexico has put extra pressure on supply because officials cut off all imports of cattle from south of the border last year Some 4% of the cattle the U.S feeds to slaughter for beef comes from Mexico.
The pest is the New World screwworm fly, and female flies lay eggs in wounds on warmblooded animals. The larvae that hatch are unusual among flies for feeding on live flesh and fluids instead of dead material. American officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its flesh-eating maggots could cause large economic losses as they did decades ago before the U.S. eradicated the pest.
Agricultural economist Bernt Nelson, with the Farm Bureau, said the loss of that many cattle is putting additional pressure on supply that is helping drive prices higher Tariff trouble
President Donald Trump’s tariffs have yet to have a major impact on beef prices, but they could be another factor that drives prices higher because the U.S. imports more than 4 million pounds of beef every year
Much of what is imported is lean beef trimmings that meatpackers mix with fattier beef produced in the U.S. to produce the varieties of ground beef that domestic consumers want. Much of that lean beef comes from Australia and New Zealand that have only seen a 10% tariff, but some of it comes from Brazil, where Trump has threatened tariffs as high as 50%.
If the tariffs remain in place long-term, meat processors will have to pay higher prices on imported lean beef. It wouldn’t be easy for U.S. producers to replace because the country’s system is geared toward producing fattier beef known for marbled steaks.
Prices will likely stay high
It’s the height of grilling season and demand in the U.S. for beef remains strong, which Kansas State agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said will help keep prices higher
If prices remain this high, shoppers will likely start to buy more hamburger meat and fewer steaks, but that doesn’t appear to be happening broadly yet — and people also don’t seem to be buying chicken or pork instead of beef.
Nelson said that recently the drought has eased — allowing pasture conditions to improve and grain prices are down thanks to the drop in export demand for corn because of the tariffs Those factors, combined with the high cattle prices might persuade more ranchers to keep their cows and breed them to expand the size of their herds.
Even if ranchers decided to raise more cattle to help replace those imports, it would take at least two years to breed and raise them And it wouldn’t be clear if that is happening until later this fall when ranchers typically make those decisions.
“We’ve still got a lot of barriers in the way to grow this herd,” Nelson said. Just consider that a young farmer who wants to add 25 bred heifers to his herd has to be prepared to spend more than $100,000 at auction at a time when borrowing costs remain high.
There is typically a seasonal decline in beef prices as grilling season slows down into the fall, but those price declines are likely to be modest
Dairy official talks immigration agricultural impact
Land O’Lakes CEO sees need for change
BY BROOKS JOHNSON
The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)
As Land O’Lakes CEO Beth Ford sees it, one will break first: gridlock on U.S. immigration policy or the nation’s food system. How President Donald Trump’s crackdown is affecting agriculture and thus the economy overall is at the forefront for Ford, chair of the immigration committee for Business Roundtable. That CEO organization lobbies on behalf of the nation’s businesses, meaning Ford’s voice on the issue carries more
weight than other execs’.
“For a dairy producer, if they lose their staff, I mean, that’s a black swan event. There’s not much you can do,” Ford said. “As we look at challenges with immigration, with labor, especially on the dairy side, they don’t have options. There is no year-round visa. And that is stressful.” Nationwide, more than half of all farmworkers are foreigners, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Different operations have different needs, meaning some growers make do just fine while others are hurting for help Dairy falls into the latter category The National Milk Producers Federation said the country’s uncer-
tainty about agricultural labor and immigration “continues to harm workers and their families, farm employers, rural communities and national food security.”
Milking cows doesn’t happen only at certain times of year, which makes seasonal temporary visas feasible for other farming unworkable. And in most cases, automation is too expensive or unwieldy to consider So ensuring a predictable flow of labor alongside strong border security — is imperative for Ford’s coop, best known for its butter, cream and cheese. As she talks with the more than 3,000 dairy producers, farmers and smaller cooperatives who own Arden Hills, Minnesota-
based Land O’Lakes, immigration remains a hot topic.
“That is the primary discussion point in our conversations,” she said. “It’s not as if producers haven’t been out trying to hire Americans. Americans don’t want these jobs.”
What’s more, she said, animal agriculture requires a technical knowhow that means “not just anybody can take these jobs.”
Nearly 80% of the U.S. milk supply comes from producers that employ immigrant labor according to a Texas A&M survey Having yearround farmworker visas or a similar solution to import labor for yearround farm operations would make a meaningful difference, Ford said.
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By NAM y. HUH
on Thursday
OPINION
ANOTHERVIEW
MeasuringTrump’s political health
Just like doctors measureblood pressure and heart rate to assess your physical health, pollstersmeasure approvalratings of presidents toassess their political health.
This week marks the six-month anniversary ofDonaldTrump’ssecondpresidency. It’s a good time for acheck-up.
Overall, howisTrump doing?
Six recent nationalpolls give him an average approvalratingof46%.
While that’s notsogreat, forTrump it’s enoughtoholdtogether hispartisan base and secure his capacity to govern. Trump’ssixth-month ratinginthis term is much betterthanitwas in his first term, 46% vs. 38%, based on Galluppollfindings. The latest Harvard-Harris poll shows thepresident’s current approval rating is 85%among Republicans, 36% among independents and 15% among Democrats
Note the enormous 70-point gapdividing partisans. Trump’srating is 52% with Whites,29% with Blacks, 39% with Hispanics and 46% with AsianAmericans. He does better with men(52%) than women (41%).
The Economist/YouGov survey finds that only 36% of votersbelieve the president is honestand trustworthy,but aclear majority (55%) believe he’sa strong leader.It’sstill unclear the fulleffect the Jeffrey Epsteinscandal couldhaveonTrump’sratings
In any case,Trump continues to have ahardbaseof voterswho support himoneverything.Inaddition, he attracts voters who havepersonaldoubts about his behavior andtemperament,but who fervidlyprefer his policies over those of Democrats. This is hissupport formula, and it’s why hedoes better in elections than in popularity polls
How does Trump compare to other presidents?
Lookingatsix-month mileposts in firstterms, Trump’s46% approval rating is apoint above Bill Clinton’sand four points below Joe Biden’s.Other presidents —Ronald Reagan, GeorgeH.W.Bush, George W. Bush and BarackObama —weredoing10 to 20 points better than Trump at thispointintheir presidencies.
To be fair,weshouldalso look at the six-month milepost in second terms, since Trump is now servingasecond term, even though it’snot consecutive Based on this comparison, Trump’sapprovalratingis twopointsbetterGeorgeW.Bush’sand thesameas Obama’s.However,Trumpis12pointsshort ofClinton’sstanding and 17 pointsbelow Reagan’s How is Trump doingonpolicy?
His two best issues are immigration (50% approve) and “returning America to its values”(50% approve), according to the Harvard-Harris poll. His twoworst issues aretariffs and inflation (each42% approve). Falling in between are the economy,foreignaffairs and administering the government. According to Harvard-Harris, 60% of votersoppose Trump’splans to move FEMA activitiestothe states and60% also oppose his tariffsonChinese goods. Theseissuesposesubstantialpolitical risks to Republicans
Themostimportant issue for all voters is inflation. Thesecond mostimportant is immigrationfor Republicans, civil rights for Democrats and health care for independents.
How popular are Trump’stop appointees?
According to the Economist/YouGov poll, Vice PresidentJDVance is rated 41% favorable and 52% unfavorable. Thirteen percent ofvoterswho cast ballots forTrumpdon’tlike Vance.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, caught in the middle of the Epstein tumult, posts afavorable rating of only 25% and amuch higher unfavorable rating of 46%,for awide 21-point gap.Only one cabinet member tested hasanet positive rating,and that’sRobert F. Kennedy Jr.Based on the Harvard-Harris poll, the secretary of health andhuman services’sratingis43% favorable and 38% unfavorable (+5). Secretary of StateMarco Rubio’sratingis32% favorable, 34% unfavorable (-2) and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’sis26% favorable, 30% unfavorable (-4). How is Trump’sparty doing?
The Harvard-Harris poll shows 48%ofvoters approveofthe Republican Party.That’seight points better than theDemocratic Party’s40% rating. So what do all these numbers mean?
Donald Trump’spopularity has remained remarkably stable, despite the controversies.In2016,he won46.1% of the popular vote; in 2020, he won 46.8%; andnow,his job rating averages46%. Last year,he reached ahigh point, whenhereceived 49.8%inthe election. While he doesn’thave to worry about reelection, Trump still has to worry about the effectsofhis popularity on passing an agenda and next year’smidterm elections. That’swhy it’susefultohave acheck-up. RonFaucheux is anonpartisan political analyst, pollsterand writer basedinLouisiana.
CalThomaspromotes warfromhis chair
Every week, Iopen theOpinion section of this paper,and Iam blown away by two things:the enormity of Cal Thomas’ forehead and the sheer stupidityofhis opinions.Throwing around the idea of murdering the elected leader of a sovereign nation may seem normal to awarped and twisted warhawk, but to most people who have been around more than 20 years, “regime change in the Middle East” means nothing morethan death, wasted taxpayer money and national shame.
Are there enough Iranians prepared to standagainst the power and weapons of the ayatollahs? Is this some joke? If Cal Thomas wants to change the head of state of Iran, Irecommend he head down to therecruiting office andjoin theArmy.When we areinevitably dragged into another war halfway across the world, hopefully he will find theopportunity to do whathe has wanted do all of his miserable career: kill people.
PETERCHOL Baton Rouge
The Opinion pages of theJuly 1edition had two opinion pieces presenting opposing views on the future of Louisiana under theprovisions of the “BigBeautiful Bill.”
Rep.SteveScalise praised the bill as crucial to getting our state back on track while promoting, in hiswords, “another golden age of American recovery.”
The other piece was co-authored by Greg Feirnand Pete November,CEOsofLCMC and Ochsner Health, along with several others state leadersinthe healthcare and hospital industry They wrote of thehorrendous
I’m astudent who wantstotalk about something important —school passwords. At my school, the passwords they give students are super easy to guess. Alot of the time it’sjust somethinglike the first three letters of amonth and the last four numbers of their school username, and that’s not safe at all.
damage Medicaid cuts will do to theirservices to Louisiana citizens and those in need. They stated, “We face the largest cut to health care in our state’shistory.” Who do we choosetothink is givingusvalid information: apolitician who stands with President Donald Trump no matter what he asks or medical professionals, who are concerned about the real daily needs of Louisianacitizens? Iknow where Istand, anditiswith the honestprofessionals notthe lying politician.
LOUIS ARCENEAUX NewOrleans
Itried to showhow weak the system was by demonstrating it, and Iended up gettingintrouble. Iwasn’ttrying to hack anything or do something bad. Ijust wanted toprovethat if Icould figure out someone’spassword in a few tries,then someone with worse intentions could do the samething. Ithink schools need to do abetter
Regarding racing at Fair Grounds andLouisiana in general,the oneway to help thesituation is to not have tracks running an overlapping racing schedule. Why is Deltarunning races thesame months as the FairGrounds? It’s just stupid. Based on seniority,the FairGrounds should runinDecember,January, February andMarch.Evangeline then takes April, May, June. LouisianaDowns takes Julyand August, followedbyDelta running September, October andNovember.There can be afew days overlap,but the sameamount of racing days can be squeezed intoevery track’s schedule Thatmakes Louisiana-bred horses only having onetrack open to racing at atime,leadingtobigger fields of 10-12 horses perrace which leadstoalarger handle by every track. That, of course, leadstohigher purses. It’s awin-win situation. We need theLegislature to pass abill to put each track in their “window” as soon as possible.Believe me, this will work,but sincethe tracks will not voluntarily do this,probably thegovernor needs to ask former Fair Grounds owner Louie Roussel III about this ideal solution. Maybe he can personally get involved.
BOBBY
BRETTEL River Ridge
job at keeping students’ accounts secure. We use those accounts foreverything now —grades, assignments and even personal stuff.It’snot fair to blamestudents when the real problem is the school not taking cybersecurity seriously
FRANCESCO MORA Mandeville
Ron Faucheux
BIG INVESTMENTS
BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer
A year ago, it seemed like the New Orleans Saints were in dire straits at offensive tackle.
But now? They might be positioned well in that area — as long as a couple of things work in their favor.
Taliese Fuaga is coming off a strong rookie season during which he played an unfamiliar position at left tackle. Rather than keeping him there, New Orleans is poised to shift Fuaga to the right side — the position he played his entire career at Oregon State — to make room for No. 9 overall pick Kelvin Banks at left tackle.
This is not set in stone, of course, but the Saints rolled with it all the way through their summer program and seem content to let it play out this way.
Best case
This is kind of obvious, isn’t it? The Saints have devoted top-15 picks in consecutive years to offensive tackles, and
BY ROD WALKER Staff writer
Steady UL hoops player Warner dies at 62
BY KEVIN FOOTE Staff writer
Known as one of the most consistent players in UL basketball history, Graylin Warner died Thursday after a battle with prostate cancer Warner, 62, was a central figure during one of the Cajuns’ golden eras of basketball.
“Graylin was always so upbeat,” former UL coach Bobby Paschal said. “We maintained a close relationship over the years. All I can say is that I’m absolutely heartbroken over this. It’s like I just can’t believe that Graylin has passed.” Paschal said Warner called him shortly after being diagnosed with cancer
“He told me, ‘Coach, don’t worry about it. I’m going to beat it,’ “ Paschal said. “That was his attitude. Unfortunately it was just an opponent he wasn’t equipped to defeat.” He arrived in Lafayette out of Booker T Washington in New Orleans in 1980 along with fellow freshmen Dion Brown and Alonza Allen.
“Graylin always had a smile on his face,” Allen said. “He was always nice and friendly to everybody The cafeteria workers were always giving him extra food.”
That first season was a transition year at 15-13 coming off the 21-win campaign in Andrew Toney’s senior year that ended with a loss to the Kevin McHale-led Minnesota Gophers in the NIT quarterfinals.
But Warner and the Cajuns began a memorable three-year run with an upset of No 5
if both of them hit it means the Saints could be on their way to having one of the NFL’s premier offensive tackle tandems. They’re a long way from that at the moment Banks has yet to play a down, and he wasn’t viewed as a slam-dunk offensive tackle prospect (some preferred him at guard). Fuaga enjoyed a solid rookie season, but he’s switching positions and has to prove he wasn’t a product of a friendly scheme.
Still, the Saints are making the right type of gamble at this position. Each of the eight highest-paid tackles in the NFL were selected in the first round, almost all of them in the top-15 picks. Only two Associated Press All-Pro tackles in the last five seasons were drafted outside of the first round — David Bakhtiari and Jordan Mailata. Taking a first-round tackle is no guarantee of success, but if you’re going to find a good one, that is more often than not where they come from. Since Fuaga already has
Lafayette native faces Holloway in N.O.
BY ANDREW VALENTI Contributing writer
off in the octagon for the final time of his career against UFC BMF champion Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 318 on Saturday night at the Smoothie King Center
“I’ve got to be a tough guy right now,” Poirier said. “You guys are making me cry and people are sending me notes who I have a lot of respect for It’s been incredible feeling the love and appreciation.
“I want to thank UFC for coming back here after 10 years and to thank (Holloway) for showing up and doing what we’re going to do Saturday night, because it’s going to be a banger.” Poirier (30-9) has had a decorated career.
STAFF
Guardians P Ortiz’s leave extended to Aug. 31
Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz will remain on non-disciplinary leave through Aug. 31 while he is the subject of a Major League Baseball gambling investigation.
Ortiz’s paid leave began on July 3 and was supposed to end on Friday before MLB and the MLB Players Association agreed to extend it. The investigation is related to in-game prop bets on two pitches thrown by Ortiz that received higher activity than usual during his starts at Seattle on June 15 and his recent outing against St. Louis on June 27.
The 26-year-old Ortiz is in his first season with Cleveland after he was acquired in a trade with Pittsburgh last December
The right-hander is 4-9 with a 4.36 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 16 starts this season.
Injuries take toll on Team Clark
BY ALYCE BROWN AP sportswriter
INDIANAPOLIS Caitlin Clark is out but most of the WNBA’s best are in for the league’s All-Star Game
The Indiana Fever’s injured superstar won’t be able to play Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse when the team she drafted, Team Clark, faces Team Collier, picked by opposing captain Napheesa Collier
The events started Friday night with a 3-point contest, headlined by event record-holder Sabrina Ionescu, and skills challenge. Clark also had been scheduled to compete in the 3-point contest.
Here are a few things to note heading into the busy weekend.
Injuries bog down Team Clark
Clark, the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year, will be sitting out after suffering a groin injury in the Fever’s game against the Connecticut Sun on Tuesday
As the player who received the most fan votes and the captain of Team Clark, Clark said she is “looking forward to helping (coach Sandy Brondello) coach our team to a win” in Thursday’s announcement of her withdrawal.
“I will give the coaching hat to her as much as she wants, to be quite honest,” Brondello said. “You’ve seen it with the Fever, she’s been very active on the sideline when she wasn’t playing.” Phoenix’s Satou Sabally, a fellow starter on Team Clark, will also be sidelined.
She announced Wednesday that she will be sitting out this weekend with an injured ankle.
A’ja Wilson, a third Team Clark starter, said Friday afternoon that it’s still to be determined if she will play in Saturday’s game, after suffering a wrist injury against the New York Liberty last week
The absence of two members of Team Clark led the league to ap-
point two replacements for the All-Star Game, bringing Washington’s Brittney Sykes and Atlanta’s Brionna Jones onto the roster Thursday afternoon.
The Fever’s Lexie Hull will be replacing Clark in the 3-point contest.
Rookies on the roster
It’s a young All-Star Game this year, with rookies Paige Bueckers, Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen making up the largest rookie contingent at the game since 2011. Citron and Iriafen are on Team Clark, and Bueckers is a starter for Team Collier
“It’s amazing,” Citron said. “This rookie class is really talented, and I’m just happy that I’m one of the ones here. It’s really cool.”
Before the recent three-year string of rookie starters Aliyah Boston in 2023, Clark in 2024 and now Bueckers — only seven rookies had ever been selected as AllStar starters in the game’s 26-year history
A fun format
This year’s All-Star format is different from last year’s, when the U.S women’s Olympic team played against Team WNBA. This time, each team is headed up by a captain (Clark and Collier) who drafted players from a pool of selected All-Stars.
It’s a return to a more traditional format after the 2024 Olympic year shook things up.
“It’s a little more loose, has that fun element to it,” Team Collier coach Cheryl Reeve said of this year’s game. “It’s obviously very player centric, and you just want to have fun and enjoy the experience. It’s for the fans, so it’s a fun year.”
Clark’s impact remains despite absence
BY MICHAEL MAROT AP sportswriter
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark
bounced a ball, joined a team huddle and gave one of her All-Star teammate’s shots a playful thumbs down before gingerly lobbing her own half-court heave Friday. It may be the most demanding action anyone sees from Clark this weekend. Indianapolis’ big midseason weekend wasn’t supposed to play out this way, with Clark patrolling the sidelines instead of impressing her home fans with more nifty passes or trademark logo 3-pointers. But as she sits this one out because of yet another injury, Clark remains the center of attention.
From the 30-story, larger-thanlife image covering Indianapolis’ JW Marriott Hotel to the wraps around the city’s maze of skywalks, last season’s Rookie of the Year seems every bit as in demand — maybe even more — as All-Star teammates with the Indiana Fever, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, or anyone else in town.
“Oh, yeah. I am going to be there,” Clark told “Good Morning America” on Friday, referring to Saturday night’s game. “I am going to be there, active on the sideline. I’m going to cheer these two on.” Clark did not speak during Fri-
day’s scheduled interviews with reporters.
For a league that has seen ticket sales and television ratings soar since Clark’s arrival last season, her absence comes at the worst possible moment. Indianapolis was selected as the All-Star host last summer, and Clark was set to make her debut in the 3-point contest in her adopted hometown.
The contest may have featured the strongest field ever the last two contest winners, Sabrina Ionescu of New York, Alisha Gray of Atlanta, former NCAA Division I scoring champ Kelsey Plum of Los Angeles and Washington rookie Sonia Citron — if Clark was in it
Instead, Fever guard Lexie Hull will replace Clark in Friday’s contest.
“I think Lexie deserves it,” Mitchell said. “I think that C.C. is dope for making sure that happened or the WNBA, for that matter, I don’t know, and I think for the Fever it’s just a good way to represent us and have someone the that this city loves.”
Of course, everyone wanted to see Clark, who remains quite active off the court.
In addition to the morning interview and a midday practice with the team she “drafted,” the coach she acquired in a trade and the
team that bears her name, Clark was scheduled to appear on Sue Bird’s podcast, WNBA Live and with two sports brands — Nike and Wilson — before returning for Friday night’s festivities.
It’s also a good bet Clark’s schedule includes some injury treatment time.
Ionescu’s advice: Take full advantage of the unexpected opportunities.
“I went through something similar in my career,” Ionescu said.
“My first year, I didn’t play due to injury and then second year, I had like three to four soft tissue injuries. You look back and it’s a blessing in disguise because you’re able to learn and grow and understand it’s all part of your journey, continue to figure out what you need in a pro career.”
Clark won’t have much down time Saturday, either There’s a morning shootaround, a 15-minute interview session with reporters and then she’ll have to navigate the newly constructed stage inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse before testing her coaching skills. And that may not be all.
“Obviously, unfortunate about Caitlin, but she’s going to still have a great impact on this team,” said Liberty coach Sandy Brondello. “I will give the coaching hat to her as much as she wants, to be quite
honest. We’re going to play around with it a little bit. It’ll be fun.”
Clark never missed a game in college or her first pro season because of injury but already has missed 10 this season with three muscle injuries.
Boston and Mitchell have seen how their teammate has responded in all 10 and expect nothing different this time, a contest that doesn’t count in the standings.
“Caitlin will still be Caitlin, trust me guys,” Mitchell said, drawing laughter “She’s going to be in a coaching uniform, like you’ll definitely see the competitive nature. But I think for her, her body deserves what it deserves from a break standpoint. I think this weekend will still be about what her and other individuals have brought to our league.”
So while the league’s biggest stars compete on the court, Clark will return to her role as promoter It’s a role she must embrace if she hopes to play Tuesday when the regular season resumes with a home game against the defending champion Liberty — even if it’s a disappointment for the women’s basketball fans.
“I am feeling good,” Clark told GMA. “Obviously, a lot of this cheers me up. It’s fun to see everybody out here having such a good time.”
Marlins’ Norby sidelined after left wrist surgery
Miami Marlins third baseman Connor Norby will be sidelined for several weeks after having surgery on his wrist. The procedure on Wednesday was to repair a broken hamate bone in his left wrist and was done by hand specialist Dr Don Sheridan in Phoenix, the team said Friday The recovery timeline is six to eight weeks.
The Marlins acquired Norby from Baltimore last summer in a trade that also landed first-time AllStar Kyle Stowers in Miami.
While Norby’s tenure with the Marlins started strong, his performance had been uneven this year with a .241 average and .289 on-base percentage, six home runs and 26 RBI in 72 games. He was sidelined the first two months of the season with an oblique injury
Chargers wide reciever
Williams retires at age 30
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has retired from the NFL at age 30.
Williams signed a $6 million, oneyear deal in mid-March to return to the Chargers for his second stint with the team. On Monday, he was placed on the physically unable to perform list with an undisclosed injury and two days later called it quits.
Williams played eight seasons in the NFL, including stints with both the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024.
The Chargers drafted Williams in the first round with the seventh overall pick in 2017.
He had 330 career receptions, 5,104 receiving yards and 32 touchdown receptions over his eight-year career
Raiders defensive tackle Wilkins placed on PUP list
The Las Vegas Raiders placed defensive tackle Christian Wilkins on the physically unable to perform list Friday Wilkins suffered a season-ending injury in Week 5 last season. Then, he experienced a setback in his recovery from a broken foot causing him to miss all of organized team activities and minicamp. Wilkins will miss at least the beginning of training camp, which opens Wednesday Because he was placed on the PUP list before practices began, the Raiders can activate Wilkins at any time during camp once medically cleared. Wilkins, 29, was the Raiders’ marquee free-agent signing last year, agreeing to a four-year, $110 million contract with $82.75 million guaranteed.
NFL Players Association leader Howell resigns Lloyd Howell has resigned as executive director of the NFL Players Association, citing distractions his leadership has caused in recent weeks. Howell has come under scrutiny since ESPN reported he has maintained a part-time consulting job with Carlyle Group, a private equity firm that holds league approval to seek minority ownership in NFL franchises. That followed a revelation where the NFLPA and league had a confidentiality agreement to keep quiet an arbitrator’s ruling about possible collusion by owners over quarterback salaries. The latest issue revealed two player representatives, who
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By FRANK FRANKLIN II
york Liberty
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By AARON LAVINSKy
Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier scores on a jump shot against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday in Minneapolis.
PELICANS
Continued from page 1C
their 2026 first-round pick to select the 6-foot-9 big man from the University of Maryland.
“When you identify a player that you think can be one of the foundations here, you go and get him,” Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said on draft night. “That’s what we did. We targeted Queen. We thought he could be a heckuva addition here, and we were really aggressive about going to get Queen in this draft.”
Queen, whose college career included a buzzer beater to take down Colorado State in the NCAA Tournament, was pleased to see the Pelicans make a bold move to grab him with the 13th pick.
“It shows how much they wanted me and how much they believe in me,” Queen said on draft night. “I’m just ready to show them they got their money’s worth and ready to put on for the Pelicans.”
Now the Pelicans may have to wait.
Queen will be re-evaluated in approximately 12 weeks. That timetable means Queen will be re-evaluated around Oct. 10, which is about three weeks before the start of the season.
Queen recorded a double-dou-
Pelicans forward Derik Queen answers questions during his rookie introductory news conference on June 28. Queen suffered a wrist injury Tuesday during a Summer League game in Las Vegas.
STAFF FILE PHOTO By SOPHIA GERMER
UFC
ble in all three Summer League games in which he played. His best outing was the game he got injured when he scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss to the Blazers. He also had three assists and two blocked shots.
In three games in Las Vegas, he averaged 14 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He shot 43.8% from the floor Turnovers were a big issue as he averaged 5.7 turnovers in the three games, including eight against Portland.
Queen’s injury is the latest for an organization that has three other players who also are rehabbing from surgeries. Trey Murphy (shoulder), Herb Jones (shoulder) and Dejounte Murray (Achilles) all are recovering after suffering injuries in a season that saw the Pelicans finish 21-61.
If Queen isn’t ready for the start of the season, it makes the Pelicans thinner on the inside
The four remaining healthy big men are Yves Missi, Karlo Matkovic, Kevon Looney and Hunter Dickinson. Looney, signed in free agency after 10 seasons with the Golden State Warriors, is the most experienced player among that foursome. Dickinson, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas, is on a twoway contract.
Email Rod Walker at rwalker@ theadvocate.com
HOW TO WATCH
Media members pick
LSU fourth in SEC
LB Weeks only Tiger on the first team
BY SCOTT RABALAIS Staff writer
The LSU Tigers are among the prime contenders for the Southeastern Conference championship this season. At least that’s what media attendees at this year’s SEC media days think.
The Tigers were picked to finish fourth in the chase for the SEC title in a vote of participating media at SEC media days, the conference announced Friday
In addition, seven LSU players earned a total of eight preseason All-SEC first-, second- or thirdteam honors.
Voting concluded Thursday on the final day of SEC media days in Atlanta.
Texas was picked to finish first in the SEC regular-season standings and win the SEC Championship Game. LSU got the fourthmost overall points with 2,668 and fourth-most votes to win the championship game with 20.
The Tigers ranked behind Texas, GeorgiaandAlabamaandjustahead of South Carolina in both polls.
With the addition of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC in 2024, the conference did away with divisions and will follow the same format this year The top two teams in the final standingswillmeetDec.6intheSEC Championship Game in Atlanta.
Linebacker Whit Weeks was LSU’s only All-SEC first-team selection. As a sophomore, Weeks tied for second in the SEC with 125 total tackles.
Continued from page 1C
The former interim UFC lightweight champion owns 15 wins by knockout and eight by submission, with 13 first-round finishes. “The Diamond” holds wins against Conor McGregor twice, and his two most recent victories are against Benoit Saint-Denis and Michael Chandler Poirier’s last fight in New Orleans was at UFC Fight Night in 2015 when he defeated Yancy Medeiros.
This will be the third meeting between Poirier and Holloway, with Poirier winning the first two meetings — once in 2012 and again in 2019.
“The only thing I can take from the previous two fights is his output and his durability,” Poirier said. “We’re different fighters every time. This is a trilogy that has spanned 13 years. We were kids at the beginning, more mature and technical fighters the second one. This time, it’s going to be who we are in this day and age, and we’re going to see who’s better.”
New Orleans native and rapper Lil Wayne will walk out with Poirier for his final match on Saturday Poirier has said he plans to raise his daughter in Lafayette after retiring.
A win Saturday for Holloway (26-8) — the fifth-ranked lightweight and a former featherweight champion — would not only mean a retention of the BMF championship and playing spoiler for Poirier’s farewell fight but it also could put him in position for a shot at the lightweight title in the future.
“This man is a hometown hero,” Holloway said. “Give this man his respect. It’s going to be a fun one on Saturday.”
The match is slated for five rounds of five minutes each.
WARNER
Continued from page 1C
Georgetown in the first game of his sophomore season. Warner was right in the middle of the success with 16 points and six rebounds.
The Cajuns went to two NCAA Tournaments and the NIT final four over Warner’s last three seasons. The NIT final four run in 1984 began with Warner’s game-winning jumper to beat Utah State 94-92 on the road.
“That was a very good group of guys he played with — good players and good people,” Paschal said.
“Graylin was very knowledgable
To watch the 9 p.m. UFC 318 main card, you must subscribe to ESPN+ streaming service and then purchase the pay-per-view for $79.99. The preliminary fights will air on ESPN starting at 7 p.m. The early preliminary fights will air on ESPN2 at 5 p.m
The co-main event will feature a middleweight bout between former title challenger and Brazilian Paulo Costa (14-4) and rising contender and Russian Roman Kopylov (14-3) Twelve of Kopylov’s 14 wins have come via knockout.
Other fights on the main card include a welterweight fight between Kevin Holland (28-13) and Daniel Rodriguez (14-3); a featherweight match where Dan Ige (19-9) will take on Patricio Pitbull (36-8); and a lightweight bout between Daniel Zellhuber (15-2) and division veteran Michael Johnson (24-19).
The preliminary bouts also will have a decided Louisiana flair
Covington native and No. 11 middleweight Brendan Allen (247) will take on No. 10 Marvin Vettori of Italy (19-8-1) The 29-yearold has dropped back-to-back fights for the first time in his career coming into Saturday’s tilt.
“I’m just trying to stay positive and focus on myself and get back to where I was when I was winning all those fights,” Allen said at media availability on Wednesday “Laziness, complacency, comfort zone. There’s none of that this time.”
Allen still lives on the northshore with his family and has been commuting back and forth from New Orleans throughout the week.
Carli Judice (4-2), who also is fighting out of Lafayette, will collide with Nicolle Caliari in a women’s flyweight matchup.
about how to play He had a natural instinct about playing the game.
“Watching him play in high school, you could tell his whole focus was on winning the game and doing what he could do to help win the game I watched him play at Destrehan one night and he had a broken nose. Graylin was struggling with that mask. So one trip down the court, he just threw the mask to the bench and kept playing. Obviously, he had a thin frame, but he had a unique toughness about him as well.”
Georgetown ended up being the national runner-up in 1982, and the Cajuns lost to national runner-up Houston in 1983 by one point on the road when a last-second shot attempt didn’t fall.
Six Tigers were picked on the All-SEC second team, led by fifthyear quarterback Garrett Nussmeier the league’s top returner in passing yards (4,052) and touchdowns (29). Running back Caden Durham, wide receiver Aaron Anderson, linebacker Harold Perkins and wide receiver Barion Brown were also honored. Brown, a transfer from Kentucky, was selected as a return specialist. Another LSU wide receiver, Zavion Thomas, was picked as the second-team allpurpose player and the third-team return specialist.
Durham was LSU’s top rusher in 2024 with 753 yards and six TDs on 140 carries. Anderson was the Tigers’ top receiver with 61 catches for 884 yards and five scores. Perkins played in only four games with 17 tackles before a season-
SAINTS
Continued from page 1C
shown that he can offer competent play at a minimum, Banks is the key
It’d be foolish to expect Banks to play at a top-10 level immediately, but if he can offer something similar to what Fuaga gave New Orleans last year — roughly top-20 play at left tackle that would be reason to celebrate. It would mean the Saints drafted a foundational player at a premium position.
That becomes especially meaningful if Fuaga’s transition to the right side brings more out of him. He enjoyed one of the best seasons by a rookie tackle last year while playing a new position. On the right side, he will be back where he played at Oregon State, and it’s reasonable to expect a jump in his play Good offensive line play — and, specifically, good tackle play — can be a tone-setter for an NFL offense. If the Saints can get the best versions out of Banks and Fuaga this year, their chances of successfully implementing what Kellen Moore wants to do on offense will
“There’s
ending ACL tear in September
LSU coach Brian Kelly said at media days that Perkins and Weeks, who broke his fibula in December in the Texas Bowl, are expected to be full go when the Tigers open preseason camp later this month.
Texas quarterback and New Orleans native Arch Manning was the All-SEC third-team pick at quarterback. LaNorris Sellers of South Carolina was the first-team quarterback selection. LSU hosts South Carolina on Oct. 11 in Tiger Stadium but does not play Texas in the regular season.
Since the SEC Championship Game was begun in 1992, the preseason media pick has gone on to win the conference title 10 times.
LSU opens the season Aug. 30 at Clemson and opens SEC play at home Sept. 13 against Florida.
just because he’s switching positions. New Orleans minimized its offensive line’s shortcomings last season by combining their heavy zone running scheme with a steady diet of play-action passes and bootlegs — stuff that will not be as prevalent under Moore. The Saints also had Derek Carr who played a bigger role than he got credit for in minimizing the rush.
go way up.
Worst case
While it is true the top half of the first round is generally where the better offensive tackles are found, that doesn’t mean top-15 picks don’t bust. It’s less common, but it does happen.
If Banks doesn’t pan out — either as a tackle or guard — it would be a nightmare scenario for an organization that is already lacking in young and cheap impact talent. New Orleans needs Banks to hit for a lot of reasons related to its on-field product, but it also needs a win from a premium pick after a run of middling draft success.
There’s also some risk of Fuaga taking a step back in 2025, and not
no doubt he was one of the best. I think his consistency goes back to the fact that he didn’t play for himself. He played for the team with the goal of winning the game.”
BOBBy PASCHAL, former UL coach
The skinny 6-foot-7 forward averaged 14.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists for his career while making 53.6% of his shots.
“I was fortunate enough to coach a lot of great players at USL and at South Florida,” Paschal said.
There’s a chance that Fuaga is a better fit for former offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme than he is for Moore’s, and that it shows in his play Even if both Fuaga and Banks play well, depth is a concern. The Saints don’t have a lot of experience behind their presumptive starting tackles. Landon Young has played a lot of football in New Orleans, but he is best used as a stopgap solution at a lot of spots. Offseason signee Josh Ball hasn’t played since 2022, and no other true tackle on the roster has played a snap in the NFL. Prediction in 10 words or less Banks struggles early but closes strong in rookie season.
Email Luke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.
was going to block my shot.”
When Warner left UL he was the school’s fifth all-time leading scorer with 1,762 points and still ranks seventh.
“He was definitely stronger than it appeared he was,” Paschal said.
“He could play a finesse game and he could play a strong game, and he always played to win.”
He currently ranks third in minutes with 4,011, second in games played with 117 and sixth in steals with 153.
“Because of his size, people thought they could get physical with him, but it didn’t work,” Allen said. “He had such long arms. We were very competitive in practice. He would always tell me that he
“There’s no doubt he was one of the best. I think his consistency goes back to the fact that he didn’t play for himself. He played for the team with the goal of winning the game.” In his final three seasons, Warner averaged 15.8 points and 5.4 rebounds; 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds; and 15.4 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Warner was drafted in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA Draft by Seattle but never played in the NBA.
Email Kevin Foote at kfoote@theadvocate.com.
Scheffler rises to top
No. 1 player in world shoots 64 for one-shot lead
BY DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — Scot-
tie Scheffler had no idea what was coming his way Friday in the British Open. He warmed up in a shortsleeved shirt. The umbrella was out when he walked off the first green.
For the thousands at Royal Portrush watching him, they knew exactly what to expect from the world’s No. 1 player, and Scheffler delivered another relentless performance Three straight birdies to close the gap. Two more at the end to take the lead.
Scheffler had a 15-foot putt that was one turn away from dropping for a final birdie. He happily settled for a 7-under 64, his lowest round in a major to take a one-shot lead over former U.S. Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick of England
It was his lowest round in a major, yes, but there was a normalcy about it, too. Scheffler has been doing this for three years now and there is little left to say Even when Sky Sports showed a list of his key statistics — driving accuracy down, greens in regulation great that elicited little more than a shrug. The statistics led to a shrug.
“Overall, I’m hitting the ball solid,” Scheffler said. “The tournament is only halfway done. I got off to a good start.”
Scheffler made eight birdies on another wild afternoon of weather putting him at 10-under 132 as he chases the third leg of the career Grand Slam. Fitzpatrick was equally dynamic when he began the back nine with four straight birdies, only to miss a 5-foot par putt on the 14th to slow his momentum, and a 3-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole that was mildly irritating. He shot 66.
“I felt like every facet of my game was on today and I felt like I really played solid,” Fitzpatrick said. “To take advantage of the opportunities I had out there was obviously really positive ”
ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO By JON SUPER
Scottie Scheffler of the United States hits his tee shot on the eighth hole during the second round of the British Open on Friday at the Royal Portrush
Brian Harman got the best of the weather — surprising sunshine — and took dead aim in his hunt for another claret jug. Harman played bogey-free for a 65 that left him only two shots behind, along with Li Haotong of China, who had a 67. Everyone else was five shots behind or more.
That includes Rory McIlroy, who went around Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland with plenty of cheers but only a few roars.
McIlroy had a 69 but lost a lot of ground because of Scheffler, Fitzpatrick and Harman.
McIlroy started the second round just three shots behind. He goes into the weekend seven shots behind the top-ranked player in the world.
“I’ve been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there,” McIlroy said.
“I’m going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run.”
Fitzpatrick was at his lowest point just four months ago when he changed his caddie and coach and began pulling himself up. And now he takes that into the weekend against Scheffler
“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate. He’s an exceptional player. He’s world No 1, and we’re seeing Tiger-like stuff,” Fitzpatrick said. “I think the pressure is for him to win the golf
tournament. For me, obviously, I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in given where I was earlier this year.”
Scheffler spent 20 minutes after his round going over video with Shane Lowry over Lowry’s ball moving a fraction in the rough on No. 12, which led to a two-shot penalty Lowry wasn’t sure he caused his ball to move, but he said he would rather take the penalty to avoid even the slightest suspicion.
His attention turned to Scheffler when someone suggested he had been on the fringes of contention before the penalty
“Eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler isn’t in the fringes of contention the way he’s playing,” Lowry said.
Scheffler was sharp from the start. He hit eight of the 14 fairways — compared with three in the opening round — though his misses never left him too badly out of position. But he is seeing the breaks on smoother Portrush greens, and he looks confident as ever
None of his eight birdies were closer than 7 feet. Five of them were in the 10-foot range and then he threw in a 35-foot birdie on the sixth. His lone bogey came on a drive into deep grass on the 11th that kept him from reaching the green.
DeChambeau surges to make cut; other big names not so lucky
BY STEVE DOUGLAS AP sports writer
PORTRUSH,Northern Ireland — Bryson DeChambeau left the windswept links at Royal Portrush somewhat bashed up after a tough first round of the British Open and said to himself: “I want to go home.”
The American woke up Friday with a different mindset.
“I said, ‘You know what, I can’t give up,’ ” said DeChambeau, who has a popular YouTube channel and is one of the biggest draws in golf. “My dad always told me never to give up, just got to keep going, and that’s what I did today.”
Rebounding from an opening 7-over 78, DeChambeau shot 6-under 65 in the second round tied for the second-lowest round of the day — and made the weekend in Northern Ireland.
The two-time U.S. Open champion didn’t even feel he played that much better than on Thursday The putts just dropped this time.
“There wasn’t much different,” he said. “That’s why links golf is the way links golf is.”
DeChambeau made the cut on the number at 1 over Eleven strokes adrift of leader Scottie Scheffler, he has little hope of lifting the claret jug for the first time. Other high-profile players have no hope at all.
Brooks Koepka, another LIV Golf star in search of points to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, was headed home after a round of 74 that left him 7 over The five-time major champion missed the cut at three of the four majors this year finishing 12th in the other at the U.S. Open.
Cameron Smith, the 2022 British Open winner at St. Andrews and another LIV player, failed to make the weekend at a fifth straight major after rounds of 72 and 78.
SCOREBOARD
$17 million Yardage: 7,381; Par: 71 Second Round S. Scheffler, United States 68-64—132 10 Matt Fitzpatrick, England 67-66—133 -9 Brian Harman, United States 69-65—134 8 Hao-Tong Li, China 67-67—134 8 Harris English, United States 67-70—137 -5 C. Gotterup, United States 72-65—137 5 Tyrrell Hatton, England 68-69—137 -5 Rasmus Hojgaard, Denmark 69-68—137 5 Robert Macintyre, Scotland 71-66—137 5 Tony Finau, United States 70-68—138 -4 Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark 69-69—138 4 K. Bradley, United States 72-67—139 -3 Sam Burns, United States 70-69—139 3 R. McIlroy, Northern Ireland 70-69—139 3 Jordan L. Smith, England 71-68—139 -3 Lee Westwood, England 69-70—139 3 Ludvig Aberg, Sweden 73-67—140 -2 C. Bezuidenht, South Africa 67-73—140 2 Harry Hall, England 73-67—140 2 R. Johnston, United States 74-66—140 -2 Matthew Jordan, England 68-72—140 2 Oliver Lindell, Finland 72-68—140 -2 Kristoffer Reitan, Norway 72-68—140 2 Justin Rose, England 69-71—140 2 X. Schauffele, United States 71-69—140 -2 Akshay Bhatia, United States73-68—141 1 Tommy Fleetwood, England 73-68—141 -1 Rickie Fowler, United States 69-72—141
Lucas Glover, United States 69-72—141
Jason Kokrak, United States 71-70—141
Marc Leishman, Australia 73-68—141
Aaron Rai, England 69-72—141
J. Thomas, United States 72-69—141
Daniel Berger, United States 72-70—142
Dean Burmester, South Africa71-71—142
W. Clark, United States 76-66—142
Russell Henley, United States72-70—142
Viktor Hovland, Norway 73-69—142
Sungjae Im, South Korea 71-71—142
D. Johnson, United States 73-69—142
Riki Kawamoto, Japan 72-70—142
Romain Langasque, France 71-71—142
Shane Lowry, Ireland 70-72—142
Phil Mickelson, United States70-72—142
Jon Rahm, Spain
Antoine Rozner, France
J.J. Spaun, United States
Jordan Spieth, United States
Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela
Matt Wallace, England
Corey Conners, Canada
B. DeChambu, United States
Thomas Detry, Belgium
Sergio Garcia, Spain
Takumi Kanaya, Japan
Nathan Kimsey, England
T. Lawrence, South Africa
Justin Leonard, United States70-73—143
Hideki Matsuyama, Japan
M. McNealy, United States
Francesco Molinari, Italy
Andrew Novak, United States71-72—143
Jacob Skov Olesen, Denmark
Parry, England
Adrien Saddier, France
Schmid, Germany
Soderberg, Sweden73-70—143
Henrik Stenson, Sweden
Sepp Straka, Austria
Svensson, Sweden
Day, Australia
AP PHOTO By PETER MORRISON
Bryson DeChambeau of the United States plays off the first tee during the second round of the British Open on Friday at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. DeChambeau made the cut on the number
It’s three straight missed cuts at majors for Patrick Cantlay, who shot 73-72. The highest-ranked player to leave Royal Portrush early was No. 6 Collin Morikawa (75-74), the 2021 champion from Royal St. George’s.
Padraig Harrington, a two-time British Open champion from Ireland, was given the honor of hitting the first tee shot at this British Open and was given warm ovations everywhere he went on the Dunluce Lunks. He won’t be getting anymore after a 76 left him at 9 over Xander Schauffele shot 69 and made the cut for the 15th straight major, the longest active streak in men’s golf. Yet, at 2-under par, his chances of winning the claret jug in back-to-back years are slim. Former No. 1 Dustin Johnson kept a career streak going of never missing the cut at all four majors in the same year but only just. Johnson teed off at No. 18 on the number at 1-over par He hit the flagstick with his second shot, and the ball settled a foot away from cup for a birdie and a 69.
+3
Nick Taylor, Canada 77-68—145 +3
Kevin Yu, Chinese Taipei 79-66—145 +3
John Catlin, United States 78-68—146 +4
Stewart Cink, United States 75-71—146 +4
N. Echavarria, Colombia 72-74—146 +4
OJ Farrell, England 74-72—146 +4
Lucas Herbert, Australia 74-72—146 +4
Michael Kim, United States 74-72—146 +4
Dylan Naidoo, South Africa 74-72—146 +4
N. Norgaard Moller, Denmark77-69—146 +4
Thorbjorn Olesen, Denmark 72-74—146 +4
Marco Penge, England 74-72—146 +4
Jesper Sandborg, Sweden 72-74—146 +4
Y. Song, South Korea 73-73—146 +4
C. Young, United States 74-72—146 +4
Daniel Young, Scotland 75-71—146 +4
Byeong Hun An, South Korea 76-71—147 +5
Bud Cauley, United States 72-75—147 +5
S. Kaewkanjana, Thailand 68-79—147 +5
Chris Kirk, United States 73-74—147 +5
Min Woo Lee, Australia 74-73—147 +5
Shaun Norris, South Africa 72-75—147 +5
Matthieu Pavon, France 76-71—147 +5
A. Potgieter, South Africa 77-70—147 +5
Patrick Reed, United States 77-70—147 +5
Laurie Canter, England 74-74—148 +6
D. Clarke, Northern Ireland 75-73—148 +6
J. Hastings, Cayman Islands 74-74—148 +6
Stephan Jaeger, Germany 72-76—148 +6
F. Jakubcik, Czech Republic 75-73—148 +6
Curtis Knipes, England 73-75—148 +6
L. Oosthuizen, South Africa 77-71—148 +6
D. Thompson, United States 73-75—148 +6
Daniel Brown, England 76-73—149 +7
D. Fichardt, South Africa 78-71—149 +7
Mackenzie Hughes, Canada 79-70—149 +7
B. Koepka, United States 75-74—149 +7
C. Morikawa, United States 75-74—149 +7
J.T. Poston, United States 72-77—149 +7
S. Theegala, United States 75-74—149 +7
Frazer Jones, England 77-73—150 +8
Curtis Luck, Australia 80-70—150 +8
Ryan Peake, Australia 77-73—150 +8
Cameron Smith, Australia 72-78—150 +8
Richard Teder, Estonia 74-76—150 +8
Justin Walters, South Africa 73-77—150 +8
S.-yunhe Zheng, China 77-73—150 +8
Mikiya Akutsu, Japan 78-73—151 +9
Martin Couvra, France 78-73—151 +9
Padraig Harrington, Ireland 75-76—151 +9
Shugo Imahira, Japan 76-75—151 +9
Davis Riley, United States 77-74—151 +9
Adam Scott, Australia 72-79—151 +9
Connor Graham, Scotland 73-79—152 +10
Sebastian Cave, England 76-77—153 +11
Tom Hoge, United States 81-73—154 +12
Guido Migliozzi, Italy 77-77—154 +12
K.J. Choi, South Korea 81-74—155 +13
D. Van Tonder, South Africa 79-77—156 +14
B. Newman, South Africa 82-75—157 +15
Cycling Tour de France
Friday
13th Stage
A 6-mile individual time-trial from Loudenvielle to Peyragudes
1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 23:00.
2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 23:36.
3. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 24:20. 4. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 24:56.
5. Luke Plap, Australia, Team Jayco Alula/ AUS, 24:58. 6. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 25:03. 7. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 25:06.
8. Adam Yates, Great Britian, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 25:15. 9. Lenny Martinez, France, Bahrain Victorious/BRN, 25:21. 10. Felix Gall, Austria, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 25:22. Also 21. Sepp Kuss, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 26:18.
48. Neilson Powless, United States, EF Education-EasyPost, 27:50. 54. William Barta, United States, Movistar Team, 28:06. Overall Standings
1. Tadej Pogacar, Slovenia, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, 45:45:51. 2. Jonas Vingegaard, Denmark, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 45:49:58. 3. Remco Evenepoel, Belgium, Soudal QuickStep, 45:53:15. 4. Florian Lipowitz, Germany, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 45:53:21. 5. Oscar Onley, Great Britain, Picnic PostNL, 45:54:02. 6. Kevin Vauquelin, France, Arkea-B&B Hotels, 45:54:06. 7. Primoz Roglic, Slovenia, Red Bull — BORA — hansgrohe, 45:54:41. 8. Tobias Johannessen, Norway, Uno-X Mobility, 45:56:27. 9. Felix Gall, Austria, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 45:57:34. 10. Matteo Jorgenson, United States, Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 46:00:06. Team Standings 1. Team Visma ‘ Lease a Bike, 137:47:08. 2. UAE Team Emirates XRG, 138:05:29. 3. Arkea-B&B Hotels, 138:17:06. 4. Decathalon AG2R La Mondiale Team, 138:24:04. 5. Red Bull — Bora — Hansgrohe, 138:24:21. 6. Groupama-FDJ, 138:56:57. 7. Movistar Team, 139:00:13. 8. Ineos Grenadiers, 139:07:43. 9. XDS Astana Team, 139:11:12. 10. Total Energies, 139:16:05. Transactions
Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
New year, more messages from lands all over
BY JAN RISHER Staff writer
The 2025 Postcard Project is in full swing. Thus far, we have received postcards from 39 states and 18 countries. One of the goals of the project is to receive postcards from all 50 states. To complete the 50-state set, we need postcards from Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming. In the latest batch of postcards, we received one from Lenny and Judi Zimmerman who were visiting Salzburg, Austria, and sent a postcard from Mirabell Gardens, which is where the Von Trapp children learned to sing.
Rafael Bienvenu-Albers sent a postcard from Park City, Utah, and wrote, “Park City where you come for the winter but stay for the summer.”
Dudley Hartz went to Hawaii, bought a postcard and tried to mail it but couldn’t find a stamp until he got home to Louisiana. Farley Lobdell, from Hammond, is visiting Iceland and sent a postcard of an impressive church in Reykjavik, where they were able to hear an organ play
STAFF PHOTO By JAN RISHER
One postcard was received from Australia for the 2025 Postcard Project.
The East Cleveland Public Library sent a hand-colored postcard that Jarese Jackson did as part of their 2025 Postcard Project. They wrote that the library system is sending out handcolored postcards from their patrons to various libraries and postcard exchanges across the country
Martha Williams, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, sent a postcard that is a sample of a quilting square that she created. It’s a colorful piece made with a dozen different fabrics.
From Australia, we received a curious postcard that features an illustration of “the Bunyip of Natural History.” The postcard is from “Anne in Australia” and reads, “G’day from Australia, the land where our swamp creatures stick to the swamps and only eat the occasional person. They’re called Bunyips — giant man-eating cryptids that make horrible noises at night.”
Join the fun of the Postcard Project If you go somewhere, send us a postcard. If you have friends or family, particularly those in states listed above who might be up for sending a postcard, encourage them to do so. And if you stay home, you can still play along. To add to this year’s fun, as a suggestion by multiple readers, we are collecting as many as possible from as many cities and towns around Louisiana as possible. Thus far, we have received 17 Louisiana postcards.
SEND A POSTCARD TO: Jan Risher, The Advocate 10705 Rieger Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70809.
WHERE SCIENCE MEETS SEQUINS
BY JAN RISHER and LAUREN CHERAMIE Staff writers
As staff set up the new Queen of Sparkles exhibit at the Louisiana Art & Science Museum, a little boy walked by and spotted a sparkly dress.
Surrounded by exhibits featuring dinosaur bones and Apollo 11, the boy pointed and asked, ‘Why is this in a museum?’
Curator Tracey Barhorst can’t wait to answer that question and explain why the sparkly work of Baton Rouge designer Jaime Glas Odom has earned an exhibition at LASM The summer show, “Threads of Evolution: Engineering a Community That Sparkles,” opens to the public Saturday
“Jaime is taking art and science and blending them — and it’s coming out of something that turns out to be this,” Barhorst said as she pointed to one of the Queen of Sparkles dresses on exhibit. “All of it coming together in this space, thanks to her engineering background, is so perfect.”
Barhorst noted that Odom has been a longtime supporter of the
men’s fire-resistant coveralls on job sites, she knew she could do better and worked with patternmakers in Nashville to design her own line of what initially were utilitarian women’s work coveralls. She created her first business, HauteWork, and sold the brand to National Safety Apparel in 2019. Engineer by degree, sparkly by birth — coveralls weren’t the end of Odom’s fashion story
She wanted to add personality, glitz and glamour to the picture. Odom is all about using both sides of her brain. Yes, she is good at math, but she also loves art — and she’s cared about what she wears for as far back as she can remember
Her love affair with sparkles took root during her many years in dance.
museum, and she has sponsored the entire exhibition.
Sparkly by birth
Odom graduated from LSU with an engineering degree and got a job with Chevron. In 2016, when she learned that she had to wear
“I remember being so much more excited, when I did a solo, to design the costume than anything else,” she said. “I didn’t really care what the dance looked like. I didn’t really care what the song was.” For her, it was all about the clothes. When people visit the show,
See SPARKLES, page 6C
Italian ice shop set to open second location
Italian
PROVIDED PHOTO
BY SERENA PUANG Staff writer
PHOTOS By APRIL BUFFINGTON
‘Threads of Evolution: Engineering a Community That Sparkles’ by Jaime Glas Odom is on display at the Louisiana
& Science Museum in Baton Rouge.
Jaime Glas Odom is the founder of the fashion brand Queen of Sparkles.
Well-meant gift turnsintofoodpoisoning
Dear Miss Manners: My husband andIare good friends witha couple who were kind enough to cook us some delicious food. They brought back ingredients from their country of origin the last timethey visited family there, and made us adish using arecipe from their grandma. They even went to the trouble of freezing the dish so they could give us afew containers of it the last time we all hung out. The next day,myhusband heated up the food in the oven.Heand Ienjoyed the meal immensely and then we both got food poisoning that lasted acoupleofdays. Now,we’re supposed to goout to dinner with this couple. After
Youth Enrichment
Summer Event on tap Mirror of Grace Outreach invites the community to the Annual YES! 2025 Youth Enrichment Summer Event— School Ready!from10a.m to 2p.m. Saturday,July19. This event, held in collaboration with the MelroseEast Community Crime Prevention District, will take place at The Boom Box, 6537 Harry Drive, BatonRouge. The goal of the event is to provide youth with accessto
all thetrouble they went through of makingussomething special, they will obviously want to know howweliked it
Judith Martin MISS MANNERS
I’m not sure if thepolite thingtodoistotell ahalftruth —thatweloved the food and appreciate them making it for us —orthe full truth:that we loved the food,weappreciate them making it for us, but that it made us sick. This is nowthe second time that friends have madethe kind gesture ofcooking for us, only to giveusfood poisoning. (It occurred with adifferent couple before.) Now that it’shappened again,I’m wondering if etiquette dictates transparency,orifwe should stick to the half-truth like
RELIGION BRIEFS
FROM STAFFREPORTS
educationalprograminformation that fosters cultural development, personal growth and greater opportunities. All are welcome to attend andshare the news!
Star of Bethlehem celebratesmilestone
Star of Bethlehem Baptist Church, 1204 St. JosephSt., Baton Rouge, will celebrate the pastoral anniversary of Pastor Henry J. Brown at 10 a.m. Sunday,July20. The guest speaker will be
we did thefirst time. If we knew these friends were going to be eating someofwhat they made for us, it would feel like apublic service to say something,but that’snot the case here.
Gentlereader: The moreconcerning question is: Why are all of your friends trying to poison you?
Even though this couple may not be consuming the food themselves, it would still be apublic service to warn themabout transporting perishable food internationally.“It was delicious,” you may say,“but I’m afraid something in the dish did not agree with us. Iwonder if the ingredients you flew in might have lost something in transit.”
Miss Manners would not go so far as to say that you should take abreak from your friends’ cook-
Pastor Byron K. Sanders of Macedonia Baptist Church. All areinvited.
Speaker to featureat men’s, women’sday
First EmmanuelMissionaryBaptist Church, 555 Education St., will host itsMen’s and Women’s Day service at 8a.m. Sunday,July 20.
The guest speaker will be Apostle Dr.Nichelle Landry of Victory International Ministries.
All arewelcome to attend.
‘Threads of Evolution: Engineering aCommunity That Sparkles’ by Jaime Glas Odom is on displayatthe Louisiana Art& ScienceMuseuminBaton Rouge.
SPARKLES
Continued from page5C
Barhorst hopes that they’re inspired by Odom’snonlinearcareertrajectoryand hopes Odom’sstory will challenge that narrative. “Everyone talks about being left-brained or rightbrained,” shesaid. “You’re either an artist or you’re a mathematician. This proves that you’re not just one thing. Youhave the possibility of being both.”
Just as the sparkles are multifaceted, so is Odom and her career
Engaging thecommunity
Originally,LASM invited Odom to design a1920sinspired piece for the museum’shistoric trainstation centennial. But that idea blossomed into afull-blown retrospective of her career Most exhibitions at LASM take two to three years to plan. “Threads of Evolution” came together in four months.
Barhorst saysthe goalin showcasingsomeonelike Odom, who visited the museum as achild, is to engage with all socioeconomic and
age groups inthe community —and to make theexhibits as accessible as possible.
“Wedon’twant tojust be the museumthatyou come to when you’reinfifth grade andnever come back again,” shesaid. “We’re tryingto make it aplace where people, lifelong learners, can come back and experience art and science altogether.”
Adda little sparkle
In thenine yearssince Odom started her career in fashion,she’sstarted a movement with her brand, offering sequin-covered piecesthat are big on flair andflash —and changing the face of gamedayfashion at Tiger Stadium andthe PMAC.
She’sknown to dress the likes of LSU head coach Kim Mulkey,Andi Dorfman, Jojo Siwa, Hoda Kotb, Jenna Bush, KelseyAndersonand CambellPuckett (aka Pookie).
Odom credits herBaton Rouge-based team, particularly Genevieve Cottrell, for helping bring the LASM exhibittolife.
“I think Ialways hopethat what our brand symbolizes is that you can do anything you want with hard work be-
hind it,” Odom said.
“Threads of Evolution: Engineering aCommunity that Sparkles” is on view from July 19 to Nov.9atthe Louisiana Art &Science Museum.Tocelebrate the show’s debut,the museum is hosting a“Behindthe Seams with Queen of Sparkles” opening reception from 6to 8p.m. July 24.
As aspecial feature of opening night, guests can submit their own design ideas for achance to have their concept personally selected and brought to life by thedesigner.Tickets are $20 for nonmembers and $10 for LASM members. Space is limited, and early registration is encouraged. Tickets are available at tinyurl.com/LASMBehind theSeams.
Themuseum is also hosting “Sequins &Starlight: ALaser Taylor Swift and Queen of Sparkles Extravaganza” at 1and 2p.m. Aug. 1. Attendees will be able to tourthe new Queen of Sparkles show and enjoy aSwift laser show in the planetarium
Email Jan Risher at jan. risher@theadvocate.com.
ing, but she might recommend that until this unfortunate streak dies down, you makesure to see them take abite before you do.
Dear Miss Manners: How can I becomeabetter listener and not thinkI’m always right?
Gentlereader: Practice.
Dear Miss Manners: My neighbor has anew dog. Frequently she sees me out back with my dogs, and asks to come into my yard so that our dogs may have aplaydate. This is fine occasionally.However,she asksmeevery day,and her dog barks alot. This is too much.Sometimes Ijust wantto be alone with my quiet pups. We have achain-link fence, and ataller privacy fence is not an option. How do Ipolitely tell her that her dog hurts my head and I
need to recharge by being alone?
I’ve already told her that barking dogs give me headaches, but nothing has changed.
Gentle reader: As this neighbor puts their dog’sneeds ahead of those of humans, Miss Manners suggests you respond in kind: “Hamlet isn’tfeeling very sociable today.Perhaps the two of them can have aplaydate next week when his head is feeling better.We’ll reach out.”
Sendquestions to Miss Manners at herwebsite, www missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mailtoMiss Manners, Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City,MO 64106.
Making freshfruit pops at home
Dear Heloise: We make fresh fruit pops by freezing lemon-lime soda with different fresh fruits: pineapples, blueberries and watermelon —GabyE in San Antonio Gaby,one caution: Iwouldn’tsuggest this for thelittle ones; I’d recommendaplain pop. The fruit could be achoking hazard
—Heloise
Sticky note reminders
doctor,hairdresser,dentist, etc., so Istarted writing anote to myself on sticky notes and posting them on my bathroom mirror
find out what, if any,water restrictions you have in your area.
—Heloise
Now Inolonger miss an appointmentbecause the notes remind me.
—Irene H., Beaverton, Oregon
Waterrestriction reminder
Babypowderuses
Dear Readers: Here are someother uses forbaby powder:
n Useitasadry shampoo.
n Useitonsheets to help absorb nighttimeperspiration.
n Sprinkle it in shoes to keep them fresh.
Dear Heloise: Ihave anasty habit of forgetting appointments for things like the
Dear Readers: Many parts of this country are suffering from adrought. Before you water your lawn, be sure to check with your local water department to
TODAYINHISTORY
fortax evasion.
By The Associated Press
Today is Saturday, July 19, the 200th day of 2025. There are 165 days left in the year
Todayinhistory
On July 19, 1848, the first “Convention to discuss the social, civil and religious condition and rights of Woman”convened at the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls,N.Y
Also on this date:
In 1812, during theWar of 1812, the First Battleof SacketsHarbor in Lake Ontario resulted in an American victory as U.S. naval forces repelled a Britishattack
In 1969, Apollo 11 and its astronauts, Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, went into orbit around the moon
In 1979, theNicaraguan capital of Managua fell to Sandinista guerrillas, two days after President Anastasio Somoza fled the country
In 1980, theMoscow Summer Olympics began, minus dozens of nations that were boycotting the games because of Soviet militaryintervention in Afghanistan.
In 1990, baseball’salltime hitsleader,Pete Rose, was sentenced in Cincinnati to five monthsinprison
JEREMIAH’S
Continuedfrom page5C
summertime whencold treat sales are typically at their peak. Thenew location will help them tap into different partsofBaton Rouge. Cody Loveland said they hope to continue to partnerwith people for catering events and fundraising. Themenus andofferings at both locationswill be identical. The store layouts are also essentially the same. For those trying Jeremiah’sfor thefirst time, Cody Lovelandrecommend the mango vanilla jelati he’s been eating it since he was 11 years old. It’s mango ice layered with soft vanilla ice cream. “It just gives anice, decadent little twist to the mango,” he said. For thosewho can’thave dairy,helikes the mango and strawberry ice together Sincelast year,the LSU
In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced apolicy allowing gays to serve in the military under acompromise dubbed “don’task, don’ttell, don’tpursue.”
In 2006, prosecutors reported that Chicago police beat, kicked, shocked or otherwise tortured scores of Black suspects from the 1970s to the early 1990s to try to extract confessions from them.
In 2005, President George W. Bush announced his choice of federal appeals court judge John G. Roberts Jr.toreplace Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.(Roberts ended up succeeding Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who diedinSeptember 2005; Samuel Alito followed O’Connor.)
In 2013, in arare and public reflection on race, President Barack Obama called on the nation to do somesoul searching over the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of his shooter,George Zimmerman,saying the slain Black teenager “could have been me 35 years ago.”
In 2018, aduck boat packed with tourists capsized and sank in high winds on alake in the tourist townofBranson, Missouri, killing 17 people.
In 2021, Paul Allard
n Sprinkle it on anecklace to help untangle the necklace. —Heloise
Sendahinttoheloise@ heloise.com.
Hodgkins, aFlorida man whobreached the U.S. Senate chamber on Jan. 6, 2021, carrying aTrump campaign flag, received an eight-month prison term in the first resolution of afelony case arising from the U.S. Capitol insurrection. (In2025, President Donald Trumppardoned, commuted the prison sentences or vowed to dismiss the cases of all 1,500-plus people charged with crimes in the riot.)
In 2022, Britain shattered its record for the highest temperature ever registered amid aheat wave that seared swathes of Europe. Today’sbirthdays: Civil rightsactivistand educator Rachel Robinson, widowofbaseball’sJackie Robinson,is103. Blues singer-musicianLittle Freddie King is 85. SingermusicianAlanGorrie (AverageWhiteBand) is 79. International Tennis Hall of Famer Ilie Nastase is 79. Rock musicianBrian May(Queen)is78. Rock musicianBernie Leadon is 78. Movie director Abel Ferrara is 74. Movie director Atom Egoyanis65. Actor Campbell Scott is 64. Actor AnthonyEdwards is 63. Ukrainianpolitician andformer boxing championVitaliKlitschko is 54. Actor BenedictCumberbatch is 49.
locationhas piloted anew product line called hopaway treats, which includes ice cream sandwiches, jelati cakes andlayeredquarts of on-the-go ice/ice cream products. Now that the brand has decided to move forward withthose products in allstores, they’re running aspecial on the weekends. Through thelastweekend of August, Jeremiah’swill be handing outa free slice
of their jelati cakes with apurchase of adifferent sweet treat. Jeremiah’sItalian Ice, 4343 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., hoursare from 12 p.m.to10p.m. seven days aweek. They’re currently soft opened, and plan to host their grand opening on Aug. 31. Email SerenaPuang at serena.puang@ theadvocate.com.
Hints from Heloise
PROVIDED PHOTO
Sweet treats at Jeremiah’sItalian Ice layerdifferent flavors of ice and/or softice cream.
PHOTO By APRILBUFFINGTON
cAncER (June 21-July 22) Participate in something that concerns and motivates you. Be part of thesolution and help eliminate theproblemsthatirk you. Push for positive change and ahealthier lifestyle.
LEO (July23-Aug.22) Sharing your thoughts and feelings can help you alleviate tensionand foster healthier relationships. Makeplans to travel and visit people you enjoy spending time with.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-sept. 22) Protect yourself against illness and injury. Rely on intelligenceand charm to defuse potential conflicts. Prioritize having fun, being activeand nurturing your emotional well-being.
LIBRA (sept. 23-Oct. 23) Go on alearning spree. Stop ignoring whatneeds updatingorreplacing, and start living accordingtoyour needs. Choose equality, not dominance, in relationships.
scORPIO (Oct. 24-nov. 22) The tension between what you want to do and what others expect of youwill cause distress. Strive to strike abalance between pleasing others and prioritizing your own needs.
sAGITTARIus(nov. 23-Dec. 21) Talkswill lead to encountersand newbeginnings. Love will play aroleinyour choices, and spending more time working toward a common goal withsomeone special will be beneficial.
cAPRIcORn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Home improvement projects can often turn out betterthananticipatedandenhanceyour lifestyle. An opportunity to expand your
circleoffriendswillleadtosomeonewho intriguesyou.
AQuARIus (Jan. 20-Feb.19) Achange will be uplifting. Home improvementsthat enhance comfort and convenience will helpyou relax, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Love and romance are in the stars.
PIscEs (Feb. 20-March 20) Dotheresearch, take the initiative and start something that pumps you up and brings you joy Social interaction andengaging in activitiesyou love will lead to friendships with people who share your enthusiasm.
ARIEs (March 21-April19) Keep as many options open as possible. Scrutinize what's unfolding around you. Look for more affordable ways to achieve what you want.Keep an open mind, make suggestions and prepare to implement positive change.
TAuRus (April20-May20) Put your emotions asidewhendealingwith shared expenses or joint ventures. Do what's right, not what you thinksomeone else wantsyou to do. Take nothing and no one for granted.
GEMInI (May 21-June 20) Follow your instinctsanduseyourvoicetobringpositivechangeathomeandwork.Showyour diversity,andyou'llcapturetheattention of someonewillingtohelpyou further your goals.
InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle basedona9x9 gridwith several given numbers. The objectistoplace the numbers 1to9inthe empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.The difficulty level of the Sudoku increasesfrom Monday to Sunday.
Yesterday’sPuzzle Answer
THe wiZard oF id
BLondie
BaBY BLueS
Hi and LoiS
Bridge
By PHILLIPALDER
Tryon Edwards, a19th-century theologian, said, “The secret of agood memoryisattention, and attention to asubject depends upon ourinterest in it. We rarely forget that which has made adeep impression on our minds.”
That is so often true. However, bridge fascinates many people who do not have agood memory for what has happened at the table. They also do not remember when to break the“golden rules” of the game. Which dictum should West break on this deal?
Southisinthree no-trump. West leads theclub king. South holds up his ace until the thirdround. What happens next? North made aweak jump overcall, showing areasonable six-card diamond suit and 5-10 high-cardpoints.South, knowingNorth would not have afourcard major, bid what he hoped he could make.
It is normal for declarer to play adiamond to dummy’s nine at trick four. Here, that worksnicely. East wins and shiftstoaspade, butSouth takes his ace and collectsone spade, twohearts, five diamonds and one club.
Instead, West must ignore “second hand low” and play his kingonthe first round of diamonds. Then declarer is doomed. If he plays low fromthe dummy, West cashes his clubs. If South wins with dummy’s ace, he getsjust twodiamond winners.
Each Wuzzle is aword riddle which creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON
Previous answers:
word game
InsTRucTIOns:
Average
thought
of the Lord encamps round aboutthem that fear him, and delivers them. Otaste andsee that the Lord is good: blessed is theman that trusts in him.” Psalms 34:7-8
