The Advocate 07-31-2025

Fed keeps interest rate unchanged

BY CHRISTOPHER RUGABER

AP economics writer

WASHINGTON Federal Reserve

Chair Jerome Powell gave little indication on Wednesday of bowing anytime soon to President Donald Trump’s frequent demands that he cut interest rates, even as signs of dissent emerged on the Fed’s governing board.

The Fed left its key short-term interest rate unchanged for the

fifth time this year, at about 4.3%, as was expected. But Powell also signaled that it could take months for the Fed to determine whether Trump’s sweeping tariffs will push up inflation temporarily or lead to a more persistent bout of higher prices. His comments suggest that a rate cut in September which had been expected by some economists and investors, is now less likely

“We’ve learned that the process will probably be slower than ex-

pected,” Powell said. “We think we have a long way to go to really understand exactly how” the tariffs will affect inflation and the economy

There were some signs of splits in the Fed’s ranks: Governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman voted to reduce borrowing

costs, while nine officials, including Powell, favored standing pat. It is the first time in more than three decades that two of the seven Washington-based governors have dissented. One official, Gov Adriana Kugler, was absent and didn’t vote. The choice to hold off on a rate cut will almost certainly result in further conflict between the Fed and White House, as Trump has repeatedly demanded that

BACK TO WORK

New La. laws go into effect Friday

Changes affect kratom, window tint, frogging and more

BY ALYSE PFEIL Staff writer

first offense and then $250 and $350 for subsequent offenses The penalty had been a maximum of

$100 or 30 days in jail. No phones while driving

Having your phone in your hand while driving is also illegal now under Act 288. The new law targeting distracted driving makes it illegal to hold onto your phone and do things like texting, taking a call, scrolling through social media or generally using any cellphone app. It’s OK to pick up a phone while stopped at a red light or parked, however

Unless it’s a school or construction zone, drivers can only be penalized for violating the hands-free

ä See LAWS, page 4A

the central bank reduce borrowing costs as part of his effort to assert control over one of the few remaining independent federal agencies.

Powell has in the past signaled during a news conference that a rate move might be on the table for an upcoming meeting, but he gave no such hints this time. The odds of a rate cut in September, according to futures pricing, fell from nearly 60% before the meeting to just 45% after the news

Longtime UL head Savoie resigns

Provost Hebert named interim president

BY MEGAN WYATT and ASHLEY WHITE Staff writers

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s longtime president Joseph Savoie is stepping down from his role after nearly two decades leading the university, having overseen expansions of campus research, upgrades to campus facilities and a major fundraising campaign.

Savoie, the university’s sixth president, has

BRIEFS FROM WIRE REPORTS

Harris won’t seek Calif governor post in 2026

LOS ANGELES Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year leaving open the possibility that she could mount a third run for the White House in 2028.

“I have given serious thought to asking the people of California for the privilege to serve as their governor. I love this state, its people and its promise. It is my home,” Harris said in a statement released by her office Wednesday “But after deep reflection, I’ve decided that I will not run for governor in this election.”

Harris didn’t mention President Donald Trump directly in her statement, but said “our politics, our government, and our institutions have too often failed the American people, culminating in this moment of crisis.”

Trump signs order to justify tariffs on Brazil

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump signed an executive order Wednesday to impose his threatened 50% tariffs on Brazil, setting a legal rationale that Brazil’s policies and criminal prosecution of former President Jair Bolsonaro constitute an economic emergency under a 1977 law

Trump had threatened the tariffs July 9 in a letter to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. But the legal basis of that threat was an earlier executive order premised on trade imbalances being a threat to the U.S. economy

But America ran a $6.8 billion trade surplus last year with Brazil, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

A statement by the White House said Brazil’s judiciary had tried to coerce social media companies and block their users, though it did not name the companies involved, X and Rumble Trump appears to identify with Bolsonaro, who attempted to overturn the results of his 2022 loss to Lula. Similarly, Trump was indicted in 2023 for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 U.S. presidential election

The order would apply an additional 40% tariff on the baseline 10% tariff already being levied by Trump. But not all goods imported from Brazil would face the 40% tariff: Civil aircraft and parts, aluminum, tin, wood pulp, energy products and fertilizers are among the products being excluded

The order said the tariffs would go into effect seven days after its signing on Wednesday

Massive sea turtle returns to the ocean

JUNO BEACH, Fla. — A massive sea turtle that was found injured along the Florida coast in May following a boat strike was returned to the ocean Wednesday

The adult female, named Pennywise and weighing 302 pounds, was deemed healthy and strong enough to return to the wild after being treated by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center’s veterinary team in Palm Beach County, Florida, for the past few months.

After a short ride from the center, six volunteers hauled the turtle on a gurney down the beach as dozens of people captured the moment with cellphone videos and photos. The volunteers then gently laid her down on the sand and the turtle slowly crawled back into the Atlantic.

The center had to transport the turtle to a horse clinic for diagnostic imaging because she was too large to fit inside more common CT machines. It was there that the team discovered she was full of eggs With nesting season underway, Pennywise has the chance to lay her eggs and continue her vital role in the marine ecosystem.

Tsunami fears decline after earthquake

BY JENNIFER SINCO KELLEHER and AUDREY MCAVOY Associated Press

HONOLULU Fears of a devastat-

ing tsunami faded Wednesday for the U.S. and Japan after one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck off Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula, but new alerts along South America’s Pacific coast forced evacuations and closed beaches.

Warnings in the first hours after the 8.8 magnitude quake sent residents fleeing to rooftops in Japan and forced tourists out of beachfront hotels in Hawaii, snarling island traffic. In Russia, several people were hurt while rushing out of buildings, including a hospital patient who jumped from a window

Millions of people were told to move away from the shore or seek high ground because they were potentially in the path of the tsunami waves, which struck seaside areas of Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast but did not appear to cause any major damage.

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the worst was over Later Wednesday, tsunami advisories for Hawaii, Alaska, Oregon and Washington state were canceled but remained for parts of northern California where authorities warned to stay away from beaches and advised that dangerous currents should be expected through Thursday morning.

One of strongest recorded quakes

The earthquake appeared to be the strongest recorded since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off Japan in 2011 caused a massive tsunami and meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. The International Atomic Energy Agency said initial reports showed Japan’s nuclear plants were not affected this time.

Wednesday’s quake occurred along the “Ring of Fire,” a series of seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean. It was centered offshore, about 75 miles from PetropavlovskKamchatsky, Kamchatka’s regional capital. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed.

Russia’s Oceanology Institute said tsunami waves of less than 20 feet were recorded near populated areas of the peninsula.

Lava began flowing Wednesday from the Northern Hemisphere’s largest volcano in a remote area of Kamchatka, the Russian Academy of Sciences’ geophysical service said.

Around the Pacific Rim Chile, a place highly vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis, raised its warning to the highest level early Wednesday for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and began evacuating hundreds of people.

Colombian officials ordered the complete closure and evacuation of beaches and low-tide areas while maritime traffic was being restricted. Ecuador canceled classes at schools in the Galapagos Islands as well as communities along the coast.

Coastlines of New Zealand — about 6,000 miles from the quake’s epicenter — were experiencing strong currents and wave surges.

Neb. plant explosion killed 2 girls and an employee

Fire at biofuel facility still going a day later

BY MARGERY A. BECK and CHRISTINE FERNANDO Associated Press

FREMONT Neb Two girls were waiting for a relative to finish work at a Nebraska biofuel plant when all three were killed in a massive explosion that shook the town, officials said Wednesday The fire was still smoldering more than a day later and crews say they can’t safely enter the building’s unstable wreckage to recover the remains.

Fremont Mayor Joey Spellerberg said at a news conference that the children were at the Horizon Biofuels plant ahead of a doctor’s appointment, and although he wasn’t sure of their exact ages, he believed both were under age 12. Dodge County Sheriff Sgt Brie Frank later confirmed the three were family

The plant makes animal bedding and wood pellets for heating and smoking food, using tons of wood waste. Spellerberg said authorities believe Tuesday’s blast was likely a wood dust explosion in the tall elevator tower

“That’s really the only thing that makes sense,” Spellerberg said. He said Horizon Biofuels is cooperating “as far as I know.”

The company did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment

The top of the elevator tower was torn apart, exposing a mangled concrete-andrebar core. Metal siding on the building below was left crumpled and charred, while wisps of white smoke drifted into the air Wednesday despite rain overnight.

Spellerberg said fire crews were evaluating whether the whole facility might collapse, making it difficult to get inside as they battle the fire.

“It’s going to be very slow,” said Carl Nielsen of the city’s volunteer fire department. He said authorities do not have a timeline for when they expect to bring the bodies out.

The company has 10 employees, according to the Nebraska Manufacturing Extension Partnership.

A 2014 fire at the building had damaged the electrical system but left the structure intact, according to reporting by the Fremont Tribune. Significant accumulations of wood dust particles can be a fire and explosion hazard, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Emily Anderson, who lives just blocks from the plant, said she heard “one really big boom” before police cars flooded in. “There were just huge plumes of very, very black smoke,” Anderson said. “It was scary.”

Brown University strikes agreement to resolve discrimination complaints

BY COLLIN BINKLEY Associated Press

WASHINGTON Brown University on Wednesday announced a deal with the Trump administration to regain access to federal research funding and end investigations into alleged discrimination.

The Ivy League school agreed to pay $50 million to workforce development organizations in Rhode Island over 10 years as part of the agreement, along with other concessions in line with President Donald Trump’s political agenda.

Brown will adopt the government’s definition of “male” and “female,” for example, and must remove any consideration of race from the admissions process.

Brown President Christina Paxson said the deal preserves Brown’s academic independence. The terms include a clause saying the government cannot dictate curriculum or the content of academic speech at Brown.

The three-year deal has numerous similarities with one signed last week by Columbia University that the government called a roadmap for other universities.

Unlike that agreement, Brown’s does not include an outside monitor

The agreement with Brown restores dozens of grants and contracts that had been suspended during an investigation into Brown’s handling of allegations of antisemitism, including during pro-Palestinian protests on campus last spring. It also calls for the federal government to reimburse Brown for $50 million in unpaid federal grant costs.

The school said it will renew partnerships with Israeli academics and encourage Jewish day school students to apply to Brown. By the end of this year, Brown must hire an outside organization — to be chosen jointly by Brown and the government — to conduct a campus survey on the climate for Jewish students Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Brown’s deal ensures students will be judged “solely on their merits, not their race or sex.”

“The Trump Administration is successfully reversing the decades-long woke-capture of our nation’s higher education institutions,” McMahon said in a statement.

In northern California, tsunami activity continued Wednesday morning with waves of 3.6 feet in Crescent City, which has a history of tsunami disasters.

Even waves of just several feet high might pose a significant risk.

“It might only be 3 feet, but it’s a wall of water that’s 3 feet and spans hundreds of miles. Three feet of water can easily inundate inland and flood a couple blocks inland from the beach,” said Diego Melgar, director of Cascadia Region Earthquake Science Center at the University of Oregon.

Limited damage in Russia

A video released by a Russian media outlet showed a team of doctors at a cancer clinic on Kamchatka holding a patient and clutching medical equipment as the quake rocked an operating room.

Authorities on the sparsely populated Kuril Islands reported several waves flooded the fishing port of Severo-Kurilsk, the main city on the islands, and cut power supplies to the area.

Supervisor sold gunman the rifle used in deadly N.Y.C. attack, police say

BY JENNIFER PELTZ and DAVE COLLINS Associated Press

NEW YORK A man who killed four people at a Manhattan office building bought the rifle he used in the attack and the car he drove across country from his supervisor at a Las Vegas casino, authorities said Wednesday

Shane Tamura, 27, fatally shot three people in the lobby of the building that houses the NFL’s headquarters on Monday before taking an elevator to the 33rd floor and killing someone else before ending his own life, according to police. In a note found on his body he claimed to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known at CTE, and accused the NFL of hiding the dangers of brain injures linked to contact sports.

Tamura’s supervisor at the Horseshoe Las Vegas legally bought the AR-15style rifle he sold to Tamura for $1,400, the New York Police Department said Wednesday On Tuesday,

police mistakenly said the supervisor had supplied only parts of the rifle used in the attack, including the weapon’s lower receiver Tamura, who played high school football but never played in the NFL, worked in the surveillance department at the casino. It wasn’t immediately clear if the gun sale was legal. Tamura had a history of mental illness, police said without going into detail.

The supervisor who sold Tamura the rifle hasn’t been charged with any crimes, said police. Authorities haven’t released the supervisor’s name, but they said he’s the person Tamura apologized to in the note found in Tamura’s wallet after he killed himself.

During a search of Tamura’s studio apartment in Las Vegas, investigators found psychiatric medication and a suicide note in which he said he felt his parents were disappointed in him and apologized to his mother, police said.

60 years after its creation, safety net faces cuts

Trump has begun to chisel back Medicaid and food stamps

BY LISA MASCARO AP congressional correspondent

WASHINGTON On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation into law that launched Medicaid, creating a U.S. health care safety net for millions of low-income Americans in what would become one of the crowning achievements of his domestic legacy

A year earlier he did the same for food stamps, drawing on President John F Kennedy’s first executive order for the development of “a positive food and nutrition program for all Americans.”

This summer, with the stroke of a pen, President Donald Trump began to chisel them back.

The Republican Party’s big tax and spending bill delivered not just $4.5 trillion in tax breaks for Americans but some of the most substantial changes to the landmark safety net programs in their history The trade-off will cut more than $1 trillion over a decade from federal health care and food assistance, largely by imposing work requirements on those receiving aid and by shifting certain federal costs onto the states.

While Republicans in Congress argue the trims are needed to rightsize the federal programs that have grown over the decades and to prevent rising federal deficits, they are also moving toward a long-sought GOP goal of shrinking the federal government and the services it provides

“We’re making the first changes to the welfare state in generations,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Benton, said in a recent podcast interview

As the tax breaks and spending cuts law begins to take shape, it is unleashing a new era of uncertainty for the safety net programs that millions of people in communities across the nation have grown to depend on, with political ramifications to come.

Big safety net changes ahead

Polling shows most U.S. adults don’t think the government is over-

spending on the programs. Ameri-

cans broadly support increasing or maintaining existing levels of funding for popular safety net programs, including Social Security and Medicare, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research

Local governments are scrambling to figure out how they will comply with the new landscape, calculating whether they will need to raise their own taxes to cover costs, trim budgets elsewhere or cut back the aid provided to Americans.

“The cuts are really big, they are really broad and they are deeply damaging,” said Sharon Parrott, president of the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a research institute in Washington.

“The consequences are millions of people losing health care coverage,” she said. “Millions of people losing food assistance. And the net result of that is higher poverty, more hardship.”

At the same time, certain people who receive aid, including parents of teenagers and older Americans up to age 64, will have to prepare to work, engage in classes or do community service for 80 hours a month to meet new requirements.

All told, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates 10 million more people will end up without health insurance. Some 3 million fewer people will participate in the Supplemental Nutri-

tional Assistance Program, known as SNAP

“People are really concerned what this means for their fiscal health,” said Mark Ritacco, chief governmental affairs officer at the National Association of Counties, which held its annual conference the week after Trump signed the bill into law

The organization had pushed senators to delay the start dates for some Medicaid changes, and it hopes that further conversations with lawmakers in Congress can prevent some of them from ever taking hold. At its conference, questions swirled.

“We’re talking about Medicaid and SNAP these are people’s lives and livelihoods,” Ritacco said. Health care, food aid trimmed

Republicans insist the law is adhering to Trump’s vow not to touch Medicaid as the changes root out waste, fraud and abuse. A memo from the House GOP’s campaign arm encourages lawmakers to focus on the popularity of its new work requirements and restrictions on benefits for certain immigrants.

“Those safety nets are meant for a small population of people — the elderly, disabled, young pregnant women who are single,” Johnson said on “The Benny Show.”

He said the years since the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, came into law, “everybody got on

ICE entices recruits with patriotism, signing bonuses

BY REBECCA SANTANA Associated Press

WASHINGTON The agency responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s mass deportations is launching a recruiting campaign to entice “brave and heroic Americans” to serve as new deportation officers, lawyers and investigators as the government gears up for a major expansion of immigration enforcement thanks to a recent infusion of money from Congress.

and spending cuts that Trump signed into law this month includes about $170 billion for border security and immigration enforcement, spread out over five years.

ICE is set to get $76.5 billion, nearly 10 times its current annual budget. Some $45 billion will go toward increasing detention capacity

Nearly $30 billion is for hiring 10,000 more staff so the agency can meet its goal of 1 million annual deportations.

down a street with officers in military gear hanging onto the sides of the vehicle.

The agency said it will advertise at college campuses, job fairs and law enforcement networks, starting this week But the recruiting drive has raised concerns about what happens if the agency grows too fast.

ICE staffing has long been an issue, said Jason Houser, a former agency chief of staff during the Biden administration.

the wagon.”

“All these young, able-bodied, young men who don’t have dependents, riding the wagon,” the speaker said.

Medicaid then and now

When President Johnson established Medicaid alongside Medicare — the health care program for seniors as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1965, it was meant for low-income families as well as the disabled.

And it quickly took off. Almost every state signed on to participate in Medicaid by 1970, according to the KFF, an organization focused on health policy It soon went beyond covering its core population to include pregnant women, schoolage children and not just the very poor but also those with incomes just over the federal poverty limit, which is now about $15,650 annually for a single person and $26,650 for a family of three.

In the 15 years since the Affordable Care Act became law under President Barack Obama, Medicaid has grown substantially as most states opted to join the federal expansion. Some 80 million adults and children are covered.

While the uninsured population has tumbled, the federal costs of providing Medicaid have also grown, to more than $880 billion a year “There are a lot of effects Med-

icaid has on health, but the most stark thing that it does is that it saves lives,” said Bruce D. Meyer, an economist and public policy professor at the University of Chicago who co-authored a pivotal study assessing the program. The law’s changes will certainly save the federal government “a substantial amount of money,” he said, but that will come at “substantial increases in mortality And you have to decide what you value more.”

Food stamps, which had been offered toward the end of the Great Depression but were halted during World War II amid rationed supplies, launched as a federal program when Johnson signed the Food Stamp Act of 1964 into law Today, SNAP provides almost $200 in monthly benefits per person to some 40 million recipients nationwide.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., who delivered the longest speech in House history while trying to stall the bill, said the changes will hurt households and communities nationwide. “Who are these people?” Jeffries said. “Ripping health care away from the American people. The largest cuts in Medicaid in American history Ripping food out of the mouths of children seniors and veterans who are going to go hungry as a result of this one big, ugly bill.”

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement campaign, which rolled out late Tuesday, recalls recruiting posters from World War II with images of Uncle Sam and the words “AMERICA NEEDS YOU.” There also are photos of Trump and top homeland security officials with the words “DEFEN D THE HOMELAND” across the images.

“Your country is calling you to serve at ICE,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in a news release. “This is a defining moment in our nation’s history Your skills, your experience, and your courage have never been more essential. Together, we must defend the homeland.”

In addition to appealing to prospective applicants’ patriotic fervor, Homeland Security is making a pocketbook pitch. The agency is promising up to $50,000 in signing bonuses, the potential for lots of overtime for deportation officers and other benefits such as loan repayment or forgiveness options.

All of this is made possible by a big infusion of money to ICE. The package of tax breaks

New hires include deportation officers responsible for tracking down, arresting and removing people who the administration determines no longer have the right to remain in the United States. Under the Republican president, those officers are high-profile roles, making arrests at immigration courts, in the streets and at businesses. They often are criticized by immigration activists and Democratic lawmakers for wearing masks while carrying out their duties.

On the recruitment webpage, the link to learn more about applying to be a deportation officer shows a photo of an armored vehicle rolling

The Border Patrol’s rapid expansion during the early 2000s serves as a cautionary tale. To meet hiring goals, hiring and training standards were changed. Arrests for employee misconduct rose.

“If they start waiving requirements there like they did for Border Patrol, you’re going have an exponential increase in officers that are shown the door after three years because there’s some issue,” he said. At the same time, Houser noted the Department of Homeland Security has dismantled some of the key agencies that have provided some level of oversight over ICE and other DHS arms.

Notice of Non-Discriminatory Policy as to Students

BethanyChristian School admits students of anyrace, color, national andethnicoriginto allthe rights,privileges, programs,and activitiesgenerally accorded or made availableto students of theorganization. It does notdiscriminateonthe basisofrace, color, national andethnicoriginin administration of itseducational policies,admissionspolicies, scholarship programs,and otherorganization-administeredprograms.

BethanyChristian School 11107 Honore Lane BatonRouge,LA70809

law as a secondary offense, which could lead to a $100 fine.

Window tints for cars

Window tinting can now be done a little darker in Louisiana with the passage of Act 143.

The front driver and passenger windows of a vehicle can now have a tint level of 25%, which lets less light through, down from the previous limit of 40%

The limits for tint levels of windows behind the driver as well as rear windows didn’t change and are 25% and 12%, respectively

Banning kratom

Kratom will be illegal in Louisiana, thanks to Act 41. An herbal supplement that comes from a plant native to Southeast Asia, some say kratom can treat pain, anxiety and drug dependence, but others argue it is addictive.

Crackdown on ‘poppers’

Lawmakers also tightened a ban passed last year on the inhalation of popular party drugs commonly known as “poppers,” “snappers” or “whippets.”

Gas forms of nitrates can produce a high when inhaled, but they are also used in pressurized canisters in settings like medical facilities, restaurants and auto shops.

Act 106 clarifies that only people age 21 or older can handle such products, outlaws the sale of the drugs by online retailers, and increases penalties for businesses that illegally traffic the drug, including fines up to $25,000 and the revocation of a business license.

Cajun Night Before Christmas

The official state children’s Christmas book is now the 1973 South Louisiana classic “Cajun Night Before Christmas,” written by J.B. Kling Jr and illustrated by James Rice.

Act 172, sponsored by Lafayette Republican state Rep. Annie Spell, adds the beloved tale to a long list of other official state symbols like alligator as official state reptile, Cajun accordion as official state musical instrument and the Natchitoches Meat Pie as the official state meat pie.

No Independent Party

The official Independent Party

of Louisiana no longer exists under a new law, Act 84, which was passed to avoid confusion by voters and allow for greater participation in new closed party primary elections that begin in April for a handful of political offices.

The roughly 151,000 who registered as members of the Independent Party are being moved to the designation “no party,” a group of voters that is not affiliated with any political party and currently numbers about 658,000 of the state’s nearly 3 million registered voters.

Leaders of the minimally active Independent Party of Louisiana agreed to the change because unaffiliated voters will have the choice to vote in either the Republican or Democratic Party primary elections in spring. And many who registered as “Independent” did not realize they were indicating affiliation with an official political party.

Abortion

What constitutes the crime of

“coerced abortion” is expanding under Act 275. The law previously said the term applies when someone threatens or uses physical force to compel a pregnant woman to have an abortion against her will. The law now says that crime occurs in instances of “physical force, control, or intimidation,” which is defined by a list of actions that includes assault, battery, kidnapping, extortion, and false imprisonment which refers to illegally confining another person. Under a separate law, Act 383, pregnant women are now able to sue anyone who provides or helps provide her drugs like mifepristone or misoprostol for an illegal abortion.

Immigration enforcement Private residents and public officials or employees could face criminal charges for interfering with ICE or other federal immigration enforcement agencies under Act 399.

beginning Friday.

Anyone who knowingly tries to interfere with federal immigration enforcement efforts could be charged with obstruction of justice. State public employees, officers or officials who hamper federal immigration efforts could be charged with malfeasance in office.

Other new laws

n Parents of elementary and high school students will have online access to review curricular instructional materials under a law that expands that access beyond in-person review (Act 103)

n Doula services for pregnant women before, during and after childbirth must now be covered by Medicaid. (Act 228)

n Concealed carry of a firearm without a permit is now allowed within 1,000 feet of a school. (Act 420)

n Paradegoers are now expressly exempt from restrictions on carrying a concealed handgun under state law, a regulation that

had been disputed in the past. (Act 271)

n Betting on elections is now illegal. (Act 4)

n Hallucinogenic compounds found in psychedelic mushrooms, muscimol and ibotenic acid, are now illegal. (Act 154)

n Frog hunters who venture out at night are no longer prohibited from carrying a gun. (Act 109)

n Beer brewers who operate only in Louisiana are now allowed to sell beer at farmers markets (Act 207)

n Drones being flown illegally or dangerously can now be taken down by state and local law enforcement, in addition to federal enforcement. (Act 170)

n Weather modification techniques are now outlawed in Louisiana. (Act 95).

Staff writers Julia Guilbeau and Meghan Friedmann contributed to this report.

Email Alyse Pfeil at alyse.pfeil@ theadvocate.com.

years,” Savoie told the board after the announcement. “We’ve made some improvements Hopefully, we’ve left the university in a better place than when we found it and got a solid foundation to continue to grow and develop.”

Savoie’s decision to step down has likely been in the works for weeks and comes on the heels of the departure of the university’s longtime vice president for administration and finance, Jerry Luke LeBlanc.

Savoie met July 2 in his office with Romero and UL system President Rick Gallot. While all three confirmed at the time that the meeting had taken place, they all denied that Savoie was leaving the university when a reporter reached out that day

His term was not set to end until June 30, 2026, according to a Jan. 27 letter of appointment that noted a recent satisfactory evaluation by the UL system board.

Savoie’s compensation package included an annual salary of $510,500, housing on the UL campus and the use of a vehicle or a vehicle allowance of $1,000 per month. He’ll keep the salary in his new role of president emeritus, in which he’ll work on “strengthening external partnerships,” according to an email sent Wednesday across campus.

“It’s been an honor and a privilege to have served,” Savoie told the board. “And hopefully I’ve still got a little bit of juice left in me.”

Jaimie Hebert, UL’s provost and vice president for academic affairs, was named interim president of the university during Wednesday’s board meeting.

“I am both humbled and confident in the task that I have ahead of me,” Hebert, a UL alum, told the board. “I’m confident because I believe to the core in the transformative power of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. I’ve experienced it myself personally.”

After the board meeting, university staff and alumni lined up in front of Martin Hall and greeted Savoie and Hebert with a roar of cheers.

“It’s heartwarming and totally unexpected,” Savoie said. “We have a family environment here at the university among faculty and staff. That’s what families do for

one another.”

Savoie said Hebert was “exceptionally prepared” to take over the university and that, as an alum, he “loves the place like the rest of us do.”

After stepping down from the presidency, Savoie said he’ll help with projects that include the current capital campaign and fundraising opportunities. He’ll also help with “whatever Dr Hebert and the board asks me to do.”

UL employees received an email Wednesday afternoon with a letter from Savoie announcing his decision to step down.

“Higher education has changed immensely in the past two decades,” Savoie said in the letter

“The expectations on colleges and universities are as great as they have ever been and meeting those responsibilities to our community today — and to generations that follow — requires new ideas and fresh approaches.”

Savoie is a UL alum, having attended the university in the 1970s and early 1980s, and has a background in educational leadership.

Under his leadership, UL earned the prestigious Carnegie R1 classification, which puts it among the top 5% of the nation’s research

institutions. Research and development spending at the university increased by 193% between 2013 and 2021, according to the Higher Education Research and Development Survey

Savoie also oversaw significant enhancements to campus facilities, including the construction of a more modern student union.

Romero and Gallot lauded Savoie’s achievements Wednesday, with Gallot describing him as “a once-in-a-generation leader who has served his alma mater faithfully and well during a period of extraordinary change and challenge.” Romero told the board that Savoie had positioned the university to build on his momentum and thanked him for his service.

Savoie previously served as the state’s commissioner of higher education. He also was a cabinet member in the administrations of three governors — M.J. “Mike” Foster Kathleen Blanco and Bobby Jindal.

Savoie is the second high-profile figure to leave UL in the past three months.

LeBlanc, who also was appointed to his position as vice president of administration and finance in 2008, resigned in May His resig-

nation came three weeks after a heated meeting of the UL system board during which Romero and other members questioned Savoie and LeBlanc about why UL had repeat findings in a March report from the Louisiana legislative auditor

The board also named an interim replacement for LeBlanc during the board meeting Wednesday, putting Edwin Litolff in the role of interim vice president of finance.

Litolff previously served as vice president and chief financial officer for the UL system and, most recently, served as vice president for finance and administration of the University of New Orleans during a financial crisis.

He told the board it was “a bittersweet moment” to leave UNO, which he said is now on the right track.

“It’s disappointing for me not to be able to continue that on and see that success go because there’s so much opportunity there,” Litolff said. “But to have the opportunity to come to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette is an exciting opportunity, and I look forward to working with everybody there to do my best to make the institution

better and to help in every way possible.”

Of the four findings of concern noted by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s Office for records for the 2023-24 fiscal year two had been issues for four consecutive years. One was a repeat finding for three consecutive years and one was a new problem.

The findings were related to the university’s late billing of grants and contracts and inadequate controls for personnel expenses related to research and development awards. The audit also flagged improper documentation related to grants and untimely billing of costs to grants. Auditors noted in each finding that failing to comply with the proper protocol means the university risked not receiving the money it claimed it was owed. In messages back to the auditor, UL staffers largely blamed the findings on staffing shortages and turnover Savoie’s departure will leave Louisiana’s two largest universities looking for new leadership at the same time. LSU President William Tate announced in May that he was leaving to become president of Rutgers University

conference, the equivalent of a coin flip, according to CME Fedwatch.

“We have made no decisions about September,” Powell said. The chair acknowledged that if the Fed cut its rate too soon, inflation could move higher, and if it cut too late, then the job market could suffer Major U.S. stock indexes, which had been trading slightly higher Wednesday, went negative after Powell’s comments.

“The markets seem to think that Powell pushed back on a September rate cut,” said Lauren Goodwin, chief market strategist at New York Life Investments. Powell also underscored that the vast majority of the committee agreed with a basic framework: Inflation is still above the Fed’s target of 2%, while the job market is still mostly healthy, so the Fed should keep rates elevated. On Thursday, the government will release the latest reading of the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, and it is expected to show that core prices, excluding energy and food, rose 2.7% from a year earlier

Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC Financial, says he expects the tariffs will only temporarily raise inflation, but that it will take most of the rest of this year for that to become apparent. He doesn’t expect the Fed to cut until December

Trump argues that because the U.S. economy is doing well, rates should be lowered.

But unlike a blue-chip company that usually pays lower rates than a troubled startup, it’s different for an entire economy The Fed adjusts rates to either slow or speed growth, and would be more likely to keep them high if the economy is strong to prevent an inflationary outbreak.

Earlier Wednesday, the government said the economy expanded at a healthy

3% annual rate in the second quarter, though that figure followed a negative reading for the first three months of the year, when the economy shrank 0.5% at an annual rate. Most economists averaged the two figures to get a growth rate of about 1.2% for the first half of this year

The dissents from Waller and Bowman likely reflect jockeying to replace Powell, whose term ends in May 2026. Waller in particular has been mentioned as a potential future Fed chair Michael Feroli, an economist at JPMorgan Chase, said in a note to clients this week that if the pair were to dissent, “it would say more about auditioning for the Fed chair appointment than about economic conditions.” Bowman, meanwhile, last dissented in September 2024, when the Fed cut its key rate by a half-point. She said she preferred a quarter-point cut instead, and cited the fact that inflation was still above 2.5% as a reason for caution.

Waller said earlier this month that he favored cutting rates, but for very different reasons than Trump has cited: Waller thinks that growth and hiring are slowing, and that the Fed should reduce borrowing costs to forestall a rise in unemployment.

There are other camps on the Fed’s 19-member rate-

setting committee — only 12 of the 19 vote on rate decisions. In June, seven members signaled that they supported leaving rates unchanged through the end of this year, while two suggested they preferred a single rate cut. The other half supported more reductions, with eight officials backing two cuts, and two — widely thought to be Waller and Bowman — supporting three reductions.

The dissents could be a preview of what might happen after Powell steps down, if Trump appoints a replacement who pushes for the much lower interest rates the White House desires. Other Fed officials could push back if a future chair sought to cut rates by more than economic conditions would otherwise support.

Overall, the committee’s quarterly forecasts in June suggested the Fed would cut twice this year There are only three more Fed policy meetings in September, October and December

When the Fed cuts its rate, it often but not always results in lower borrowing costs for mortgages, auto loans and credit cards. Some economists agree with Waller’s concerns about the job market. Excluding government hiring, the economy added just 74,000 jobs in June, with most of

Chopper in midair crash was above altitude limit

Investigators say its readings were inaccurate before it hit passenger jet

BY JOSH FUNK AP transportation writer

Investigators probing the January midair collision of a passenger plane and an Army helicopter over Washington that killed 67 people found the chopper was flying higher than it should have been and its altitude readings were inaccurate.

The details came out of the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings in Washington, where investigators aim to uncover insights into what caused the crash between the American Airlines plane from Wichita, Kansas, and the Black Hawk helicopter over Ronald Reagan National Airport.

The board opened the three days of hearings by showing an animation and playing audio and video from the night of the collision, as well as questioning witnesses and investigators about how the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army may have contributed to nation’s deadliest plane crash since November 2001.

The board’s final report won’t be released until sometime next year, but it became clear Wednesday how small a margin of error there was for helicopters flying the route the Black Hawk took the night of the crash.

The January incident was the first in a string of crashes and near misses this year that have alarmed officials and the traveling public, despite statistics that still show flying remains the safest form of transportation.

Altimeter discrepancy

The hearing opened Wednesday with a video animation showing where the helicopter and airliner were leading up to the collision. It showed how the helicopter flew above the 200-foot altitude limit on the helicopter route along the Potomac River before colliding with

the plane. Investigators said Wednesday the flight data recorder showed the helicopter was actually 80 feet to 100 feet higher than the barometric altimeter the pilots relied upon showed they were flying. So the NTSB conducted tests on three other helicopters from the same unit in a flight over the same area and found similar discrepancies in their altimeters.

Dan Cooper with Sikorsky helicopters said that when the Black Hawk helicopter involved in the crash was designed in the 1970s, it used a style of altimeter that was

Dentist gets life sentence for lacing wife’s protein shakes with poison

BY JESSE BEDAYN and COLLEEN SLEVIN Associated Press

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A Colorado dentist was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday in the death of his wife, whose protein shakes he laced with poison before delivering a fatal dose of cyanide.

District Judge Shay Whitaker sentenced James Craig to life without the possibility of parole, the mandatory sentence for first-degree murder in Colorado. He was convicted of murder and other charges earlier in the day by a jury

Prosecutors had said at trial that James Craig poisoned his wife Angela Craig over 10 days in March 2023. When those attempts failed, prosecutors said the dentist gave his wife a final dose of cyanide as she was hospitalized in suburban Denver with symptoms that puzzled doctors. She was declared brain dead soon after Craig stood in a hushed courtroom Wednesday afternoon as the jury delivered a litany of guilty verdicts on murder and other charges His sentencing came soon after when Angela Craig’s relatives tearfully testified about the impact of losing her Angela Craig’s older sister

Toni Kofoed, lamented the loss of phone calls, texts and trips with her sister where they could laugh and talk throughout the night

“Her life was not yours to take,” Kofoed said. “Angela had a love and a passion for life. She loved her children and, unfortunately, she loved you.”

James Craig appeared to shake with tears as his oldest daughter spoke about how much she missed being able to talk to her mother about her life and how she felt betrayed by her father

“I was supposed to be able to trust my dad; he was supposed to be my hero, and instead he’ll forever be the villain in my book,” she said.

The dentist declined to make any statement before he was sentenced. He was immediately handcuffed to be led out of court

In addition to murder

James Craig also was found guilty of trying to cover up the killing by asking others to fake evidence and testimony that would make it appear that Angela Craig had killed herself or wanted to frame him for her death. He was found guilty of asking his daughter to make a fake video of her mother asking to be poisoned and of trying to get one inmate to kill the

lead detective investigating his wife’s death, among other things.

Jurors rejected his claim that his wife sought his help in ending her own life.

Toxicology tests determined Angela Craig died of poisoning from cyanide and tetrahydrozoline, an ingredient commonly found in over-the-counter eye drops, according to the coroner Prosecutors argued Craig wanted to kill his wife to get out of a marriage he felt trapped in, adding he didn’t want a divorce so he could protect his money and image.

Prosecutors said photos from a hospital security camera shown in court depict Craig holding a syringe before he entered Angela Craig’s room. After administering the fatal dose through her IV, Craig walked out and texted a fellow dentist with whom he was having an affair, Senior Chief Deputy Michael Mauro told jurors in closing arguments.

One of Craig’s attorneys, Lisa Fine Moses, told jurors earlier this week that the image was blurry and syringes that investigators recovered did not contain any poison. She also said Craig’s cheating had been going on for years and had never been a motivation for murder

common at the time. Newer helicopters have air data computers that help provide more accurate altitude readings.

Chief Warrant Officer

Kylene Lewis told the board that she wouldn’t find an 80- to 100-foot discrepancy between the different altimeters on a helicopter alarming because at lower altitudes she would be relying more on the radar altimeter than the barometric altimeter Below 500 feet, Lewis said she would be checking both instruments and cross referencing them.

She said as long as an al-

timeter registers an altitude within 70 feet of the published altitude before takeoff the altimeter is considered accurate under the checklists.

Army officials said a discrepancy of 70 to 100 feet between the Black Hawk’s altimeters is within the acceptable range because pilots are expected to maintain their altitude plus or minus 100 feet.

The greater concern is that the FAA approved routes around Reagan airport that included such small separation distances between helicopters and planes when planes are landing.

Questions over the route

Army officials and the head of a local medevac helicopter company that flies around Washington told the board they believed air traffic controllers would never let them fly the helicopter route involved in the crash anytime a plane was approaching the runway

Chief Warrant Officer David Van Vetchen said after the crash he talked to many of his fellow pilots and everyone had the same assumption that controllers would never allow them to fly across the path of the runway the American plane was approaching before the crash.

‘Stepped on transmission’

During the two minutes before the crash, one air traffic controller was directing airport traffic and helicopters in the area, a task that involved speaking

to or receiving communications from several different aircraft, according to the NTSB’s History of Flight Performance Study

The air traffic controller had spoken to or received communications from the Black Hawk helicopter, an airplane that was taking off, an Air Force helicopter, an airplane on the ground, a medical helicopter and an inbound flight that was not the American Airlines plane that would crash.

“All aircraft could hear the controller, but helicopters could only hear other helicopters on their frequency and airplanes only other airplanes,” the report stated. “This resulted in a number of stepped-on transmissions as helicopters and airplanes were not aware when the other was communicating.”

Stepped-on transmissions are those that are unheard or blocked because of other transmissions. The NTSB report provides a list of 29 separate communications between the airport tower and other aircraft during approximately the 1 minute and 57 seconds before the collision.

Investigations have already shown the FAA failed to recognize a troubling history of 85 near-misses around Ronald Reagan National Airport in the years before the collision and that the Army’s helicopters routinely flew around the nation’s capital with a key piece of locating equipment, known as ADS-B Out, turned off.

wasp nest found at old nuclear

BY JEFFREY COLLINS Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Workers at a site in South Carolina that once made key parts for nuclear bombs in the U.S. have found a radioactive wasp nest but officials said there is no danger to

anyone. Employees who routinely check radiation levels at the

a wasp

according to a report from the U.S. Department of

The nest had a radiation level 10 times what is allowed by

Canada will recognizea Palestinianstate

BY ROBGILLIES Associated Press

TORONTO— Canadawill recognize

aPalestinian state in September, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday,the latest in aseries of symbolic announcements that are part of abroader global shift againstIsrael’spolicies in Gaza.

al AssemblyinSeptember 2025,”

Carney said —a move that he said waspredicatedonthe Palestinian Authority“holding general elections in 2026 in which Hamas can play no part, and to demilitarize the Palestinian state.”

Carney said he’s“not in any way or shape minimizing that scale of that task,” though he addeditwas clearly “not apossibility in the near term.”

ation in Gaza, agree to aceasefire and committoalong-term, sustainable peace, reviving theprospect of atwo-state solution.”

CarneysaidCanada is working with other states “to preserve the possibilityofatwo-statesolution, to notallow the facts on the ground, deaths on theground, thesettlementsonthe ground, theexpropriations on the ground, to get to such an extent thatthis is not possible.”

as partofa negotiated two-state solution to the conflict.

Iddo Moed, Israel’s ambassador to Canada, told The Associated Press followingCarney’s announcementthat Canada is a“dear friend but at themomentitisanestranged friend” because it “stopped putting itself in Israel’sshoes.”

and operates under the Hamas government. The U.N. and other international organizations see it as the mostreliable source of data on casualties.

Carney convened aCabinet meeting to discuss the situation in the battered Palestinian territory.He said it came after he discussed the crisis with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer,who announced a similar move on Tuesday Leaders are under mounting pressure over the issue asscenes of hunger in Gaza have horrified so many across the world. “The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable,” Carney said.

“Canada intends to recognize the State of Palestine at the 80th Session of the United Nations Gener-

“Much has to happen before a democratic viable stateisestablished,” he said.

Amountingpush

Pressure to formally recognize Palestinian statehood has increased since French President Emmanuel Macron announcedlast week that his country will become thefirst major Western power to recognize aPalestinian state in September.Carney saidhespoke to Macron on Wednesday

On Tuesday,Starmer said Britain would recognize astate of Palestine before the U.N. General AssemblyinSeptember,“unless the Israeli governmenttakes substantivesteps to endthe appallingsitu-

Asymbolicgesture

As with France and the United Kingdom, Canadianrecognition would be largely symbolic, but it’s part of apush by countries against Israel and could increase diplomatic pressure for an end tothe conflict.

More than140 countries recognize aPalestinian state, including adozen in Europe. Macron’sannouncement last week made France the first Group of Seven country and thelargest in Europe —tosay it would takethat step.

Canada has long supported the idea of an independent Palestinian stateexisting alongside Israel, but hassaid recognition should come

“Weare hearing the world very well, loud and clear Idon’tthink that in thecurrent global atmosphere thereisany understanding” aboutthe sufferingofhostagesheld by Gaza’smilitant Hamas group.

Unabatingwar andsuffering Hamas started the war with its attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, in which militants killed around1,200 people andabducted 251 others. They still hold 50 hostages, including around 20 believed to be alive and held in Gaza. Most of the rest of thehostages were released in ceasefiresor other deals.

Israel’sretaliatory offensive has killed more than 60,000 Palestinians,according to Gaza’sHealth Ministry,which doesn’tdistinguish between militants and civilians

Atotal of 89 children have died of malnutrition sincethe war began in Gaza. Israeldenies there is anystarvation in Gaza, rejecting accountstothe contrary from witnesses, U.N. agencies and aid groups, and says the focus on hunger undermines ceasefire efforts.

TheIsraeli ambassador blamed Hamas forthe length of the nearly two-year war,saying that “in Gaza we’vecome acrossthe worst possiblenetwork of terroristinfrastructure that exists any where around the world.

“Weneed this to end forthe sake of all of us because we will remain there and the Palestinians will remainthere,” Moed also said.

AWhite House official said President Donald Trump’sposition on Palestinian statehoodwould not change.“As the President stated, he would be rewarding Hamas if he recognizes aPalestinian state, andhedoesn’t thinkthey should be rewarded,” the official said.

Russianmissileshit Ukrainianarmytrainingground

BY ILLIA NOVIKOV Associated Press

KYIV,Ukraine Russian missiles hit aUkrainian army training ground, killing three soldiers and wounding 18 others, authorities said, targeting Ukraine’s efforts to make up asevere manpower shortage in the nearly 3½-year war

The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that the strike killed or wounded about 200 Ukrainiantroops. The ministrysaidUkraine’s169th training center near Honcharivske in the Chernihiv region was hit with two Iskander missiles, one armed with multiple submunitions and another with high explosives.

Meanwhile, Russia continued its stepped-up aerial campaignagainst Ukrainian civilian targets,launching

78 attack drones overnight, includingup to eightnewly developedjet-powered drones, Ukraine’sair force said.At least fivepeople were wounded. The U.N. mission in Ukrainenotes aworsening trendinciviliancasualties from Russian attacks this year,with6,754 civilians killed or injured in thefirst half of 2025 —a54% increase from the same period in 2024. Since Russialaunched an all-out invasion of neighboring Ukraineon Feb. 24, 2022, at least 13,580 Ukrainian civilians, including 716 children, have been killed, accordingtothe U.N. U.S.President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’s giving Russian President Vladimir Putin ashorter deadline —until Aug. 8— for peace effortstomake progress

or Washington will impose punitive sanctions and tariffs.Western leaders have accused Putinofdragging his feet in U.S.-led peace efforts in an attempttocapture moreUkrainian land. Ukrainian forces are

mostlyhanging on against agrinding summer push by Russia’sbigger army, though the Russian Defense Ministry has claimed recent small advances alongthe front line. Ukrainian ground forces

acknowledged theRussian strike on amilitary training ground in the Chernihiv region of northern Ukraine, but its casualty report differedwidely fromMoscow’s.

ARussianDefense Ministry video showed multiple small explosions apparently caused by amissile with a shrapnel warhead, followed by one big blast, apparently from the other one armed with ahigh-explosive warhead.

Asimilar Russian strike occurred last September, when twoballisticmissiles blasted aUkrainian military academyand nearby hospital, killingmore than 50 people andwounding more than 200 others.

The attack was the fourth deadly strike in five months on Ukrainian military facilities. The previous three killed at least 46 soldiers and

wounded more than 160, according to official reports. Russia also hasbeentryingdisruptUkrainian military recruitment by hitting regional buildings coordinating the call-up. Though Ukraine has more than1 million people in uniform,including the National Guard and other units, it badly needs more.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed abill Tuesday that allowsUkrainian men over the ageof60tovoluntarily sign contracts with the armed forces. The law allows those whowant to contribute their experience andskills,particularlyinnoncombat or specialized roles. Ukraine has lowered its conscriptionage from27 to 25, but that hasfailedto replenish ranks or replace battlefield losses.

Man seeks new trial in child’s death

Mother’s boyfriend convicted of burying toddler in suitcase

BY MATT BRUCE Staff writer

As a Baton Rouge mother ac-

cused of beating her 2-year-old daughter to death moves toward a possible plea deal, her live-in boyfriend who was convicted of stuffing the toddler’s body into a suitcase and disposing of her remains is trying to convince a judge to grant him a new trial. Those proceedings played out this week inside the 19th Judicial District Courthouse.

Lanaya Brittany Cardwell appeared before District Judge

City Council takes no action on budget

Failure to introduce ordinance ratchets up financial dispute

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT

Staff writer

After operating for nearly two months without an approved general fund budget, the Gonzales City Council was set to reintroduce one this week. To legally accomplish that, a council member introduces the budget for the city as an ordinance.

But when it came time to introduce the budget Monday, all five representatives remained silent. The lack of action means the budget was not introduced, further delaying any approval of the city’s finances. After the budget is introduced, state law requires a notice to go out at least 10 days before a public hearing and vote.

Officials indicated a push to address the issue Tuesday. In an email sent to Mayor Tim Riley and the council Tuesday morning, Division D council member Tyler Turner asked to arrange a special meeting.

“I believe that a special meeting should be called to properly introduce the budget so that we are not prolonging the budget process,” he wrote.

“I believe the meeting should be held asap to remain on schedule.

Let’s continue to work together to get the budget passed.”

Reached for comment shortly after Turner sent out the email, Riley said he planned to call a special meeting for 8:30 a.m. Tuesday

“The city of Gonzales is a great city and we should not be going through this,” he added. “This should not have taken this long.”

The continued delays underscore the division that has emerged between council members and Riley’s administration.

Gonzales has been operating without an approved budget since June 1, the start of its fiscal year Per state law requirements, the city is operating at half the roughly $22 million general fund budget.

The budgetary stalemate continued through the July 14 meeting, where a 2-2 tie led to the budget’s failure to pass.

Fred Crifasi for a motions hearing Tuesday Cardwell, 28, was indicted on a charge of seconddegree murder in the September 2021 killing of her daughter, Nevaeh Allen.

If convicted, Cardwell faces a mandatory life sentence.

Phillip Keegan Gardner already faces that fate after he was found guilty of second-degree murder and obstruction of justice earlier this year

Crifasi was expected to impose the automatic life sentence upon Gardner on Wednesday but it was delayed because the Louisiana Di-

vision of Probation and Parole had yet to complete the presentencing report on Gardner

According to testimony in Gardner’s trial, Cardwell became infuriated when Nevaeh accidentally ripped one of her contact lenses as she was readying for work the morning of Sept. 24, 2021, and severely beat the toddler

On Tuesday Crifasi met in his chambers with Cardwell’s public defender, Jarvis Claiborne, and prosecutors. The attorneys told him they are working on a possible resolution to the case, Crifasi relayed during Cardwell’s subse-

quent hearing in his courtroom later that morning. The judge set an Oct. 9 court date for the woman to accept any potential offers from the state or for attorneys to handle any remaining motions. Absent a plea agreement, Cardwell’s murder trial is set to begin Nov 3, according to court records Gardner has already been tried and convicted for his role in the killing. A jury found the Baton Rouge man guilty as charged at the end of a nine-day trial May 8.

TREASURE HUNT

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

A community hospital that offers addiction recovery services is set to open in Prairieville in August, further expanding medical services in Ascension Parish.

Rise Community Hospital will focus on supporting people facing substance abuse and eating disorders, according to a news release. It will be operated by Rise Recovery Services, a Texasbased company founded in 2015.

Rise Recovery has five locations near Austin and San Antonio. The Prairieville facility will be the health care company’s

first venture out of Texas.

The facility will be located on Market Place Drive at the site of the former Prairieville Family Hospital, which closed last year after the state revoked its license.

The company says it will be the first sober hospital in the state,

and will offer nonnarcotic medical stabilization and emergency room and primary care services. A ribbon-cutting and grand opening are planned for noon Aug. 12.

The Ascension Parish medical services landscape has grown substantially in the past decade, with Patient Plus and the Baton Rouge Clinic both opening locations in Prairieville.

The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, which operates the Our Lady of the Lake hospitals in the capital region, brought new services to its Gonzales hospital over the past year

These included an infusion clinic and a lung nodule program that provides early detection for lung cancer It also changed the Gonzales hospital name to Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth, a reference to the facility’s original title. Ascension Parish has been one of the fastest-growing parishes in the state for decades, and census estimates showed 1.2% popu-

Another felony defendant’s release from Orleans jail called ‘grave error’

Prosecutors:

Mistake undetected for months

BY JOSEPH CRANNEY Staff writer

Before the May jailbreak and last week’s mistaken release of 30-year-old Khalil Bryan, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office in December let another felony defendant out of the jail amid a mixup with his bond paperwork, which attorneys described as an error that wasn’t discovered for more than four months.

The public was never notified about the earlier mishap involving 32-year-old David A. Jones, who OPSO released despite a judge’s order that he be held without bond, according to court documents.

The Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office didn’t know Jones had been let out until April, shortly before his trial on charges of second-degree kidnapping and child sex trafficking, according to a letter from District Attorney Jason Williams.

“Unfortunately as of the date of this correspondence, Mr Jones has not been rearrested, and is presumably ‘on the run,’” Williams wrote in the April 8 letter to Sheriff Susan Hutson, which called his release a “grave error.” The letter was obtained by The Times-Picayune “I hope you will take this opportunity to review your policies and procedures to ensure that nothing like this occurs again.”

The same day, a judge issued a warrant for Jones’ arrest, accord-

SHOTS

Continued from page 1B

This year, not only did the Tigers take home the World Series title for the eighth time, but their fans once again earned their place as Jell-O shot champions. In 2025, Tiger fans bought more than 52,390 gelatin shots during the 10 days of the College World Series. That’s $261,950 spent on Jell-O shots. Rocco’s check to the LSU Food Pantry represents onefifth of that total.

In 2023, according to the LSU Student Food Pantry, the campusbased food service processed more than 21,000 requests and distributed 261,550 pounds of food to students in need. Baton Rouge celebrities including Olivia Dunne, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and Graves took part in the challenge. Politicians like Gov Jeff Landry and Nebraska Gov Jim Pillen also joined in on the compe-

HOSPITAL

Continued from page 1B

While Donaldsonville’s primary hospital service remains Prevost Memorial Hospital, that organization is looking at constructing a new hospital facility It has also worked to expand its city involvement and recently

BUDGET

Continued from page 1B

Some council members have said they rejected the budget for reasons including wanting more details about where funds will go and the recent departures of several high-ranking staff members. The interim city clerk left at the end of March, according to the administration, and has yet to be replaced. Turner said the clerk’s departure contributed to the situation at Monday’s meeting.

“If we had a city clerk (the position has been vacant for months), the clerk would have caught the mistake. Having a clerk is very important to ensure the meetings are done properly,” he wrote “And this just proves that. Now the budget is delayed again by no one other than the administration.”

Dispute over chief of staff role

Some council members are also opposed to Wade Petite, a political consultant who is being paid around $94,000 in a disputed role as the city’s chief of staff.

That position has never existed in the city, and a municipal ordinance requires the council to approve any new positions. The

ing to court records Jones turned himself on April 14, after 134 days passed since his release.

OPSO disputed that his release was a mistake. In a statement Wednesday, OPSO said Jones was released on bond with an ankle monitor and remained “in the continuous custody” of OPSO.

“He was never mistakenly released ” OPSO said. “What occurred was part of an internal cleanup of administrative records. Specifically, the closure of one of Mr Jones’ other case folders. This action was taken for record-keeping clarity and did not cause a change in his physical custody or legal status.”

OPSO added that any suggestion of Jones’ mistaken release is “factually incorrect.”

In an interview, Jones’s own attorney, William Boggs, acknowledged Jones’ release as an “error,” adding that “he shouldn’t have been allowed to bond out.”

Jones didn’t know it was a mistake and surrendered himself at a court appearance “as soon as he was made aware,” Boggs said.

Keith Lampkin, a District Attorney’s Office spokesperson, said the state’s attorneys “witnessed (Jones) coming into the courtroom from off the street,” and Boggs confirmed Jones “was not being housed at the jail.” His trial is now scheduled for August.

Sex charges involved a minor Jones’ felony kidnapping and sex trafficking charges stem from a September 2018 arrest. Prosecutors say they have hotel surveillance footage showing Jones with a 13-year-old victim, who said Jones paid her for a sex act.

PROVIDED PHOTO

Todd Graves, left, and Olivia Dunne take Jell-O shots at Rocco’s Pizza and Cantina during the 2025 College World Series.

tition Landry bought 1,000 shots, although he apparently did not consume any of them.

The Jell-O shot contest in Omaha even inspired a similar contest at St. James Place, a senior community in Baton Rouge.

Email Margaret DeLaney at margaret.delaney@ theadvocate.com.

concluded a summer program for Ascension Parish students. That summer camp gave 26 youth an up-close look at health care operations, with field trips to Louisiana State University and Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com

council has never approved the role or discussed Petite occupying it.

Riley said Tuesday that council members had “personal vendettas” against Petite, pointing to their recent comments in The Advocate.

“It’s personal, and it’s not really about the budget,” Riley said.

“It’s about an individual who they think should not be in my administration.”

Riley sent a letter to the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office asking it to weigh in on the issue and whether that ordinance is unconstitutional, and Division E council member Terri Lambert wrote to the office opposing Riley’s position.

In a written statement about Monday’s meeting, Lambert placed the blame for the budget introduction dispute with Riley

“It is unfortunate for our city that the mayor chose not to follow the city attorney’s guidance regarding the proper introduction of the budget, once again,” she wrote. “This process is critical to ensuring the proposed budget gets a timely publication and vote by the city council.”

Email Christopher Cartwright at christopher.cartwright@ theadvocate.com

“The victim was kept at the hotel with (Jones) wherein she was sexually abused and trafficked for several days,” prosecutors wrote in court filings.

While out on bond in that case, Jones was arrested in May 2024 and charged with punching the mother of his child in the face, according to court documents. A judge then revoked Jones’s earlier release, ordering he be held without bond on his felony charges Jones later picked up a contraband charge while in jail: Prosecutors say he was caught with a 7-inch shank.

But on Dec. 2, after Jones posted a bond on his contraband case, OPSO “erroneously released (Jones) on all charges,” Williams said in his letter directed to OPSO, adding that the matter “reveals that remedial measures must be taken by your organization to impose redundancies and safeguards” around the release of detainees.

‘Multiple failures’

Hutson is facing a new round of questions after her apology and admission last week that OPSO accidentally released Bryan earlier in the day He was supposed to be held on a $125,000 bond for a host of felony charges, including aggravated assault with a firearm.

Hutson blamed the Bryan mixup on “human error,” stating that Bryan shared a similar name with another detainee who was in line for a release. Hutson’s office hasn’t released more details, and a number of questions remain about how exactly Bryan was allowed to slip by undetected.

TRIAL

Continued from page 1B

Crifasi reset Gardner’s sentencing hearing for Oct. 8 Gardner’s defense attorneys argued for a new trial during Wednesday’s hearing.

Jeanna Wheat, one of Gardner’s trial attorneys, called Josh Webb, an investigator with the East Baton Rouge Public Defender’s Office, to the stand to testify Wheat said Webb has interviewed six jurors about Gardner’s trial since it ended to learn how they reached their verdict.

Louisiana’s code of criminal procedure allows a trial judge to sit as a “thirteenth juror,” acting as an independent arbiter of the evidence, and to grant a new trial if the presiding judge determines the jury’s verdict was incorrect.

Gardner’s second-degree murder conviction was based on an underlying act of juvenile cruelty But his motion for a new trial contends he didn’t directly commit an act of juvenile cruelty to Nevaeh or act as a principal to the child’s abuse His attorneys argued he had no intent to kill the toddler and actually reprimanded Cardwell for beating her daughter the morning of the incident.

That aligns with the argument the defense made during trial. Gardner’s attorneys conceded he was guilty of obstruction for trying to cover up for Cardwell, who was pregnant with his unborn child. But defense attorneys sought to convince the jury there was nothing to show he had any specific intent to kill Nevaeh, arguing he loved the child and raised her from her infancy as his own.

Wheat told Crifasi she and her co-counsel are trying to “understand the jury’s understanding of their role and how they got to a conviction in this case.” She said the jurors they have spoken with say they convicted Gardner under a felony murder theory of omission.

“Not because there was any type of direct act of killing but that they believed Mr Gardner was criminally negligent because he failed to act in some way,” she said. That is contrary to law, the motion for a new trial asserts.

Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Barrios, who led the state’s trial prosecution, objected to Wheat questioning Webb about his interviews with jurors. She said that pierces jury shield laws that make deliberations confidential unless there is evidence to warrant its public disclosure.

Wheat said that is true if Gardner was simply challenging his conviction. Instead, she said, he is contesting the automatic lifewithout-parole sentence he faces based on the theory of law the jury convicted him on.

“It is using the jury’s deliberations and understanding to attack an unlawful, excessive sen-

Grocer loses suit in N.O.-area store closure

Save A Lot owner must pay $90K; other cases pending

BY DESIREE STENNETT Staff writer

An Orleans Parish judge has ruled that second-generation grocer Brandon Trosclair must pay nearly $90,000 to Moran Foods, parent company of Save A Lot grocery stores, after Trosclair failed to pay rent and closed a Save A Lot location.

The judgment, signed last month by Orleans Parish Civil District Court Judge Sidney H. Cates IV, ended more than a year of litigation over the Save A Lot site that had operated on Almonaster Avenue near the Florida neighborhood from 2008 until 2023, when Trosclair closed it.

“It further ordered, adjudged and decreed that Moran Foods has established its proof of claim herein, and that final judgment is hereby entered in favor of Moran” against Trosclair, Cates wrote on June 16.

Cates ruled that Trosclair must pay Moran $70,000 for damages and another $18,000 for the legal expenses Moran incurred throughout the case.

Attorneys for Moran Foods did not respond to questions about this closed case, about other pending cases over more shuttered locations Trosclair owned or about

whether the company has any plans to bring Save A Lot back to New Orleans. Trosclair also did not respond to a request for comment. The ruling is the latest legal blow in recent months for Trosclair, a Gonzales native whose family has operated grocery stores in Louisiana for 20 years. A judge ruled in June 2024 in favor of the owners of a shopping center that housed the former Airline Drive Save A Lot in Metairie, after they sued Trosclair’s business for nearly $67,000 in unpaid rent.

The two stores were among nine Save A Lots in Orleans, Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes that Trosclair purchased in 2021 as the national discount grocer shifted away from store operations and into the licensed wholesale business. Trosclair vowed to remodel and rebrand the stores within two years, touting his family’s reputation at the Ralph’s Market and Butcher Boy stores they own in Gonzales, Donaldsonville and Plaquemine. But a year later his landlords accused him of underpaying rent at several stores. And by July 2023, he stopped paying entirely at all the stores, including Almonaster, according to court records. Shortly after that, Trosclair abruptly closed the sites, prompting several lawsuits and evictions filed in the subsequent months.

Trosclair has never responded to any of the lawsuits filed against him, court records show Cates ruled against him after he failed to appoint an attorney or mount a defense. He also managed to avoid a process server who last summer made six attempts to reach him at several addresses.

A memorial for 2-year-old Nevaeh

apartment in Baton Rouge.

tence under the 8th Amendment,” Wheat said.

“That’s a pretty thin line,” Crifasi said.

“But it is distinguishable,” Wheat replied.

The judge said he wanted to review the law to see what is acceptable for him to consider before making his decision on the motion He postponed arguments from attorneys and set a new hearing to be held Sept. 4.

“Based on what I’ve heard, I want to research this a bit and see if it’s proper before we go forward,” Crifasi said.

A fatal beating

According to trial testimony, Cardwell was in the bathroom preparing to go to work for the day when Nevaeh picked up her mom’s contact lenses and ripped one, police said. A livid Cardwell then struck her daughter in the torso with a closed fist. Nevaeh fell backward and hit her head on a cabinet before her mother “forcefully grabbed” her and took her to another room, according to arrest records. Gardner later told police that from the next room, it sounded like “two adults fighting.”

After the beating, Nevaeh came out of the room with a large bruise on her forehead.

Gardner drove Cardwell to work and returned home to the couple’s apartment in the 12600 block of West La Belle Avenue with Nevaeh and two of her siblings. At some point later that morning, the child became ill and Gardner found her unresponsive on the couch, with no pulse and pale in

the face. Thinking she was dead, he folded her body into a suitcase dragged the luggage downstairs and loaded it into his car He then drove the child to the Pearl River in Mississippi and buried Nevaeh’s body deep in the woods in a makeshift grave along the riverbank.

When Gardner returned home, he reported the child had disappeared, setting off a multiagency search for the toddler It took four days before law enforcement realized the disappearance was a hoax and Nevaeh had actually been killed.

License plate readers tracked Gardner’s car to southern Mississippi and alerted authorities to the fact that he wasn’t home when Nevaeh vanished, as he initially reported.

He was questioned five times over the course of four days and eventually admitted to disposing of the child’s remains.

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

Babington, Nancy Rabenhorst FuneralHome, 825 Government Street,atnoon.

Edwards, William WilbertFuneralHome, Plaquemine at 2pm

Lapeze, Brenda

St.John theEvangelistCatholic Church in Plaquemineat10:30 a.m.

LeBlanc, Marie

St.Charles BorromeoCatholic Church,13396 RiverRoad, Destrehan, LAat 12pm

Neyland, Bobbie

othy Cummings; her sistersMargaretLeming Catherine Herman and ClaireDelaune; and her nephews Michael and Timothy Leming and Nate and ReeceDelaune. The FuneralMasswill be on Friday, August 1, 2025 9:00 AM at Sacred Heart Roman CatholicChurch (Christ The Redeemer Parish) 98 South 2nd Ave. Manville,NJ08835. Arrangements are under the direction of the Ketusky Funeral Home in Manville, NJ. Amemorialwill be held in Baton Rouge at alater date

CentralFuneralHomeonHooperRd. at 11:30am. Dwyer, Miller Gordon

Schwartz,Jimmy

TheChurch of JesusChristofLatterday Saints,4117LA412, Slaughter,LA at 10am.

Town,Albert

St.AloysiusCatholic Church at 11am

Obituaries de Wet, Mary Cummings

MaryCummings de Wet, age 55, passed away on the 28th of July, 2025. Mary was anewspaper editor for most of her life, and she wasn't about to trust the writing of her obituary to anyone else.

Mary Elizabeth Cummings was born April1 1970, to Timand Anne Cummings at Women's Hospital in Baton Rouge LA. The site has since been turned into apolice facility, amove for which she takes no responsibility whatsoever. She was a nerdy little kid who grew up on North HollyStreet andattended St. Thomas More Catholic School and Baton Rouge Magnet High School. She was aGirl Scout and awrangler who was afraid of horses. In the summers, she worked at Camp Marydale as acounselor called Biskitt. During her senior year in high school, she was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma. She got over it with the help of doctors at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla. She attended Louisiana State University from 1988 to 1992, working at the Daily Reveille and earninga bachelor's degree in journalism. While in college, she interned for United PressInternational, the Dow Jones News Fund, USA Today, the Advocate and the Baton RougeBusiness Report. She also attended LSUinParis in the summer 1992 and met her future husband, Chris de Wet, while backpacking in London. After collegeshe worked as acopy editorat the Odessa American and the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle. She married Chris in Cheyenne, WY on April 27, 1996. Mary, who had been told the cancer treatment had removed any chance of pregnancy, started to get fat in March 1997 and discovered she was five months pregnant with their son, Kale. In 2000, Mary decided she was ready for anew challenge andapplied to Dow Jones &Co. She accepted ajob as acopy editorfor Dow Jones Newswires in Singapore and then went to the library to look up where Singapore is. Chris, Mary and Kale moved to Singapore and lived there for seven years. Daughter Mika was born there in 2001. Mary enjoyed living in Singapore. "It was the most beautiful, well-run nation on earth," she said. In 2007, Mary applied for atransfer to the U.S. through Dow Jones. Daughter Rowan was born in Princeton, N.J., that year. Mary worked for The Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires, eventuallybecoming deputy global chief of the financial wire. In 2019, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her awesome team of doctors got her through that. At the time she said "I'm not afraid of the cancer; the cancer should be afraid of me!"

She enjoyed puns, her favorite being "Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like abanana." She also enjoyed daydreaming readingand designing houses on paper. She liked and loved her family. She was diagnosed with acute leukemia and cancer in July 2025. The cancer didn't beat Mary who, quoting Tim Schrandt, said that when she died, the cancer did too, "so technically it was atie!"

She is survived by her husband, Chris; her son, Kale; her daughters, Mika and Rowan; her father Tim-

Miller Gordon Dwyer passed awaypeacefully on Monday, July 28, 2025,at the age of 88. Gordon proudly served in the US Army Reserves duringthe Berlin Crisis. After 56 years of service, he retired from Capital Welders in Baton Rouge. He was adevout Catholicand cherished his faith. Visitationwillbeat St. Aloysius Catholic Church, 2025 Stuart Ave. Baton Rouge, LA, on Friday, August 1, 2025,from 9:30am until the Mass of ChristianBurial at 11:30am. Burial willimmediatelyfollow at Greenoaks Memorial Park.

Kornbacher,Edward Harold Edward Harold Kornbacher,beloved brother, father,grandfather,uncle, neighbor and friend, passedawayonApril28, 2025, at the age of 79. Edward was bornonAugust 7, 1945toJacob and Ida KornbacherinBaton Rouge, Louisiana. After graduatingfromMcKinley Senior High School in 1963, he went on to study Art Educationand received his bachelor's degreefrom SouthernUniversity. He married Muriel Denise Jones in 1971and they had two childrentogether He was atrue Renaissance man, spending time as acommunityorganizer, teacher, pipe fitter, gasket cutter, screenprinter,carpenter, artist and aDJ. He went by many names -Korn,Papa Korn,Paw-Paw, Ed,Special K, Eddie H- and was alwayswilling to lend ahand to anyone who had aneed.

To know Edward was to know fun.Heloved to laugh as much asheloved to makeothers laughand feel uplifted. Approaching the world with compassion and kindness, he touched the livesofall who knew him. Edward'scareerwas markedbydedication and excellence —whether in his professional life, community service, or mentoring others. He wasa giant of aman in stature and heart He is preceded in death byhis parents aswellas his siblings, Jacob Jr Louis andMarie.Edward is survivedbyhis three children: Devika, Jamek andJarde (who brought himimmense pride and joy),a myriadofin-laws,nieces and nephews, and his 11 loving grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers or other gifts, the familyrequests donationsbemade to the Edward Harold KornbacherMemorial Scholarship fund hostedbythe Southern Foundationat https://foundation sus.edu / kornbacher-m em or ialscholarship/, to continue his encouragement of young people to stayintellectually curious and pursue education inall its variousforms.

Melcher, Malcolm

1941 -2025 (née GilbertWayne Melcher,Jr.)

BROTHER MALCOLM MELCHER, S.C 83, aBrother of the SacredHeart and aresident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana since 2010, passed into eternal lifeat OurLady of Wisdom CommunityHealthcareCenter in New Orleans,LA, on Tuesday,July 22, 2025. Brother Malcolm was born Gilbert WayneMelcher,Jr. on October 25,1941,inFort Leavenworth, KS,tothe late GilbertW.Melcher,Sr.

of Manchester, OK, and the late Margaret Mary Abel of Lewistown, MT. He is survivedbyhis bloodsister, Mrs. Mary Catherine Melcher Bonds(James) of Tuscaloosa, AL,and several nieces and nephews. He is also preceded in death by threeblood brothers, Joseph, John, and James Melcher.

As apre-novice, Brother Malcolm entered theformationprogram for the Brothers of the Sacred Heart on September 12, 1959, in Spring Hill, AL.He became anovice on August 14, 1960, at Metuchen, NJ,and he professedfirst vows thereonAugust 15, 1961. Hisperpetual profession took place in NewOrleans, LA,onSeptember 27, 1967, and in 2021 there was agreat celebration when Brother Malcolmmarked the60thanniversary of his first profession.

Brother Malcolmpreparedfor his years as a professional,religious educator by earning aBachelor'sdegree in Secondary Educationfrom Spring Hill Collegeand aMaster's degree in GeneralScience from Oregon StateUniversity. During his years in schoolministry,Brother Malcolm thoroughly enjoyed his time in chemistry and religionclassrooms at St.Aloysius and CorJesu HighSchools in NewOrleans, LA;atSaint Stanislaus College in Bay St Louis, MS; at McGillInstitute and McGill-Toolen HighSchool in Mobile, AL; at CatholicHighSchool in BatonRouge,LA; andat Vandebilt High School in Houma, LA.Heworked hard in each locale at cultivating areputation as and beinga prepared, no-nonsense and challenging teacher

Outside theclassroom, studentswillremember Brother Malcolm's presence to them as across country and track coach, as afootballcoachand as atremendous supporter of any of their athletic teams. Thisdie-hard Alabama athleticfan would never pass up an opportunity to offer arealistic assessment of hiscurrent students' or of graduates' athletic performances. He also never missed an opportunity to offeranencouragingword to them, regardless of the final score,and Brother Malcolm was even willing to follow theteams of current students or of alumni greatdistancestopersonally witnesstheir competitions at thehighschool, college or professional level.Faculty members from all over theworld express greatgratitude forBrother Malcolm's gift of four test banks filled with thousandsoftried-and-true chemistry, religion, moral theologyand church history questions that were readilyavailable -free of charge- simply forthe asking. And,they continue to be after his passing Along withhis genealogical work, keeping these test banks current and accurateoccupied many of thisretired teacher's hours. Brother Malcolm offeredtoall,but especially to many ayoung man, an example of practical wisdomand amodel of manly piety, selfless service and adevotiontoothersthat profoundly influenced them forlife.

The consummateeducator, Brother Malcolmdonatedhis body forthe furthering of science. No funeral will be held at this time, howevera Memorial Mass and luncheon celebrating BrotherMalcolm's life and ministry willbe held on Saturday, August 2, 2025, at Our Lady of the Gulf Church (228 South Beach Blvd., Bay St.Louis, MS 39520) at 10am. Brother Malcolm's cremains will be interred at theBrothers' cemetery in Bay St.Louis, MS, when they arereturned in abouta year-and -a-half.

Donations can be made in Brother Malcolm's honor to theBrothers of theSacred Heart Foundation (4600 ElysianFieldsAve NewOrleans, LA 70122).

Robert,Mary AliceDecuir

Mary Alice Decuir Robert passed away peacefully in thecomfort of herown home surrounded by her lovedones on July 24, 2025 after 82 years of love and service to the Lord.She was born to the

late Clyde and Catherine Collins Decuir, of Erwinville,LAonMarch 1, 1943. She is survivedbyher loving husband of 61 years, James Ronald Robert, Sr.; daughters, BrendaRobert Hurst and her husband Mark and JenniferRobert Jones and her husband Ervin "Chip" ;son, James "Jimmy"Robert,Jr. and his wife Deidre;sisters, Sally Ann Brooks, CherylWright, Kathy Butler and Tarlyn Henry; brothers, Lucas Decuir,LukeDecuirand Rickey Decuir; grandchildren, Alex Hurst,Lauren Hurst Fontenot, Leslie Hurst Green, Desiree'Jones, Danielle Jones, James Robert, IIIand Jude Michael Robert. Sheispreceded in death by her parentsand immediatefamily,Clyde Decuir, Jr., Gloria Ann Decuir, LottieBellDecuir, Oliver and Beatrice Robert, Lester Robert and Benny Butler. Family and friendsof Mary Alice are invitedto attend theVisitation on Saturday, August 2, 2025 at ImmaculateConception CatholicChurch from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Mass will beginat10:00am. Father RajAmrit, Officiating.She willbelaid to rest in Chenal Cemetery, Jarreau LA.Services Entrusted to HallDavis and SonFuneral Services. www.halldavisandson.com

Albert Hays Town,Jr. passed away during the early morning of Friday,July 25, 2025, at theage of 90. He died as he lived,wellgroundedinhis Christian faith and surrounded by family.Hays wasbornon February 3, 1935, in Jackson, MS,the second child of Albert Hays Town and Blanche Anita Scharff Town.Helived most of his life in Baton Rouge where

he graduated from LouisianaState University He wasa member of Kappa Sigma fraternity. At LSU,Hays met hiswife of 68 years, MargueriteGay MayTown, whopredeceased him.

Throughouthis life Hays wasbeloved andwell -known in the community forhis tireless dedication to service andcharitable work.In1988, he andhis wife started theSt. Elizabeth Foundation,a nonprofitadoptionagency, providingsupport andcare to pregnantwomen in Louisianathathas placed morethan600 babies since itscreation. While earning hisMaster of Science in Geography fromLSU in 2013, Hays establishedthe Baton Rouge Citizens to Save ourWater organization,dedicatedtopreservingBaton Rouge ground water. He positivelyimpacted countlesspeopleallinmeaningful ways, bothsmall andlarge. For thelast several years, Hays spent his mornings between Thanksgiving and Christmasvolunteeringfor theSalvationArmyringing thebell.

Hays earnedmanyhonorsoverhis lifetime,includingMan of theYear fromthe national chapter of theAssociated Builders andContractors,Angel in Adoption Awardfrom Congress, and theLeadership forLife Awardfrom LouisianaRight to Life Hays was honoredasan LSU distinguished alumni in 2019, forhaving made significant contributions in hiscareer,personal achievements, andcivic responsibilities.

Hays wasknown forhis integrity, moral character, compassion, generosity andstrongleadership.

Hays is survivedbyhis 6 children: A. Hays TownIII, George Wilton Town (Emily Hanchar), Christopher AshleyTown (Lisa Files), GregoryHarrell Town(Tammi McCallie),MargueriteGay MayTown Caryl (Theodore Caryl), and JonathanAdam Town(Molly LaPrairie).He is survivedbyhis 21 grandchildren: MariaTown (Cheryl Lovelady), A. Hays TownIV, John HenryTown (AnaArnone),Nanette TownSaia(BartSaia), George Wilton Town,Jr. (Rachel O'Malley), Amelie TownBernhard (Patrick Bernhard), Mignon Town Kastanos (Jonathan Kas-

tanos), Gabrielle TownOllendike(Phillip Ollendike, ), MargoTownMathews (Michael Mathews),LindseyTown Hardy (Elliot Hardy), ForrestTown (Stefanie Gillett),MaryClaire TownStickle (Will Stickle), GregoryHarrell (Hal) Town, Jr Robert(Beau) WebsterTown, Leigh Ann TownPodorsky (Micah Podorsky), Matthew Town MargueriteGay Mott Baruch(Satyam Baruch), JonathanAdam Town,Jr. (Caroline Marks), Martha Buckner Town,and Sarah MayTown. Hays is also survivedbyhis 28 great grandchildren, his3 sisters -in-law,PatriciaMay Dalton(John Dalton,Jr.), George MayJeansonne (Richard Jeansonne),and Mary MayStelly (Harry Stelly)aswellashis sister, BlancheAnitaGladney.

Funeral serviceswill be heldonThursday, July31st andwill includevisitation from9:00 to 11:00 at St. Aloysius Catholic Church, followedbymass. In lieuof flowers,please senddonationstoSt. Elizabeth Foundation,8054 Summa Avenue, SuiteA,Baton Rouge, LA 70809. https://stelizabethfoun dation.org/donate/

Step up andsupport public broadcasting

It’sbeen difficult to watch the fallout in Louisiana from cuts to public broadcasting without asense of bewilderment.How did we get here? For ageneration at least, public broadcasters havebeen providing news and information to every corner of the state while celebrating its unique culture. The list of contributions is broad and varied. On television, Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s newsmagazine.

“Louisiana: The StateWe’re In,” has been featuring newsmakers discussing critical issues since 1976.

On the radio, New Orleans’ world-renowned WWOZ has been the go-tofor broadcasts of Jazz Fest and other festivals for decades, and WWNOboosts local restaurants and chefs on “Louisiana Eats.” In Lafayette, KRVS’ Radio Acadie airs showsinLouisiana Creole that are unique in the nation. Shreveport’s RedRiver Radio and affiliatesfeature the call-in show “Health Matters,” to answer any medical questions listeners may have.And in Baton Rouge, WRKF’s“Talk Louisiana” gives residents a chance daily to hear frommovers and shakers at the Capitol.

When Congress voted earlier this monthto claw back $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporationfor Public Broadcasting, we heard all the stated reasons. Some felt that National Public Radio, which provides content to local stations for afee, was biased in itsnews coverage.Others felt that the government should not be funding radio and television stations at all. But none of that changes how we feel about Louisiana public radio and television.

Now these stations are facing the daunting task of raising hundreds of thousands of dollars to fill the federal funding gap. NPR gets about 2% of its fundingfrom CPB, while many localstations, which produce shows we love, get around 8% to 10% of their budgets from federalfunds. Most of that goes to infrastructure like transmitters or generators, not NPR programming.

The urgency in the voices of station managersasthey ask for public support is real —but so is the determination. It’suptowewho value all that Louisiana public broadcasting has given us to stepup.

In the days since the cutswere announced, localstations have seen asurge of support.At WWOZ, which faces $400,000 in cuts, donors so far have contributed $80,000. At WRKF,which was dealt a$150,00 blow,general manager Paul Maassen says he is grateful for the listeners clamoring to donate but the solution will be long-term.AtKRVS, which lost $200,000 or about athird of its revenue, station general manager Cheryl Devall says it has received around 500 contributionsand counting, some from current donors who are digging deeper RedRiver Radio assistant general manager Ranae Moran said it too is seeing itsaudience, agood portion of which is rural, donatetokeep the station going. It’sencouraging that so many have contributed, but much more is needed.

Our public broadcasters have lifted up our state for so long. Now it’sour turn.

LETTERSTOTHE

HERE AREOUR GUIDELINES: Letters are published identifying name, occupation and/or title and the writer’scity of residence

TheAdvocate |The Times-Picayune require astreet address andphone number for verification purposes, but that information is not published. Letters are not to exceed 300 words. Letters to the Editor,The Advocate, P.O. Box 588, Baton Rouge, LA 70821-0588, or email letters@ theadvocate.com. TO SEND US A LETTER,

The Baton Rouge Christmas paradehas been canceled. Violent incidentsduring thelast two parades have caused sponsors to drop out unlessthe Baton Rouge Police Departmentprovides security along theroute. Butthe chief has saidthat providing free security for parades costs too much, and they can’tdoit anymore unless parade organizers foot thebill. This is but one example of the detrimental effect of antisocial, lawless behavior in our community

Many of our social problems can be traced back to theirroot cause: couples having babies without the education, maturity or financial resources to be good parents. Being aparent requires yearsofsacrifice, hardwork and money,but any female who has thephysical equipment to get pregnant can be a mother.Any male withthe brains of an ice cube can be afather New laws restricting abortion are only going to exacerbate theproblem.

With therecent news that the proposed LSUarena project could require alocal sales tax “rebate,” it is abhorrent to think that we would give up such precious tax revenue at atime when we are cutting jobs elsewhere.

The failureofpeople to be good parentsoften resultsindevastating consequences, not only for their own children, but for therest of us. Malnutrition, emotional problemsand truancy often lead to juvenile delinquency and moreserious criminal behavior.Our jails and prisons are overflowing with examplesofthese failures. To drive acar,you must have a licenseand insurance. Youmust demonstrate proficiency and pass an exam to be awelder or abeautician. Youhave to be 21 to buycigarettes. Buta13-year-old high schooldropout can have ababy,noquestions asked.

We are all vulnerable to the failure of parents to raise their children right We should requirethat parents meet certain minimum standards that will help theirchildren become law-abiding adults, instead of having gunfightsduring Christmasparades. ED BROCK Baton Rouge

We refuse to pay for morestaff for thedistrict attorney’soffice, yet we’ll fund aprivatecompany’s$400 million sportsvenue? We force our fiscally responsible library system to give up itshard-earned millage in support of acompany whose former CEO could go to jail forcorruption?

Isincerely hope that our Metro Council would not be so naïve as to thinkthat this deal works out positively for thecity-parish. It’s the wrong time and the wrong place for us to give up our hard-earned tax dollars.

COLLIN LINDREW Baton Rouge

Iread with interest therecent article on domestic versus imported seafood. Having afirsthand encounter with imported seafood, Ifeel that it is important that diners at restaurants know thedifference. Recently,Iate ashrimpsalad at a Baton Rouge restaurant only tohave asevere reaction to the shrimp. I am not allergic to shrimp and have eaten them all my life. Imported shrimpare cultivated with antibiotics to prevent bacterial contamination.Unfortunately,Iamallergic to one of the antibiotics used. Ibecame violently ill and nearly had to make atrip to theemergency room.Domestic shrimpare wild-caught and usually are not contaminated with antibiotics. Yes, domestic shrimp may cost more, but it is well worth it.

Baton Rouge

While Ican agree that the East Baton Rouge city-parish government lost tax funds to St. George, Idonot ever see any documentation of the value of the services that St. George will take over from the EBR city-parish government. Iwant to see aspreadsheet that includes both the taxes that EBR Parish will lose to St. George and the value (in dollars) of the services that St. George will take over from the EBR city-parish government. In truth, it seemsthat the large bond debt of the EBR city-parish governmentisamajor reason forthe current so-called gigantic budget hole. Past administrations wasted too much tax money and increased bond debt too much and also gave too much tax money away in special TaxIncrement Financing districts, etc. Also, the bond debt forthe past SSO sewer project is still abig problem since that project ended up costing about $2 billion. For one current example, how can Baton Rouge pay Fishman Haygood LLP up to $425 per hour forlegal services related to the River Center upgrade/hotel project and possibly pay other organizations forplanning forthat project while also stating how large the current budget deficit is? It all makes little overall sense to me. Unfortunately,Mayor-President Sid Edwards inherited abig budget problem that now needs to be fixed. Let’s be truthful about the reasons forthe possible budget deficit and help Sid Edwards fix those issues.

PHILLIP LILLARD Baton Rouge

Just giving ashout out to the governor and insurance commissioner on the great job they’ve done. Our auto insurance went from $282 to $508; homeinsurance increased over $60 a month, and we have afortified roof Bless your little hearts!

PATRICK GALLAGHER NewOrleans

La.gives moneytoSaudisbut

Thestate of Louisiana should not be spending $7 million to bring aLIV Golf tournament to New Orleans.And thestate Legislature should not have declined to hold asession to consider overriding Gov. Jeff Landry’svetoes of important local projects such as safety improvements for roads and bridges. And yes, there is aconnection between those two stories. Of the $7 million for LIV,$5million would be a“hosting fee” paid to LIV itself, meaning to LIV’s Saudi backers already basking in arguably ill-gotten wealth. All for atournament that, as ace sports columnistJeff Duncan convincingly explained, is not likely to do much goodfor the city and might evendetract from the health of thecherishedNew Orleans PGA tournament, the Zurich Classic,that next year will celebrate its 80th edition.

The state should not, despite Landry’srequest, pay $5 million to a “public investment fund” chairedby Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman, who the U.S. officiallyconcluded has ordered the murders of several innocents. Instead, it should be spending $4.2 millionfor safer accessto Parkway High School in BossierCity $105,000 to repairabridge in Metairie’sLafreniere Park, $685,000 for a sewer project in Minden and $20,000 for atutoring programinCrowley.(Or at least half of the latter,ifyou want the arithmetic to work exactly).

Those four projectswereamong 14 infamously vetoedbyGov.Jeff Landry without evena word of explanation —which is unusual, becauseall of Landry’sother vetoesinclude explanatory notes. The lack of explanation is telling: There are virtually no conceivable substantive justifications for those line-item vetoes, whichare universally seen as Landry’smethodofpunishing fellowRepublicans for failing to back himonanentirely unrelated bill.

All 14 projects originally were passed unanimously by both the state House and the state Senate. Any decent legislature —any legislaturewith the slightest appreciation for its own, independent authority as abody of duly elected representatives of distinct constituencies— would feel obliged to stand up for its own memberswho are unjustly targeted by the governor’s ire.

Thestate Constitution, after all, gives the Legislature the power to call itself backfor asession to consider overriding agovernor’svetoes.Ina state that already givesits governor

Niemann, center left, and others celebrate individual and team victories at LIV Golf United Kingdom at JCB Golf &CountryClub on Sunday in Rocester,England.

inordinately expansiveauthorities, the veto-override session is one of the only waysthe Legislature can guarantee the proverbial “checks and balances” of power that are the hallmarkofAmerican government. While veto overridesessions are historically rare, they actually should be parfor the course (no pun intended). Notably,the Republican legislature didhold three such sessionsinthe final term of Democratic Gov.John Bel Edwards. If legislativeRepublicans can muster theeffort against Edwards, there is no excuse for them abandoningtheir own Republican colleagues this time by failingtostand up to a governor of their own party

Frankly,this is agrowing problem all across the country at all levels of government including Congress: legislatures forfeitingtheir coequal status in the constitutional design because they cower before themight of apresident, governor or mayor.Indoingso, they lose track of thehistorical basis of the distinctly American tradition of governmentwhich, againstkings androyal governors, rooted primary power in deliberative, representative assemblies.

As aresult, every member of the Legislature —exceptfor the16Representatives (of 105) and 10 Senators (of 39)who did not vote against the veto-

override section —deservedly will have some explainingtodo. Why did they approve $5 million in what amounts to apolitical payoff to the Saudis, while opposing bridges and tutoring programs andpark improvements? Why paythe Saudis rather than paying forIberiaParish road improvements?Why the Saudis but not the Community CaregiversofNorthwest Louisianaor“training, substance abuse counseling, and career readiness” for at-riskyouth?

To legislate is to make choices.To legislate as an elected representative of, or delegate for,aparticular constituency is to assume an obligation to serve the justifiableneeds of that constituency.Tochoose not to choose at all, out of some misbegotten deference to agovernor, is to abdicate that obligation. When legislaturesdefer too often and too obsequiously to executive authority,representative democracy erodes and thepublicgood takes aback seat. By avoiding aveto-overridesession, legislatorsevade theirinstitutional duty.Bygiving $5 million to the Saudis, they failed their fiduciaryduty In combination,that’sanegregious double-bogey.

Quin Hillyer can be reached at quin. hillyer@theadvocate.com.

President Donald Trumpmet with reporters in Scotland Monday to tout his new trade deal with the European Union. Accompanied by United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Trumpheld court formore than an hour taking questions on trade, China, the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, and more.

Thomas Paine’spamphlet “Common Sense” galvanized support for the American Revolution. It mocked the English monarchy,calling hereditary succession “a degradation and lessening of ourselves” and “an imposition on posterity.” Were he still with us, Paine might weep at the sight of Robert F. Kennedy Jr.heading the Department of Healthand Human Services. President Donald Trump had two reasons to put this crackpot in charge of aworld-renowned medical powerhouse.

attorney general. Afew years later, Robert F. Kennedymoved to New York to claimaU.S. Senate seat. He established residency there aday or twobefore he declared his candidacy He was elected and amere three yearslater ran for president.

ayoung aide had just left aboozed-up party in thewee hours. Leaving the aide to drown, Tedwalked amile and ahalf to achannel and swam 500 feet to Edgartown.Hereturned to his hotel and neglected to call police.

One was that “Bobby” was wellsuitedtotear down another revered American institution. Why would Trump want that? Ask ashrink.

The other is that he finds Bobby Jr entertaining. RFK Jr.plays a“Kennedy” —the windswept hair,the jawline, the three initials. He thus comes with off-the-shelf celebrity, which boosts airtime for his destructive misinformation.One can easily buy into Bobby’sown contention that his brain is worm-eaten. Intellectually,he’ssubdelta.

Paine would shudder that media routinely refers to the Kennedy clan as “America’sRoyal Family.” Bobby is Exhibit Aatwhat could go wrong when public servants are elevated by reasonofbirth.

“The Kennedys” have always been amixed bag. In ascandalous act of nepotism, President John F. Kennedy made his brother,Bobby’sfather,U.S.

After RFK was assassinated, the Kennedys drove amovement to rename New York’s Triborough Bridge after what manylocals regarded as a carpetbagger.Itwas successful and has since served as a taxpayer-supported advertising for the Kennedy family ASenate seat should not be afamily heirloom, but when HillaryClinton gave up her Senate seat from New York to serve as Secretary of State in 2009, the Kennedys lined up. After all, Robert F. Kennedyhad held it, however briefly His brother,Sen. TedKennedy from Massachusetts, championed John’s daughter,CarolineKennedy,asareplacement. He reminded Democrats that Caroline wouldbebacked by “theKennedy family’sextensive fundraising network.”

Ted’snephew,Bobby Jr., of the worm-hole brain, was saidtoalsobe eying the seat. (Then-Gov.David Paterson eventually gave thejob to Rep Kirsten Gillibrand.)

In 1969, Uncle Tedpleaded guiltyto fleeing the scene of afatal accident afterhedrove acar into apond. He and

In 2002, Tedjoined efforts to kill an offshore wind farm on Nantucket Sound. This was an environmentally needed project favored by 84% of Massachusetts residents. “Butdon’t you realize,” Tedexclaimed royally, “that’swhereIsail!”

It’snotable that the country that invented moderndemocratic rule would let itspoliticians claim some sort of nobility.

Rome’sinternational airport is named after agreat artist, Leonardo da Vinci. London’sairportiscalled Heathrow,after theformerly rural hamlet whereit’slocated.

In this country,hundreds of schools are named after John F. Kennedy Thereare JFK boulevards in Tampa, Houston andelsewhere. The name of Bobby’sfather graces public schools in Los Angeles,Albuquerque, Chicago and elsewhere. Andofcourse, the RFK signs confuseNew Yorkers who still think of theirbridge as the Triborough. We fought theAmerican Revolution to endthis sense of hereditary entitlement, the notion that children of politicians were born to rule. Sorry,Tom. We messed up.

Froma Harrop is on X, @FromaHarrop. Email her at fharrop@gmail.com.

One subject that barely came up, about 50 minutes into the newsconference, wasthe dead sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Spoiler alert: No newswas made on that front.

If you follow things, you’re probably seeing alot of stories suggesting somesort of undefined scandal involving Trumpand Epstein, whowere friends in the 1990s and remained so until 2004, two years before Epstein wasfirst charged with acrime. You’re seeing it not because reporters have discovered new information to change the substance of what is already known, but because Democrats and their allies in the media hope that repetition of the story will bring downTrump’sapproval rating and perhaps shake loose somecurrently unknown, damaging revelation they hope exists.

At least so far, it’snot working, and anew poll showshow farDemocrats are falling short. In aWall Street Journal survey taken July 16-20, respondents consistently expressed moreconfidence in the Republican Party than the Democratic Party to handle key issues, and they expressed morepositive feelings toward Trump and Republicans than toward Democrats. First the favorable/unfavorable ratings. The poll found that 45% of those surveyed had a very or somewhat favorable impression of Trump, versus 52% whohad avery or somewhat unfavorable impression. For the Republican Party,the numbers were43% favorable versus 54% unfavorable, and forDemocratic Party,the numbers were33% favorable and 63% unfavorable.

The big newsinthat? The Democrats’ 33-63 rating —the worst forthe party since 1990. Indeed, the headline of the article was“Democrats Get Lowest Rating From Voters in 35 Years, WSJ Poll Finds.”

The poll suggests that Democrats’ current strategy,focused mostly on Trump-bashing, hasn’tpaid off in higher ratings. The reason: While manyvoters might not like Trumpand Republicans, or be ambivalent about them, they have less confidence in Democrats.

“On the whole, voters disapprove of the president’shandling of the economy,inflation, tariffs,and foreign policy,” the Journal reports. “And yet in each case, the new Journal poll found, voters nonetheless say they trust Republicans rather than Democrats to handle those sameissues in Congress.”

Start with Trump’sratings on handling issues. For the economy,the Journal found him at 44-53 —that is, with 44% approval and 53% disapproval. On the specific issue of inflation, he was44-55. On tariffs 40-57. On foreign policy,47-51.

Then look at the Republican vs. Democrat version of those questions. When asked which party is best able to handle the economy,39% said Republicans, while 27% said Democrats. On inflation specifically,38% said Republicans and 28% said Democrats. On tariffs, 37% said Republicans and 30% said Democrats. On foreign policy,39% said Republicans and 31% said Democrats.

The numbers suggest Democrats, whoare happy targeting Trumpfrom dawntill dusk, are not convincing voters they can do abetter job than the president and his party

That’swhere Epstein comes in. Much as they did from 2017 to 2019, when they accused Trumpofcolluding with Russia, manyDemocrats appear ready to makethe case against Trumpbased on the Epstein matter acenterpiece of their opposition to the president. Will that rile the voters? And morespecifically,will it makevoters angry in the absence of any powerful revelations about Epstein and continued accomplishments by Trump? Democrats appear to hope so. During this summer break, the Journal reports, Democrats “are hoping forarepeat of this spring’srecess, when angry voters flooded into town-hall meetings, heckling Republican lawmakers and challenging them to do moretopush back against Trump.”

Maybe so. But success changes things. And Trumphas had anumber of significant successes in his first six months in office, enough to satisfymany independent or on-the-fence voters that he is doing good things forthe country.Ofcourse, hard-core Democrats and their allies in the Resistance are apoplectic about Trumpbecause they are always apoplectic about Trump. What the new poll suggests is that forDemocrats, anger is just not enough. Byron York is on X, @Bryon York.Email him at byronyork@yorkcomm.com.

Baton Rouge Weather

City arguesmajor fossil fuel companies contributedtocrisis

BY JENNIFERSINCO KELLEHER AssociatedPress

HONOLULU Honolulu is not alone in its effort to sue fossil fuel companies to hold them accountable for climate change harms, but the city’slawsuitisfurther along than similar litigation across the country Judge Lisa Cataldo didn’timmediately rule Tuesday after hearing arguments on adefense motion seeking to dismiss the lawsuit because the state’stwo-year statute of limitationsexpired. Honolulu’s claims are based on allegations that have been publiclyknown fordecades, attorneysfor theoil companies argue. In 2020, Hawaii’scapital city sued major oil companies,including Exxon Mobil, Shell and Chevron, arguing they knew for nearly half acentury that fossil fuel products creategreenhouse gas pollution that warms the planet and changes the climate The companies have also profited from the consumption of oil,coal and natural gas while deceiving the public about the role of their products in causing aglobal climate crisis, the lawsuit says. Honolulu’slawsuit blames the companies for the sea level rise around the island of Oahu’sworldfamous coastline. It also warns that hurricanes, heat waves and other extremeweatherwill be more frequent, alongwith ocean warming that will reduce fish stocks and kill coral reefs that tourists love to snorkel over Thelawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of damages. Attorneys and media representatives formost of the companiesdidn’t immediately respond to emails and phone messages from The Associated Pressseeking comment on the lawsuit. ConocoPhillipsand Phillips66 representatives sent emails saying they don’t comment on pending litigation.

“The issue of climate change and how to tackle it has long been part of public discussion and ongoingscientific research and debate for many decades,” Shell said in astatement issued by me-

Honolulu suit leadsclimate change legalfight

Honolulu’slawsuit blames majorfossil fuel companies for the

also warnsthat hurricanes, heat wavesand other extreme weather will be more frequent, along withoceanwarming that willreduce fish stocks and kill coral reefs that tourists love to snorkel over.

dia relations representative Anna Arata.“There is avast public record of media articles, scientific journalsand government reports for wellover 50 years that make this clear.The suggestion that the plaintiffs were somehowunaware of climatechange is simplynot credible.”

While thecase is still farfrom trial, it is muchcloser than some 30 similar lawsuits nationwide broughtbyother states, cities and counties. The outcome could indicate how other cases play out and how oil companies will defend themselvesincourt.

“The first trial in anyofthese cases will be very significant,”

Michael Gerrard, founderand faculty director of the Columbia University SabinCenter for Climate Change Law.“It will get alarge amount of nationwide or even global attention because the oil companies have not yet had to take thestand anddefend themselves in atrial.”

In 2019, ExxonMobil prevailed in alawsuit by New York’s attorney general over the costsofclimate change, with ajudge saying there was no proof the energy giant duped investors aboutthe toll that regulationscould take on its business.

Honolulu’slawsuit has reached thishearingstageafter the Ha-

waiiSupreme Court denied motions to dismiss it, andthe U.S. Supreme Court refused to take it on Meanwhile, asimilar lawsuit by Maui County, wherea massive wildfire nearly two years ago burned down most of Lahaina and killed 102 people, is on hold. The state of Hawaii has also filed asimilarlawsuit,despite theU.S. Department of Justice in Maysuing Hawaii andMichigan over their plans forlegal action againstfossilfuelcompanies, claiming their climate actions conflictwith federal authority and President Donald Trump’senergy dominance agenda.

Hawaii’sattorney general’sof-

ficefileda motion last week seeking to stop the Department of Justice’sfederal lawsuit: “Allowing this case to proceedwouldgive the United Stateslicense to wield the federalcourts as aweapon againstany litigationbetween nonfederal partiesthatanincumbent presidentialadministration dislikes.”

Soon before alawsuit by agroup of youths against Hawaii’stransportation department was scheduled to go to trial, both sides settled the case last year,agreeing on an ambitious requirement to achievezerogreenhousegas emissions acrossall transportationmodes no laterthan 2045.

BY REED DARCEY Staff writer

The elements of an explosive vertical passing attackspent most of last season hidden inside the LSU offense.

The speed. The armstrength. The pass protection. It was all there, but one injury kept it stunted until it was too late

Now big-play wide receiver Chris

BY TOYLOYBROWN III

Staff writer

The number 74 is crucial in understandingthe offseason for Southern football. That was the percentage of the team’scarries that camefrom running backs Kobe Dillon,Kendric Rhymes and CJ Russell last season. They also wereresponsible for 78% of the team’s2,355 yards rushing and were instrumentalinthe Jaguars’SWAC championship game appearance in Terrence Graves’first year leading the program. When including quarterbacks CzavianTeasettand Noah Bodden, whohad thefourthand fifth most carries, the five players had 435 of the team’s496 total rushing attempts

All thoseplayers are gone, and therushingattack wasindire need of amakeover thisoffseason.Graves and hisstaff welcomed six new running backs five from the transfer portal. Now in the second week of preseason camp, they are excited about their running backs ahead of the 6:30 p.m. Aug. 23 season opener against North Carolina

Hilton is healthy,and this time, he’snot alone.

Garrett Nussmeier testedout his revamped, speed-centricoffense Wednesday,when theTigersheld their first preseason practice of the 2025 season —a quicktune-up session that lasted about an hour.The full-contact,padded practices are aways away,which means that firm conclusions are better left for later in August.

CentralinAtlanta.

The latest andsplashiestadditionisredshirt sophomore Trey Holly, whoenrolledatSouthernas awalk-on. The LSU transfer and former four-star recruit joined theJaguars afterbeing suspended at LSU for more thanayear because of his alleged involvement in aFebruary 2024 shooting.

“We’re going to givehim an opportunity to be apart of our program,” Gravestoldreporters on July22atfallcamp. “Let’sjust see what he does. Youknow, give him an opportunity, don’tput a wholelot of added pressure,extra pressure on him. Just be the young manthatheis.”

The running backroomdoubled in size over the last three months. At Southern’sApril 12 spring game, only four were listed: true freshman Armariyan Asberry, redshirt freshman Jason Gabriel, redshirt freshman transferZaccheus Cooper from Alcorn State and sophomore Barry Remo. Sincethen, Southern haslanded Holly,senior transferMike Franklinfrom Jacksonville State, redshirt sophomore transfer

Onething was clear almost immediately

“We’ve got guys thatcan run,”coach Brian Kelly said.

In LSU’s first team drills of camp, Nussmeier completed two quick passes before he connected with Kentucky transfer Barion Brown on adeeptouchdown. Brown ran asimple vertical

As Pete Werner tells it, the New Orleans Saints defense probably should get penalized fortoo manymen on the field when No.92isout there. No.92isDavon Godchaux, the Saints defensive tackle whoismaking lifea whole lot easier forlinebackers such as Werner

“He looks like there are two players, an extra D-lineman out there,” Werner said.

Godchaux, obtained in aMarch trade with the NewEngland Patriots, could be the biggest acquisition this offseason.

And not just because of his 6-foot-3, 330-pound frame. More so forthe run-stuffing strength that comes with that body

The Saints were one of the worst teamslast season in stopping the run. Opponents gashed through the defense with ease, averaging 141.4 yards rushing per game. Opponents were basically half waytoafirst down (4.92 yards per carry) every time they ran the ball. The Carolina Panthers were the only team in the league worse than that in defensive yards per gameand yards per carry

The Saints are counting on Godchaux to help fix that.

“My bread and butter is stopping the run,” he said.

Just seven practices into training camp, he’salready earned the respect of his teammates.

“He’sadouble-team eater,” center Erik McCoy said. “He’sabeast.”

Godchaux, aPlaquemine native who played at LSU, is entering his ninth NFLseason. He recorded 67 tackles last season, good enough forfourth among all defensive tackles.

He credits his success to his experience in the league, but that strength helps, too.

“I’m in Year 9, so Ithink it’ssome of that old man strength,” Godchaux said. “Just keeping it going and just knowing different techniques to stay dominant upfront. It’s really about leverage and how to use your leverage. Ifeel like I’ve seen everything when it comes to run defense. Iknow the schemes and how teamsare going to try to attack.”

Godchaux showcased his physicality in Wednesday’spractice, fighting off aMcCoy block to halt running back ä See LSU, page 5C

ä See WALKER, page 4C

Paras

The New OrleansSaints easily could have had Jake Haener takehis share of first-team reps on Tuesday when the team conducted awalkthrough instead of aregular practice. Coach KellenMoore said his three quarterbacks in contention for the starting job would rotate until Aug. 10’spreseason opener,and Tuesday’ssession was set to be Haener’sturn.

ButMoore and the Saints insist they are taking Haener seriously in this competition. And their actionsbacked it up Wednesday: The Saints ran Haener with the first team for thesecond-padded practice of camprather than trottinghim out there aday earlier in aslow-paced, no-helmet setting. Haener seized theopportunity. He looked crisp on aday when he threw acamp-high 16 passes in team drills. Anditwas agood thingfor him that he was on top of his game: Spencer Rattler and Tyler Shough were also sharp. The three appeared to have their collective best day of training campsofar

Here were thenumbers: Haener: 11 of 16 (24 of 34 overall) Rattler:9of10(33 of 47)

Shough: 3of5 (20 of 35) Haener’sextended workallowed him to gain ground on the number of pass attempts since he lagged behind the others while working with the third-team offense. The 26-year-old found arhythm earlywhen he hit a streaking Chris Olave deep downthe sideline. He later navigated pressure in the pocket well, finding his checkdowns and throwing away

when necessary Over anine-play drive during a two-minute drill, Haener’smost impressive momentcame when he hit Kevin Austin forafirst down —after cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry had broken up adeep shot to Rashid Shaheed just one play earlier Haener tested McKinstry again immediately,and the completion helped set up a63-yard field goal attempt that CharlieSmyth missed. Like the last timeHaener

Lions, Chargers kick off preseason

BY ROB MAADDI Associated Press

CANTON, Ohio Fifteen wins. No.1 seed Super Bowl betting favorites.

The Detroit Lions fell way short last season, going one-and-done in the playoffs after having the best regular season in franchise history

They still have a loaded roster stacked with talent and plenty of unfinished business.

The Lions kick off their quest for their first Super Bowl title when they take on the Los Angeles Chargers on Thursday night in the Hall of Fame game, which opens the NFL’s preseason schedule.

The Chargers are also coming off a season that ended with a loss in their playoff opener, a wildcard game against Houston. But it was a different vibe in Los Angeles, where Jim Harbaugh came in and led a six-win improvement. Harbaugh, who led Michigan to a national championship before leaving for the NFL, guided the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in his second season in 2012. Can he do it again with the Chargers? They haven’t won any titles since capturing the 1963 AFL championship. Expectations are high for both teams, but it’s a long road to the Vince Lombardi trophy It starts in the exhibition opener, two days ahead of the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction ceremony

“It’s a new season, it’s a new beginning,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said as he enters his fifth season in charge. “You understand what that road looks like, and there’s going to be nothing easy about it. But I think it’s — every year you do this and you just realize, ‘Hey man, just get in.’ Win this division — that’s always going to be the goal. Find a way to win your division because now you’re automatically in and then once you’re in, it’s the matchup. And don’t worry about the — OK, maybe we have to go on the road, so be it, or if something happens

“You take your best unit, you put your best practice that you can together, find the guys that you’re going to use to try to go win that game and then let it ride. No, I’m still as enthusiastic as ever I know these guys are. There’s a price to

ä Chargers vs. Lions, 7 P.M.THURSDAy,NBC

be paid to get yourself back into the dance, back into the tournament, and that will never change, and if we let that slide at all, then we’re going to be sitting here at home in January, and that’s not what we want.”

Jared Goff, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Penei Sewell and the rest of Detroit’s star-studded offense won’t see any action against Los Angeles. Hendon Hooker and Kyle Allen will play quarterback for the Lions as they battle to be Goff’s backup Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ veterans also will watch from the sideline. Trey Lance will start at quarterback for Los Angeles. Lance, the 25-year-old third overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft, is on his third team after stops in San Francisco and Dallas.

“He’s had a heck of a camp,” Harbaugh said “I just want to get Trey Lance game experience. With his career and then in college, he doesn’t have as much as

Rookie running back Omarion Hampton, selected by Los Angeles 22nd overall, and wide receiver Tre Harris, a second-round pick, are expected to play But Detroit’s top two draft picks, defensive tackle Tyleik Williams and guard Tate Ratledge, aren’t scheduled to play

The game features the debut of Detroit’s two new coordinators. OC John Morton replaced Ben Johnson, who left to coach Chicago. DC Kelvin Sheppard took over for Aaron Glenn, who went to coach the New York Jets.

Pelicans sign McGowens to a two-way contract

The New Orleans Pelicans have added another player to their roster

The Pelicans agreed to a twoway deal with Bryce McGowens, according to an ESPN report. McGowens, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, is entering his fourth NBA season.

A second-round pick out of Nebraska in 2022, McGowens spent two seasons with the Charlotte Hornets and this past season with the Portland Trail Blazers. He spent time on two-way deals with both organizations.

He’s averaged 4.8 points in 118 NBA games He started 21 games in Charlotte.

On his two-way deal, McGowens will play with both the Pelicans and the G League affiliate Birmingham Squadron.

McGowens is the third player the Pelicans have signed to a twoway deal, along with center Hunter Dickinson and guard Trey Alexander

Chiefs place WR Worthy in concussion protocol

ST JOSEPH, Mo. The Kansas City Chiefs placed wide receiver Xavier Worthy in the concussion protocol Wednesday, one day after the second-year pro banged his head while trying to make a catch during training camp at Missouri Western State University Worthy is expected to be a big part of the Kansas City offense after a dynamic rookie season in which he took advantage of the long injury absences of Marquise Brown and Rashee Rice to put up some big numbers. He finished with 59 catches for 638 yards and six touchdowns, then had 19 catches for 287 yards and three more scores in three playoff games. Brown also missed practice Wednesday after hurting his ankle the previous day

Source: Bills CB Hairston has a sprained knee

most guys.”

Rookie DJ Uiagalelei, who signed with the Chargers as an undrafted free agent, is scheduled to play the second half. Veteran Taylor Heinicke will serve as the emergency third QB.

“I’ve said this before, it hurts to lose two guys that, man, have been here from the beginning, have a lot of trust and faith in,” Campbell said. “There’s a lot of communication that’s not even said because once you get to that, you understand each other A look, a nod, body demeanor says it all. And that’s just a little bit of what we have to gain together between myself, Johnny Morton and Shepp But that takes a minute, it takes time. We’ll get it, it’ll come. That’s what practice is about, that’s what preseason games early in the year, all of that. We’ll be good.”

NFL rule changes include kickoffs, OT

BY JOSH DUBOW Associated Press

The NFL’s one-year experiment with the new kickoff rule becomes permanent this season with a new tweak that the league hopes will lead to a bigger increase in the rate of returns.

The league also approved changes to the overtime rule, expanded replay assist and made a few other technical changes for this season that will first be on display starting with the exhibition opener Thursday night between the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers.

The league experimented with the so-called dynamic kickoff in 2024 in hopes of more returns while also making the play safer. Owners voted in April to make the change permanent while moving touchbacks on kicks that reach the end zone on the fly from the 30 to the 35, which is expected to lead to more kicks in play and more returns. There was no change in the tush push play that Philadelphia used so successfully on the way to winning the Super Bowl last season

Here’s an explanation of some of the new rules that will be in place. What’s new with the kickoff?

The league was mostly pleased with the experimental kickoff put in place for 2024 that led to the rate of kickoff returns increasing from a record-low 21.8% in 2023 to 32.8% last season, while reducing the rate of injuries on what had been the game’s most dangerous play The rule made kickoffs more like scrimmage plays by placing

the coverage players and blockers close together to eliminate the high-speed collisions that had contributed to so many injuries on the play The league said the rate of concussions dropped 43% on returns, with a significant reduction as well in lower-body injuries

The problem last season was many teams still opted to kick the ball in the end zone because the touchback wasn’t punitive enough. The average starting field position on a touchback was only 2.4 yards further than the average starting position after returns, which was the 27.6-yard line.

By moving the touchback to the 35, the league projects the return rate will rise to somewhere between 60% and 70%, with a similar increase in long returns, adding more excitement to the game.

How about onside kicks?

Teams will still need to declare their intention to try an onside kick because of the different formation. But a new change will allow trailing teams to try one before the start of the fourth quarter after Kansas City had to kick deep while down 28 points in the final minute of the third quarter in the Super Bowl.

Coverage players will also be allowed to line up 1 yard closer in hopes of increasing the rate of recovery from about 6% over the past three seasons to at least 10%.

How will overtime change?

The league approved a proposal to make the regular season overtime more like the postseason, with both teams getting a chance at a possession, even if the team

that gets the ball first scores a touchdown.

The NFL added regular-season overtime in 1974, adding a 15-minute sudden death period that ended on any score. In 2010, the rule was tweaked to a modified sudden death that required an opening possession touchdown to immediately end the game instead of only a field goal. That was in effect in the regular season and the playoffs Overtime then was shortened for the regular season to only 10 minutes in 2017. A rule change in 2022 for the playoffs only gave both teams the chance to score even with a touchdown on the opening possession.

Now that will be the case in the regular season, after the improved field position on kickoffs made winning in OT on an opening possession TD easier

According to Sportradar, six of the 16 overtime games last season ended on an opening-drive TD, which was the most overtime games ended on the first drive since the rule change went into effect in 2010.

In all, teams that won the overtime toss won 75% of the time last season, according to Sportradar, and have a .606 winning percentage in overtime since it was cut to 10 minutes. The league kept the 10-minute overtime period instead of expanding it back to 15 minutes like was originally proposed by Philadelphia, which could lead to teams opting to go for 2 and a win if they match an opening-drive TD with one of their own since there might not be time for another possession.

Replay assist

The NFL expanded its replay assist system to overturn objective calls if there was “clear and obvious” evidence that a foul didn’t occur The calls could include facemask penalties, whether there was forcible contact to the head or neck area, horse-collar tackles and tripping. Replay also would be able to overturn a roughing-the-kicker or running-into-the-kicker penalty if video showed the defender made contact with the ball.

The league has been using replay assist in recent years to overturn obvious errors on aspects such as whether a pass is caught or where the ball should be spotted without the referee needing to stop the game for a review

The Competition Committee says there’s no interest in allowing replay assists to call penalties on plays missed by officials on the field.

Other changes

Referees will no longer use the chains to determine first downs, opting instead for a virtual measuring system. This won’t eliminate the officials who manually spot the ball and use chains to mark the line to gain. The optimal tracking system notifies officiating instantly if a first down was gained after the ball is spotted by hand.

There were some procedural rules changed in regard to injured reserve. Teams can place two players on injured reserve with the designation to return when rosters are reduced to 53 players instead of after

Buffalo Bills rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston is out indefinitely after the first-round draft pick was diagnosed with a sprained lateral collateral ligament in his right knee, a person briefed on the injury told The Associated Press on Wednesday No timetable was provided for how much time Hairston will miss. The injury opens the door for former LSU standout Tre’Davious White to begin the season as the starter White was the Bills’ 2017 firstround pick.

Arenas arrested on illegal poker game charges

LOS ANGELES Former NBA star Gilbert Arenas was arrested Wednesday along with five other people, including a suspected member of an Israeli organized crime group, on suspicion of hosting illegal high-stakes poker games at a Los Angeles mansion owned by Arenas, federal prosecutors said.

All six defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business and one count of operating an illegal gambling business, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. They were all scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon.

Arenas, 43, is also charged with making false statements to federal investigators, the statement said.

LSU gym adds Boise St. transfer to complete team

The LSU gymnastics program has completed its 2026 roster, announcing the signing of Boise State transfer Courtney Blackson. A native of Elk Grove, California, Blackson competed for the Broncos from 2021-24, then sat out the 2025 season in retirement. She has chosen to return to gymnastics, using a fifth season of eligibility to compete for the Tigers. Blackson was a two-time AllAmerican on vault and bars, finishing as national runner-up on the former event at the 2023 NCAA championships. She also competed at the 2024 NCAAs on uneven bars. Blackson was nominated for the AAI Award in

given to the nation’s top senior gymnast, which went to former LSU All-American and new assistant coach Haleigh Bryant.

Evanssetssightsonrecord

BY ROBMAADDI Associated Press

TAMPA, Fla. Mike Evans streaked into the secondary,cut outsideand leaped to catch aperfectpost-corner toss from Baker Mayfield Fans at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ indoor practice facility roared.

They’reused to Evans making all the plays, but No. 13 still manages to impress everyone watching.

The six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver makes it look so effortless the way he glides afterthe ball

Hisroutesare smooth and precise, his hands soft. At 6-foot-5 and231 pounds, he has apowerful frame, and he can outmuscle defenders or outfinesse them when he needsto.

Evans is the only playerinNFL history to start his career with 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Only Jerry Ricehad that many at any point. Evans isaiming for12ina row in ayear when the Buccaneers celebrate the franchise’s50th season. Thereare no signs the31-year-old isslowing down, and his team goals are bigger than his personal ones.

“I’m just happy that we have a really great team, and we’re using this training camp to put everything together to have oneofthe best seasons for the 50th,” Evans said Tuesday.“I’m excited to put on agreat show for y’all.”

At aposition known for players

with look-at-me personalities

Tyreek Hill, Michael Irvin, Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson —Evans lets his performance do most of the talking. He’squiet,humble and community-oriented.Evans is afour-timeNFL Walter Payton Man of The Year nominee for the work he doesalong with his wife, Ashli, through their foundation, which empowers youth, encourages education and stands against domestic violence.

Evans joined the Buccaneers in 2014 as the seventh overall pick and has become one of the greatest players in franchise history Evans and Chris Godwinwere a bigreason why TomBradychose Tampa Bay in 2020, andthe Buccaneers ended upwinning aSuper Bowl that season

From catching passes from Josh McCown and Mike Glennon as a rookie to Jameis Winston toBrady to Baker Mayfield, Evans continues to produce. He has 836 career catches for12,684 yards and 105 touchdowns.

Evans missedthree games last season due to injury and didn’t reach1,000 yards until he caught a 9-yard pass on the final play of a2719 victoryover the Saints thatthe Buccaneersneeded to securetheir fourth straight NFCSouthtitle.

The reaction from Evans’ teammates and the fans after thatcatch showed howmuchhe’sloved.

“He always has (put the team

first),” Mayfield saidafterward.

“That’swhy you love him. That’s whyweappreciate having him. We’relucky to have him, and he’s underappreciated throughout the media, the league, and he’sone of one. He deservesthat.Obviously, yousaw thestadium erupt, the sideline erupt.You can tell how muchpeople care about him and whatthatmeans foreverybody around him.”

Some veteran playersare carefulabout mentoring young guys whowill eventually replace them. Not Evans. Or Godwin, for that matter

The Buccaneers drafted wideout Emeka Egbuka in the first round outofOhio State. They selected TezJohnsonfrom Oregoninthe seventhround.

“It’sconstant. They’re just so fortunatefrom Tezto‘Mek’ (Egbuka) to Garrett(Greene) to be able to learnfrom them,” Buccaneers offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said. “Wejusthad awalkthrough this morning, and we can coach it up, but Chris and Mike were coaching up the concept just as much as myself and (wide receivers coach) ‘B-Mac’ (Bryan McClendon) were. Andthat’sjust on the field— I can’timagine what they talk about off the field on how to be apro and howtoconduct themselves. They couldn’thave come into abetter environment forpeople to learn from.”

Rodgersleaning into possible final camp

Steelers quarterback finding camaraderie with teammates

TheAssociated Press

LATROBE, Pa.— This is not Aaron Rodgers’ first training camp Or his 10th. Or his 20th, for that matter

Yetthe NFL’s oldestplayer seems to be rejuvenated by camp life with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’snot just the age of his new teammates, some of whom —such as 21-year-oldfirst-round pick Derrick Harmon —were toddlers when Rodgers was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the first round of the 2005 draft. It’s not just the chance to work closely with Steelerscoach MikeTomlin, whom he has admired from afar for years.

It’sall of it. From living in acollege dormitory at Saint Vincent College— something he hadn’t done since the Green Bay Packers stopped going to St.Norbert College during the COVID-19 pandemic —tobeing part of apractice with live hitting for the first time in at least adecade.

No, Rodgers wasn’tputting his 41-year-old body on the line during the initial full-contact session of the season on Wednesday —quarterbacks are still off limits —but he did get an up-close look at the kind of physical practice that Tomlin believes is vital, if increasingly uncommon, this time of year

“I haven’tbeenapart of atrue tackling period in along time,” Rodgers said about an hourbefore trotting down to swelteringChuck Noll Field in his white No.8jersey

Although Rodgers kepthis No.8 clean, he did find himself leaning into the competitive nature of things. During the “seven shots” drill —essentially aseries of 2-point conversion attempts by the offense —Rodgers found himself in the thick of things while taking

Correa brushes off talk of Astros trade

BY PHIL ERVIN Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS Carlos Correa said discussions about atrade from Minnesota back to Houstonbefore Thursday’sdeadline aren’t “serious,” but he didn’t rule outthe possibility of returning to the city where he won aWorld Series.

“That’s notsomething that’s, I don’tthink, serious right now,” theshortstop said after sitting out Minnesota’s 13-1losstoBoston on Wednesday with amigraine.

“We’ll see where everything goes, but my goal hasalways been to be here andwin here.”

The three-time All-Star hasa no-trade clause in the six-year, $200 millioncontracthesigned with the Twins in 2023, so he would need to sign offonany deal.Correa said he has been in frequent communication with Twins president of baseball operationsDerek Falveyand manager Rocco Baldelli and said he has “fullcontrol”overwhathappens between now and the Thursday deadline.

The Astros might be in need of an infielder,withthird baseman Isaac Paredes continuing to battleastrained hamstring. Correa, abeloved fixture in franchise history, led Houston to a2017 World Seriescrown andbatted .277 with 489 RBIsinseven seasons. Astros secondbaseman Jose

Altuve, who remains close with Correa, wasasked in Houston on Wednesday if he had heard about the possibility of him returning to the team

“Correa’saguy with alot of history here in Houston,” Altuve said. “He’s agreat player, great human being, greatteammate. So Ithink —ifanything (were) to happen, Ihope it’sthe best for him and forus.”

The 30-year-old Correahasn’t been quite the sameplayer since signing athree-year deal with Minnesotain2022.Correa opted out of that contract and agreed to join the San Francisco Giants, then theNew York Mets,but both deals werenegated after his physicals.

He re-signed with Minnesota, wherehehas hit .271 while battling several nagging injuries that have had him in and out of the lineup.

This is thefirst time in his career Correahas playedfor ateam in “sell” mode.

“I’vebeenhavinga lotofconversations with players and just trying to keep them focused on thethings that they can control andthe daily work thatwedo here,togoout thereand tryto wingames andwhatever happens happens,” Correa said. Correa also left Tuesday’sloss to the Red Sox with amigraine. An MRI on Wednesday revealed no serious concerns.

MLBNOTEBOOK

Phillies tradefor Twins hard-throwingDuran

TheAssociated Press

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers fakes ahandoff to running back Kaleb Johnson during practice in Latrobe, Pa on Tuesday.At41, Rodgers is the NFL’soldest player.

ahandful of live snaps withthe starters.

Hisfirst pass was swatted down by blitzing safety DeShon Elliott. Rodgers laughedinthe aftermath and even exchanged high-fives with Elliott before bothplayers made their way back to thehuddle. During the four-timeMVP’s secondattempt,hedeftlymaneuvered around the pocket before finding newly acquired tight end Jonnu Smith for aconversion.

The best-of-seven ended with perhaps Rodgers’ finest moment on the field so far during camp

Needing ascore to record a“win” forthe offense,Rodgersfloated a pass to theback corner of the end zone, where DK Metcalf made a twisting grab before tapping both feet down inbounds.

It hasn’tbeenthe crispest start to campfor theoffense in general, but Rodgers ishardly panicking.

“It’snot abad thing to get beat up alittle bit,”hesaid. “Sometimes youcan learn more from the failuresintrainingcamp than getting after it every single day.”

Rodgers, who signed with the Steelers in early June after spendingmonths weighing whether to

play in 2025, would like tohave the offense down pat by theend of the week but cautioned, “We’ll see.”

Progress on the field isn’tthe only thing Rodgers is workingon. Hissomewhatlatearrival,combined with the likelihood thatthis is his final season, meansthere isn’talot of time to build the kind of chemistry required to thrive once the games start to count.

In that way,being away forcamp —aonce common practice now only done by ahalf-dozen teams has helped.

“I love thatwe’re out herein Latrobe.Ilove the opportunity for true camaraderie,” he said. “At nighttime, after meetings are done,guyshangout,you know, guys cometomyroom. Lastnight, Iwas in (linebacker Alex) Highsmith’sroom.Soit’spretty cool to seeeverybody hanging out the way they are. It’sa lot of fun.” And it is still funfor Rodgers. There will be plenty of time in the future when hiscareer will be in his rearview mirror. He’snot quite there yet.

“For me, once it stops being fun, youshould probably hang it up,” he said.

CHICAGO The Philadelphia Phillies acquired Jhoan Duran on Wednesday,trading twotop prospectstothe MinnesotaTwins for thehard-throwing reliever Duran has16saves anda 2.01 ERA in 49 appearances this season, striking out 53 in 491/3 innings.

CatcherEduardo Tait andrighthander Mick Abel were shipped offtoMinnesota in the deal. Tait, 18,isbatting .255 with 11 homers and 57 RBIs across two minor league stopsthis year.Abel,23, made his major league debut in May. The 27-year-old Duran joins a Philly bullpenthatalsohas Jordan Romano, Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering. Closer José Alvarado was suspended for80 games by Major League Baseball on May 18 after apositive test for external testosterone.

Duran’s100.2 mph average velocity forhis four-seam fastball is second to Mason Miller’s 101.1 mphamongthose whohave thrown 200 or more pitches. Duran has thrown 163 pitches of 100 mphormore, fourth-most in majorsbehind Miller,Seth Halvorsen and Daniel Palencia. It has been atough season for Minnesota, whichdropped to 5157 when it lost 13-1 to the Boston RedSox on Wednesday.Itcould look to moveacouple moreplayers ahead of Thursday’sMLB trade deadline.

Mets

TWOTRADESFORTIFY BULLPEN:The busy New York Mets remade the back endoftheir injury-depleted bullpen with two significant trades Wednesday, acquiringTylerRogers from SanFrancisco and Ryan Helsley from St. Louis. New York gave up six players for apairofright-handed relieverswho can becomefree agents in the fall.

First, the Mets obtainedRogers from the fading Giants forpitch-

ers José Buttó and Blade Tidwell, alongwithminor league outfield prospect Drew Gilbert. Tidwell was at Triple-A Syracuse after making two starts and two relief appearances for New York this season. The deal came on the sameday Rogers’ twin brother,Taylor,was also traded, from Cincinnati to Pittsburgh in thethree-player swap that moved GoldGlove thirdbaseman Ke’Bryan Hayes to the Reds.

Hours later,New York landed Helsley from the Cardinals for threeminor leaguers:infielder Jesus Baez,right-handerNate Dohm andright-handerFrank Elissalt.

The 31-year-old Helsley, atwotime All-Star,is3-1 witha 3.00 ERA and 21 saves this season. He hasstruckout 41 andwalked 14 in 36 innings.

TylerRogersis4-3 with a1.80 ERA this season, using his drastic submarine delivery to great effect. The 34-year-old reliever has struck out 38 batters and walked only four in 50 innings, tying for the major league lead with 53 appearances.

Dodgers

OHTANI LEAVES MOUNDWITH TRAINER: In Cincinnati, LosAngelestwoway superstar Shohei Ohtani left the moundaccompanied by a trainerduring the fourth inning againstthe RedsonWednesday night.

Ohtani threw sixstraight balls —including two consecutive wild pitches —and, after aconference on themound, departed witha 2-0 count against Spencer Steer The 31-year-old remained in the gameatdesignated hitter.He struck out looking against Reds starter Nick Martinez in thesixth inning.

It was Ohtani’sseventh mound start in his comeback from surgery on hisright elbow, which occurredafterthe 2023 season He didnot pitchatall lastseason.

Rookie CB Rileymakingplays earlyon

BY LUKE JOHNSON Staff writer

Spencer Rattler saw receiver Bub Means deep downfield with astep on thesecondary,and he letitrip looking for abig play during aseven-on-seven period in Wednesday’s practice. But Rattlerunderthrew thepass just abit, and one of the more intriguing New Orleans Saints rookies made him pay Cornerback Quincy Riley,whomthe Saints selected in the fourthround of this year’sdraft, made up the ground between him and Meansin ablink to undercut Rattler’sthrow foraninterception.Riley now has two of the team’sfour interceptions in training camp, bothcoming off of Rattler That is what theSaintswereexpecting whenthey drafted him, coach Kellen Moore said “He finds the ball andheattacks the football. That’sone thing we sawonfilm coming into the draft process,” Moore said. “He’sa ball guy,that’swhat you need on the back end. Mistakes are going to happen, but when you create turnovers,those impact games.” Riley began his career at Middle Tennessee before finishing his last three seasons at Louisville. In his time with the Cardinals,hepicked off eight passes while breaking up 27. He currently has been working with the second-team defense, essentially operating as the team’s fourth cornerbackbehindfree agent signing Isaac Yiadom

“Wefeel like that (cornerback) group is competing at ahigh level,” Moore said.

TE injuriespilingup

Already tested by injuries to Foster Moreau and Taysom Hill,the Saints tight end room had afew more players go down Wednesday

Juwan Johnson and Treyton Welch sufferedundisclosed injuriesthat forced them to leave practiceearly,Moore said.Defensive tackle

John Ridgeway also left early with an undisclosed injury

“Nothingoverlyconcerning there,”Moore said. “Those guys will take care of business, and we’llprobably communicate (Thursday) if there’sanything thatwill last beyond aday or so.

Those injuries left NewOrleans with three healthy tight ends on the roster: Jack Stoll, Michael Jacobson androokie Moliki

SAINTS NOTEBOOK

Matavao.Stoll seemed to step up in Johnson’sabsence, catching three passesinteam drills —all from Jake Haener,who operated the first-team offense Wednesday. As for howthe Saints will proceed withlimited tight ends if the injuries to Johnson andWelch linger,Moore didn’t seem concerned.

“Sometimes you just have to adjust some scripts if youdon’t have thebodies there, you just

playina little bit of adifferent personnel group,”Mooresaid.

Saints sign newOT

Afew days after releasing veteran offensive tackle Josh Ball, the Saints filledhis rosterspot by signing rookie tackle Jonathan Mendoza Mendoza wasatpractice Wednesday,wearing Ball’sformer No. 79 jersey.The 6-foot-9, 310-pounder spent most of his college career at Yale before finishing at Louisville last season, where he was teammateswith fellowSaints rookies TylerShough

andRiley.

Quincy Riley, left, competes during training camp in Metairieon July24.

Mendoza had aminicamp tryout with the Bills earlier this summer,but he was unsigned prior to working out with the Saintsearlierthis week. He faces an uphill climb to make theroster.New Orleans has been lining up longtime swing tackle Landon Young andsecond-year pro Josiah Ezirim —last year’sseventh-round pick —at tackle withthe second-team offensive line.

EmailLuke Johnson at ljohnson@theadvocate.com.

Despitecontractdispute,Hendrickson wantsto‘help’Bengals at camp

PARAS

Continued from page1C

received first-team reps, however,Rattler made sure he wouldn’t be forgotten. Rattler,running with thesecond team, was nearly perfect in 11-on-11s, with his only incompletion coming on ashort pass that running back Devin Neal arguably should have caught. In seven-onseven, Rattler did throw his third interception of camp when Quincy Riley picked off an underthrown deepball, but unlike his previous turnover,Rattler did not appear to be bothered by it. Instead, Rattler’s overall composure led to several flashyplays. Even before the interception,Rattler played to the crowd after a notable gain with his legs by nodding his head to the fans andyelling, “Yeah!” on the sideline. After the turnover,Rattler bounced back with adazzling deep throw to Mason Tipton that resulted in a touchdown. Rattler also did something that Haener did not:Heled the Saints to atouchdown drive during the team’ssituational work, capped off by alongrun from running back Velus Jones With Haener and Rattler each showing out, Shough showed flashes—albeit with amore limited workload. The rookie, for instance, did not get achanceto run the Saints’ situational drill

until the development period of practice near theend. (The Times-Picayune does not chart these passes toward thethirdstring quarterback’sstats since thesession is more controlled by coaches, and themedia is often escorted to conduct interviews whenittakes place.)

But Shough demonstrated more of awillingness to be aggressive, something he’savoided since camp began.Shough found Shaheed onacorner route with the wide receiver maintaining the completion through hard contact from cornerback Rejzohn Wright.He also hit BrandinCooks near thesideline on atoughthrow,although theplay would have been called backfor holding.

As campdevelops,itwill be interesting to monitor whether Shough’sday was the start of letting it fly alittle more. That hasn’tbeen an issue for either of theother quarterbacks, but then again,they also have more experience than the rookie Shough.

On Wednesday,all three quarterbacksran arelatively smooth operation.The penalties were limited, and when there were incompletions, they tended to be theresult of drops, smart throwawaysorgood plays by the defense

The Saints will take that kind of progress.

Email Matthew Paras at matt paras@theadvocate.com

BY JOE REEDY AP sports writer

CINCINNATI Trey Hendrickson andthe Cincinnati Bengalsremain at odds when it comestoreaching acontract extension, but the AllPro defensive endfelt it was more important to be with teammates as they prepare forthe upcoming season.

That is why Hendrickson was at his first training camp practice on Wednesdaymorning.

Hendricksonwas dressed in all black andwasn’t wearing his No. 91 jersey,but he was keepinga keen eyeonthe defense’s workouts and was giving pointers to first-round pickShemar Stewart.

“If Ican help him in anyway, that’smygoal for being here,” Hendrickson saidafter practice. “The planwas be here Day 1. Things transpired. News happenedtome, andwejust kind of makedecisions as we go.”

Hendrickson missed the first seven days andfive practices of camp, accumulating $350,000 in fines. He also received atotal of $104,768 in fines for not attending thethree

WALKER

Continuedfrom page1C

Kendre Miller in his tracks on one play

Handling offensive linemen is theeasy part. Handling all the ticket requests when you’re now playing just 85 miles from family and friends is the hard part

“Everybody wantstickets to thegames,” Godchaux said. “I can only give this amount every game. We can’thave 30 people at every game.”

Godchaux is figuring out how to disperse his allotment of tickets. Meanwhile, his teammates are figuring out how to play with him.Werner recalls arecent conversation he had with fellow linebacker Demario Davis.

“Man, withthis D-line play,I don’teven know where my gap is sometimes,” Werner said to Davis. “I’mjust fittingonthe ball because they are doing so well upfront. To have aguy like that who can play two gaps is really good for our defense.”

Godchaux is just as good for thelocker room, giving theunit another veteran leader.After Sunday’spractice, afew of the other defensive linemen were headed to get someofthe snowballs that were provided by the team. Godchaux brought that to ahalt and told them to save that until after they did their devel-

days of the Bengals’ mandatory minicamp in June,accordingtothe NFL’s collective bargaining agreement with the NFLPA.

When it comes to reaching an extension, Hendrickson said that “nothing’sreally changed.”

Both sidesremainfar off on the amount of guaranteed money Hendricksonwill receive,along with howmuchhegets during the early yearsofthe deal. He is scheduled to earn$15.8 millioninbase salary this season and has acap number of $18.7 million.

Hendrickson led the league with 171/2 sacks last season, becoming the fourth player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to have two straight yearswith at least171/2.His 57 sackssincejoining the Bengals in 2021 are thirdmost in the NFL over the past four seasons.

“This is the guy that has the most sacks over the past two years. Production has value in this league.

When you have aguy like that, you want to reward him,” quarterback Joe Burrow said. “He’sgoing to play abig part in theteamthis season.Just to have him around

makes abig difference in the energy around here. He brings an intensity that is very unique and so I think that’sgood for us.”

If the Bengals andHendrickson can bridge the gap, it will complete atrifecta of signing three of their top players to lucrative extensions. In March,Ja’MarrChase’s$161 million contract made him the highest-paid nonquarterback in the NFL at the time, and TeeHiggins’ $115 million deal made him one of the league’stop-10 highest-paid receivers.

Hendricksonisa valuable piece to adefense looking to improve with Al Golden in his first season as coordinator.The Bengals (9-8 last season)finished25th in the leagueintotal defense(348.3yards allowedper game) andlostfour games last season in which they scored at least 30 points.

“In the short timeI’ve been in thesemeetings, it’s been encouraging,” Hendrickson said about Golden. “I think he’s avery wise coach. He’sbeen here before. Nothing but respect forhim and moving forward we’ll seewhat transpires.”

opmental session to end practice. They obliged, asign that Godchaux’svoice already holds weight among his peers. Now he wants to throw his weight around on the football field. Hisability to do that can go along wayinthe Saints run defense improving. “When you say D-line, you

LSU defensive tackle Dominick McKinley sacks Oklahoma quarterback

Jackson Arnold on Nov. 30 in Tiger Stadium.

McKinley, who had three sacks last season, got stronger during the offseason.

MICHAEL JOHNSON

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Coming on strong

BY KOKI RILEY Staff writer

Preseason practices just began, but LSU coach Brian Kelly has been impressed by sophomore defensive lineman Dominick McKinley this offseason.

Kelly said McKinley has gotten stronger since the end of last year, enough so that the LSU weight training staff ran out of weights for him to use on his max squats.

“It was 650 pounds, max squat,” Kelly said. “And so I just throw that out to you as how powerful he is, and he’s such a great kid.

“He’s so grounded. He wants to get better every single day, and he has elite, you know, strength and numbers from that perspective.”

McKinley had seven total tackles and three sacks for the Tigers last season. He attended Acadiana High and was the No. 14 prospect in the nation in the Class of 2024 by 247Sports Composite.

OL Thomas out for month

LSU freshman offensive lineman and former four-star recruit Solomon Thomas will be out for a month with a foot injury, a source confirmed with The Advocate on Wednesday Thomas was not spotted at LSU’s opening preseason practice Wednesday morning. He broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot, Kelly told WNXX, FM-104.5.

Thomas was the No. 41 overall recruit and the No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the nation in the 2025 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. At 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, Thomas was com-

LSU

Continued from page 1C

route, using his high-end speed to gain a step on cornerback Ashton Stamps. The small window of separation was wide enough for Nussmeier, who pump-faked left and turned back right to loft a perfectly thrown pass to Brown in the end zone.

Later, in a seven-on-seven drill

Nussmeier found Hilton on a deep fade pattern on the sideline. His pass had just the right touch, and Hilton angled back to grab it.

Those plays weren’t available to LSU very often last season. Nussmeier completed only 36% of his passes that traveled at least 20 yards, and he averaged just 7.7 yards per attempt the 12th-best mark among Southeastern Conference quarterbacks.

If Nussmeier raises that average — like both Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels did in their second years as the LSU starter — then he can unlock a more dangerous version of the offense that he led last season. Brown and Hilton, alongside Oklahoma transfer wide receiver Nic Anderson, are there to help him. The earliest returns are promising.

“You’ve got some depth there,” Kelly said, “but the real deal here is that we’re gonna get over the top of a lot of defenses with those two guys.” Here’s what else stood out from LSU’s first preseason practice of the season. Reporters could view the full session, which was split between the indoor facility and the outdoor fields.

Position battles

After practice, Kelly held up a

LSU NOTEBOOK

mitted to Florida State before flipping to LSU.

Thomas was part of a freshman group that included four offensive linemen, including four-star recruit Tyler Miller, four-star prospect

Carius Curne and three-star recruit

Brett Bordelon

Taking it slow

LSU junior wide receiver Nic

Anderson did not participate in contact drills 11-on-11 and sevenon-seven — but did fully dress for the opening day of preseason practices on Wednesday

Anderson is recovering from a July 11 car crash. Kelly said Anderson passed LSU’s concussion protocol and is set to take part in contact drills beginning Thursday

“He got into a little fender-bender,” Kelly said, “and so we wanted to make sure (he’s OK).”

Anderson was a limited participant in spring practices because of a balky hamstring. He was also sidelined for most of 2024 season with an injury. He transferred to LSU from Oklahoma this past winter Anderson had 798 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns for the Sooners in 2023

“We didn’t want to get into a situation where, as you know, the medical issues with him at Oklahoma were real,” Kelly said at SEC media days earlier this month. “So, we just wanted to be careful with him.”

Zinn introduced at Rutgers

Former LSU deputy athletic director and chief operating offi-

notecard that listed every player and his number, then said he was still trying to figure out which number belongs to whom The remark, though somewhat tongue-incheek, was meant to illustrate that LSU only has begun finalizing its starters for the season opener

“Let’s have a conversation that bears that in mind,” Kelly said.

The first-team offensive line

Wednesday — from the left side to the right — was redshirt sophomore Tyree Adams, redshirt sophomore DJ Chester, Virginia Tech transfer Braelin Moore, Northwestern transfer Josh Thompson and redshirt freshman Weston Davis. Chester is the only returning starter, but he began camp in a new position — a fact that encapsulates the wide-open nature of the races for each of the five starting spots.

Almost all of the linemen on Wednesday’s second team, Kelly said, are competing for everydown roles Paul Mubenga and Coen Echols will push for the top guard spots. Carius Curne and Bo Bordelon will battle for the firstteam tackle jobs.

“We have to evaluate them as a group of five and then individually who makes up that best five,” Kelly said. “So I think you’ll see some of that happen over the next couple of weeks.”

On defense, LSU rotated the starting safeties and the outside cornerback opposite Virginia Tech transfer Mansoor Delane. It also toyed with different combinations along the defensive line.

One team drill had Stamps at corner with NC State transfer Tamarcus Cooley and returner Jardin Gilbert at safety behind him. Another one later in Wednesday’s session had Houston transfer AJ Haulcy next to Cooley at safety, with sophomore PJ Wood-

Aiming to keep what they have

Coaches race to master art of retention amid NIL, revenue sharing, portal challenges

BY MAURA CAREY AP sportswriter

Whether it was an ACC, SEC, Big Ten or Big 12 coach taking the podium at media days, one theme remained consistent: In an era where revenue sharing and NIL opportunities can swiftly steer athletes toward the transfer portal, programs across the country are racing to master the art of player retention. Its importance is clear to Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, who has seen all but five players from his 2023 recruiting class leave for different programs.

cer Keli Zinn was introduced as the athletic director at Rutgers on

Wednesday

Zinn, who has been with LSU since 2022, followed former LSU President William F.Tate IV to Rutgers Tate’s tenure as LSU president ended in June.

“Keli Zinn brings the strategic drive, operational excellence and championship pedigree we need right now for Rutgers Athletics,” Tate said in a news release Wednesday “Her leadership style resonates deeply with Rutgers’ mission competitiveness on the field, integrity in our practices and excellence in the student-athlete experience.”

Zinn’s responsibilities at LSU included oversight of LSU football and gymnastics. She also assisted LSU with its revenue-sharing efforts and helped organize the early stages of building a new basketball arena.

She arrived at LSU from West Virginia, where she was the deputy athletic director for the Mountaineers.

“Where there are challenges, there are also opportunities, and I look forward to working with our campus leaders, student-athletes, coaches, staff, donors and fans,” Zinn said in a news release, “to build on Rutgers’ strong tradition, amplify opportunities to support our athletic programs, maintain top-tier compliance and pursue excellence both on and off the field.”

Staff writer Wilson Alexander contributed to this report Email Koki Riley at Koki.Riley@ theadvocate.com.

land at corner Transfer edge rushers Patrick Payton (Florida State), Jack Pyburn (Florida) and Jimari Butler (Nebraska) each took first-team reps, as well as returning sophomore Gabe Reliford. Sophomore Ahmad Breaux took most of the first-team snaps at defensive tackle, with sixth-year senior Jacobian Guillory, sophomore Dominick McKinley and South Florida transfer Bernard Gooden rotating into the spot next to him.

Back from injury

Both Harold Perkins (torn ACL) and Whit Weeks (broken fibula), as expected are fully recovered from the serious injuries they suffered last season. Each linebacker logged a full practice Wednesday with the first-team defense. Perkins manned the Star position — the linebacker-defensive back hybrid role in defensive coordinator Blake Baker’s scheme. Weeks started at inside linebacker next to his older brother, West Weeks. Guillory is back on the field, too, 11 months removed from the torn Achilles he suffered in a game against Nicholls state. Anderson, the Oklahoma transfer, did not practice, but Kelly said he was in the final stages of clearing concussion protocol after he was recently involved in a “fender bender.” He’s expected to begin seven-on-seven and 11on-11 work Thursday

The only player not spotted at Wednesday’s practice was freshman offensive lineman and top-50 national recruit Solomon Thomas. He’s sidelined for a month, a source confirmed, with a foot injury Wilson Alexander contributed to this report.

“Here’s what it’s not because of: the way they’re treated, because of the way they’re developed, because of the way they’re taught,” Pittman said. “That’s not the reason. It could be playing time. It could be finances. Probably the majority of it is finances, but you’d have to ask those guys.”

More than 3,000 Bowl Subdivision players reportedly entered the transfer portal in the spring, which would average out to about 22 players per team. For the Razorbacks, 10 starters will be back and one of them is senior defensive lineman Cam Ball. He has remained with Arkansas his entire career, a somewhat rare occurrence for an NFL hopeful these days.

“I’m just a loyal guy I’m loyal to the state of Arkansas; Arkansas has been loyal to me,” Ball said. Arkansas, like many schools, is also trying to scare up more money from donors as it faces the financial ramifications of the $2.8 billion House settlement. Last fall, the athletic director said the school needed some $12 million more annually to “be in the NIL game from a football perspective.”

Besides the money, the Razorbacks have to find talented players; Ball grew up in Atlanta, just barely within the regional footprint in which Pittman prefers to recruit.

“We have to go outside our state,” Pittman said. “In-state recruiting has changed over the last three or four years because of NIL. So you have to think about the talent — who it is versus what pay is expected. So that’s been a little bit more difficult in our state.”

Pittman isn’t the only coach who wants prospects to be familiar with what their college experience will look like before making any life-changing decisions. Florida coach Billy Napier paints a clear picture of life in Gainesville, Florida, and the challenges and perks that come with it.

SOUTHERN

Continued from page 1C

Princeton Cahee from Louisiana Tech and sophomore transfer Christian Smith from Alcorn State.

“That position, you gotta have a bunch of those guys because you never know what’ll happen in that room,” Graves said Monday at practice. “The soft tissues, the big tissues and things of that nature You want to have (depth) and then you want that room to be competitive.

“Teams that run the football really well tend to win championships on any level.”

Experience and size were traits Southern targeted and found specifically in Franklin, who stands 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds. That size is complemented by the explosiveness of players such as Cahee and Holly On Friday, Southern offensive coordinator Mark Frederick didn’t want to “downplay” last year’s rushers by comparing them to this year’s group. He did share that the additions fit their offense.

The revamped position group will be led by new running backs coach Marcus Bradley, who spent the last three seasons at Prairie View as the running backs coach.

While Bradley 31, is new to Graves’ staff, he’s well-acquainted with the program. He worked with the offensive line as a graduate assistant at Southern in 2017. That year in Baton Rouge, he bonded with Frederick, who was

“We present our product in a way where we’re selling the degree, the alumni network, the Gatormade program, and you have to be up for the challenge of trying to get Florida back to where it’s been before,” Napier said. “And I think that’s one of the reasons we’ve been able to keep it together.” Florida’s 2023 recruiting class remains mostly intact and from Napier’s perspective, hungrier than ever Compared to other SEC teams, the Gators have had more success with retention. Napier doesn’t think it’s a coincidence.

“We told them when they came in, you know, look, it’s not going to be all sunshine and rainbows here. We’re in this thing for the long haul,” Napier said. “I think a lot of this is how you pitch it in recruiting.”

Coaches scrambling to prevent transfers and maintain consistency isn’t exclusive to the SEC. The approval of the House settlement is a double-edged sword when it comes to retention, and Power Four schools and beyond are feeling the effects. Third-party NIL deals are no longer the only negotiation tactic schools need to worry about. Complex contracts are becoming common and legal risks grow for athletes and programs alike as college football increasingly resembles the pros. Some deals are being negotiated solely by athletes as young as 18.

As a senior, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn is used to the process.

“I wouldn’t say I was nervous (to negotiate) because this is my third year of having to do that,” Quinn said. “You’ve got to kind of stand your ground with what you feel like is your worth. If you’re comfortable with their offer, then sign.”

in his second of three stints at Southern.

“Coach Frederick was the receivers coach at that time and just was able to watch me grow and watch me work and we just built a relationship,” Bradley told The Advocate in an interview before preseason camp.

Frederick was so impressed with him that when he took an associate head coaching job at Prairie View in 2018, he took Bradley with him. Frederick, who coached the tailbacks last season, is entering his second season as the Southern offensive coordinator during this stint.

Bradley said Frederick’s mentorship in football and life has been invaluable. One tidbit he appreciates is the importance of being detail-oriented.

When asked whether less proven Southern runners will compete for snaps, Bradley was adamant that nothing has been decided.

“You ask about Mike Franklin and Princeton Cahee, (but) there’s no guarantee those guys come here and they’re starters,” Bradley said. “It don’t matter if you got 100 snaps or zero snaps, it’s about producing and the trust that’s being built, you know And representing Jaguar football.” Bradley does not feel pressure entering the season.

“Pressure, what pressure?” Bradley said “I’m in the profession of growing and developing young men and graduating Black young men. Also, anytime, any chance I get to do that, then I’m always good. Everything else gonna follow suit.”

Dress success

BY LAUREN CHERAMIE | Staff writer

hen my brotherand Iwere young, ourhouse was known as “thehealthyhouse” —or thehouse with no snacks. Since then,the internet has come up with a different name forit: an ingredient household, ahomethat hasnoready-to-eat foods or snacks, onlythe ingredientstomake food. By thetime Iturned10, mymom was deep into herorganic phase. Bologna sandwiches were banished from thekitchenand were replaced with broccoli salad

BY GRETCHEN McKAY

(TNS)

As it turns out,though, the salad wasn’tsobad. In fact, it was surprisingly crave-worthy This broccoli salad combines its namesake with cauliflower, green onions, Italian dressing, bacon, mayonnaise, cheese and spices to make something that is refreshing with abig crunch. This recipe may not be themost health-conscious, but adjustments can be made if necessary —the cheese can be taken out, and the mayonnaise replaced withavocado or olive oil.

The salad is also open to experimentation —adding croutons, sunflower seeds, dried cranberriesorpecans adds flavor and complexity. Justlike my family’sfruit saladrecipe, the flavors in broccoli salad develop over time, so it’sbestto let it sit for at least two hours in the refrigerator before serving. This dish translates well from one season to the next. It works just as well at asummer cookout as it does on aholiday buffet

Email Lauren Cheramie at lauren.cheramie@ theadvocate.com.

Marinating the chicken in seasoned yogurt helps keep the meat

and tender when it

the heat.

Broccoli Salad

1. Chop broccoliand cauliflower into alarge serving bowl. Add choppedblackolivesand greenonions.

2. Mix in Italian dressing, bacon, mayonnaise, cheese and cayenne pepper.Let the mixture chill in the refrigerator for at least 2hours, then serve.

NOTE: Topwith croutons, sunflower seeds, driedcranberriesorpecansif you desire.

BY BETH DOOLEY The Minnesota Star Tribune

Family feud:Comment sectionedition

Dear Miss Manners: Some time ago,one of my wife’snephews (a grown man in his 40s) came across an opinion Ihad writtenin adigital publication. He didn’tlike it, so he insulted me in the public commentary section. Ishrugged it off. The next day,hewent hunting online for another opinion of mine he didn’t like,and insulted me again so that all my familyand friends could read it. He wasbeyond vile. It took me agood 20 minutesto carefully construct astrongreply Idid not lower myselftohis deranged level, keeping in mind that he was still my wife’snephew.I wanted all those who saw thein-

sult to also see my defense. However,whenItried to post my response, Icouldn’t, because he had deletedthe insult minutes after postingit. (Helater admittedhis mom had told himtodelete it.)

Judith Martin MISS MANNERS

Idecided to take a screenshot of the whole interaction before it disappeared, and then Iposted it, with links, for his entire family to see.Iembarrassed him.

He did not apologize. His mother unfriended me publicly.Some family members criticized me with indirect comments. Everyoneelse stayed silent,whichhurt me morethan the cowardly indirect comments. No one stood up for me, de-

THE PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/TNS PHOTO By GRETCHENMcKAy Lemon StrawberryCrumb Bars

Serves 16. Recipe is adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com.

3cups all-purpose flour,spooned and leveled

1teaspoon baking powder

½teaspoon salt

1cup unsalted butter,verycoldand cubed

1largeegg

1largeegg yolk

1cup packed light or dark brown sugar

2teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2cups chopped strawberries

2cups blueberries

1⁄3 cup granulated sugar

1½ tablespoons cornstarch

1teaspoon lemon zest FOR OPTIONAL GLAZE:

1cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

2tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1lemon)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line thebottom and sides of a9-by-13inchbaking panwith parchment paper,leaving an overhang on the sides to lift the finished barsout. (This makes cutting easier!)Set aside.

2. Make the crumble mixture for the crust and topping: Whisk flour,baking powder and salt together in alarge bowl.

3. Add cubed butter and using apastry cutter or two forks, cut in the butter until all the flour is coated and resembles pea-sized crumbles. (I whisked the ingredients together in afood processor.)

4. Whisk egg,egg yolk, brown sugar and vanilla together in a small bowl. Pour over theflour/ butter mixture and gentlymix together until the mixture resembles moist, crumbly sand

5. Use your hands if needed —the mixture comes together

BERRYBARS

Continued from page1D

certainly speed things along,all you reallyneed to cut in the butter that helps create the crumbly bottomlayer is afork or pastry cutter and some good old-fashioned elbow grease. Iused amix of blueberries and strawberries becausethe two fruits have such complementary flavors and are always easy to find, often on sale. Also, two contrasting colors are alwaysmore

fended me or even said they were sorry for theuncalled-for insults. That showed me I’m not part of this family.I’m not blood; Iam just thein-law they can’tstand. That’sfine withme. Ican’texpect thewhole world tolike me. Iended my relationships withall of them: No more time or money from me for holidays, weddings, baptismsorfunerals across the country with my wife. I’m done with them. My wife is hurt,but understands Iwas the one done wrong. I’m curious about your thoughts on the matter

Gentlereader: It is not Miss Manners’ habit to rank whose behavior was worse. But if she were to prioritize who appears most deserving of sympathy from

greatest to least, she would start with your wife,your sister-in-law, theother relatives, then yourself —and lastly, the nephew Etiquette generally seeks to repair damage such as that done by your nephew.But depending on thespecifics of what he said, that may never have been possible. Breaking up the family may have been theonly likely outcome. Nevertheless, you did lower yourself when you reposted the nephew’scomment after it was removed —and then wentona campaign of public humiliation. Youwere wronged, but once you piled wrongupon wrong, you put everyone else in an impossible situation.

Dear Miss Manners: How do Ipolitely and firmly convey to an in-

Read up on

Dear Heloise: Government and politics aren’tthe samething. All the “bickering” you hear and read is people spewing political opinions, someofwhich aren’tbased on any understanding of the Constitution.It’sfairly easy these days to learnabout thestructure of the United States government and the reasoning behind theform it takes under the Constitution. I’d advise reading it and paying attention tothe amendments. If you really are interested, you can read someofthe Federalist Papers, which lay out thereasoning behind parts of the Constitution. By knowing how thegovernment is structured and how it works (or is supposed to work), it makes it easier to understand current political issues. Muchofwhatpeople read online, on TV,oronapodcast is opinion. It’spolitical “bickering,” andyes, it’s disturbing. Reading or hearing opinions doesn’t lead to understanding but rather just shows howsome-

By The Associated Press

easier with your hands thana spoon.You will haveabout 6cups of thecrust/crumble mixture. Set 2cupsaside.

6. Pour the remaining crumble mixture into the prepared pan andflatten downwith your hands or aflat spatula to form an even crust.Itwill be alittle crumbly —that’s OK. Set aside.

7. Make filling: In largebowl, mix strawberries,blueberries, granulated sugar,cornstarch and lemon zest together.Spoon evenly over crust.

8. Crumble the remainingbutter/flour mixtureontop and gentlypress down so it’s snug on the strawberry layer

9. Bakefor 45-50 minutes or untilthe top is lightly browned and thestrawberry filling is bubbling on the sides. (My bars took about 55 minutes.)

10. Remove from the oven and place the panona wire rack. Allowtocool completely

11. If addingaglaze,whisk the glazeingredients together anddrizzle on top of the bars (or youcan drizzle on individual squares).

12. Lift the cooled bars out usingthe overhang on the sides. Cut intosquares.

13. Cover and store leftover bars (with or without icing) at room temperature for up to 2days, in therefrigeratorfor up to 1week and in freezer for up to 3months (arrange in even layers between sheets of parchment). To serve frozen bars, thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperaturebeforeserving.

visually appealing in adessert than one. If you’re worried about the butter and sugar content, at least know this: Both fruits are fairly low-cal and packed with vitamin Cand other nutrients. Also,blueberries are famous for their high antioxidant content. Be sure to allow thebars to cool completely on awire rack before slicing intosquares or they will crumble. Theoriginal recipe finished the bars with a simple lemon glaze, but Iserved them without.

terested party that Imerely want to discuss business, and am not interested in meeting forcoffee or any other alone time that could be construed as romantic?

Ifeel that an abrupt “I do not drink coffee, but Iwill see you at the next official function” would not sufficiently discourage the interested party from inquiring further

Gentle reader: Perhaps not. But repetition will.

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.

theU.S.government

one feels. —Bonnie, via email DIYChristmas decor

Dear Heloise: Throughout the years, I’ve received somebeautiful Christmas cards. Isaved them because Ican’tbear to throw them away.Even the funny ones put asmile on aface during the hectic days leading up to Christmas dinner This year,instead of giving gifts to friends and family,I bought very pretty frames (gold colored, silver,pearls, etc.) and framed the cards I’ve received through the years. Iwill give it to them to use as a Christmas decoration on acoffee table, shelf, lamptable, etc. —C.L. Reid, in Bakersfield,California Brownguacamole

Dear Heloise: Itried everything to keep my guacamolefrom turning brown, but nothing worked until I tried this: Putthe guac into acontainer, leaving space on top and at one side. Placesomechopped onion

TODAYINHISTORY

thorities in Austria; he wasturned over to France, which later tried and executed him

pieces into the side area only and put an airtight lid on it. After about four days, it was perfect and delicious! Not brown-colored at all. —Charlotte, in Ventura, California Charlotte, Ihadn’theard of this one. Thanks forsharing! —Heloise No candles, please Dear Heloise: Ihaveread your column foryears—literally,asI am over 90 yearsold. Forover70 years, Iwas acook anda baker, andImadehundreds of cakes forbirthdays with candlesontop Times change,and candlesshould notbeonthe topofthe cake. On a cupcakeora cookie is fine but nota cake. One blowand others can get sick. Imadethe change yearsago —Harriet P.,inNorth Bethesda, Maryland Microwavedilemma

Dear Heloise: Microwave ovens do not heat food evenly.Letting the food stay in the microwave after cooking allows the heat to spread moreevenly —EarlB., in Ohio Sendahinttoheloise@heloise com.

Today is Thursday,July 31, the 212th day of 2025. There are 153 days left in theyear

Todayinhistory

On July 31, 2012, at the Summer Olympics in London, swimmer Michael Phelpswon his 19th Olympic medal, becoming the mostdecorated Olympian of all time. (Hewould finish his career with 28 total Olympic medals,23 of them gold.)

Also on this date:

In 1715, afleet of Spanish ships carrying gold, silver and jewelry sank during ahurricane off the east Florida coast; of some 2,500 crew members, more than 1,000 died.

In 1777, the19-year-old Marquis de Lafayette received acommission as major general in the Continental Army by theSecond Continental Congress.

In 1919, Germany’sWeimar Constitution was adopted by the republic’sNational Assembly In 1945, Pierre Laval, premier of the pro-NaziVichy government in France, surrendered to U.S. au-

In 1957, the Distant Early Warning Line, asystem of radar stationsdesigned to detect Soviet bombers approaching North America, went into operation.

In 1964, the U.S. lunar probe Ranger 7took the first close-up images of the moon’s surface.

In 1971, Apollo 15 crew members David Scott and James Irwin becamethe first astronauts to use alunar rover on thesurface of themoon.

In 1972, vice presidential candidateThomas Eagleton withdrew from theDemocratic ticket with George McGovern following disclosures that Eagleton had received electroshock therapy to treat clinical depression.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush andSoviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev signed the Strategic ArmsReduction Treaty (START I) in Moscow

In 2020, afederal appeals court overturned the death sentence of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, say-

ing the judge whooversaw the case didn’tadequately screen jurors forpotential biases. (The SupremeCourt reimposed the sentence in 2022.)

Today’sbirthdays: Jazz composer-musician Kenny Burrell is 94. Actor Geraldine Chaplin is 81. Former movie studio executive Sherry Lansing is 81. Singer Gary Lewis is 79. International Tennis Hall of Famer Evonne Goolagong Cawley is 74. Actor Michael Biehn is 69. Rock singer-musician Daniel Ash (Love and Rockets) is 68. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban is 67. Rock musician Bill Berry (R.E.M.) is 67. Jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan is 66. Actor Wesley Snipes is 63. Musician Fatboy Slim is 62. Author J.K. Rowling is 60. Actor Dean Cain is 59. Actor Jim True-Frost is 59. Actor Ben Chaplin is 56. Actor Eve Best is 54. Football Hall of Famer Jonathan Ogden is 51. Country singer-musician Zac Brown is 47. Actor-producer-writer B.J. Novak is 46. Football Hall of Famer DeMarcus Ware is 43. NHL center Evgeni Malkin is 39. NASCAR driver Kyle Larson is 33. Hip-hop artist Lil Uzi Vert is 30.

Yogurt Marinated GrilledChicken

Serves 4to6,but is easily doubled or tripled. Recipe is from Beth Dooley.This makes afine dinner paired with freshveggies and awonderful pitasandwich or pasta salad.

3clovesgarlic, minced Zest of 2lemons

1cup plain wholemilk yogurt

¼cup minced fresh cilantro, plus more forgarnish

¼cup extra-virgin olive oil

2tablespoons za’atar

1teaspoon coarse salt

Generous pinch freshly ground black pepper

1to2¼pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts

CHICKEN

Continuedfrom page1D

1. In alarge bowl, stir together the garlic, lemon zest, yogurt, cilantro, oil, za’atar, salt andpepper. Remove 1/4 cup of the yogurt mixture and set aside.

2. Add the chicken to the remaining yogurtmixtureand thoroughly coat thechicken.Coverthe chickenand refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

4. Remove the chicken and allow it to rest for5minutes. Slice and serve with assorted vegetables; drizzle with the reservedyogurt sauce andgarnish with chopped herbs.

3. Removethe chicken, shaking off any excess marinade and bring to room temperature while preparing the grill or broiler to medium heat. Cook thechicken,until onesideischarred, about 3to5minutes. Carefully flip the chickenand cook through, another 5 minutes. Thechickeniscookedwhen the internal temperature reaches 165 F on ameat thermometer

challenge is how to stock up for such sweet spontaneity. What to keep on hand? Grilled chicken breasts.

Ilike to cook two or three times morethan we’ll eat for dinner that night. What’sleft gets tossed with pasta, stuffed into pitas, served over rice. Boneless chicken breasts cook quickly but can be trickyasthey can dry out Marinating thechicken in sea-

soned yogurt helps keep the meat juicy and tender when it hits the heat.Ifyou’re not afan of grilling or in ahurry,abroiler has the sameeffect. Youcan marinate thechicken for as little as 30 minutes or as long as overnight. This also works wonderfully on thighs, wings or the whole bird. Once you’veprepared the marinade, hold someback to pass as asauce. It hums withza’atar, fresh herbs, garlic and lemon zest, plus alittlebit of salttohelpthe meat retain moisture. The lactic acid in yogurt is gentlerthanvinegar or lemon juice, so thechicken

will notturnsoft or mushy Of course the results depend on the quality of the chicken. Look forfree-range birds; thanks to their varied diet, the meat is flavorful and firm.I like to keep frozen chicken breasts on hand; they thaw out quickly,making last-minute prep easy Serve the chicken with whatever fresh veggies you have from the garden or farmers market —like sweet-sharp cherry tomatoes and crunchy cucumbers drizzled with the herbed yogurt. Don’tforget atoasted pita to sop it all up.

Microsoft cloud revenue hits $75B

REDMOND Wash. — Microsoft said Wednesday that annual revenue for its flagship cloud computing platform rose 34% to $75 billion.

The Azure cloud business has been a centerpiece of Microsoft’s efforts to shift its focus to artificial intelligence.

The software giant said its fiscal fourth-quarter profit was $34.3 billion, or $3.65 per share, beating analyst expectations for $3.37 per share. It posted revenue of $76.4 billion in the April-June period, up 18% from last year. Analysts polled by FactSet Research had been looking for revenue of $73.86 billion Microsoft has announced layoffs of about 15,000 workers this year even as its profits have soared.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told employees last week the layoffs were “weighing heavily” on him but also positioned them as an opportunity to reimagine the company’s mission for an AI era.

Promises of a leaner approach have been welcomed on Wall Street, especially as Microsoft and other tech giants are trying to justify huge amounts of capital spending to pay for the data centers, chips and other components required to power AI technology.

European economy sees 0.1% growth

FRANKFURT Germany Europe’s economy barely grew in the April-June quarter as frantic earlier efforts to ship goods ahead of new U.S. tariffs went into reverse and output fell for the continent’s biggest economy, Germany. Gross domestic product grew an anemic 0.1% compared to the previous quarter in the 20 countries that use the euro currency, the EU statistics agency Eurostat reported Wednesday Growth was 1.4% over the same quarter a year ago. And prospects are mediocre for the coming months, given the 15% tariff, or import tax, imposed on European goods in the U.S. under the EU-U.S. trade deal announced Sunday The higher tariff will burden European exports with higher costs to either be passed on to U.S. consumers or swallowed in the form of lower profits.

“With the 15% U.S. universal tariff likely to subtract around 0.2% from the region’s GDP, growth is likely to remain weak in the rest of this year,” said Franziska Palmas, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics.

Spire to buy Tennessee utility for $2.5 billion

ST LOUIS Gas utility company Spire announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire the biggest investor-owned gas utility in Tennessee for nearly $2.5 billion. The deal is expected to close early next year and requires regulatory approval in Tennessee. The move will give Spire control of Piedmont Natural Gas, a subsidiary of North Carolina-based Duke Energy Piedmont which will become known as Spire Tennessee after the deal closes serves more than 200,000 customers in the Nashville area. Spire, based in St. Louis, said in a news release that the move “significantly increases” the scale of its gas business, with Piedmont operating nearly 3,800 miles of pipelines and serving “one of the fastestgrowing regions in the U.S.” in the Nashville metro area.

“This acquisition is a natural fit for Spire, allowing us to expand our core utility business and increase our utility customer base to nearly two million homes and businesses,” said Scott Doyle, Spire’s president and CEO, in the release. “We look forward to serving customers in the Nashville area.”

Strong second quarter charges U.S. economy

A worker works on the roofing structure of new home under construction in Richardson, Texas. America’s gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded after falling at a 0.5% clip from January through March, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday.

Reports suggests consumer uncertainty persists

BY PAUL WISEMAN AP economics writer

WASHINGTON The U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3% annual pace from April through June, bouncing back at least temporarily from a first-quarter drop that reflected disruptions from President Donald Trump’s trade wars.

Still, details of the report suggested that U.S. consumers and businesses are wary about the economic uncertainty arising from Trump’s radical campaign to restructure the American economy by slapping big taxes — tariffs on imports from around the world.

“Headline numbers are hiding the economy’s true performance, which is slowing as tariffs take a bite out of activity,” Nationwide chief economist Kathy Bostjancic wrote.

America’s gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services rebounded after falling at a 0.5% clip from January through March, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday The first-quarter drop, the first retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports — which are subtracted from GDP as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trump’s

tariffs. The bounceback was expected but its strength was a surprise: Economists had forecast 2% growth from April through June.

From April through June, a drop in imports — the biggest since the COVID-19 outbreak added more than 5 percentage points to growth. Consumer spending registered lackluster growth of 1.4%, though it was an improvement over the first quarter’s 0.5%.

Private investment fell at a 15.6% annual pace, the biggest drop since COVID-19 slammed the economy A drop in inventories — as businesses worked down goods they’d stockpiled in the first quarter — shaved 3.2 percentage points off second-quarter growth.

A category within the GDP data that measures the economy’s underlying strength weakened in the second quarter, expanding at a 1.2% annual pace, down from 1.9% from January through March and the weakest since the end of 2022. This category includes consumer spending and private investment but excludes volatile items like exports, inventories and government spending.

Federal government spending and investment fell at a 3.7% annual rate on top of a 4.6% drop in the first quarter Wednesday’s GDP report showed inflationary pressure

easing in the second quarter

The Federal Reserve’s favored inflation gauge the personal consumption expenditures price index — rose at an annual rate of 2.1% in the second quarter down from 3.7% in the first. Stripping out volatile food and energy prices, so-called core PCE inflation rose 2.5%, down from 3.5% in the first quarter

On his Truth Social media platform, Trump heralded the GDP gain and stepped up his pressure on the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates: “2Q GDP JUST OUT: 3%, WAY BETTER THAN EXPECTED! “Too Late” MUST NOW LOWER THE RATE. No Inflation! Let people buy, and refinance, their homes!”

Trump sees tariffs as a way to protect American industry, lure factories back to the United States and help pay for the massive tax cuts he signed into law July 4. But mainstream economists — viewed with disdain by Trump and his advisers say that his tariffs will damage the economy, raising costs and making protected U.S. companies less efficient. They note that tariffs are paid by importers in the United States, who try to pass along the cost to their customers via higher prices. Therefore, tariffs can be inflationary — though their impact so far has been modest.

Stocks fall as hopes weaken for interest rate cuts

BY STAN CHOE AP business writer

NEW YORK Most U.S. stocks slipped on Wednesday after doubts rose on Wall Street about whether the Federal Reserve will deliver economy-juicing cuts to interest rates by September The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1%, coming off its first loss after setting all-time highs for six successive days The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 171 points, or 0.4%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%.

Stocks felt pressure from rising Treasury yields in the bond market after the Federal Reserve voted to hold its main interest rate steady The move may upset President Donald Trump, who has been angrily lobbying for lower interest rates, but it was widely expected on Wall Street.

Trump on Wednesday announced a 25% tariff on imports coming from India, along with an additional tax because of India’s purchases of Russian oil, beginning on Aug. 1. That’s when stiff tariffs Trump has proposed for many other countries are also scheduled to kick in, unless they reach trade deals that lower the rates.

“The economy is in good shape, but it’s in an unusual situation,” Fed Chair Jerome Powell said. He also said that the Fed will receive two months’ worth of data on inflation, the job market and other economic indicators before it meets again to vote on rates in September That could give the Fed more confidence that the risk of high inflation is no longer bigger than the risk of a weak job market, a combination that would prod officials toward lowering rates.

Powell’s comments drove traders to pare back bets on a cut in September They now see just a 45% chance of that, down from a nearly 65% probability a day earlier, according to data from CME Group. On Wall Street, Humana rose 12.4% after the insurer and health care giant reported stronger results for the spring than expected. It also raised its forecasts for profit and revenue over the full year Video-game maker Electronic Arts climbed 5.7% after likewise topping Wall Street’s expectations. Companies are under pressure to deliver solid profit growth. They need to in order to justify the big jumps in their stock prices during recent months, which has caused some critics to say the broad U.S. stock market looks too expensive. Starbucks slipped 0.2% after reporting a weaker profit than analysts expected as it tries to turn around its operations. The company is hoping to boost its performance through improved store operations and new products, including a cold foam protein drink.

There’s more to tech layoffs than meets the eye

BY MATT O’BRIEN AP technology writer

If you read the typical 2025 mass layoff notice from a tech industry CEO, you might think that artificial intelligence cost workers their jobs.

The reality is more complicated with companies trying to signal to Wall Street that they’re making themselves more efficient as they prepare for broader changes wrought by AI.

A new report Wednesday from career website Indeed shows tech job postings in July were down 36% from their early 2020 levels, with AI one but not the most obvious factor in stalling a rebound.

ChatGPT’s debut in late 2022 also corresponded with the end of a pandemic-era hiring binge, making it hard to isolate AI’s role in the hiring doldrums that followed.

“We’re kind of in this period where the tech job market is weak, but other areas of the job market

have also cooled at a similar pace,” said Brendon Bernard, an economist at the Indeed Hiring Lab. “Tech job postings have actually evolved pretty similarly to the rest of the economy, including relative to job postings where there really isn’t that much exposure to AI.”

That nuance is not always clear from the last six months of tech layoff emails, which often include a nod to AI in addition to expressions of sympathy

When he announced mass layoffs earlier this year, Workday CEO Carl Eschenbach invited employees to consider the bigger picture: “Companies everywhere are reimagining how work gets done, and the increasing demand for AI has the potential to drive a new era of growth for Workday.”

Autodesk CEO Andrew Anagnost explained that a need to shift resources to “accelerate investments” in AI was one of the reasons the company had to cut 1,350, or about 9%, of workers.

The “Why We’re Doing This” section of CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz’s announcement of 5% job cuts said the cybersecurity company needed to double down on AI investments to “accelerate execution and efficiency.”

“AI flattens our hiring curve, and helps us innovate from idea to product faster,” Kurtz wrote.

It’s not just U.S. companies. In India, tech giant Tata Consultancy Services recently characterized its 12,000 layoffs or 2% of its workforce, as part of a shift to a “FutureReady organization” that would be realigning its workforce and “deploying AI at scale for our clients and ourselves.”

Even the Japanese parent company of Indeed and Glassdoor has cited an AI shift in its notice of 1,300 layoffs at the job search and workplace review sites.

Microsoft has announced layoffs of about 15,000 workers this year, even as its profits have soared. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

told employees last week that the layoffs were “weighing heavily” on him but also positioned them as an opportunity to re-imagine the company’s mission for an AI era. Promises of a leaner approach have been welcomed on Wall Street, especially from tech giants that are trying to justify huge amounts of capital spending to pay for the data centers, chips and other components required to power AI technology

“It’s this sort of double-edged sword restructuring that I think a lot of tech giants are encountering in this age of AI, where they have to find the right balance between maintaining an appropriate head count, but also allowing artificial intelligence to come to the forefront,” said Bryan Hayes, a strategist at Zacks Investment Research. Google said last week it would raise its budget for capital expenditures by an additional $10 billion to $85 billion. Microsoft is expected to outline similar guidance soon.

LEo (July 23-Aug. 22) Your input will inspire you to revisit what motivates you. Getback to basics, adopt asmart lifestyleand engage in pastimes and activitiesthat bring youjoy

VIRGo (Aug.23-sept. 22) Take along, hard look at yourself. Achange of attitude will come if youfeel good about how you look and what you can contribute. Develop aplan andimplement positive change.

LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) Words matter, so choose yours carefully.Bequick to walkaway from temptation or anyone trying to lead you astray. Offerhopeto others, but protect yourself.

scoRPIo(oct. 24-nov.22) Refrain from traveling to destinations that may pose problems due to weather or other disasters. Take precautionsregardingpartnerships. Trying to buy loveorloyalty will leadtoconsequences.

sAGITTARIus (nov. 23-Dec. 21) Direct your energy according to your needs. Use your intelligence and offer suggestions,but refrain from providing hands-on help. Your timeand effort should focus on self-sufficiency and personal care.

cAPRIcoRn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Expect to face restrictions that affect your relationships or your abilitytoapply your skills properly.Utilize your intelligence and farm outtasksthat are beyond your capabilities.

AQuARIus (Jan.20-Feb. 19) Mixed emotions will surface. Envision the out-

come before youbegin.Yourattempts to improve will lead to professional opportunities andcompliments.

PIscEs(Feb. 20-March 20) Spend more time or moneyonactivitiesorthings that helpease stress. Make your surroundings comfortable and distance yourself from people or situationsthat damageyourconfidence.

ARIEs(March 21-April 19) Refuse to let uncertainty weigh you down or let someone'sanger, distress or drama ruin your day. Remove yourself from unsavory situationsand rely on your resources to help fill any void.

TAuRus (April 20-May 20) Tidy up loose ends and take refuge in doing something thatyou enjoy. Refuse to let emotional misunderstandings develop when truth and transparency can eliminate such problems.

GEMInI (May 21-June 20) You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain if you embrace change with asmile and the willingness to put in the effort. You will discover arite of passage if you are helpfuland resourceful.

cAncER (June 21-July 22) You'll have to draw the line, set boundaries and be clear regarding what you are willing to do. You'llface accusationsifyou don't do everythingbythe book

The horoscope, an entertainment feature, is not based on scientific fact. ©2025 by NEA, Inc dist.ByAndrews McMeel Syndication

Celebrity Ciphercryptograms are created fromquotations by famous people, past and present. Eachletterinthe cipher stands foranother.

ToDAy'scLuE: LEQuALs o

Sudoku

InstructIons: Sudoku is anumber-placing puzzle based on a9x9 grid with several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1to9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once. The difficulty level of the Sudoku increases from Monday to Sunday.

Yesterday’s Puzzle Answer

By PHILLIP ALDER Bridge

What didJames Thurberbelieveis theone human achievement that made thelongtrip up from all fours seem well advised?

Youhavetwofour-cardsuits.Theplayer on your leftopens one of another suit, your partner makes atakeoutdouble, andrightypasses. Assuming youdonot have enough high-card power to jump or to cue-bid, which suit would you bid first?

The question is easy to answer if one suit is amajor and theother aminor youbid themajor.But whatiftheyare both majors or both minors, likeSouth’s hand in today’s diagram? Which would youbid now?

The answer depends uponyourpointcount. If you have aweak hand, bid the lower-ranking. But if your hand is strong enough to bidtwice, start with the higher-ranking. Then, if the auction continues andpartner does not raise your suit, show theother suit on the next round.

In this deal, you should advance with one spade. West will make atakeout double, North will pass,and East will run to twoclubs or twodiamonds.

Nowyou rebidtwo hearts as planned. North might raise to threehearts or,likinghisgreatmajor-suitholdings,jumpto four hearts. If he bids only three hearts, you wouldlike to raise to three-and-ahalf hearts!

wuzzles

The play in fourhearts is easy,given thegreatfitandfriendlybreaks.Youwill losetwo clubs andone spade James Thurberthought thatart made ourmovefromall fours to upright walkingwell advised. ©2025 by NEA,Inc.,dist.

By Andrews McMeel Syndication

Each Wuzzle is aword riddlewhich creates adisguised word, phrase, name, place, saying, etc. For example: NOON GOOD =GOOD AFTERNOON

Previous answers:

word game

InsTRucTIons: 1. Words must be of four or more letters. 2. Words that acquire four letters by the addition of “s,” such as “bats” or “dies,” are not allowed. 3. Additional words made by adding a“d” or an “s” may not be used. 4. Proper nouns, slang words, or vulgar or sexually explicit words are not allowed.

ToDAy’s WoRD FEnTAnyL: FEN-teh-nil: Asynthetic opioid narcotic.

Averagemark 17 words

Timelimit 35 minutes

Canyou find26ormorewords in FENTANYL?

yEsTERDAy’s WoRD —MARsHEs

mare

tice of

be andthesameare hereby designated as

polling places at which theElectionwillbeheld. Pursuant to theprovi‐sionsofLa. R.S. 18:1286(B), theCommis‐sioners-in-Chargeand theCommissioners au‐thorized to be selected by theBoard of Election Supervisorstoserve at theElectiononSaturday, November 15, 2025, are hereby designated as the Commissioners-inCharge andCommission‐erstoserve at thepolling places designated for this Election SECTION5.Designation of Commissionersand Commissioners-inCharge.Asrequiredby La.R.S.18:1286(B), theof‐ficers designated to serveasCommissionersin-Chargeand Commis‐sionerspursuanttoSec‐tion 4hereof, will hold theElectionasherein provided solely in com‐pliancewiththe provi‐sionsofParts II andV of theElectionCode, as amended, andwillmake duereturns of said Elec‐tion in accordance with theaforesaid provisions of theElectionCode. The compensation of said of‐ficers be andthe same is hereby fixedatthe sum prescribed by law. All registered voters in each precinct andresidingin theDistrictare entitled to vote at theElection. SECTION6.Authorization of Secretary. TheSecre‐tary of theGoverning Au‐thority, be andishereby empowered, authorized anddirectedtoarrange forand to furnishthe election officers,in ampletimefor thehold‐ingofsaidElection, all equipment, formsand otheritems which may be required in orderto hold said Election.The Presidentand/orSecre‐tary of theGoverning Au‐thorityare furtherautho‐rized, empoweredand di‐rected to take anyand all furtheractionrequired by Stateand/orFederal lawtoarrange forthe Election SECTION7.Furnishing Election Call.Inaccor‐dancewithLa. R.S. 18:1285(B)(1), certified copies of this resolution will be forwarded promptly to theSecre‐tary of State, theClerk of Courtand Ex-Officio Parish CustodianofVot‐ingMachinesinand for theParishofWest Baton Rouge(the“Parish”),and theRegistrar of Voters in andfor said Parish,as notification of thecallfor theElectioninorder that each mayprepare for said Election andper‐form theirrespective functionsasrequiredby law. SECTION8.Estimated Collections. Pursuant to La.R.S.18:1284(c),anes‐timated$9,424,172.00 is reasonably anticipated hi i b l

y p at thistime to becol‐lected fromthe levy of therespectivespecial taxset forthinProposi‐tion No.1 andProposi‐tion No.2 foranentire year SECTION9.Application to StateBondCommission. Applicationbeand the same is hereby formally made to theState Bond Commissionfor consent andauthorization to hold aspecial proposition election in theDistrict, as previously specified herein,saidElectionto be held within theDis‐trictonSaturday, Novem‐ber15, 2025, andinthe eventthe aforesaid propositions arecarried forconsent andautho‐rization to levy andcol‐lect theTaxes provided forbysaidpropositions in theamounts, forthe purposes andfor the numberofyears herein specified;and that acer‐tified copy of this resolu‐tion will be forwardedto theState Bond Commis‐sion on behalf of the GoverningAuthority,to‐gether with aletterre‐questing thepromptcon‐sideration andapproval of such application. SECTION10. Additional Notice Requirement. This GoverningAuthority made theannouncement with respecttothisreso‐lution required by La.R.S 42:19.1,atits public meetingonWednesday June 18, 2025 andpub‐lished said announce‐mentinthe Official Jour‐nalonThursday,June 19, 2025. Such announce‐ment wasalsotransmit‐tedvia emailtoState Senators andRepresen‐tativesonFriday, June 20, 2025. This resolution having been submittedto a vote,the vote thereon wasasfollows: YEAS:Mr. BurkeFiscus, Ms.HayleyClouatre, Dr AtleyD.Walker, Sr Mr Ronald LeBlanc, Mr.G AldenChustz, Jr Mr MichaelMaranto Ms Teri Bergeron NAYS:None ABSENT:Ms. Sonceria Evans, Ms.Chareeka Grace, Mr.MattDaigre‐pont WHEREUPON, this resolu‐tion wasdeclaredtobe adoptedbythe Parish School Boardofthe Parish of West Baton Rouge, Stateof Louisiana, on this,the 16thday of July,2025. /s/ G. AldenChustz, Jr G. AldenChustz, Jr President ATTEST:

y y 2026, at 5:00

p.m. at its regularmeetingplace theWestBaton Rouge School Board Office,3761 Rosedale Road,Port Allen, Louisiana, andwill then andthere,inopen andpublicsession,pro‐ceed to examineand canvassthe returnsand declarethe result of the specialelection. Allreg‐isteredvotersresidingin theDistrictare entitled to vote at thespecial election andvotingma‐chines will be used in connection therewith. THUS DONE ANDSIGNED at Port Allen, Louisiana, on this,the 16thday of July,2025. /s/ G. AldenChustz,Jr. G. AldenChustz,Jr. President STATEOFLOUISIANA PARISH OF WEST BATON ROUGE I, theundersigned Secre‐tary/Superintendentof

do hereby certify that theforegoing constitutesa true and correctcopyofa resolu‐tion adoptedbythe Gov‐erning AuthorityonJuly 16, 2025, ordering and callinga specialelection to be held in Parishwide School District No.3 of theParishofWestBaton Rouge, StateLouisiana

PublishWestSideJour‐nalThree (3)Times: 7/31/2025, 8/7/2025, & 8/14/2025 148546-JUL31-AUG7-143T $60.81

SHERIFF’SSALE SUIT NO.48584 TIFFANYSILVIOSMITH vs MICHAELANTHONY

/s/ Dr.ChandlerSmith Dr.ChandlerSmith Secretary/Superintenden t EXHIBITA NOTICE OF SPECIALELEC‐TION Pursuant to theprovi‐sionsofa resolution adoptedonJuly16, 2025, by theParishSchool Boardofthe West Baton RougeParish, Stateof Louisiana(the“Govern‐ingAuthority”),actingas thegoverning authority of Parishwide School Dis‐trictNo. 3ofthe Parish of West BatonRouge State of Louisiana(the“Dis‐trict”), NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVENthata special election will be held in theDistrictonSATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025, and that at said election therewillbesubmitted to allregisteredvotersof theDistrict, qualified in andentitledtovoteat said election under the Constitution andlawsof theState of Louisiana andthe Constitution of theUnitedStates, the fol‐lowing propositions,to wit: PROPOSITIONNO. 1

(TAX RENEWAL) ShallParishwideSchool District No.3 of West BatonRouge Parish Louisiana(the“District”) be authorized to renew thelevyofa specialtax of twelve (12) millsonall property subjecttotaxa‐tion within theDistrict (anestimated $9,424,172.00 is reason‐ably expected at this time to be collectedfrom thelevyofthe tax foran entire year), fora period of ten(10) years, begin‐ning with theyear2027 andendingwiththe year 2036, forthe purposeof giving additional support to thepublicelementary andsecondary schoolsin said District by providing fundsfor improvingand maintainingsalariesand benefits of teachers and otherpublicschool per‐sonnel employed by the West BatonRouge Parish School Board? PROPOSITIONNO. 2 (TAX RENEWAL) ShallParishwideSchool District No.3 of West BatonRouge Parish Louisiana(the“District”) be authorized to renew thelevyofaspecial tax of twelve (12) millsonall property subjecttotaxa‐tion in theDistrict(an es‐timated$9,424,172.00 rea‐sonablyexpectedatthis time to be collectedfrom thelevyofthe taxfor an entire year), fora period of ten(10) years, begin‐ning with theyear2027 andendingwiththe year 2036, forthe purposeof providingschool em‐ployee salaries andben‐efits? Thespecial election will be held at each and everypolling placesitu‐ated in theDistrict (which shallbeeachand everypolling placeinthe Parish of West Baton Rouge, Stateof Louisiana),which polls will open at 7:00 a.m. and closeat8:00 p.m. on SAT‐URDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2025, in compliance with theprovisionsofSection 541 of Title18ofthe LouisianaRevised Statutes of 1950, as amended(La.R.S 18:541) Thepolling places at the precinctsinthe District areherebydesignatedas thepolling places at whichtoholdthe said specialelection, andthe Commissioners-inCharge andthe Commis‐sioners, respectively shallbethosepersons designated accordingto lawpursuanttoSection 1286(A) or Section1286.1, as thecasemay be,of Title18ofthe Louisiana RevisedStatutesof1950, as amended. Aportion of themonies collectedfromthe Taxes shallberemittedtocer‐tain stateand statewide retirement systemsin accordance with thepro‐visionsofSubtitle1 of Title11ofLouisiana Re‐visedStatutesof1950, as amended(La.R.S.11:82). In accordance with La R.S. 18:1285(A)(1)(a)(v), theestimated cost of holdingthe election will be $70,000.00. Thespecial election will be held in accordance with theapplicable pro‐visionsofChapter 5, Chapter6-A andChapter 6-BofTitle 18 of the LouisianaRevised Statutes of 1950, as amended, andother con‐stitutionaland statutory authorityasapplicable thereto, andthe officers appointedtoholdthe election,orsuchsubsti‐tutesthereforasmay be selected anddesignated in compliance with law, will make duereturns thereoftothe Governing Authority, andNOTICEIS HEREBY FURTHERGIVEN that theGoverning Au‐thoritywillmeet on Wednesday,January 21, i

CLASSIFIEDS WORK